Book Report: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

This book is called, ‘HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD’, written by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. Unlike what you might expect, it’s only edited by J.K Rowling. It all begins with Harry Potter’s miserable son, Albus, struggling under a colossal family legacy he never desired. Albus and his friend, Scorpius Malfoy, go on a perilous journey back in time to save a man who was killed. His death was deemed unfair, though nothing can really halt Voldemort. Or his daughter for that matter. Can Albus, Scorpius and Harry fight against Voldemort’s manipulative daughter?

Unlike J.K Rowling’s other novels, this one has been written in playscript form. Though it is comparatively agreeable, even interesting to see a different form of writing, I very much preferred the original Harry Potter books. The playscript is fun to read, but I find the more descriptive nature of the books magical. To me, the bliss of reading is in the description. The playscript is a very light read (as I had been warned by an adult, when I first received a copy). Whereas, the actual Harry Potter books, take on much greater depth of  characters and emotions.

However, I have to give credit to John Tiffany and Jack Thorne for this book. They have miraculously weaved their own style in and out of the book, leaving utmost suspense in the air in places. We have no hint of who Delphi is, at first. She is in fact, cleverly, portrayed as ever so innocent. However, the way she reacts to everything in the book makes her shrouded in an unsolved mystery. I also admire the way that these two writers were able to co-author this book. Though a light read, the plot is still quite complex : we are thrust in and out of the different scenes, questions being raised ahead, only to be answered in many scenes later.

This book, like so many other in the Harry Potter series, contains more than one, simple genre. Any conversation about Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, will be a long conversation, I assure you. This is a book of revenge, sacrifice, mystery, love and growing up. So many varied genres bundled up in one bestseller!

Overall, I would call this a good read and really recommend this book to all ages. Yes, all ages. It’s not very often that you find books, which are recommended for middle year readers, young adults and adults, so I find it quite remarkable. I would recommend though that if you have never read any of the other books in the Harry Potter series, you should first read a few of them before you read Harry Potter And The Cursed Child. There is an assumption that you already know who the characters are, so there is little context given to the characters or the setting. In that sense, even though it is a good read, it only makes sense after you have read some of the earlier books. And if you are a confirmed Harry Potter fan, then this is a MUST read, if only to be ‘in the know’ amongst the Harry Potter Club.

You can buy the book here….

Book Report: THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH

This book is called, “THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH”, written by Ali Benjamin. It is a deep story about growing up and forgiving. The main character is Suzy and she doesn’t talk anymore. Not after her best friend, Franny, who was an excellent swimmer drowns while swimming at sea. Suzy assumes that the only possibility for Franny to have drowned was that a deadly jellyfish stung her and she couldn’t fight it any longer. Determined to uncover the mystery of why her best friend died, Suzy goes to great lengths; she researches a few Jellyfish Experts and finds Jamie in Australia. Jamie, inspite of not being in her presence, becomes Suzy’s source of confidence. Suzy then decides to fly away to Australia, where Jamie is, to try and meet him face to face. So, Suzy steals some money from her parents and brother and then makes her way to the airport alone- without adult supervision and without informing her parents. Children are allowed to travel in the States alone if they are twelve and above but Australia is out of the United States of America. Although she is teenaged, she is denied access and starts to cry until her mother and brother arrive. Suzy explains her intentions to the two of them and then apologises about the money. She finally realises that Franny maybe just died and she’ll have to give her up. Suzy starts to talk again and all is well.

My Feelings and Thoughts about This Book:

• This story was very visceral. Everything seemed so realistic and it seemed like I was Suzy, getting hurt so badly by a friend but determined to try and uncover what killed her. It talks about the pain of giving up and having to let go of something and somewhere inside, I was touched.
• I actually cried reading this book. There were little diary entries dating back in time to when Franny and Suzy were ultimate best friends and then the diary entries started to show the time when Suzy and Franny grow apart from each other and become frenemies. On one occasion, Franny was so mean to Suzy that she even spat on her! I cried a bit that time. This is quite a big thing since I’ve hardly ever cried over a book before.
• At first, after reading the blurb to know what this fantastic story would be about, I thought that since it’s a mystery story and the blurb focused on trying to solve the mystery, it would be in third person. But, I was so wrong. This book, despite the fact that the main plot was to try and discover what killed Franny, is about growing up and letting go. So, Suzy has written this herself in first person.

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A 8 OUT OF 10 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $9.79!

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Book Report: HOOT!

This book is called, ‘HOOT’ written by Carl Hiassen. It is a touching story about saving owls and fighting for what you believe in. The main characters are Roy, Beatrice and Mullet Fingers (Napoleon Bridge Leap). Roy is a teenaged boy who is bullied by the big, Dana Matherson. One day, he sees a boy running as fast as the wind. He is intrigued and determined to find out where that boy was running to and why. But then, the next day, Beatrice ( a teenaged girl) steps in to tell Roy to mind his own business. She does this because she wants to protect her step-brother from getting found out and put in an orphanage. But, Roy doesn’t stop his investigations and soon uncovers the mystery of Mullet Fingers’ (Beatrice’s name for him) mysteriousness. He wants to help the owls. He gets snakes, to feed the owls. Finally, Beatrice, Mullet Fingers and Roy agree to work together to save the owls from getting completely destroyed. They will get destroyed because the Mother Paula Pancake House are creating a new branch in Coconut Cove. These are one of the places where owls burrow. So, Mullet Fingers tries to annoy and scare the Mother Paula Company off by spray painting the Police Squad Car with black paint, putting alligators in the Truck’s Toilet Bowl and many more tricks. Beatrice and Roy are fearless. They try their best to scare of the dangerous dogs, beastly people and delay the Construction. At the Opening Ceremony for the All-American-Pancake-House, Roy and Beatrice bring along friends and many posters. Everyone protests for the Pancake House to be torn down since the company has no authority to bury the owls. And, thanks to Roy and his researching skills, we got to know that Florida is possessive about their birds and protects them. Even the actress playing Mother Paula, Kimberly Lou Dixon, is against this. ‘I don’t wanna work for a company who would bury helpless owls just to sell a few Flapjacks.’ The owls are saved and all is well. Mullet Fingers or Napoleon Bridge Leep is on the run again. 

What I Feel about This Book:

• I think this book was a very powerful book. It left a big impression and mark on me. In the days after finishing the book, I used to smile and nod to myself when I came across a bird in school. I felt more passionate about taking care of these helpless creatures who rely on us for food and shelter. And when we are as cruel as the Mother Paula Company, these birds can’t carry on. They will need homes, which are about to get buried. They need food which is normally found on the ground and in trees, which is going to get broken down to build the Pancake House.

• I could relate to this book and some of the big incidents because in one of the adventures I’ve had in my own life, I’ve made a handmade bird nest with my friend; also, a few of my other friends have spotted a bird who was hurt and tried to help it recover.  

• Roy’s family and Beatrice’s family is different in many ways. Firstly, Roy’s family is much more enthusiastic and supportive of Roy in what he feels is good. Of course, they do question him but then they finally see the good meaning in it. Whereas in Beatrice’s family, they wouldn’t even care what their daughter and stepdaughter did. Roy’s family interacts with Roy and the parents get along well but Beatrice’s stepmother is always fighting with her father because she has bought a lot with his credit card. 

• Mullet Fingers vandalized the construction site and the Detective’s Squad car. He wasn’t justified in doing this because he has absolutely no right to take the law into his own hands. However, he was right on one hand since Mother Paula’s hadn’t the authority to bury helpless owls. In the end, Mullet Fingers managed to show many people how owls were getting hurt and how Mother Paula’s new branch would bury these owls. He even showed Kimberly Lou-Dixon (Mother Paula) who didn’t know about this terrifying process that the company would bury owls. 

• I like how Mullet Fingers earned his nickname from his stepsister: it was because of his ability to catch a mullet fish with his bare hands (and fingers). It made me think that since I have a passion to write stories and often have flashes of ideas, my nickname might be: Story Lightning! Or, since I like testing the pH of the water, I might be called: Hydrogen Tester! What would yours be? 

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A 9.5 OUT OF 10 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING HOOT!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $6.00!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON GUARDIAN BOOKSHOP FOR £5.73!

Book Report: THE FARAWAY TREE

This series is called, ‘THE FARAWAY TREE’ written by Enid Blyton. It is a series of three books set in a mystical place called the Enchanted Wood with a  tree that’s called the Faraway Tree. This tree is not just any normal tree, it is home to queer and unique characters. And at the top of the tree, there is a ladder leading to many different worlds. Come, let me introduce you to the residents of this queer tree and to some of the magical lands:

If you were going up this magical tree, watch out for the Angry Pixie! He is a grumpy old pixie who hates anyone peeking into his tree house. He pours water onto passer-byers if they do. Consider yourself warned! Go a little further and you’ll come across the loveliest little pixie called Silky who helps anyone in danger. She stays in a quaint, tidy house in the middle of the tree. Let’s go higher, shall we? You’ll probably come across Dame Washalot. As you might have guessed, Dame Washalot loves to wash! Imagine her with a checkered brown and white dress along with a dark brown apron scrubbing away at her clothes and dishes and draining her soapy water down the tree every single day, drenching those who rest underneath. How terrible must they feel! Then there is funny old Saucepan Man who wears saucepans all over his clothes and is a little bit deaf with all the clanking. He makes the most funny hearing mistakes! And finally  you’ll meet my favourite character, Moon-Face.  Moon- Face is a jumpy little elf with a face like the moon. It’s bright and much bigger than the rest of his body. He lives near the top of the tree in a shady tree house and even has a Slippery-Slide that leads from his house straight to the bottom of the tree! How cool!

Oh, wait! I think some other people are coming up the tree too : its the main characters of the book- Joe, Beth and Frannie - making their way up the tree to see Moonface and Silky. And of course to go on yet another adventure. Let’s join them on their adventure, shall we?

Frannie and Beth look very excited and Joe looks very brave. Today, they are going to The Land of Dame Snap- bad luck! She runs a school for naughty brownies and pixies! She comes up with such terrible punishments such as, no supper before bed or locked up in the very dark cupboard. Who in the world would do that? Next, it’s Beth’s birthday. They’ll certainly be coming with us to the Land of Birthdays! It’s a glorious place full of treats and balloons. I wish I could be there too! Where are we off to today? The Land of Spells, you say? Oh, oh. We better be prepared. The Land of Spells is a land where witches and wizards live.  I do think this is just a bit scary.

I have really enjoyed going on the adventures with the Folk of The Faraway Tree and I hope you will enjoy them too!                    

What I feel about this book:

• I like how the book is old-fashioned, but yet so creative and fantastical. Enid Blyton has done a great job depicting all the mythical characters and fun adventures the kids go on. Well done to her for this!But, I still prefer Roald Dahl’s style of writing.
• Enid Blyton moved away to live with George and Emily Hunt and she stayed at Seckford Hall. Seckford Hall was a spooky and mysterious place, probably giving her lots of inspiration to create new lands of her own and to include it in her stories. She got inspiration for The Faraway Tree series because Norse mythology (mythology of North German people) intrigued her. Norse mythology includes tales about heroes and bravery. It was possible that Enid Blyton lived near the woods and one day, found a tree that was tall and suitable for a story.
• While I was reading the book I observed that Enid Blyton was a little biased towards the boy characters: all the great and brilliant ideas came from them while small and foolish ideas came from the girls! I don’t like it when people are biased towards a gender because I think that all of us are equal- no matter how different we may think we are.

I WOULD RATE THIS SERIES 8 OUT OF 10!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING THE FARAWAY TREE SERIES!

YOU CAN BUY THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE HERE ON AMAZON FOR $0.01!

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Book Report: THE BFG

This book is called, ‘THE BFG’ written by Roald Dahl. It is about a little girl named Sophie who is taken by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) because she has seen him. The BFG takes Sophie back to his cave in Giant Land and tells her about himself. He makes her comfortable until the other giants notice that the BFG somehow has a ‘human bean’ and are determined to eat her. Sophie and the BFG take big risks and try t0 hide. The day after the giants intruded the BFG’s cave, Sophie has a terribly great idea. While she went dream-catching with the BFG, she caught a bad dream, which the BFG kept safe. She then decides to create a bad dream about what the giants do at night, swiping children and eating them up, to give to the Queen. The BFG and Sophie go to England to give her the dream. The Queen then helps Sophie and the BFG to pursue these deadly giants and capture them.  

What I like about this book:

• This book is yet another of the fantastic storyteller, Roald Dahl. The words are funny and his style of writing is very creative. This is my personal second favorite- especially because this one is one of the funntiest.
• Some of the funny new words Roald Dahl uses in The BFG are whizzpopping and Frobscottle. Whizzpopping is when someone lets out air or in other words, farts. Frobscottle is a type of drink where the bubbles fizz downwards, causing a whizzpop.
• I learnt one big lesson in the book- it’s to not underestimate people, no matter how terrible their other kind can be. For example, Sophie thinks the BFG is a deadly giant like the other ones and thinks he swipes her so that he can eat her. But actually, the BFG is a kind giant and Sophie build a very close relationship.
• Did you know that every five seconds in the world, a Roald Dahl book is being sold? That is so amazing and it reflects on how popular he is. And, in every country a translator translates all of Roald Dahl’s funny words. How would they be able to translate lets say, whizzpopping in Mandarin?!

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A 10 OUT OF 10 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING THE BFG!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $6.82!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON GUARDIAN BOOKSHOP FOR £5.73!

Book Report: JUNGLE BOOK

This book is called, ‘JUNGLE BOOK’ written by Rudyard Kipling. It is about a human boy named Mowgli whose Father was killed by a tiger. Since then, Mowgli lives with a pack of wolves who treat him like family. One day, Mowgli makes friends with the mischievous monkeys who are up to no good. The monkeys kidnap him and take him to their area, trying to make him their king. Baloo, Mowgli’s bear friend, and his Panther friend, Bagheera, save him and he get’s taken home. But suddenly, when Shere Khan (the lion who killed Mowgli’s father) threatens to kill Mowgli, Bagheera tells him that he has to go back to the human village where he is safest. Mowgli argues but Bagheera takes no heed. That night, Mowgli creeps back into the Wolf Territory with ‘The Red Flower’ or in other words, fire. He wants to use this to fight Shere Khan. Shere Khan laughs it off but then when Mowgli fights like a man with lots of fire, Shere Khan gets defeated. Mowgli is now a proper man.

What I like about the book:

• This lovely book is a very popular book all over the world. I have seen the cartoon movie an innumerable number of times and the book was definitely as good. I would recommend this book to people of all ages as it’s funny and adventurous. It’s also a little bit sad.
• At first, I thought Mowgli was a girl because of his long hair. But when I was reading the book, I finally realised that he was a boy.

• I learnt two lessons in the book. The first one is to know that out there, somebody loves you very deeply and somehow, you will fit in. The second one is to stand up for what you believe in, This is best portrayed in Mowgli, who fights for the wolves, and who fights for himself.
• Rudyard Kipling was sent away to England with his sister, Alice, to attend boarding school. The author was not living with his family and was sent away to live with other people whom he didn’t get along with very well. Doesn’t this connect a little bit to The Jungle Book? He might have gotten a bit of inspiration when he experienced this.
• At the end of the book, there were some tips and prompts for writing your own animal story. One was: How would you feel if you were raised by animals? I found this very interesting and might even write a story on it. Would you?

I WOULD RATE THIS BOOK A 9 OUT OF 10 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING JUNGLE BOOK!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $4.12!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON GUARDIAN BOOKSHOP FOR £4.09!

Book Report: PERCY JACKSON AND THE TITAN'S CURSE

This book is called, ‘PERCY JACKSON AND THE TITAN’S CURSE’, written by Rick Riordan. It is about a boy named Percy who has dyslexia. He is a half-blood which means he is part God and part human. This puts Percy in many dangers. (Percy has appeared in another book report with his friends, Grover, and Annabeth). He and his half-blood friends find two new half-bloods. They try to keep them safe. However, in the process, one of Percy’s friends, Annabeth and The Goddess of Hunting Artemis, get kidnapped while escaping. Zoe Nightshade, the best Hunter of Artemis, takes a few heroes for her quest and they embark on a perilous journey to restore order in Camp Half-Blood. Percy and his team save Annabeth and Artemis and defeat the monster, Atlas.

What I like about the book:

• This book is the third in the Percy Jackson series. It has been one of the most intense Percy Jackson reads so far. Rick Riordan’s style is mysterious and action-packed. It opens up a new door in my mind to take on action-packed stories.
• I like how Rick Riordan joins everything and every little detail and concept up so well. It’s like rope hanging and joining from one end to the other! He leaves the rope hanging for us to solve the mystery and joins it up in an amazing way. I really like this about his books! For example,
• One lesson that I learnt in the book was not to trust blindly because you may not see the danger coming otherwise. This is best portrayed in Atlas and Zoe because Zoe is Atlas’s daughter and then he kills her! At least I know my parents would never do that :)
• Finally… FUN time! Read the book and answer the questions:

1. Zoe, after she dies, turns into…?
2. Annabeth and Luke are best friends and love each other. True or False?
3. Thalia is 7 years old. True or False?
4. What is the name of the manticore?
5. Who is Bianca Di Angelo?

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK A 9 OUT OF 10 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING PERCY JACKSON AND THE TITAN’S CURSE!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $6.48!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON GUARDIAN BOOKSHOP FOR £5.73!

Book Report: PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA OF MONSTERS

This book is called, ‘PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA OF MONSTERS’ written by Rick Riordan. It is about a teenage boy named Percy Jackson who is a half-blood. A half-blood is someone who is part human and part God. Though being a half-blood may sound very fun, it puts Percy and his fellow half-blood friends in many dangers. This story is about how Percy and his half brother and friend, Tyson and Annabeth, save Percy’s friend and restore power in the camp. Percy’s best friend at camp, Grover, has gone on a mission and gets kidnapped. He communicates with Percy in his dreams because they have created an empathy link with each other. The camp is in danger because someone has stolen the source of power, guarding the camp. S0, Percy escapes to try and save his best friend and restore power in the camp. Annabeth and Tyson accompany him on his journey. They go into where Grover and the power are and reach the Sea of Monsters. On the way, the three heroes encounter many obstacles. Annabeth frees Grover and when Percy’s group is in trouble, Tyson comes to the rescue! The two brothers fight and defeat the Polyphemus (the monster) well. Will the half-bloods be able to save the Fleece and restore power in Camp-Half-Blood? Join Grover, Percy, Tyson and Annabeth to find out!

What I like about this book:

• The book has a lot of Greek mythology in it, which I find very intriguing. Percy is the narrator and talks about his own feelings toward the Gods while giving deep descriptions about them. Rick Riordan has made these feelings very vivid to me so I can very much imagine what is happening.
• Rick Riordan writes in a funny and casual way. It’s like he’s writing his diary. Percy has dyslexia (though the spellings are right in the book). The description of dyslexia in the book made a big impact on the way Percy is shaped and how he is depicted. He is not the typical cool boy you find everyday and is actually a person who is not so extraordinary at school but powerful when he is near water (as he is the son of the Ocean God). Reminds me of the ‘WRINKLE IN TIME’ character, Meg. (Here is the link for my book report of A Wrinkle In Time’.)
• I learnt two deep lessons while reading the book. The first one is to follow what your heart and instinct tells you and not to let what others do bother you. This is portrayed best in Percy because he thinks about saving his best friend and restoring power without a second thought. The second one was to appreciate what you get out of other people no matter how embarrassing they are. This is portrayed best in Tyson and Percy because Tyson is not very good- looking and Percy is embarrassed when Tyson becomes his brother because everyone thinks Tyson is ugly. However, later in the book, Percy  regrets his objections towards Tyson and realises how much his brother has done for him.
• Finally.. FUN time! Read the book and answer the following questions:

1. Who is Ares?
2. Clarisse is Annabeth’s sister and best friend. True or False?
3. Percy gives Tyson a strawberry when Tyson comes to save him. True or False?
4. Annabeth and Percy are both..?
5. Does another character appear at the end of the book?

Though I really liked his style of writing, I think the book was quite complex. Maybe, Rick Riordan could’ve made the story a little more clear. Overall, though, I recommend this book and the series to readers 9-12 years old.

I WOULD GIVE THIS BOOK AN 8.5 RATING!

FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN BY READING PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA OF MONSTERS!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON AMAZON FOR $6.00!

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE ON GUARDIAN BOOKSHOP FOR £5.73!