Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

Liar and Spy is all about a 12 year-old boy called Georges (yes, it does have an "s" at the end) who moves house to a flat complex and meets another boy his age called Safer.

Safer has a little sister called Candy (yes, Candy) who is part of the Spy club with Safer but since it's only them, they take full advantage when Georges comes along. They make him a member of the Spy club and send him on loads of missions but first Georges has to learn the qualities of a spy. For example, Safer is always alert and watching while Georges is always unfocussed and in another world completely.

Georges and Safer's first mission is to break and enter the mysterious Mr X's apartment to see what he's been up to. Mr X is always seen in black and carries a large briefcase. No-one knows what he has in it. Safer tells Georges to watch the lobbycam as Safer sneaks in. Safer states that he finds a chainsaw on the cabinet. This episode happens three times!! Which is why I didn't really like this book! It didn't really take off and basically the same thing keeps happening over and over again. There are a few minor swear-words - nothing too serious but for the little ones between 6 and 8 it wouldn't be a good book to pick off the bookshelf!

So guys, this is the last review of the year although I will be posting more reviews in 2014 especially if I get lots of books for Christmas! SO... MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Heroes of Olympus The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

This is the second-to-last book in the Percy Jackson Heroes of Olympus series and sees Percy and Annabeth falling into the bottomless pit of Tarturus, Frank Zhang taking on a herd of poisonous cows and Hazel Levesque meeting a daughter of Circe, the evil and ancient goddess of magic; all to get to the House of Hades and close the Doors of Death!

The seven demi-gods in the Prophecy of Seven set off to close the Doors of Death in the Argo II, a flying Greek battleship made by Leo, Son of Hephaestus. As a reminder, the seven demi-gods are: Jason Grace, son of Zeus, Piper Mclean, daughter of Aphrodite and all the other I mentioned such as Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, Frank Zhang, son of Ares, Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, Hazel Levesque daughter of Hades, Nico Di' Angelo, son of Hades, (he isn't a member of the seven but don't underestimate him, he can make spirits of the dead rise again, just the sort of thing to deal with your average school bully) and of course, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.

The Roman side of the Gods is fighting with the Greek side all because Leo was possessed by an evil spirit that made him fire the Argo II ballistae catapults (cool Greek weapon!) on New Rome, the Roman version of Camp Half-blood. New Rome was a major discovery in the first of the series, The Lost Hero (spoiler alert!!) In the grand scheme of things, this meant war and New Rome's stupid Augur, Octavian, son of Apollo who likes sacrificing stuffed teddy bears to the gods, is leading the revolt with the whole of New Rome supporting him.

The seven find out that the Athena Parthenos, a huge gold and ivory statue that was built in the Acropolis can restore peace between the Roman and Greek demi-gods if a Roman brings it onto sacred Greek ground, e.g. Camp Half-blood. Will the team be able to tell Reyna, The Praetor of New Rome (the only Roman that listens) the news in time?

I personally think this is the best Percy Jackson book yet but I think that the final book is going to be pretty good too!! It had a really good build-up and climax which is the proof of a good book.
Well done Rick Riordan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

This book is a bit like Matilda by Roald Dahl, the parents are horrible and there is a mean older sibling. Unfortunately, this book didn't catch my fancy but if you like stories set in the 1800s like the Railway Children and the Treasure Seekers, then this is the book for you.

Mr and Mrs Willoughby are cruel parents and the Willoughby children have to put up with them. Mr and Mrs Willoughby believe that children shouldn't have existed and that they were a curse sent from the depths of hell! Mr and Mrs Willoughby have 4 children, the oldest being Timothy, he's twelve, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, they're both ten and then there's little Jane and she is 6 and a half. Tim, being the oldest devises a point system, the person with the least points would end up in the coal bunker. Tim would deduct points for no apparent reason from his other siblings and give himself bonus points so he would always win. The Willoughby children absolutely loathe their parents and when they decide to go on a spontaneous holiday and hire a nanny the children are overjoyed.

It's Barnaby A's turn in the coal bunker when he notices something, a FOR SALE sign hanging on the house! Mr and Mrs Willoughby have gone off to buy a new house! Nanny and the children have to disguise themselves from the realtors or else they won't be able to stay in their house for long! 

I didn't really like this book because I thought that everything happened too fast and it was all so sudden, I almost couldn't keep up! The upside to this book is that it is very engaging and the vocabulary used in the book is really funny.

I rate this book 6/10!

Phoenix by SF Said

I'm sorry that I haven't written a review in a while but I'm coming back with a real whopper...


The Humans and the Aliens are at war. Shadow guards, people that have special stealth armour that allows them to melt into the shadows have been brought in to protect the Humans. These guards will stop at nothing to protect the Human race and distinguish any threats; no matter how big. Lucky, a normal or, kind of normal boy is trying to stay out of trouble but Lucky feels like something very bad is going to happen, something very, very bad indeed.

One normal suburban morning in Phoenix, the town where Lucky lives, a safe but far away place from all war, Lucky wakes in a cold sweat. He had a nightmare, something about the wolf that eats the stars? He can't remember, then he sits up and notices the smouldering hole in his bed sheet. His mum smells the burning and runs in. She has a look of pure terror on her face. She runs to the window and looks up at the sky, a tiny crack shaped like a V is visible. She turns as white as a sheet and runs into her room where the suitcases are stored muttering "I didn't know that this would happen so soon!" What can this V mean?

Just as they are about to leave, Lucky peeps into the closet and sees something sitting in the corner. It was a smooth black rock with faint lines engraved in it. "Mum" Lucky says, "can I take this?"  Mum looks very worried but nods, "OK but don't let anyone see it." She looks out of the window again. The V shaped crack is getting bigger. "Come on Lucky, we must hurry." Lucky and his mum run for the Spaceport, all Lucky knows is his mum is desperate to get off this planet.

They arrive at the Spaceport. Lucky's mum asks for a craft to Lethe. Suddenly, the word 'Cancelled' flickers onto the screen and a image appears on the giant vidscreen, burning buildings, smoking from a recent attack. Lucky pulls the shiny rock out of his kitbag and there's a shout, "Hey look, that kid's got a Astrolabe! That's illegal!" Lucky and his mother run. Lucky looks up at the sky, the V is bigger, much, much bigger, "Don't look up Lucky!" his mum says sharply. They round a corner into a dark and dingy alley where a mob is gathering around something, Lucky can't work out what it is but as he and his mum get closer he can see perfectly well what it is - the curved horns, the fiery eyes - it is a fully grown male alien; and he is very, very angry. They have stumbled across an alien refugee camp...

Later in the book, Lucky and the Aliens that he now calls friends embark on galactic adventures such as journeying through the Spacewall (inside the Spacewall is where all the fighting happens) and finding the Alien secret base that no Human has ever been able to find, Charon.

I really liked this book because Lucky is a great super hero for kids, someone who puts others first. People who like SCI FI and adventure novels and are Varjak Paw fans will enjoy this too. The illustrations by Dave McKean were very inspirational and went with the book really well. The picture of the Wolf that Eats the Stars is in Greek style and I really liked that.

I give this book 10/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SF Said's website is here



  

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

Peter Nimble is a skilled young thief and this is a story about how his ordinary life as a house thief turns into something different altogether...

Peter Nimble is a orphan. A blind orphan who got his eyes pecked out by ravens. As you should all know blind children make especially good thieves. Peter was rescued by a couple of sailors fishing. (Peter was floating in a basket at the time.) They took him back to shore and the council of a nearby port town gave him a name and threw him out on to the streets to fend for himself. Peter Nimble from that day on started learning the art of thievery. One day when Peter was out in the market stealing some food, a man called Mr Seamus spotted Peter slipping in to the crowd and stealing an apple from the apple store as if it was second nature. Mr Seamus had to give up his lifelong dream of becoming a pickpocket and instead become a Beggarmonger (someone who takes children off the street, bribes them to come with him\her and then tells them to go out and beg for him\her.) Mr Seamus saw that Peter had talent and did the usual bribing and pleading. In fact, he sold all his other children to devote himself to Peter's life in thievery.

One day when Mr Seamus shoved Peter out of the front door to do some grocery "shopping" Peter spotted a crowd. He went to investigate. The crowd was listening to a Haberdasher selling goods. Peter new that this would be a perfect chance to do some pickpocketing since pickpockets thrived on crowds. Peter slipped in and got to work. By the time he was a halfway through his burgle sack was almost full to the brim with purses overflowing with jewellery. The Haberdasher was talking about faraway lands but Peter didn't believe in them. "You don't think they're there, do you?" the Haberdasher said. Peter whipped around, "M-me sir?" "Yes lad, I thought I could steal you away for a moment?" Peter stood stock still. "Come and pick your way to the front," the Haberdasher said. So the haberdasher carried on with his sales while Peter just stood there looking like a moron. Soon the crowd began to thin out and soon there was nobody left except Peter and the Haberdasher. Peter turned around but the Haberdasher wasn't there. All that was left was a carriage that belonged to the Haberdasher. In the carriage was a small wooden box. Peter grabbed the box, slid his finger into the lock and felt inside. He thought they were eggs but what they really were was something far more fantastic, Peter was holding the box that contained the fantastic eyes! What follows are adventures for Peter which delve deep into magic and mystery!

This was probably one of the best books I've ever read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading - it's that good!!
RATING: 10/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!       

Find out more here

Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child

Ruby Redfort is a brilliant code cracker and a secret agency called Spectrum have been tracking her down... After the disappearance of their former code cracker Agent Lopez on a mountain-climbing expedition, Ruby is the exact material that Spectrum needs.

Ruby is an ordinary kid who goes to an ordinary school but there's one thing about her that is truely extraordinary. Her ability to solve codes. And that hasn't gone unnoticed. A secret agency called Spectrum have been watching her for some time like when she won the Junior Code Cracker championships and when she won Junior Code of the Year awards when she stunned the judges with her code that was almost impossible to break. It took them 2 weeks to crack it and she was immediately offered a place at Harvard university but she didn't accept the offer. She didn't want to become some sort of nerd. Spectrum needed to make their move.

A few years later on a normal day, Ruby receives a mysterious phone call. There is a woman with a gravelly voice on the other end. She is speaking in code. It's a secret message. 

Ruby's findings lead her to a garage that shut down years ago and to a old petrol pump that when you lift it up it reveals a secret passageway. Ruby Redfort isn't scared usually. She isn't scared of spiders or sharks or vampires or..... I could go on, but the thing she is afraid of is small spaces, she is very claustrophobic. When Ruby reaches the end of the corridor there is just a dead end. Ruby waits. Suddenly, there is a powerful beam of white light that fills the tunnel. Then the dead end opens and Ruby walks in. There is a woman standing behind a desk. She explains that she is the leader of Spectrum and she is called LB. LB doesn't wear any shoes!

Ruby is soon given a tour of the Spectrum gadget room by a agent called Froghorn (the G is silent but Ruby ignores that and calls him Froggy!) and is soon drawn in by a kid called Bradley Baker's rescue watch. Everyone seems to be talking about him because he was one of the best agents Spectrum ever had. Can Ruby find out the infomation that she needs to find Agent Lopez and uncover another plot?

My favourite character in this book is Ruby because of her cocky attitude and sense of humour!
RATING: 10/10!!!

The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney

This is the seventh book in the Wimpy Kid series, hope you enjoy it!

Greg Heffley is having trouble. He can't find a date for the Valentine's dance at school. Well, it was meant to be a motocross/wrestling party and not a Valentine's dance. At least that's what the school council decided. But I  think the teachers got a bit confused...

The dance is drawing near and Greg needs a date. That's why he asks his not so brainy pal, Rowley to try out for the school council so that he can tell all the girls how great he is. Part of Greg's plan works and Rowley does get elected for school council but the other part, the bit about the girls, doesn't. When the teachers start to hand out Valentine's cards for people to write on, all the girls write cards to Bryce Anderson, the fastest and most handsomest boy in the year. Greg gets nothing.

Windows open up for Greg from time to time like when the girl Abigail Brown got cancelled on by a guy called Michael Sampson and then found out that he was going out with another girl! Greg takes the chance to swoop in to be the hero. His plan works but involving Rowley is a big mistake. The day of the Valentine's dance comes quickly and Greg has to order a chauffeur with a posh car to make a good impression on Abigail. Unfortunately, the only person available for the chauffeur position is Rowley's dad, Mr Jefferson.

A couple of days later and Greg is sitting in the boot of Mr Jefferson's car as there is no room in the back, while Rowley and Abigail are deep in conversation. He is the third wheel, if you like! Will Greg be able to grab his date off Rowley before the Valentine's dance? 

This isn't the funniest in the Wimpy Kid series but it is funny. I didn't like it as much as the others because the other books varied around different topics but this particular book just stuck to one topic. I think the quiz at the end is very funny. RATING: 7/10 :{)

Small Change For Stuart by Lissa Evans

Stuart Horten is small for his age. He is a ten year-old boy who has a good life. He has a treehouse, a nice garden and a 8 speed bike. Then when his mother gets offered a amazing new job which is over 100 miles away, Stuart and his family have to move out. They move to the dreary old town of Beeton but life in Beeton isn't as dreary as you'd expect. This is the story of the Mystery of "Teeny, Tiny" Tony Horten - the magician.

Stuart is unpacking his things into his new wardrobe. He's very bored. He asks his dad if he can go on a cycle around town and his dad says yes. As Stuart is cycling around the town something catches his eye. It's an old house saying "Horten's Miraculous Mechanisims." He starts to climb the fence to the garden but all the windows and doors were boarded up. Stuart climbs back over the fence, gets on his bike and is about to head home but again, somthing catches his eye. On the side of the banner saying "Horten's Miraculous Mechanisims" is a money box. Stuart's dad has one exactly like it.

As soon as Stuart gets home, he asks his dad about the money box. His dad says that when he put money in, it disappeared. Stuart took the box. It was heavy. "It's a trick box!" he exclaimed. He tries twisting it clockwise but it doesn't budge. Then he tries twisting it anti- clockwise and it opens smoothly. Out came three threepence coins and a letter. The letter read: I have to go away and may not be able to get back. If I do not return then my workshop, and all it contains, is yours if you can find it... Affectionately your Great Uncle Tony. Stuart is shocked. He needs to find that workshop.

The next morning Stuart is happy. His mother had booked a family holiday from Friday evening to Monday morning so that they could spend more time together. Stuart decides to visit Great Uncle Tony's house one last time before he leaves. He jumps on his bicycle and rides down the street. When he gets there there are a few builders around. Then one builder comes up to him, "Kid, you shouldn't be here." "Why not?" Stuart said, "because it'll be demolished by Monday morning," he replied. Suddenly, Stuart didn't feel so happy about going on holiday anymore.

Will Stuart be able to solve the mystery and find Great Uncle Tony's workshop in time?

I really liked this book because it was so gripping I just couldn't put it down. This is a great book for people who are into Magic and Mystery.
RATING: 10/10!!!!

Ruby Redfort take your last breath by Lauren Child

Ruby Redfort is a 13 year old girl and a expert code cracker who works for a secret agency called Spectrum. She is currently the youngest Spectrum agent and she works for a particular part of Spectrum called Spectrum 8. They have teamed up with Spectrum 5 (the sea division) to teach younger agents like Ruby how to dive. Ruby's instructor is called agent Kegoa who is one of Spectrum 5's best agents.

Her mum and dad are on a luxury cruise in the local Ocean and they don't know about Ruby's cover. The only person that knows about Ruby's cover is her best friend Clancy Crew. She had to swear to Spectrum 8's boss LB that Clancy wouldn't give her cover away.

At last Ruby is given a mission. There have been srange happenings at sea. The currents in the nearby ocean have stopped and shipping disasters have been happening at sea. Ruby and agent Kegoa take a dive to try and find out what is happening. Meanwhile, the luxury cruise ship with Ruby's and Clancy's parents on it has been captured by a band of rusty pirates.

A couple of days later Ruby is talking Clancy through her diving mission. Clancy is petrified of the ocean because he read the book Jaws at the age of 5. Ruby soon finds out about how the currents are stopping. There is a meteor covering the currents. She also finds out that there are strange sea sounds that are aggravating sharks. Spectrum concludes that this is connected to a villain that they have encountered in recent missions, Count Von Viscount. They think that the Count is bribing the pirates to attack the vessels and ships with the Martha Fairbank treasure which was sucked under the current and into a old shipwreck. Can Ruby and Spectrum foil the Count's evil plans?

This is a extremely good book and is a very good read for all people who are into Mystery stories. My favourite character is definitely Clancy because of his weird nature and phobia of the sea.
Rating: 10/10!  

Ruby Redfort's cool website is here!

Warriors Into The Wild by Erin Hunter

This is the first of the Warriors books that features a house cat venturing into the wild and coming face to face with a clan of wildcats!

Rusty is a house cat that lives with his owners near a forest. He has heard tales of fearsome wildcats that live in the forest but doesn't believe them until he meets one for real. Luckily for him it's only an apprentice who is not as skilled as a fully trained warrior (cats that have learned all the skills they need to become warriors.) This apprentice was called Graypaw, a graystriped Tom who was with his mentor, Lionheart, a fully trained Warrior cat. Then he meets the clan leader Bluestar who accepts him into Thunderclan, one of the clans in the forest. There are four cat clans in the forest - Shadowclan, masters of ambush attacks, Windclan, the fastest runners in the forest and Riverclan the best swimmers in the forest. Rusty becomes Firepaw because of his flame coloured fur but life isn't easy in the forest and Firepaw has to get used to clan life and must rid the clan of a power-craving cat whose name I won't reveal as it will spoil the surprise! Firepaw has a natural hunting ability which is good for mice in the dense undergrowth of Thunderclan territory. Firepaw is quite a cheeky cat and sometimes disobeys the warrior code which all cats in the forest are bound to but only for the good of his clan.

This book is the first in a great series and I'm already on the last book in the third series! I think that Erin Hunter really liked cats and how they can be very adventurous and I think that's what led her to write these stories.

If you're into cats and the unexpected then this is definitely the book for you and you will love the whole series.

Rating: 9 out of 10!

Read about the series here on Erin Hunter's website

The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien

The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, is whisked from his comfortable Hobbit hole by Gandalf the wizard and his band of dwarves wanting to reclaim the stolen treasure that rightfully belonged to their ancestors of the great dwarf town Dale from the evil dragon Smaug who lives in the lonely mountain and they choose Bilbo to be their burglar!

Bilbo is captured by the Goblins of the Grey Mountains and there he meets Golem in a underground lake. When Goblins stray too close to the water's edge Golem slits their throats. Bilbo is clever though and tricks Golem into a riddle contest and manages to claim the first of the three rings, the invisible ring. The ring helps Bilbo steal the treasure from Smaug.

This book is the first in the series of Lord of the Rings books. I would very much like to carry on reading the series to see what happens next. I really liked how Bilbo manages to adapt from his comfortable Hobbit hole to a draughty cave in the lonely mountain.

Rating: 10 out of 10!

Click here to read more about JRR Tolkien

How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is the least Viking-like Viking on the whole of the Isle of Berk! Hiccup and his colleagues from the Hooligan Tribe face their first big challenge in this first book in the series. They must raid the Dragon Nursery and bring back a dragon baby for each of them to compete in the Dragon Initiation Programme. Whoever is the best will earn the honour of killing their first dragon in front of the entire county of Berk. The Meatheads who are also joining in the competition are the Hooligan tribe's fiercest rivals.

It is time for the amateur Vikings of Berk to raid the dragons' nest. They creep quietly in and snatch a baby dragon each for themselves and stow it away in a basket that they have been given. Unfortunately for Hiccup, he gets a Common or Garden dragon, one of the least terrifying dragons on the surface of the planet! Fortunately for Snotface Snotlout (another amateur Viking) he grabs a Monstrous Nightmare, the fiercest dragon on Berk and which has a habit of setting itself on fire! Hiccup calls his dragon Toothless and Snotface calls his Fireworm.

All of the amateur Vikings have to train their dragons so they can do the basics - fishing, sitting, sleeping in the right place and a few chores. They must be able to do all of these to complete the Dragon Initiation Test. Toothless is very stubborn so Hiccup has to bribe him somehow to train him... the one thing Toothless loves is a joke but Hiccup is really bad at telling jokes!

Near the end of the book, the amateur Vikings from Berk must join together with the Vikings from the Meathead Island and the rest of the Hooligan village to defeat Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, a very old but very large monster dragon. Hiccup finds out that he once ate a whole Roman galleon and fell into a coma for several hundred years. He has awoken from his deep sleep and eaten another smaller seadragon and is heading for the isle of Berk!! Hiccup and the other amateur Vikings must persuade another seadragon to do their dirty work and fight the Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus. Hiccup hopes that they will tear each other apart and that there'll be nothing left but a pile of bones!!!

If you're into Vikings and gruesome tales and dragons, then this is definitely the book for you. It's hilariously funny and the illustrations and scribbles are fun too. Rating: 8 out of 10.

the How To Train Your Dragon website

Usain Bolt - The Fastest Man Alive - The True Story Of Usain Bolt by Usain Bolt and Shaun Custis

This book is about Bolt and his achievements as a sprinter.  The book also tells us about his family background and the things he likes to do when he's not running. Enjoy!

Usain Bolt wasn't the fastest runner in his school but he grew up to be an Olympic legend.  He lived in a small town called Sherwood Content in Jamaica and went to a school called Waldesia Primary and in later years, got a scholarship for William Knibb High School, track and field high school.  He was so good in his early years that he got picked for the Junior championships in Jamaica's capital, Kingston, every time!  That was when he got noticed by sports company, Pace.  They paid for flight tickets and all sorts of other things.  Bolt took the money but didn't keep it for himself, he gave it to his family.  His family includes: Mum, Dad, half sister, half brother, aunt and Grandma.

At the World Juniors, Bolt competed in the 200m only but in later years his coach, Pablo McNeil pushed him to do the 100m.  He would have some tough competition though, Asafa Powell from Jamaica, then the fastest man on earth and Tyson Gay from USA, the second fastest man on earth.  It would be no mean feat.

Bolt has a problem that stopped him competing in the Athens Olympics.  His left leg has always been shorter than his right leg.  Therefore, his first major event was the Bejiing Olympic games where he smashed the world record for the 100m to 9.69 seconds and beat his closest rivals. He even eased up with 20m to go!

Another major event in Bolt's career was the Diamond League 100m final. They were all lined up. The starter raised the gun into the air but Bolt false-started! He was disqualified and didn't get to race.
2009 was a smashing year for Bolt. He won the 100m final and broke the world record again! The record still stands at 9.58 seconds which scientists thought was impossible for the human body to acomplish.

At the London Olympics, Bolt set a new Olympic record in the 100m final and went on to win both the 200m and 4x100m relay. Unfortunately, Rio 2016 will be Bolt's last Olympics but he will still be remembered as a legend.

This book is filled with fun facts (like his main food on race days is chicken nuggets!) and awesome achievements. If you're into sport and althetics and sprinting then this is the book for you! Rating: 9 out of 10!!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This is the first book in the epic series of Percy Jackson books. Enjoy!

Percy Jackson is a half-blood. This means that he is half god, half boy. It all starts when Mr. Brunner, Percy's Latin teacher and Mrs. Dodds, his maths teacher, take them on a school trip to the local museum. Percy gets left alone with Mrs. Dodds and he finds out what she really is.  Her fingers stretch into talons, her jacket melts into large leathery wings.  She isn't human.  Then Mr. Brunner charges in and throws his ballpoint pen at Percy. He catches it and the moment it touches his hand, it turns into a sword called Riptide. He slashes it through the demon's body and all that's left is a pile of dust.

Back at Percy's school, Percy is sitting in Mr. Brunner's office. He is very serious but not about expelling Percy but about who he really was, Mr. Brunner knows that Percy is a half- blood, he is going to take him to a special camp, a camp where they protect half-bloods.

At this special camp Percy makes some friends, Annabeth and Grover (who is actually a satyr which is like a Centaur.) He also discovers Mr. Brunner's real form, he is a tall, white Centaur and his real name is Chiron.

Later that night, Percy visits the Oracle for a prophecy.  The prophecy tells Percy, Annabeth and Grover to leave camp to go on a quest to retrieve Zeus's (King of the gods) stolen lightning bolt. There has been some accusations in Olympus so Percy must act quickly to find the thief or else a fully fledged war of the gods will erupt!

On the quest to find the bolt, the team meet dangerous cyclops and demons but luckily they are all trained fighters and use their skill to beat them. Near the end of the book, Percy finds out who stole the lightning bolt but I'm not going to tell you! The next thing you know, Percy and the mystery being (or god!) are locked in battle but you'll have to read the book to find out the result. (:

This was a very good book but it just misses out on 8 out of 10. It's not really my cup of tea but if you're a fan of gods and swords and fighting and all that stuff, this is definitely the book for you. (:
Rating: 7 out of 10!

The Percy Jackson books website

Bureau of Mysteries and the Mechanomancers by HJ Harper

Bureau of Mysteries is back in another thrilling story!

 George and Imp are at Rusty Gulch on the trail of the vicious villains Cloak and Dagger. George soon finds out that Imp has made them up so he could get a holiday! The real trouble is on the other side of the gulch, it's the powerful Mechanomancers! Luckily, the first three have already been defeated by Lord Perwinkle Tinkerton, the famous explorer. And just in time, he arrives in his mammoth mobile and stops the fourth Mechanomancer and his mechanical bull in their tracks. 

His scribe Lexia is writing in a big purple book, she never seems to stop. When George and Imp get back to HQ, Hobb and Tempora aren't that exited to see them. They both have their nose buried in Tinkerton's Tales (about The Bull of Rusty Gulch.) Soon Tinkerton is over in Little Obscurity for his book signing. This is when Tinkerton and the Bureau of Mysteries find the fifth Mechanomancer, the Stink King, by falling through a gaping hole in the library after a huge explosion. George befriends a giant rat called Bubonic and he helps them beat the Stink King. But first the Stink King traps them in his scungeon to rot until George cracks the code that is their best chance of getting out of the sewers - they have to joust the Stink King! Tinkerton has a go first on a giant wood louse but it scuttles into a corner, meanwhile the Stink King's louse stays perfectly still. The teams only hope is to find another steed to ride on. Then George calls Bubonic and rides on him. They beat the Stink King and his manure mansion (his house) dissolves.

  

After a job well done they settle down at HQ when George finds the sixth Mechanomancer, the Germinator. She has the power to control any types of plant and greenery. They need to get to the tallest tree. On the way, the Bureau of Mysteries discover weird dwarf like shrubs called weedlings. They speak a very strange language which George manages to figure out but they soon make enemies of the weedlings. One of the weedlings transforms in to an ENORMOUS weedling. Despite its size, it's very slow and George and Imp manage to slip past but George realises that the tree is surrounded by a maze! Luckily, they find their way through but as they come to the tree they realise that they can't get up! Soon they spot a weedling coming up to the tree. He says, "Knock, knock" and three vines slide down the tree. The weedling picked the first one and zoomed off into the branches of the tree. George soon figured that it was morse code in flowers. He soon deciphered it and knew which one to take. They took the second one because it spelled "harmless" and zoomed off into the tree.

When they got to the top they saw Tinkerton tied up in some vines, he had been a victim of the Germinator.

Then George and Imp come face to face with a massive pumpkin-head-like creature - Pumpkinstein to be exact! George uses a device to scare away the plants which is actually Imp singing in the shower, it makes such a bad sound that Tempora has to mute it so only plants can hear it. George uses the device but it isn't powerful enough to have an effect on  Pumpkinstein so he has to get Imp to actually sing! It has an immediate effect on Pumpkinstein but unfortunately Tinkerton can't cover his ears because he's wrapped up in vines. George has to think quickly, he grabs the Organic Desynthesiser and turns the handle, the vines that are holding Tinkerton wither away. As they do so the tree begins to tilt side ways, with an almighty thud the tallest tree hits the ground.... They had defeated the Germinator.

George, Imp, Tinkerton and Lexia are back at Bureau of Mysteries HQ on the trail of the Blue Baron, the seventh and final Mechanomancer. With no luck searching in the day, they retreat to their beds, when George spots the Blue Baron's airship. It has a special contraption at the front that shoots bolts of lightning. George wakes Hobb, Tempora and Imp to tell them about the news, Tempora says that there is no way to get to the airship but Hobb has an idea. He used to belong to the crew of the Musclebound, the fiercest pirate crew in the seven skies, not only that, he was their captain! He takes George and Imp to a pirate pub to meet the Musclebound crew. They agree to take them on their ship to destroy the Blue Baron. On the way, they meet a three-headed sky serpent, the only way to stop it attacking you is to call out the names of the each head. George does this brilliantly, he calls out "Dawn, Day, Dusk!" and soon stops them. They carry on in the Mustlebound until they reach the Blue Baron's ship. There is a thrilling battle AND some SURPRISES at the end but you'll have to read the book to find out more (: 

I really liked this book because of the funny names for the villains and heroes that HJ Harper used and the cool characters, especially the fierce and funny Bronzebeard - Captain of the Musclebound!! Rating: 9 out of 10!!

HJ Harper's Writing Laboratory (of Doom)!

"Who Could That Be at This Hour?" by Lemony Snicket

This book is the first in a new series that Lemony has written called All The Wrong Questions. I hope you enjoy it!

Lemony Snicket is with his parents at the local cafe. He's got a new job as a apprentice detective. His chaperone is called S. Theodora Markson. The only thing she does that's helpful to Lemony is to save him from a tea that his parents (or who he thought were his parents) gave him. It had a banned drug in it that would put you to sleep.

S. Theodora Markson and Lemony's mission is to bring back a statue called the Bombinating Beast. It is an important family object in the Salis family. (Mrs. Salis is the one who sends Lemony and S. Theodora Markson on the misson.) Mrs. Salis says it was stolen by the Mallahan family who live in a lighthouse nearby. When Snicket visits the Mallahan lighthouse he befriends the Mallahans' daughter, Moxie. She takes him up into their attic and Snicket finds loads of stuff to do with the Bombinating Beast including a statue of the beast that they were looking for but Moxie says it's been in the family for decades.

That night S. Theodora Markson and Snicket agree to climb a thin wire that leads from a nearby tree to the lighthouse. The only problem is the clusterous forest. Instead of trees it's seaweed! Soon Snicket is dangling dangerously on the wire above the clusterous forest. Suddenly Snicket loses his grip and plunges into the forest below.

Snicket wakes up in a small house teetering at the edge of a cliff, near the forest. It belongs to a girl called Ellington Faint. Ellington's father was kidnapped by a vicious criminal called Hangfire, he is very good at mimicking people's voices. He wants that Bombinating Beast so wherever Snicket is with that statue, he isn't safe at all...

I liked this book because of it's compelling plot and funny expressions. Rating: 9 out of 10!!

All the wrong questions website

Varjak Paw by SF Said

Varjak is a Mesopotamian blue cat. His family includes... Elder Paw, Jo, Jethro, Jerome, mum, dad Julius and cousin Jasmine. He's always wanted to leave the protection of his house cat life but his parents won't let him.

One day, a mysterious gentleman enter their owners room and carries away what looks like a dead body! One gentleman stays behind with 2 sleek black cats by his shoes. This was Varjak's chance to leave the house. The black cats see and give chase but Elder Paw holds them off! Sadly Elder Paw dies in the battle. Elder Paw gives him a mission to save the family with a dog.

Once Varjak is out in the open he takes shelter in a small shack by the park. Then he sees one slender figure and one fat figure; Holly and Tam. They soon become good friends.
Varjak also makes some enemies. He makes enemies with Sally Bones, the toughest cat in the city. Varjak fights her in a amazing battle near the end of the book. Once he beats her he befriends a dog called Cludge and persuades him to save the family from the evil gentleman but there is a secret that makes him more evil than ever... Will Cludge and Varjak be able to save the family in time?

Dave Mckean drew some fantastic pictures of the cats and I really liked how SF Said included just the right amount of detail. I'm giving this book 8 out of 10!!!!

SF Said's blog


 

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

This book is the first in the Series of Unfortunate Events books and I hope you enjoy it!
Violet, Claus and Sunny Baudelaire live a comfortable life with their parents in the Baudelaire mansion. Sunny has all the hard things she could chew (Sunny has very sharp teeth), Claus has all the books he could read in the Baudelaire library and Violet has all the inventing things she could wish for. All is going well until the Baudelaire mansion burns down! Unfortunately the Baudelaire parents die in the rubble. The Baudelaire children are now orphans! They spend a short time at the house of a friend of their parents called Mr. Poe.

A couple of days later, the Baudelaire orphans get taken to a very distant cousin called Count Olaf. He wants to steal the Baudelaires' enormous fortune! (The Baudelaire children inherit a enormous fortune from their parents.) The children have to sleep in a small cramped room with one bed all together.

To get the fortune Count Olaf comes up with a cunning plan, him and his theatre troupe put on a play and asks Violet to be in it. This play is about a wedding and he asks Violet to be the bride! With an official judge reading out the bindings the wedding becomes real and the readings say that the bride must share the fortune with the husband! Luckly, Mr.Poe finds out in the last second and puts a stop to the wedding but unfortunately he doesn't put a stop to Count Olaf and he is free to track the Baudelaire orphans once again and put more misery into their miserable lives.
I liked how Lemony made everything seem more miserable.
Rating: I'm going to give this book 8 out of 10!!



Lemony Snicket's Website

Bureau of Mysteries by HJ Harper

This book is set in a small town called Little Obscurity in the late 1800s and is about a boy called George Feather, aged 12 (who is a chimney sweep) joins a secret society called the Bureau of Mysteries. He discovers this organisation when his boss (Ezekiel Grimes, better known as Grimy) takes him to the Brass Castle Hotel to clean the chimneys. George is basically Grimy's spy, bringing him back any juicy info so he could blackmail the manager for more money. When George climbs up the chimney he immediately panics, he had never been up a chimney this high before. He loses his grip on the side of the chimney. Instead of landing on a log fireplace he lands on a corridor with a door at the end. When he reaches the door he finds a note, it says "the Clockwork Octopus Society will finish what they started."
When George joins the Bureau of Mysteries he meets Hobb, the brains of the operation, Tempora the engineer and Imp, the experienced cryptographer (which means code cracker.)
When George joins he becomes an apprentice cryptographer and all of them together must defeat the Clockwork Octopus Society.
The first criminal is called Phil Lament, the engineer of the gang with his mechanical arm. George defeats him in a epic battle in the town's clock tower but Phil almost escapes on his mechanical dragon!
The second criminal is called Lady Lenora Ravenscroft (she can talk to ghosts!) This time George and Imp stop her from stealing all of Little Obscurity's wealthiest people's gems and capture her three ghost cronies, Rishin, Tom and Paul T. Giest.
The third criminal is called Dr. Morry Artery, the brains of the gang. George and Imp find him in the drowned quarter of Little Obscurity which is the underwater part of the town. The Dr. has an army of murkmaids (which are people but have been mutated into fish bodies and have been stripped of their memory), and a prisoner called whalen (half man-half whale.) They catch the Dr. when he tries to escape in his Octopod (a submarine in the shape of a octopus.)
The final battle is against the leader of the gang which is suprisingly Grimy! Imp warns the Bureau of mysteries and Hobb and Tempora change the Brass Castle Hotel into a brick person and crush Grimy. The end shows George becoming a full member of the Bureau of Mysteries.
I liked this book because of its funny illustrations and funny characters. Rating: 9 out of 10!!

HJ Harper's blog

Let me introduce myself...

Hi, my name is Louis and I'm creating this blog to share my favourite books with you. ENJOY!