These are some of the Book Reviews that have been sent in by users of the Ambleside Primary School Website and Intranet. If you want to add one - just use our Book Review Form
Reviewer: Joshua
Book: Michael Schumacher, Driven To Extremes
Author: James Allen
Type: Non Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls & Boys
Age: adult
Review: This book is a biography about Michael Schumacher's Formula 1 career. It is written by ITV's pit lane commentator, James Allen so all of the informaion is from an experienced person. The book contains swearing and mental (and a little bit of physical) violence so not for the very faint hearted! It talks about his 1980's Mercedes sportscar career with fellow racing drivers: Jorg Muller and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. It has pieces of extremely complicated post-race press conferences. It goes right through his Benetton career where he was world champion twice (1994,1995), Damon Hill's Championship success, Jacques Villenueve's championship win and Mika Hakkinens storming double headers in 98 and 99. It also talks about him braking his right leg at the 2nd gear, 68mph right hander at Silverstone when his Irish teammate Eddie Irvine blocked him. I like the book because I love motorsport and have never read a biography before so I thought it was brilliant. I liked every bit of! it from beginning to end so well done James Allen! It was so good I want to read it again somtime next year.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0-553-81214-9
Reviewer: Tarn
Book: Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone.
Author: J. K. Rowling.
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: It doesn't tell you about the title of the the book until you get to the end of the book. I think the Philosophers stone is very good for people who have good quality reading or have some parents who have spare time to read it to you. The Philosophers stone is all about Harry Potter when he goes to his new school and he learns how to play Quidditch and is made the champion of it. He makes a good friend called Hagrid, and Hagrid has a dog that is not any dog it is a giant dog with 3 heads. And it is on a mission to keep the Philosophers stone safe. I can't tell you anymore so you'll have to read it yourself.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: o0-7475-3274-5
Reviewer: Rachel
Book: The giraffe who could not walk
Author: Ben Butterworth
Type: Fiction
Pictures: many
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: It is about a giraffe who could not walk so he went to ask his friends . The first one that he met was a parrot the giraffe asked the parrot what he would do if he had hurt his leg .The parrot was not very helpful because he said I would fly . Then he met a centipede he was not much help Ither because he said I will walk on my other legs. Just after that he met a chimpanzee but he was the same as the rest .But this time the chipanzee said I will swing from tree to tree till I get there . Then he met a lion who was the lion said I will roar un till he hears me.After that he met an owl who dont be silly giraffe they didn,t help you at all they just told you what they would do.come on lets go parrot, chimpanzee,centipede and lion lets go and tell giraffes uncle. When they got back they brought back giraffs uncle. The end
Rating: excellent
Reviewer: Tarn
Book: Sleepover Book
Author: Various
Type: Non Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls
Age: 9 - 11
Review: It starts in America. It is a party and a girl and her boyfriend are driving home, when the car engine stops. The boy sees a light in the distsnce and leaves the girl in the car. The girl turns the radio on in time to here a news-flash saying that a lunatic had escaped from jail and was somewhere around where they are. She quickly locks the doors, when she heres banging on the roof, she gets more scared when she heres it getting louder. To her relief a police car arives in front of her, they told her to get out of the car and not to look back, if she looked back what she would of seen would of haunted her for her life, on the top of her car was the lunatic with her boyfriend's head banging it on the roof ! I think the book was really good but I also think it is a bit to violent for primary school children. This book might scare you. So if you want to buy it you'd better think about it first because you don't want to scare yourself (Do you ? ). ( This book comes from a magazine called SHOUT )
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: N/A
Reviewer: Jessie
Book: Alanna The First Adventure
Author: Tamora Pierce
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls Age: 11 - 13
Review: This book is so excellent! It is funny and exhilarating. It is a fantasy and people have magic of their own called the 'Gift' and each persons gift is a different colour.The book is about a girl called Alanna who disguises herself as a boy to go and train to be a knight.She makes an unusual set friends including a King of Thieves and a Prince.It is all about her advevtures and will keep you riveted all the way through.
Rating: AWESOME!
Reviewer: James
Book: Dead Of The Night
Author: Steve Jackson And Jan Livingstone
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: It's a Fighting Fantasy book and it's one of the best along with Freeway Fighter. It's got real nasty creatures. We've got a lot of these books in school and loads of year four are reading them. There is no alternatives to this.
Rating: good
ISBN: 0-14-034456-x
Reviewer: Jade
Book: James and the giant peach
Author: ROALD DAHL
Type: Fiction
Pictures: many
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: I like James and the giant peach beacuse it has lots of adventure in it .
Rating: excellent
Reviewer: Emily
Book: The Railway cat and the ghost
Author: Phyllis arkle
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 7 - 9
Review: Well he`s a railway cat called Alfie and his owner is Fred there`s another worker called Hack .Alfie and Hack don`t like each other.Once Alfie went on a holiday to the farm and Fred was wondering were he was. Hack had to go and find him but he never did .Then one night he went again and then when he`d just got half way there he saw a horse ghost and he ran all the way back.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0-340-6999-30
Reviewer: Philippa
Book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Author: J.K.Rowling
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: A boy who thinks he is an ordinary boy. Until he goes to Hogwarts. Harry has two friends. Their names are Ron & Hermione.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0-7475-3274-5
Reviewer: Callum
Book: Goliath and the burglar
Author: Terrance Dicks
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 7 - 9
Review: It's about a boy callled David who begs Mum and Dad to get him a dog.Finaly his mum and dad let him have a dog so they go down to the pet shop and buy him a dog,but all the dogs were pedigree-dogs and are all very expensive except for one who is all scruffy(and a bit of a runt)and so they buy him.after David has had him quite a long time and he gets massive.One Saturday morning Davids Mum and Dad go out shopping and a burglar breaks in and steels some things from the land lady but david and Goliath stop him but Goliath gets all the credit.
Rating: good
ISBN: 0 340 37239 7
Reviewer: Charlotte and Rachel
Book: Magic makers
Author: Theodore clymer and priscilla holton neff
Type: Non Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 7 - 9
Review: It is about a troll who is always scaring animals like the crow the cow the dog and the cats the snake tin of peas and a tray of ashes and a jar of neadels. Then all of the animals get ther own back on the Troll
Rating: very good
Reviewer: Alex
Book: Tales of the British Isles & Ireland
Author: Told by kenneth MCleish
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 7 - 9
Review: In the days when vinegar was sweet, Nora peggoty lived in a vinegar bottle. she was old and ugly and never satisfied and spent her days swimming in the syrupy vinegar or pressing her nose against the glass to look at the outside world and complain. One day a fairy was passing the vinegar bottle when she heard Nora muttering inside vinegar bottle vinegar bottle! vinegar bottle! who wants to live in a vinegar bottle then she said if I had five wishes, I know just what I'd choose.'' five wishes?'' said the fairy in surprise. most people make do with three.'' five said Nora five she meant,'' then the fairy said ''All right then, five you shall have Hold your nose, turn round and wish three times and wish.'' I wish I lived in a porridge-plate at last the vinegar-bottle disappeared, and found her self in a porridge-plate then the fairy went north, south, east and west about her busiuess, and then came back to Nora again and found her sitting on the edge of the plate swinging her legs and muttering to her self porridge plate!
Rating: AWESOME!
Reviewer: Wayne
Book: Five On A Treasure Island
Author: Enid Blyton
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: The best and most exciting Famous Five book. Brothers Julian and Dick and their sister Anne go to visit their cousin Georgina (who likes to be known as George) and her dog Timmy at Kirrin Cottage by the sea. Visiting the mysterious Kirrin Island they fall into a wonderful adventure together, full of danger and thrills. This was the first of Enid Blyton's Famous Five series...
Rating: excellent
Reviewer: Callum
Book: Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons (in a book of 7 stories)
Author: Walter R Brooks
Type: Fiction
Pictures: many
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 7 - 9
Review: It was is a funny story about a boy called Jimmy who makes freinds with a ghost.When Jimmy first saw the ghost he managed to scare it so it gets anxious because he thinks Jimmy might spread the story and give ghosts a bad name.So the ghost does a deal with Jimmy and teaches him to vanish and Jimmy dosent tell anybody.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0 602 23081 0
Reviewer: Jade
Book: A Touch of Magic - Flat Stanley
Author: Jeff Brown
Type: Fiction
Pictures: many
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: I think this book is really good because it had lots of pictures in and I found it was quite funny. It was very interesting, and it was funny when Arthur blew up Fat Stanley with a bicycle pump.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0 602 24082 4
Reviewer: Emma-louise
Book: The Perfect Pony
Author: Michelle Bates
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls Age: 9 - 11
Review: Sandy Lane stables is having problems. Three ponies are lame.Alex Hardy thinks he's got the perfect solution, but soon finds that he's let himself in for a whole lot more than he bargained for.
Rating: excellent
ISBN: 07460 3329
Reviewer: Barnaby
Book: The Magician's Nephew
Author: C.S Lewis
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: The whole adventure begins when Digory and Polly find themselves in Uncle Andrew's secret study. But when Uncle Andrew tricks Polly into touching the magic ring, she vanishes into the Other World. Digory determines to go in search for her. All of their adventures follow on from this.
Rating: excellent
Reviewer: colin
Book: Goosebumps invasion of the Body Squeezers
Author: R.l. Stine
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Boys
Age: 9 - 11
Review: the body squeezers hug you tighter and tighter until your really thin and then stick thirty cm nails into your back and then you are an alien!
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0 590 113663
Reviewer: Melissa
Book: My Best Fiend
Author: Sheila Lavelle
Type: Fiction
Pictures: none
For: Girls Age: 7 - 9
Review: There were two girls who are best friends. One of them always saves the day. Her name is Angela and her best friend is called Charlie. One time a lion escaped from the circus and it was all over the town. The news reporters said that it is very tame and it is not likely that it will kill anyone. Well Angela thought that it was great because it might come and gobble you up while you were asleep. Charlie thought it was terrible. The next day Angela saw something in the back garden and she went out to have a look. There it lay fast aleep the lion was laying in the back garden. Angela called the police and the circus straight away. They came and got the lion and took him away. The man gave them 5 free tickets to go and see the next show. When they went they all agreed that it was the best show they had ever seen!
Rating: OK
ISBN: 0 14 03. 7182 6
Reviewer: Barnaby
Book: Freeway Fighter (adventure gamebook)
Author: Ian Livingstone
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Boys Age: 9 - 11
Review: YOUR mission is to cross wilderness to the far-distant oil-refinery at San Anglo and bring vital supplies back to the peaceful town of New Hope. Even in the armed Dodge Interceptor you are given, the journey wild and perilous. WILL YOU SURVIVE?
Rating: excellent
ISBN: 0-14-031710-4
Reviewer: Rebecca
Book: Theres no such thing as a dragon
Author: Jack Kent
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 5 to 7
Review: I like this book because the dragon grew bigger and bigger and he could hardly fit in the house
Rating: excellent
ISBN: 0216 917123
Reviewer: Alasdair
Book: THE HUNDRED MILE AN HOUR DOG
Author: Jeremy Strong
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls & Boys
Age: 5 to 7
Review: There is a dog called Streaker and she is very fast.Streaker has an owner called Trevor.There is a big horrible boy called Charlie Smugg.Trevor and Charlie made a bet having somthing to do with frogspawn
Rating: excellent
ISBN: 0-140-38030-2
Reviewer: Jennifer
Book: Kit and the magic kite.
Author: Helen Cooper
Type: Fiction
Pictures: many
For: Girls
Age: 5 to 7
Review: There is a little cat called kit. One day he sees a kite.It gets tangled in a tree.The kite lands on a roof top.Kit was the king of the alley cats. Kit sees some warrior cats.
Rating: excellent
ISBN: 0552524964
Reviewer: Clarity
Book: Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Type: Fiction
Pictures: some
For: Girls
Age: 7 - 9
Review: Matilda is kind of magic.Her family hate her but her class teacher doesn't at the end the rest of her family go to America so Matilda stays with her class teacher.
Rating: AWESOME!
ISBN: 0-14-03275-9-2