June Reviews

Ming and Flo Flight for the Future by Jackie French

Reviewed by Tabby H. BPS

Ming and Ada is a book about a girl called Ming. She was at school in the library with some of her friends Kayla, Tuan (her brother), and some of her classmates. The librarian was a mean old grumpy lady and she heard every sound, even when they were on the other side of the library you could hear her grumpy old voice “SHHHHHHHH!’’. Not many people liked the librarian.
One of the girls in the library called Herstory. She had long silver hair, purple joggers, and ice-blue eyes and was holding an umbrella in her hand. The breeze of cold air was coming in from outside, the rain was pouring and it was just wet normal day.
All a sudden the time was flowing at different rates and got slower by the second. Then she blinked, and she was in an old carriage. The sun burning like butter in a microwave, melting on the soggy green apples on the trees. She heard clopping like horse feet. She was very confused. In her mind she was wondering what was going on but she went with it. It was a two-person carriage. Her companion sitting on the other side of the carriage singing along for the quick trip they had. The world around her stank a lot. Normally it smelt normal like gas or trucks passing by with farm animals in them, but no, it smelt like pig droppings and rotten pigs, well, everything pig to be honest.
When they got to the small house, inside there was a tight dress with dark black gloves and fish nets hanging on the closet that didn't fit her dress code at school. At her school, they wore normal clothes but these ones were next level with strict.
My favourite thing about this book is that it has a lot of interesting characters in it like Herstory, Ming, Ada, and of course the wild boar at the start.
I would recommend this book for grade 3's and over because some little kids might not understand what the book is about and some scenes that they might think are sad.
​I give this book a 10/10 because all the effort they put into this was insane and they have more books in the series which I am 100% going to read!

The Kaboom Kid #1: The Big Switch by David Warner

Reviewed by James B. MRPS

Who better to write a children’s book about cricket than a professional cricketer?
David Warner has written 12 Kaboom Kid books, all full of action and adventure. This book, number 1, is based on a true story about Little Davey Warner as a young boy.
In the story, Little Davey faces many problems. One is Mo, the school bully who hates cricket and will do anything to get Davey and his friends in trouble. Another problem is his teacher, Mr Mudge. Davey and his mates call him Mr Smudge. He also dislikes cricket.
When Mo tried to get Davey in trouble, he accidentally gave Davey a brilliant idea.
I really liked this book because it was funny, exciting, and, best of all, about cricket.
My favourite part was when the whole school had to dress up as Australian animals for the Welcome to Kindy show. For the show, Davey and his friends showed how to play cricket.
I think the author could have made some parts clearer because sometimes I didn’t understand what was happening.
I recommend this book for ages 9-12 because it has some language that younger children might find tricky. If you really like cricket or are interested in it, I think this book would be perfect for you.
​I rate this book 9/10 because I simply loved it.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Reviewed by James B. MRPS

The Wild Robot is a touching story about a robot named Roz who wakes up on a remote island with no memory of how she arrived.
The robot struggles to adapt to her new surroundings, but over time, she learns the animal language and begins to understand their ways of interacting, until disaster strikes, leading to her adopting a new gosling named Brightbill. She looks after Brightbill with her life and go on to conquer many challenges together.
This book is probably in my top 3 favourite books I've ever read.
My favourite part was where Roz adopted her gosling and developed such a close bond with him. It was heartwarming to see her transform from a robot into a caring mother.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure and the outdoors. It's a great story for animal and robot lovers, with a mix of action and heart.
The writing is clear and fun, so it's a good pick for readers of all levels.
 rate this book 10/10 because, to me, it was enormously awesome!

Tom Gates #2: Excellent Excuses by Liz Pichon

Reviewed by Chloe M. BPS

The book is about a young boy named Tom failing in school and making a band with his friends. But Tom hates his sister. Tom even wrote a hate song about her.
His tooth started to annoy him, so much that he could not focus in class. Then he got signed up for a school band. He was not excited to do the school band. Everyone was laughing at him and he found it annoying. And what was worse a teacher signed him up.
My favourite part of the book was all the songs he made up. They were really funny and there was a happy birthday song as well as a song about his annoying sister.
I recommend this book to year 3 and up because it has lot of hard words in the story.
I give this book 5/10 rating because I didn’t find the book super interesting.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Reviewed by Braxton P. MRPS

Matilda is a heartwarming and humorous story about a brilliant little girl named Matilda Wormwood. Despite having neglectful and rude parents, Matilda teaches herself how to read and soon discovers she has extraordinary powers.
When she starts school, she finds comfort in her kind teacher, Miss Honey, but must also face the terrifying headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.
As the story unfolds, Matilda uses her intelligence and powers to stand up for herself and those she cares about. 
I really enjoyed the character of Matilda. She’s clever, brave, and loves books, which makes her easy to root for. The way she uses her powers to fight back against unfairness is both funny and inspiring.
I also liked Roald Dahl’s unique writing style—it’s filled with imagination and humor, and Quentin Blake’s illustrations add even more charm to the story. I recommend Matilda to children ages 8–12, especially those who love books, enjoy funny stories, or like tales with a magical twist. It’s also a great read for adults who want to revisit a childhood favorite or read something uplifting with their kids. 
I give Matilda a 10/10. It’s a classic story that never gets old!

Reviewed by Nate O. MRPS

The book was about Matilda and getting sent to Miss Trunchbull.
When Matilda’s mum and dad leave, she goes to the library.
When Matilda’s dad was getting ready, Matilda super glued the hat, Matilda got sent to school. Miss Honey did not know how smart Matilda was.
I liked that mean and funny because it gave it a bit more depth in the characters.
I recommend this book to people to who like Roald Dahl and Matilda.
​I rate this book a 10/10 because it had depth in the story of Matilda.

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

Reviewed by Eli S. DPS

This book is about a piranha called Brian who tries to get his piranha friends to eat fruit, but they always keep saying we only eat body parts. Then Brian says come on guys, just eat this fruit platter. Then they ate it and they lied and said it was yum. At the end, they said we still eat butts!
I recommend this book for 5-7 because it's very easy to read.
I give this book a 10/10 because it is fantastic!

Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret by Tui T. Sutherland

Reviewed by Emmett S. DPS

This book is about five dragons that went on a mission to stop all of the other nations of dragons from attacking each other.
I liked this book because I like dragons.
I recommend this book for 9 and up because it's got loads of tier 3 words and it's also loads of words that are hard.
​I give this book a 10/10 because it's got loads of description and it's really cool. I have every single book!

Four Eyes by Rex Ogle

Reviewed by Brydie M. DPS

This book is about a boy that gets bullied for having glasses. He is in the 6th grade. He feels disappointed.
I like this book because it's got coloured pictures.
I recommend this book for ages 10+ because it's got chapters.
​I give this book a 8/10 because my friend has got glasses.

German Shepherds by Mari Schuh

Reviewed by Mason M. DPS

This book is about German Shepherds training to be police dogs.
They get bigger and bigger as they grow.
They get trained to sniff stuff.
I liked this book because it reminds me of my dog.
I recommend this book for adults to get tips for their dog.
I give this book a 10/10 because I like dogs a lot!

Brainy about Bears by Owen Davey

Reviewed by Paige L. MRPS

Did you know that bears leave their scent on objects like branches or tree stumps? They also leave their scent by pooping.
This book explores the importance of the environment for bears and other wild animals. It contains over 50 facts about bears that you may find surprising, and you never know you might love this book just like I did!
The drawings are impressive and creative, and the pictures are hilarious.
​I would recommend this book to anyone who loves learning about the environment and animals.
Overall, I rate this book 8.5/10 because it had a few words that were...interesting, but I still loved it.

Keeper of the Lost Cities #3: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

Reviewed by Annie M. BPS

This book is about when Sophie tries to read King Dimitar’s mind and she is forced to wear the ability restrictor her friend Dex made.
King Dimitar is the ogre king. Dex was devastated that the council ordered Sophie to wear his invention.
The Council orders Sophie to perform a mind healing on Fintan at Oblivimyre and he destroys half of Eternalia with Everblaze. Councilor Kenric is killed by the blaze.
The Council quickly extinguishes the fire with frissen, but they couldn’t save the whole city.
My favourite part is when Sophie finds out who murdered Jolie. Jolie is Grady and Edaline’s daughter.
I recommend this book to kids aged 8+ who enjoy adventure, fantasy and drama.
​I rate it 9/10, because it's a bit creepy!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Reviewed by Jack P. MRPS

Ivan is a silverback gorilla who has lived in a cage most of his life. Ivan loves to paint, he does it every day.
Ivan doesn’t know any different, but when a young elephant named Ruby comes along he realises there may be another way to live.
This young, shy, excitable elephant inspires Ivan to do something well out of his comfort zone.
I chose this book because of its unusual front cover, I mean, have you ever seen a gorilla watching TV?
I recommend this book to absolutely anyone. It is a highly enjoyable book and is sure to impress.
​I rate this a solid 9.8/10.

The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz 

Reviewed by Annabelle P. MRPS

This book was about a group of villain kids. Carlos, is the son of Cruella. Evie is the daughter of the evil queen. Jay is the son of Jafar and Mal, she’s the baddest of them all. She’s the daughter of Maleficent.
That group of kids gets to go to order on prep but they do not want to go.
I recommend this book to people who like chapter books. I can’t wait to read the rest of the set of books.
I give this book of 7/10 because I liked reading it but not that much. It wouldn’t be my first pick.

Protecting the Environment by Animal Planet and Discovery

Reviewed by Stevie S. MRPS

I enjoyed this book but I believe it lacked facts and knowledge.
I loved the pictures and photos of the animals and the descriptive language used, but I noticed that the text only stated facts, but not how to help or protect the animals.
I recommend this book to ages 7-9 to kickstart their awareness of animals and their risk of extinction. 
I rate this book a 4.7/ 10, the book just lacks important details. But it's just not for me.

Torty and the Soldier by Jennifer Beck

Reviewed by Evelyn M. MPRS

This book is about a soldier named Stuart Little and a tortoise named Torty. This story is a true story about how Stuart and Torty survived World War 1.
After the war, Stuart lived a long time but he still looked after Torty. Once Stuart had died, Torty was still alive and Stuart’s neighbour noticed this and took care of Torty for him.
I liked that this book was mostly about Torty, but was still a little bit about Stuart.
I would recommend this book to people who like animals.
I would also rate this book a 9/10 because I really liked it, but I don’t really like books about war.

Reviewed by Nate O. MRPS

Stewart was from New Zealand and cared for soldiers that got hurt in the war.
There was a tortoise name Torty that a French gun wagon ran over.
Stewart cared for Torty and put ointment on her. Stewart kept caring for Torty after the war.
I liked how Stewart cared for Torty.
I really enjoyed this book because I like animals.
I would recommend this book to people who, like history.
​I would rate this book a 9/10 because I did not really like the war bit but I really enjoyed the bit with the tortoise.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Reviewed by Sienna M. CPS

This book is about a boy named Harry who lives with his terrible aunt and uncle.
Later he finds out that he is a wizard and goes to the top school for witchcraft and wizardry Hogwarts. There he meets his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and go on daring adventures around the school.
I thought that Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was amazing. I loved all the thrilling and dangerous adventures he goes on and all the trouble he gets into.
I would recommend this book for those aged 9+ because of the context used that might frighten younger ages. I would also recommend this book for those who like adventure books.
​ I would rate Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone a 9/10 because I absolutely loved it.

Lightfall #1: The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert

Reviewed by Evelynn M. MRPS

This book was about a girl named Beatrice. She was adopted by an old pig. One day, when she was looking for ingredients for her grandpa’s potion, she falls out of a tree and is caught by a Guldurian. The Guldurian’s name is Cad and is looking for Beatrice’s grandpa to translate something written in Guldurian.
Beatrice takes Cad to her home, but her grandpa isn’t there and has left a note for her telling her not to look for him. Beatrice doesn’t listen to the note, and her and Cad go looking for him.
A whole week goes by, but they still haven’t found him and Beatrice is starting to doubt that they will find her grandpa. She starts walking back, but gets stung by a Groutflap and starts turning to stone. Cad picks her up and quickly carries her to a witch called Grocha.
Beatrice is turned back to herself and she and Cad start walking again. They decide to go to the cursed temple because they think that Beatrice’s grandpa might have gone there. On the way there, they go passed a small creature named Kipp. Before they start walking again, Kipp secretly steals Beatrice’s special jar with fire that will never run out inside of it without Beatrice or Cad noticing.
A few minutes of walking later, they crossed paths with a giant crab. The crab starts attacking them and when the crabs are defeated, Beatrice and Cad keep walking and soon they find the cursed temple and go inside. When they get inside, some mysterious creatures tie them up and begin to start cooking them. Soon Cad is able to roll them to the ground and Beatrice can grab a knife to cut the ropes off them and escape. Just before they escape, they find traces of Beatrice’s grandpa including the red string that he usually wears on his fingers. Because of this, Beatrice and Cad, think that Beatrice’s grandpa might have gone to Lealand, so they go there and stop for a food break at Bungas.
At Bungas they see Kipp. After having some food, Cad sneakily steals the jar with the fire back. After Beatrice finishes her food, they go to the top of a watchtower. When they get to the top, large bird like creatures called Tikkaris, start coming into the town and attacking. Cad goes down to help fight the Tikkaris. After Cad had gone down Beatrice decides to go help Cad fight. When she gets there one of the Tikkaris steals her jar from her. Beatrice falls and gets struck by lightning. When she wakes up, she and Cad are somewhere unfamiliar they decide to keep going but first they have to figure out where they are so they know which way to go. What will happen next?
I like this book because the whole story is an adventure and the pictures show a lot of nature.
I would recommend this book to adventure lovers and people who like nature.
I would rate this book a solid 10/10 because it was an amazing story with a lot of nature in the pictures and I really want to know what happens next.