Ciara's Books!!!

This is a picture of the book.

Name: North child

Author: Edith Pattauo 

Number of pages: 510

Rating: 10/10

Summary: North Child is about a girl called Ebba Rose, who prefers to be known as Rose, who lives in Norway. She lives peacefully, until one day her sister becomes seriously ill. A white bear arrives at her door, promising to heal her sister and bring good fortune to her family if Rose will go with him. Rose accompanies him to a castle where she is perfectly happy, except that a strange figure appears in her bed each night. No matter what illuminaton she uses, nothing can penetrate the darkness of her room. The bear allows her to visit her home, on the condition that she would return in one month. While there, her mother gives her a "candle which can penetrate any darkness". Rose is reluctant to use it, but curiosity gets the better of her. When she does use it, she is astonished to discover that a young man was lying beside her. Suddenly, there is a bang and a flash of colour and she finds herself outside the castle, with the man. At this stage she has realised that the man is in fact the white bear's true appearance. He explains that when he was a child, a troll princess kidnapped him to be her playmate. The only way that he could go back to his family was if a girl stayed with him willingly for a year without setting eyes on his face.  When Rose asks him where the troll princess would take him, he said one word, and vanished. The word he said was "North". Rose heads North to find him and after many adventures with her troll friend Tuki, she manages to rescue the man and return home, after which she marries the man (whose name is Charles).

Front Cover: The front cover shows a girl (Rose) walking beside a large white bear. In the background, the Northern Lights are visible. The title is written in curly white letters along the top of the cover.

I think that this is one of the best books I have ever read. For anyone who likes fantasy novels such as "Eragon" and others, I would recommend it.

My favourite charachter is Tuki, Rose's troll friend. Sadly, near the end of the book, the troll princess kills him for helping Rose.

I think that the book could have been improved by making it a bit more realistic.

Name: Back Home

Author: Michelle Magorian

Number of Pages: 387

Rating out of ten: Ten!!!

Review: It's 1945, and twelve-year-old Rusty is back in England after being evacuated to the USA for five years. She finds it hard to settle in, so her father, Roger sends her to boarding school, where she is bullied by the other girs because of her American accent and determination to prove that she is, in fact, American. Eventually, she runs away, but is caught and expelled. Her mother, Peggy, is left a house after her friend dies, so Rusty, Peggy and Rusty's brother, Charlie move there. Peggy gets a job as a mechanic and Rusty and Charlie attend a day-school nearby.

My Thoughts: This is one of the best books I have ever read. If I could change one thing about it, I would make it longer!

Name: Roll of thunder, hear my cry.

Author: Mildred D. Taylor

Number of pages: 220

Summary: The book is about a girl called Cassie Logan, an independent and stubborn black girl, who lives in Mississippi in1934. She doesn't understand why she should walk on the road just because "Miz" Lillian Jean Simms says that she has to. She doesn't understand either why she gets served last at the store, or why her Mama was sacked, or why her Father was shot. She believes that fairness will just happen, but she learns the hard way that she and her race have to fight for their basic human needs.

Rating: 9/10

Front Cover: The cover is orange-red with a picture of a cottage and a field. The name is written in black and the author's name is in white.

Thoughts: This is a very good book, but, because it was written in the early 1930's, some of the language and slang is hard to decipher.

Name: The Robe of skulls

Author: Vivian French

Number of pages: 208

Summary: This is about a girl called Gracie Gillypot who's stepfather, Mange, and stepsister, Foyce, hate her. One day, a bat called Marlon comes and offers her a way to escape from Mange and Foyce. She agrees and runs away with him. He says that the Ancient Crones will give her work. Unfortunately, Foyce, who is half werewolf, follows them. She runs into Lady Lamorna an her troll, Gubble, who are looking for money. After many adventures, Gracie foils their evil plan to turn princes into frogs and take them hostage. Foyce ends up being trapped in the ancient crone's house for 50 years, doing nothing but weaving!!!

Rating: 10/10

Main charachters: Gracie, Marlon, Marcus, Foyce, Lady Lamorna, the Crones and Gubble

My Favourite charachter: My favourite character is Marlon because he is funny and witty and very loyal

Emotions: I didn't like Foyce because she wanted to kill Gracie and I felt sorry for Val, because she wanted to be free and see her brother

Saddest part: The saddest part was when Gracie thought Marlon had abandoned her

Happiest part: The happiest part was when Foyce was caught by the bogs and quicksand in the Crone's garden

Themes: Friendship, Family and magic

Name: Midnight for Charlie Bone

Author: Jenny Nimmo

Number of pages: 345

Summary: Charlie Bone lives in a city quite like our own world, apart from the fact that some people have magical talents, "endowments". These people are sent to a school called Bloors academy. There they mingle with people with talents in art, music or drama.

Charlie lives an ordinary life until his great-aunts, the Yewbeams, discover that he has an endowment, that he is able to hear what people in pictures are saying. He goes to Bloors with his friend, Fidelio, who is unendowed, but has a talent in music. Once there, he makes friends with Billy Raven (who can talk to animals), Gabriel Silk (who can sense the emotions of people who have worn the clothes he is wearing) and Olivia Vertigo (unendowed). He is also curious about Emilia Moon, as before he went to Bloors, he befriended one Julia Ingledew, a bookshop owner who tells him about her missing niece, Emma Tolly, and Charlie suspects that Emilia Moon is Emma Tolly, and that the Bloors kidnapped her. When this is proven true, and Charlie awakens Emma (she had been hypnotised), and Emma runs away from the Moons, who had been lookig after her. Charlie's great-uncle, Paton, forces the Bloors to hand over Emma's papers, so that Emma can live with her aunt, Julia.

Cover: The cover is red and sparkly with a picture of a boy holding a photo with a tower and a mysterious figure behind him

Thoughts: I thought that this was a brilliant book and I would highly recommend it.

Rating: Ten out of ten - it's brilliant!!!

Main characters: The main characters are Charlie, Fidelio, Benjamin, Olivia, Emma, Manfred, Paton, the "Flame Cats" and the Yewbeam aunts.

My Favourite character: My favourite character is Emma Tolly/Emilia Moon because she is very brave when Manfred Bloor kidnapps her.

Emotions: Happiest part: The happiest part is when Emma escapes from the Bloors, who were keeping her prisoner in the academy.

Saddest part: The saddest part is when Charlie discovers that he will be sent to Bloor's Academy because he is endowed.

Themes: The themes include school, friendship and magic.

P.S.: If anyone wants me to bring this book in, just tell me. I also have the fourth and fifth books if you'd like to find out what happens to Charlie and his friends.