To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

I only started this book because I was studying it for my GCSE, but I'm so glad I did. In fact putting it down was always a bigger battle than picking it up. Harper Lee has an incredible talent for weaving multiple levels into her story, not only are we intrigued by the 'actual' activities in which Scout and her  neighbours are caught up, but also the layers of symbolism underneath. Every childhood memory, game or incident has meaning far above what we would at first imagine- part of the reason I have been able to read it so many times without the story fading in significance.

Having 'To Kill a Mockingbird' on the GCSE English Literature syllabus only encourages me to read the rest of the list, and I am so glad, that despite the rest of my class studying 'Of Mice and Men', I choose to do Harper Lee's famous classic. Don't get me wrong, 'Of Mice and Men' is an incredible book as well, but in terms of studying 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is that bit more challenging, and. therefore, more rewarding in the end.

'To Kill a Mockingbird' has amazing historical significance within the plot itself as well as in Harper Lee's own experiences before and after she published her book. She uses the experiences of three young children, narrated by Scout, the youngest, to bring to light the racism and injustice that was going on in America and around the world at the time. Scout's development from innocence and curiosity to the firm assurance that all men are created equal by God is incredible and heart warming,

One thing that I would say is, don't spend the whole first half of the book waiting for the climax. Enjoy the stories' growth and the development of the characters and setting. It is in the beginning that you find the most symbolism, and this is where most of the story's eventual climax is explained. This story isn't a fast paced novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but it is the amazing story of a town's prejudices fought against, sometimes unintentionally, by a nine year old girl.

The truth is that sometimes it takes a child's unwavering belief to make adults understand.

NB. If you are studying this book for GCSE don't make the mistake of just reading the study notes- they might get you through the exam but they won't give the essence of what this story is about.

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes- the name we all associate with 221 Baker Street, blockbuster films and, more recently, the BBC series staring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. If we're honest I don't think any of us think of the books by Arthur Conyan Doyle first, if you do I give you a round of applause.

I am a great fan of all things Sherlocky, as most of my friends and family would probably tell you. Not so much that I am constantly talking about Sherlock Holmes, but enough that, when in London, I convinced my friends to walk up to 221 Baker Street. Let me tell you now, it is a very very long street. Something I probably should have realized from the address. Needless to say my friends were not very impressed, some even wanted to turn around when we got to 21 Baker Street and realized we had a couple hundred more houses to go. I was determined however and we eventually arrived at our destination, to find, much to my disappointment, that it really wasn't that impressive - I have no idea what I'd been expecting - I did get a photo though and pretended, mainly for the benefit of my friends, to be very excited.


There are nine books in the Sherlock Holmes series, they are as follows;

A study in Scarlet

The sign of four

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

The Hound of Baskervilles

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Valley of Fear

His Last Bow

The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes

The first Sherlock Holmes adventure I read was The Speckled Band, and that is when my love for the Sherlock stories began. Of course I'd heard about Sherlock Holmes before but I had never really wanted to read it or had any particular interest in it. Then, after watching The Study in Pink on TV I decided to start reading 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,' Even though it wasn't the first in the series I found that it didn't matter because the mysteries were almost completely stand alone and not in chronological order.

I can't say much about the book series as a whole as I have only read one book and only a half of it at that, but the one thing that caught me about Arthur Conan Doyle's style is how cleverly he manages to confuse the readers and disable us from making conclusions before Sherlock presents his, extremely logical and apparently 'obvious' observations. Most mysteries present the reader with clues unknown to the characters in the book, with Sherlock Holmes its different, he knows everything whilst the reader is still in the dark waiting his explanation. This role is shared by John Watson and it is his train of thought we follow and not Sherlock's. This technique might differ in other books but as I haven't yet read them I cannot say. 

As a closing note let me strongly encourage you to read the Sherlock Holmes series for yourself, don't rely on the magic of television to accurately portray the genius behind Arthur Conyan Doyle's famous characters. 

The Youngest Girl in The Fifth by Angela Brazil

If you like Malory Towers, Chalet School or any of those sorts of books then you'll like this. Full of pranks, punishments and grades, this shows both Gwen's home and school life, which is something that neither Malory Towers or Chalet School dwells on.

I remember one of the first times I was talking to someone who had been to boarding school. Of course, having read Malory Towers, Chalet School and The Youngest Girl in The Fifth, I thought I knew all about it. Midnight feasts, picnics, swimming by the sea, lessons outdoors, head girls and of course plenty of real-life mysteries just outside the door. But in reality, boarding school is no where near as 'perfect' as in the novels. I must admit I have had no personal experience but from what I have heard midnight feasts certainly don't take place as regularly as one might think.

Despite the slight differences between truth and fiction, I cannot help but enjoy these novels about growing up. The Youngest Girl in The Fifth particularly focuses on themes and issues that can be relevant in 'normal' life. For example, Gwen struggles with feeling left out because she is pushed into the year above. This means that her friends from the year below become jealous and stop speaking to her, and no one in the year above wants to befriend her either because they feel she is too stuck up. This leaves Gwen feeling isolated and alone, especially since her only friend seems to be her worst enemy.

The other interesting aspect of this book is that Gwen doesn't board at school, instead returning home at the end of every school day. This adds another dimension to the story as we get to see Gwen's interaction with her family and friends outside, as well as inside, school. We get to see how Gwen is encouraged to persevere no matter how hard things may seem, and how her family are always there for her to turn to in times of difficulty.

Angela Brazil manages to create a unique book that, although similar to Malory Towers and Chalet school still manages to hold its own and adds a different colour to the classic school story genre. Even though I wouldn't read this book again or necessarily advise reading it, I would say that if you enjoy this type of book it is well worth reading.

Michael Morpurgo

My favourite Michael Morpurgo books are Private Peaceful, War Horse and Waiting for Anya. He manages to make you feel the pain and hardship of the world wars in a vivid and real way bringing you close to the heart of each of the characters. Morpurgo's other books aren't as gripping and I would defiantly advise that if you could only read one of his books it would be War Horse, Private Peaceful or Waiting For Anya.

Toro! Toro!

Toro! Toro! is set in Spain during the civil war and is the story of a young boy and his family. His father breeds bulls for the bull rink and his Uncle is a famous Bull fighter but what Michael doesn't know is that the bulls don't always survive.

This book is sad but I think that in the end so many members of his family die abruptly and without the reader having any attachment to them that it isn't very emotional. I think this is partly because I was too old for it and also because Michael Morpurgo's other books are so engaging and emotional.

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips
This was a very interesting story about a girl in one of the world wars. It's not Private Peaceful or War Horse but it is gripping and the fact it is about a little girl and a cat makes it very different from anything else Morpurgo has written.

This story shows the way people at home in England were effected in a very dramatic and effective way, this little girl is not affected by real bombs and guns but instead by the bombs the soldiers used to practice. She is confronted with her own small war.


King of the Cloud Forests
This was the first fantasy/fact book that I had read by Michael Morpurgo and to be honest it isn't that good. The plot line is interesting but the emotions and resolution aren't captivating and unlike his other books

Michael lives with his father and uncle Sung in China peacefully enough until the outbreak of war. Japanese bombers constantly threaten them and there are others who hate missionaries and only need a little push before they become violent as well.

King of the Cloud Forests is a good relaxing read but there are plenty of better Michael Morpurgo books worth reading.


Why the Wales Came
Michael Morpurgo's books are generally to do with war or animals, sometimes he incorporates the two. My favourite Michael Morpurgo book has to be either War Horse or Private Peaceful both of which are very emotional and made me burst into tears. Why the Wales Came is another book that involves both war and animals but neither of them are involved directly.

Samson is haunted, no one knows by what or who, but it is. No one's tested it, no one needs too, they all know they have to stay away. They also keep as far away from the Birdman as possible, he isn't normal, they think he made the curse. That's why when Gracie and David go to play with their boats on his part of the island they can't tell anyone.

This book is a great break from anything more challenging you might be reading, for example Arabian Nights or The Wouldbegoods.

The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt By Day by Scott O'Dell

Far from being anything to do with Hawks this book tells the tale of William Tyndale and how the first English bible made it's way into England. Following young Tom Barton and his uncle Jack this book describes the dangers and trials not only of getting the bible into the country but also of how the ordinary folks were treated by their seniors. The bible was purposely in Latin so that everyday people could be fooled into believing things that weren't actually in the bible. Tyndale's work gave everyone the opportunity to read God's word for themselves and changed the way England worked.

Scott O'Dell manages to twist fact with fiction to create a story that is both informative and interesting. The fictional characters he adds to the story are so well blended that it is hard to tell which are true and which false. My favourite thing about this story is that it brings this period of history alive in a way history books don't.

By far the most interesting character in this book is William Tyndale, he is willing to sacrifice his life for his work, nothing is more important to him than giving the bible to all people. Translating the bible into English changed England dramatically and the King and important people within the church new this and that is why they didn't want Tyndale's work to continue. Continually on the run from his persecutors William Tyndale's life was always endangered but he still persevered.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

The truths behind this book are tragic, the meaning horrific, the story line gripping. Throughout the whole book you know what is going to happen, you wait for it, expecting it but still dreading the conclusion, it isn't a surprise but it is terrible.

Bruno is extremely easy to sympathise with because of his childish character but I also tended to get annoyed with him because he was so unaware of what was going on. Even when he meets Shmuel and sees the horrible way he is treated and how he lives Bruno still doesn't realise what is going on and neither does Shmuel. The innocence and complete unawareness of the two children is what creates the tension and emotions of the book and the injustice of war the concentration camp is shown through their confusion and mistakes.

When I read this I was gripped by how real John Boyne makes his book. Every moment of betrayal and cruelty is brought home by the innocence of the two children and their misunderstanding. The ultimate trust they have in each other is amazing and John Boyne captures Bruno's unwavering trust in his father, a man so horrible and yet of whom he is proud. This book is well worth reading and I sincerely recommend the film when you finish.

The film follows the book almost perfectly, nothing is changed, because nothing needs to be, John Boyne's book is so complete that to change anything new would be to loose some of the innocence or the emotion that he has managed to create. The film does add to the readers understanding and show you clues to what is coming but more or less it is exactly the same as the book.

The Road To Camlann by Rosemary Sutcliff

This is the third in the Rosemary Sutcliff Series about King Arthur and the knights of the round table but it doesn't matter what order you read them in. I haven't read any of the other Rosemary Sutcliff books in this series but I still really enjoyed this book because I already knew a lot about Arthur and because the story is more or less stand alone.

The Quest for the Holy Grail is over and their are only a few of Arthur's best knights left. These are the days when darkness begins creeping in and Arthurs long forgotten sin is finally remembered. Arthurs destruction always makes me cry, he is such a kind warm hearted man and yet he suffers the worst things anyone could imagine. His wife, son and best friends are divided against him and things that seemed long forgotten are brought to light. The worst betrayal is that of Lancelot, he is my favourite of Arthurs knights but although he tries to withstand it he is Arthurs ultimate downfall- the weakness, the only way to penetrate the round table from outside and bring about the end of Camelot.

If you enjoy stories about King Arthur another really good book to read is The Once and Future King by T. H. White which begins when Arthur is a young boy and ends at the destruction of the round table. There are many different books about King Arthur all with slightly different variations but my favourites are the ones by Rosemary Sutcliff and the ones by T. H. White.

I won't say any more, you must read them for yourself and find out. All I will say is that I really enjoy stories about King Arthur and his knights and Rosemary Sutcliff writes about them particularly well.