Trash by Andy Mulligan

Synopsis

Raphael is a dumpsite boy who, one day, finds a wallet holding the keys to a mystery--two passports, a map, and a locker key. With the police hot on his heels desperate for that wallet too, Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat run away, not only to save their lives, but also to decode the meaning of those clues...

Review

Genre: YA, Adventure, Mystery

Age Group: Children or Young Teens

Star Rating: 6/10

Verdict

An interesting book, but not particularly well written. The concept itself is fascinating, following the journey of three kids living in a dumpsite. How do they survive? How do they find clean water and food? I was hoping to learn more about the life of a dumpsite boy but only the first few chapters briefly touch on Raphael's life, so in that aspect, the book was a little disappointing.

I'm not a huge fan of mystery or adventure but it was well crafted. The thing I do have a quibble with is how neatly Raphael, Gardo and Rat managed to find and solve everything. I was hoping for a few trials and a few crossroads in their path but, no, everything just sort of fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. On the other hand, one could argue that I should lay off Mulligan in this sense since the book is for children or young teens, and the content can't be too disturbing. 

The writing style is simple and keeps readers flicking through the pages. Overall, it's not a bad book but not the masterpiece of the century.

Chasing Orion by Kathryn Lasky

When Georgie moves houses, she has to face new neighbors. However, this is not usually a problem except this time of the year is Polio season and back in 1952 the vaccinations were not yet invented. What is strange about her neighbors is that their daughter had Polio so is now in an iron lung. Georgie learns to make friends with this girl, Phyllis, who is around the same age as her elder brother. They all get to know each other and soon Phyllis starts a relationship with Emmett, Georgie's brother. This is all perfectly find until Georgie finds out about Phyllis' lies and plans.

I think this book was quite interesting; the reader can learn of the past and compare differences with the current day and life 60 years ago. It is fun to know what they used to do for relaxation purposes withoutany of the current technologies such as computers, PSPs, iPads etc.

Age Group: 12+

Star Rating: 6/10

It was quite cool to read but some bits dragged on for a while.

Grk Down Under by Joshua Doder

When Tim goes on vacation for 3 days, he has to drop of the dog, Grk, at Cuddles Kennels, a place for pets to stay while their owners were on holiday. Tim's parents think that Grk would have a lovely time at the kennels but Tim and Grk however, think differently. Grk, "trapped in a prison" behind bars, is miserable and lonely, wondering why he was deserted by himself, locked up in a cage. The second time the gate is open for Grk to be fed, he rushes out of the cage, running away as fast as he can, occasionally stopping for a food break. Cuddles Kennels is situated next door to the airport, so that it is handy for people to drop of their pets before boarding their flight. Tempted by a scent of sausage, Grk manages to get through to the airport, into a suitcase and aboard a flight halfway across the world to Australia from New York.

I think this story is great for all dog lovers because you can make out similarities of Grk to your own dog and remember all the great moments you've had with your dog. The adventures Grk goes through are fun to read because the ideas Doder comes up with are catchy and luring. Grk Down Under is actually one of the books in the series in which i haven't read, so to find out more information and what happened at the very beginning you have to start from the top and go down. Doder often makes references about previous books in the series so in order to fully enjo the book i recommend you start reading from the first book, A Dog Called Grk.

Age Group: Kids

Star Rating: 6.5/10
The plot was cool but this isn't really the right book for me ;)

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eragon is a boy that used to live on a farm with his uncle. One day while he was hunting, he found a blue "stone" which he kept. One time while he was sleeping, a dragon hatches from the "stone". He calls the dragon, Saphira. He secretly keeps the dragon because the king might take away the egg. After his uncle is killed in a fire, they find Ra'zac with Brom. Brom teaches Eragon how to be a Dragon Rider and how to speak the language of the elves.

I found the plot really interesting, but some bits were a bit boring and kept on lagging on. Also, I think there was a lot of scenes that weren't necessary.

Rating: 3/10

Series: 2/10

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Synopsis: Bilbo Baggins, an ordinary hobbit, is dragged onto an adventure with the mysterious wizard Gandalf and a number of dwarfs to regain treasures taken by an evil dragon.
On the way, he encounters Gollum, whom he defeats (through the use of a ring of invisibility) and navigates his way through a number of obstacles in the forest, finally arriving at Lake Town, where Smarg the dragon is guarding his stolen treasures.

Suitable for: Fantasy Lovers

Age Group: Kids and Teens

Star Rating: 8/10

Verdict: I am not a huge fan of fantasy, but this is a great, funny, interesting book. A good rea; there is a reason why it is a classic. Readers may also be interested in The Lord of the Rings, the sequel to Bilbo's adventures. The Lord of the Rings review will be completed soon.

Paw Tracks at Owl Cottage by Denis O'Connor

Paw Tracks at Owl Cottage is the sequel to Paw Tracks in the Moonlight which i have not read. From a view of reading from the 2nd book my point of view would be different to if i had read both so please keep in mind that this review was written without basic knowledge of the previous book hence a different perspective.

Paw Tracks at Owl Cottage is probably a book that the author wrote about himself and his cats as he is the person speaking in the text. It is basically written in the style of a diary except in more detail. The author and his wife decide to move back into a cottage they sold some time ago, but it would not be a proper without a cat to accompany them, as they had lived here previously with a cat. So, the decide to go out and buy a Maine Coon kitten. At the end of the story they have bought 4 Main Coon cats in total.

I think this book is okay if you like reading about cats or if you want to know how life would be like with a cat. It doesn't really have a particular plot as it just just goes on and on about the author's life with his cats and all the ups and downs with his large cat family. If you are looking for an action book then this is not the right book for you. Every now and then something will happen to their cats, which is the only time you'll meet any "complication" part of the book.

Age Group: Kids, roughly 9+ (it does contain some sadder bits so be aware of this)

Star Rating: 4/10 (If you like cats you might like it more)

Again, I haven't read the first book so my judgement could be changed if I had read it first. If you do want me to read the first book and re-review this then please ask!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (book) by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the chocolate factory is a classic story by Roald Dahl about a boy named Charlie Bucket (a chocolate lover) and around the world, Willy Wonka, the most famous sweet maker in the world, sends out 5 golden tickets in chocolate packets and the lucky winners will get to go into his chocolate factory where no one is allowed to go in. One day, Charlie finds a fifty pence piece (around $80 AUD) and when he buys it he realises that it has the golden ticket.

When he visits the factory with 4 other children, it is one of the experiences that will change his life forever.

Rating: 9.5/10

I used to love this book as a child, mostly because of the plot, and the funny jokes that Roald Dahl seems to slip in. The description of the lollies (mostly chocolate) made me dribble all over the book.

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

A moving tale of love and hardship, Li captures the essence of living in the time of the Cultural Revolution. The story moves seamlessly from his childhood, to the Ballet Academy in Beijing, to his life abroad, and although the back cover contains a full synopsis of the story, it really isn't the plot that makes this book special, it's the way he portrays Mao's China and the little incidents that made up the big picture of his lifetime. Competing with rats for food, witnessing the execution of counterrevolutionaries, and finally defecting from his motherland, this is a captivating autobiography by a truly amazing dancer--a must-read.

Suitable for: Weekends and Holidays

Age Group: Young Children (picture book), Kids (kids' version), Teens, and Adults

Star Rating: 9/10


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Air Head by Meg Cabot

My friend introduced to this book a while ago, but I never took it really seriously. I read it today and it was about a tomboy called Emerson. During an accident at Stark's mega grand opening (a company for models) Emerson is suddenly slipped into supermodel Nikky Howard's shoes, leaving her old self and troubles behind and starting a new struggle with the life of a supermodel.

Ranking 6/10

Although the plot is well structured, I have to say that it was mostly a really long and included lots of unnecessary detail and I didn't really have a link to the main character.

by grace