Prisoner B-3087 / Alan Gratz

To survive the experience of a WW2 concentration camp is truly amazing, to survive ten concentration camps is truly miraculous. But that is what happens to Yanek Gruerer, a Jewish boy who is only ten years old at the beginning of the war.This is an incredible and horrible story all at the same time, but knowing that it is based on a true story and that Yanek survives (and now lives in USA) means it is easier to read about some of the tough things he had to face.

Who would enjoy this? If you like to read about things that are based on real events, or how other people manage to survive tough times, then this is the book for you.

Reviewed by Jason

Game on / Monica Seles and James LaRosa

Maya has been given the chance of a lifetime - she's won a scholarship to a famous sports academy. This gives her the opportunity to achieve her dream of making it big in professional tennis. She could never have done it without the scholarship because her family is very poor. So much about the academy is wonderful, but is making friends with the rich and famous really what it is all about? Money is all very well but it can also cause you to lose sight of your true dream.

Who would enjoy this? If you've ever wanted to imagine what it is like to live a different sort of life than your own, this book will interest you.

Reviewed by Charlotte

The infects / Sean Beaudoin

The unusual cover with a chook sitting on top of a skull prepares you for more weirdness inside the cover! Weirdness that starts to make sense as you get to know seventeen year old Nick Sole. Think viruses gone mad, flesh-eating maniacs, anything could happen ... and it does.
This is a clever, original and exciting story. It looks at what is happening in our world - how we live, what we eat and what we shouldn't eat. After you have read this story you may not choose to eat chicken again!

Who would enjoy this? Fancy something a little out of the ordinary? Enjoy a story that makes you laugh out loud? This book is perfect on both counts. At the same time it also manages to be thought-provoking.

Reviewed by Jason

You don't even know / Sue Lawson

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Alex has a hard life. He doesn't fit in with what his very demanding father wants and struggles to cope with what goes on at home every day. His older brother is a self-serving bully, and his mother doesn't seem to be able to make things any better. However, he loves his little sister very much and does everything he can to look out for her. And then the very worst thing happens, and he is no longer able to look after her, nor even himself. This is an excellent book. It is gripping, puzzling and heart-breaking. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Who would enjoy this? Anyone who likes reading about how families work, sometimes well and sometimes badly.

Reviewed by James