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Advantages: A short punchy story that kept my interest.
Disadvantages: Have to remember to order the sequel from the library now!

I first read The Machine Gunners a number of years ago, not long after I read J.G. Ballard’s Empire of the Sun and watched John Boorman’s excellent film Hope and Glory. I was on a bit of a Second World War theme, so The Machine Gunners seemed an obvious next choice! ~~~The author. Robert Westall was born in 1929 in North Shields in the North East of England. He has degrees from Durham University and the University of London and he then became an ...
...as his full-time career. The Machine Gunners was his first novel (written in 1975) and it got him the Carnegie Medal. Robert Westall often used his childhood in Tynemouth as a setting for his books and he was able to draw on his vivid memories to tell his stories. Sadly he died in 1993, but his books live on. ~~~The story. This book (and the sequel Fathom Five) is set during the Second World War. It centres around a group of children and their ... Read review

Advantages: An excellent adventure story told in an unusual way.
Disadvantages: May be a little advanced for younger children.

...Second World War period). Blitzcat is another of these wonderful books that I really enjoyed re-reading. I had first read it not long after reading The Machine Gunners and was really pleased to see we had a new copy in the library (following its re-release in 2002) ~ it had first been published in 1989 (all details can be found at http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/books/n3/n17860.htm?authorid=4082 so I won’t repeat all that). ~~~The Author. Robert ...
...his childhood in Tynemouth (although Blitzcat sees the main action appearing in Coventry) as a setting for his books and he was able to draw on his vivid memories to tell his stories. Sadly he died in 1993, but his books live on. ~~~The Awards. Blitzcat won the Winner of the Smarties Award for children’s fiction back in 1989. ~~~The Story. Blitzcat (like a good number of Westall’s books) is set during the Second World War. The main “character” ... Read review

Advantages: Great book
Disadvantages: none

...the Harry Potter books it a very well written and appealing novel. This book is full of mystery althought my niece is only nine she still really enjoyed this book, so even if your children are not quite twelve yet i would still reccommend them reading this. very good book ... Read review

Advantages: Lots of interesting and thoughtful plots to throw you.
Disadvantages: Can get rather slow in the middle.

I have rated this book 4/5 star. It is a deep and meaningful book all about apartheid. It is a reverse of the British apartheid in South Africa, as Sephy and Callum (main characters) live in a world where white people are second best and black people are rich and powerful. This is a very compelling book. It is not to be read if you are looking something light and cheerful. I would recommend this book to anyone in their teens to adults as it is not ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely character
Disadvantages: N/A

Mr Daydream is another Mr Men story from the Mr Men Collection written by Roger Hargreaves, which contains 46 books. Mr Daydream is number 13 in the series and is a pale blue cloud shaped character with a very broad grin. This is the picture of him that is one the front of the book, which is itself small square and white. Mr Daydream's name is then printed above this picture in bold block capitals. On turning the book over you can then see smaller ...
...format as all the other Mr Men stories with writing on the left hand side of the book and colourful pictures on the right. The pictures are extremely bright and cartoon like and so ensure a child's attention is captured throughout the duration of the story but the writing itself although their isn't much of it making the books great for bedtime, it can be rather small. The book itself is a story about Mr Daydream and this is exactly how the story ... Read review