The Finals Countdown...

Extra Time by Morris Gleitzman

Reviewed by William E. SCPS

This book is based on a boy named Matt who only has one healthy leg because of a fatal car crash. His sister Bridey and his Uncle Cliff travel to England from Australia because Matt's dream is to play in the Premier League. He ends up in a team and plays his first game but at the same time, it is Bridey's debut as a mascot. Read the book to find out if he wins and which team he plays for.
I felt that the book was very descriptive and a stylish, average read. I felt the emotions that the author was making the characters feel throughout the book because he described the characters and the events really descriptively. For example, angrily, calmly, thoughtfully and in a sentence, “Matt doesn't look happy.” 
One day Matt was playing soccer with his friends and then all of a sudden the bullies challenged them to a soccer game. Matt was dribbling and kicking like a soccer star and no one could stop him with his talent. He went to pass it to one of his friends and missed it. Instead, it went into the cattle farm but just before he went into the paddock he remembered what the doctor said to him, "You only have one good leg and the other with a giant pin in it. I cannot replace that pin. You only have one chance or you can't walk again or play soccer." He had to think smartly and do it quickly. He decided to commando crawl to the ball. When he had the ball in his hand, all the cattle tried to stomp on little Matt. Matt juggled and slid until he was safe. That following night he had the news on and there he was on the television and his parents got very mad at him. They didn’t like Matt participating in dangerous activities that could harm his leg.
The author did an average job at painting a picture in my head and making me feel the emotions of the characters.
I recommend this book for 8 to 13 year olds.
I rate this book 7/10 (or 3/5 soccer balls).

Talking To Alaska by Anna Woltz

Reviewed by Madison B. SCPS

Parker is a 13 year-old girl and her dad owns a shop. One day a robber comes in and shoot her dad straight in the arm. After that Parker and her dad were both scared to go out on the streets.
Sven is 13 as well.  He's well known for his epilepsy. Sven is new at the school and he is a bully. Sven hates having epilepsy. 
I think the storyline is great but the chapters are very short.
I like the way Anna ( the author) named the chapters after Sven and Parker.

​Ninja Heroes (Ninja Kid #10) by Anh Do

Reviewed by Will SCPS

This book is about a boy named Nelson (NERD) but that all changed when he turned ten. Then he jumped up out of bed and did a crazy ninja move. Nelson lives with his Grandma (inventor), Mum (great cook) last but not least cousin Kenny (H-Dude/always hungry). Grandma invented the character camera while Nelson and Kenny were at auditions at school for the class play. That night they used the character camera to bring the characters to life that they were trying to get….read to find out what happens.
I rate this book 9/10 mosquitos.
​Recommended age category 8-12 year olds.

The Outcasts (Brotherband #1) by John Flanagan

Reviewed by Lachlan T. BGS
​
In the small, icy continent of Skandia, a quaint village lies just off the jagged, terrifying and deadly coastline. In Skandia, there is a single option if you want to be a warrior. This option is called a Brotherband. After being put into teams, young boys have to compete with the other teams in horrific tasks. The winning team is then submitted to be a brotherband. Brotherbands are teams of warriors. They have to grow up together, be together almost all the time, and learn to trust each other. Join Hal and his brotherband of outcasts as they struggle to win the terrifying brotherband trials. They are the definitely not the favorited to win, but maybe, just maybe, they will surprise everybody. Will they prevail or will they be left grovelling in the snow? You’ll have to read to find out!
I love this novel because it is amazingly exhilarating, terrifying, and heart-warming at the same time. I loved it so much I read it twice! If you like adventure, action, and some fantasy, then this book was made for you! One of his best books, the author John Flanagan, never ceases to amaze me! The book is the first in a long series that is definitely worth it. The author also wrote the amazing series known as Rangers Apprentice, so this book is definitely good, even if you haven’t read it.
This novel is for kids aged 11 - 13 as there is some gore and blood, and it is a very heavy book. This book is probably for people who are into fantasy and action as it is set in a world of castles and knights. 

My Arch Enemy Is A Brain In A Jar!
​by David Solomons

Reviewed by Lachlan T. BGS

Luke is an average boy in an average world. Except for one little thing - his brother has superpowers and saved the world from a giant asteroid. Now Luke has made an appearance in the sequel My Arch Enemy is a Brain in a Jar.
In this awesome novel, Luke has swapped bodies with his brother Zack. Zack's got Luke’s weird feet whilst Luke got Zack’s strong, muscular body, his awesome hair, and his SUPERPOWERS! Now they both need to find some way to change themselves back! Then they get an invite to somewhere called Great Minds Leisure Park. Perfect! A holiday is just what they need. Nothing could go wrong, right? Little do they know...
​A new foe, eviler than ever before is lurking there…
This book was awesome! One of my favourite so far. I have read this over and over. This book will bring a jumble of emotions, mostly happiness, as the book is really funny, some sadness, as some of the characters experience it too. You will feel everything the characters experience. This book is a sci-fi fantasy book, because it is modern, with aliens, brains, and monsters in it. That’s a guarantee!
I recommend this book for boys and girls of ages 9-13, as it is funny, but not in a childish way.
I also rate this book a 9/10, as it really funny and moving. This book is awesome! There is not much bad stuff to say about this book, except that it is quite hard to find it in bookstores. Overall, this book was amazing, funny, kind of emotional, and is a re-read, and then a re-read all over again!

​The Awakening Storm (City of Dragons #1)
​by Jaimal Yogis

Reviewed by Lucy W. CLPS

This book is action filled. Grace moves to Hong Kong a few years after her dad died. She gets given a strange blue egg that hatches into a dragon! Her stepdad is working in a top secret lab where they're trying to make people live longer and he wants the dragon for it’s blood. Grace and her new friends have to protect the dragon and stop Grace's stepdad.
​I would recommend this book for  Grade 3 to Year 7.

​The Shop at Hoopers Bend by Emily Rodda

Reviewed by Ethan B. SCPS

At first, I did not enjoy the book but now I quite like it. The book is about a shop called the shop at Hoppers Bend. In the story, a girl called Quil Medway gets on a train and goes to the shop but does not know anything about it. There is also a  woman named Bailey.
I highly recommend reading this book.  Some might say it is boring but after a while gets good. 

Reviewed by Nate C. SCPS

​This book is quite popular and  it has been in the Children's Book of the Year Awards as a shortlisted book. So you start off the book with the main female character, Quil goes on a train feeling anxious about her journey to camp. On the way she stops to get a drink at a place called "Hoopers Bend"
I don't really like the book that much, but I guess it can be a bit interesting.
I suggest this book to people over the age of 11. I rate this book a solid 7/10.

Minecraft: The Crash by Tracey Baptiste

Reviewed by Lachlan T. BGS

Bianca loves Minecraft. More than anything. Until something changes her life. For the worse. A car crash. Her and her best friend Lonnie are dying. The dashboard implodes, the wind screen smashes, and then, everything is silent. In the hospital she is introduced to new version of Minecraft, a virtual world, using something called VR goggles, where movement syncs with her mind. However, what she doesn't know, is that the version also brings her inner worries and demons to life. Can she survive...? Or will she be killed, having to live in darkness for the rest of her life. Read to find out!
This book is awesome, because it brings a new version of Minecraft to life, whilst making it heartwarming at the same time. It is Minecraft but also inputs some emotional challenges into it at the same time. It will take you on an adventure, from sadness, to horror, to joy. It allows you to sympathize with kids who have big things going on. The only problem is the fact that it becomes very heavy and cold at times.
​I recommend this book for 11–13-year olds because it has has a good plot for that age. It is also almost too heavy for younger students. 
I love this book and will definitely read the others in this series because it manages to input both reality and video games into a story.
I rate this book a 7/10, because it is so good. 

The Shelter Puppy by Holly Webb

Reviewed by Indie F. CLPS

Caitlin has been wanting a dog for awhile but has not been allowed to have one, until one day she visits the local animal shelter for a school project and sees the most adorable puppy ever and is trying to persuade her parents to let her get him.
This is a good book. I rate it 8/10.

​Dog Man: Grime And Punishment by Dav Pilkey

​Reviewed by Nate C. SCPS
​
This book is pretty basic, but very good, in my opinion. I collect most of the Dog Man books and this is my favourite by far! It all starts when the mayor has a meeting regarding the chief. Then Dog Man comes in and ruins everything, destroying things one by one and very soon after the mayor had enough and FIRED DOG MAN! Dog Man was sad, chief was sad, everyone was sad to see such a great person/dog being fired but eventually he got re-hired after saving the day again from whatever Petey did.
I'd recommend this book to people between the ages of 7-10.
Irate this book a 8/10.

Sky Dragon (#1) Take to the Skies by Anh Do

Reviewed by Lucy W. CLPS
​
Growing up Amber loved bugs and in a freak accident she gets given an incredible power. She can now control bugs using commands but when she loses control she flees to a small home in the woods. Now, within the dead of night, she goes by the name Sky Dragon riding on her dragon of bugs.
I would recommend this book for Years  2 to 7.

Charlie and the War Against the Grannies
​by Alan Brough

Reviewed by Lachlan T. BGS

Charlie wants a paper round. He asked the newsagency if he could get one, but the news agent ran away screaming. Why? Charlie doesn’t know. So he waited by his mailbox early one morning to ask the postman. But walking up to the post box on that misty morning was… two grannies! Why? You’ll have to read to find out! Join Charlie and Hils as they fight to get Charlie his prized paper round, and to do so, they have to start a war against grannies. Why do they have to do that? Well, you’ll have to read the book! Written by Alan Brough, this is a great comedy book with many page turners and super suspenseful moments. It is definitely a comedy genre as you enjoy the cluelessness of Charlie and the funny, out of the box plot. However, some might think that the idea of a war against grannies for a paper round is pretty confusing even after reading this book. It is also looked at as a bit of a joke. But overall, I loved this book and will definitely be reading it again. It has a sequel of which I would say is better then this one. That is why I rate this book a 6.5/10. As it is great and funny but also confusing and a bit of a joke. It is definitely a easy read. I recommend this book for the age 8- 13, because it is good for the younger years and older kids might be looking for something a bit more heavy.

Real Friends by Shannon Hale

Reviewed by Olivia P. BGS

Real Friends is about a girl called Shannon who just has people teasing her all the time. Wendy is rude, Jenny is rude, but not Adrienne, until she moves away. I liked it because it shows a lot of bravery.
I think it’s ok for people aged 8+.
I rate it 9/10.

 The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi

Reviewed by Lucy W. CLPS
​
After a car accident Emily, Navin and their mum move to an ancestral home. Emily finds a necklace in their new home. On the first night Emily and Navin's mum is kidnapped by a tentacle creature leading them into a new world. Emily will have to use the new powers from the stone to save her mother.
​I would recommend this book for Years 2 to 6.

Once Were Wild by Leslie Scott

Reviewed by ​Sara H. BGS

In this book the main character and the author is Leslie Scott. It's 2020, Covid has just started and Leslie can't be bothered to get out of bed. There is nothing to do or look forward to. Finally she gets out of bed and decides to go to for a walk on Mount Beckworth in Clunes, seven minutes drive from where she lives at her house with her husband and four horses. When she gets there, she decides to go off the track a bit to get some photos of nature. She's walking and she spots some tracks that show that horses have been here. She couldn't find them the first day, or the next or the next. When she's looking a week later she spots them, two beautiful brumbies. The male was a tall chocolate brown coloured and the female was a greyish brownish colour with a tiny bit of white across her face. She decided to call the male Milo and to call the female Lucy. Leslie would need to help them and get them of the mountain. The logging was about to begin. The logging would scare and frighten them to run to a place even further down the mountain. That would make it even harder to get them off the mountain. Leslie had roughly three weeks to get these horses off the mountain. Read to find out more!
I really, really enjoyed reading this because it was so interesting and was such a good thing to do when everyone was in such hard and difficult times with Covid.
I bought this book from the author herself. She even signed the book for me!
I definitely rate it a 10/10 because it was a very interesting book and I really liked reading about the impact that Covid had on other people not just me. I loved it!

The Curious Kitten by Holly Webb

Reviewed by ​Indie F. CLPS

The main character of the book, Amber, is walking with her friend Sara when she spots something stuck in a barbed wire fence, she goes over and checks on it and realizes its a kitten!
This is a really good book and I have read it many times.
I recommend it to all ages and rate it 9/10.

​Katt vs Dogg by James Patterson 

Noah O'B. SCPS 

I really love this book about a cat family and dog family that never get along. One day both families went to a national park but both youngest kids from each of the families got lost. After a while the two kids meet up but hate each other at first but after a while of surviving in the wild together they start to become friends. By the end they find their families. 

Escape by R.A. Montgomery

Manning M. SCPS

This thrilling book about survival and espionage was written by the great R.A Montgomery, this book is different from other normal books because in this one there can be 28 different endings! Now I know what you're thinking... crazy! Insane! But it's true, every ending is different.
I rate this book a 8.9 out of 10 and would recommend it for ages 10 to 13 years of age.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
​by J.K. Rowling 

Reviewed by Indie F. CLPS 

It was Harry's 5th year of school at Hogwarts and things turned upside down for Harry when dementors attacked him and his cousin...
This is a great book.
​I rate it 10/10. 

​Astrology: Your Personal Guide by Sasha Fenton

Reviewed by Chev CLPS

This book is about zodiac signs/star signs. It teaches you about the moon signs and the planets.
I recommend this book for people who are into crystals and spiritual stuff. 

​The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Lachlan T. BGS

In the cold, wet London winter, people should be indoors by a crackling fire. But the sickness happened. It infected anybody over 14, first mentally, then physically until many died. And those who didn’t die, they became zombies. With ravaged, sick bodies, and thoughtless minds, they became sick wanderers, trying to find, trap and eat kids. Join Maxie, Arran, Blue, and Sam as they fight to survive a post- apocalyptic world. The new world. Will they survive? Will they find safety, or will they be picked off by the hungry grown-ups, one by one…..
The first in a series written by Charlie Higson, this book will take you on a journey, with uphills and downhills. The book is definitely for those who love adrenaline, and is something you don’t forget. It gives you a perfect window into what a post apocalyptic world would look like. You are guaranteed to feel stressed, hopeful, and sometimes a little bit revolted! This book is definitely for the age group 14 and up, and is definitely the most gruesome book I have ever read. I recommend this book for teenagers who like adrenaline, and also young adults.
I give this book a overall rating if 4/10, but if I was older, I can definitely see how I would enjoy it more, but it was very gruesome and stressful. Definitely not a easy read. Overall this was a okay book and I think that older people would love it. 

​Drama by Raina Telgemier

​Reviewed by Chev CLPS

Callie and her friends sign up to be part of the stage crew for the play Moon Over Mississippi. A pair of twins move to the school, Jesse and Justin. As the days go by they become friends and then Justin tells Callie his deepest secret, that is the he is gay. Callie was surprised, but she is happy for him. The next day they are getting all set up for the play, Callie is trying to make cannons with confetti that pop out.  It didn't work so Callie asked the drama teacher if she could take the cannon home and work on it. "Of course you can", he says. Callie is up all night working on it and finally when she got to school she showed the drama teacher. "Ready for this?" she asked. "Yes" BANG! Wow, it worked. The next day it's Moon over Mississippi time. The play is going on right now but just before they start, Bonnie doesn't want go on. So Justin puts on the red dress and runs out on stage and starts singing,  then he has to kiss someone and then the book ends.