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