Book reviews

Press, 29 August 1989, Page 18

Book reviews

By

ANDREW SMITH

Aged 8 Home-schooler “The Clothes Horse” By Janet and Allan Ahlberg I would like to recommend a book called “The Clothes Horse” by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. It has lots of funny stories in it. The one I liked best was about a lady who put pieces of her life in boxes in a safe and called them her life savings. When she got old she got them out one by one and she was young again for a while. There is also a story called “The Jack Pot” about a giant who is plagued with Jacks. People who like the “Ha-ha Bonk Book” and “Jeremiah in the Dark Woods” will like this book. “The Battle of Bubble and Squeak,” by Phillipa Pearce What do you do when you’re given a couple of gerbils — little desert rats — and your mother just doesn’t like animals? “The Mouse Butcher,” by Dick King-Smith Life was sweet and Tom was happy — but Great Mog plans a murderous revenge on unwitting Tom. “Shakespeare Theatre Cat,” by Carolyn Sloan

Read about Shakespeare’s career as a

theatre cat with his sudden rise to stardom in this really funny story. "Jeffy, the Burglar’s Cat,” by Ursula Moray Williams Nobody, seeing Miss Amity and her little cat walking down the street to the library on a Saturday morning, would have believed that Miss Amity was a burglar. By SARAH STEWART Aged 10 “A Little Princess” by Sarah Crewe. This book is written by Frances Hodgson Burnett and a television series — “A Little Princess” — has been based on the story. It all starts when Sara is left at Miss Minchin’s select school for young ladies. She is well liked — that is until the terrifying news — Sara’s father has died. Broken hearted Sara turns from the rich little girl she was into a maid for Miss Minchin. Sara dreams of her life as a princess but it seems she will never be the same again ... will she? If you want to find out read this enjoyable book. By HANNAH ALLINGTON Aged 9 NOEL STREATFIELD I am a great fan of Noel Streatfield’s books. I have read: “Thursday’s Child," “The Circus is Coming,” “Caldicott

Place,” “When the Siren Wailed,” “Ballet Shoes for Anna,” “Curtain up,” “The Painted Garden” and “Apple Bough.”

I am going to read more of her books and I hope other children will start to read and enjoy her books too. Most of the stories are set around acting, ballet, music, moving house, when a dog has to stay behind and sick fathers.

I really enjoy them because a lot of them have meanings and they are very funny and exciting to read. I would recommend them for boys and girls aged eight to 10 years. By ANNABEL BARRON Aged 10

“Baby Island” is full of fun and adventure. After rescuing the babies, Elisha and Eliyah, aged 20 months, Johah aged 4 months and Ann Elizabeth, aged 1 year old, the children find themselves on a tropical island- in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Mary and Jean, aged 12 and 10, just love babies and just as well when they are led to a pirate who treats Ann Elizabeth like his own child.

I really enjoyed “Baby Island” and hope that you will enjoy it too. Try and find this book at either your public library or school librarv