Book Reviews by Kids - August 2004

Beauty

by Robin McKinley

Honour's nickname, Beauty has never fitted her well. With her short stature, huge feet, and mousy hair, she is definitely the least lovely in her family, especially since her older sisters, Grace and Hope, are divinely beautiful. When her father returns home from a business trip telling about a bargain he has made with a horrible beast, Beauty, though terrified, offers to go live with the beast in order to save her father's life.

This book is amazing. It stays true to the story of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST while expanding and improving. It has such rich detail that you can almost see the beast's castle and hear the whisperings of the invisible servants. It has plenty of suspense and a dab of humor. Even those who don't like fantasy much will enjoy BEAUTY.

Reviewed by Princess Toenails - age 14

The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1)

by Jonathan Stroud

When a powerful magician, Simon Lovelace, publicly embarrasses and abuses Nathaniel, he wants revenge more than anything in the world. So, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus, to steal Simon's most prized possession, the Amulet of the Samarkand. From disguised djinnis to bull-headed brutes with odd twists and interesting characters, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat for hours on end.

Reviewed by Dude Man - Age 12

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

by Roald Dahl

There is this family and they don't have much money. Then one day Charlie found a dollar. He decided to buy a candy bar, but when he opened it he found a gold ticket! He could go to Mr. Wonka's Chocolate Factory. This part and all the others are so good you'll want to read everywhere and never stop. One of the best parts is when all of the children, except Charlie, get into trouble and have shrunk, turned purple, or even sucked up a tube. If you don't like sad books, then you should read this one because it never really has sad parts.

Reviewed by Peach - Age 9

Good Night, Gorilla

by Peggy Rathmann

This book is about the zoo and then the zookeeper locks up the gorilla and the gorilla gets the key to all of the other cages. When the gorilla opens the cages it makes the book funny.

Reviewed by Sports Guy - Age 7