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RATING:

Enemy at the gate Philipa Werry Genre: Drama 31.05.11

PLOT SUMMARY: New Zealand1936 was one of the worst years in New Zealand history. Infantile paralysis is the deadly cause. It terrified and horrified the entire nation. 12 year old Tom, a child of five (Lily, Flo, Johnny & Emmy), finds his sister 10 year old Flo in the hall way one night trying to stand up by using the wall to balance on, but for some reason cant feel her legs. Flo has the disease! Running is the only way Tom can keep his mind off his sister Flo. He dreams of one day being a famous athlete runner like his number 1 New Zealand idol, Jack Lovelock. Through all the things that Tom is going through. something else has struck him where it hurts, his best friend since pre-school Charlie has left Lylall Bay (their town). But whats that old saying- 'Good things come to those who wait'.

PERSONAL RESPONSE: The author of this book must have planned it out very thoroughly because I was amazed by this book. Although this book is set way back in 1936, I can still relate to the characters like it was a present day story. Tom i can relate to because of his personality. He's determined to do things right to the very end and he also cares a lot about his friends and family. In a way i can also relate to his little brother Johnny because since hes younger, the older siblings always get first pick etc. Which is just like me when i was younger because my brother is 6 years older than me! Overall I think that a great way to describe this book is inspirational.

RATING:

Beastly Alex Flinn Genre: Drama/Fairy tale 01.06.11

PLOT SUMMARY: Kyle Kingsbury used to be a normal teen. Well, almost. Kyle was rich, had looks and had a perfect life. Until a the new chick came, Kendra. She changed Kyle's life completely. Kendra changed Kyle with a curse into a beast! A real one with fur and all. Kyle and his famous news reporter dad fork out thousands and thousands of dollars for the worlds best doctors, but even they cant change the beast. Kyle's stubborn sends him, Magda their maid and also a blind tutor to live away from him so that he wont be seen with a beast for a son. The new family of three bond well together and live off Kyle's dad's money. When Kyle finds the girl of his dreams Linda, he invites (makes), her live with him and his new family. At first glance Linda wants to run away and hide, but her druggie dad makes her stay. First off she stays in her massive room until she cant bear it no more. Then she and 'Tom' (Kyle), actually start to get along and eventually turn into more than just friends. But what about Tom/Kyle's curse, will true love break it like in the movies, or will he stay that way for all of eternity?

PERSONAL RESPONSE: Different but good different. To me, this book was like a teen fairy tale. i really like the way the author (Alex Flinn), described the way Kyle/Tom, looks like and what his movements are like now that he is a beast because it gives you a good image of him in your mind. This book has taught me not to judge people by their looks, its really about their personality that matters most importantly. Also, its taught me that family comes before money. You can earn more money, but you cant replace your family members. This book is what i call a fiction situation, in a non-fiction reality.

RATING:

Life as we knew it Susan Pfeffer Genre: Drama 23.05.11

PLOT SUMMARY: "This morning seems like a million years ago". I remember seeing the moon in the sun rise sky. It was a half moon, but it was clear and i looked at it and thought about how tonight the meteor was going to hit it and how exciting that would be! this story is actually a diary of a sixteen year old teen, Miranda. When astronomers first started talking about an astroid hitting the moon, nobody (in the entire world), thought about the effects and consequences of the major inciddent. But when it gets to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, snow blizzards and 1 meal a day (half a can of string beans), thats when Miranda and her family start thinking about the future, if there ever will be one. All the people they love and care about are dying one after another, and they never know, maybe tommorow it could be them. "Just incase the worlds coming to an end", Its just incase the worlds coming to an end", " Will we survive"? Thats the one thing that everybody's questions come back to, will they survive?

PERSONAL RESPONSE: Reading this book made me think about what situations people would be in if something similar to what happened in this story would happen in reality. In the book/diary it tells you about all the devastation they lived through everyday in full depth, its kind of disturbing but mostly just sad. In my opinion I think that Miranda and her family have shown me that how ever tough things could get if something bad happens or even if its something like a bad relationship, to be strong and you'll make it through.

RATING:

The Rosie Black chronicles- Genisis Lara Morgan Genre: Adventure 16.05.11

PLOT SUMMARY: Time, 500 years from now into the future, but not a good one. There was a massive melt that sank alot of land. Where, depends if your rich or poor really. There are the poor called the Ferals, the slightly better Bankers and the rich and wealthy Centrals. With her father, teen Rosie Black is a Banker. One day, Rosie and her friend Julie decide to go exploring in the Feral's deserted territory, and thats when they find the box. But little did Rosie know that this perticular box is not just going to change her, life, but her familiy also. The secrets behind the box will torture her forever.

PERSONAL RESPONSE: I think that this book is really breath taking because throughout the entire book there are some really nerve raking parts, and also some pretty horrible things happen to Rosie and her family htta i dont desire reading but end up reading any way because its interesting. She is a really inspiring character because when ever something bad happens in her life she just gets on with living and keeps a smile on her face even through all the lives losed she has heard about.

RATING:

Scarlett Dedd Cathy Brett Genre: Horror 15.05.11

PLOT SUMMARY: Scarlett Dedd is always getting bullied about her last name being Dedd just because it sound like Scarlett DEAD. But when Scarlett accidently poisons her family with deadly mushroom risotto, 'DEDD' really does become 'DEAD'! Frustrated of lonleliness of being a ghost with only your family to hang out with, Scarlett triess to kill her once emo BFF'S so that thye to will become ghosts, but every time she tries she ends up narrowly failing. Scarlett's once emo friends ( JP, TAZ, RIP & PSYCHO), realise something is very wrong with these close to death situations. Scarlett decides after a while that trying to kill her BFF's isn't really appropriate and changes her mind completley. When the emo's try to buat two robbers but fail, the DE-DD family steps in and helps the friends to succeed. Who helped them they wonder, will they find out?!

PERSONAL RESPONSE: All I can think of when trying to describe this book is weird. Dead people, ghosts and emos etc isn't really my type of story, so i dont know why i chos eit in the first place! There are heaps of discusting gruesome things that happen in this book that really grossed me out because I myself dont enjo﻿y reading books like this one. I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone, unless they're a boy or they like gruesome thrills and spills, death and falling out insides!

RATING:

The Gizmo again Paul Jennings Genre: Drama 11.05.11

PLOT SUMMARY: A perfectly normal boy named Jack attends an almost normal school, except at Jack's school there are BULLIES! Gutzit, Ginger and Noblet are the bulliesof the school. Almost everyday Jack has to go without any lunch because of the gang stealing his food. Then, Jack comes up with a cunning plan. If you cant bet them, join them. He tried and failed. The gang got Jack to shove an ice-cream into one of the school's low lifes, Mickey O'Shea, and once it splattered all over Mickey the gang ran away, leaving behind Jack. The man that sold the ice-creams to them in the Mr. Whippy van who witnessed the whole scene, hands over a small gizmo gadget into Jack's hand, but when Jack tries his best to take it out of his hand he figures that its completley stuck! Then Jack nrealises something, every tiome he takes 20 steps forward he shrinks one size smaller and every time he takes 20 steps backward he grows one size taller. With his new dicovered power, he and his new BFF Mickey O'Shea they take lon the gang of bullies.

PERSONAL RESPONSE: Reading this book made me think of past times. When Jack gets bullied into doing things he dislikes, i suddenly find myself thinking about when I used to live in Australia and went to a new school, and in Jack's situation. My so called 'friends', bullied me into doing mean things to others, but then i found new friend sthat respected me (like Mickey O'Shea﻿ from the story), and i stood up to the bullies. This book was a great way to remind me of how i stood up to bullies, and also i would reccomend this book to anyone who feels that they to are in the same situation as I once was.





Where There's Smoke John Heffernan Genre:Drama Rating: 15.09.11

PLOT SUMMARY: This story takes place over four dreadful days, in the small Australian town of Edenville. “That looks awfully like a storm cloud. And a whopper at that”! cried Brian. “Bloody hell”. Tiny whispered, his voice deadly serious. “ Is not storm cloud”. When the temperature has been around the mid forties for 12 days in a row and the strong hot gusts of wind don't seem to die down, that’s nature’s sign of a fire storm coming. People should be packing up and leaving, but knowbody seems to be taking any notice. Even when two courageous friends, Tiny and Luke go all round Edenville to warn people of the incoming fire, people just keep walking on. That’s one cowardly decision that those people made, that could risk their lives. When the great fire comes, nobody is ready to fight the monster, all because they didn’t pay any attention to what Luke and Tiny alerted them about. What will happen to a great number of innocent lives and families? Will anyone escape this mess?

PERSONAL RESPONSE: In the devastation that came to Edenville, trust, friendship, courage and guts are all the things that were shown by Luke and Tiny when they made the decision to save the town. It was really sad to read about the horrific scenes though, but at the same time it was also interesting because of the way the author (John Heffernan), described them. It made you stop to think about it and picture the town etc in your mind. In some other books that I’ve read the author describes the scenes and characters well, its great so that you can get good pictures of them in your mind. Especially since most books I read, they don't have any pictures in them. A highlight of the story for me was when Luke and Tiny chose to risk their own lives by going round to the elderlies homes in Edenville to try and get them away in time before the fire comes. It stuck with me until I finished reading that chapter, because it shows how much they care about others, they’d put their own lives on the line for complete strangers. It takes a whole lot of courage to do that.

Grass  Cathy Macphail  Genre: Drama  Rating: 16.09.11

PLOT SUMMARY: Leo basically lives in a gang controlled town. Drugs, money, alcohol and guns is all they care about. “Look at that poor boy down south, coming home from football on his bike,the life blasted out of him just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Leo knows that if you put just one foot in the wrong place at the wrong time it’s highly unlikely that you’ll live very long at all, so when Leo witnesses Armour or, ‘The man’, one of the town’s gang leaders murder another town gang leader, ‘McCrae’, he is faced with a terrifying decision. Should he tell somebody, Sean his best friend, he wouldn’t tell anybody, but that would be grassing and anyone in this town would know what would happen if they ever grassed on a gang leader, they’d basically be asking to die. Leo decides to keep it all under wraps. ‘Armour. He was waiting for me. Had to be. But why? And did that mean he new where I went on a Tuesday night? Did he know everything about me? Did he know my dad was working late? He’d got my dad the job, maybe he could make sure my dad was kept late so he could come here and talk to me. Why? “I could so use a boy like you. Someone I can trust, especially with this business with Nelis. Even he trusts you.” ‘I knew something else was coming. “ I don't want to ask you this. I shouldn’t be asking you this… but this business is so important to me. I cant involve any of my people. It would make me look weak in their eyes, so there’s none of them I can trust with this. If I need to pass on a message to Nelis, can I count on you?” I wanted to say no, I wanted to run. “Yes”. Leo had recently seen a different side of Armour, he thought he could trust Armour. That one last word that Leo had said to him was the biggest mistake he had ever made in his life so far. Leo soon finds himself in a whole lot of gang trouble and has no one to turn to but himself, so he is faced with a death defying situation. It will take every little bit of Leo’s courage and bravery to try and fight it. What will happen to Leo McCabe, will he get caught out in the act by Armour or will he succeed in trying to out master him?

PERSONAL RESPONSE: This story was extremely inspiring. When I first picked up this book, I had absolutely no idea what the title ‘Grass’, was meant to mean. But I figured out that it means to nark. Leo had to make a very big decision, should he tell his best friend Sean about what he had witnessed or not, if he did there would be serious consequences and that would also be grassing. This made me think about these grassing situations. These situations normally involve bullies. In this story Armour is the bully. Leo doesn’t end up telling Sean because if he did he would endanger his mate’s life, he didn’t want Sean to get hurt, to me that takes a lot of guts to do. This issue makes me think back to similar past times. My friend Abbey had witnessed some year 8 bullies smoking and they caught her watching and made her swear that she wouldn’t tell anybody or they’d hurt her. She badly wanted to tell me but didn’t because she didn’t want me to be in danger. She did end up grassing, to her teenage sister.Her sister told Abby’s principal and the situation was dealt with. Abby did end up telling me, obviously, but only after everything had been sorted out, she told me that she didn’t want me to be endangered. This is why I was so surprised while reading this great book because it was very similar to what happened to me. In lots of books I’ve read, there have been very similar situations like mine and Leo’s, fiction or non-fiction. Leo McCabe was a very courageous character in this story,there should be more people like him in the world.

Fintan Fedora, the World's Worst Explorer  Clive Goddard  Genre: Adventure  Rating: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">18.09.11

PLOT SUMMARY: “ I’ve just had a brilliant idea”! shouted Fintan, emerging from behind a copy of //Young Adventurer// magazine. “I know how to impress father, and make millions of pounds for //Fedora Fancies// at the same time”! “Really, sir? And how may I ask, might you achieve such a thing”? “With the great Brazilian chocoplum! That’s how Gribley”! Fintan Fedora isn’t the brightest spark on earth. In fact, everywhere he goes he miraculously seems to make somebody get hurt or break something. But the thing is, Fintan doesn’t mean to do it, 99% of it is always an accident and Fintan honestly doesn’t mean for it to happen, but it still does. So when Fintan Fedora wants to go right round the other side of the world to find the infamous chocoplum fruit deep in the Amazon rainforest, his parents and siblings are more than happy for him to go. Fintan and his faithful and extremely patient butler Gribley/Gribs experience a breath taking adventure just getting to the rainforest, involving two people that smell so bad, its like they live in the back of a dumpster truck, a guy with burnt sunglasses and beard (it should only take one guess to figure out who did that), and a whole lot of chicken poop. When Fintan and Gribley eventually get to the rainforest they unbelievingly succeed in finding the infamous and so called most delicious and rarest fruit in the world! Fintan and Gribley soon find that even though they may have the most delicious and rarest fruit in the world, that they are going to have an awfully hard time getting it back home, thanks to a //Fedora Fancies// antagonist gang from the highly-praised //Giganti-Foods International// cake company. How will Fintan and Gribley escape this one,they always seem to avoid getting caught and hurt as a result of Fintan’s clumsiness, but will they manage to abandon this one victoriously aswell.

PERSONAL RESPONSE: This book was so weird in so many ways, but also really hilariously funny. The main character Fintan Fedora is ridiculously funny, but he himself doesn’t even know it, the silly things he does without knowing just come naturally to him. Fintan strangely reminds me of a person slightly similar that I met this year called Priya. My friend Priya isn’t destructive or annoying, but she is funny. Sometimes when Priya says things she asks me why I’m laughing hard out, she doesn’t understand that she’s the reason why. The way she says things, or just the things that she says makes me laugh, I wish she would get why she makes me laugh, in this way Priya is like Fintan. This story was easy to read, because I finished it in about three days, but every time I picked it up to read I didn’t want to put it down because there could be another funny part coming up. Which often happens in lots of other books I’ve read because they’re interesting. It might not be a funny part, it could be an intense horrific scene, but whatever it is I’m always eager to keep on reading. This book was a stupidly funny read, I would recommend it to anyone who likes to have a bit of a laugh, which is basically anyone!