Good Reads: Abbotsford School

Chosen by Year 5 pupils (9/10 year-olds) from Abbotsford School, Kenilworth, Warwickshire.

Thanks to Irene Hirons, Year 5 teacher, and Anne O’Brien, class teacher.

Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody

Michael Gerber, Gollancz, 0 575 07454 X, £6.99 hbk

Barry Trotter and Lon Measly are in their twenties and still at the famous Hogwash School for Wizards. J G Rollins has written some books about Barry and how a Hollywood film is being made. Some of Barry’s admirers, the Muddle Girls, have come to Hogwash to take part in it for souvenirs. Barry must stop the movie and the book is about the thrilling adventures he has while trying to do this. Barry travels to America and meets several exciting characters and the reader is kept in suspense at all times.

In the end, the movie is released but Barry manages to banish the Muddle fans. The headmaster at Hogwash retires and Lon takes his place. I thought this book was a very funny parody of Harry Potter. Some of the comparisons between the characters are hilarious. However, you need to have read some Harry Potter books to enjoy it thoroughly.

Sam Stern

Comet

Mary Hoffman, Franklin Watts ‘Pet Pals’, 1 86039 613 5, o/p

This story is about a kitten that falls from the sky. Christopher finds the kitten in his back garden: he then takes it to the vet’s for a check up. The kitten was lucky that it was not injured and was well.

Christopher named the kitten Comet. Towards the end of the holiday, Christopher and his parents asked the head teacher if Christopher could take Comet to school. This was because Christopher’s parents went to work. On the first day back, Mum took Christopher and Comet to school. This is where the fun begins!

I enjoyed reading this book because it was exciting, funny, strange and different to all the other books I have read. At times the book made me laugh especially when Christopher saw Comet flying in the air. Mary Hoffman, the author, has described the story in simple words, which makes it easy to understand. I recommend this book to everyone!

Naranjun Bhandal

Jacqueline Hyde

Robert Swindells, Corgi Yearling, 0 440 86329 5, £4.99 pbk

If you are getting bored of all the Roald Dahl and J K Rowling books and are in for a bit of adventure, this is the book to read. It is by Robert Swindells. He has been a Carnegie medal-winning author.

It is about a girl who has always been a good girl, until the moment she finds a little glass bottle in her grandma’s attic. Suddenly Jacqueline’s life changes. Now she is joining in with the town’s roughest gang. To get into the gang Jacqueline has to go on to the roof of the school at home time and stick her tongue out at the Headmaster. She has lots of adventures, dreams and nightmares. My favourite characters are Craig, the gang’s leader and the Headmaster.

Tyrone Thiara

Lucy the Lonely Kitten

Jenny Dale, Macmillan, 0 330 37457 5, £2.99 pbk

Lucy the Lonely Kitten is written by Jenny Dale. Jenny Dale writes about animals big and small, but this book is about a kitten who is bought by a girl called Charlie because her sister, Sam, has gone back to University. However, the kitten escapes from Charlie’s house and goes back to the Cattery from where she was bought and sneaks under the fence to cuddle up to her sister who is called Rosie.

When Charlie finds out that the kitten is missing she tells her mother who rings the Cattery. Charlie and her mother go back to the Cattery and when they get there they find Lucy and Rosie curled up together in their cage. Charlie realises that Lucy is missing her sister just as much as she is missing her own and she and her mum decide to take both kittens home with them. When they arrive home they find that Sam has returned home as she is missing Charlie.

I enjoyed this book very much because it has a happy ending and it reminded me of my own sister, Lisa, who has just gone to University herself.

Emily Parker