Saxby Smart Private Detective - The Curse Of The Ancient Mask And Other Case Files by Simon Cheshire

This book is about a young detective called Saxby, who has only solved minor cases, but in his first book he finds some very tough and challenging cases to solve. In his first case 'The curse of the ancient mask' a girl called Jasmine Winchester comes to Saxby for help because her dad works in an electronic company and is accused of selling secrets to a rival company. It is up to Saxby to save his friend's father's reputation. The second case is the case of the 'Mark of the purple homework' where a mischief maker destroys people's essay's and homework. So, with the help of his mate Muddy, Saxby has to save people's homework and make this mischief come to an end. In the third and final case of the book his friend from a class below comes to him with a case of a missing antique clasp which her sour tempered mum's aunt, Mrs Eileen Pither, has accused her of stealing. Saxby has to find the ancient clasp and prove his friend innocent. Will Saxby be able to solve these cases? This book is like the new cooler version of Sherlock Holmes (without the murder of course). If you want to get some proper detective stories please read the Saxby smart private detective series. This book doesn't tell you about the evidence and the method of how the case was solved, but in the middle of the book Saxby asks you questions about the different things you read throughout the case - so be attentive. With the help of his two friends George and Izzy the book becomes very thrilling as Saxby goes through all the evidence and solves the cases.

The Dragons Of Ordinary Farm by Tad Williams and Deborah Beale

Ever imagined a farm with dragons, unicorns etc? Tyler and Lucinda Jenkins used to think that there was no such place until their uncle sent them a letter to visit over to his farm, 'Ordinary Farm'. When they arrived at the farm Tyler and Lucinda think that it's going to be a normal farm with cows and sheeps etc, but they are filled with awe as they discover that the farm is full of dragons, unicorns, flying monkeys, cockatrices etc. but their uncle Gideon forbids them from telling the outside world about it. Tyler and Lucinda go exploring individually and find out about Fault Lines that take them to the past. They also find out a huge secret about the Farmhands who work at the farm. But their uncle is running out of money and a boy called Colin tries to help with those matters, but messes things up with some gangsters. So, now Tyler and Lucinda have to do something before the farms secrets are revealed. I like this book a lot, one of my personal favorites actually because it's exciting, thrilling and has a new adventure on every page. If you're the fairy tale type you can spot this book from a mile away.

This Book Is Not Good For You by Pseudonymous Bosch

Ever heard about a Tuning Fork? Oh! no! no! Not the musical Tuning Fork. I'll tell you, with the Tuning fork in his hand a chef can beat any food into any taste as long as the taster has tasted the food before. Cass and Max-Ernest have to find the Tuning Fork before the Midnight Sun's cooking comarade, Senor Hugo, does. But Senor Hugo has kidnapped Cass's mother! He wants the Tuning Fork from Cass and Max-Ernest. So, now Cass and Max-Ernest have to betray the Terces Society. The Midnight Sun are hiding in a chocolate plantation in an orphanage in Cote d'Ivoire, where they are making children work ( child labour ). Then Cass and Max-Ernest come to know that their school principal owns the Tuning Fork. So, now Cass and Max-Ernest have to get the Tuning Fork, go to Ivory Coast, save Cass's mother and the victims of child labour and stop the Midnight Sun's devious plan. This is the most intresting or I may say appetizing book of all the 3 books. In the series of Pseudonymous Bosch the writer's concepts are very good,intresting and most of all clear and mysterious.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Have you ever seen characters riding out of books? But this is what happens in this book -- the whole story revolves around a book called Inkheart. 

Mo (short for Mortimer) and Meggie, father and daughter live peacefully, when Dustfinger (an old colleague of Mo) returns and brings back some dark memories. He tells of an evil rising called Capricorn and Capricorn’s men are hunting for Mo. So, now Mo, Meggie and Dustfinger move to Elinor’s house, Mo’s-aunt-in-law. But danger is still lurking and all of a sudden a frightening thing happens; Mo is kidnapped by Capricorn’s men and their leader Basta. So, now the remaining Dustfinger, Meggie and Elinor have to go south to help Mo. They are successful in reaching Capricorn’s village, but are captured. Then, Meggie and Elinor come to know why Dustfinger has nicknamed Mo 'Silvertongue'. Mo, who has the ability to bring characters to life out of books had read Capricorn, Capricorn's men and Dustfinger out of the book Inkheart. Meggie and Elinor see the ability come true the next day, when Mo reads out and brings to life real gold from Treasure Island and Alladin. They escape safely and Elinor returns home. But afterwards, Mo is out to set things right. He has to and does find the writer of Inkheart, Fenoglio. Mo has some business with Fenoglio. 

He asks Elinor to come back, but in this time Meggie and Fenoglio get captured. 

Such breathtaking things are going to happen, you cannot even imagine. These are some pages I cannot describe. SPECTACULAR!, FABOULOUS!, BREATHTAKING! and whatever describing word is there in the world, if you got to read a book it's got to be this one.

This review has appeared on the Guardian, UK's Children's Book Site at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/apr/18/review-inkheart 

If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch

Ever heard about a Homunculus? I'll tell you -- it's a 'Man made Man' now you know. Weird huh? There's only one way to locate the Homunculus -- that is to locate the Sound Prism and find out the clues or I may say the Musical notes. You have to read this book only after you finish The Name of The Book Is Secret otherwise you won't get it. 

So this time, it's up to Cass and Max-Ernest to find the Sound Prism and locate the Homunculus (Mr. Cabbage Face). But now they are not alone. They have a new friend Yo-Yoji and as always their friend Owen from the Terces Society. And they have a surprise in store for them Yo-Yoji is from the Terces Society too!

They have to find the Sound Prism and the Homunculus, but remember the Midnight Sun is still lurking around. This is a very catchy book. Once you start reading the book you just can't stop reading until you've finished reading. The climax is very interesting but the part a little after the beginning becomes very boring, so compared to the first book this book is not as good. And, you don't get the level of excitement you get in the first book. The writer's stories are quite interesting, I also liked how in the book, the writer asks you to sign a very funny contract which he tells us to sign in blood (Tomato Ketchup - PLEASE don't try to sign in blood! He's just JOKING).
***
(My review is also available on the Guardian Children's Web Site at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/apr/15/review-reading-late )

The chronicles of Narnia- The last battle

This is the last book in the magical series of Narnia. The heroes Jill and Eustace are thrown by a great jerk into Narnia, but some terrible things have happened in Narnia. The cleverest, ugliest and the most wrinkled ape in Narnia, Shift and the most foolish of creatures, Puzzle the donkey have turned Narnia upside down. They found an old lion skin and Shift told Puzzle to pose as Aslan, the Narnian god and people from Calormen have also come to take over Narnia seeing the opportunity. Shift has told the Calormenes that their god Tash is the same as Aslan. Now it's up to king Tirian (the current king of Narnia) Jill,Eustace, Jewel (the kings horse), Poggin the dwarf and Farsight the eagle. Narnia will come to an end that you would have never thought of before. Now down to the reviews   this book is a must if you are Narnia lover, its so interesting that its not funny. I'm telling you you Got to read this book.

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

This is a story about a pickpocket called Connwear, magician Nevery, body gaurd Benet, Dutchess's daughter Rowan and the villan Crowe who live in the magical city of Wellmet.
Connwear once tries to pick a magician's pocket and almost loses his life. The magician (who, you may have guessed, was Nevery) is suprised that Connwear didn't lose his life immediately while stealing the stone in Nevery's pocket. The stone is called a Locus Magicalicus. So Nevery takes on Connwear as a apprentice but the other magicians are questioning Connwear's ability. Now, it's up to Connwear to get a Locus Magicalicus but another alarming thing begins to happen - the magical levels in Wellmet are decreasing and Connwear thinks Crowe is behind this. So it's up to Connwear and Rowan to save the day.
(I can't tell you the ending otherwise there's no fun reading the book)
My opinion on the book is that it's extremly well written, story is fine and pictures are extraodinary. Really good if you like twists and turns and excitement (includes magic). By the way there are some good biscuit recepies too at the back.

39 Clues - Sword Thief (Book 3)

This time Amy and Dan will have to go to Japan with the next clue - two short ninja swords but with a deadly alliance, Alistar Oh and Ian and Natalie Kabra, because their babysitter (au pair) got captured. So, this time they are following the famous Japanese warrior Hideyoshi. This time many things are at stake and Amy and Dan do not want to get betrayed. They have to battle some Yakuza, solve loads of puzzles, do end up getting betrayed, get almost killed, find other swords, etc. Now opinion time: a fine book - not too great but also not too bad in the middle - but if you like brainy, geometrical and Japanese sort of things you have read the right review.

(P.S. The cover’s quite cool)

The Name of This Book is Secret

In this book the author does not tell you his name (he calls himself the Pseudonymous Bosch - I hope you didn't think that is a real person's name) nor does he tell you the name of the book. After some pages you will find that two pages are filled with crosses instead of words! This page contains information about the characters that the author does not want you to know. So, the story is about this girl who's pet name is Cassandra (the author won't tell you her real name), then she makes a friend in school called Max-Ernest. He's quite a weirdo - his parents are divorced but live in one house. His father and mother divided the house down the middle - one side's for the father, the other's for the mother. The mystery begins when the children find a missing magician's diary. There's then a 400 year old witch whose the main Villain. I can't reveal anymore of the books secrets. By my opinion it is a very unusual and different book - a very well written book some people may like it as a exciting or scary but no one can deny that it is a fabulous book you must read it.
**
(My review can also be found on the Guardian Children's Website at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/apr/14/review-name-book-secret)

Percy Jackson - Sea of Monsters: Book 2

By my last review you may already know Percy - this is his second adventure. When Percy is in his new school the whole year has gone by without any vapourizing of maths teachers.(By the way Percy's mom has adopted a kid by the name of Tyson who is actually a Cyclops - a ONE EYED MONSTER but Percy doesn't know it). So on the last day he is playing dodgeball when an elderly group of kids turn into giant cannibals. So when a giant throws a ball at Percy Tyson is just in time to save Percy. Then Annabeth comes just in time to save both of them, and takes both of them to camp-half-blood. In the last review I forgot to tell you that a pine tree which is a border (a border for keeping monsters out) for the camp is actually Thalia daughter of Zeus. I can't tell you the Thalia story - you have to read the book. So the tree is weakening and the half bloods are attacked and the only way to save the camp is geting a golden fleece and to get it from a big Cyclops in the SEA OF MONSTERSSSS! Even Grover is trapped there you have to save Grover and get the fleece. This time the quest has been given to Classerie the daughter of Ares!!!!! But any way Percy follows them. Now no more.... direct to climax! They get to the island and see the fleece is on a tree which is in the middle of carnivorous sheep so now they have to save Grover. The next part is too interesting - I can't say more. Please read the book now. So to my comments: It is a well done book but not as good as Book 1: it is smaller as well but this book is also nice. Not exactly a must but fine.

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief: Book 1

Percy Jackson is a book about a Greek boy who is a half blood - half boy half god and he is the son of Posiedon, the Greek sea god. The BIG THREE of Greek mythology are not mythology in this book: the god of air Zeus,the god of water Posiedon and Hades, the god of underworld are respected the most in Olympus, the abode of the gods and are alive and real in this book. This book is the one where Zeus accuses Percy that he has stolen his Masterbolt - the most powerful weapon though he is innocent.

With his friends Annabeth, the daughter of Athena who is the goddess of wisdom and war, and Grover, a Satyar, he sets out to find the Masterbolt. Hades thinks that Percy has stolen his devil helmet. So what will Percy do? And of course Percy and his friends stay in half blood camp and are appointed for a quest to find the bolt in 10 days. By my opinion this is a very mysterious, fast and exciting book because in the starting Percy does not know that he is a son of a god until he accidently vaporises his maths teacher with a pen which turns into a sword whenever he uncaps it and always comes back to its owner wherever he loses it. Isn't that cool? After he finishes his quest his best friend Luke tries to kill him, but he escapes. A must for children above 9 years but if smaller children want to read it no problem.

39 Clues Book 1: Maze of Bones

Dan and Amy Cahill are at the death ceremony of their Aunt Grace. The most richest Cahill of the most richest and mysterious family in the world. They are given an option of a clue or a million dollars. Dan and Amy Cahill would choose a clue. Now they are in a race against their family in order to become the most powerful person in the world. And it is called the 39 clues because whoever gets the 39 clues will be the most powerful man in history. A book which will take you ahead from the limits of excitement. A best seller by my opinion a book for children and adults alike. Its fast and tricky, made exciting because if they make a mistake their chance is gone. The cards inside are cool.A fun, dangerous, adventurous book.