Thursday 23 April 2015

Wonder

By R.J Palacio

This is a must read, not only an award winner but also high acclaim from young and old. This is a wonderful story about a boy, home schooled for his entire life he is placed in a private school. Going from a protected environment and placed in a typical middle school where superficial ideals are disappointingly real. Our main character, Auggie, was born with a facial deformity. So not only is Auggie the new kid, which is hard enough, he is also an easy target for teasing and ridicule. Thanks to a wonderful family environment Auggie is up for the task of trying to convince his new friends and classmates that he is just like them.
At the core we are all wonders, we are all fragile and this wonderful story is uplifting and a sweet story with a message. And remember: Don't judge a book by it's cover! then go and pick up a copy of Wonder.

Friday 17 April 2015

Tunnels

Tunnels
Tunnels 
by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams


It’s been a long time since I read a fantasy novel that hooked me in immediately.  The discovery of another world is standard in many fantasy books, but the other world in this novel is rather unusual – it’s underground, right beneath our feet.  But no one, or very few, know of its existence.
 
As Tunnels begins, Will and his father are on the brink of discovering this underground reality.  Both are rather eccentric.  They are obsessed with archeological digs and embark on many on their own – right in the middle of London.  Will is only fourteen but already knows how to excavate an underground tunnel, how to shore it up with wood supports, and how to check for safety.  His prize possession is his shovel, which he polishes regularly.

The rest of Will’s family is a little strange as well.  His mother watches TV constantly, and his 12-year-old sister Rebecca runs the house – cooks, cleans, and pays the bills.  But when Will’s father goes missing, the family moves to a new level of weird.

Enlisting the help of his only friend, Chester, Will decides to investigate his father’s disappearance.  Will and Chester find something that leads them underground – deep underground.  And the world they discover is both wondrous and menacing.  Will and Chester must adapt to life as reviled foreigners in a place where beliefs about "topsoilers" are unflattering at best, and where the ruling class is not even human.

Full of suspense, action and twists and turns, Tunnels will please kids who love a good, rousing fantasy story.

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Down the Mysterly River


Award winning author, Bill Willingham brings us Down the Mysterly River. Through this tale readers get a glimpse into a world beyond the pages of a book. This is a suspenseful story about friendship and adventure. Four unconventional friends meet and take off on a mysterious undertaking. Our main character Max, one day finds himself in a strange land and with a loss of memory. He makes friends with a badger named Branderbrock, a black bear named Walden, a cat named McTavish the Monster. All of these creatures can talk and have a loss of memory just like Max. They band together to discover who they are, and why they are here and what they need to do to survive. They face evil forces, great threats and they persevere.
I enjoyed the twists and turns in this story, I especially like the twist at the end and I think you will too.

Wednesday 1 April 2015

The Truth About Nature: A Family's Guide to 144 Common Myths about the Great Outdoors

The Truth About Nature
by Stacy Tornio
     Organized by season, this wonderful non-fiction book is an interactive guidebook busting myths like whether or not a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's or if all woodpeckers peck wood.  The book encourages curiosity and exploring the great outdoors. It covers a wide range of topics from animals, to plants, space, weather and lots more. Plus 40 Stranger than Fiction Feature Facts that are so unbelievable that they can't possibly be true, but amazingly are!
     I had a lot of fun learning new things and separating fact from fiction while reading this book. It would be a great book to read outside as the weather warms out, and definitely a fun one to revisit as the seasons change.
Recommended Reading: Ages 9 - 12.