about the tween book blog

This is the place to be for reviews of Tween and YA books! And, best of all, it is written by a 13-year-old who knows the perspective of tweens and teens!

Monday 29 May 2017

rope swing





I just remebered this!!

This was me a few years ago, having an epic tantrum!!!

Wednesday 17 May 2017

Moonlocket

Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl

If you haven't already read the first in the series, you can find the review for Cogheart here

Lily and Robert are back with a new adventure! The noturious escape artist Jack Door has broken out of jail! On a visit to Roberts old house they find him staying there but he escapes. What they also find is a cresent moon locket with a map on the back. Will this lead Robert towards his mother, and what does Jack Door have to do with it?

Normally, the sequel to a great book is generally never quite as good. But Moonlocket was as good, maybe even better! I loved the adventure, the thrill and at times the terror. You never knew what was going to happen next. It was full of suprises. To be honest most of the best bits were the same as the last book. I loved the idea of mechanimals. I loved airships. I loved the focus on the Cogheart. And there was also new good things, such as the search for Roberts family (And family in general). I think my favourite character was Tolly, a street urchin. He was such a clever idea for a character. Someone who is unlickely to be of any assistance, yet becomes a main character by the end. Also, Tolly said some really insightful things. There was also a theme of independence. Lilys dad thinks that she is vunerable due to the Cogheart, and how people treat hybrids. But Lily actually goes against him, deciding to prove that she CAN do what she wants. I liked this theme, even if it is a common one in YA and childrens literature.

The one thing that I didn't like was the character of Finlo. He is Jack doors son. I didn't feel hat he was necessary, and I could do was feel sorry for him, even at the end. Also, when the climax was at its highest point, everything had just been revealed, and then there was a bit between Finlo and Jack that I thought was very unnecassary.

I am going to give it a 10/10
and and age rating of 10+

Image result for moon locket peter bunzl

Tuesday 9 May 2017

TV or BOOKS

TV or BOOKS

In debating today, we had to speak on whether TV was more educational than books. Of course,a s a book blogger, I spoke on the side of the books, but it did make me wonder. So I thought I would write a blog post about it, if not only to solidify my own thoughts on the matter...



So first, the Pros and Cons of both sides:

Books

Books develop your language and your imagination.
When you start reading you start with a book with easy vocabulary, and gradually progress, where as when watching television, everything is dumbed down so that the channel can get as higher ratings as possible.

As for your imagination, when you are reading, you can imagine a character in any way you want, whereas whilst watching TV you are just sat there, not exercising your imagination at all.

However, and I am sure plenty of books bloggers will agree with me here, books are expensive. Not everyone has enough money to buy books, sadly. Also, with all those trees being cut down to create the paper, some might say that it is bad for the environment.

TV

Many people find it is easier to learn in a visual way, using things such as TV. With things such as documentaries, it has never been easier to learn from television.
Also, with TV, you don't need to learn how to do anything to do it (Unlike books where you have to learn to read.)

However, televisions are expensive, maybe even more so than books. Also, you need electricity to watch TV as well.



But I decided to ask twitter...

And, with a grand old total of ONE PERSON* voting by the time I wrote this post, I can safely say that 100% percent of twitter think that books are better...


But what do you think?
Are books better?
Or is TV more your cup of tea?

↓I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments↓


*Shoutout to whoever that was. You know who you are, even if I don't (Twitter is weird like that)




Saturday 6 May 2017

Click on the titles of the reviews to buy the books. This is from the Close Your Eyes review onwards.

Dougal Daley, it's Not My Fault!

Dougal Daley, It's Not My Fault! by Jackie Marchant illustrated by Loretta Schauer

Dougal Daley is dead. Deader than dead. The deadest there is. This is beacuse:

A) The creature in his shed wants to eat him

B) His family and friends want to kill him and it's not his fault!! He hasn't done anything!!!



   Dougal Daley, It's Not My Fault is a funny younger childrens book. Whilst it is not what I would normally read, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying the humour of the book. My favourite parts were when Dougal was writing his will, I thought that it was funny that someone of that age was thinking so much about death. It was also funny that the title were things like "I, Dougal Daley, am even deader than before." The best bit about it was that half the time he wasn't even about to die, he was just scared of his parents. Dougal would keep writing notes to the police that if they ever found him killed in a certain way, then it would have been so and so (Normally his annoying older sister). On the subject of sister, there was always a funny brother and sister rivalry going on. Once or twice, it was her fault that he was in trouble. Dougal couldn't spell Sibble Sybil. Sybil, as well as everyone else, interjected into his writing, with notes that could sort of give you their perspective. I thought that it was brilliant that it was written from Dougal's perspective, as you mainly got his perspective when telling the story. This generally involved blaming someone else at the beginning. "Well, it was the hamster who started it really", or something like that.
   Now, onto the illustrations. These were brilliant, cartoonish pictures that were inserted into the book. Often, they might tell a story in there own, or add to the story. They reminded me of a mix between the Beano and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
   Finally, onto someone elses opinion. One of my younger brothers is much closer to the age that the book is meant for. whilst he hasn't yet read the entire thing, as I was writing this review, he was reading out one of the pages nearer the start in fits of laughter.

I am going to give it an 8/10
And an age rating of 7+
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Jackie Marchant, The Author

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Loretta Schauer, The Illustrator
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The Book itself!