Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo RB

Published in 2006 in London                 

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea is split into two parts: Part One- The Story of Arthur Hobhouse and Part Two- The Journey of the Kitty Four.

The Story of Arthur Hobhouse follows the life of 6 year old Arthur until his adulthood. He tells the story about when he got sent from an orphanage in London (together with other orphans) to go and live with a family in Australia. He doesn’t know why but he has a lucky key round his neck that he thinks that his sister Kitty gave to him when they were split-up. On the journey to Australia he makes friends with a boy called Marty who stays with him throughout his early life. As he grows up he becomes attached to the sea and has many various experiences involving different aspects of it and how it changes his life. His love of the ocean encourages him to become a boat builder. The Journey of the Kitty Four is about Arthur’s daughter, Allie, sailing to England in Arthur’s boat the Kitty Four in search of Kitty and solve the mystery of the key. Does she succeed?

I found this book very entertaining as the events in it were so thrilling. Michael Morpurgo captures all the detail in his description which makes the action so exciting and really fast moving. I think this is a very good read which I would recommend to all ages as it is quite moving but also has some action. The story shows us that the way people are treated, either good or bad, affects their later life. This contributes to the history of the world and encourages people to help.

War horse by Michael Morpurgo (hdew)

This is a war novel/adventure

This story is set in the first part in Devon then in the second half in the French trenches. The main characters are Albert and Joey. At the outbreak of World War 1, Joey, young Albert's falls in love with a horse, which is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. His rider Captain Nicholls is killed while riding Joey. The horse is soon caught up in the war; death, disease and fate take him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in No man's land.

I enjoyed this book very much because it makes you feel a lot of emotions such as sadness and happiness at the same time. This book is very well written. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read. I think that he has achieved his goal as a writer because he has written so many books. The author tells us that war is a bad thing and that he values friendship.

Hdew

The Recruit Robert Muchamore

The book I will be reporting on is The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. The book is part of the very popular Cherub series. Hodder Children’s Books published the Recruit in 2004. The Recruit is an action book for both boys and girls. The recruit is about the major changes in James Choke’s life.

            The book is set in England and Wales. The majority of the book is spent at the Cherub campus but it follows the places where James travels. There are many characters in the book but the main characters are James Choke (James Adams) A cheeky character that starts as a lazy boy who was clever when he wanted to be but Cherub changed him into a healthy hard working boy, Lauren Choke his smart quiet sister, Kerry Chang a confident intelligent girl, Amy is a kind supportive girls who is very fond of James, Kyle is a very neat boy and a good friend of James.

            The plot. James Choke and his sister Lauren live with their mum in a flat in London. One night James finds himself in deep trouble in school and doesn’t have the guts to tell his mum. That same night James’ mum dies. James and his sister are put into a children’s home for the night. The next morning Lauren’s Dad comes to collect Lauren but he had never like James at all so refused to take him in. James complained to the children’s home but they wouldn’t do anything. James was constantly down at the police station for hanging out with the wrong people and being forced into doing things and being tricked. One morning James found himself in a very weird place. It was definitely not the children’s home he had stayed in for the last couple of weeks.it was a large room with all the accessories James would have wanted. There were clothes laid out for him including an orange t-shirt. The orange t-shirt had a baby, sitting on a ball on it. He put them on and went outside into the corridor. He tried to ask people where he was and where to go, but all they said was “ cant talk to orange.” He followed the hand gestures and found his ways to a type of reception. He was lead into an office and the conversation that he had with the head of Cherub changed his life.      I thoroughly enjoyed this book because the action never stopped and it sounded realistic unlike some spy/ action books. The book was very well written but not suitable for young readers. I would defiantly recommend this book to a friend because it was exciting, exhilarating and full of action. The only hesitation in recommending it to a friend is if they have young sibling it would be inappropriate for them to read it. I believe this book’s overall significance is to make children aware that it is not good to join gangs and drink under age and take drugs, and it is good to keep fit and work hard. Yes I think the author has achieved his goal because the Cherub series has won awards. I think the author’s take on life’s big questions is, if offered advice, take it and the likelihood is it will help you in what ever the advice was. I believe this because James takes advice from Amy, Kyle, Bruce and Kerry and without it he would not survived at Cherub campus.

Flora MacAngus      

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz (JC)

The name of this book is Skeleton Key, it was written by Anthony Horowitz. It was first published in 2002 by walker books in London This book is an adventure and spy book, and it is the third book from the Alex Rider series.

The story starts at MI6, England and then Alex is flown to Cayo Esqueleto (Skeleton Key which is a communist island which belongs to Cuba. The main characters in this story are: Alex Rider, General Sarov and Tom turner and Belinda Troy (two CIA agents). The book starts where two salesman fly to Skeleton Key to sell one kilogram of weapons uranium to General Sarov. The two threatened the General for more money. Once the salesman are on the plane the General then changes the lights on the runway and the plane goes into a crocodile swamp. A few weeks later Alex is tricked into another mission. He flies out with the two CIA agents to Skeleton key. Once they are out there, Tom turner goes to have lunch with a salesman and Alex and Belinda stay at a cafe. The salesman knows that Tom is not his friend and straps him up and pulls a gun on him. Luckily Alex had got onto the boat and blows up the petrol, knocks out the salesman and saves Tom. After that the two agents know they have to get onto the General’s mini island to find a bomb. They try the tunnel which is underwater by scuba diving and Alex is left on the boat, the two agents think no one knows about the tunnel. Unfortunately it is a trap and the two agents are killed, Alex goes down and sees where they were killed, he then returns to the boat and the driver is killed. General Sarov is there and takes Alex hostage and later is an inch from killing him. Alex finds out  the General has a huge bomb and that he is going to do something terrible with it!  What is he going to do??

Read the book to find out what happens!!

I really enjoyed the book as I like spy books and movies,  and the book makes it easy to see it and picture in your head. I would definitely recommend this book.  And Anthony Horowitz has definitely achieved his goal, and also the book was very well written as he drags you into it and makes you not want to put it down

I would rate this book 10/10

How to Train Your Parents by Pete Johnson (GK)

How to Train Your Parents is a hilarious book by Pete Johnson.It focuses on Louis' life and his desire to become a comedian.Louis is annoyed by the fact that his parents have become ultra competitve with his friends parents from the best marks in the class to what grade he is in music.Louis meets Maddy,his new friend and soon his dreams of becoming a comedian take the 'front seat' in his life and puts his work in the 'back seat' instead.Read the book to find out how he managed to train his parents and how his dreams are finally planning out.
I would give this book and 8/10 because it was a page turner and realistic.

GK