Eragon: A Review by Joseph Hussey

With aspects from Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, I think that Eragon is a great book. In the first few chapters Eragon, the main character, finds a mysterious blue stone, oblong in shape. After it starts squeaking and rocking in the night Eragon decides to bury it, but before he can it cracks open, revealing a treasure more valuable than all the gold in Alagaisia, Eragon’s homeland. Eragon safeguards the treasure and by doing so, albeit unwittingly, he causes the brutal murder of his uncle. Fleeing Carvahall with the story-teller, Brom, Eragon is thrust into a world of magic, dwarves and dragons.

Overall Eragon is a great read and I would rate it 9.5 out of 10. I think the book is good for ages 8 to 13 due to the way it is written. It is a book you can read again and again, each time noticing some secret hidden in the flow of the story. An example of this is in the name of Palancar valley, where Carvahall is located. If you look on the back of the book, by the barcode, it says “Cover art by john Palencar”. This book is a must read for years 5 to 7 although it would be liked by younger and older readers as well.  

Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone

You've probably heard of this book already, and if you haven't read it yet I think you'll enjoy it.

This is a story about Harry and his two new friends settling down for their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry only to discover that they have a part to play in the downfall of the evil Sssh! You-Know-Who. You will like Harry Potter. He's shy and self-doubting and puts up with a lot from his awful aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon and fat cousin Dudley. Poor Harry lost his parents, supposedly in a car crash, when he was a baby and that was when he received the strange lightning-shaped scar across his forehead. Ever since then he has slept in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys' perfectly normal house in Privet Drive and the best thing he has to look forward to is starting at the local secondary school next term - well away from Dudley who will be going to his father's old, expensive school, Smeltings.
But, other people know a lot more about Harry than Harry does himself. That lightning-shaped scar is a matter of enormous interest and Harry is about to discover that he has a lot of friends, and enemies, in a rather different kind of world from the one he was brought up in.
This is a book about magic, but there's plenty of reality. Settling into a new school, making friends, learning who to trust and who not to trust and when to obey school rules and when to overlook them. There's a great deal of humour in the book. You might find the magic funny - visit Diagon Alley to purchase all your Hogwart's kit - but there is strong evil magic too and you won't doubt the courage that Harry has to show in the final chapter.
Written in a strong narrative style with straightforward but not over-simplified language there is enough in this plot to think about whether you are Harry's age or Sssh! You-Know-Who!