I have read Barbara Else's book, The Queen and the Nobody Boy, an entry in the New Zealand Post Book Awards (Junior Fiction).
Hodie is the name of the Nobody Boy - he is a not-noticed boy who has to do the worst jobs in the castle and just gets scraps of food. He runs away to make a better life for himself. The Queen, who is called Sibilla, only 12 years old, decides to run away with Hodie.
I felt this book didn't hold my attention because the plot moved quite slowly for me, but I did enjoy the descriptions.
Barbara Else has edited several short story collections in our library.
Last year her entry in the New Zealand Post Book Awards was
The Travelling Restaurant.
I have read this book and I quite liked it.
Angel is a very nasty girl who does very bad things. I can't tell you what they are because that will spoil the story for you. Most of the story is set on her cousin's farm.
At the end of each chapter, I wanted to read more, but I would have found it more exciting if the descriptions were more detailed and the problem in the story could have been resolved sooner.
I think that girls in Years 4 to 6 would enjoy reading about Angel.
My name is Elise, and I am 10 years old.
I have read this book and I think it is one of the best books I have ever read.
The main character, Sophie travels on a train to Russia. Sophie and her travel companions were left on the train, but then rescued by a Russian Princess.
I love this book so much because unexpected things happened. I didn't think the story would turn out the way it did. The ending was exciting as you find out what happens to Sophie.
This story is best for 9 to 13 year old girls who enjoy realistic fantasies.
I am Christina, Year 6. I have just read this new book and I think it is quite a funny story. Milly is a 10 year old girl who has a disastrous bedroom - her dirty clothes and discarded toys are all over her floor. Milly's Mum makes her tidy her room and Milly finds 3 Chittens hiding under her bed.
If you want to find out what Chittens are, if you are between 8 and 12 years old and enjoy chapter books, you will find this an interesting book.
I look forward to reading the next in the series, Chittens in trouble.
Did you know that Julie Scott is a New Zealand author, and this is her first published book.
