Northern Lights
Review by Sheba Samuel
Class 9, St. John's English School and Junior College, Besant Nagar
 Author:
Philip Pullman
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 432
Price: Rs. 295.
The Story about a little girl Lyra who is considered to be an orphan and living in the old theological seminary. Her life is just ordinary unless she accidentally enters into the discussion room and sneaks in to the closet when the most revealing truths about her life are told. Children go disappearing day by day.
Some told demons ate them; some told birds carried them away.
This was not serious for Lyra unless her best and only friend Roger in the seminary disappears.
Lyra sets out for the first time into the world in search for her friend where she discovers unbelievable truths about her parents.
Will she be able to find Roger? Will she be able to rescue her parents? Read the book and find for yourself.
A complete fiction woven in fine thread with imagination .The author has also written many books in this series Like the Aurora, the Subtle knife and the Amber spyglass.
Published in 1995, this is the first novel in the His Dark Materials trilogy by the author.
A feature film adaptation of the novel, titled, The Golden Compass, produced by New Line Cinema was released on December 5, 2007
Sherlock
Holmes and the Baker Street irregulars
The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas
Reviewed by Chethana Venkataraghavan
Class 8, PSBB, K. K. Nagar
 Author/s:
Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin
Price : Rs.76
If you are an avid Sherlock Holmes reader you might
have heard him say to Watson – ‘my eyes
and ears on the streets.’ He has been assisted
by them in many cases and in the short story of Holmes-
The Stuart Chronicle, Holmes gathers a lot of information
by just remaining in his place and a gang of homeless
and faithful boys help him.
Now meet the heroes of our story – The Baker
Street Irregulars. Headed by Wiggins, a fat, ever positive
leader whose decisions that even Holmes seem to value
(Yes, we all know how reserved Holmes is) and he in
turn assisted by Ozzie (Osgood Manning) the brain of
the gang.
He plays an important part in this story and has a talent
for forging. Not knowing this, he is used by the owner
of Oxford Scriveners, Crumbly. Rohan known as the gentle
giant takes care of the group whenever Wiggins is out.
Elliot nicknamed as stitch is from a tailor’s
family and has made nearly all the shoes for the irregulars.
He can also stitch wounds with the speed and precision
of a doctor and is indeed very useful for the group
towards the end. Alfie known as Elf is an inquisitive
boy who is very lovable and appears to be overconfident
at times. Apart from the ones mentioned above the irregulars
consist of several other boys who have escaped the workhouse
and never want to go back there again.
The story begins when, only three Zalindas (there are
supposed to be four of them) who are tightrope walkers
take a step onto a rope amidst applause, the rope is
frayed and breaks killing the three of them.
Holmes is then called to investigate this case and finds
out that this has a connection to the theft of The Stuart
Chronicle. Holmes immediately suspects that it is the
work of Moriatry, the Napoleon of crime. The irregulars
are called upon to help and asked to go to the circus
to collect information for Holmes. They then meet a
gypsy girl called Pilar who proves to be of immense
help towards the end and Holmes actually mentions her
as a little Irene Adler. Together they hit upon a plan
where Orlando Vile (The murderer of the Zalindas) is
captured and a dark story of conceit and deceit heard
but Moriatry disappears with The Stuart Chronicle.
Wait!!! The story does not end here. Then Moriatry turns
up at the place where he is least expected to be and
more of excitement and adventure follows.
A brilliant tale woven with the finest cloth. Awesome
plot with exciting plot points!
Harry
Potter and The Deathly Hallows
Review by Saniya Surana
PSBB, T. P. Road, T. Nagar
 Author:
J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year of publication - 2007, First edition
Price: Rs. 795.
Other books: Harry Potter Series (1-6)
The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's
series is not for the faint of heart-- such revelations,
battles, and betrayals portrayed that no fan will make
it to the end unscathed. Rowling has prepped her loyal
readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly
dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot
through with lessons about honor and contempt, love
and loss, and right and wrong.
The heart of Book-7 Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the
Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and facing
more danger than that found in all six books combined,
from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who,
to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Never
has Harry felt so alone and faced a future so full of
shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself
the strength to complete the task he has been given.
He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of
the Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation: the
inexorable path laid out for him.
In the finale of the series, J. K . Rowling unveils
in spectacular fashion, the answers to many questions
that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding
richly woven narrative, which plunges, that takes twists
and turns at a breath-taking pace, confirms the author
as a mistress of story-telling. And so the book will
be read and re- read.
The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic
and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies
of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is
as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and
fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines
of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful
for the experience.
Aditi
and her friends take on the Vesuvian Giant
Reviewed by J. Anirudh
Class 9, Sri Sankara Sr. Sec. School, Adyar
 Aditi,
the brave little girl and her friends are back. And
in this enchanting fifth book in the series by Suniti
Namjoshi, Aditi and her friends decided to go in search
of Goldie, the friendly dragon, when he disappears.
But little did they know that the search for Goldie
would lead them to an enchanting and magnificent adventure.
Following a clue about a golden dragon, Aditi and her
friends fly to the vast but beautiful hillside of Oumac.The
book is set in and around the island of Capri in Italy.
Equipped with the 'Sword of Courage', the 'Cloak of
Invisibility', some magic clay and a 'Grow Large' potion
added to monkeyji's first aid box, they are off to search
Goldie. Their search leads to an encounter with an old
woman called 'Sybil' who knows everything and guides
them in their search for Goldie. With the help of Sybil's
advice, they find that Goldie is trapped by the terrible
tantrum throwing, earthquake causing, lava spewing,
Vesuvuian Giant.
How they rescue Goldie with the help of a cheeky and
flattering magic mirror, forms the rest of the story.
With simple, but eye-catching illustrations this is
an adventure like never before published by Tulika Books,
this book is priced at Rs. 80
The
Secrets of Kalindi
Have you ever wished to protect wildlife? Or help a
scientist in using renewable energy sources?
If you are looking for action, adventure and fun, then
this is the book for you. This book is no ordinary book.
In this book you literally write your own story! You
are the star of this book. You decide what happens and
where to go!
You should not read this book from the first page to
the last. Read till the end of a page and choose from
the options open to you. This will take you on different
trails.
This example is worth noting!
You and your friends are ready to go on a two-day excursion
to Kalindi Kunj. You reach the place by nightfall and
you go to sleep. The next morning you find that you
are up before everyone else. You feel that there is
time for a little exploration. You have the following
options:
If you want walk to the ruins go to page 50
If you want to go off on your own turn to page 8
If you decide to stay with the group go to page 6
The story keeps branching! The rest is up to you. You
are the one who chooses the path.
With eye-catching illustrations and mysterious touch,
‘The Secrets of Kalindi’ has many stories
within it that leads you to different endings.
Brought out by Katha Publishers, this book is by Geeta
Dharmarajan and is priced at Rs. 75.
- J. Anirudh
Class 9
Sri Sankara Sr. Sec. School, Adyar
Moin and
the Monster
Imagine finding a monster under your bed just before
you go to sleep at night. Well, that's what happened
to Moin.
But then it's not the monster that Moin sees, at first.
He only hears the voice. And then to give it life Moin
has to draw the monster as it describes itself. Because
Moin is not good at drawing the monster ends up looking
weird, though not scary - much to the monster's dismay.
Moin has a tough time feeding the monster and keeping
it quiet in his room. But the monster has some quirky
habits and one of them is singing. Well, singing normally
is not quirky, but the way the monster sings sure is.
Because of the monster Moin has to face many unpleasant
questions and as a result is labelled a special child
in school and at home his parents feel very sorry for
him because he wants to learn to sing and sings so badly
at that.
Anushka Ravishankar's Moin and the Monster is an enjoyable
book, with never a boring moment. The style is simple
and easy to understand yet vivid in description. The
illustrations by Anitha Balachandran, though in black
and white, are eloquent.
Moin and the Monster by Anushka Ravishankar, A Puffin
Original, Rs. 155
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