The Boy in The Striped Pajamas made me cry. (Spoiler!) The story is absolutely stunning and the author, John Boyne, has made it so realistic it was like a movie running in my head. I also liked the idea that it was from a German boy's perspective. I don't read many books from the German side but it was very interesting, and how the main character, Bruno, is so unaware what his country is doing to the Jewish.
It has an extremely sad and brutal ending, but the book just is so great you don't bawl your eyes out. The ending haunts your mind for at least a week. This book is spectacular, though, and I recommend it to people 12 years and over.
This was only a short review, but I don't want to give the plot away too much if you do read it.
Rating: 4/5 stars!
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Monday, 24 February 2014
Saturday, 22 February 2014
Book Review: Catherine, Called Birdy
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman is great for older readers. It follows the diary of a Catherine, who lives in a manor with her father and mother and servants and people of all sorts. Her mother wants her to become a sophisticated woman and to be married, but Catherine simply has other things on her mind.
I love how Catherine is a witty and hilarious. She loves to paint and has a whole different mind to everyone else around her and sees things in a different perspective. She makes jokes and what may have been a normal remark back in the 1600s, it is funny now. I giggled quite a lot.
This book has been star reviewed many times, and no wonder! This book brilliant!
For example, Catherine sneaks out of the castle to go and make huts and to muck around with the villagers and peasants. She gets so covered with in mud and dirt, that when a dashing prince arrives and asks that he is trying to find Catherine, she acts as a peasant and says nice things about herself!
Another point is that you just don't want to rush through the book to get it over with. Cushman has made this book so engaging that you just want to take your time with the entries and to understand what she is saying.
Rating: 4/5 stars
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I love how Catherine is a witty and hilarious. She loves to paint and has a whole different mind to everyone else around her and sees things in a different perspective. She makes jokes and what may have been a normal remark back in the 1600s, it is funny now. I giggled quite a lot.
This book has been star reviewed many times, and no wonder! This book brilliant!
For example, Catherine sneaks out of the castle to go and make huts and to muck around with the villagers and peasants. She gets so covered with in mud and dirt, that when a dashing prince arrives and asks that he is trying to find Catherine, she acts as a peasant and says nice things about herself!
Another point is that you just don't want to rush through the book to get it over with. Cushman has made this book so engaging that you just want to take your time with the entries and to understand what she is saying.
Rating: 4/5 stars
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Saturday, 15 February 2014
Book Look-Hating Alison Ashley
This time we will be taking a Book Look at Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein.
This book is about a girl, Erica Yurken, who is (or she thinks) is the best at her school, Barringa East. That is, until the pretty, perfect and lovable Alison Ashley enters the school gates. Instantly, Erica dislikes Alison, and Alison does not really like Erica either!
Erica lives in the run down part of her town, where walls are graffiti ed and houses look like like pigsties. But Alison lives in the beautiful side of the town, where the rich and important people live. Obviously, these two very different girls come from extremely different backgrounds so they just have to have a brick wall between them. This book is hilarious and will give you a laugh as Alison and Erica battle it out. The ending is nice though, but I won't spoil it. You feel sorry for both of the characters, and neither of the girls are good or bad.
There is a movie of Hating Alison Ashley featuring our very own Australian superstar, Delta Goodrem as Alison Ashley, but I suggest reading the book first. Here's a secret- the book is WAY better!
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This book is about a girl, Erica Yurken, who is (or she thinks) is the best at her school, Barringa East. That is, until the pretty, perfect and lovable Alison Ashley enters the school gates. Instantly, Erica dislikes Alison, and Alison does not really like Erica either!
Erica lives in the run down part of her town, where walls are graffiti ed and houses look like like pigsties. But Alison lives in the beautiful side of the town, where the rich and important people live. Obviously, these two very different girls come from extremely different backgrounds so they just have to have a brick wall between them. This book is hilarious and will give you a laugh as Alison and Erica battle it out. The ending is nice though, but I won't spoil it. You feel sorry for both of the characters, and neither of the girls are good or bad.
There is a movie of Hating Alison Ashley featuring our very own Australian superstar, Delta Goodrem as Alison Ashley, but I suggest reading the book first. Here's a secret- the book is WAY better!
Zobo!
Book Review: Hiding Edith
Hiding Edith is a true story, rewritten by Kathy Kacer, who also wrote the books Hana's Suitcase and The Diary of Laura's Twin. Hiding Edith is the story of a young girl, separated from her family in the Holocaust and placed in a children's home for Jewish kids to hide in and live in a normal seeming society with other children. Edith recounts her thoughts and days in a diary, where she meets friends, escapes terrors and fights battles with the memories of her family, her father in particular.
Knowing this is a true story, it is quite a wonderful tale to think about- That actually happened and I know how she feels.... or do I? Such an inspiring story.
In the book there are also pictures of Edith Schwalb and the other children at the children's home, providing some visualisation. There are fun times and sad times and downright dreadful times, but all the same you are hopeful for Edith and her friends and family. It gives you an insight of one little girl's life and how WWII made such an impact for everyone in the world.
There are many stories and true stories of WWII, but in my eyes this is one of the best books on the subject I have ever read.
I would absolutely recommend this to ANYONE interested in WWII, but only for mature, older readers as younger audiences wouldn't understand a lot of things.
Rating: 5/5 stars!
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www.history.com/topic/world-war-ii
Knowing this is a true story, it is quite a wonderful tale to think about- That actually happened and I know how she feels.... or do I? Such an inspiring story.
In the book there are also pictures of Edith Schwalb and the other children at the children's home, providing some visualisation. There are fun times and sad times and downright dreadful times, but all the same you are hopeful for Edith and her friends and family. It gives you an insight of one little girl's life and how WWII made such an impact for everyone in the world.
There are many stories and true stories of WWII, but in my eyes this is one of the best books on the subject I have ever read.
I would absolutely recommend this to ANYONE interested in WWII, but only for mature, older readers as younger audiences wouldn't understand a lot of things.
Rating: 5/5 stars!
Zobo!
www.history.com/topic/world-war-ii
Book Review: The Kensington Reptilarium
This book by Nikki J Gemmell is a fantastic read. The cover is gorgeous and intrigues you the second you set your eyes on it. It is set in the Australian desert and England. There are five main characters to this story, all with funny and peculiar names like Dinda and Scruff. The book is heartwarming, hilarious, puzzling, engaging, sad, and exciting all rolled into one. I could not put it down.
Gemmell also has a fantastic way with words. She can describe everything as if it is right there in front of you and you can feel the character's emotions and put yourself into their shoes. For example, there is a part in the book (I won't spoil it too much) where the character in her perspective is describing the house in which their Uncle Basti lives and how all of the other house seem to light up. I felt it truly.
Although as there are A LOT of names to remember, you seem to remember quickly who the person is as you recognise how they behave and their personality.
The start of the story makes you giggle. It zooms in on the kids in Australia, living in a shanty of a house. One of the boys is cooking an egg on the bonnet of a car, the other children chanting him on. They also own a pet 'dog', that is actually a dingo. Does this paint a picture in your mind already? I bet it does, as it did certainly for me!
I would really recommend this book to ANYONE. It is aimed at tweens, but I know a teenager who is reading it and an adult suggested I should buy it!
Rating: 5/5 stars!
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Introduction
On The Spine gives you a chance to read great excerpts, read reviews and to read about books, hopefully convincing you to borrow or buy the book. Each week I will post two new reviews, one excerpt and one 'book look'. Also, I love to write so occasionally I will show a part of a story I am writing!
I hope you enjoy reading this blog,
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