Good Reads: Trafalgar Junior School Readers and Writers Club
Chosen by Trafalgar Junior School Readers and Writers Club, Trafalgar Junior School, Twickenham, Middlesex.
Thanks to Richard Smith, Deputy Head Teacher.
Clarice Bean Spells Trouble
Lauren Child, Orchard Books, 9781843628583, £5.99 pbk
What a great title – Clarice Bean Spells Trouble! And there are another two books in the series! As soon as I read the title, I needed to read more. Once I picked it up I couldn’t stop!
It’s about a girl called Clarice who has a sister and two brothers. Clarice also lives with her mum, dad and granddad. Her best friend is Betty. Both her and Betty have a fictional role model called Ruby Redfort (who now appears in another book by the same author).
This book is about friendship and facing down your fears. I like the fact that Clarice is so like me because she is rubbish at spellings – and it’s funny how one of the only words she can spell is rinoosurus…rhinoceros?
I think it’s suitable for all age groups, and if you don’t mind funny books with some upsets in the middle then this book is for you!
Aoife Pattie (10)
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins, Scholastic, 9781407109084, £7.99 pbk
The Hunger Games – where to start? It’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It’s packed full of gruesome , loving and frightful moments . It’s about Katniss Everdeen, a 16- year-old girl who lives with her mother and sister, Prim. When Prim is chosen to compete in the hunger games she has no choice but to step forward and take her place, although she knows she’s basically signing up for her death sentence. Along with Peeta, the other person from Katniss’ district she competes against 23 other people to see if she can be the last one standing. Oh and did I mention, there’s only one rule – kill or be killed… So can she do it? Can she be the champ? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
I’d highly recommend this book to confident readers who don’t mind a bit of gruesome and gore. It’s one of the most gripping books I’ve ever read and I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages, which is why I strongly recommend it.
Ruby Arbon Ellis (9)
Ratburger
David Walliams, HarperCollins Children’s Books, 978000745352, £12.99 hbk
This is one of the funniest books ever, by the amazing David Walliams. He has impressed me once again, and I hope he does the same for you. The book is suitable for anyone over 9, as in some parts it is a bit gruesome…
Zoe is an ordinary girl who lives in an ordinary flat and goes to an ordinary school. Somehow her hamster mysteriously dies; so her dream of appearing with him in a circus act is over. But you couldn’t just give up a dream, could you? So when Zoe finds a new pet they start rehearsals immediately; however, the species may not be appreciated…
Join Zoe while she finds the secret of Burt – and read whether she and her dad will get pulverised!
Read on to find out more!
Bargain; a voucher* for a free burger at Burts comes with the book! (*Expires 1986)
Ellen Slack (11)
Who Could That Be At This Hour (All the Wrong Questions)
Lemony Snicket, Egmont Books, 978-1405256216, £8.99 hbk
This is a great book for independent readers, especially the ones that enjoy mysteries – because this book is full of them! It starts with a thirteen year old boy called Lemony Snicket who goes with his chaperone (S. Theodora Markson) to a very small town called Stained by the Sea. Not many people live at Stained by the Sea – in fact only twenty! Lemony and his chaperone are looking for a statue called ‘The Bombinating Beast’, and are assigned to go to a big mansion. When they get inside they are told by an old lady that the ‘Bombinating Beast’ is stolen, and there the mission begins!
I enjoyed reading this book because it was interesting, and it made me laugh. And now, all you have to do is read it yourself. I hope you like it as much as I did.
Kavi Thandi (9)
My Naughty Little Sister
Dorothy Edwards, Egmont, 9781405249058, £5.99. pbk
My Naughty Little Sister is written from a six year old girl’s perspective and she bases her stories on her four year old sister. The girl takes you through various stories and adventures of what her younger stubborn sister gets up to. You can never put this book down because it constantly intrigues you because of her mischievousness and adventures, which are sometimes along with her best friend ‘Bad Harry’.
I especially like this book because I feel it could be read by a wide range of ages; I also like it because it never fails to make you laugh! I think the front and back cover perfectly represent the story of her life and the adventures she gets up to!
Imogen Hartland-Ord (9)
