Reviews by HCLC

Jon Bauer's "Rocks in the belly" is disturbing yet beautifuly written. He has gone to great lengths to develop his characters and bring them to life for the reader. The book is written in two voices, that of Jim as both a young boy and a 28yr man. Young Jim hides beetroot in his underpants, gets locked in the chest freezer, disfigures his transformer, often takes one of the nine lives away from the family cat, and locks his angry mother out of the car in the rain. 28yr Jim returns home to care for his dying mother. I consider his behaviour as a child almost excusable, brought on by the absence of his mother’s love. His behaviour as an adult is terrible, he uses his childhood as an excuse and is unable to move forward and achieve anything much with his life. The book is a page turner, the urge to know what happened to Robert will make you reluctant to put the book down for a minute. [Link removed - login to see]

Red Dog is based on a true story and was inspired by a statue of the dog the author saw while visiting Western Australia. It is a story of Red Dog, the kelpie that left his original owners to travel and seek adventures. He made his way into the hearts of all who met him and would wonder in and out of their lives as he pleased. It is a must read for dog lovers and adults and children alike. The ending will bring a tear to your eye.
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The film adaptation of Red Dog will be released in August 2011

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I loved it, but it was a bit predictable in the end. [Link removed - login to see]

When I was a child I was "horse mad" and would read anything and everything to do with horses. I found this book stuffed down the back of the shelves of my school library and the date slip told the tale of an old unloved book with a lonely date stamp marking the one time it ventured out of the library in the hands of another child. I was shocked and delighted to find a book that actually managed to knock "Black Beauty" off the very tall pedestal I'd put it on. This year, probably 12yrs after I first opened the pages of "War Horse", I reread the book and was quickly reunited with an old friend that I still love as an adult. The book has been labelled as juvenile literature but it really is a story to be enjoyed by all ages.

The book is quick and easy to read so I won't spoil it for you by giving away too much. If you love horses, or animals in general, you will love this moving story told from the perspective of a horse named Joey. Have the tissues ready, his life in the cavalry during World War I makes Black Beauty look like he lived a life of luxury in an air conditioned stable in Dubai.

Make it your mission in 2011 to read this book before you the film adaptation(due for release December 2011).
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