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Book review: Mister Cassowary

Posted on December 13, 2015December 12, 2015 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.

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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 Australian Kids Through the Years. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Book review: Australian Kids Through the Years

Posted on December 12, 2015December 12, 2015 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.

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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 Ugly. 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: At My Door

Posted on December 11, 2015March 10, 2016 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.

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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 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!

Book reviews by kids, Book reviews by Matilda

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

Posted on November 29, 2015November 29, 2015 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.

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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 Bella and the Wandering House. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

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Young Writers in Action: Living in a Tree House

Posted on November 20, 2015July 25, 2025 by Alphabet Soup

LIVING IN A TREE HOUSE

by Georgia, 9, NSW

Unknown to others, a beautiful garden hides behind Georgia’s house. At the bottom of her garden, water trickles like a tinkling wooden chime across the mossy rocks of a creek. A little bridge allows her to walk between two lily pad covered ponds. Within each pond, little squirmy black tadpoles hide underneath the water lilies. The flowers can be a golden yellow or a pretty pink. Sometimes, Georgia can see tiny little green frogs hopping on the leaves.

Beside the ponds, was a large wooden tree house, covered in vines and sweet smelling jasmine. Walking up the rope ladder was eight year old Georgia. Georgia’s blue eyes were as bright as the sky, and her blonde hair was tied in plaits with beautiful red ribbons.

Georgia loved being outside so much that she had convinced her parents to move her bedroom into her large tree house. Her parents had even put a smoke alarm in it. Her bedroom was in her favourite spot as no one could see her.

On this day, Georgia climbed the ladder into her tree house bedroom to get ready for a sleepover with her best friend Emma. Strangely, Emma did not arrive. Georgia sat looking out the window, wondering why Emma was late. Emma and Georgia loved sleepovers in her tree house because they could have delicious midnight feasts, without any parents finding out.

Georgia played in her garden for a while and had a lovely spin on her tyre swing. She then went back into her tree house. As she reached the top of her ladder and pushed the door open, she expected to see and feel the warmth of her tree house bedroom. To her surprise her room wasn’t there! Another completely different room was in its place.

Georgia was about to start reading a book when the fire alarm in her tree house went off. She looked down at her wrist, only to find that her silver charm bracelet was glowing red and getting hotter by the second. Georgia looked frantically around and saw a shiny silver bucket. She looked into the bucket and was relieved to see that was full of cold water. She poured the water on her wrist, and to her surprise she noticed a secret message on it. It didn’t hurt, but she was very surprised. She looked closely and saw that that the message said “close your eyes and turn around”. So she did.

As she stood there with her eyes closed, she heard a strange chorus … “Open your eyes”.

“What are you all doing here?” she cried.

“Surprise!” they yelled, “did you forget it was your birthday?”

Peeping behind Emma, were all of her other friends.

“How exciting” said Georgia. “What a happy surprise!”

Georgia had a wonderful party and loved how her friends had gone to so much trouble to make her happy. She loved a good surprise!

They all slept in her lovely tree house and had a huge and wonderful midnight feast together.

This is Georgia’s first story posted to Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a book review, story or poem — check out our submission guidelines.

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Young Writers in Action: Eagle

Posted on November 17, 2015July 25, 2025 by Alphabet Soup

EAGLE

by Amy, Year 5, Santa Sabina College, NSW

Soaring through the sky
On a bright summer’s day
The eagle prepares to dive
Circling its prey

As quick as lightning
Eagle punishes an offender
The target is paralysed
And has no choice but to surrender
Entering eagle territory
This is how mouse is punished
Becoming Eagles’ dinner
Making sure he doesn’t famish

The victim would tell her friends
But poor mouse has immobilised
She bows her head in defeat
No energy for the fight to repeat

Yet she still feels as if there is life in her
Physicality is the truth to decipher
Eagle feels very satisfied
He has had enough for lunch
After disposing of the excess
He begins finding something for supper to munch

This is Amy’s first poem posted to Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a book review, story or poem — check out our submission guidelines.

Book reviews by Joseph, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Ugly by Robert Hoge

Posted on November 13, 2015 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.

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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!

Book reviews by kids, Oxley Christian College

Book review: Snail and Turtle are Friends

Posted on November 2, 2015October 20, 2015 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.

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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!

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