Book Reviews 2016

Mrs D. L. Kenworthy

Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo by Christiane F. This book is set in Berlin in the 1980's and tells the story of a young girl who gets in with the wrong crowd and falls into bad ways. I particularly enjoyed it as I read it in German whilst living in Berlin.

Autobiographies and biographies are my favourite genre.

Mr T. Musiol

SPQR: A HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME by Mary Beard (Professor of Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge) SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus: ‘The Senate and People of Rome’) is a fresh look at Roman history, covering about 1,000 years and exploring not only how Rome grew from an insignificant village in central Italy to a superpower that controlled territory from Spain to Syria, but also how the Romans thought about themselves and their achievements, as well as the importance of this to us today. Since the Renaissance and before, many of our most fundamental assumptions about citizenship, responsibility, power, political violence, empire, luxury and beauty have been formed and tested in relation to the Romans and their writings. As well as being a scholarly, yet immensely readable book, Mary Beard’s work also includes the kind of stories that lure students to study classics in the first place. Polybius, the Greek historian (c. 200 – c. 118 BC) whilst held hostage in Rome, shrewdly observed when describing the Roman Republic: “Who could be so indifferent or so idle that they did not want to find out how, and under what kind of political organisation, almost the whole of the inhabited world was conquered and fell under the sole power of the Romans in less than fifty-three years, something previously unparalleled?”

Miss L Keegan

The sound of Laughter by Peter Kay An easy read and very comical

Mrs C Jones

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte It is quite gothic in places and Heathcliff is a very dark and sinister character. He commits terrible things but the reader can't help sympathise with him too.

Mrs Cockcroft

The Throwaway Children by Diney Costeloe This is the fictional story (though based on accounts of similar situations) of two sisters sent first to an English, then an Australian orphanage in the aftermath of World War 2. I was unable to put the book down and was frustrated, appalled and devastated by the events that happened to the two girls as they were swept away from everything they knew by the careless and selfish decisions of the adults in the story. I read this last during last summer holiday with my own daughters and I’ve been a better mum ever since.

Mr Owens

If This Is A Man - The Truce by Primo Levi The experiences of this holocaust survivor and his experiences following liberation are not a comfortable read. However the lessons are strong and pertinent; especially in the context of conflict, refugees and what happens when society dehumanises those who are different. As a reader, you can cling to the uplifting moments when humanity and decency can challenge in the darkest of times.

Mr Cookson

Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Melba Pattillo was a 15 year old girl when she wrote the diaries of her experiences of being one of the nine black students who went to the all-white Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, America.

Her diary entries tell the harrowing stories of the day-to-day racism, cruelty and violence that was endured by herself and the rest of the group as all they tried to do was go to school and get an education.

The American Civil Rights campaign, led by Martin Luther King, was a momentous time in America’s recent history and this book shows the true courage and endurance of someone so young.

A truly awe inspiring book – I honesty do not think I could have persevered under the face of so much hostility and hatred.

Mrs A Porteous

The Marble Collector by Cecilia Ahern A lovely story about a man who suffers memory loss due to a stroke, his Daughter finds a marble collection that belongs to him, she knew nothing about it as it was his secret

Mr D. Moon

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding Lord of the Flies is one of my favourite novels because I still remember studying it for my GCSEs. My teacher told our class to read it over the summer holidays (before we started year ten) and once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I particularly enjoy the rich descriptions of the landscape, the vivid characterisation of the different boys and also how Golding used symbolism throughout the novel to deliver a poignant, timeless and truly shocking message. I thoroughly recommend it!

Mr G. Hind

Outlaw Chronicles (Robin Hood) by Angus Donald .The historical details of the life of a soldier during the period 1112AD and the history and connection between Normandy in France and England during this period

Mrs Brown

The Death Cure by James Dashner The third book of the Mazerunner series is action packed and tense.

Mr B. O'Reilly

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on that gut instinct of right and wrong, and distinguishes it from just following the law. Even the titular quote: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" is in itself an allegory for this message. Being in itself a generic message, the idea of 'doing what's right' obviously has a different meaning depending on when and where you're reading the book. If you take 1960, when the book was written, America was in a state of ethical development as social inequality was - very gradually being overcome. Women's rights and black rights movements were beginning to emerge and some campaigned through violence.

Mrs C Horridge

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper I started reading this book in December with my son. The story is very atmospheric and tells the story of Will, a boy, who discovers, on his 11th birthday, that he has special abilities and must use them to fight the powers of Darkness which threaten a snowbound England. We enjoyed the fact that the story takes place at Christmas and the mysterious characters on both sides of the battle.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

Mr I Battarbee

Natural Born Heroes: The Lost Secrets of Strength & Endurance by Christopher McDougall This book is set in Berlin in the 1980's and tells the story of a young girl who gets in with the wrong crowd and falls into bad ways. I particularly enjoyed it as I read it in German whilst living in Berlin.

Autobiographies and biographies are my favourite genre.

Mr Jackson

One Chance: My Life and Rugby by Josh Lewsey A detailed insight into the difficult life decisions a professional rugby player has to make.

Mr M. Garraway

Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman A very interesting view on religion and loss of innocence when growing up. A brilliant read and one that I would thoroughly recommend!

Mrs S Heenan

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown The mysterious set of circumstances and the way the plot unfolds kept me gripped all the way through this book. A storyline that keeps you guessing is the best thing about reading!

Mrs Sherrington

A Touch of Frost by RD Wingfield It is well written, funny and gives a true insight into the police force.

Mr J. Welsby

The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 by Wladyslaw Szpilman It gave an insight into how people cope with extreme trauma.

Mr G Peacock

Flintoff Second Innings by Ed Smith A role model of mine who conquered the cricketing world despite battling his inner demons and tendency to get drunk! A story about how desire and strength of character can succeed over talent. An Inspiration!

Mrs G Parkes

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver It is a chilling exploration of the reasons why people commit horrific crimes. Kevin is a teenager, who one day shoots several of his classmates at school and is now in prison. This book is told as a series of letters from Kevin's mother to his father, in which she explores if their parenting made Kevin the monster he now is, or if he was born evil.

Mr J Lawton

The Rules of the Game by Pierluigi Collina Reading this autobiography gave me an insight into the mind-set of one of the best referees in history and allowed me to realise the pressures they are put under. As someone who aspires to one day get to that level, it was fascinating to explore the preparation they must complete to be able to control the best footballers in the world.

Mr M Newman

Solar by Ian McEwan The book centres around a shambolic character called Michael Beard. It has many elements to the storyline including issues with his wife; issues at work where he steals the research of a colleague and gains credit for it. As the story progresses, so does the gradual unravelling of everything in a rather comedic way at times!

Mrs J Connell

To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee This book has always affected me. It is written through the eyes of a young girl growing up in America. She learns that there is more to her father than she thought and how we judge people wrongly at times. The main theme is concerning prejudice and using the lives of people to reinforce views of racism. This book makes me cry and also makes me angry.

There is a court room scene which shows how wrong people can be in their views but how hard it is to stand up for what you believe in.

Mr M Palmer

The Collected Letters of Philip Larkin by Anthony Thwaite This collection of personal letters is both hilarious and poignant. Larkin's command of language is sublime.

Mr A O'Brien

The Passage by Justin Cronin This is the first part of a horror trilogy about an infestation of vampires overrunning the North American continent. This story focuses on a small community surviving in a compound where they have to keep light on at night outside the compound to keep the vampires at bay. The strength of the book is in how the characters work together in the increasingly desperate situation as the power for the lights begins to run out.

Miss H Taylor

Harry Potter and the Order pf the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling I love the whole series but this is my favourite book.

The characters are brilliant and it's funny as well as being full of drama.

Mr Warburton

Riders by Jilly Cooper Rupert the playboy and his upper-class naughty lifestyle

Mr D. Merlo

The Godfather by Mario Puzo A book about two men, one an immigrant to America who falls into crime to make a living, the other his son who doesn’t want to go into the family business but inevitability cannot avoid it.

I was a teenager when I read this book; I still have the book now although it is tatty and well read. Lines such as “I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.”, “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” And “Never let anyone know what you are thinking.” make it a page turner.

If you have the slightest interest in crime dramas such as ‘The Sopranos’, ‘Breaking Bad’ or so many of Martin Scorsese’s films then you need to read this book.

Mrs. T McDougall

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer I enjoy reading books which keep you guessing and reevaluating what you know about the character(s) from beginning to end; ‘The Shock of the Fall’ does just that. I found the main character, Matthew, engaging and intriguing because of his mental health issues – I’m interested in psychology and our understanding of mental health; Matthew enabled me to see through the eyes of someone suffering from a specific mental health issue – I found this a fantastic read which offered a unique insight into someone else’s world. I couldn’t put it down.

Mrs R Weeden

The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett This trilogy is a fascinating insight into the lives of different people during the turbulence of the 20th century. Over the course of three books it explores the difficulties in working class communities in the early 20th century; the terrors of the First World War; the hopefulness and disappointments of the 1920s; the consequences of Hitler's rise to power, across Europe; the pain of the Second World War and the difficulties of the Cold War, including those created by the Iron Curtain and the fight for Civil Rights in America. It follows 4 families from different countries, America, Britain, Russia and Germany, through this turbulent period and records their interactions and their experiences. A fascinating read!

Mrs Aylward

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon This book makes you laugh and cry! It lets you into the world of an autistic boy and demonstrates how challenging and scary everyday things can be. I have several copies of this book in my classroom if you would like to borrow it.

Mr T Campbell

Warriors of the Storm by Bernard Cornwell It is a about a man's struggle between family and loyalty, between oaths given and political demands as well as being a description on the making of England

Miss Whitehead

Jack Reacher Series by Lee Child I enjoy reading books which form part of a series. The Jack Reacher books are good because you don't have to read them in any particular order. The main character, Jack Reacher is an ex-military police officer who often finds himself working alongside the police and sometimes the military to solve crimes.

Although the plot in each book is similar, they are never boring to read, the author, Lee Child, keeps you on your toes, I always challenge myself to beat him to find the killer, but never manage it!

Mr D Cross

The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien The best good versus evil story ever.

Mrs S Broadbent

Capital by John Lanchester The book gives an insight into different family situations on a street in London. It shows greed at its worst but also shows care and compassion shown by other individuals. This book highlights how quickly lives can change when forces beyond our control take hold.