Red Star Burning … reviewed by Trudi

I thought that Brian Freemantle had stopped writing the Charlie Muffin series a long time ago, when lo and behold, Teresa brought me Red Star Burning.

I was so surprised to see that the series has started again. I had thought that he stopped writing this series a long time ago. I had read all the books about Charlie Muffin years ago. I really like the character of Charlie Muffin. The series is about espionage between Britain and Russia. Charlie is (you know what spies are like) two-faced. But he is very intelligent — there is always stuff around the corner with him. He is always double-dealing. The Agency he works for, MI5, plan to kill him in this book because he is devious and bright. They don’t like the way he works. There is a lot of friction because, even though Charlie is successful, they don’t like him. In an earlier novel in the series, the Agency had killed Charlie’s first wife. In this book, what MI5 does not know is that Charlie is now married to a Russian secret agent and she could face the firing squad if their marriage is found out.

I enjoy stories that have suspense. They make you think and give you more to look forward to. I sure hope there are more books to come about Charlie Muffin.

Trudi is 94 and a resident of Madison Care Centre.

This review was transcribed by Teresa, Community Services Librarian.

Amy the Amethyst Fairy – reviewed by Mai

Jack Frost steals the jewels from the Queen of Fairyland’s crown, and tosses them into the human world. Rachel and Kirsty are two human girls who have helped the fairies in the many books in this series, so they know exactly what to do! They have to try to get the jewels back before the goblins find them. I like the book because the girls went to a park that was like a tree-house, with a big slide that went underground. The park was fun and I would want to play Rachel and Kirsty went.

By Mai, aged 6

Librarians’ note: If this sounds like a series you would like to read, look in the Easy Chapter book section – the books with purple dots.

They Disappeared – reviewed by Jean

Jean is a library shut-in patron; she turns 92 today. Happy Birthday, Jean!

Blood, Iron and Gold – reviewed by Eileen

Eileen reviews Blood, Iron and Gold: How the Railways Transformed the World by Christian Wolmar.

Graphic Novel Monster Science series … reviewed by Deborah

Can learning scientific principles be fun? Will you laugh out loud learning how gravity works? You will if you read the new children’s Graphic Novel Monster Science series! In Zombies and Forces and Motion unlucky zombies stagger around demonstrating inertia, force and motion in a way that will entertain and teach at the same time. Or perhaps you want to learn about Aliens and Energy, or Bigfoot and Adaptation, or Vampires and Cells or Werewolves and States of Matter. Potential energy is a spaceship stuck high in a tree, whereas if it crashes to the ground its stored energy will be released in a spectacular way. Watch as Bigfoot demonstrates migration, as he is airlifted to Mexico by hordes of monarch butterflies, or adapts to polar life by sewing a penguin skin coat. And we all know that vampires are the world experts on all things bloody. This is a series to be enjoyed by kids and parents together, if you can stop laughing long enough!