Posted in Book reviews by Celine, Book reviews by kids

Book Review: Shadow Sister

Dragonkeeper5: Shadow Sister by Carole Wilkinson, ISBN 978922179579, Black Dog Books

Dragonkeeper 5: Shadow Sister

REVIEWED BY CELINE, 11, WA

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

Young Tao has been roaming the mountains in search of a cure of dragons’ weakness: iron, when he stumbles across his old colleague/enemy Fo Tu Deng, along with a gang of nomads. When Tao and his dragon Kai finally escape these savages, he is stuck in a dark passage with unknown ghosts prodding him and breathing cold breath on him. After they escape these ghosts, Tao and Kai are turned upon a seven-headed snake monster, whose bite is deadly, and fatal.

When Tao returns to his deserted home, at night, when the moon shines, a ghost appears. Who is this mysterious ghost? What does she seek from Tao?

All is not as it seems. When battle arrives, will Tao and his new-sought allies actually survive? Can Tao find his qi to defeat the opposition? Will Tao and Pema survive?

Full of action and adventure, Shadow Sister is impossible to put down. Reading Shadow Sister was an adventure in itself, I felt like I was Tao being pursued, haunted, and questioned. I recommend it to ages 10 upwards, but it is not suitable to sensitive children (I was haunted by the ghost and couldn’t sleep one night).

This is the best book of the series, but since I am quite sensitive, I thought this book was a little on the scary side.

In all, I rate it 99.9999999999999999%.

Celine is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of The Firebird. 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 Pippa

Book review: Verity Sparks, Lost and Found

Verity Sparks, Lost and Found by Susan Green, ISBN 9781921977886, Walker Books Australia

Verity Sparks, Lost and Found

REVIEWED BY PIPPA, 12, WA

Pippa borrowed a copy of this book from the library.

Melbourne, 1879

Verity Sparks-Savinov has moved to a new country, with a new father and a brand-new mystery to solve. She has taken a new name, and made new friends. But she has lost her gift, her ability to find lost objects.

Her father is eager for her to start at a select school for young ladies, but Verity isn’t so keen. She is more interested in the Ecclethorpe mystery, which seems to be leading them to dead ends. She meets a new friend, Poppy, and tries to find out who Lavinia O’Day is and why she is so sickly and frail.

When her father is missing off a sunken ship in Queensland, will she find her gift before it is too late?

I think this book is as good as the first book (The Truth about Verity Sparks), but you need to read that first. I rate it 9/10.

Pippa is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one!) was The Truth about Verity Sparks.  If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by Rebecca

The Battle for Rondo by Emily Rodda

The evil Blue Queen’s power seems to be growing and Leo and Mimi Langlander return to the world of Rondo for the last time to join with their Rondo friends to try to stop her. They come up with a plan to defeat the queen, but it’s risky. And they have to face dragons, ogres and numerous other evil inhabitants as they prepare. Can they save Rondo, or will the Blue Queen triumph and have Rondo under her spell forever?

This is the third book in the Rondo series and full of thrilling adventures. Mimi and Leo have changed a lot since The Key to Rondo (when they first entered Rondo) and seem more accepting of their roles in the survival of Rondo. You really want their plans to work, but even heroes are frightened, tired, and make bad decisions sometimes …

You don’t have to read the first two books to enjoy this one, but the first two are also fantastic – so I recommend starting back at the beginning with The Key to Rondo, and then read The Wizard of Rondo before moving onto this book. And you’ve got school holidays ahead of you, so you’ll have heaps of time to read!

The Battle for Rondo, by Emily Rodda, Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia, ISBN 9781862918306
A review copy of The Battle for Rondo was sent to us by Omnibus Books (for Scholastic Australia)