More shortlisted book reviews
Catch us if you can - Catherine MacPhail
Review by Tom, Irlam and Cadishead Community High School
Characters: Rory and granda
Catch us if you can is a great story between a young boy and his granddad who don’t want to be split up but after an accident happens they’re forced to be separated. Rory is sent to a children’s home and his granddad is sent to a care home, but Rory has a plan to get them together again they break free and are on the run.
This is a great story for any one who enjoys reading and the book can’t be put down.
I don’t think that there are any bad points to this story because it’s a great book.
Catch us if you can
Review by Courtney, St Ambrose Barlow RC High School
Catch Us If You Can is a really good book because it is an emotional story about the very close relationship between a grandson and his granda (his name for grandad). Granda is very dependent on his grandson, Rory, because he often misplaces things and gets very confused.
Rory is very good to his granda, for example he always walks home at lunchtimes and he makes or buys his granda lunch before walking back to school again. He accompanies him to his doctors’ appointments. He is a very caring grandson.
His granda’s downfall is his pipe. He smokes it and forgets to put it out ( that’s what old age does for you!) One day granda sets his flat on fire. After that Rory is taken into foster care and his granda goes into a care home. Rory hates being away from granda and thinks of an escape plan. Soon they are on the run.
Along the way granda becomes very ill and Rory knows he has to take him to get help. Eventually granda gets so ill he looks like he is dead so Rory knocks on someone’s door. Granda is taken into hospital.
Sadly Rory’s mum passed away when he was a young boy and he has not seen much of his dad for over 10 years. But, amazingly, his dad gets in touch with him due to the publicity and Rory and granda start a new life.
The Recruit - Robert Muchamore
Review by Jessica, St Ambrose Barlow RC High School
The Recruit is a book that I really enjoyed. The characters are very realistic and you can really relate to them. I would definitely recommend it.
My best part was when James, the main character, was helping his sister when she was in trouble with her dad. He was abusing her and James was really upset. I think that even though his mother died, he has shown no-one his feelings.
The part I didn’t like was when James was getting bullied because he had been followed and a set of lads beat him up. It was really upsetting.
I would recommend this book because it is a great read and once you get into it you can’t put it down. I would love to meet the author because it is brilliant. James is a great brother to Lauren and also plays the roles of dad and mum. Lauren takes her mum’s death more to heart than James does.
Lauren is later sent to this special place where James goes and becomes very possessive of him even though she tries to enjoy being with her new friends. James is trained to go on ‘missions’ which are exciting and dangerous.
The Recruit
Review by Michael, St Ambrose Barlow RC High School
James is … was an ordinary schoolboy until his gang-boss mum died and he is sent to Cherub to train as a spy.
He is sent on a mission to spy on a group of animal rights activists. Soon he discovers a plot to infect some important people with a strain of anthrax.
For those of you who like mushy kissing and stuff there is also a part when he kisses a girl named Joanna.
The recruit
Review by Tom, Irlam and Cadishead Community High School
The recruit is a fantastic story with a boy who’s life is turned round when he loses his mother and finds himself working for mI5. He under takes a major mission and pulls through. After this he undertakes many other major missions, which are in the sequels but this book is by far the best.
The recruit is a great book that I couldn’t put down. I liked it that much that I found and read the sequels.
Review by Tom, Irlam and Cadishead Community High School
Ruby Tanya is a fascinating book about a young girl and her best friend who is an asylum seeker. Her father hates all asylum seekers but she will not be separated from her best friend.
Ruby Tanya is a great book showing how it is to be an asylum seeker and why they have to flee their own countries to save their lives
Ruby Tanya
Review by Ben, St Ambrose Barlow RC High School
Ruby Tanya makes friends with an asylum seeker. Asra (the asylum seeker) may have to go back to a bad country with evil terrorists in it. Ruby Tanya tries to help her, but will it be enough?
They find out that a bomb will be set off in the village hall during a meeting where Ruby Tanya’s dad is trying to get the asylum seekers sent back. Asra tries to tell them all about the bomb but they don’t believe her. She tells them that the man who is involved has just left the room. Will they believe her now?
I really enjoyed this book and I would like to read more of Robert Swindells’ books. I liked it because it is a story that really could happen. It is a good read for children of 10 – 14.
This page was last updated on 4 October 2009
