We've had a great year with our Junior Book Clubs. They couldn't wait to give their opinions about books good and bad!
We were surprised at the books that received poor reviews. John Boyne (author of 'The Boy In The Stripped Pajamas') released 'Noah Barleywater Runs Away' earlier this year. The book club couldn't wait to get stuck into it, having loved his previous children's novel. However, they found 'Noah Barleywater' to be very disappointing. The general consensus was that it was an okay story but rambled on too much. It wasn't gripping and moved too slowly.
Other books that did not impress were 'The Crowfield Curse' by Pat Walsh and 'Tom's Midnight Garden' by Phillipa Pearce.
One of the hits was Michael Morpurgos 'An Elephant In The Garden'. This is a captivating story of an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war. The book club found it to be a fantastic and moving read. James (age 10) said,'It was fascinating! I couldn't put it down. 9 out of 10!' Another book that greatly appealed to the girls was 'Ingo' by Helen Dunmore, first part of a series telling tales of the dark underworld beneath the sea.
Over the Christmas break the three Junior Book Clubs will be relaxing with 'Northern Lights' by Philip Pullman, 'Once' by Morris Gleitzman, 'Hoot' by Carl Hiaasen and 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar' by Roald Dahl.
