Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, Puffin (Penguin UK), ISBN 9780141325491
REVIEWED BY STEFAN, 9, NSW
Heroes of Olympus: The Lost hero is a fantastic book that I recommend. Rick Riordan has done a fantastic job writing adventures with heroes, monsters, and brilliant battles. Heroes of Olympus connects to the Greek Myths, with gods, demigods, and secrets for how to solve the puzzles.
One of my favourite parts is the twist. Some parts are scarier than others and some are funnier than others. This book made me feel happy when reading it and sad when I finished it.
The main character, Jason Grace is brave, powerful, and funny once you get to know him. He has woken up on a school wilderness bus with a psycho coach. He and his new friends must go on a serious mission to save the wonderful Camp Half Blood but if you want to find out all the serious secrets of this mission, you must read this awesome book.
I recommend this book for people who are into mystery, solving puzzles, fantasy, and the Greek Myths. But still, in my opinion, anyone would love this book. I give this book 5 out of 5. It is suitable for ages 8+, but again, anyone could read this amazing book.
Matilda by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin (Penguin UK), ISBN 9780241558317
REVIEWED BY ARA, 8, NSW
Matilda is a funny fantasy story for every age even if your parents are reading to you. It is a story that stands out because it teaches you an important lesson to stand up for yourself.
Matilda is also very entertaining. It is good for bed time stories and helps kids from ages 3 to 6 get to sleep quicker. It has scary bits and funny bits for everyone.
Matilda is brave when she stands up for herself in front of the head mistress. She is also charming and likeable and what’s more, she has special powers. The author Roald Dahl and illustrator Quentin Blake did an excellent job of making Matilda come to life.
I give this book five stars because I laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The BFG by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Penguin UK, ISBN 9780241677261
REVIEWED BY ABBY, 8, NSW
The BFG is a humorous adventure book by Roald Dahl that will have you laughing every page.
I love The BFG because it’s about Sophie meeting the Big Friendly Giant and saving the world. It’s so entertaining and makes you never want to put it down.
I think it’s a great book because it teaches you about being different and even if you are different you can make a big difference. It’s also awesome because it’s all about teamwork and trying hard.
It makes you emotional but has a happy and funny ending. It teaches you that the littlest (or biggest) things can make a big difference.
I give the book five stars and suggest it for kids aged 7–12.
Wings of Fire Legends: Darkstalker by Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Inc, ISBN 9781338053623
REVIEWED BY SCARLETT, 10, QLD
Scarlett reviewed her own copy of this title.
Darkstalker is a book about dragons, and not just any old dragons. They are as complicated as we humans are.
It is a legend that happened 2000 years before the main Wings of Fire series, but I know it’s by far the best Wings of Fire book.
This book is about an Ice Wing Prince and a Night Wing who have eggs together and one of the eggs is … Darkstalker. One way or another he is going to change the dragon world forever whether it’s through tragedy or harmony but only he can decide …
If you want to know about the extraordinary terrain that the dragons live in, you can see it on the very well-drawn, detailed map at the front of the book. It’s enchanting to look at.
The characters are realistic and complex. The dragons seem like real people, especially Darkstalker. He has lots of different viewpoints and questions his view of the world. He is not one dimensional like superheroes often are.
My favourite character is Whiteout. She is a unique and very interesting character. She shows emotional and social development as the story goes on.
The author is very good at writing in first person, so everyone who reads it can understand the characters from the dragons’ own point of view, not from the author telling us about them.
The description in this book is exquisite. It is so immersive you will feel like you are really there. For example:
“… rain poured from a grumbling, fire-breathing sky. The river at the bottom of the canyon swelled and roared and ate the walls, sending all the dragons who lived down there scrambling for higher ground. The wind was so fierce it seemed to be sent from vengeful Ice Wings to rip every Night Wing out of the sky. It was veering quickly from a storm to a baby hurricane.”
This book is good for philosophical people, fantasy lovers, or people who are reading / have read the Wings Of Fire series before.
I think this book is suited to mature 9–11-year-olds and above because there are some philosophical topics and diaologue that may be difficult to understand and some violence towards the end.
And I rate this book 10/10.
This is Scarlett’s first book review for Alphabet Soup. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Little Bones by Sandy Bigna, illustrations by Tamlyn Teow, UQP, ISBN 9780702268878
REVIEWED BY MARLEY, 9, WA
The publisher provided a review copy of this book.
Little Bones is about a girl called Bones and she loves collecting animal bones for her collection. She doesn’t have many friends at school and people think she’s a freak. She ends up finding a little skeleton of a bird at the wetlands, she brings it back to her house and wishes the bird would come alive again. And guess what? He came alive.
The book is very different to other books I’ve read. It’s way more heart-warming and has different formatting. And I love the front cover.
I liked how there was always a cliff hanger and you could never stop reading the book without finding out what happened next.
My favourite character was Tenny, because Tenny is really sweet and kind. They are the perfect match for Bones as they are kind of Bones’ happy shadow. I liked the inclusion of diverse characters.
I liked the setting because it has very big home cosy vibes and it makes it feel more realistic.
I found the story very interesting because there aren’t many stories about people dying in kids books, but i think more should because you can’t just hide away what’s sensitive from kids. I didn’t find myself being sad, but intrigued to see how Bones would overcome her own sadness and regret.
I think people that are not super sensitive would enjoy this book. Its a mix between fantasy and adventure and about overcoming your fears. Also people that don’t feel like they belong might be intrigued to find out what’s in this book.
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 9781471124297
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.
REVIEWED BY AASHI, AGE 10, VIC
Meet the Winddershin sisters, Betty, Fliss and Charlie, girls who have a taste for adventure. Betty is an adventurist and wants to explore the world. Fliss is very pretty but has a mind of her own. Charlie is always hungry and loves animals.
These girls have never been outside their home island, Crowstone. Most people who live in Crowstone are descendants of people locked up in prison or families who want to move closer to the prison.
Betty, whose birthday is on Halloween, decides to leave Crowstone and go to a nearby island to see a fair on Halloween night. She takes Charlie with her but soon discovers a curse haunting Winddershin females for years.
A Pinch of Magic is a very interesting story full of forgiveness, trust and loyalty. The book kept you on the edge of your seat as the girls went through life-or-death situations. I recommend it for 9-12-year-olds as it is a fantastic read. The author, Michelle Harrison, did a great job in keeping the readers entertained and suspenseful. It is a truly inspiring book for young people.
I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars as it is a great book for anyone who loves adventure.
Ask for A Pinch of Magic at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, HarperCollins GB, ISBN 9780007299263
Dexter’sreview of this book was longlisted in the 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition.
If you’re a fan of fantasy and suspense, this is the book for you. Howl’s Moving Castle is a 302-page novel about a girl called Sophie who lived a quiet life, when she gets cursed by the witch of the waste. She can’t tell anyone about her curse, so she goes to visit a dangerous man called Howl who is the only person who might be able to break the curse. The problem is Howl lives in a giant walking castle with no signs on how to get in and is known for being a very bad criminal.
The book has trickery, comedy, adventure and loveable characters. The main characters are Howl, a funny wizard who can sometimes turn into a birdlike creature. Then there’s the main character Sophie, who was a hat maker and now her main priority is to break a curse. Sophie also has a lot of character development through the book. Then there’s one more main character – Calcifer, a fire spirit who’s funny, sassy and is Howl’s pet, who powers the castle and is always trying to make bargains. He also has a very emotional and happy ending. Also, there’s one side character that is quite important, his name is Michael. He’s Howl’s apprentice wizard, and he appears lots throughout the book.
I would say Howl’s Moving Castle is a mature book for ages 10 and above. It’s beloved by many and is still my favourite book. I read it all in one day and would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. It has two sequels and even has a fully animated movie produced by the wonderful Studio Ghibli.
Dexter’s review was longlisted in the Primary category of Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we publish book reviews by young writers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin, ISBN 9780241558331
Lachlan’s review of James and the Giant Peach was the winner in the 2024 Young Book Reviewers’ Competition.
The story is called James and the Giant Peach. It was illustrated by Quentin Blake. He has illustrated more than three hundred books, and he was awarded the Kate Greenaway medal. He was also one of the first children classics illustrators. The writer is Roald Dahl. He was a spy, an ace fighter pilot, a chocolate historian and a medical inventor.
In this story, James had a happy life until his parents died, and he had to live with his aunts who were both lazy. One day, an old man gave James some magic and told him to put it inside a glass of water and drink it in one gulp. On the way, James tripped over and spilt the magic on the ground. The magic went into insects and the peach tree.
The two aunts, Spiker and Sponge, came out shouting there was a enormous peach on the tree. Spiker asked people, “Who wants the peach?”.
At this same time, James found a tunnel in the peach and discovered a big room. In this room, Grasshopper introduced the insects that lived there. James and the insects had a big journey to the sea and James tied string to seagulls and they flew to America.
During the journey they solved problems. Spider said that James was so smart that she wanted to be smart like him.
My favourite part was when James lost his first chance of happiness but did not give up. I felt proud because he used to be miserable but now, he is happy. They also used good team work to solve their problems.
I highly recommend this book to children of all ages because they can learn how to be resilient. If they miss a chance, they can wait for another – and that includes being patient because sometimes things can turn out better than you think. This book also can teach children the importance of teamwork.
Lachlan’s review was the winner of the Junior category in Alphabet Soup’s 2024 Young Reviewers’ Competition. The competition is now closed, but we post reviews by young reviewers all year round. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!
Nat Amoore has been a trapeze artist and circus performer, a podcaster, and now she’s an award-winning children’s author. Since Nat’s first book – Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire – was published in 2019, she’s published five more books and there are plenty more on the way! Today we’re pleased to be chatting about her latest venture: the Shower Land series, illustrated by James Hart.
From the publisher:
Felix hates Mondays. Dad’s yelling at him to get up. His little brother, Olly, is being super annoying. So when Felix shuts the bathroom door, he wishes he could get away. He turns on the shower and . . .REEEEKKKKKK!
A hilarious junior fiction series where getting in the shower might send you to another world.
When you were a kid were you up and out the door at the crack of dawn, or hard to get going after the alarm went off?
Oh, definitely up and out! I still am. I was never really much of a sleep-in kind of person. There was too much cool stuff out there waiting to be done. Even when getting up early meant going to school. Okay, so the actual school part wasn’t my favourite but I was always dying to see my friends. I also grew up on a farm so getting up early was kind of standard practice. My parents would kick us out of the house after breakfast and we would run around in the paddocks having cow poo fights and building treehouses. Then we were allowed back for lunch and sent out again until the sun went down. And to this day, I still get up early to write. I write best from about 5:30am until 12pm and then in the afternoon I’m kind of useless. So that’s when I do all my admin stuff … or go for a walk on the beach and pat everyone else’s puppies.
If you could be transported via shower to another place, would you try it? (Even if you might end up somewhere without any clothes on?)
ABSOLUTELY!!! Like Felix, I think I would figure out the clothes part quick enough. Teleporting to other worlds is my ultimate dream, even with all the risks involved. I mean it’s essentially why I’m an author right? So, I can just go to other worlds in my head for a living. Life is an adventure and I’ll take every cool experience I can along the way. Even with the risk of not knowing what or where, I couldn’t resist. Otherwise, I would always live in regret thinking, ‘What if I had said yes?’ Where would I have gone? What have I missed out on? I mean, once I had teleported to the prehistoric times and gotten my head bitten off by a T-rex, I might have second thoughts. But by then it’s too late anyway so YES! Let’s do it!
Even though Olly can be an annoying little brother, his jokes are pretty funny. Do you have a go-to joke for parties/Christmas lunch/ice-breakers at an event?
Ha! I love Olly. I’ve always wanted a younger sibling (I only have an older brother) and I love giving my characters funny younger siblings. I have a few go-to jokes. It’s good to have them up your sleeve I think and kids are ALWAYS asking me to tell a joke, or ‘what’s my best joke’? They change all the time but I like jokes that really rely on delivery and so my current favourite is …
What do we want? Low-flying airplane noises! When do we want them? NEEEEYYYOOOOOOOOWWWW!
But I also love …
What did the drummer call his twin daughters?
Anna 1, Anna 2
BA HA HA HA HA!
Do you have a tip for young writers who’d like to write a funny book?
Ooohhh, this is hard because I don’t really sit down and think ‘I’m going to write a funny book’. BUT what I am sure will help, is to think about what makes YOU laugh or what you think is funny and, even more importantly, what you DON’T find funny, especially when it is trying to be. I don’t like mean humour. Even when Olly makes fun of Felix, he’s not actually picking on any real characteristic of Felix’s. What is much stronger in the story and their relationship is the love, the banter and the bond that they have that allows for them to tease and play knowing that the brotherly love lies beneath. This then allows for them to joke and not get hurt. I would never have Olly insulting a random kid at school. Humour is less about the jokes and more about the interactions and relationships and the joy of laughter that falls in the gaps.
For a prompt, the next time you find something hilarious – I’m talking snort-laugh kind of funny – use that as a prompt for a story. It might be a joke your friend tells you, or when your baby sister comes out with her nappy on her head (clean or dirty, your pick!) Use this funny thing as a prompt for a story.
Can you tell us a little about what you’re working on next?
So, I’m working on two things at the moment. Firstly, the very final pages of Shower Land 3: Walk The Plank just before it goes to print. I love this stage of a book where you are just reading it for the last time and making any final little tweaks before you release it into the world. It’s nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time. And I’m also working on a brand new middle grade book. It’s a bit of a change for me – a spooky, slightly fantasy style story but don’t worry, still funny! It’s a big project and I’m moving much more slowly on it than my other book because there are so many threads and important world building bits. I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Books 1 and 2 in the Shower Land series are out now! Ask for them at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt by Sharon Giltrow, illustrated by Thu Vu, Clear Fork Press, ISBN 9781950169887
Aashi received a review copy of this book.
Samara Rubin and The Utility Belt is a heartwarming story about a girl named Samara Rubin who is obsessed with geckos and faces bullying and teasing from her classmate, Toby King. Samara always wishes she could be granted one wish, standing up to Toby King.
On her eleventh birthday, Samara is gifted with a peculiar utility belt. It has strange tools called for example ‘The Restorer’ and ‘Cryptographic Sequencer’. But it comes with a catch, You have seven days to use all tools. You must meet this deadline. Otherwise …
I rate Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt 5 out of 5. It was a great book full of suspense and mystery, keeping you on the edge of your seat. It has a clear protagonist, kind and loving Samara, whose story is beautifully written. It also features an antagonist, Toby King, who adds depth to the story.
Overall, Samara Rubin and The Utility Belt is a charming and inspiring book that is perfect for young readers. It is a must-read for ages 8–11. I highly recommend it.
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