Alexander Book Reviews

Based a few moons after the battle against Bloodclan, Firestar and Sandstorm have to go on a quest to restore Skyclan- an ancient clan that was driven out of the forest many moons ago. This is another fantastic book by Erin Hunter, it is different though, how it is more of a quest with two cats rather than the whole clan. This book is really nice how it develops Firestar as a character, but I really got annoyed at how Sandstorm gets repeatedly jealous of Spottedleaf, when in reality, Firestar only really spent a book with Spottedleaf, when he spent over a series with Sandstorm. 510 Pages 9/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is one of the best trilogies Enid Blyton wrote, though not as well known as the wishing Chair, or the Faraway Tree, it is a must read for children, especially if you like Enid Blyton's other works. The novel is about a family who joins the circus when they need a new handyman. This is one of the more amusing stories by Enid Blyton, as it has many clever funny animals, each with their own personality. It is also one of the more unusual stories, as their is no magic whatsoever. I recommend this to all children. 596 Pages 7/10 ABR Rating: A (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

Yet another brilliant, heart warming story by Rachel Wells, but with added adventure. When Snowballs family move away, Alfie is depressed- until Claire gets a new kitten- George. This book is quite different to the other two books, as it is more focused on George, and every new problem is worse than the last one. This book is also more adventurous and fun than the other two, with a really interesting plot, and new characters 344 Pages 8/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is the second installment in the heart-warming Alfie series. In this book, Alfie solves many more problems, and gets a crush on a new cat - Snowball. One thing that improves this book in comparison to the last book was that there was no swearing, so more people can read it. I love the suspense and mystery in this book, which mixes nicely with the lovely, funny bits. I recommend this to fans of Sheila Norton, as Alfie is like Oliver and Charlie, and I think this was a pleasure to read. 326 Pages 8/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a peculiar, but good trilogy about the McNally family which is an unusual family, as  they all have powers. Jackie, Le Fey, Albie, Josh and Fergal, go on many adventures and misadventures, from the Dell hotel, to Fishbone hall, they always end up in some sort of trouble. These are not the funniest books I have read, but there are some amusing bits. One of the only really bad thing about these novels, is the third book. The third book not only includes many weird, and confusing topics, such as time travel, and the ending goes way too quick, and it is clustered up. The main thing though, that really ruined this trilogy, was  that after two books, the last book turned from past tense, to present tense; thus making it even more confusing than it already was About 300 Pages Each 6/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is an amusing and quick story to read. This 'novel' is a 'translation' from a cat's attempt to write a manual for strays and kittens, to show them how to get your home etc. It is a very funny book, especially how the cat observes humans, and how the story is from the cat's perspective. All cat lovers should try this out, as The Silent Meow is a charming, funny, clever story about a cat. 157 Pages 7/10 ABR Rating: A (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a mysterious, funny and unusual novel about a family that could definitely give the Addams Family a run for their money! Edgar the raven tells the stories of Valvine, Minty, Solstice and Cudweed Otherhand, who have many mysterious happenings in their home; a castle. From monsters sneaking in, to magic tricks going wrong, something is always going wrong! This book is a great mixture of weird and wonderful, with odd plots, but funny, quirky characters and situations. This is brilliant for fans of the Addams Family, and is a really nice read. About 240 Pages Each 7/10 ABR Rating: A (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a great magical series by Jenny Nimmo, brilliant for Harry Potter fans, and is an overall fun read. Charlie Bone is a young boy with an unusual talent- he can enter and hear photographs and paintings, because of this, Charlie has to go to the mysterious Bloors Academy- a school that welcomes the 'endowed' and ordinary people alike. This is a series that you definitely should read if you like Harry Potter. It has a really interesting and unique plot, and set of characters, and you should even try it out if you do not like Harry Potter, as it is still very different. Sadly, as there are similar aspects to Harry Potter in this series, it is very overshadowed by Harry Potter. About 360 Pages Each 8/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This book really makes Jenny Nimmo look bad. After the brilliant Charlie Bone series, I never expected Jenny Nimmo to write one of the worst books I have ever read. The story is about a weird old man who grows a man-eating plant. This book is so short, bizarre and just is not a fun or enjoyable book to read. 96 Pages 1/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This has got to be one of my favourite series ever! This series is about clans of cats, living in the wild, where they hunt, fight, and live in the forest with hierarchy, and the warrior code. Rusty, a 'kittypet' (house cat) visits the forest and meets these cats, and eventually gaining a rank among them. I love the way how the Erins (there's more than one!) portray the wildcats, and the house cats, and how they have such brilliant, and different personalities. If you like cats, you should definitely try out this series, this definitely gets my seal of approval! About 350 Pages Each 10/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a charming story about one cat, four families, and bundles of problems to solve. When Alfie's owner- Margaret dies, he must make the most of what he has, and travel far from home, to a new street; Edgar Road. Alfie solves many of the families problems, and is good for fans of Oliver, and Charlie, by Sheila Norton. This is mainly because they are all stories about cats, and all in the cat's perspective. I would complain about there being swearing in it, but Rachel Wells has also written a 'kids version' called 'Alfie - A Friend for Life' for younger children without the bad language, so it kind of forgives the  swearing and stuff. 311 Pages  8/10 ABR Rating: C (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

These are brilliant mystery stories that are certainly a rival to Enid Blyton's mystery stories. Jupiter, Pete, and Bob are the three investigators, they investigate anything. In the series they encounter a haunted castle, a laughing shadow, an invisible dog, and many more. The mysteries range from Sherlock Holmes type murder mysteries, to Scooby Doo like mysteries with monsters and mayhem, this really gives a difference and makes you want to read more. As this series has about 43 books, there is a lot to read, though they are quite old, so they can be hard to pick up, though they are cheap second-hand, they can be hard to find. I would recommend any mystery lovers to check these out! About 150 Pages Each 7/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a sad, but heart-warming story in many ways. There are three entwined stories, told by different characters. Charlie is a bereaved boy, Henry is a boy who wants a dog, and Bone is a stray dog who wants nothing more than a loving home. This is really well written, and a great concept. I love how Ann M Martin can go from a melancholy setting, with sad characters, to a warmer setting with happier characters, without hiccups, and can entirely change your view of the story. another brilliant thing is that all three tales fit in so well with each other. However, this story can be a bit sad for some people, and I think it wouldn't be suitable for younger children, but it is definitely a good story for anyone who wants to try it. 244 Pages 8/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is an unusual twist on a Arthurian series. Artie and Kay are kids who are going to a gaming competition, and Artie discovers a secret 'invisible tower' where he find merlin, and the series escalates from there. It is unusual as it involves video games, magic, and Geekiness- Dr Pepper Heads, as Kay calls them. The Invisible Tower is fantastic, and made me want to read more- it even featured on Secret Builders! The Seven Swords is even better, even though it starts getting really peculiar. The Dragon King kind of got really weird, but still good overall this is a great series to get into, if you like the sound of a modern twist on a medieval legend. About 345 Pages Each 7/10 ABR Rating: B (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a fantastic story of innocence in a time of death and horror. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a book, based in Germany during the second world war. It shows Bruno- a young boy, moving because of his father job. I will not say anymore about the story, as I may ruin the book. This book is brilliant, slowly building up tension, gets a bit quicker, then comes to a lethal stop, and until the end, you are left wondering about something. This is a must read for everyone, sometime in their life 216 Pages 8/10 ABR Rating: C (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

NOT to be confused with The Wind in the Willows , by Kenneth Grahame, William Horwood wrote four more books to conclude the Great Classic. Even though, the original is by far the best. The Willows at Christmas is a very good book, which was just like an add-on to The Wind in the Willows, so I think it was rather good, It basically just showed you christmas by the Riverbank, 7/10 ABR Rating: A The Willows in Winter is also good, though not as good as the previous ones, as it lacks in the same jolly theme of the books, and though it is a good book, it just isn't up to the same standard as The Wind in the Willows, 6/10 ABR Rating: A Toad Triumphant has got to be one of the worst books I have ever read, Toad turns into an insane criminal, which makes no sense, and doesn't really focus on the other characters. I  only still have this  book to complete the set 3/10 ABR Rating: A The Willows and Beyond  is just downright depressing, even though, it is a huge improvement on Toad Tr

This book is a classic, though not tough, or long, like Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, or Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, but rather, a fun simple read wich can be enjoyed by everyone. In this book, you join Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Toad by the Riverbank, as they go on countless adventures, and have fun. As I said, this is a nice easy read, which anyone can enjoy, as it uses interesting language, and has a original, fun plot. I enjoyed this book when i read it, and hopefully so will you. 272 Pages 7/10 ABR Rating: A (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

Like the book before- Oliver, this is another funny, and heart-warming tale, that is a pleasure to read. Based after the events of Oliver, Charlie is a young cat, who has to go on holiday with his family who are in a bit of a mess. Charlie has to encounter various threats and challenges, such as seagulls, other cats, and the vet. Again this book really benefits, having it from the cat's perspective, which makes it more interesting and fun. Fans of other cat books will most likely enjoy this. But also again, there is some swearing, which means that not everyone will be able to enjoy this book. 304 Pages 8/10 ABR Rating: C (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the  About  Page)

This is a wonderful heart-warming story, which is not just enjoyable at christmas. From the perspective of the pub cat Oliver (who tells the story), whose home burns down in a fire. This leads him to many adventures- getting lost, getting into shenanigans with friends, and eventually finding someone who needs a friend in a lonely part of their life. This is a truly entertaining novel, with a great mixture of funny bits, and heart-warming bits. It also really makes the book great, how Oliver tells the story, as cats are interesting, and it makes the story more unique and fun, which is nice in a story. The only proper complaint I have with this book, is that it has a bit a swearing/cursing in it, because if it didn't, this would be a great book for all ages. 315 Pages 8/10     ABR Rating: C (for info about ABR Ratings, Please Visit the About Page)