So students from across Cambridgeshire have been voting to decide the book which will win the first ever Bridge Book Award – and even better, there are more reviews that have come in.
The winner of the Bridge Book Award will be revealed on Wednesday.
Ghosts of Shanghai Review by Michael R Y9 – St Ivo School
Ghosts of Shanghai is a book about a girl called Ruby Harkner. Prior to when the book is set her brother had died of an illness after falling in a river. She had started to witness un-natural things since and has even caught a ghost with her friends. Later on in the story we find out that these un-natural events and ghosts may just be a figment of her imagination.
My favourite character in the book so far is Ruby Harkner. I like her because she has to be so brave that she doesn’t cry about her brother who died before the book is set. I also like her because she is adventurous and kind hearted and would do anything to help her friends and even their family. I also like her because she doesn’t really fit in as she is foreign compared to everyone else in the city and there are not that many like her.
My favourite part of the book so far is the start where they are trying to catch a ghost of a fox by luring the hungry ghost with a plate of peaches and then trying to hit it with a special sword. They then proceed to try and scoop it into a glass jar. Once its in the jar they feel it becoming cold as they believe there is a ghost inside. They think the only way to get rid of it is to drop the bottle containing the ghost down a well. The reason I like this part if because you really get the feeling that you’re there in the cold, dark ruins of temple camping out to try and catch this ghost.
I like this book because it really gives you the feel of a city like Shanghai in that time period and makes you realise how rough and scary it was. You get a feeling of unknowing when reading this book as Shanghai is a city that people don’t really know a lot about and the fact that its set before the year 2000 really make it seem even more strange. Its also a very interesting book to read from a cultural point of view as it really gives you an insight into how life was in rural areas of Shanghai.
I would recommend this book as it is very exciting and it isn’t too long and is a very good and enjoyable book. I think that there aren’t many difficult words and the book is quite easy to read.
Ghosts of Shanghai Review by Jacob Dale Y9
I was intrigued when I received this book from the front cover it looked interesting. I liked the title and the was the title was presented and his choice of colour added to the mysterious appearance, but for some reason I was concerned I might find the story a hassle to get through.
It gripped me straight from the start as immediately Ruby and her gang were catching ghosts, or at least that’s what I thought they were doing. I was keen to see how the story developed and what happened next. However, it then went into telling me the back story of the character Ruby and her family, and this is where I got lost! After this initial section on the back story, the story followed a pattern, going between the present for Ruby and her past, and for me this lost my interest.
Although I initially enjoyed the book, I feel it could have been improved by the story just being set “now” and following Ruby and the gang she was part of ad their search for ghosts and spirits.
However, I particularly liked the character, Andrei. I found him mysterious and was intrigued that he didn’t speak in full sentences. I wondered if the way he spoke led to a hidden message.
Book review of Awful Auntie from Deborah K (Year 7, ST Ivo School)
Name: Awful Auntie
Author: David Walliams
Class: Fiction/Humour
Characters: Stella, Awful Auntie, Lord and Lady Saxby and the Ghost
Summary: The Cruel, awful Auntie is back! She tells Stella her parents have died in a car crash and she can’t move a single muscle in her body. But she is lying. Stella calls the mysterious policeman who turns out to be the Awful Auntie herself. She later gets locked up and a spooky, cheeky, snotly ghost comes to her rescue. What will happen next? Read the story and find out.
Recommendations: Y5+
Star rating: 5 out of 5