Book reviews by kids

Book review: Queenie

Posted on October 22, 2018October 11, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY ELIZABETH, 8, VIC

Queenie by Corinne Fenton, illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe, Black Dog Books, ISBN 1876372974

Elizabeth read this book in her school library.

Queenie is an Indian elephant. When she gets separated from her mother, where does she go? Will she ever find her mum?

Follow Queenie’s journey to a new life. She grows to be an amazing elephant, strong and big. She becomes a legend.

She carries hundreds of people who feed her lots of peanuts, her favourite food.

My favourite picture is of two elephants playing in a bright green forest, splashing in the glittering water. Their hideaway place is calm and peaceful.

People of all ages, children and adults, who like elephants, should read this book.

I give this book a 10 out of 10 star rating because of the fascinating pictures that fade into the plain light grey outline border.

If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, you can click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book review: Rodney Loses It

Posted on October 18, 2018October 27, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY RACHEL, 8, VIC

Rodney Loses It by Michael Gerard Bauer, illustrated by Christina Krebs,
Scholastic Press, ISBN 9781742991900

Rachel read a copy of this book in her school library.

Wow! Look at Rodney, a crazy rabbit. He totally lost it, but what did he lose?

Read on to find more clues.

Rodney loved everything, but the one thing he loved the most was drawing. Rodney sketched all the time. He treasured his pencils, pen and textas.

Chrissie Krebs uses such impeccable pencil skills to give great clues and encourage children to really dive deep into this book.

Michael Gerard Bauer uses amazing adjectives to play with words, such as ‘bonkers’, that children would find funny.

I love this book because it’s hilarious.

I give this book a 10/10 rating for children in aged 8-11.

This is Rachel’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, you can click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: I’m Australian Too

Posted on October 17, 2018October 11, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY MIRANDA, 9, VIC

I’m Australian Too by Mem Fox,
illustrations by Ronojoy Ghosh, Scholastic, ISBN 9781760276218

Miranda read a copy of this book in her school library.

I’m Australian Too is a beautiful book with its sing-song like words and detailed pictures.

On every page you will get a surprise. You will read about different cultures and countries. Each will page will tell you about immigrants and why they came to Australia.

This book celebrates that we’re all Australians no matter where we came from. I recommend this book for 3-10 year olds because there are not so many words. I rate this book 10/10 because it has a great message for everybody about how we are an international continent.

This is Miranda’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, you can click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: The Great Rabbit Chase

Posted on October 15, 2018October 11, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY CINDY, 7, VIC

The Great Rabbit Chase
by Freya Blackwood, Scholastic,
ISBN 97817438111641

Cindy read this book in her school library.

A girl’s mum goes out to buy a pair of gumboots but comes home with a rabbit instead.

This book is about a little girl, her mum and lots of other people trying to catch a rabbit who is very fast. Where is the rabbit going? Why is he escaping?

I appreciate this book because there is a board game in the endpapers.

I recommend this book for kids who love rabbits and games, particularly kids who are 4 to 9 years old. I give this book a 10 out of 10 rating.

This is Cindy’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, you can click on ‘Oxley Christian College’ in the grey categories box in the right column of this blog. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Matilda

Book review: In the Lamplight

Posted on September 6, 2018September 10, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 12, WA

In the Lamplight by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds, Fremantle Press, ISBN 9781925591224

Matilda borrowed this book from the library.

This is a diary-style illustrated book about World War I. It’s by the same illustrator and author of Lighthouse Girl and Light Horse Boy.

In the Lamplight is about a girl called Rose growing up in England. She joined the hospital to help out, hoping to become a nurse one day. In her diary you see her hopes and ambitions, postcards, photographs, and letters. There are also letters from soldiers to their loved ones, and sometimes from her brother to her. The book switches between a diary and a novel format.

I liked how it shows a woman’s perspective of the war and how young some of the helpers were.

Readers who enjoyed Lighthouse Girl and Light Horse Boy will want to read this book. I’d recommend it for 9 to 13 year olds.

Read a sample chapter at the publisher’s website.

Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. You can read Matilda’s other reviews here. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Matilda

Book review: A Wrinkle in Time

Posted on August 28, 2018August 26, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 12, WA

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Penguin Books Ltd, ISBN 9780241331163

Matilda borrowed this book from the library.

This is a science-fiction novel about a family whose dad is missing. The little brother discovers three ladies who seem to be able to travel to other dimensions, and they tell Charles Wallace that they know where his father is.

I like time-slip novels — this is sort of a dimension-slip novel. I really enjoyed it because it was so different from our world, and I liked the characters in the other world.

The copy of the book I read was a movie tie-in, and had photos from the movie in the middle pages of the book. That was annoying because I had an idea in my head of all the characters and then suddenly I came across the movie photos and they were completely different. (But I’d still like to see the movie.)

Kids who love weird fantasy adventure books will love this.

Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. You can read Matilda’s other reviews here. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Matilda

Book review: Goldfish Boy

Posted on August 26, 2018August 26, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 12, WA

The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson, Scholastic, ISBN 9781407170992

Matilda borrowed this book from the library.

This is about a boy (Matthew) who has OCD and doesn’t like germs at all. He doesn’t like to leave the house.

Then the toddler next door goes missing, and Matthew was the last person to see him. Matthew feels he has to find out where the toddler is and starts trying to solve the mystery.

I liked that this wasn’t just a standard mystery/detective story, it had added layers because Matthew had his own problems to deal with too.

Readers aged 11 and older who like detective stories will enjoy The Goldfish Boy.

Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. You can read Matilda’s other reviews here. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids

Book review: The adventures of Jellybean

Posted on August 16, 2018August 14, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY TIRION, 9, VIC

The adventures of Jellybean by Bill Condon and Dianne Bates, UQP, ISBN 9780702260001

The publisher provided a review copy of this title.

An imaginative adventure of mischief and fun! Guaranteed to make kids smile when they read about the tricks that Jellybean, a family pet goat, gets up to. I find that the authors bring alive the characters, Jellybean and her owners, Rory and Trang, by creating lots of exciting events and problems to solve. Authors Bill Condon and Dianne Bates try their best to make their readers laugh.

Will Jellybean ever stop eating what she’s not meant to?

The book keeps readers interested because Jellybean always gets caught up in a new exploit. This tale of fun and imagination is perfect for kids aged 6+ who enjoy humorous animal adventure stories. I give this book a 4 ½ star rating out of 5.

This is Tirion’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by kids

Book review: The Secret Horses of Briar Hill

Posted on August 9, 2018August 9, 2018 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY TILLY, 8, QLD

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd, ill. by Levi Pinfold,
Walker Books, ISBN 9781406367584

Tilly reviews her own copy of this book.

It is December 1941, World War II, Briar Hill Hospital. A girl named Emmaline has a secret: there are winged horses in the mirrors.

The main characters are Emmaline, Foxfire and the Black Horse. Emmaline is passionate, persistent and courageous in her attempts to save the magical winged horse Foxfire. Foxfire is in trouble as the Black Horse is hunting Foxfire.

I really like the black and white illustrations, they are beautiful! The illustrations help paint a magical picture in your head while reading the book.

It is a fantasy book written through the eyes of Emmaline.

I like this book a lot. I recommend this book to children who have a wild imagination from 8 years of age.

This is Tilly’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book reviews by Albie, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Stories 1, 2, 3, 4

Posted on August 7, 2018June 17, 2019 by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY ALBIE, 6, NSW

Stories 1, 2, 3, 4 by Eugène Ionesco, translated & ill. by Etienne Delessert,
McSweeney’s McMullens, ISBN 9781936365517

Albie reviews her own copy of this book.

The reason I like this book is because the dad is really lazy and the doctor’s banned him from going out, but he still goes out (which is the funny part).

The story I like the best is probably story 3, because he teaches the little girl how to speak different languages. And the dad stays up every night watching Punch and Judy shows and going to lots and lots of restaurants and heaps of barbers – and for that reason he’s always very tired in the morning and he sleeps in. And the little girl comes knocking at the door at the start of every story, and the dad tells her a story.

This is the best book ever!

This is Albie’s first review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR story, poem, artwork or book review, check out our submission guidelines.

Happy reading!