Category: Book reviews by kids

Posted in Book reviews by Joseph, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Mister Cassowary

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY JOSEPH, 11, WA

Mister Cassowary

Mister Cassowary by Samantha Wheeler, UQP, ISBN 9780702253881

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

Mister Cassowary is a fantastic children’s novel about a boy named Flynn and his dad visiting the farm where Flynn’s grandfather had a terrible accident and died. They’re trying to fix up the farm so it can be sold in two weeks. Flynn doesn’t know much about cassowaries (lots live around the farm) or why his dad is so scared of them.

With the help of local girl Abby, Flynn tries to discover the mystery around his grandfather’s death, about his grandfather’s own cassowary — Big Blue — and why two baby cassowaries don’t seem to have a dad.

Although I didn’t find the opening scenes intriguing, if you continue further in then you will find yourself staying up at night to find out more about the mystery of Grandad Barney.

Throughout the book you learn more and more about cassowaries and how they are a beautiful and endangered species. At the end of the book it tells you more facts about cassowaries so you can deepen your understanding of those birds.

This book is definitely worth reading for children aged 7+ — it does deal with some tough topics (like death, and facing your fears, and family relationships) in in easy-to-read novel.

—

Joseph is one of our regular book reviewers. His most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Australian Kids Through the Years. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by Joseph, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Australian Kids Through the Years

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY JOSEPH, 11, WA

Australian Kids Through the Years

Australian Kids Through the Years by Tania McCartney, ill. Andrew Joyner, NLA Publishing, ISBN 9780642278593

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

Australian Kids Through the Years is an easy-to-read, informative, and beautifully illustrated picture book about Australia’s history. It is taken from the point of view of kids from different time periods.

The book has a different era every four pages — the first two include a brief description, and the next two are a setting from the era.

This book feels light in mood. The illustrations are much like colourful cartoons, with clear yet complex pictures. You might recognise the illustrator from Too Many Elephants in This House (a picture book written by Ursula Dubosarsky). My favourite pages in the book are the 1990s — everything seems modern but it’s still different from how things are now.

At the end of the book there is a summary of each time period, including photographs and paintings from each time.

I like that you can extract lots of information really easily. This is a great book for kids aged 7+ because of the easy language and because it’s fun to read.

—

Joseph is one of our regular book reviewers. His most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Ugly. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Matilda

Book review: At My Door

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 9, WA

At My Door by Deb Fitzpatrick

At My Door by Deb Fitzpatrick, Fremantle Press, ISBN 9781925162707

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

This book is set at Poppy’s house. When the doorbell rings and a car speeds away, her family discovers that a baby has been left on the doorstep. What will they do? Where are the baby’s parents?

I really liked the creativity and the language in this book. I liked how it was about a situation that doesn’t happen every day. My favourite character was Mei because she was funny and cute. I was surprised when she turned up because I didn’t expect what was left on the doorstep to be her.

This story is realistic and you feel like it could happen to you. What would you do if a baby turned up on your doorstep?

I would recommend it for kids aged 7+ and people who wonder about these sorts of things.

You can read a sample chapter of At My Door on the publisher’s website. And you can listen to the author read from the book, too.

–

Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of  The Cleo Stories: A Friend and, A Pet. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Matilda

Book review – The Cleo Stories: A Friend, and A Pet

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 9 WA

The Cleo Stories: A Friend, and A Pet

The Cleo Stories: A Friend, and A Pet by Libby Gleeson, ill. Freya Blackwood, ISBN 9781743315286, Allen & Unwin

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

Cleo is a little girl who loves wearing animal ears and has a big imagination. I have read the first Cleo book in this series and I really liked it. This book also has two stories in it.

A Friend.
Cleo is bored and has nothing to do.

A Pet
Cleo really wants a pet but her parents keep saying ‘no’.

I like how Cleo always uses her imagination to find a solution. There are lots of illustrations that are very simple. They are colourful and they are on every page. I liked this Cleo book even more than the first one and I think they are getting better and better. I would recommend The Cleo Stories: A Friend, and A Pet for children who are 5+, and for people who have a big imagination.

–

Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of  Bella and the Wandering House. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by Joseph, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Ugly by Robert Hoge

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY JOSEPH, 11, WA

Ugly (cover)

Ugly by Robert Hoge, Hachette Australia, ISBN 9780733634338

Joseph borrowed a copy of this book from his local library.

Ugly is Robert Hoge’s autobiography (this is the edition for children). It starts with Robert being born at the hospital and there’s a debate about whether or not his parents will even take him home because he has a tumour on his face and there’s something wrong with his legs. Eventually his brothers and sisters vote to keep him, and he does come home.

In the book you learn about his early childhood, primary school and high school years. There’s a lot about how he made friends and overcame teasing, lots of operations and walking with artificial legs. There’s a list of nicknames he was called in high school (some are good and some are bad).

This was a very interesting book and I liked the attitude that we’re all different in some way and there’s always a way to overcome differences. I would have liked the book to be longer, and I would have liked to read something about Robert after high school and into adulthood.

Mature readers aged 9 and above would enjoy this book and learning about Robert’s challenges in childhood.

—

Read an extract from Ugly on the publisher’s site.

Joseph is one of our regular book reviewers. His most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Adam Spencer’s Big Book of Numbers. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: Snail and Turtle are Friends

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY CHARLOTTE, 9, VIC

Snail and Turtle are friends (cover)

Snail and Turtle are Friends by Stephen Michael King, Scholastic Australia, ISBN 9781743620236

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

Snail and Turtle are Friends opens with the greeting:

Good morning Snail, Good morning Turtle.

Set outside in both the garden and open space, this story shows us that friends can be different, but still have fun.

The cover illustration is colourful. It caught my interest and made me wonder. This book is for ages 3+ because it is short, easy to read and very colourful.

—

Charlotte attends Oxley Christian College and this is her first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, 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!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: Hello from Nowhere

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY BEN, 9, VIC

Hello from Nowhere (cover)

Hello from Nowhere by Raewyn Caisley, illustrated by Karen Blair, Penguin Books Australia, ISBN 9780670075003

Ben read a copy of this book in his school library.

The story is set in Nowhere in the Australian outback. Nowhere is no longer a real place. Eve thought that living in the middle of Nowhere was better than living anywhere else in the world. However, she misses one thing, her Nan. But Eve has an idea. Will it work or will she be stuck with Dad, Brian the seagull, Livestock the lazy cat and Bluey the blue tongue lizard forever?

It’s an amazing story. The watercolour and pencil drawings really match the desert theme. This book shows us that we don’t always want to be alone. This book made me feel tense wondering how Eve’s idea would be put together.

—

Ben attends Oxley Christian College and this is his first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, 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!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: The Soldier’s Gift

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY ATLANTA, 9, VIC

The soldier's gift)

The Soldier’s Gift by Tony Palmer, illustrated by Jane Tanner, Penguin Books Australia, ISBN 9780670077571

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

The Soldier’s Gift is about a young girl, Emily, who is desperate to do anything to stop her brother, Tom, from going to World War I in Turkey.

She tries her hardest to stop Tom, but when the time comes for Tom to leave the farm, she knows he needs to.

Tom faces the Turks in battle!

What will he write in letters home to his family?

What are his family thinking about while they wait for news?

This book can increase our learning about the Anzacs and life on the home front during a tragic time of war.

—

Atlanta attends Oxley Christian College and this is her first book review for Alphabet Soup. If you’d like to read more book reviews by Oxley Christian College students, 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!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: A House of Her Own

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY JOSHUA, 8, VIC

A house of her own (cover)

A House of Her Own by Jenny Hughes, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley, Little Hare Books, ISBN 9781742974620

Joshua read this book in his school library.

Audrey tells Dad that she’s bigger than she was yesterday and that their house is too small. Dad gives her some ideas about relocating to a new house like the garage, the shed and even the chook shed.

Then Audrey finds the perfect place … up a tree. Dad helps to build a treehouse. When it’s finished, she loves it.

Will she ever want to come down? But Audrey has some scary thoughts and worries when her dad returns to their old house for the night.

I like this book because I always wanted to build my own tree house that only I could go into.

I recommend the story for children aged 7+.

—

Joshua attends Oxley Christian College and this is his 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!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: Along the Road to Gundagai

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

REVIEWED BY AIMEE, 9, VIC

Along the road to Gundagai (cover)

Along the road to Gundagai by Jack O’ Hagan, illustrated by Andrew McLean, Omnibus Books, ISBN 9781862919792

Aimee read this book in her school library.

A soldier remembers his home and his home town where his daddy and mother will be waiting for him.

He is yearning just to be returning along the road to Gundagai.

He’s gone off to war, but wants to be a kid at home again.

The pictures, not just the words, tell you some of the story.

This book is suitable for primary grade students from Year 1 to Year 6.

If you like picture books then you would love this book.

—

Aimee attends Oxley Christian College and this is her 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!