Selwyn College

137,983 pages read and 3,445 team points

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AimeeB

12,583 pts

(10,368 pages read)

Giraffe the Gardner

By Kimberly Andrews

4 stars
Down the Back of the Chair

By Margaret Mahy

3 stars
Moonlight Mission

By Laura Shallcrass

4 stars
What Colour is the Sky?

By Laura Shallcrass

4 stars
Hare and Ruru

By Laura Shallcrass

5 stars

Gorgeous and peaceful. A perfect bedtime story for an anxious 6 year old.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

By Ronda and David Armitage

5 stars

Both as a child and as an adult, I have wondered, why doesn’t he bring his own lunch with him in the morning like a normal person?
Dragon Masters: Wave of the Sea Dragon

By Tracey West

4 stars

The 6 year old proved he was my child when he insisted that we take a week’s hiatus while reading this book so he could calm down from the conflict.
A Different Kind of Power

By Jacinda Ardern

5 stars

I was shocked at how often I cried. Any working mother, with a job where you believe what you do matters, would probably feel the same.
Katabasis

By RF Kuang

5 stars

This is totally my jam. I preferred ‘Babel’ but considering that’s one of my top 5 favourite books, it isn’t an implied criticism. I did find myself getting distracted while reading, speculating about how smart Kuang is. I already know that I will reread this book at some point. I want to tell you all that it is a romantic adventure story, because it is, but also, that description couldn’t be more misleading.
Mr Lemoncello’s Library Olympics

By Chris Grabenstein

4 stars

Tiger mothers who want to ban books in public libraries make excellent villains. The 6 year old thinks the library sounds amazing.
Dragon Masters: Heat of the Lava Dragon

By Tracey West

4 stars

What makes this series stand out amongst the other dragon literature I have read for this age group, which, believe me, is a lot, is the way the author doesn’t rely on narrative formulas, as highlighted in this instalment. The 6 year old is desperate for the next one!
Dragon Masters: Fortress of the Stone Dragon

By Tracey West

4 stars

The 6 year old loved the idea of dinosaurs coming back to life and fighting dragons. Two of his special interests, combined! The tension increases again with the introduction of a new super villain!
Heir

By Sabaa Tahir

4 stars

This reminded me of ‘Six of Crows’ as I suspect it is more imaginative than the author’s first series. Insane cliffhanger. Politically, this is very relevant.
Wolf Hall

By Hillary Mantel

4 stars

This has been on my TBR for over fifteen years. At the start, I wondered if I would enjoy this more if I knew less about the history but by the end, I thought the opposite. Also, considering most of what I knew about Thomas Moore came from ‘A Man for All Seasons’, this was eye-opening!
Dragon Masters: Call of the Sound Dragon

By Tracey West

4 stars

Some nice representation with the characters and the 6 year old begged for us to begin the next book immediately, making bedtime tricky.
Do Not Disturb the Dragons

By Michelle Robinson

3 stars

The 6 year old said that the rules for girls were unfair and silly, and wondered why the author made up a world where there were different rules for boys and girls. Hmmm. We’re going to need to have a few conversations about that one. There were a few funny moments, but honestly, a day later, and I think I’ve already forgotten most of this book.
Educated

By Tara Westover

5 stars

Intense. Powerful. Another memoir which has taken me several starts before I read it through. Makes my childhood, which my husband assures me was unusual, appear positively sane.
Shadowfell

By Juliet Marillier

4 stars

A unique blend of mythology creates this gentle fantasy novel.
I’m Glad My Mom Died

By Jennette McCurdy

5 stars

I first encountered this book when reading a student’s essay which psychoanalysed it. This is my third attempt at reading it, and the first time I made it through. Surprisingly funny, considering it is a memoir about abuse.
The Island of Dr Libris

By Chris Grabenstein

4 stars

The 6 year old was shocked over halfway through the book when Ebenezer Scrooge appeared. Apparently he hadn’t realised that all of the other characters who were magically coming to life were characters from real books. Another fantastic offering from this author.
The List of Suspicious Things

By Jennie Godfrey

5 stars

What began as an easy read turned into something totally different by the end. A little bit crime, a little bit bildungsroman, and generally excellent. I spent almost as much time researching the Yorkshire Ripper as I did reading the book.
The Last Firefox

By Lee Newbury

5 stars

We listened to the audiobook as a family while driving on holiday. My husband and I argued about whether the voice actor was Scottish or Welsh. (I was wrong and also ridiculous for debating such a thing with someone who has a British passport.) The 6 year old ignored us as he was too busy having emotional reactions to the story. Absolutely gorgeous. I especially love the dads. Also, I want a firefox, although the cat wouldn’t be too pleased.
Blackthorn and Grim: Den of Wolves

By Juliet Marillier

5 stars

Marillier’s weaving of Irish folklore and her thematic through-line of the isolating impact of trauma continues to be evocative in this slow-burn series finale.
The Bad Guys: The Furball Stikesback

By Aaron Blabey

4 stars

The stakes were raised! Also ninjas! And the 6 year was super scared by the cliffhanger ending!
The Bad Guys: Mission Unpluckable

By Aaron Blabey

4 stars

The characters are starting to form distinct personalities, not just accents. The 6 year old tantrumed at bedtime whenever we said we had read enough chapters that night, so I guess he was into it.
Carved in Blood

By Michael Bennett

4 stars

I thought this would be a trilogy but with the introduction of an arch-nemesis, I think it will be a longer series. Whoop whoop!
Book Lovers

By Emily Henry

5 stars

The cover is bewildering as there are absolutely no row boats in this book; however, I can see why everyone loves Emily Henry so much. I might read my way through her back catalogue.
Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library

By Chris Grabbenstein

5 stars

I enjoyed this more than the 6 year old because he didn’t understand any of the allusions and couldn’t work out the puzzles. Mr Lemoncello is a bit like a less problematic Wonka. Any book with the messages of ‘Don’t cheat’ and ‘Use the library often’ is alright by me. Probably suited to well-read 8 year olds, or less well-read 10 year olds.
The Bad Guys

By Aaron Blabey

4 stars

The 6 year old couldn’t stop laughing. The Pig the Pug cameo was a highlight. Also, the fart jokes.
Sputnik Sweetheart

By Haruki Murakami

3 stars

I always imagine that I’ll enjoy Murakami more than I actually do. This was fine though.
The Smartest Kid in the Universe

By Chris Grabenstein

4 stars

I wasn’t convinced the 6 year old understood this until he gave me a detailed explanation about why HIS principal would NEVER try to blow up HIS school.
Alchemised

By SenLinYu

5 stars

Considering how much I hate body horror, it’s amazing how much I enjoyed this book. I needed to take lots of breaks to drink tea though.
The Ministry of Time

By Kaliane Bradley

5 stars

I loved this. I can’t believe it’s been sitting on my bedside table for nearly a year.
Dragon Masters: Future of the Time Dragon

By Tracey West

4 stars

The 6 year old hid in my lap when the protagonist was separated from his friends because it was scary and sad. Obviously, this one nailed tension for its target audience.
Dragon Masters: Land of the Spring Dragon

By Tracey West

4 stars

The 6 year old loved it. But as he also loved the first thirteen books in the series, no one is surprised.
The Gangster’s Paradise

By Levi Jackson-Burke

3 stars

A fun play, but I wouldn’t buy it in for Year 9 which is where we need more plays. Some suspicious rhythm in the rap sequences. Maybe I’m just not cool enough to get what they’re doing? But I get Shakespeare’s rhythm, so maybe not.
Mate

By Ali Hazelwood

3 stars

So Paper Plus had this in the YA section, and I’m scouting new books for my classroom library. It was totally misplaced; this is not a book for teenagers. I did like that I couldn’t predict all the plot twists and there is some snappy dialogue.
Return to Blood

By Michael Bennet

4 stars

Book 1 was more innovative but this is still a solid crime story. Significant character development seems to be setting up for a great series finale.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives

By Hisashi Kashiwai

3 stars

A bit slow paced for me, but a cool concept, even though I don’t quite care enough about any of my own family recipes to seek professional help.

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Selwyn College

137,983 pages read and 3,445 team points

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