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Children's Book Club

The next book club meeting takes place on Wednesday, December 2.

The children's book club (for 7 - 12 year olds) meets at St Kilda Library on the first Wednesday of each month from 4.15 - 5.30pm.

Do you enjoy reading? Do you like to talk about your favourite books and authors? Would you like to find out about the latest books? Want your reviews published on the website?

Then join the LIGHTNING READERS!!  
 

and, introducing the REALLY awards!!!!

You'll soon get the hang of the sliding scale - it goes like this:

REALLY good
REALLY, REALLY good
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good

Of course, 5 REALLYs are what all authors should 'aspire' to!!!!!
 

 

September's Reviews and Recommendations (finally!!)

Daniel:
The mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Starts off pretty good, it's well written, even though it starts off not very exciting. Main character is an orphan - he has a tutor, they read the newspaper together where they find an article about a special opportunity. It's a competition with a series of tests. He does the first test, and does it easily - each test gets harder. He meets the other contestants and in the end they all pass. They join a group run by Mr Benedict who sends them on a secret mission. There are mysterious developments. They decide to call themselves "the mysterious Benedict Society". The chapters are long but they hold your attention so you want to finish each chapter. But you can put it down halfway through if you want to!
4.5 really's

 

Julia:
The name of this book is secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
This is about a girl who is different, who meets another girl who is different. In the story there is a box with tubes in it which is called a symphony of spells - it is a mystery.
5 really's

 

Jonathan:
Wolf brother - Chronicles of ancient darkness, bk 1 by Michelle Paver
It's about a boy called Torak - his father dies by the 'hands' of a demon bear and his quest is to kill the bear. The story builds up tension.
5 really's

Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
About a boy scavenger who lives on the street and steals a magician's stone. He becomes a magician's apprentice and the stone is a big emerald.
5 really's

Daniel recommended this to Jonathan and he says "This is about magic things you get your power from. Wizards might call to you so that you find your magic, but this boys' magic is special and belongs to the queen at the time and the emerald is on her necklace - he has to steal it.

 

Brigit:
The astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation by M. T. Anderson
Really good - really well written. About a person called Octavian who doesn't have a surname. He lives in a big house with professors and his mother. All the professors are not called by their names, but have numbers. Set in an old fashioned time.
4.5 really's

 

Daisy:
The magic in the weaving by Tamora Pierce
Just started series "Circle of magic" by Tamora Pierce. It's a quartet and the first book is "The magic in the weaving". All the characters have a different kind of magic - there is a boy thief who fends for himself and changed his name to Briar and he has green magic - Sandy has weaving magic (she ends up saving them all) - Triss has water magic and Daja has metal magic. There is a huge earthquake detected on its way - they are all brought together in the temple called Winding Circle Temple.

About the author - a girl at school, Matilda Bosley (who just won the Write Festival writing competition) is raving about the Beka Cooper quartet - Tamora Pierce's lastest one - and Linda says she's met Tamora Pierce and that she has a fantastic website (click here to go to it) and that she's very funny.
5 really's - anyway, back to The magic in the weaving!

 

Ella:
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Ella's read 3 books recently - Invisible girl; Coraline and Anne of Green Gables. She talked about Coraline - it's creepy, scary and weird and the whole point of the story seems to be about wanting a new mother and she goes through a door and there's a mother that she thinks is perfect - but is she?
4 really's

 

Edie:
Beatle meets destiny by Gabrielle Williams
This is actually teenage fiction about 15 year old twins - it's really good (recently launched).

She's also been reading the series "All about Rachel" by Sarah Mlwnowski - the 1st book in the series is called Bras & broomsticks, the 2nd is called Frogs & French kisses. About a girl called Rachel and her sister Miri who is 12. Rachel finds out Miri is a witch and can do spells. In the first book she gets Miri to help her become a great dancer, and the second involves a love potion.
5 really's

 

Violet:
Don't call me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer
Violet says this is for mature readers. The boy's 15 (there's a bit of swearing in it) - he's been bullied by Barry Bagsley the school bully. About two fifths through the story a guy comes to school and he has to have something taken out - it's a tumour - but they also removed his fear! This boy starts a debating team - Ishmael goes into it and so do others - a boy that's into videos, one into "chicks", and a quiet boy called Bill Kingsley who ends up being one of the most powerful speakers. Their team does very well against a girls school. One girl is very beautiful, and he ends up fainting!
4.9 really's 

 

and now for something really new - Violet's Horoscopes!

This month Violet took her inspiration from the crumbs in an empty chip packet!

Scorpio - you will find salmon caviar on a suit of armour

 

Cancer - you will find you are trekking on a long journey through the sandy places of Africa. You will ride on a camel called Wilbur Jeremy Jenkins

 

Leo - you will find clay on your sore red finger which will signify that a handsome stranger is coming forth

 

Virgo - you will find that eucalpytus is a very good smell and this will signify that it's spring

 

Aquarius - you will find that corn is very good with potatoes and this will signify that you are ready for mustard

 

Aries - if you are a girl you will have a nice day for the next month, but boys will not

 

Gemini - you will find that seaweed is good

 

(sorry, our illustrious 'astrologer' only reads the signs represented on the day!)

 

All-time Favourite Comfort Books

Howl's Moving Castle
Castle in the Air
Hardy Boys
Fiddle-back
Ballad of Cauldron Bay
Tale of Despereaux (Brigit's favourite - read 20 times)

Looking for something else? Check out the library catalogue.
 

Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for Port Phillip Library Service.