Adventure, Mystery, Suspense.........Room 4's Literacy Circle Book Reviews

Too Many Secrets

Written by Adele Broadbent

Book Review

Becs is a sassy 12-year-old drama queen. Who as usual has only listened to half the story. All she heard was something about moving away to the bush with her step-dad, step-sister and her mum for a few months to do up some old mansion then come back and go to her dream school Ascot High. But really it may not be just a few months. Becs arrived at the elegant country house, with long drops, many bugs and the odd giant birds. She is very miserable and sure enough lets everyone know with her usual stomp-offs. But once she’s been around, she discovers a hidden secret, a runaway boy who is tragically living in the bush without his family! This is a funny, sad, great 12-year-old girls book that reveals a super secret. But I can’t tell you any more because it’s all for you to find out.

By Chloe Rogers

Cry Of The Taniwha-Book Review

Cry Of The Taniwha is an interesting book written by Des Hunt (a New Zealand Author).

Matt is the main character he is a normal young boy he moves from Dunedin to Rotorua to visit his grandparents for the school holidays.  He assumed it would be normal, but it was the exact opposite. Jackson (Juzza) is a boy that likes to be involved in gangs. He lives next to Matt's grandparents, when he peers over the fence Matt and Jackson take a little encouragement but eventually form a bond. Skulla is the gang leader he treats everyone like they don’t really matter and he gets them to do robberies and crimes for him. Eve, she is a girl that is intelligent and smart she likes investigating and researching.

The book is set in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Matt Logan isn’t looking forward to spending the school holidays with his grandmother and her new husband. He has to fly to Rotorua, where he doesn’t know anybody but his grandmother, and he’s a bit wary of his new step-grandfather. All Matt knows is that he’s Māori and a bus driver.

Along with his worries, Matt packs his prized possession a homemade metal detector, because, you never know, he might find something valuable. What he finds is Jackson (Juzza), who lives over the back fence and wants to join a local gang. When the boys find a handcuffed skeleton, a chain of events begin to unfold around them. Together they are thrown into a deadly search for treasure when the local gang boss decides to Take their find for himself.

I enjoyed the book, it really made me get up and read it. I would recommend it to people that enjoy adventure and action. It would rate it a 9/10 because I think that at the end it didn’t tell you if the stone in the nest was the rothery stone and I think that is a big factor in the book. I would recommend it for 10 to 15 age group and if you like a book that intrigues you and makes you want to read more.

By Jack Tait