Category: Book reviews by kids

Posted in Book reviews by Aashi, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Ghosts

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REVIEWED BY AASHI, 9, VIC

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier, Scholastic Inc, ISBN 9780545540629

Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.

Ghosts is a graphic novel written and illustrated by an outstanding author Raina Telgemeier. The main character is Catrina who doesn’t want to move to the coast of Northern California. They move because of Catrina’s little sister, Maya, who has Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a breathing and digestion condition, so they move to Bahia de la Luna which is on the coast of Northern California for cleaner air.

When Catrina and her family get to Bahia de la Luna they move into a little green house.  Wild Maya wants to go on the ghost tour run by their next-door neighbour, Carlos. Catrina can’t say no.  Will this end well … ?

I rate this book four out of five stars for it uses more perspectives of what other people think besides Catrina, though overall the book was great. It would make a spectacular read for ages 8–11.

Ghosts was a fabulous book, so in 2017 it won an Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12), and the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics.

I hope you read Ghosts.

Aashi is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read more of her book reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by Aashi, Book reviews by kids

Book review: The Third Form at St Clare’s

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REVIEWED BY AASHI, 9, VIC

The Third Form at St Clare’s by Enid Blyton, Hachette Children’s Books, ISBN 9781444930030

Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.

School days at St. Clare’s are never dull for Patricia and Isabel O’Sullivan.

When the mistresses announce that the third form shall be running their production, trouble starts. However, that’s only the beginning of their problems! Will the show still go on? But despite all the chaos pranks are still being pulled on poor Mam’zelle, the French mistress.

I adored The Third Form at St. Clare’s, a fantastic book. The book is full of surprises, mischief, jokes, and mysteries. I rate it a five out of five.

However, I wasn’t the only person who thought so. Here are some quotes from other readers …

'A great story with some new characters along the way.'
by Felicity

'A great book. Never bores you.' 
by Phoenix

'I loved this series, it's one of my childhood favourites.'
by Bhavya

I enjoyed this great book and it made for a spectacular read. I hope you read it too and like it.

Aashi is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read more of her book reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: One Wrong Turn

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REVIEWED BY HANNAH, 11, WA

One Wrong Turn by Chenée Marrapodi, Fremantle Press, ISBN 9781760992439

Hannah received a review copy of this title.

Amelia wants to get the lead role in a ballet concert but there’s a new girl (Valentina) who’s really good, so it will be harder for Amelia to get the lead role. Valentina’s family doesn’t really understand ballet and when rehearsals start it might be a problem for the show if Valentina has to stop ballet. 

The book had a few Italian words. I thought it was cool because in Valentina’s family they were talking to each other in Italian. Sometimes when Valentina was talking to her family the book didn’t tell us what they were saying. But if Valentina used Italian words when she was speaking with her friends, she would give the words in English as well. So if I kept reading it told me what she said.  

I liked the book because, even though it was a long book with small writing, the more I read the easier the book got. I still really liked it because I really like dancing and I wanted to get to the showcase at the end! I don’t do ballet but I do hip hop and jazz. Kids who like ballet, or any kind of dancing, will enjoy this book and see how hard it is to do ballet well. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.   

Take a sneak peek inside chapter 1 of One Wrong Turn!

This is Hannah’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: Meet Me at the Moon Tree

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The cover of a children's novel: Meet me at the moon tree by Shivaun Plozza. The cover illustration shows a child in tshirt and long pants sitting under a large tree and gazing out at the evening sky

REVIEWED BY MILLA, 11, WA

Meet Me at the Moon Tree by Shivaun Plozza, UQP, ISBN 9780702266171

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

Carina promised her Dad that they would find a Moon Tree together. Sadly Carina’s Dad passes away before they get to do so, so Carina is more determined than ever to find it herself.

After moving to the Otaway Ranges, Carina believes that there is a Moon Tree in a nearby forest. Carina has a strange and mystical encounter with a black cockatoo in the forest who she thinks may be magical. Will the magic lead Carina to find a Moon Tree?

I rate this book 7/10 because I really enjoy stories about nature, love and the power of family connection. It’s suitable for ages 9+.

Read our September 2023 interview with the author.

This is Milla’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: It’s the Sound of the Thing

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The cover of It's the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke

It’s the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, ISBN 9781761212123

REVIEWED BY NINA, 10, NSW. Nina received a review copy of this book.

Maxine Beneba Clarke’s book It’s the Sound of the Thing is a stunning collection of 100 poems that features limericks, haikus, sonnets, tongue twisters, funny poems, serious poems any type of poem you could think of. The ideas for the poems are creative and fantastic! They are about all sorts of things (a messy room, your grannies dancing, phones, teenagers and more).

Good for readers of all ages but best suited for ages 8-12 years old. It makes you wonder what type of poem will come next.

I personally rate this book 10/10. I would highly recommend reading it. 

This is Nina’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by Gabriel, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Mars Underground

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Image shows the cover of Mars Underground, a children's novel by HM Waugh.

REVIEWED BY GABRIEL, 12, NSW

Mars Underground by HM Waugh, A&U Children’s, ISBN 9781761067105

Gabriel received a review copy of this book.

Mars Underground is a sequel to Mars Awakens written by HM Waugh. The main characters Dee, Holt and Chayse live in the Davinci colony on Mars. The colony will soon die out due to radiation-tainted genetics. However, there is hope. Holt has a set of special genetics untainted by radiation. Half a separate colony carries these genetics – the Newtonians, where Holt and Chayse originally came from in the first book. The only problem is the Newtonians are halfway around the world. Distance is the least of their concerns though. Others block the way. The Others are mutated bacteria that cause human bodies to malfunction. On top of that, no one has tried to contact the Newtonians for a long time. Unfortunately, Holt and Chayse are kept by the Davicians for their genes in “capture”. This is because Holt is an X and Chayse’s genes have no trace of radiation. It’s almost like Mars is trying to stop them, still Holt, Dee and Chase embark on this quest. In a world full of enemies can they survive the complex web of tunnels in order to travel and escape? 

Will Dee, Holt and Chayse reach the Newtonians in time to save the Davinci colony? Can they escape the tight grasp of the Davinci? Why is there an age-old vendetta between the two settlements? Why have they been trained to hate each other? Will the Newtonians help the Davincians who are seen to be taller, have better senses, and breathe the air of Mars without a “Dome”?

Challenge after challenge is loaded into this action-packed novel. I recommend this book for children ages 8–14 who love suspense, Sci-Fi and dystopian books. I would rate this book highly as there is a complex story and subject that is engaging. I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it up late in the night. You can buy a hard copy book or download an ebook.

Read our July 2023 interview with the author of Mars Underground.

Gabriel is a regular book reviewer at Alphabet Soup. You can read more of his reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: Winterkill

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REVIEWED BY QIAO, 12, MANITOBA, CANADA

Winterkill by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Scholastic, ISBN 9781338831412

Qiao reviews her own copy of this book.

In 1930 an attack strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine, brings the bitter wind of early winter. It is a battle not only against famine but also against the Soviet Union’s dictatorship.

Twelve-year-old Nyl, a courageous and intrepid boy, lived on a farm in Ukraine with his parents, aunt, uncle, brother and sister. Everything was peaceful and tranquil until the advent of Stalin, the Soviet Union’s dictator, desiring to take over the farms of Ukrainian families. His lies to the civilians promising a better-off life and a surge of crop yields, if the farmers were willing to spare their farms, were just the beginning of his reigning plot. Nyl’s family depended on the yearly harvest season for food. Without the farm, their life barely scraped by. Even worse, the Soviet Russian soldiers were compelling the villagers to hand in their food by threatening and killing them. Nyl and his family were desperate to flee and embarked on an escape journey from the village to a safer place. It sounded like a fabulous plan but not everyone was lucky enough to make it out of Stalin’s grip.

An encounter with a Canadian girl called Alice altered Nyl’s life. Alice’s first intention in coming to Ukraine with her father was to work for Stalin. She later realized that Stalin was starving people in Ukraine instead of alleviating farmers’ work by providing them with modern tractors. It was a nightmare for her and her father, so they decided to help Nyl escape from this tragic place. Alice’s father was determined to expose Stalin’s lie to the world, hoping to gain help from other countries. Would it be a success, or would it be an act of death?

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, a Ukrainian Canadian author, presents the word Holodomor “A murder by hunger” through a story for children. When I read Winterkill, my eyes were glued to the book, reluctant to miss any detail. It was as if every page was the climax, building up the tension and making my heart thump. With ingenious language, her writings about the historical event prompted more than a dozen countries to acknowledge the Holodomor as a genocide. It was as if the book was magical. It gifted me with powers and strength. As Nyl has said in the book, “Stalin hadn’t killed me, he just made me stronger.”

This is Qiao’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Olivia

Book review: The Red Pyramid

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The image shows the cover of a children's novel: The Red Pyramid, book 1 in The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan.

REVIEWED BY OLIVIA, 9, WINNEPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA

The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, Penguin UK, ISBN 9780141325507

Olivia reviews her own copy of this title.

The Red Pyramid is a fascinating and enchanting book about two siblings who have their lives turned upside down as they embark on an adventure of Egyptian gods, magicians, and magic. Sadie and Carter Kane, siblings nothing alike, shape the future of the world they know. Accompanied by striking cat goddess Bast, and prickly magician Zia, the quartet only have a couple of days to stop Set, god of evil, from the destroying the whole of Earth. Will Set prevail and destroy the Earth? Or will Sadie, Carter, Bast and Zia succeed and stop Set?

My favourite part of this novel is when Sadie, Carter Bast, and Zia fight off the scorpion goddess Serqet. Zia places Sadie and Carter in a magic force field while she and Bast fight off the scorpions. I like this part because it demonstrates intriguing forms of magic, and shows that weak things can be strong, as Zia fights with ribbons.

I would give this book a 10 out of 10 and would especially recommend this volume to readers ages 10 and above. The Kane Chronicles will blow Percy Jackson fans away. Move over Harry Potter, here comes The Kane Chronicles!

Take a sneak peek inside the book at the Penguin website.

Olivia has reviewed another book for Alphabet Soup. You can read her review of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief here. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by Elizabeth, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Skye Blackburn-Lang

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The cover of Skye Blackburn-Lang: Eating bugs for the planet by Dianne Wolfer. This is a biography for children. The cover illustration shows Skye (who has pale skin and straight red hair) holding two live crickets.

REVIEWED BY ELIZABETH, 9, NSW

Skye Blackburn-Lang: Eating bugs for the planet by Dianne Wolfer, Wild Dingo Press, ISBN 9781925893694

The publisher provided a review copy of this book.

Have you ever eaten a bug cookie? Well, Skye Blackburn-Lang has.

As the oldest child, Skye was curious about animals that when she was younger she even tried to eat a snail! She lived in Port Macquarie and Sydney where she took home insects to investigate and observe. Skye went to a museum on insects where she found jars of insects and spiders stacked to the ceiling. That’s when she knew that she wanted to be an entomologist. She was so interested in insects and spiders that she had a pet tarantula called Fluffy and she even kept its exoskeleton mounted in a frame!

This book is interesting because it is about Skye’s childhood and how she mixes food science and bugs to make sustainable food. Unlike the other books in this series this book is colourful, has photographs of insects and spiders and has two insect recipes at the end. I thought it was lovely.

I rate this book 10/10. I recommend this for children above 7 years old and those who like bugs.

Take a look inside the book on the publisher’s website!

Elizabeth is a regular reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read more of her reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Olivia

Book review: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Posted on by Alphabet Soup
Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

REVIEWED BY OLIVIA, 9, WINNIPEG, MANNITOBA, CANADA

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Penguin, ISBN 9780141329994

Olivia reviewed her own copy of this book.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is an interesting, intriguing, and exciting book about two demigods (kids with one godly parent and one mortal parent) and a satyr (half human, half goat) Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, who embark on a journey to get back Zeus’s lightning bolt. Zeus, the god of the sky, has had his master lightning bolt stolen. Zeus blames his brother, Poseidon, god of the sea, Percy’s dad. Can Zeus get his lightning bolt back? Is Poseidon responsible for Zeus’s missing bolt?

My favorite part of this story is when Percy meets Annabeth, where Annabeth tells Percy that he drools when he sleeps. This is my favorite part because it’s hilarious and hysterical.

My favourite character is Annabeth, because she is prepared for anything, and she is very smart. I’d rate this a 20 out of 20 because it is comedic, exciting, and makes you want to read it. I’d recommend it to ages ten and up.

Take a look inside this book on the publisher’s website!

This is Olivia’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!