Good Reads: Broomhill Junior School

Chosen by Year 6 (10/11 year old) pupils from Broomhill Junior School, Nottingham.

Thanks to Nicky-Jane Kerr and Alison Burdass, class teachers.

Microscopic Monsters

Nick Arnold, ill. Tony De Saulles, Scholastic ‘Horrible Science’, 0 439 99501 9, £3.99

There is loads to write about this fab book! It’s all about horrifying facts about insects, germs and diseases. It’s a kids dream! It’s disgusting but funny. I’ve told all the grown ups I know about the facts and they all thought it was gross. The book has 130 pages full of excellent facts and absolutely hilarious pictures.

There are a lot of horrible science books but this is the best yet. There also are horrible histories and horrible geography. Microscopic Monsters is just a fabulous book, go out and buy it to find out more. I give this book a whopping ten out of ten. (Not to be read by an adult as they will get scared.)

Reece Fletcher

Bart Simpson’s Guide to Life!

Matt Groening, HarperCollins, 0 00 711005 7, £6.99 pbk

This book describes how The Simpsons (spiky haired kid with attitude) character Bart feels about life.

When I first looked at the book I wasn’t put off by the fact that there wasn’t lots and lots of literature, but there were nearly 200 pages of diagrams, pictures, comedy sketches, information on science based subjects and guides to different sections of life, such as: school, food, health and fitness, work and money, after hours, parents, art and culture, science, language and communication, animals, romance, psychology, law and order, strange facts and religion. I would recommend this book to eleven years and up (if you enjoy The Simpsons), because of the humour that it has. Personally I give Bart Simpson’s Guide to Life! a whopping ten out of ten. (Another masterpiece from Simpsons creator, Matt Groening.)

Kurtis Willis

The Illustrated Mum

Jacqueline Wilson, Yearling, 0 440 86368 6, £4.99 pbk

This marvellous tale is about a woman called Marigold who is plastered from head to toe in tattoos. She has two daughters, Dolphin, the youngest thinks Marigold’s the most beautiful mum in the world, but Star isn’t so sure anymore. She just wishes that Marigold would be normal. Even though Marigold hasn’t seen Mickey (Star’s Dad) since Star was born, she’s convinced he’s coming back, or is he?

I think this book is spectacular and it’s one of those books you can’t put down! My favourite character is Dolphin because she’s always stuck in the middle of problems and that’s happened to me before. I like the chapters because they’re named after Marigold’s tattoos. Jacqueline Wilson is an amazing author and all of her books including this one I’d give 10/10! I’d highly recommended this book for 8+.

Lauren Walford

The Frightful First World War (and The Woeful Second World War)

Terry Deary, Scholastic, 0 439 99713 5, £7.99

The thing that struck me about this book was the bright red cover and the big title; this made me choose it. It’s a history book of the First World War, but not like other history books; it leaves all the gory bits in.

I like the way the writing has been set out in small paragraphs and a lot of the time in speech bubbles. Another thing that is different about it is that it adds jokes and witty remarks at the end of sentences. When it comes to a really gory part, what makes it even more horrible is that you know that it is true, like when he says that the soldiers had to eat food with bugs swarming all over it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to find out all the horrors and hardship of war. I give this book a well-deserved ten out of ten.

Robyn Blaker