SECRETS OF A SUN KING By EMMA CARROLL Reviewed by Jude, age 11 Thrillingly mind boggling; this is a novel to be read by anyone who is hungry for twists, turns, and literary excellence. The story is of a girl – Lil – in 1922. One day, she sees a newspaper stating the death of…
Category: Year 4
Kid Normal
KID NORMAL by GREG JAMES and CHRIS SMITH Reviewed by Miss Walsh STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (but it doesn’t work well as a whole-class read) RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 4 (that’s who I read it with but it may suit Year 5 more) INTERESTS: superheroes, villains, school, superpowers, insects, technology THEMES: friendship, teamwork, good vs. evil, science fiction,…
My Brother is a Superhero
MY BROTHER IS A SUPERHERO by DAVID SOLOMONS Reviewed by Miss Walsh STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 4/5 INTERESTS: superheroes, villains, gadgets, school, comics, aliens, space THEMES: science fiction, family, friends, secrets, jealousy IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: Kid Normal by Greg James and Chris Smith Iguana Boy by James Bishop My Evil…
The Boy Who Grew Dragons
THE BOY WHO GREW DRAGONS by ANDY SHEPHERD Illustrated by SARA OGILVIE Reviewed by Jessica (Year 5) STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 4/5 A funny story of Tomas, who finds the most mysterious and magical fruit in his grandad’s garden. Imagine finding something so brilliant but you have to keep it a secret! Dragons…
Fergus Crane
FERGUS CRANE by PAUL STEWART and CHRIS RIDDELL Reviewed by Miss Walsh STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 4 INTERESTS: pirates, treasure, cake, mechanical inventions, ships, sailing THEMES: adventure, travel, deception, missing parent IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, Arabel’s Raven by Joan Aiken MY THOUGHTS:…
The Sheep Pig
THE SHEEP PIG by DICK KING-SMITH Reviewed by Miss Walsh STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 3/4 INTERESTS: pigs! Sheep, sheepdogs, farm animals, farms, competitions THEMES: self-belief, individuality, family, adoption, growing up, respect IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Junkyard Jack and The Horse That Talked by Adrian Edmondson MY…
The Nothing To See Here Hotel
THE NOTHING TO SEE HERE HOTEL by STEVEN BUTLER Reviewed by Miss Daunt STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 3/4 INTERESTS: magic, fantasy, travel, humour THEMES: magic, good vs. evil IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yeti! by Steven Butler The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton The 13-Storey Treehouse by…
Beaver Towers
BEAVER TOWERS by NIGEL HINTON Reviewed by Miss B STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 3/4 INTERESTS: animals, nature, adventure, magic THEMES: family, friendship, good versus evil, mystery, loyalty IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann, Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog by Claire Barker. MY THOUGHTS: A relatively simple…
The Boy With The Bronze Axe
THE BOY WITH THE BRONZE AXE by KATHLEEN FIDLER Reviewed by Miss Huddy STAR RATING⭐⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMEND YEAR GROUP: Y3/4 INTERESTS: Stone Age, historical fiction, adventure THEMES: friendship, family, loyalty, jealousy, revenge, teamwork, perseverance and leadership MY THOUGHTS: Thoroughly enjoyable read linked to the topic of the Stone Age. The setting for this story is the…
The Creakers
THE CREAKERS by TOM FLETCHER Reviewed by Miss Walsh STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 3/4 INTERESTS: monsters, friends, Scouts, mess!, magic, other worlds THEMES: environment, growing up, responsibility, accepting differences, missing parents IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: The Girl with the Lost Smile by Miranda Hart, The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton,…
Llama United
LLAMA UNITED by SCOTT ALLEN Illustrated by Sarah Horne Reviewed by Miss Daunt STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ RECOMMENDED YEAR GROUP: 4/5 INTERESTS: football, animals, humour THEMES: perseverance, diversity, friendship IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE: Llamas Go Large by Scott Allen The Mighty Dynamo by Kieran Crowley Football Academy series by Tom Palmer You’re a Bad…