The Greatness Guide By Robin Sharma

the greatness guide is a book written by the head of  a global buisness,
it is basically an autobiography but is focused on teaching the reader good ways in which to live their
life.
When I picked the book up I wasn't sure it would all be about buisness as it was,
i found a bit repetitive as it was 101 chapters each with a different thing to remember and to base
your buisness on. overall i thought it wasn't that good, a bit repetitive and irrelevant as I'm only 13.
6/10 H.H

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

The Hunger Games follows the life of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark as they are entered for a TV show, The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games are a blood-thirsty game show, in which one boy and one girl from each of 12 Districts go to the Capitol and fight to the death in a live televised arena, in which the contestants are tested by each other and the Gamemakers until only one is left alive. Katniss and Peeta, the two entrants from Ditrict 12, realise their true feelings as they form a partnership against the Capitol.

this book, and all the others in the series, are full of action, romance and suspense. 10/10.

L.B

Soul Eater

Soul eater is the third book in the series "chronicals of ancient darkness " THEY ARE GREAT BOOKS!!!
these books are about a boy called torak who lives in a time were there are bears that have demons living inside them and aroches(imagine a sheep the size of a mini bus) Torak lives in a kind of red indian era they have stone and flint knifes and bow and arrows.Torak is not alone along with his his faithfull companion "wolf" who funnly anough is a wolf and his freind renn.
They have to stop the soul eaters(The bad guys)and they have to travel to the ice lands(there version of the north pole)to stop them from releasing the deamons dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuun so know you can find out what happens to them but only if you read the book.






piers.g

The Sisters Brothers

It is 1851 in the Oregon territory, and Charlie and Eli Sisters, two mercenaries in the American Old West, are charged by a mysterious Commodore to find and kill a man called Herman Kermit Warm, for a secret formulae that allows one to find gold without digging. They travel all a cross the country, meeting dentists, witchs and other bizarre characters.

This book is a differing blend: alchemy, gunplay and cowboys. Sometimes it is a derivation of the old West, sometimes it is a parody of it. It is not always serious, but not always funny either.

Kiwi

Howls moving castle M.M

This book is interesting and odd, just like its chapter names. The story is about a young woman who works at a hat store, she recieved some disturbing news from the wrong sister, when she went back to the

Percy Jackson and Titans Curse by Rick Riordan

This is the third in the Percy Jackson series. In this book Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover are sent to find two more demigod to bring them back to Camp Half Blood but in this mission the two demigods have already been found by Mr Thorn the Vice Principal of the school were the two new demigods are located. Unfortunately Mr Thorn manticore which is  a half scorpion, lion and human monster who  finds the demigods as they try to escape from the school and they wouldn't of escaped if it wasn't for the hunters, a group of girls let by the Goddess of the Moon and Hunting, Artemis.
Unfortunately during the battle with the manticore Annabeth is knocked of down a large cliff edge and thy all believe her to be dead.
So they return to Camp Half Blood with the hunters and the to new demigods, later the hunters reveal that they must go find Artemis and she is captured they chose a team of hunters, Thalia and Grover but they won't let Percy go as the Hunter believe that males are weaker that females. 
So Percy sneaks out at night to go catch up with those on the quest after having a dream where he sees Annabeth alive but in lots of pain. Percy uses a pegasus called Blackjack to fly and catch up with truck with those going on the quest.
As I don't want to give to much away and ruin the reading experience I won't tell you any more




















I really enjoyed this book I would rate it 7/10

Chris W

Exposure by Mal Peet

Exposure is a book about a football player called Ottelo who moves to south American club Rialto.
He meets the owner of the club Nestor Brabanta and in turn, meets the owners daughter, Desmerelda Brabanta, a pop-star, who he ends up marrying.Bush a young street kid, who cleans cars at the buisiness area, becomes good friends with Paul Faustino, a sports journalist, who often writes good things about Ottelo.Life isn't easy for Bush living in urban areas looking after his sister and Felicia, and trouble is never far away.
Its a great story line and it makes you realise how being famous isn't always easy, and being a poor homeless kid is no better. It also makes you realise how lucky we are to have a nice home and a mostly trouble-free ish life. I really liked the book and would give it an 8/10.
This wonderful book blog was written by Master Luke Arrowsmith.
peace out.

The Memory Keepers Daughter

The Memory Keepers Daughter, by Kim Edwards is a really good book. The book begins on a winters night in 1964. David Henry and his wife Norah are expecting a baby. But on this winters night, a blizzard strikes the town and David is forced to deliver his own twins ( he is a doctor). The first baby, a boy is born healthy and fine- but the second baby, a girl isnt. Leaving Norah in the room with her son David takes the baby girl and diagnoses her with Downs Syndrome. David grew up with a sister having this illness and she died aged 11. David doesn't want Norah to have to go through what he went through as a child, so gives the baby to the nearby nurse called Caroline Gill.  David tells her to take his daughter to this institution down the road, but when Caroline see's how horrible it is - she takes the baby and leaves. Meanwhile, David tells his wife that their daughter (Phoebe) has died.

Caroline has now taken Phoebe into her care. David has to live with this lie about their daughter, that she is alive and as well as she can be. Norah is confused and depressed for a while- she even has a funeral for Phoebe.
The rest of the book tells the story's of both Paul and Phoebe, and how they both lead such different lifestyles, not knowing anything about each other - or the real truth about their mother and father.
Phoebe believes Caroline to be her mum - and Paul lives his life knowing that his twin sister died at birth.
Caroline keeps in touch with David, telling him how she had to fight for Phoebe's education and other difficulties she's had to cope with caring for a handicapped child.

But one day, an unexpected death happens, and all the truth is uncovered........

I would give this book a 9/10
DH

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book is about black maids that raise white children, but are not trusted by their owners. It is set in Jackson,Mississippi, in 1962. A black maid- Aibileen is  raising her seventeenth white child called Mae Mobley . Aibileen had lost her son in a tragic death, he was crushed by a truck at his work.The hospital could do nothing for him, he died on the sofa at home. Aibileen worked for Elizabeth Leefolt who was expecting her second baby! Aibileen loved Mae Mobley, the one thing she kept telling Mae Mobley 'you is smart, you is kind, you is important.'  She says this to her because her mum does not think much of Mae Mobley. 
Minnie is another black maid. She is Aibileen's best friend. Minnie is a real character! At first she worked for Miss Hilly, who was president of the Jackson Junior League. Hilly was not kind to her black maids.She made all the white people build a separate toilet for their black maids.Hilly fired Minnie because she used the toilet that the white people use. Hilly loved Minnie's chocolate pie. So when Hilly fired Minnie, she  wanted to say sorry for what she had done, so she made Hilly a chocolate pie. The difference was that in this pie was Minnie's own poo! The reason Minnie did this was because she was mad at Hilly for firing her, and the whole point about the poo was because of the business about the black maids using a separate loo. This plays a significant part in the story. 
Miss Skeeter returns for college wanting to be a writer, she gets a job writing a cleaning advice column. But she asks Aibileen what the answers are because she has never cleaned before because she is white! Skeeter longs to be a proper writer. She decides to write a book about what it is like to be a black maid working for a white home. She asks for Aibileen's and Minnie's help, this is very dangerous because if they get caught they could be but in prison!
After Minnie gets fired she goes to work for Miss Celia, Miss Celia is from a poorer white family and therefore is rejected by the other white families. Minnie went to work for her because no other white woman would take her after what she did! Celia has had many miscarriages and has no children. 
Between them and the help of the other black maids, Skeeter publishes a book called 'The Help'. After this Skeeter gets a job writing in New York and she decides to go. Aibileen gets fired from her job because it was thought that she had stolen some sliver, which she hadn't! But Aibileen gets the job writing the cleaning column that Skeeter used to do. Skeeter writing this book really changed the way white people treated their black maids.


Great book and film. 10/10!! 


By M Donaldson

Life and Laughing - Micheal Mcintyre

Micheal Mcintyre's autobiography is really funny and made me laugh out loud, describing his life with its twists and turns, talking about how he came from a slightly poor family not being able to pay the bills and his ceiling falling down to selling just one ticket at the Edinbrough festival to becoming the funniest English comedian selling half a million tickets for his tour .
this is a really funny book, where he uses real life situations and makes them  really funny.
8/10  SS

Wonder

This book is about a boy named August, who is nick named Augie. He has a problem with his face which he was born with and it is largely disfigured. He has lived his whole life as someone who kids stare at and  think of him as a freak. Auggie for the first time in his life is being sent to school, he doesn't look forward to it because he knows that he will be bullied at school. He lives with his very loving parents and older sister Via. August knows everyone stares at him and talks about him behind his back but he pretends not to notice so they dont feel bad about him noticing. The time he experiences at school is tough, especially with a boy in the year called Julian, who decides to turn the year group against him and the other boy Jack who hangs out with Auggie, including making a game called the Plague. The Plague is if  you touch August you have 10 seconds to wash your hands before you catch it. In the end August makes really good friends and loves his school. This is a very sad book as well as being happy. Don't judge a boy by his face just like you don't judge a book by its cover.             9/10    Otty M   

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This story portrays the tale of two men who have lived, worked and travelled together for the best part of their lifetimes attempting to find work in an unforgiving work environment.

The two main characters are George, a skinny black man and Lennie, a large and strong, dim-witted, man. George has been looking after Lennie for as long as he can remember and they both have the dream house that they will (want to) get one day.

Unfortunately due to circumstances caused by Lennie and his craze to pet beautiful things they were kicked out of their last job and were being searched for for a while but they eventually escaped.

So, they go to a new ranch to find work to "buck barley" and find themselves in favour of the men at the ranch. Although, the Boss' son, Curley, sees a weakness on Lennie and thinks that he can take him on. As this conflict progresses through the book Curley bites off more than he can chew with Lennie.

Lennie's extreme strength becomes more and more of a leading role in the storyline and by the end it causes a series of unfortunate events.




Excellent read 9/10 !!
JF

The Killing - Robert Muchamore

Another stunning Cherub book. Containing violance and a tuck load of action. This time, James goes on a mission with an ex cherub member called Dave. Dave is acting as his older brother going by the surname of 'Holmes'. Their mission is to befriend Leon Tarasov's children. Tarasov has been suspected of stealing cars and selling them second hand to earn money. Everyone was surprised when he earned money to pay off loans and tax because he was poor.

Will James and Dave find the secret to Leon's helping of money or will their mission be a failour. Read it too find out.


I liked this book and would give it a 8/10
Defiantly worth the read though

JH

Dead Ball

Dead ball is the second book in the foul play series by Tom palmer. It's about q boy called Danny who is a very fanatic football supporter, the England football team are Playing a world cup qualifier against Russia in moscow. England's star goalkeeper has a weird and suspicious accident. Danny knows that something far more interesting is about to kick-off. A determined russsian billionaire has a close eye on the match, his country will win the qualifier, no matter what the cost. In order to stop this Danny has to go to
Moscow to do it.
I found this book very fast-paced and exiting to read.
I would rate it 9/10.

CJC

The Prisoner

The prisoner is the fifth book in the Henderson's Boys series it is about an agent called Marc Kilgour who works for Henderson's boys aka cherub. The book starts with mark in a labour camp deep in Germany around Frankfurt after him being caught on his last mission. Marc enlists the help of his other prisoners to escape from the camp. Marc meticulously  plans his escape and is finally ready but will all that detail get him safe home and if he does make it to France a daring mission essential to the war effort awaits him there. Will Marc make it home to his friends or will he die trying.

I would give this book a 10/10 this is a white knuckle roller coaster ride and every moment of the book is filled with apprehension or bloody scenes of action.
S.H.

An Evil Cradling, By Brian Keenan.

an evil cradling is a book about a school teacher who was born and grew up in Belfast, he decides to go to Beirut to teach there at a university when after just a few weeks he is captured by four men with pistols in a Mercedes and driven, in the boot, to his home for the next four and a half years, a 6ft by 4ft cell. during his captivity he tries to escape twice but fails and repeatedly tries to gain information about why he is being held there because it seemed like they were looking for an Englishman and not an Irishman. After the best part of five years he was then released and traveled back to Belfast. H.H

Andrew Strauss

In his autobiography it is very interesting and funny( at some part).  Towards the end it starts to lost the look at him but more at the England cricket which is not bad but he starts naming all the players so it gets a bit boring and losses the fun. so i would rate it 6/10 but a good read if you like cricket.           


Harrison Ward

To Kill a Mockingbird

To kill a Mockingbird is set in between 1933 and 1935, it takes place in Alabama in South America and is narrated by the main character, a little girl called Jean Louise Finch (Scout, her nickname). Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer who half way through the book decides to take on a case including a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell. Scout, Jem (her brother) amd Atticus all live together in a town named Macomb, which how Scout describes it, sounds like the most boring town in America. Few people move in, fewer move out, so it’s just the same families doing the same things for generaton after generation.

Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill are desperate to find out about the mystery of a man in their neighborhood named Boo Radley who, rumour has it stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors, and appears to be a kind of monster when really he isn’t as Jem and Scout discover at the end of the book.

I loved reading about Scout, jem and Dills adventures to just be able to see Boo Radley.

This book shows the reality of the truth about how bad racism really was, less than one hundred years ago. I really enjoyed reading this book and I defenitaly recommend it. 9/10    ...(the book was written by Harper Lee and has alsobeen made into a film).

...Otty. M

I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you

'I'd tell you I love you but then I'd  have to kill you' is a book about a girl called Cammie Morgan and her life at school. But her school isn't an ordinary school....it is a girls spy school. The whole neighbourhood thinks that Gallagher Academy for Girls is  a school for really clever girls ... and it is .. but its also a school for spies in training. It sounds like a weird book,but its about Cammie and her three friends trying to meet boys but not give away the fact that they go to this school. Soon Cammie meets a guy called Josh. She really likes him, but he doesnt know anything about her, or that she goes to Gallagher Academy for Girls       (which has a reputation for really stuck up girls). Soon, things get a bit out of hand, and with the help of her two friends Liz and Becky, Cammie starts to sneak out of school almost everyday to see Josh - even though her mum is the Head Mistress and there are bad consequences if they are caught. Cammie lies to Josh a lot telling him that she is home-schooled, and that she leads a normal life... but soon Josh and his friends see her going to school and her true identity is revealed.......

I gave this book an 8/10 because it is a good book but gets boring in some bits

I would recommend this book for girls not boys !!

DH

Chris Ryan Wildfire

Chris Ryan Wildfire is a book about a boy called Ben Tracey who goes to visit his Mum (who's a journalist type thing) in Australia, for February half-term. Ben flies into Adelaide and is handed a booklet on what to do in Adelaide during February (because it's really hot). Ben ends up going in one of the Australian light aircraft's with a girl called Kelly. As their flying, the plane suddenly flys uncontrollably.
The title gives away the object and the plot of the book.
I thought that it was a good book, but it got a bit tedious in some parts. I think that I would give this book a 6/10.     CJC

To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper

This book is based in the mid-19th century Deep South of America.

The book is divided into two parts. The first section follows the life of Jem and Scout Finch and their adventures will Dill in Maycomb county. The primary excursion is to try and get the reclusive and never-seen Boo Radley to come out. This plan fails, and when Jem nearly gets shot by Aqrthur Radley, they decide to move on from this.

The second part of this book involves a court case, in which Atticus, Jem and Scout's father, has to defend a black man charged with raping a white girl. The injustice when the white girls father, mr Ewell, is proven to have been the one to beat her up, yet the jury still declare the black man Guilty in the basis of his skin is a moving and hateful twist.

I found this book hard to get in to, but once is started, it got better and better towards the end. 8.5/10 L.B

Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

This is a book about a girl called Rebecca (Becky) Bloomwood who is a complete shopaholic and can't stop spending money.
she has a top designer wardrobe an amazing flat and a great job telling people how to look after
and mange their money... the only problem is she can't afford to live in this great flat any more ... Whenever she's given a bill, she bins it and then tries to forget all about it, until Derek Smeeth (the banker) starts bombarding her with letters that she can't hide or forget about, so she decides to do something about it.
She borrows money from her friends, she borrows money from her parents, she borrows money from the bank and still doesnt have enough to pay off her bills... she try's cutting back ... doesnt work! ... she try's making more money ... still doesn't work! ... she try's everything but nothings working!
I would rate this book a 6/10 because it gets a bit boring in some places.
Sophie

Cherub-class A by Robert Muchamore

Another action packed cherub book

Cherub is a camp where children with rough lives get taken to. Cherub is a secret spy organisation that send kids on mission, they take kids because no one expects they'll be up to anything

James Adams next mission is to befriend a drug dealers son and find out about the sons father and maybe from hidden drugs. What will James go through to arrest him There is a lot of action and will James and his three friends Kyle Kelly and Nichole eventually arrest the drug dealer or will they fail the mission. Read on!!!!

This is a marvellous book and it is deffinatly worth a 10/10.
I recommend it mostly for boys but girls may enjoy this too

JH

To Kill A Mockingbird

Set in the early 2oth century, To Kill A MockingBird tells the story of a local lawyer charged with defending a black man accused of raping a white woman, told through the eyes of a young girl. With its child-like viewpoint, Mockingbird pitts the lawyer against man's most infamed prejudice as he strives to free an innocent man while battling the strongest opinions of his own friends, family and neighbors.
From the straight talking Jean Louise to the bigoted Bob Ewell to the principled Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird is an exploration of the varied perspectives on life and equality suffered, condoned and challenged in 1930s America.

                                                          

Kiwi Edgar

  

I Don't Know How She Does It is a great book about a mum of two and a fund manager at Edwin Morgan Foster. Her name is Kate Reddy, she has a husband called Richard (Rich) and two young children called Emily and Ban. Having a busy job Kate has to juggle being at work and being there for her kids. When Kate and Richard are at work, Paula, the nanny looks after the house and children. Kate has to go on business trips all the time to America and other places around the world. This means that she does not spend as much time with her kids and husband as she would like.She has two friends called Debra Richardson and Candy Stratton, they help her with some of the problems she faces.
When she goes on her business trips Emily gets in a fuss and pretends that she does not love Kate anymore, for example when Kate asks if she want to read her a story, Emily says 'No, Paula reads me my stories.'
This is not easy for Kate to take but she just has to get on with her frantic life. Kate has to miss Christmas for a business trip to America to meet Jack Abelhammer. The reason for the trip is because she wants to set up a new part of the business. The trip goes very well and Jack even takes a liking to Kate. Jack's wife had died and he was lonely and he really liked Kate but Kate loved Rich too much and she said good bye to Jack and in the end she said good bye to her job. Kate decided she wanted to be a full time mum!

I would give this book a 10/10 because it is funny and interesting book to read. I would recommend this book to girls not boys.

Mairi Donaldson.

The desert spear

The desert spear is a great book written by Peter v Brett and is the sequel to the book "The Painted Man". The book starts in a the Desert Spear a city built in the desert. were a boy called Jadir is summoned up for training to fight corlings/demons who come at the night time and as you might guess they try to eat you. Jardir becomes a promising young warrior and passes training easily with the help of his chubby Friend Aban who is also training to become a warrior. But one day Aban falls of the great wall and breaks his leg in several different places....This is when the story starts to get interesting.

I rate this book a 10/10 and a great read but it is a big book and not an easy one to read eaither. none the less I loved this book and I hope you do to.

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

This gripping novel explores the relationships between the Whites and he Blacks in Maycombe County, in the 1930's. It delves into the actions which people took when racial formalities were disgraced.
          Jem and Scout Finch's father, Atticus, is a lawyer and as the book progresses his life becomes harder and harder. The children begin by wondering and dreaming about their curious neighbour "Boo" Radley. They compose small plays about him until Atticus finds them doing it and they stop from then on.
          The family owns a maid, Calpurnia, who is a "Negro" and she is Jem and Scout's refuge through the non-school days while Atticus is working and they become close, Scout especially when Jem becomes older and less playful. Jem and Scout begin to discover how some people in the school playground are insulting Atticus by calling him "Nigger-lover". Scout, a boystress girl who prefers to take matterrs into her own hands, becomes distressed by it and they are both eventually told that it is because Atticus has been assigned to defend a "Negro".
          The black man is called Tom Robinson and he has been accused by Bob Ewell, a very low class man who lives near a "Negro" camp, of raping Mr. Ewell's girl. The Finch family receive a bit of stick from some of the other whites from then on until the court case but the blacks are very grateful to Atticus for doing this case.
          The court case is the most exhilarating part of the book and I could not leave it half-way through but must kep on reading! Compared to the first part of the book, this is extraordinary and the tension it contains is immense. The result of the case was unprecidented although the result was as predicted, but after the court case Mr. Ewell was very unhappy and he promised Atticus that he'd get him. The events which occured later on were unexcuseable.

A bit "wishy-washy" at the onset of the book puts you off a bit but once at and after the court case you will not be avle to leave it alone! 9/10.

J. Ferguson

Heroes of Olympus Son of Neptune

The main characters are Percy,hazel and frank and then there's Octavion and Reyna. The story starts with Percy Jackson arriving at the roman camp with gorgonzola chasing him and he has no memory of his past. Percy arrived at the roman camp and was told that he was going to have to go on a quest to Canada a place where the gods have no control they have to open the gates of death so that they can kill monsters again. however Hazel has a dark secret will she confine in her friends all will she keep this dark secret to herself and Franks life lies in a half burnt stick.

This book is very good I enjoyed a lot however I advise that you read all the books before it otherwise you won't know what's going on. I would give it a 9/10.





S.H.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monster by Rick Riordan

This book is the second in the Percy Jackson series. In this book the magical tree that keeps the camp safe from all of the underworlds monsters has been poisoned and a team get sent out to look for the only thing that could save the tree from the poison, The Golden Fleece which was being kept by the cyclops Polyphemus, not only that but Grover (Percy's best friend) has been captured by Polyphemus, only Percy and his team can save Thalia's tree.

I really enjoyed this book a good light read 8.5/10

JONNY

Jonny is a book about Jonny Wilkinsons life starting from when he was a young lad and was terrified the night before a match, going through his life as he came up the ranks in rugby and into the Newcastle side and winning the world cup with England.
I liked the book because it is interesting to see how much effort he put into his rugby and how much it took him to get into the England team.
I would rate it at 7.5/10 By Luke Arrowsmith

this is the book....