Young Samurai - The Way of the Warrior - Chris Bradford

This book is about a kid called Jack Fletcher who is a sailor. He dreamed to be the pilot of a boat, just like his dad. His ship is wrecked at the coast of Japan. At night it is raided by ninjas. The only survivor is Jack and he manages to take his dads rutter with him. It was meant to be a book of the oceans, and if someone had it they could be ruler of the seas. This is the book the ninjas want. Jack manages to escape with a broken arm and is saved by a respected samurai. The samurai adopts Jack, who now has no parents. Jack is trained to be a samurai. But in samurai school he is constantly treated badly. This book is about Jack facing his enemies and making new friends, while at the same time, having to learn Japanese and adapt to their lifestyle. I would recommend it to children at the age of 10 - 11 years.

I rate this book 4 stars.

Middle School - How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli and Snake Hill - James Patterson

This book is about a kid called Rafe Khatchadorian who goes to a summer camp. This book is filled with humour and up coming problems for Rafe. It is a first person book. Rafe has to face Droolin and his gang of bullies and The Dictator. At the same time, he tries to get a comeback on the bullies, fails and gets in trouble. He tries to protect a boy called Norman who keeps on getting picked on. Norman's dad forces him to like the camp so that he isn't at home. When Norman is about to get sent home for something that he did Rafe takes the blame and becomes a hero. At the end of the book, Rafe manages to help his friends get rid of the bullying. And thanks to Norman, Rafe starts to read books which are really thick. And thanks to the camp, Rafe finally made some friends. This book is really funny. I would recommend it to children at the age of 10 - 11 years.

I rate this book 4 stars.

Skulduggery Pleasant - Kingdom of the Wicked - Book 7 - Derek Landy

                            

Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are on the case of a long lost sorcerer named Argeddion who suddenly starts to pose a threat. He is a pacifist who discovered the true source of magical power. He wants all the mortals to have magic and he is the only one able to do it. But he does not see how that much power will corrupt people, and start war throughout the world. Skulduggery and Valkyrie have to solve a series of mysteries in two or so days to stop him. At the same time Argeddion has started his experiments, but they go wrong and the experiments have too much power. They start killing anyone who argues with them, become violent and mass murderers. Also, sanctuaries (clans) are on the verge of going to war. This book is action packed and full of suspense. It has a good detective and humour side to it too. I would recommend this book to children at the age of 11 - 13.   

I would rate the book 4 1/2 stars.

The circus show

The lights flash,

As the acrobats jump,

They soar across the tent,

But one starts to descent!

His rope has snapped,

Oh no, what to do?

But another rope comes,

It was all part of the act.

Now a clown enters too,

And steals the show,

With his bright red nose,

And that colourful dress,

And a great, wide grin,

at haunts you in the night.

 

He starts to juggle,

1, 2, 3,

Now 4,

Then 5,

I’m not sure how he does it,

Entirely.

It is almost the end,

The clown dances off,

The Acrobats leap,

And the animals are doffed.

The ringmaster steps up,

And thanks us all,

It is time to go,

But I want to see, another show!

The Spooky Mansion

The wind whistles through the trees as light begins to fade. Then we see it through the trees. It was all Pat’s idea to visit what we thought was an old deserted house: an idea we would live to regret. As we approach, we spy a broken window in the lower story of the house. We ease ourselves through the opening and find that we are in a large hallway with an ornate staircase. Large sheets cover the furniture and cobwebs span across every gap. A dusty portrait of a man hangs over the fireplace. There is an eerie silence and a chill runs down my spine. Pat goes over to the portrait and looks up at it with curiosity. It feels like the man in the picture is staring at us. I call Pat to look at this. He comes up to me and asks what has happened. I point up. Pat gasps in awe. A long winding staircase looks down on our tiny figures. I take another look at the man’s picture. It looks like the eyes have moved. I try to hide my fear. The red carpet is musty as we walk on it, dust flying up. We finally reach the first floor. There seem to be another 100 floors above us. I look at a blank wall in front of me. Pat and I are confused. What is happening? Is this a trick? Hundreds of questions go through my head at once. Suddenly my eyes fall on a scary looking gargoyle. I examine it carefully. It seeps to beckon me forward. I see a spherical hole in its gum. Pat exclaims! I whizz around. He has found what looks like a series of marbles, and also a riddle. I look the piece of old crumpled paper. Though the writing is neat, IT IS WRITTEN IN BLOOD!  It states:

‘If thou dare solve this riddle,

Then thou will get out as quick as a fiddle.

But this is what ye means to say,

This house is no child’s play.

Pick a marble at thou own risk,

Thou might get into a twist.

Choose the one with gleaming lines,

If not, then pay the price.

With the gargoyle, it should look right,

If not, then thou is up for a fright!’

We both gulp. Pat and I both know how high the consequences can get. We both search for the right one, being cautious that we don’t trip and knock the wrong marble off its stand. Which one can it be? I see a marble with black gleaming lines, near the wall. It also matches the shape and colour of the hole in the gargoyle’s gum. I flex my fingers, deciding whether or not to pick the marble up. Part of me tells me not to, but my curiosity takes over. I pick it up. Suddenly I start to fall into a room. I shout for help but the floor has already reformed. Will I ever get out…?