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Floods, foxes, dogs. Can the flock survive? Jacob the ram and his flock live peacefully beside the small town of  Sweetriver where they are happy and safe. Until a storm hits and the flock must flee up the mountain. They search for fields to graze, but nowhere is safe. The approaching Winter is yet another thing to worry about, and Jacob must use all of his strength to keep his flock alive. But then sheep start disappearing, dragged off by a mysterious Rottweiler always lurking in the shadows. The sheep are afraid, and start to question Jacob's authority, while Reuben, a young, strong ram, takes advantage of this. Now, in a time when unity is key, the sheep are divided and vulnerable. Will Spring ever arrive. Hello:) my fellow readers! The Ram of Sweetriver Is an old book (published 1986) and is written in a rather matter-of-fact way. The writer did not dwell over the losses of sheep in the flock, just mentioned them and moved on, which, at first rather disturbed me, but you get us...

                A mystery set in the 1930s What would do if you were asked to take your dead twin's place at her creepy boarding school? Ivy had no choice. But from the moment she set foot in Rookwood School, she knew something was afoot. Why would her sister go to so much trouble to hide pieces of her diary? Why is the fearsome Miss Fox forcing her to act like Scarlet? What did her late sister do to upset the vengeful pupils? And will Ivy ever learn what really happened to Scarlet? With the help of her loyal friend, gutsy wit and a strong mind, she slowly unfolds the mysteries of Rookwood. Pictures: none Ages: 11-16

  At sea for a few months now, twins Jess and Jude relish the school-free days full of fun and sailing with their guardian, Gabe. Jude loves sailing more than anything in the world, and Jess is an avid reader. One thing they both have in common is wanting to find out more about their parents, who both died before the twins were a few days old. But then Gabe goes missing and the twins are swiftly adopted by the Blakeneys. They are the rich owners of Blakeney Park and  are very keen to look good in front of the cameras. At first the twins are anything but reluctant to live with the charming Marina Blakeney and her family, but the Blakeneys act very different once all the reporters are gone. Jess is gifted with a lovely room full of books, but Jude has to sleep in the stable, even though their are plenty of spare rooms. They are not allowed to explore any of the mansion they now live in and somebody always seems to be listening at the door. To top matters off, the twins are sent ...

                                              A fairy. A criminal mastermind. This ought to be good . Captain Holly Short is a fairy/elf and the first female recon officer in fairy history. The fairy kingdom is underground, where no humans can find them. At least, no human could, until Artemis Fowl and Butler, his butler, came along. Artemis is a 12 year old criminal mastermind  who's latest scheme is to capture Holly and hold her for ransom. Being the only humans who know about fairies, they are at an advantage. But underestimating a certain fairy's willpower and messing with a troll turn out to be  At first when I started reading this book, I was rather sceptic. The idea of a 12 year old criminal mastermind felt like a worn-out idea to me. Oh, was I wrong! When I met all the characters, especially Holly, and I started to picture the world they live in, I was eng...

Saartjie is in die moeilikheid. Sy het 'n baie belangrike brief, een wat dalk 'n ou oom se lewe kan red, verloor! Die brief het in 'n werkboek beland en nou het Ou Nukke, Hoërskool Saamwerk se gevreeste juffrou, dit. Volgens Saartjie is die enigste manier om dié brief terug te kry 'n inbraak by die juffrou se tuiste... Om hierdie storie nóg meer opwindend te maak, gaan Saartjie en Anna boonop Durban toe. Hier ontmoet hulle 'n ou seeman met 'n pratende papegaai. Saartjie sal enige iets gee om só 'n papegaai te hȇ. Sal die twee meisies 'n hotel vol knorrige ooms en tannies kan opkikker? Sal Saartjie dalk haar droom papegaai kry? Ek het Saartjie se Papegaai vreeslik geniet. Dit was vol lawwe pogings en poetse wat 'n mens hardop laat lag. Die enigste deel waarvan ek nie gehou het nie, was toe Saartjie eers ou Nukke se hoed wou aanpas voor sy ontsnap het. Die juffrou het haar gesien. Vȇrder was dit 'n wonderlike verhaal wat ek sterk sou aanbeveel. Bla...

  There are some weird names in the world, but have you ever heard of one like Property Jones? Well, she lives in a bookshop with her adoptive mother and brother, Michael. Someone left her as a baby at the bookshop and when Michael found her, he put her in the 'lost property' box, thus resulting her name. But Property has a secret; she can't read and her family doesn't know. So, when the Joneses win the world famous Montgomery Book Emporium (and the cat it houses), they are delighted. The emporium being so large, all the rooms are stuck to giant wheels and selected by the pull of a lever. But Property is afraid that her secret will be uncovered and there is a mysterious man who claims that the business is in debt. Big time. Will the emporium remain the Jones' or are they going to lose their new home? I can't believe that it has been so long since I posted! I had some technical issues (I forgot my password!). Anyway, I loved this book, it was funny, suspenseful a...

  Nick lives with his older brother Tim in a run down flat in England. Tim is a private investigator, but it's really young Nick who's the smart one. When a mysterious man dies shortly after meeting them, they are left with nothing but his last words, "South By South East". According to MI6, these words are the key to finding the killer Charon. They must stop Charon from killing a Russian diplomat and starting a war between the two countries. But this killer is more cunning than expected - will Nick be able to save the day once more? This series is very entertaining with hilarious jokes and it is filled with suspense. So far, this book is my favourite. If you are not a keen reader, then this series is sure to change that! I recommend this book to readers (12 and up) who understand word play and can handle minor violence.   Pages: 208 Pictures: none

  Phoebe and Her Unicorn Phoebe was just an ordinary girl, until she met Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. A talking unicorn. Phoebe is thrilled and wants to brag about Marigold, but she soon learns that she is more than a prop... join the two as they go on adventures of all kinds, from electric dragons to friendly(ish) goblins. I enjoy this comic series very much! The series is filled with quirky characters and although some of the jokes have difficult words in them, most of the books have a small dictionary. Ages 9 and up. Pages: roughly 100 Get Fuzzy  Rob lives in his apartment with his dog Satchel and cat, Bucky. Bucky's personality is the opposite of Satchel's, who is kind and calm. This book is filled with hilarious antics and jokes! Join Bucky as he goes to petitions for cat rights, ruins all Rob's dates and so much more!  I really liked this book; it struck me as extremely funny. I would recommend this book for people 12 and up. Pages: 128  Calvin and Hobbes Althou...

  Clearsight spent most of her life lost in thought, tracking all the different futures and possibilities. She is a future seer and has dreaded the day she will meet the dragon who will change her life forever, Darkstalker. The most powerful Nightwing in the history of Pyrriah, who has all three gifts: future seer, mind reader and Animus. In the SeaKingdom, Fathom is shocked to find out that he is an Animus: one of the rare dragons who can enchant objects, for the price of  becoming heartless, vengeful and dangerous. He is sent to warn Darkstalker of the consequences, who pays no heed. As the nightwing starts to change,  Clearsight is forced to overcome her love for Darkstalker and save her tribe from the dragon she once knew. This is my favourite book ever! The writing is beautiful, the characters are funny and the story line superb. Although, I cannot hide the fact that I cried at the end of the book. There are two very violent parts, but the rest is fine. The author ga...

  Lyla Spence is a stubborn little girl when she arrives at the house of Great Aunt Ada for her safety during the war. Lyla believes that her father ‘captured’ and took her away from beloved Mop (mother) in London. She does not care about her safety and does everything in her power to get back, although nothing seems to work. Nothing, until one of her plans takes a turn for the worse, and all the staff and children of Garden Hill School for Girls evacuate to Aunt Ada’s house. Lyla hates this, since she has never gone to school before. As the years go by, she starts to remember things that she would rather forget, uncover feelings hidden away and reveal secrets that haunt her. Can she learn to move forward and accept the love of those around her? This book was one of the saddest I have ever read. The book really connects you with Lyla and often the devastating and lonely parts of her life make you want to cry. If you have trouble dealing with sadness, then maybe this book is not for...

  You have just woken up from hibernation. Here's why: you have been asked to be the first person to travel into the future. You've trained at NASA and hibernated for over a thousand years in a space capsule. But the computer waking you up has some bad news; Evil Styx Mori is ruler of the entire solar system, including Earth! He has soldiers working for him on every planet, except Venus. Still, there are rumours that a few refugees from Earth are hiding on Mars. What will you do? If you decide to fly to Earth, where Styx Mori's palace is, and see if you can stay out of his way, turn to page 94.   If you decide to search for the refugees on Mars, turn to page 75. If you decide to try your luck on Venus, turn to page 26. The fate of your character depends on entirely on the choices you make!   Pages: roughly 100 Pictures: yes

Hitching a lift in a milk float, forcing their way onto a boat, landing a hot air balloon on one of the worlds most famous landmarks and charging a Nobel prize ceremony. These are just a few of the crazy things that Matilda Moore and her amazing grandmother have been doing in the past thirty hours. Here's the story: Matilda is a science enthusiast. She always thought her granny boring and normal, but then she is shocked to find that Granny Joss discovered her own planet! Granny's previous boss, Professor Smocks was the one who got all the credit. He'll even be awarded a Nobel prize in a few days! It's up to Matilda to get Granny Joss all the way to Sweden and crash the ceremony. Without passports. Against her parent's will. How hard can it be? Pages:320 Pictures: none    

Hetty Feather lives with her foster family in a small village in England. She loves living with them, so she is heart broken when the time comes to leave her family and go to the Foundling Hospital. The Hospital is a cruel place, filled with nasty matrons and mean children. She makes a few friends, but sadly even this is jeopardised.  England in the 1800's is not a good place to be at such a young age, but in Hetty's mind anything is better than the Hospital. Life is harder than ever now that she is older and must suffer from new teachers and their meanness. Will she ever escape the cruel hospital and, most importantly, will she ever find her real mother? A very entertaining story and, because of the era it is set in, I would also say somewhat educational. There are a few phrases that, in my opinion, could of been put just a little better. My age recommendation is 8 to 12. There are sequels to this book. Pages: 309 Pictures: at the beginning of a chapter.     Part of...

  In this fast-paced, action adventure, Bonniface Sapwood, Corona Wottley and Rancid Swarthy each wake up one morning to a call for help. For some reason, they each know that the ''Help!" came from the Antarctic. But what they do not know, is that the cry of help came from the mouth of Captain Cathcardo's ghost, trapped on his ship, The Riddle,  in an Antarctic cave. All three of them quickly set out to the Antarctic, all three of them with very different intensions: Bonniface, to find the long lost Riddle   he always dreamed of finding. Corona, she wants to find a colony of rare albino penguins, and The Riddle, along the way. Rancid, his plan is to follow Bonniface and Corona to The Riddle , steal the ship's logbook and follow the clues to the place where his grandfather had found diamonds. Bonniface is forced to bring his children  with him, and he soon finds out that this was a very good idea... This fun book is easy to read and is sure to make you laugh along...

  Toronto in 1910 was not exactly the best place for two young bachelor girls to be out snooping in the dead of night. But for Merinda Herringford and Jemima Watts, this is an ordinary night out... When there's a mystery to be solved, Merinda and Jemima are not far behind. So, it's no big surprise to Constable Jasper Forth when the ladies start to investigate the murder of two Irish women. Although they both come from quite different backgrounds,( Jemima: disowned by her wealthy parents because of her, as they put it, ''terrible'' choice of companionship. Also because she hasn't married yet. Merinda: her parents support her sleuthing habits and she gets a monthly pension to help her afford a living space) they are the perfect match to solve this case, and many others. They have a few suspects, one of them being Ray DeLuca, a journalist, who's hoping to get a story about the lady detectives in his paper. Jemima's newfound interest in the journalist so...

WWII. Grey is a German Shepherd or, as the British people call them, an Alsatian. He is a stray and lives with former house pet Molly. They make a living in the streets of Dover by eating out of the pig bins .One night, a bomb falls very close to their hide-out and Molly is badly wounded. An SPCA assistant takes Molly away with the help of a young soldier, Nathan, who takes Grey home with him. The following morning, Nathan takes Grey to War Dog Training School on his way to Basic Soldier  Training. He was sad to leave Grey, so he was absolutely ecstatic to hear that he'll be training Grey as a paradog. He is afraid of heights, but if his dog can do it, he can to! His mission is to go undercover into France and find out what guns the Germans are using. But on the night of the jump into France, their plane is attacked by Germen plains. Grey and Nathan jump, but the wind causes them to land miles apart. Will they ever see each other again?  Yet another magnificent story by Megan ...

 Wings of Fire is my favourite series. I love how the books are not always serious- there are really funny parts- but are serious enough at the right moments. The series consists of three arcs (parts): The Dragonet Prophecy, The Jade Mountain Prophecy, The Lost Continent Prophecy and two 'Legends' books, which give more background to the series. It is a great series for when you start reading longer books but it's also perfect for average readers.                                                     Arc 1                                                       The Dragonet Prophecy                                        ...

  It's just before WWI. Tilly is a Jewish girl living in Germany. Gretchen is her best friend. Wuffly is Tilly's loyal Dachshund.     Live is hard for Tilly and her family with them being Jewish. She does not understand why all German people are so mean to them. All Germans, that is, except one-Gretchen. Gretchen is always there for Tilly, standing up against bullies. One night, German soldiers raid Tilly and her family's flat. Anything that wasn't stolen was burnt. Soon Tilly is sent to England to keep her safe. She is devastated, since she has to leave behind her beloved Wuffly. But Wuffly isn't easily defeated, and soon sneaks on to a train in search of Tilly, with Gretchen close behind. Will they ever find Tilly in this strange new world? Pages: 234 Pictures: none   

This is Agatha Oddlow. She lives with her father in Hyde Park, London. Ever since she was little, she longed to be a detective. Here are three books about her adventures. This is a great great series that older and younger readers will enjoy. The series is full of surprises with plot twists but sticks to the original background. With her sharp mind, an eye for detail and quick reflexes, Agatha is unstoppable...                                                                             Book 1                                                            The Secret Key Agatha has been in the headmasters office many times for sneaking out of school. Yet...

Nine year old Will just heard that his father is dead. His grandmother suggested that he and his mother should go on holiday in India for some time out. For Christmas he gets to ride on a real life elephant on the beach, called Oona. But Oona is acting strange, and Will soon finds out why... As the tsunami hits, Oona runs into the jungle with Will still on her back. He yells at her to stop, but she moves deeper into the jungle, even when the tsunami is long gone. As the days pass, Will learns to trust Oona. Her instincts always seem to be right and she easily finds them food. But everything changes when they meet a group of orang-utans. A group of orang-utans who are captured by illegal traders. And so is Will... Is he ever going to make it back to safety and civilisation? Does he even want to? There where a few things that bothered me in the book. First, when the tsunami hits, Will yells at Oona to run faster. Then at her to stop, but then he gets scared and yells at her to run again....

Miri lives on Mount Eskel with her father and sister, Marda. Miri is very small for her age and she believes that everyone else thinks she is too small and helpless to work in the mine. Her father, for some mysterious reason, forbids her to work in the mine. The mine is the  lifeblood of their village since Mount Eskel is the only place where Linder can be found. When working in the mine, the villagers use a sort of telepathy to shout out warnings such as,'' Lighten the blow!'' Once every season traders come to their village to trade goods. This year one of the King's men come with, to announce that the Prince is coming to choose a bride one year from now. Every girl aged twelve to eighteen must attend a princess academy in case they are chosen. At the academy the girls are greeted by a very strict, and sometimes unfair, Tutor Olana. She teaches them all they need to know about being a princess. If they ever disobey her, they are punished by palm lashings or a day i...

A winter, forever lasting. A family struggling to survive. Bjorn is coming...                                                                                                                       Mila lives with her two sisters and brother, Sanna ,Pipa and Oscar. They live in a land of eternal Winter. The people say that this is Bjorn's doing. Bjorn is the guardian of the forest and his natural form is a bear, although he can shapeshift. They believe that he caused this Winter because people do not take care for the forest and this is their punishment. Mila's mother died when she was young. Their father, on the other hand, one day walked into the forest, and never returned. Together the children a...

  This  is a beautiful and emotional book. The main character is Rose (rows) Howard, who lives with her father and dog, Rain (reign, rein) in America . Rose does not fit in at school; she has high-functioning autism .She loves homophones, prime numbers and rules, but no one understands, not even her own dad. She and Rain have a daily routine which is not to be broken.  Rain means everything to Rose, so she is heart- broken when she wakes up to find Rain gone. Her dad let Rain out during the storm the previous night and she has not returned. With the help of Uncle Weldon, she breaks her precious daily routine and searches for Rain. You are mistaken if you think this book is just about finding Rain, since it is about so much more. It is about learning to deal with pain and becoming who you truly are. If you have trouble dealing with sadness, this book might not be for you. My age recommendation is anyone 9 and up. Pages:226    Pictures: none

                                                                                                              The Wolf Wilder is a remarkable story of bravery and fighting for what you believe is right. Feodora (Feo) lives with her mother in the woods of Russia. Their job is to re-wild  domesticated wolves. These wolves lived in the houses of lords and dukes as pets. And, quoting from the book: ''But a wolf cannot be tamed in the way a dog can be tamed, and it cannot be kept indoors. Wolves, like children, are not born to lead calm lives. Always the wolf goes mad at the imprisonment, and  eventually it bites  ears off and eats a little piece of someone who was not expecting to be eaten.'' It is seen a...