Percy Jackson Series

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

What the Author says about the book: The gods of Olympus are alive in the 21st Century. They still fall in love with mortals and have children who might become great heroes, but most of these children meet horrible fates at the hands of monsters by the age of twelve.

Only a few learn the truth of their identity and make it to Half Blood Hill, a Long Island summer camp dedicated to training young demigods. Such is the revelation that launches young Percy Jackson on a quest to help his real father, Poseidon, avert a war among the gods. With the help of Grover the satyr and Annabeth the daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction – Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, they face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop them. Most of all, Percy must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend. (www.rickriordan.co.uk) (more…)

A Monster Calls

Source: Focus features

What Wikipedia said about the movie: A Monster Calls is a 2016 dark fantasy drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Patrick Ness, based on his novel of the same name. The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson, and tells the story of Conor (MacDougal), a child whose mother (Jones) is terminally ill; one night, he is visited by a giant tree-like monster (Neeson), who states that he will come back and tell him three stories. (more…)

Australia Day Damper!

This is a great recipe for any time of the year, not just the 26th January! I sometimes will make some with my dad as an after school snack….

Ingredients: 

3 cups of self-raising flour

1 pinch of salt

2-heaped teaspoons of sugar

¾ cups of water

80g of butter, cubed

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200ºC and cover a 30cm by 30cm tray with greaseproof paper. Add flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and then rub the butter in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Just like making scones.
  1. Add water and knead until it sticks together. If the dough is crumbling add teaspoons until it is dough-like. Roll into a ball and squish until it is about 2½ -4 inches or 5 – 10 cm tall. Place onto the tray. With a sharp knife, cut a cross 1cm deep into the dough.
  1. Cook for 30ish minutes or until golden brown and when you knock the bottom it sounds hollow. Cool for 5 minutes and enjoy with jam or honey.

Haikus for the New Year!

why2017, another year gone, only 6 more months till secondary school. Time is passing, but, not for some. Everyday children, adults and elderly are being bullied for their sex and race. So, why do we do it? That’s the question that I want to ask, why? Why is being different a bad thing, (more…)

Auggie and Me : Three Wonder stories

Auggie & Me by Raquel J. Palacio

auggieandme

What the Publisher says about the book: Wonder tells the story of Auggie Pullman: an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face, whose first year at school changed the lives and the perspectives of everyone around him. Auggie & Me is a new side to the Wonder story: three new chapters from three different characters – bully Julian, oldest friend Christopher and classmate Charlotte – giving an insight into how Auggie has touched their own lives.

What I Thought: This book is life changing just like Wonder! (more…)

How to plan the ultimate sleepover: Part 2

From part one I showed you a fun game to play, but what about breakfast? Known as the most important meal of the day, this is the best thing to help you from the sleepover graveyard.  Here are some easy recipes that you can make. Make sure you ask for help if you need it though.

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Banana smoothie burst

A sweet classic. It’s fruity, sweet and a healthy treat. Change the ingredients for a different flavour if you prefer raspberries or mango.

Ingredients:

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Wonder – a life changing must read!

Wonder by Raquel J. Palacio

wonderWhat the Publisher says about the book: August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

What I Thought: Life changing, amazing, 3rd favourite book of all time, must read, all things to say about Wonder. Have you ever wondered about how it feels being the odd one out at school? This is a book about how he deals with it and it also gives you some insights in to how he has dealt with it. It has different stories from different people including Auggie, Summer and Via.

It is beautifully written, emotive and has an amazing life lesson. This is the first in a set of two. The other book is Auggie and me (below), although the stories of Auggie and me can be bought separately. One of the saddest parts is when Daisy, (full name Darth Daisy) gets put down and they get a new dog called Bear. It was written well because after the sadness of this event there was happiness at the end. It shows you how hard it is to lose a pet; Daisy was always there for him, to give him a lick, to give him a hug. WARNING: When reading have a massive box of tissues next to you or your house will flood of tears!

I am looking forward to the movie in 2017….

 Score: 4½/5 cowbells

My recommended age range: 9- ∞ years old

Released: 2012