If

For a change, I have decided to leave you with a  poem. Although this is not my usual type of post, I thought it would be nice. It will be the poem 'If' by Rudyard Kipling (and yes, he did write The Jungle Book)
I absolutely love this poem, and I think it is very true.
The poem reads;

If you can keep your head when all others about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired of waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
if you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster,
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop and build'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-loss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
and hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

I agree with every single line: it is not age that makes you and adult; but how you deal with problems and look at the world.

The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen

Don't be put of by this books weird title, it is actually a good book. \although not amazing, it is still a good book to read if your teacher/parent is nagging you to read something more challenging. Ok, so it's not the best book in the world, but it is still a good read for anyone 10/11+.

The Plot
Colin and Susan meet a wizard (it is less weird if you actually read it) and they find out they own a special gem that wards of all evil and there for stops them from controlling the world. Unfortunately, some evil creatures and wizards also find out and the two kids are n big trouble. They must get the stone to Cadellin, but will they succeed?

Filled with weird names this book is quite complicated, but despite that a good book.

There are lots of different covers for this book

The Switch by Anthony Horowitz

Although not in the Alex Rider series, this book is also by Anthony Horowitz. As always with this author, this book is an action packed novel filled with adventure and mystery. This book is for about anyone 9/10+.

The Plot
Bob and Tad live very different lives. Tad the rich upper-class boy, and Bob the poor criminal teen. Both teens would never meet, but when Tad wishes something that he really shouldn't wish, they do more than meet: they become each other. Only the boy's (and Tad's dog) know. Will they ever be themselves again?

I would certainly recommend this to everyone who has read any other of Anthony Horowitz's books, likes action packed books and wants a good read.

Ties that bind, Ties that break

This heart wrenching, gripping novel by  Lensey Namioka will not only make you laugh and cry, but will also make you think.

Lensey tells the sad (but with a haooy ending) tale of Ailin. It is 1911 and things are hard for girls, especially when their engagment is broken. Horrible traditions must be broken, but a girl is completely powerless in China, Ailin must just accept her fate (and painful feet) - right?

Although reading this review you may think it to be too sad, but I didn't actually cry - and you probably won't.

I can assure that when reading this novel you will learn many new things, about tradition, China and change. The book is not overly complecated, and not overly sad, so I would reccomend this for anyone about 11+.

I think that this is the only cover

Wolf Brother

This gripping and slightly scary first in the series by Michelle Paver, is a must read for 11+ boys and girls. It is set in ancient times with clans, demons and wolves

Plot
Torak's father is killed by demon bear that is destroying the forest. Living away from the clans his only hope is in an orphaned wolf cub. Single handedly Torak will have to defeat the bear - but is he all alone?

Be warned, this book is quite scary if you are the lower end of the age scale.
But don't be put off. You should start in anyway, if it is too scary then you can just stop and read at a later date.

I would certainly reccomend this book and all the others in the series, even the I have not yet read, if they are anything like the first one then they are definantely worth reading! Just, if you are one of the younger ones, read in daylight!!!!

This is one of the covers, but of course there are many others

This is one of he covers for the second in the series, Spirit Walker, but - as always - there are other covers