Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down

By Jeff Kinney

I would say that this book is for younger readers but really, it could be for any age group. Though it has large writing and pictures on every page Jeff Kinney still manages to make it ridiculously funny and entertaining from start to finish.

It was all over for Greg when they met a kid who had no television or video games –he didn’t even know what they were! – And Greg’s mum sees him as a role model for Greg. Like no video games- WHAT?!

Then Greg gets a super idea; he wants to make a movie. Could this sort out all his problems? Could Greg finally become famous or will this just double his troubles?

Fish in a Tree

By Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Fish in a Tree is a brilliant book. It is written from the point of view of the main character Ally Nickerson, a troubled girl the teachers say has a bad sense of humour. She is also always in trouble, but is there more to her story?

Does she want attention or is she really having trouble but too embarrassed to ask for help? But when she gets a new teacher called Mr Daniels who seems to understand her, anything can happen. She hangs out with a girl called Keisha and a boy called Albert but she can’t bring herself to telling them the truth because who else in 6th class has trouble reading and writing?

Through the year she has to fight through bullying classmates, unkind thoughts, moving writing and much more. She thinks she is unique in a bad way but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life thinking it is stupid.

Stargirl

By Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl is a heartbreaking tale about a girl who just can’t fit in. She arrived one day in school and nearly everyone loves her from her ukulele to her pet rat, Cinnamon. She captures Leo’s heart with one smile and makes everyone laugh as she does the thing she loves most, keeping people’s chins up.

But after a disaster of a basketball season she is hated by everyone, even her closest friend, but Leo won’t give in. He thinks the only way for her to fit in is to be “normal.”

Stargirl is a brilliant book. Definitely for lovers of heartbreak, drama and a little bit of adventure. This book is great for all ages but can be appreciated more by older children. I would give it 100%, five stars out of five as it is amazing all the way to the end!

The Knife of Never Letting Go

By Patrick Ness

What if your mother and father were dead? What if you were raised by your mother’s friends until the mayor’s wrath made you flee the town?

This is what faces Todd Hewitt, the youngest person in Prentisstown when he finds something he shouldn’t have. Prentisstown is one of the many settlements in the New World. People moved there when Earth became overcrowded and started to destroy itself. The strange thing about this world is the noise. It’s not the hustle and bustle of an ordinary world like ours. You can hear everyone else’s thoughts. Well, that is until Todd finds someone with no noise. Which is impossible.

This story tells us of Todd’s adventures with this mysterious person when the whole of Prentisstown is pursuing them across the New World. I’d give this book 12 out of 10 if that was possible. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a bit of adventure, mixed with some scary and more than a touch of laughter. I think one of the best things about this book is that it`s part of a trilogy so there`s three times the laughter.