Book reviews by 7P

Here are some more book reviews from our keen readers in 7P. Anybody who writes a review which is published on the blog will receive a merit.

The Witches (Roald Dahl) reviewed by Tahera

This story is about a little boy who has a grandmother who tells him how to keep away from witches. She tells him you could be sitting next to a witch and you'd never know it.
This story is very adventurous, and there are loads of illustrations by Quentin Blake in this book which describe the characters. My favourite character is the grandmother. It's a story where things don't go quite as well as planned by the characters.

How to Train Your Parents (Pete Johnson) reviewed by Mizan

I like this book which has lots of jokes in it. It has really inspired me to read more and more. When I read the forst paragraph I just wanted to know what happened next. I kept reading for one whole hour: it was so good I could picture it. It was like a film going in your head. So I like a lot of Pete Johnson books.
So what are you waiting for? You can enjoy the excitement by going to the library at St Paul's Way. Get reading!


Journey to the River Sea (Eva Ibbotson) reviewed by Alima

Journey to the River Sea is about a girl called Maia who is an orphan who wishes to have parents who care about her.

(added by Ms Damms: I think this will be a children's classic: it has well drawn, very engaging characters (and some really nasty ones), a fine, twisty plot and a satisfyingly happy ending for Maia - who is an immensely likable heroine. I'd have loved it when I was 11 or 12.)

Why Eating Bogeys is Good for You reviewed by Masud

This is a great book.It is really funny as well as enjoyable: you get stuck right into it and just want to read the whole thing. It contains lots of disgusting facts. Also, it answers lots of gross questions you always wondered about, such as 'Why is poo brown?', 'Why don't ladies have beards?', 'Is it possible to knock yourself out with your own fist?' and many more horrible but fascinating facts.

16th December 1971

To mark the anniversary of the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War on 16th December 1971 we have a display in the library about the history of the war and fiction and non fiction books which deal with the subject. These include A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam, and if you go to the author's website you can watch an interview with her about the War. Just click on 16th December 1971 above.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas wins the Tower Hamlets Book Award 2008

Tower Hamlets Book Award

Your votes are all in now, and there is a clear winner at St Paul's Way, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, but will the other schools in Tower Hamlets agree with us? Watch this space later today to find out.

The Kite Rider

Boody, Agibou, Ahtik and Samiur from 9T have been reading the Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean. Here is a fantastic piece of work they have done on it.

Terror in Dagu!
Children Trapped
in Fire

A widow and two young children survived an enormous blaze which devastated a family home in Dagu yesterday evening.

A two-year-old girl called Wawa and her mother Quing-an Gou, aged 39, were pulled from the roaring inferno by hero Di Chou, first mate of the Chabi, at around 10pm.

Crisis in Dagu

The disaster happened just a few weeks after Pei Gou, Quing-an’s husband, died in a wind-testing tragedy. It is believed that Quing-an may now marry Di Chou. The first mate said, “I was just passing and I heard screams. I ran in and pulled them out, it was nothing.”
It took neighbours and friends two hours to put out the intense
flames, which destroyed dozens of kites made by the widow’s 12-year-old son Haoyou. Police are
investigating the cause of the fire, led by Inspector Ben Tham.

The Inspector said, “We found a burnt match at the scene and we are gathering a lot of evidence. I will be interviewing neighbours to help with my inquiries.”

Year Seven Book Reviews

I'm always very pleased to receive book reviews from students, and I will award a merit to anyone whose review is published on the blog. Here is a review from Numan in 7P.

I read a book from the library, and the book's name was 'Why Eating Bogeys is Good For You.' I've read only 23 pages of the book and it's funny. The book has some good questions in it. The good thing about this book is the questions because they are too funny. I'll tell you one funny question from the book: 'If kangaroos keep their babies in their pouches, what will happen to all the poo?' (The baby kangaroo's poo).

Ruhul has been reading Varjak Paw.

A Mesopotamian cat named Varkak Paw. He lives in an old house with his family on a hill. One day his grandfather told them about seven skills. They only knew three: slow-time, moving circles, and shadow-walking. He left home and went to a dangerous city.

The city was full of dogs, cat gangs and, most mysterious of all, the vanishings.

Varjak was the youngest one in his family. He got a mission to succeed in: to find dogs and talk to them...

Farhadul has reviewed Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

Kensuke's Kingdom is a good adventurous book. It's about a boy that goes into an island with his dog. They've got no food or water. If you want to find out what happens to them ,read the book. It's a really good book. Read it! Read it!

Lutfha has read Everything I Know About You by Belinda Hollyer.

The thing I like about this book is it's a bit funny. It talks about a family but their mother is dead. Lizzie and Eric start fighting, telling different stories. She starts working in a gift shop but there's a mystery in her family and she has to solve it.

There is a little poem or song and it's a bit sad because they talk about their mum and she's not alive, but it's very enjoyable. Just read it.

Fahmida has enjoyed Let's Get Invisible from the Goosebumps series.

The best part of the story is when the main character goes invisible and no one can see him. I like this part because if I were invisible I could do anything that I dreamed of. The worst thing in the book is when ... (perhaps Fahmida was going to give away too much). I like the book because it is spooky and I like spooky stories.

Now you see him; now you don't.

Simran on 'Sleepovers' by Jacqueline Wilson, with illustrations by Nick Sharratt.

All of Daisy's friends in the Alphabet Club - Amy, Bella, Chloe and Emily - have had sleepovers for their birthdays.

Daisy has a dilemma: she'd love to have a sleepover too, but then she'd have to let her friends meet her sister...

I think this book was really fun to read and I think that other people would like it too. My favourite character is Daisy because she was the main person.

Jahed has been reading HIVE by Mark Walden.

The book that I am reading is called 'HIVE' - Higher Institute of Villainous Education

This book is about a thirteen-year-old master criminal boy (his name is Otto Malpense) who has been chosen to attend H.I.V.E., the top-secret school of villainy.

Otto is in a helicopter with an Asian boy who is sitting next to him, and they both are trying to figure out where they are. I won't tell you any more in case I spoil the story, but find out for yourself what happens next.

Anne Cassidy at St Paul's Way

Year 8 and Year 9 students were incredibly lucky to take part in two writing workshops given by Anne Cassidy, the author of some fantastic books including Looking For JJ, Love Letters and Forget Me Not. Anne spoke to the students about how difficult it is to get a book published and the importance of a good beginning to a story. Most of us were amazed to find out that publishers only read one page before deciding not to publish a book! Anne gave the students the opening sentences of some books that she hasn't written, and after a short discussion about why the sentences were interesting, everyone settled down to write the first paragraph of a story. The results were fantastic, and you can read some of them as they are on display in the library. Congratulations to all the students who took part. Anne Cassidy was very impressed with you and so was I.