Title: Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth Author: Judd Winick   This comic book is about a boy called Daniel but people call him DJ. One day, when he is in his garden, something falls down from the sky. He approaches it, he realises that it is a boy in silver underpants. DJ looks after the boy, who says his name is Hilo. Hilo can’t remember ANYTHING!! A few days later when Hilo and DJ are playing, they get attacked by a GIANT robot, which may be linked to Hilo’s past and could possibly smash him into smithereens! What happens next?? Does Hilo die? Where does Hilo come from? Does Hilo get his memory back? You will have to read the book to find out! We recommend this book to 6+ comic readers who like superheroes as the book only  has a few words and could be read with a parent. We give it 5*****.  

Title: The 78-Storey Treehouse Author: Andy Griffiths   This book is about two boys called Andy and Terry who live in a treehouse and who write books together.  This story starts when they want to make a film about a book they wrote, so, they hire Mr Bigshot to direct their movie. He thinks the movie is EXTREMELY bad! Later that day, Terry comes running past with his bum alight and jumps into their shark pool and electrocutes a shark that nearly eats him whole! When he gets out of the pool, he also electrocutes Mr Bigshot. This all happens because Terry got attacked by an electricorn, which is an electric eel and unicorn combined. Mr Bigshot has a lightbulb moment – he can make this into a film! Soon, they are ready to film. This is where the story begins… Does the film go to plan? What is Terrytown? What is Andyland? I recommend it to 8+. I give it 5*****. I really found it funny and liked the illustrations.

Once upon a time, there was a man called Czar. The Czar was a great conqueror and everyone feared him. One day, when he was eating his breakfast, one of the people from his War Council came into the room to tell him the terrible news… that his son Prince Alexander had become a cat!!! This happened because of two people, Pieter Abadabacus, the tally master (the Czar’s mathmagician) and Teresa Gust, the Spice Monkey (the person who collects spices for the cooks). It started when Teresa kidnapped Pieter, she needed him to help her because she wanted to be an alchemist but didn’t know what amounts of ingredients she needed to use. After many months and many cauldrons they finally made their first potion. CATASTROPHICA! This potion turns things into cats and one day on the Prince of Petrossia’s 6th birthday he was baking a cake with his best friends (Pieter and Teresa) WHEN…. Prince Alexander’s private tutor finds them. Teresa and this man (his name is Lord Xin) have a major fight and it’s during this fight that Teresa accidentally spills the Catastrophica potion on Alexander and he slowly becomes a cat. This is where the story begins….

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Double Down Author: Jeff Kinney This book is about Greg. This story starts in Greg’s school. The school have a Talented and Gifted program for the clever kids. Greg’s mum wants him to join it but he didn’t do very well! So, she complained and then he was put in a group called Champ who had secret meetings on a Tuesday and Thursday. When he got there, he realised it was for people who can’t say their rs like Greg. But soon it became a free for all fun time! Greg quickly learns his rs so he gets thrown out. A few weeks later, there is a book fair. Greg buys lots of things other than books, which is what his mum wanted him to buy. So, he has to trade his items for books. He got the weird Spineticklers books by I.M. Spooky. Halloween arrives shortly after and this is when they have the Balloon Brigade at school. They have to send balloons with messages to win a prize! That same night is Halloween and Greg and Rodrick (his brother) had no candy as Greg went to a party. With the leftover…

Title: Spy Toys Author: Mark Powers This book is about a toy called Dan. This story starts in the Snaztacular Ultrafun factory which is where toys with brains are made. On this particular day, the faulty alarm suddenly goes off and the big grabber picks Dan up and puts him in the Test Room. In the Test Room, there is a man in a white cloak who finds that Dan has a bad snuggle chip (brain) which means that Dan will become spare parts! The man tells Dan to stand on a yellow cross and Dan falls down a deep, deep trapdoor at incredible speed into a toy dump. In the toy dump, Dan sees a doll but not just any doll, a Loadsasmiles Sunshine Doll called Arabella. Together, they escape from the toy dump and find their freedom until they get caught with a Police Rabbit called Flax by The Department of Secret Affairs. The three of them are turned into the Spy Toys Team and their first mission is to save the Prime Minister’s son from being killed by an elephant maniac. Who is the elephant maniac? Does the elephant maniac kill the Prime Minister’s son? You’ll have…

Title: Good Dog McTavish Author: Meg Rosoff This book is about a dog and his family, the Peachys. It starts when Ma Peachy (who does ALL the jobs) goes on strike to do YOGA! So, the rest of the family have a family meeting and decide to get a dog from Cuddles Home for Unwanted Mutts (C.H.U.M). They look around the home and find McTavish and they decide to get him. This dog changes their life forever. But it is in a good way or a bad way? Does Ma leave them? Does Ma stay on strike forever? I recommend it to 8+ readers. If you are dyslexic, read other Barrington Stoke books like this one as the layout makes them easier to read. I give it 5*. I like the moral of the story, which is always help your mum or she’ll abandon you for yoga. My brother and I are going to make the Lovely Chicken Dinner in the back of the book so our mum doesn’t ever go on strike! 🙂   Pictures drawn by Daniel.

Alexander’s review for Bubble Boy can found in the 2nd edition of Scoop Magazine. Scoop Magazine is a fantastic new magazine for children – check out their webpage here: http://www.scoopthemag.co.uk  

Title: Maybe a Fox Author: Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee This book is about Sylvie and Jules. They are sisters but they love to argue! Their dad has given them many rules because most of the time, he is at work. There are many unsafe places in the woods by their house, such as The Slip, also known as the Whipoorwill. There are also bears and a large cat called the catamount. Despite knowing the rules, they still break them especially because they like to collect magnificent rocks and write wishes on them; they call them wish rocks. After the wish is written on the rock, they throw it in the Whipoorwill. Sylvie has one burning wish… to run faster. But why? One day, Sylvie runs off to throw a rock in the Whipoorwill and falls over and goes under. She NEVER comes back up and her body was NEVER found. While Jules mourns her sister, a fox cub is born; a kennen – a spirit and a fox in one. The fox cub has come to settle something. But what has she come to settle? Does Jules find out Sylvie’s burning wish and does Jules have one too? You’ll…

Title: There May Be a Castle Author: Piers Torday This book is about a boy called Mouse, his toy horse, his sisters and his mum. At the beginning of the story, Mouse’s family were packing to go to see their Grandad and Grandma. So, they started their long journey. Halfway through the journey, they went off road. Suddenly, the car started to skid and spin and Mouse flew through the windscreen but landed safely – apart from a pain in his arms. This is where the story BEGINS. All of a sudden, Mouse woke up because he felt water on his face, then he saw a tongue, then wool and finally a sheep! He stood up in the field to be greeted by his new friend who he decided to call Bar. At that moment, a horse came galloping from the forest and came to a halt in front of Mouse. Is this all a dream or is real? Is there a baddie in this book or is it just a boring old story? Is there really a castle? You’ll have to read the book to find out! I recommend it to 7+ readers. I give it 5*. I really…

Title: Timmy Failure: The Book you are not supposed to have Author: Stephan Pastis Timmy is banned from detective work. AND worse still his weird cousins are over: Scary Larry, the homicidal maniac and the not very merry, Merry (she was called this because she was born on the night before Christmas!). Timmy is banned until the end of the school term but now there is a teachers’ strike which means school will last longer. But school is not the only thing that leaves Timmy’s business teetering on the edge of a cliff! It’s also Rollo Tookus (Timmy’s rotund best friend) supposedly being murdered; his office being taken away and his mother marrying Doorman Dave.  This fun filled comedy keeps you laughing until the end. I recommend that you read the other books in the series first so you understand what happens and you know the characters better.  Shhhhhhh!!!!! Don’t let Timmy’s mum know about this book or he will be grounded for life or maybe longer!  I’m off now to consult Timmy’s administrative assistant, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (all will be revealed in the book!).  I give it 5/5.