Ghost Boy by Felicity Pulman (JoonSu)

Ghost boy is a novel which is set in Quarantine Station in Sydney, Australia.There are two main characters Fred(usually called Froggy) and Thaddeus(usually called Tad).

After Froggy's family has moved to Sydney, Froggy keeps expriencing nightmare of drowning. One day, his dream comes true and Fred meets the 'ghost' Tad. It was also when diseases were so common in Sydney and people were dying out. Froggy realises that the future relies on the understanding of the past.

The problem at the start is Froggy and Tad do not trust each other.And there is a new character introduced-Cassie. As the time goes, they start to trust each other and start to solve the secrets of the family treasure. They will only be set free if they solve the secret. Tad was exiled when Sydney was griped by a smallpox outbreak.

This book was intersting because it involves the unknown part of the nature.It has an element of the supernatural.Also the story contains historical facts. The language is simple and easy to understand. I think this book is worth reading.

Eveline by James Joyce (Hayley)

Eveline by James Joyce

This is a short story which was about a girl called Eveline and her decision to leave or stay in the environment she is living in. Eveline's life was not as easy as others. It was hard and difficult and she faced violence from her father from when she was young. The father did abuse her physically but Eveline was a victim of emotional abuse. After her mother's death, he would emotionally blackmail her and say what he would do to her is only for her dead mother's sake. All the money she earned, she gave it to her father but her father would not give his money to her saying he won't give his hard-earned money to spend. The only times he gave money to her was when he wanted her to buy dinner for him. But a chance came for her to leave this kind of life and move into a new environment, when her boyfriend, Frank asked to move with him overseas but when the decision came for her to leave or stay "she did not find it a wholly undesirable life." When it was time for her to leave, she left only Frank to leave and "gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition," and she was reluctant to travel. She decided to stay where she was, even with the negative actions she has to face from her father.

In this story, I recognized that even with a family that may be horrible and where you have complications, you still may have the heart of caring for them and not wanting to leave them, but this may be due to other reasons, such as in this story, Eveline was thinking of her mother who past away, but also her father.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (JoonSu)

Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens



A fantasy story A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens clearly shows the theme of how enemies can become friends after an incident, which also refers to a person hating something turning out to liking it. An interesting character in the film is Ebenezer Scrooge. He is interesting, because the theme is shown through the events which are related to him.



The theme is shown when Scrooge hates people who greets him with ‘Merry Christmas’. Scrooge, an old man suffering poverty, was working in his office. Suddenly, his nephew swung the door open, and shouted, ‘Merry Christmas’, but Scrooge told him to leave him alone. ‘What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer…’, he said. This shows that Scrooge believes that Christmas is his enemy which is destroying his life and boosting his poverty. Through this idea, I learnt that joyful events, such as Christmas or Easter may not be joyful for everyone.



Another part which shows the theme is when he greets everyone with ‘Merry Christmas’ at the end of the story. The three ghosts, who had shown Scrooge his past, present and future, taught him a valuable lesson of, how he should not live too thrifty, but sharing, especially on joyful days, such as Christmas. ‘I’ll give you money and if you buy me a turkey, I will give you 1 shilling. If you buy me the turkey in 5 minutes, I’ll give you 5 shillings.’ This quote shows that he had begun to share. Another quote showing this idea is when he says to Bob, his worker, ‘You’re late, you seem lazier. So, I’m planning to give you a raise’. Through this part, I have learnt that through a valuable lesson, people’s personalities can change 180 degrees.



Through this book, I learnt that when we share, we also share the happiness. I hope I can be happy by sharing, and other people to know this fact.

Marley & Me by John Grogan (Hayley)

This book, Marley & Me is a true story about the life of a Labrador called Marley and his owners. It is told by John Grogan who is in reality, Marley's owner and is the author of the book. John and his wife Jenny decided to adopt a labrador puppy as they wanted to be sure they could take care of a baby - it was a practice of taking care of a baby but instead first with a puppy. It wasn't so easy looking after Marley though because of his mischief and adventures he got up to. He was quite a handful to his owners. He was even kicked out of dog school due to his disobedience. John stated him as "the world's worst dog" but this has two meanings, where Marley did get up to some trouble, he still was a dog that was lovable and gave happiness to the family.

Overall, this book was fun but emotional at times and really supported the idea of love, friendship and loyalty. I would recommend this book to everyone as it's not a book just for dog-lovers.

indwelling (reviewed by Isaac Lester)

Assassin's (reviewed by Isaac Lester)

is it right to kill Satan's hit man? Would it help God's work? This installment in the Left Behind series picks up with Rayford Steele--"believer" and international fugitive--as he struggles with a plan to assassinate Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia. Meanwhile, Carpathia has been busy rebuilding roads, airports, and a cellular/solar satellite phone system--all designed to help him become supreme ruler of the world--and even claim himself to be God. We also find ace reporter Buck Williams anonymously preaching to the masses of believers and converts through his cyberspace magazine The Truth. All the believers in the safe house, including Buck, Doc, Chloe, and Tsion, are suspicious of Hattie--former mistress of Carpathia--who claims to be a believer but may have already compromised their secret location when she tried to buy her way to Europe months before.

Fans of the series won't be disappointed. Jenkins's signature writing is at full force. Readers can count on a suspenseful plot, imaginative futuristic thinking, and familiar characters, all of which appear in the opening pages and are sustained until the last cliffhanger scene when God unleashes another earth-shattering disaster.

Apollyon (reviewed by Isaac Lester)

Apollyon is another suspenseful chronicle of those left behind after the rapture of the saved. As the book opens, Hattie Durham, the former airline attendant and mistress of the antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia, is wracked with confusion about what to do with her illegitimate child, whose birth date is coming due. Rayford Steele, the airline pilot who flies Carpathia's plane, is ambivalent about the mounting evidence that his late wife, Amanda, may have been a false believer. Buck, the ace newspaper reporter, and Chloe, his wife, are debating whether to have a child when the future of the world is so uncertain. And all of the world's thousands of believers are gathering in Jerusalem for a stadium rally, which will lead to a showdown with Nicolae Carpathia. Believers are increasingly relying on the Internet for underground communication, and most of them are becoming more and more tempted by violence as a way of battling the forces of evil overtaking the world. But demon locusts are shortly dispatched as a divine plague to attack those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads; this buys the believers a little bit of time to solve their respective personal crises, all of which end in ways that will keep you riveted until the last page.

Soul Harvest (reviewed by Isaac Lester)

Having survived the wrath of the Lamb--a global earthquake in the 21st month of the Tribulation--pilot Rayford Steele and reporter Buck Williams now embark on a journey of absorbing adventure and Christian triumph. Soul Harvest is book four in the enormously popular Left Behind series (seven books are planned in all), based on those who are left behind in the Rapture. Written with the same gripping pace of Tom Clancy and John Grisham (film rights have already been sold for the first two books), the authors take us to Iraq, America, underground shelters, and the bottom of the Tigris river as Steele and Williams search for loved ones. Meanwhile, biblical prophecies are fulfilled at every turn, including the great soul harvest. For many Christian followers, this series has become a tangible and thrilling testament to the Book of Revelations

Nicolae (reviewed by Isaac Lester)

It has been nearly two years since the mass disappearance, called the Rapture.

In Nicolae the saga continues as Rayford, his new wife, Amanda, and Buck and Chloe (now married) make it their mission to win as many people to Christ as possible. The seven-year tribulation is nearing the end of the first quarter, when prophecy says "the wrath of the Lamb" will be poured out upon the earth.

As the seven-year period hurtles toward the midpoint, the Tribulation Force faces conflict at every turn in their holy war against Nicolae Carpathia, the ruler of the new Global Community.

Rayford and Buck work directly for Carpathia, who knows of Rayford's true allegiance, but not of Buck's.

In Nicolae, the most explosive of the three books thus far, Rayford becomes the ears of the tribulation saints at the highest levels of the Carpathia regime. Meanwhile, Buck attempts a dramatic all-night rescue run from Israel through the Sinai that will hold you breathless to the end.

Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child (by Liam)

"Suicide bombers are easy to spot. They give out all kinds of tell-tale signs. Mostly because they're nervous. By definition they're all first-timers." Jack Reacher studies his fellow passengers. Four are OK. The fifth isn't and Jack doesn't notice that he has just got himself into more than just a regular death on a subway.

Persuader by Lee Child (by Liam)

Jack Reacher, is a ex-MP who sets up an undercover operation with the FBI to rescue an agent investigating Zachary Beck, a reclusive tycoon believed to be a kingpin in the drug trade. It begins with Reacher rescues Beck's son from a staged kidnapping in order to get close to his father and discovers a connection between Beck and Quinn, a former army intelligence officer who tried to sell blueprints of a secret weapon to Iraq but was murdered before he could pull it off. Or so Reacher thinks, until he spots Quinn in the crowd at a concert in Boston. Now Jack has to find out the truth between these two men without being discovered himself.

Hunger Games written Suzanne Collins (Beth)

Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy set in a post apocalyptic America. After thirteen districts revolt the Capital their punishment is that every year two young people from each district will compete in the Hunger Games. A fight to the death where only one can survive.

Katniss Everdeen is the female candidate for District Twelve and Peet Mella is the male candidate.

The End Of The Alphabet.

By Fleur Beale.

Ruby yarrow at the age of fourteen realises for most of her life that she has been treated like a dormat by her brother and family and even strangers.her brother who is really smart and always getting awards at school walks all over ruby and she lets him until she realises what is going on.she ends up standing up for herself and gets herself a job at the local store as a cleaner getting payed hardly anything.seeing as her name is yarrow her name is always last for everything which she hates.she sets herself a goal of learning a little bit of portugeese when babysitting for a little brothers friend,and also because of a school exchange with some portugeese students(she accomplishes this in the end.Ruby has a learning difficulty and is not very proud of it until one day someone confronts her and she finally gets some backbone.

The main chaacters in this book are of ruby herself who has the main role in the book and she has to work with her learning difficulty throughout the book.Another important person who had alot of impact in the book was her brother who was alot smarter than her.her mum was also important as throughout the book she did not really support ruby as she favoured rubys brother because he was more academically smart.

i really enjoyed this book because it showed how a person with a learning diffence does'nt need to be ashamed of it and in the end she learned that it was alot better if she waas more confindent.I also enjoyed it becaused it showed how people can change from having no backbone to getting alot of backbone.all because her friend told her she needed to stand up for herself and until then their friendshiop was over.

by Jess Maxtone

Hello

Clive Cussler Plague Ship (Theo)

The Oregon is a wolf in sheep's clothing piloted by captain Juan Cabrillo. Despite its dilapidated exterior which gives the impression that it will fall apart at the blink of an eye. It is in truth a ship at the very forefront of modern technology with several torpedo launchers and large rail guns fitted and is designed for action and investigation.

After a successful mission into Iranian waters, aimed to steal two $2000000 Russian torpedoes a cruise ship is discovered out in one of most the remote parts of sea on the planet. Strangely it has no traces of heat and is not moving, it is expected to be an abandoned ship. After a UAV surveys the vessel, pictures are taken and transmitted to the Oregon, these show that everyone on board is dead due to what looks like massive hemorrhaging. Does this have links to one of the crew members' son going missing, taken by a fundamentalist population control group. It seems quite likely. The cruise ship is scuttled, previously rigged to do so, they must investigate. Failure means massive economical upset and disaster on a global scale.

Plague ship is beautifully structured and written and is probably the book I have most enjoyed reading out of the vast numbers I have read. I strongly recommend it to those who enjoy books with many unknown answers throughout, books that make you think for the entirety of the experience and also those who enjoy action. This book is spectacularly well balanced. It is one of few books which manages to be quite action packed without being full of impossible stunts and unlikely escapes.

Please read it.

Tomorrow, when the war began. written by John Marsden. Reviewed by Kenadee

Tomorrow when the war began is a gripping story about war, love, friendship and loyalty.

The whole story starts off when the main character Ellie, who lives in Wirrawee, Australia, is bored one weekend and decides to get a group of friends together to go on a camping trip to Hell ( named so because of the depth of the 'hole' and also leading into Hell is the 'Satan Steps' so name well suited).

Ellie manages to get a decent enough group of people to come camping. She gets her dads truck and then drives everyone up the hill leading to the Satan steps. There is an old tale going around Wirrawee which says there was once an old hermit who murdered his son and wife and he took refuge in Hell. When Ellie and her friends arrive in Hell they set up camp and go to sleep, but in the night they hear a whole lot of planes going overhead which they just pass off as part of the yearly celebration what they dont know is that this isnt part of the celebration its actually an air raid. The next day they discuss it for a bit and then decide to go exploring through Hell which is where they find the hermits hut where they also find the news reports and letters proving him possibly innocent.

I highly recommend this book to any-one who likes books that keep you awake at night reading.

also this book would be highly suited for anyone over the age of 12.

This book is the first in a series of 8 and makes you want more and more

DRAMA! : The Four Dorothys - Paul Ruditis (Beth)

When you have a school full of the spawn of the a-list-celebrities and you have to put on a spring musicale what do you? The Wizard of Oz in multi cast form none the less. As the title suggests this story is dripping with drama and not just on the stage as Dorothys start dropping out of the musical.

This book is stylised in a form any true musical lover will thoroughly enjoy it, however, if you are not I recommend you do not put this on your must read list. There are many references to musicals including every title being named a show of some kind.

Paul Ruditis has chosen Bryan Stark to narrate this high school tale and he is probably the only one we meet through the story who is not totally obsessed with fame and money. Bryan introduces himself as a watcher of his life; an onlooker. In this way he is the perfect narrator. Bryan uses the story as sort of a diary of his life, one fact that is dealt with is that he is gay but is in the closet his secret will appeal to many readers: "None of my friends have announced to me that they're straight. Until they do that, I don't see much point in making some grand declaration of my own."

Although Bryan is written with some sort of flare it seems that the other characters fall flat in comparison. Ruditis uses many stereotypes and it is difficult to relate to any of them due to the 2 dimensional image we are given. One of these characters is the main heroine Sam who doesn't actually have enough money to attend the school but her mother teaches there so she gets in. Sure she has talent and wants to go far but it is the same old story we have read too many times.

As I said a true musical theatre lover could be able to look past the character flaws because the drama filled story echos what could be an over the top theatre show but I do not recommend it to any one who has no knowledge of the performing arts as the story line is flat and easily predictable and most of the characters are bland and boring.

Paper Towns - John Green (Beth)

Paper Towns is the tale of Quentin Jacobsen -Q to his friends - he has always been in love with his childhood friend Margo Roth Spiegelman. In their last year of high school Margo comes to Q's room in the middle of the night and takes him on an adventure before leaving without a trace in the morning. Q finds various clues that he has to solve before he can hopefully find his childhood sweet heart.

John Green writes a lovable, outsider but guy with a good heart very well and Quentin is easy to relate to and a great narrator through out the story. However Green's character that will most intrigue you will be Margo. The way she is introduced is very interesting as Green uses the clues to reveal more of the her slowly and you wont get the full picture until the end. Her character development has to be a key thread in the story that will keep you guessing who she really is.

One thing that is dealt with in the book that I feel every person should learn is that the way you think about someone isn't necessarily the way they actually are. It is brought up a number of times and challenges Quentin's view of the world around him.

For anyone who likes to read a book that makes them think and reevaluate the world that surrounds them I highly recommend this book no matter what gender you are but this book wouldn't be suitable for children under the ages of 13 as it deals with some themes that aren't appropriate for younger children.

Open- An Autobiography by Andre Agassi (reviewed by Julian Chu-Tan)

This book is aimed more at those out there who are fans or play tennis, but anyone who knows who Andre Agassi is will definitely enjoy this book. This book is not only about his many achievements in his life in tennis but it also describes his journey in discovering himself. This is the first time that he announced to the world that he actually hated tennis since he was a young child. He wanted to quit many times but he didn't know how to do anything else in life. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade (year 10). He returned home from his boarding school with a pink mohawk, and a stud in his ear. He hated his life, because tennis was his life. His father knew he was a born natural and that he was destined to play tennis. His father made his mobile out of tennis balls, when he was in around five years of age his father gave him a tennis racket and let him hit anything in the house as long as he used the racket.

In his whole career he has won eight Grand Slam singles championships tying him for seventh on the all time list, and he's the only man to win a "Golden Slam" - all four Grand Slam singles plus the Olympic Gold Medal. As founder of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, he has raised more than $85 million for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, and acclaimed school for underprivileged children in his hometown, Las Vegas. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Stefanie Graf, and their 2 children.

I had a great time reading this book and assure an enjoyable read to those who are fans of Andre Agassi or tennis. This book was truly inspiring and I think it will inspire many people in years to come.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Reviewed by Brian)

If you lose your purpose ... it's like you're broken.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret which entertained me with its unique use of illustration, often in the form of stop-motion, follows the story of Hugo Cabret, a boy who lived in Paris in the the 1930s. To fix his inheritance from his father, he steals toys from a toyshop of Georges Méliès, who has a mysterious past. Hugo's inheritance, a man-shaped automaton, is the reason he exists and he believes it will lead him to something good.

The author, Brian Selznick, is a well-known illustrator and this third book, the Invention of Hugo Cabret, made him a recognised writer. Despite receiving many awards for illustrating books by other authors, this was the only novel to received awards and win the deserved 'best book of the year' section of a number of magazines.

I loved the book and believe it is a rare book that 'everyone' will enjoy reading. Its rich description of Paris in 1930s and the fact that it is about Georges Méliès' real troubled life makes it very interesting. Georges Méliès was a magician and the first producer to use fantasy or un-real themes in a movie. "A Trip to the Moon" is his best known work. When World War One struck, his company went bankrupt and he became a toy maker who also sold toys, but never recovered from bankruptcy. Later in the book, Hugo fixes his father's automaton, which draws a scene from "A Trip to the Moon" where the rocket hits the eye of the Moon. Through this, Hugo finds out about Georges Méliès' past as a visionary movie maker and why he hates his family watching movies.

There are more things to love about the book, like the unique use of stop motion illustrations. which make you feel like you are watching a movie as you flip through the pages. A good example would be the opening scene of the book. The camera or view zooms from the moon, down to a train station in Paris in the 1930s. The shot moves through the crowd and ends up on Hugo. For most readers, this is a novel way of presenting visual information. The dark frame of the book adds more theatre-like atmosphere and the beautiful pencil-drawn illustrations got me so involved in the story that I could not put it down until I had finished.

The invention of Hugo Cabret is a truely unique book. The stunning drawings just suck you into the book, and the topic, the life of Georges Méliès, are fascinating. Brian Selznick's amazing storytelling and stop-motions are less surprising when we find that his ancestor, David O. Selznick, was the producer of "Gone with the Wind". Hugo Cabret is definitely worth 9/10 and is a must read for all ages.

Please, Daddy, No by Stuart Howarth (Courtney Russell)

Please, Daddy, No written by Stuart Howarth

This is a touching book that shows how much pain a little boy can take until he will crack and do something that he will regret.

This book is a true story or based on a true story about Stuart Howarth who has his mum and no father but just a father figure which sets a bad role in his life by not setting a good example on how to act as a man.

The way that this father figure acts has some really bad affects later on in the book. If you enjoy reading a book about a true story and bad affects on people you will love to read this book.

The characters in this book include Stuart Howarth, his mother and his sisters Sherily and Christene. and the father that he never had well it is his step father that ends up not being there for him and that drives him to do what he has done.

Some of the themes in this story are abuse this is show when the father figure sexually abuses them and makes the do things the are unexplainable, family violence in when the father beats his mother and does not even care the mum is to scared to end the relationship in case something worse could happen and spirt this is when the little boy in the book had his spirt broken and then repaired by a different person which had a affect on his life and father hood.

But other than all the bad abuse this was a great read of a book that i enoyed.

Silverfin (Isaac Lester)

n the 1930s in the Scottish Highlands, fourteen year old Alphie Kelly sneaks under a fence that contain dead animals and other keep out trespassing notices to go fishing at Loch Silverfin. However, strange behaving eel attack the lad.

At the same time that Alphie vanishes, James Bond enters Eton after spending the last couple of years living with his Aunt Charmian following the deaths of his parents in a mountain climbing incident. He runs into trouble from the start with an older student, American George Hellebore and the teen's father weapons tycoon Randolph.

James heads to Keithly, Scotland to spend the Easter holidays with his beloved aunt and his ailing Uncle Max. On the train, he befriends Red Kelly who is heading to the same area to search for his missing cousin. In Keithly, James and Red breech the perimeter fence, trespassing on Randolph's property where he is conducting experiments on a super soldier that will eliminate the frailty of those he observed during the last Great War.

Silverfin is a fine young James Bond tale in which the lad shows glimpses of the cool spy, but just as often displays young teen bravado to hide a lack of confidence. Thus the middle school audience that this novel targets can believe that this is indeed James during his school years. The investigation is intriguing and Randolph is a solid Bond villain. The Eton chapters set the tone for James and his allies vs. the father and son Hellebores. Fans will enjoy their altercation that makes up Part Two of the fine novel.

Tribulation Force (Isaac Lester)

Rayford Steele and his daughter Chloe are settling into post-Rapture life in Chicago. Rayford misses his wife and son, but knows they will meet again in Heaven. In the meantime, they want to watch world events and live their truth - their salvation in Jesus Christ. Cameron "Buck" Williams has been reassigned to his weekly magazine's Chicago office, but he hasn't lost his big story writing job. He is happy with the reassignment even if it is supposed to be punishment. Now he can be near Chloe and their mentor Bruce Barnes. He knows he, Rayford, and Chloe still have a lot to learn about their faith. Bruce is the person to help train them.

Nicholae Carpathia is the new director of the United Nations. He also is taking over the world, becoming the predicted anti-Christ. Buck had personal experience of Carpathia's evilness. He had witnessed Carpathia murder two men, but no one else in the room remembers the events the way they happened.

Events are moving quickly. They can see the beginning of the predicted Tribulation. They see Carpathia taking over the world. There are two prophets in Jeruselum who cannot be silenced or hurt. The world is moving to one currency. Communications companies are consolidating. Yes, the Tribulation is coming.

What Rayford and Buck don't expect is Carpathia's interest in them. He wants both of them to work for him in their special capacities. Nor do they expect the actions of the President of the United States. Bruce is trying to mentor them as well as beginning to minister to the world. He wants to share the truth he wouldn't accept until too late to stay with his family.

In this sequel to Left Behind, LaHaye and Jenkins use fiction to explore the prophecies of the End Times described in the Christian New Testatment. They have done an excellent job in these first two novels. While Tribulation Force doesn't have the in-the-face impact of Left Behind, it is a worthy follow up. I found myself forgetting these were fictional characters and chiding them or cheering for them

My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher (stephanie)

My Lost and Found Life by Melodie Bowsher is an intense, captivating novel unlike anything I have ever read. It has many twists and turns leaving you wanting more.

This story is about Ashley an eighteen year old who thinks her life is ruined when her mum steals and runs away with one million dollars. Ashley is so used to getting everything she wants off of her mum that when she is gone she doesn't know what to do. Left with a gigantic house, no money, no job and huge bills, she has to learn how to survive and quick.

Forced out of her home Ashley ends up living in a caravan behind a gas station that her mums ex-boyfriend owns. Although staying in a grotty caravan with no toilet, shower or kitchen is not legal or sanitary it's the best she can afford to do.

Mad Malcolm's Cyber Cafe is the only place she is able to get a job even though they don't pay much it's better than nothing. The longer Ashley works there the more she starts to realise her new friends are completely mad. Hiding secrets about where she lives and about her mum from her friends is tricky and frustrating. She starts to wonder if it was her fault her mum ran away? Was it her fault she stole the money? Was she ever going to come back? With nobody to answer her growing list of questions she stops waiting and starts moving on with her life. Ashley soon realises that her life never was ruined just altered in a good and bad way.

What will happen to Ashley? Will her mum return? Will she loose her job? Will she get caught living in the caravan?

If you are a fan of surprises then this book is a must read. It's suspenseful pages send you on a journey along with the main characters. I recommend this book for older teenagers because younger people may not understand some of the contents. Overall this was a great read well worth a round of applause.

The Princess Diaries (Christine)

This book

Boy on a Wire by Jon Doust

Boy on a Wire
by Jon Doust

Jack Muir is a troubled child that gets sent to boarding school . At boarding school Jack learns quickly that if you are week terrible things happen to you . Jack fights back with a mixture of pranks and defiance . Jack grows up at boarding school with his older sort after brother .
Jack feels guilty that when he was younger he wished his brother dead and his scull got crushed by a car his brother survived but Jack never forgave himself.

This is a great book with interesting ideas about life at boarding school.

by Jessica Saul

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - The Real Deal (Hayley)

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - The Real Deal , School

This book is full of stories that real teenagers have written and wrote of situations that they have faced before, edited by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Deborah Reber. It also contains weird facts, quizzes and fun advices that could make this book more interesting.

The Real Deal is designed to help teenagers figure who they are or were and the stories written may be situations where we may have faced before or maybe something we might face later in high school life, but reading the stories may be an advice where negative situations can change positive.

Each chapter of this book is a heading which contains stories linked on with that title. As written on the cover of the book, cliques, classes and clubs are which all stories are related to. Each story may not relate to your teenage life but some bits may be what you have faced before and can be a really helpful advice from reading the writer's experience - yourself as the victim or the other.

The stories did not necessarily relate everything to my school, teenage life, but made me understand if i may have been the victim or the person who may have caused negative situations, it is hurtful to the person who has situations that let them down. It also helps you to be cautious of actions you may cause negatively to your school members and to realise if you are hurting someone, to understand how the victim feels and to stop the actions which have hurt them.

Overall, this is a good book full of advices which can help you live through school life comfortably.

My Book Review (Theo)

My book review "Cherub The Fall" Appears to be missing. How strange.

Cherub Mad Dogs (Theo)

Cherub Mad Dogs is James's most challenging and dangerous mission yet.

When two major gangs decide to have a go at each other, the outcome is nothing but messy. The Cherub ethics committee consider "Pulling the Plug" on the mission when Gabrielle O'Brien was nearly fatally injured when stabbed by a gang member when a gang fight arose. James is reluctantly sent in when Gabrielle is injured. The Cherub Ethics Committee understand the danger of the mission but also the significance of insight into some of the biggest, most dangerous and most powerful gangs around. James's mission is to infiltrate "Mad Dogs", a gang led by the notoriously dangerous, intelligent and deadly Sash Thompson.

The main plot of the book is to stop the shipping of cocaine inconspicuously hid within barrels of cooking oil. A lot hangs in the balance of this mission and each move must be made with caution.

CHERUB: Number One Best Seller.

Monika Dombay ECLIPSE OF THE CRESCENT MOON (IN HUNGARIAN: THE STARS OF EGER)

This is 5 reviews in one!Its also 5 books in one cover! I read it in Hungarian, But you can get the English version too.

ECLIPSE OF THE CRESCENT MOON (IN HUNGARIAN: THE STARS OF EGER)

This historical novel of Géza Gárdonyi is one of the best known stories in Hungary written in 5 parts. The book is compulsory reading in Hungarian schools and translated into many languages.

The main persons and historical events are true. Gergely’s early life and romance with his real wife Eva is fiction. It is fact that he is not a member of the nobility but his education and rank presumes a good education.

(The timeline of this story nearly coincident with the first 20 years of Elizabeth I. of England’s life.)

Part 1. WHERE DO HUNGARIAN HEROES COME FROM? (Around 1530)

Hungary is under Turkish invasion their armies are cutting a deepening wedge in the middle of the country.

Small raids come everyday events. Sometimes the population of whole villages is taken to the Istanbul slave markets. Young Hungarian boys are raised as Turkish soldiers (Janissary) girls are sold to the harems.

Gergo (Gregory) Bornemissza the 8 year old peasant boy playing by the stream in the forest with Eva Cecey the 4 year old daughter of a minor nobleman while grazing his master’s horse . The children are kidnapped by the one eyed janissary Jumurzak.

They are taken deep into the forest where other captives are waiting chained together.

They overhear that the Turks are planning to raid their village. During the night Gergo frees himself and Eva. Leading their horse and a Turkish horse the kids head back to the village.

On the way they met with Captain Istvan (Stephen) Dobo and his men who were on the trail of the Turks. The soldiers arrived in time to beat back the attack against the village and the children lead them to the hidden camp to free the captives.

Dobo gives to Father Gabor (Gabriel) the leader of the captives the right to punish Jumurzak. Father Gabor discovers that Jumurzak is one of the Hungarian boys enslaved in his childhood and let him go, but takes his talisman ring.

It turns out that the Turkish horse Gergo had taken, carries a pouch with money. This bounty belongs to Gergo. As Gergo`s widow mother died during the attempted raid, Dobo takes him under his guardianship and sends him with Father Gabriel to the castle of general Balint (Valentine) Torok to be raised as a page and be educated with noble boys.

Part 2 THE FALL OF BUDA (1541)

King Janos (John) is dead.

The Turkish army is on the way to attack the Hungarian capital. Gergo and Father Gabor are hidden by the roadside planning to blow up the Sultan to prevent the attack. By mistake they ignite the explosive under a richly dressed courtier. Father Gabor dies.

A spy who knows Gergo from Lord Torok`s castle saves him, acting like the young man is his own prisoner. A Turkish officer shows him a pile of papers. Gergo realizes that they are the detailed maps of all major Hungarian forts. He tricks the illiterate Turk telling him that they are powerful amulets, and if he tore them into small pieces and wears them on his body he will be invulnerable. He manages to steal one plan. It is of the turtle shaped fort of Eger.

Gergo heads to Buda to alert the widow queen and Lord Torok of the danger. In the castle he meets again with Eva and they fall in love. There is not much hope for a peasant boy - even for an educated one- to marry a noble girl.

Suleiman and his army arrive under Buda castle. The Turkish emperor makes a pledge that he will not fight against the widowed queen and the baby king. He asks the queen to let Turkish officers visit the castle while he entertains the baby king and the Hungarian generals in his camp.

Lord Torok is suspicious but it would be dangerous to offend the sultan. He is right because the Turks are invading the castle, the king (with half of the country) became the sultan’s ward and the generals are taken to prison in Istanbul.

Part 3 THE CAPTIVE LION

Gergos grown up (he is Gergely now) and on his way with his friend Istvan Mekcsey to join Dobo`s army. He hears the news that the Cecey family prepares for Eva’s wedding to Adam Furjes. He hurries to Eva who tells him that she is forced to the young noble. Gergely confronts old Cecey, who throws him out, regardless that he owes his gratitude for Eva’s life and the saving of his village to him.The young couple elopes and marries in secret.

Lord Torok’s son can not yield to his father’ fate. Torok Janos, Gergely , Eva (dressed as a boy) Mekcsey and his servant disguised as Italian musicians are travelling to Istambul to try to free the lord. Neither courage nor bribes can help them. The only thing they achieve, that they can sing in front of the prisoner and father and son can say a silent good bye.

Part 4. EGER IN PERIL (1552)

Nearly 2/3 of the country is under Turkish control there only few forts are standing between the Turks and the western world.

Gergely is in Eger, Eva with their small son Jancsika (Johnny) is in the western town of Sopron.

She receives a visit from Jumurzak in the disguise of a trader who heard about a ring in Gergely’s possession and wants to buy it. Eva carelessly blurts out that the ring is with her husband at Eger. She remembers only after the guest’s departure the night so long ago and the face of the threatening Turk. In panic she calls in her son from the garden, but Jancsika is missing.

Eger prepares to siege. Many people fled, others are trying to find refuge in the fortress.

Captain Dobo receives Gergely and Istvan Mekcsey as his lieutenants. The full count of the defenders is 2000.

The 2000000 Turkish soldiers surrounded the fortress. The Hungarians pledge to defend it until death.

During the first encounters, the Hungarian soldiers get hold of some bounty and in a chest find a little Turkish boy hiding.

It is customary to shout treats to the defenders to demolish their morals. So when Jumurzak appears under the walls offering Jancsika in exchange for the talisman ring Gergely doesn’t believe him, thinking that his son is in safety with his wife.

5. ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

Eva finds among her husbands belongings the talisman ring and the map of Eger. He dresses as a page and escorted by Miklós (Nicholas) a scholar. With the help of the map they find one of the secret tunnels into the fort. The opening is discovered by the Turks and they are following them. Milks sacrifices himself and blows up a barrel of gunpowder killing himself and many Turks and closing the tunnel. Eva reports to captain Dodo but he asks her not to announce herself to her husband and weaken him with her presence.

The siege continues. Greeley who became an explosive expert and built many inventive devices. Men and women fight side by side. They even hoist the cooking cauldrons to the walls to pour scalding water onto the Turks climbing the walls. An officer tries to commit treason and to lead the Turks to the fort. He is discovered and executed.

The long drawn siege tires the Turkish army, their supplies are run out and there are too may losses in lives. One morning the Turkish camp vanishes from under the walls of Eger.

A few hours later a Turk woman arrives leading Jancsika. The two mothers exchange their children.

Europe celebrates the victory.

I recommend this book to any one you like war, love, tragedy and a book that delves deeply in the characters lives, thought, and characteristics!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_of_the_Crescent_Moon

Eclipse of the Crescent Moon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eclipse of the Crescent Moon (Hungarian: Egri csillagok) is a historical novel by the Hungarian writer Géza Gárdonyi. It was first published in 1899 and is one of the most popular novels in Hungary.

Contents

1 Background

2 Plot summary

3 Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

4 External links

The story is set in the first half of the 16th century and covers a period of roughly 25 years. The main historical events that are addressed are the bloodless occupation of Buda, the seat of the Hungarian kings, in 1541, and the 1552 Siege of Eger (now in Northern Hungary) by the Turks that forms the major topic of the novel. The story also addresses some other historical topics like the impact of the Reformation, the discord between Hungarians and the Holy Roman Emperor, as well as many themes of general import like mercy, filial and marital love, friendship, trust and truthfulness.

Most characters of the book are historical figures, notably the hero Gergely Bornemissza himself, though most of them have been strongly romanticized according to the author's intentions. Gergely's life story in the novel is almost fully invented, except for his role as an officer during the siege of Eger. Éva Cecey, Gergely's love and later wife, was a real person, but nothing other than her name is known; her portrayal in the novel is based on Gárdonyi's "ideal woman".

Plot summary

The novel consists of five parts that tell the life of Gergely Bornemissza from the age of eight until the year 1552, when he is in his early thirties.

I. Gergely is a half-orphan and son of a poor woman, while Éva Cecey is the daughter of a landowner. They are nevertheless playmates. While playing in the woods, the two children are captured by a Turk named Jumurdzsák and have to join a trek of prisoners. Due to the cunning of little Gergely, the two children are able to escape and later also to free the other prisoners. Gergely's mother dies in a raid by the Turks, but the little boy is adopted as a foster son by the rich aristocrat Bálint Török, where he gets a good education.

II. Several years later, Gergely has to experience that Buda is captured by the Turks through deceit and his foster father Bálint Török is led away prisoner. Gergely meets Éva again, who has become a pretty young girl who is also an excellent rider and fighter. Their childhood love revives: they flee together and get married.

III. Gergely, Éva and some friends now plan to free Bálint Török from his prison in Istanbul. They go to the Ottoman city, but despite many adventures, they finally fail in freeing the Hungarian aristocrat.

IV. It is 1552, a force about 200,000 Turks is approaching the little town of Eger, the citadel of which is only defended by 2000 soldiers. István Dobó, captain of the citadel, calls on the troops of the emperor for aid, but no-one arrives. Gergely joins the forces who are preparing to fight in Eger, while leaving Éva home with their little son. Shortly after he has left, a stranger arrives and kidnaps the little boy. Éva realizes that the stranger must have been the Turk Jumurdzsák. She understands that there must be a connection with the siege of Eger, so she masquerades as a man and tries to enter the besieged castle.

V. Even though the forces of the Turks are overwhelming, the Hungarians in Eger are able to defend themselves. Éva finally arrives at Eger. Though the Ottomans attack again and again, the castle stands firm, with also the women of Eger joining in in the battle. Finally, the Ottoman forces withdraw. Gergely's and Éva's little son is exchanged for a Turkish boy who has been captured, and the family is finally reunited.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The novel was adapted for film twice, in 1923 and in 1968.

Blood Water by Dean Vincent Carter (Reviewed by Brian)

They're all dead now. I am the last one.



Dr Morrow has found a new creature that is probably as advanced as human in terms of intelligence. This black, seaslug-looking creature can get into a animal through the mouth, control the victim, learn from its memory, and kill when it becomes useless. Morrow hides the creature, but somehow, it manages to escape. Meanwhile, Sean gets bored and sneaks out to check out the river that is about to flood. There, he witnesses a man puking a black substance and dying.

Blood Water is third and the latestest book written by a fantasy horror fiction author, Dean Vincent Carter and I have to say this is not something that I would expect, in terms of quality, from an auther who has written 2 books. The book is short and easy to read, but sometimes the creature does things that has not been shown or explained to the reader and the book has unnessary parts.

As the story progresses, the creature 'persumably' evolves. As mentioned before, it controls the victims and learns from their memories

It's Not Easy Being Mean (Christine)

It's not easy being mean is a novel in The Clique Series written by Lisi Harrison. In the 7th book of this series, the Pretty Committee is back and in the 7th grade. Massie now has a new goal, to find the key that unlocks the ah-mayzing secret room at Octavian Country Day!

The key is in the hands of an alpha eighth-grader, Skye Hamilton, and she stashed the key in the bedroom of one mysterious Briarwood boy, but who? And whoever gets trhe key will get to keep it for the entire year, and the honour and prestige that comes along with it. But when a normal girl Layne seems to be getting closer to the key, what will happen?

Looks like the Clique will have to figure it out themselves.

Chicken Soup for the Soul-extraordinary Teens (juyoung park)

Chicken Soup for the Soul(extraordinary Teens) edited by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Kent Healy, is a book filled with inspiring stories and advice for teenagers. ‘Extra Ordinary Teens’ is a book from the series of ‘Chicken Soup for the soul’. This is a book you can turn to, to cope grief, for personal stories and advice from today’s most inspiring youth.

‘The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just a little bit extra.’ –Kent Healy.

I would recommend the series of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ to everyone. Extraordinary Teens explores the thought that every teenager will have once had-why am I so different? Every book can help you whether you have lost your pet or broken up with your girlfriend or had a death in the family. This is a book which can inspire you and most of all, revive you soul…

Birthday Cake and I scream(juyoung park)

Birthday Cake and I Scream written by Fred E. Katz is a fictional horror story about a boy named MacKenzie. It is MacKenzie’s 12th birthday and he plans to take a few of his best friends to a paintball party only to find it booked for the day. With all other birthday plans booked, MacKenzie’s mum turns to ‘Spookie the clown’s house of pizza’.

MacKenzie agrees to the deal of a room full of recently released games and all the pizza you can eat! Spooky the clown has a misunderstanding and shows up some games of his own. Soon, all the kids want a chance to get out!

“I whistled and strolled out the doors to the sidewalk. As the doors swung shut behind me, I was sure that I heard someone saying in a raspy, gritty, dead voice, ‘Birthday boy.’ I ran to the van’” MacKenzie.

‘Birthday cake and I scream’ is a spooky ‘spinechiller’ series. It is recommended for children than 10. This book explores the theme of deception and trust. Trust between the five friends is essential for the ticket out! Will Mac Kenzie be able to celebrate being 13?...

Indie girl by Kavita Daswani ( jessica saul )

Indie girl
by Kavita Daswani

Indie is a 15 year old Indian that has a passion for fashion . Aaralyn Taylor an editor of a well known fashion magazine "celebrity style" visits her school . Indie has sent in an application to the magazine . She chases after the limo as it leaves school grounds and Aaralyn gives Indie a job baby sitting her 2 year old son Kyle . Indie takes the job in the hopes of impressing the editor and getting a job at Celebrity style .
Indie has Indian parents with strong beliefs , they are trying to get her out of her 'improper job .'
Indie is battling to keep her dream of working at a fashion magazine a reality .
Things start to go wrong with a boss that has mood swings , a badly behaved toddler and parents that want her to keep the traditions .
Indie Girl shows how being different and having big dreams has it's ups and downs .
I recommend this novel to girls that have a dream .

written by Jessica Saul

Break Every Rule an insiders novel by J. Minter (stephanie)

Break Every Rule by J. Minter is a fun, easy read perfect for reading before you go to bed. This book is based around the lives of five best friends. Micky, David, Arno, Patch and Jonathan. These boys have been mates ever since they were little, but lately have been drifting apart.
David and Arno become good friends with Rob, Jonathans troublsome step brother. Mickey is in a rough relationship and starts going to couples councelling also he is getting into nude artwork. Patch is trying to figure out what to do with life and what truly makes him happy. Annoyed at Arno for winning the Hottest Private School Boy title and in a steady relationship, is Jonathan going to ruin this with Jelousy? Will the boys relationships survive this confusing time or will everything go beyond repair?
I enjoyed this book because its not just from one persons perspective, you actually get all sides of the story. Follow the guys through all the secrets and scandals in this enjoyable, comic story.

Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman (stephanie)

Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman is an intriguing story about Rachel, a girl who has just left school and thinks she knows everything. When Rachel gets her first job she is terrified of Grace the 'monster' she has to look after. Grace was in an accident and can no longer speak or do things without instruction. She seems to have dull, emotionless eyes that often stare right through rachel and scare her.
Throughout the book Rachel meets Graces friends who talk about their experiences with her and what they thought she was like, but who is she really? Who is Grace? Suddenly Rachel realises that she doesn't know everthing, infact she knows hardly anything especially about Grace.
The 'spooky box' which rachel finds in Graces closet is filled with letters and memories from her past. Will this help Rachel discover who Grace really is and find out the truth about her horrific accident.
I liked this book because it covers many themes including life,death and love. The start was hard to get into but well worth the wait, as many mysteries are revealed and resolved throughout the rest of the book. I recommend this novel not only to teenagers but to people of all ages because it is an inspirational story.

Left Behind (Reviewed by Isaac)

Left Behind
Piloting his 747, Rayford Steele is musing about his wife Irene's irritating religiosity and contemplating the charms of his "drop-dead gorgeous" flight attendant, Hattie. First Irene was into Amway, then Tupperware, and now it's the Rapture of the Saints--the scary last story in the Bible in which Christians are swept to heaven and unbelievers are left behind to endure the Antichrist's Tribulation. Steele believes he'll put the plane on autopilot and go visit Hattie. But Hattie's in a panic: some of the passengers have disappeared! The Rapture has happened, abruptly driverless cars are crashing all over, and the slick, sinister Romanian Nicolae Carpathia plans to use the UN to establish one world government and religion. Resembling "a young Robert Redford" and silver-tongued in nine languages, Carpathia is named People's "Sexiest Man Alive." Meanwhile, Steele teams up with Buck Williams, a buck-the-system newshound, to form the Tribulation Force, an underground of left-behind penitents battling the Antichrist.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would read look up and it would be dark and i would never notice time past. This is part of a twelve book series which is sitting by my bed side threating to topple.I loved this book and really recommend it.

Sadako And The Thousand Paper Cranes By Eleanor Coerr

This is a story about this young girl called Sadako. Her city Hiroshima was bombed when she was a little girls just 1 year old. She was running on a track at school when she collapsed and was taken to hospital. Later she I diagnoses with leukemia “the bomb disease” which comes as a shock to the whole family

This book is set mostly in the hospital where she has to stay for the time it takes for her to recover or pass away. At the start of the book it is set in the carnival where the people put candles in the water for the sprits that were taken in the bomb and the wars.

The main characters in this book are Sadako who is the girl and then there is her best friend Chizuko her family which includes her mother her father her older brother and her younger sister and her younger brother.

There is a old saying that if you fold 1000 paper cranes then you get one wish form god her best friend tells her and starts her job and her attempt for that one wish. She folds 644 paper cranes the end comes.

Written by Courtney Russell

I Am Not Esther by Fleur Beale (Sarah Vergeer)

Fourteen year old Kirby is an ordinary girl who comes home one day to find her Mum pale with news that Kirby didn't expect to hear; They were moving to Wellington, but the worst was still to come. On the car drive down to Wellington, her Mum tells her she's going to Africa to help with a refuggee programme and Kirby was to live with her brother, Uncle Caleb, and his family: Aunt Naomi, Daniel,Rachel and Rebecca, Abraham, Luke and Maggie. They all believed in The Children of the Faith. Kirby who's been a free-willed girl was forced to live under the Faith's rules.
Forced to change her name to Esther, to give up her clothes and style, forced to lose her choice in friends, she was beginning to lose her true self and the spirit she had, as she carried each task that was required of her by the Faith. She was becoming Esther and kirby was starting to die. Kirby's only hope was now at school through the school counsellor, Ms Fletcher who Kirby saw out of Uncle Caleb's radar. Kirby then starts to begins to question her Mum's past. Why did her Mum leave The Children of the Faith? Why hadn't her Mum contacted her yet? Who was Miriam? Each misdoing in finding and figuring out the answers to these questikons left her in loneliness and silence in the discipline room where it all caved down on her and became a nightmare. The biggest question was would she be able to get out of the Faith and Uncle's custody in time?

This story has an amazing, kind of unexpected ending. The book is captivating, sort of disturbing but gets your heart racing. Fleur Beale did a good job in displaying Kirby's spirit throughout most of the book. I enjoyed the way Beale showed Kirby's personality and relationship's with the other characters, the descriptions of what Kirby was feeling was well brought out and touching. Another thing I liked about the book was that it based in New Zealand, making the story a lot more realistic but the story did not reflect much about or on New zealand, it just used the names and locations. Overall I rate thhis book nine out of ten and recommend it to be read by mature readers. This book made me apprecaite my life much more than I did.

Tom Clancey's Splinter Cell - Operation Barracuda (Julian Chu-Tan)

Tom Clancey's Splinter Cell - Operation Barracuda is written by David Michaels.

It is based on one of Tom Clancey's best selling games Splinter Cell. Although it is based on a video game, this is a book you don't want to miss.
The story is written in first person. The main character is a man named Sam Fisher who works for the Government of the United States. But, to be more specific, he works in an NSA (National Security Agency) sub-branch know as Third Echelon. It is a top secret angeny that carries out Black Operations or secret operations, for the Government. Third Echelon sends out field agents that use state-of-the-art equipment and have to be passed through a gruelling training program, where they learn to take in torture and to feel no pain, no emotion and have no mercy. Sam Fisher is one of those field agents. He is the best of the best. He, is a Splinter Cell!

The story starts in the Ukraine where Sam has been dispatched to find information about an illegal weapons deal. Throughout the book, the story jumps around and tells you different stories that slowly piece together. With danger around every corner,Sam must be very careful and learns quickly to trust no one. The story ranges from the U.S to Europe and Asia. Throughout his travels Sam begins to piece up the puzzel which leads to the discovering of a plot to use neuclear weaponry against the United States and start a neuclear war. Can Sam stop it or will the World descend into Armaggedon?

I immensely enjoyed this explosive, action packed novel. Although there are a few slightly gory sections it is still an enjoyable read. I recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers, action or maybe even just explosions and most definitely to fans of Tom Clancy.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – John Boyne

BOOK REVIEW: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – John Boyne

Bruno is a small boy who lives in Berlin with his mother, father and sister Gretel. One day he is told by his maid that their family is moving to “out-with”, which is actually Auschwitz. Their new house is next to a big concentration camp, but Bruno and Gretel do not know, and think that they are in a holiday home. Bruno is curious and finds the fence outside his home, and spots a boy about his age inside the fence. He quickly becomes friends with the boy, Shmuel, and wants to help him escape, but can he succeed in a plan and keep it secret from his family?

This book gives readers a real understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust. The author captures the curiosity and intrigue of children and how a simple misunderstanding can cause catastrophe.

The word structure is simple and understandable, and I recommend this book to teenagers aged 10-14.

Alice Morgan

The Definitive Book of Body Language (McLeod Owers)

The Definitive book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara is truly an interesting read. This handy book goes into detail about more than just body language it shows why the human mind chooses certain body language gestures in certain situations.

An Example of how the human mind chooses certain body language is in chapter 10, page 214, there is a text that says "The foot-forward position - pointing at where the mind wants to go." Another Example of this in the same chapter, page 217, there are two drawings. On the left the drawing is explaining how the body shows how the mind wont open up to another person. On the right it is showing how someone is opening up to the other person. This Example is using more than just the foot, it is involving the hands, feet, and stance.

An interesting part of this book is chapter 5, page 111, there is a paragraph called "Why we're all becoming American" where it explains how due to American Advertising and the younger generations of all cultures are now developing a generic form of North American body language. Example: In the sixties an Australian will identify the British 'Two fingers up' gesture as an insult whereas an Australian teenager is more likely to read it as the number two and will recognize the American 'Middle finger raised' as a main form of an insult.

The Definitive Book Of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease is a highly recommended book if your looking for an informative and interesting read or if you are interested in certain behaviors or if you want to learn what is acceptable in one country while in another it is considered insulting, than this book will be right up your alley.

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien (Reviewed by CWP)

Bilbo Baggins, a member of the minor group of hobbits, lives a quiet and peaceful life. But one day old wizard Gandalf and thirteen accompanying dwarves come and shatter his eventless life - they plan to go on a quest to reclaim their treasure from the monsterous dragon Smaug. Biblo who is required to play a role as a burgular gets terrified - and terrifying it is, he and his accompanying dwarves go on a life threatening adventure in hopes that the quest will end in success. What obstacles and enemies would they meet? Would they make it? Read the book.

-Reviewed by Chan Woo Park-

Starship Titanic (Theo)

The Starship Titanic is the greatest ship ever made. It's miles tall, miles long and created by the greatest genius the galaxy has ever known, the most spectacular feat of engineering and the cause of the fall of two planets economies. As the massive ship is unveiled, countless men stare in awe and countless single teenage mothers say to their children: "Your mummy made that". Then suddenly, in a flash, the spectacular creation undergoes what will later be known as SMEF or Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure. The ship is gone...

Starship Titanic is a novel by Terry Jones (a friend of Douglas Adams the person who originally came up with the idea of Starship Titanic). The book starts when the Gat of Blerontis is holding the opening ceremony for the greatest spaceship of all time. The designer of the spaceship (Leovinus) cannot be found... The day before the opening ceremony of Spaceship Titanic, Leovinus is interviewed and the media, after much discussion, figure that there has been material cuts on the ship and that its construction has not gone according to plan. After the Starship experiences Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure it does not (as expected) disappear but does on the other hand go right to the most distant parts of the universe. There it crash-lands, bisecting an old rectory, the brand new home of Dan and Lucy, friends of Nettie and Nigel.


Later, Nettie, Dan and Lucy wake up on the ship, each in their own bedroom and each having a conversation with a talkative robotic lamp. They find each other and decide that they should do their best to get off the Titanic, or as they know it; the weird and somewhat scary but yet fascinating technologically advanced space ship. Lucy finds a strange man with orange eyes in the onboard infirmary, who believes there is a bomb on the ship. He inadvertenly arms the bomb and sets it to explode in sixteen minutes. Where this man comes from, "Press to Arm" means "Please Press Dog" and he acts purely out of curiosity. The rest of the book is centered around working out how to disarm the bomb and save the magnificent "Starship Titanic", although as expected there are many complications which I will not mention as to stop readers enjoying the book.

I conclude that the book is funny, whacky, and almost totally unrelated to science (as you would expect from anything written by Douglas Adams or Douglas Adams's friend). It is a thoroughly enjoyable and continually interesting book. I definitely recommend it.

Starship Titanic (Theo)

The Starship Titanic is the greatest ship ever made, it's miles tall, miles long and created by the greatest genius the galaxy has ever known, the most spectacular feat of engineering and the cause of the fall of two planets economy's. As the massive ship is unveiled countless men stare in awe and countless single teenage mothers say to their children, "Your mummy made that".Then suddenly, in a flash the spectacular creation undergoes what will later be known as SMEF or Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure. The ship is gone.

Starship Titanic is a novel by Terry Jones (a friend of Douglas Adams the person who originally came up with the idea of starship titanic). The book starts when the Gat of Blerontis is holding the opening ceremony for the greatest spaceship of all time Starship Titanic. The designer of the spaceship leovinus cannot be found...The day before the opening ceremony of Spaceship Titanic Leovinus in interviewed and the media after much discussion figure that there has been material cuts on the ship and that it's construction has not gone to plan. After the Starship experiences Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure it does not (as expected) disappear but does on the other hand go right to the most distant parts of the universe where it crash lands on the

BOOK REVIEW: Just Listen – Sarah Dessen

BOOK REVIEW: Just Listen – Sarah Dessen

Annabel Greene is the “popular” girl at school, ie. the girl who has it all. When anorexia nearly kills her sister, things in her life start to fall apart. Shortly after that, she is accused of sleeping with her best friends boyfriend when actually he was trying to rape her. She becomes the social outcast at her school and ends up eating her lunch in front of a brick wall alongside another outcast; Owen, who is obsessed with music. They then develop a close relationship, and Annabel starts wondering if he can change her world so that it becomes more like the way it was. Can he help her forget everything and start over?

Although this book is quite short, the length doesn’t begin to capture the amount of feeling that is expressed. There is intrigue, anguish and anxiety, alongside happiness, romance and friendship, and all of these emotions mesh together to create an exciting read.

The dialog between Owen and Annabel makes the reader feel like he/she is in their shoes. The fact that the book is set in first person makes the characters easy to relate to and understand.

I liked this book and found it a very easy read. I would recommend it to ages 11-15.

Alice Morgan