Welcome back from the school holiday break. It’s the last day of July and that means it’s time for [drum roll] … book recommendations from our Top Reads team.*
Excellent!
You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). If you missed last month’s, don’t forget to check out the June Top Reads.
*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!
REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 10, WA
Riddle Gully Secrets by Jen Banyard, Fremantle Press, ISBN 9781925163957
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.
This is the third book in the Riddle Gully series about a girl called Pollo and a boy called Will. Pollo runs her own newspaper and she’s always looking for things to write about in her newspaper.
In this book Pollo and Will are searching for newspaper material but unfortunately the town is so boring at the moment nothing is happening that’s newspaper worthy. They think all is lost until they overhear a plot to steal treasure. Is the mayor involved in the plot too? Pollo and Will (along with Dan and Ash) want to find out more …
I like that Pollo has her own newspaper and solves mysteries, Riddle Gully Secrets reminds me a bit of the Encycopedia Brown books. Even though this is book 3 in the series, you don’t have to read the other Riddle Gully books to enjoy this one.
I would recommend this mystery book for readers 6 and older — especially if you like mystery stories.
[You can read a sample chapter of Riddle Gully Secrets on the Fremantle Press website.]
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Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Nightbird. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
REVIEWED BY JOSEPH, 12, WA
Joseph reviewed his own copy of this book.
The Secret Island by Enid Blyton, Hachette Children’s Books, ISBN 9781444921106
This is an intriguing adventure story about four children from two farms who are all treated very badly. Together Mike, Peggy, Nora and Jack plan to escape to a secret island in the middle of a lake. They have to survive alone and be prepared if someone comes looking for them!
Some of the best aspects of the book are the description of the island, and when Jack goes to market. Enid Blyton really made me feel as if I was on the secret island drinking cool spring water. And when Jack went to market, I was always on my toes and thinking Jack might be caught.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I love adventure books where basic survival is needed. I would recommend this book to readers who love an adventure book where you want to turn every page! It would be suitable for children aged 8 and over.
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Joseph is one of our regular book reviewers. His most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Letters and Numbers. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
The brown and black fur
Little nose twitching
Ears moving to every noise
The beauty of the animal is in plain sight
Dashing through the woods
Sneaky as a snake
Army crawling under fences
Hoping not to be ate
Dashing at each other
One jumps up
So close to crashing
Over and over they play
Lying in my backyard
Eating the grass
Acting very lazy
Like a sloth in a bath
Hoping not to be eaten
Playing again and again
Acting very lazy
A rabbit is that
This is Shreya’s first poem published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!
We’re halfway through the year, and there are still so many books to read!
It’s also the last day of the month, and you know what that means … it’s time for our Top Reads team members* to share their favourite reads. Below are their top reads for June:
You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). If you missed last month’s, don’t forget to check out the May Top Reads.
*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!
REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 10, WA
Matilda reviewed her own copy of this book.
Nightbird by Alice Hoffman, Yearling Books, ISBN 9780385389617
Twig is a young girl with a huge family secret. When an ancient relative of the late Agnes Early moves into the house next door, Twig is forbidden to go there. Can Julia, Twig and Agate help to break a curse?
I love the name Twig, and this was the best book I’ve read this year. Nightbird is a fantasy novel — and I really liked that it was a story that could happen in real life with a few magical tweaks.
If you enjoyed Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars, this is the sort of book you’ll enjoy. (And if you haven’t read Molly and Pim, you should read that too!)
I recommend this book for children ages 7 and up.
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Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Four Children and It. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
THE PARCHED OAK TREE
by Odette, 11, QLD
In the faulty shade of the parched oak tree
There’s a bare old branch for you and me.
Many before us had a place to be,
And we’d all sit by and watch the sea.
Long of limb, leaning over the wake,
Serene in the wind, where the sea meets the lake,
A witness of the water; it watches the waves break,
In Autumn subdued; summer monsoonal storms put it at stake.
Safe from the storm, each branch waxes nimble,
While the sea dwellers mingle in the shingle,
The culvert of the trunk where the leaf litter hide are
wrangled by the gale and the current and the tide,
And brings rolling forth from somewhere adrift,
the mighty hull of a wallowing ship.
This is Odette’s first poem published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!
REVIEWED BY MATILDA, 10, WA
Matilda borrowed this audiobook from her local library.
Four Children and It by Jacqueline Wilson, read by Jacqueline Wilson, Bolinda Audio, ISBN 9781486234127
This book is based on another book called Five Children and It by Edith Nesbitt.
Four Children and It is about four children (Rosalind, her brother Robbie, her step-sister Smash, and half sister Maudie). They meet … something … that grants them a wish a day, which lasts until sunset. But what if something goes wrong?
It was exciting and Smash was selfish and annoying but Maudie was cute. It made me want to read Edith Nesbitt’s original story.
I picked up this audiobook at the library because I’m into Jacqueline Wilson’s books and I’ve read everything else by her in our library. I recommend this book for ages 7 and up. Even grandmas will enjoy it (well, mine did!).
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Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Figgy and the President. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
THE FOUR COUSINS AND THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY SHOW
by Isabelle, 6, QLD
Once upon a time there lived a happy group of cousins. There was Princess Rosa, Fairy Arabella, Ballerina Ella and Unicorn Mia, but the most beautiful of all was Queen Isabella. The group was very excited because the Queen’s birthday was coming up!
They lived in a castle in a meadow full of roses. The people from nearby lands and far away villages were invited to Queen Isabella’s birthday show. The cousins were lucky because they were invited to be in the special show, because they were incredible singers and dancers.
On the night of the show as they were getting dressed a fire alarm sounded. Everyone rushed out of the room. Rosa was worried, how would they do a show on a fiery theatre?
‘How about we cancel the show?’ suggested Ella.
‘No way!’ shouted Rosa.
‘Maybe I should cast a spell to melt the fire?’ suggested Arabella.
‘How about we get the fire extinguisher,’ suggested Rosa. They ran to the safety door but when they opened the door the extinguisher was not there! They ran to the stage and found Queen Isabella holding the fire extinguisher putting out the fire.
When she had finished she stood up to take a look.
‘I think it’s a bit soggy,’ said Rosa. ‘Maybe we should do our show on a different theatre?’
Once they got to the new theatre it looked strange. ‘Let’s get changed here,’ said Ella.
Suddenly Rosa remembered, ‘we forgot to clear the old theatre!’ she screamed. They ran back to the old theatre and they saw some people trying to dance on it. Rosa saw that they were falling over and tripping over.
‘What will we do?’ asked Arabella. ‘How about my dancing in the air spell? It’s a spell you cast on people when they are dancing on wet soggy floors.’
‘But your magic only lasts until two o’clock.’
‘How about we mix up the shows,’ said Rosa.
‘No way!’ said Ella and Arabella. ‘That would be worse.’ Then all of a sudden it became an argument.
In the end they decided to take turns of dancing. On the night of the show it was marvellous. The theatre had dried and they could have the show again! The queen loved it. At the the end of the show they all curtsied and bowed and then they went home to have their dinner and sleep.
This is Isabella’s first story published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!
This month Perth has been rainy, windy, very windy, EVEN WINDIER, and it’s cold — perfect weather for reading. If you’re looking for books to get you started on your winter reading, we have just the list for you … every month our Top Reads team members* share their favourite reads. Below are their top reads for May. Get reading!
You’ll find a recommended list from our Top Reads Team on the last day of every month (February to November). If you missed last month’s, don’t forget to check out the April Top Reads.
*All our Top Readers are kids aged 13 and under. No grownups allowed!
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