Book Reviews   Sabriel By Garth Nix Review by Jack Rose Sabriel lives in a boarding school called Wyverly College in Ancelstierre. One night a messenger was sent to Sabriel from the land of the dead. It was from Abhorsen her father. It told her that her father was in grave danger and needed her help. The messenger gave a bag of her father’s belongings to her then disappeared. Join Sabriel as she battles the enchanted Old Kingdom to save her father, will she do it…? Sabriel is a great book but a very challenging read. If you like fantasy books you will love this. This book is not the type for a quick read. Sabriel has brilliant description. I will recommend it to anyone. Age 13 onwards Boys and Girls 4 and a half stars       Dream Machine by Judy Anne Laws   Dream machine is about a girl named Demelza who moves into Ringlet a small country town in the Wheat Belt. She moves into her late granddads home. In the home there is a locked up basement. With her four friends they set off to find the key. When they eventually find it they unlock the basement to find all sorts of inventions but one is the most peculiar, a dream machine. Unlock the adventure and thrills in this cracking book. Soon you will be wishing you had a dream machine It was filled with suspense the whole way. Some boys and most girls. Aged 10-15 4 stars Jack Rose Gone by Michael Grant    Ever wished your parents would disappear sometimes? Well in Perdido Beach it actually happens. Something odd occurs when all people aged 15 or over vanish into thin air. Sam Temple teams up with his friends to unravel this mystery which has them on wild goose chase with many twists and turns, especially when they find a electric barrier around their town. Will Sam ever find his parents or will he never see them again and what makes these kids so special? Not all questions will be answered because it is the first of new series. I liked this book because it had all the things I like, adventure, mystery, supernatural and action. It had a well based plot which results in a gripping read. The only thing I’d change is to get it into the main plot a bit quicker. Look out for a brilliant ending. I’d recommend this book for boys and some girls aged between 11 and 16. Rated 4and a half stars.     Maximum Security by Robert Muchmore. Reviewed by Jack Rose.   How can it be Maximum Security is even better than the first two Cherub books which I thoroughly enjoyed? This thrilling action packed sequel is about a 13 year old boy called James who is sent on a daring mission by a secret organisation called Cherub to Arizona Maximum Security Prison. Whilst in Arizona Max James must think up a cunning plan to deceive murderer inmate Curtis so that Curtis will lead the FBI to his gun trafficking mum. Can James bust Curtis out and convince him he is a bad guy too? Or will it go horribly wrong for the secret agent. James is an orphan with a sense of adventure. Lovers of Alex Rider will enjoy this series of books. I would love to have his experiences. The book is brilliant, a gripping read with lots of action. I would recommend this book for kids from 10 to 14   Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery. Reviewed by Jack Rose.   What a disaster! Poor Geronimo Stilton, the most non sporty mouse in the whole world has to file a report on the Olympic Games in Athens, the home of the Olympic Games. This all comes about because his sister Thea cannot go there. Geronimo, being a good brother, reluctantly decides to go to Athens believing that as normally happens he will manage to sniff out a good mystery to get his whiskers twitching. Should he find one though what will it involve and will he be able to get to the bottom of it? Being a great fan of this ingenious little mouse I eagerly read this book. I am pleased to say that this mystery lived up to its usual high standard. It was full of intrigue and adventure. It also kept me guessing until the finishing line. For all you sports fans, there are plenty of facts about the Games at the back of the book for you to add to your general knowledge and surprise your friends with. I award the author a gold medal for this tale and recommend it to readers of seven years and up. I give it 4 stars out of 5 stars !     Triskellion by Will Peterson. Review by Jack Rose.   Rachel and Adam find themselves on a train going to a village called Triskellion in England, to stay with their Grandmother. When they arrive at the village nothing appears to be normal and everywhere is deserted. There is not a soul in sight, just two bicycles with their names on. Feeling a little scared they decide to go and find their Grandmother’s house. This was easier said than done. They soon find themselves lost although it does not take them long to find themselves back in the village once again. This time there are people there and they are very friendly towards them. When they arrive at Grandma’s they explain to her what has happened. That night they wake up to see a strange man in a chalk circle outside. They decide to explore this bizarre sighting not realizing that they should not have witnessed a lot of things that they had seen since their arrival. Will Rachel and Adam get to the bottom of the strange events that take place during their stay or will they get caught up in a scary mystery and wish that they were back in New York? Although this book was not my favourite mystery book that I have read I am sure that other readers will find it a gripping read. If you like reading spooky stories then I recommend this book to you. It will suit readers aged 10 - 14 years. I give the book * * * stars out of * * * * * stars.     How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell   Surely no-one can really tame a dragon! Will Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third succeed his dream to become one of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe? He has to complete a successful mission of taming a dragon or face being exiled to a far away land. His troubles begin when he realises his chosen dragon has no teeth. He only has four months to whip him into shape and prove to everyone he is not a wimp. How To Train Your Dragon was a fabulous read, I couldn’t put it down. It was full of adventure - but I’m glad I’m not a Viking!! I think boys aged 10 to 14 will enjoy this book the most and perhaps some girls too! Three and a half stars. Jack Rose     Duncan Ball Profile By Jack Rose.   Duncan writes books for kids such as Selby the Talking Dog. Duncan wasn't a good reader as a boy. He didn't start reading a lot until he was in his teens. He wrote his first Selby book in his thirties. He has a cat named Jasper. Duncan Ball might have a talking cat as well, as Jasper typed I Kan tawk (I can talk) on the computer. Duncan gets help from Selby who tells Duncan the storys. Selby is a great character because he is humourous and has funny adventures.  We have the complete set of Duncan Ball Selby titles!     Public Enemy Number Two by Anthony Horowitz   Nick Diamond gets framed for a jewel robberty that he doesn't commit. This wasn't just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time - there was more to it than that. How was he to clear his name while stuck in prison? Whilst he didn't think that sharing a cell with Johnny Powers, Public Enemy Number One was a good thing, maybe Johnny could help him prove his innocence. Would he help? I like this book because it was a thriller with non stop action. It was a gripping read. I couldn't put the book down. Ages 9 - 14. Boys and girls can read this book. Five stars out of five. Jack Rose.   King of the Beasts by Fiona McIntosh   Saxten becomes king.He sets off on a quest to find a dragon named Coravel. If he finds Coravel hehas to pass 5 tests. Can Saxten find the dragon and defeat Severo the evilsorcerer? It was a great read.I didn’t know what was going to happen next. Good for 8-11 year old people. Iliked the shapeshifter characters because they change into birds. Four stars out of five. The Mansions of the Gods. Written by René Goscinny. Illustrated by Albert Uderzo.   In Rome 55BC Julius Caesar asked his slaves to clear the forest around the Gaul Village which provides food for the Gauls. Will Asterix and Obelix come to the rescue with the super human srength potion before Caesar builds flats around the Gaul Village? Great read, funny, exciting story, clever. If you enjoy this one you'll enjoy the rest. Boys and girls will like it, all ages. 4 and a half stars out of 5. Asterix and Obelix Series I really like this series of books because they are adventurous and they are good friends. Obelix is a gentle giant. He has a little dog called Dogmatix. Asterix is often helped by Obelix when he gets into trouble.