Book reviews from Stage 3, 2007


 

Star Readers of Stage 3, 2007

 
These reviews were written about Premier's Reading Challenge books we have read. One of us, Reeja, had her review printed in the "Penrith City Star" newspaper. Lucky Tim won a $25 book voucher from Angus & Robertson, Penrith. Scroll down to read the six finalists' reviews:
 
( Update: March 2008: For the school's participation in 2007, we won $250! Thanks Penrith City Star! )
 

reviews 07

 
 A book review by Michelle R., Class S3P:

 

“The gizmo” by Paul Jennings

 

Stephen is a good boy who has never stolen anything. He almost always tries to do the right thing, but he steals a strange metal ball with colourful buttons on it, and now it’s paying him back! Stephen has been peer-pressured into stealing the gizmo by Floggit, an orange-haired boy with unusual paperclip earrings.

 

The gizmo makes Stephen wear women’s clothing and he gets angry that it was Floggit who forced him to steal, so Stephen tricks the gizmo into making Floggit naked instead.

 

If you want to know more, I suggest that you read this fun-filled novel.

 

The illustrations are by Keith McEwan. They are amazing and creative.

 

My opinion of this book is that it rates 10 out of 10. I will definitely read other books by Paul Jennings because I think he is a very funny author. I would recommend this novel for ages 5 and up. Even though it’s a short fictional book, high schoolers would enjoy reading it too.

 

 

A book review by Melissa S., Class S3B:

 

“Revolting rhymes” by Roald Dahl

 

”Revolting rhymes” is the other side to “Cinderella”, “Jack and the beanstalk”, “Snow White and the seven dwarfs”, “Goldilocks and the three bears”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and, lastly, “The three little pigs”, all written as poetry. This makes the stories more interesting for the reader.

 

Because there are six stories, there are many main characters in this entertaining book. A quick look at the rhymes tells you who the main characters will be. I liked the way Roald Dahl uses the famous fairy tale characters, and made their personalities completely different, but you still understand who they are.

 

Why are the rhymes so revolting? For example, in “Cinderella”, the prince cuts off the heads of Cinderella’s ugly sisters!

 

The one thing I didn’t like about the book was how Quentin Blake made the illustrations look the same in each section, and in every book that Roald Dahl wrote. I think that Mr Blake should use a different style of drawing sometimes.

 

Roald Dahl has written so many amazing books that are very entertaining. I would say that this book would best suit the interests of just about anyone, but mostly children around 12 years of age.

 

 

A book review by Reeja N., Class S3E:

 

“The bad beginning” by Lemony Snicket

 

The first book in “A series of unfortunate events” is a menacing tale of three orphaned children whose names are Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire. After their parents have passed away, they are sent to their awful monster of a guardian, Count Olaf, who is a con man after the Baudelaire fortune. They face the worst times of their lives, as their guardian makes them do chores, cooking for his acting troupe and, as time goes by, the children realise that Count Olaf is after their money and their lives!

 

Even though the children are very smart and inventive, the Count produces a terrible plan which can harm the life of Sunny Baudelaire. This gives the ending a boom.

 

I liked the style of the novel and the storyline, even if it’s based on such a sad event. It is still a very good book. What I didn’t like about the book were some of the hard words.

 

The lovely illustrations by Brett Helquist are colourful, but show the mood of bleakness in the storyline.

 

Lemony Snicket (not his real name, but a pseudonym) is a great writer, mostly because of the plots he thinks up. The author shows that there is always a way out for people who need it. The story is so good that a movie was made of it, starring Jim Carrey. I would recommend this novel for children around the ages of 9-13. I would give it five stars out of five.

 

 

A book review by Melissa H., Class S3E:

 

“Matilda” by Roald Dahl

 

This fantastic novel is about an ordinary girl, Matilda, who soon finds out she has magical powers. When she attends primary school, she has to deal with the headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, who isn’t very nice.

 

When Miss Trunchbull pulls a student by the hair and spins her around, she lets go and the child flies over the fence. She also makes a little boy eat a huge chocolate cake. There are a lot more terrible things, but I’ll just let you read the book to find out about them.

 

Matilda’s mum, dad and brother are also very mean to Matilda. I felt sad when, at the start of the book, Matilda kept going to the library to read all the time because she had no friends.

 

When Matilda finds out that she has magical powers, she gets a glass of water and puts a newt inside it. She uses her eyes to tip the glass of water over and it spills on Miss Trunchbull’s suit. The best thing about the book was at the end when Matilda decided to stay with the fabulous Miss Honey, her teacher, and they lived happily ever after.

 

You will also enjoy the fantastic illustrations by Quentin Blake.

 

Roald Dahl is a fabulous author and, as “Matilda” was such a good book, I am sure his other novels will be just as exciting. I recommend this terrific, awesome book for 7 to 15 year old children and give it ten out of ten.

 

 

A book review by Tim D., Class S3B:

 

“Charlotte’s web” by E.B. White

 

As Fern’s father tries to put down a newborn pig, the runt of the litter, she stops him, adopts the piglet and names the bundle of joy “Wilbur”. Fern cares for Wilbur as her own until she must move him to a farm, where Wilbur discovers that he is going to become someone’s crunchy, delectable Christmas dinner! Will Wilbur find a way out of his problems?

 

There are three main characters in this web-tastic novel. Wilbur is a kind-hearted creature who is so cowardly he is almost pusillanimous, but he sometimes has sudden bursts of courage. Fern is his eight year old animal-loving owner, who has a theory that all animals can talk. Charlotte, of the title, is an amazingly clever spider. Although as small as a gum drop, she has a fascinating ability to weave letters and whole words into her webs.

 

I liked the way that E. B. White, the author, made this novel about animals fighting for the right not to be eaten. It is a descriptive narrative and I liked E. B. White’s style of writing and the length of the story. The book has been such a success that both animated and live-action movies have been made about it.

 

What I didn’t like as much was that the author didn’t answer all the mysteries in her novel. The ending made me want to read more books about these characters.

 

I recommend this astounding novel for ages 7-15, but it has something for everyone to enjoy.

 

 

A book review by Bailey G., Class S3B:

 

“The witches” by Roald Dahl

 

This book is about a group of witches staying at a motel for a witch convention. A grandmother and her grandson are staying at the same motel, and the grandmother has been telling her grandson how to recognize a witch. For example, all witches are bald, and must wear wigs when out in public. They wear gloves on their hands at all times, and so on.

 

The main characters are Grandmamma, the boy, the Jenkins family, the Grand High Witch, the other witches and the hotel manager, Mr Stringer.

 

The boy gets into the same room as the witches and he wonders how he’ll find a way out. After you have heard about what they can do, you’ll never want to be in the same room as them either! The boy is turned into a mouse, and I didn’t like that part, but “The witches” is the most hilarious book when there is a scene in the kitchen. The mouse gets his tail cut off and runs away.

 

The author, Roald Dahl, has an amazing imagination and can think of the best things to write about. I recommend this book to children aged 7-15 years old and I rate it 10 out of 10 as it has an amazing plot.

 

Book reviews 2009

 

Book reviews 2010

 

Book reviews 2011

 

Book reviews 2012

 

Kinder's Core Value Fables

 

Seasons in Penrith

 

 

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