Angus Soloman is a boy with one thing to do: Become a Pirate in the school play. Angus lives with his glamorous TV mother who plays a mother in an Australian soap opera. He has to look after his little brother and sister (technically his step-brother and sister) because his mother is ALWAYS working. Angus’s dad is a ‘to-be’ book writer hoping to write the next, great Australian picture book. He is Angus’s real dad, and Angus’s little brother and sister are ‘made’ from Angus’s mums’s boyfriends. 

Angus meets a girl named Rindi who he doesn’t know, changes his life. He thought he had the worst life in the world, well that all is about to change…

 Bumface is a cleverly written book by Morris Gleitzman and shares the tales of Angus and Rindi as they both try to save Rindi from her horrible fate…

Review by Patrick McTaggart

Available in BLRC at F GLI

A challenging central plot around ‘survival of the fittest’ which makes for an exciting read while raising questions about our sense of humanity.  For boys growing up in a world of unlimited ceaseless gaming carnage this is a story which will immediately appeal; And give cause for reflection.     

Reviewed by: Luke Stevens (dad)

Available in BLRC: F COL

A book I think every teenage boy should read is “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding. It is an extraordinary look at what happens to the social order in a group of boys who become stranded on a deserted island. The imagery, violence and ultimate reassertion of control by adults are very thought provoking, and particularly relevent to teenage readers.

Review by: Roderick MacKinnon Dad)

Available at BLRC: F GOL

It  is a very very funny book (as is the movie based off it), but also one that also captures the enjoyment of your imagination taking you to far off places in a great book.  William Goldman is a wonderful writer and very famous for his Hollywood screenplays (a couple of Oscars) and also a hugely popular book on writing for Hollywood.

Review by: David Matherson (Dad)

Soon to be available in BLRC

My recommended book for teenage boys would be Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack.  As a migrant to Australia I read it soon after I arrived.  It’s a great story of an Irish migrant family and their story about establishing a dynasty in the Kimberly in Western Australia.  From the early days settling in NSW Southern Highlands, to Wester Queensland and then being the first people to drive cattle across the Northern Territory into the Kimberley.  This book is a great read for any migrant to understand what people when thru in settling this country and it’s agreat book for any young Australian to understand what the early settlers went thru in settling the country.

 Review by Dara Lyne (Dad)

On order in the BLRC

My book recommendation is “On The Beach ” by Nevil Shute ( which I read in year 11 in 1976 ). I recall Brother Patrick our Dorm Master recommended it at the time. We all had access to his extensive collection of novels.

The book describes the end of the World ( or at least the human race ) as a result of nuclear war in the northern hemisphere , and much of it is situated in southern Australia. It gives you a good reason to vote and for keeping our politicians honest.

Review by: Simon Liddy (Joeys Dad)

Available in BLRC at F SHU

“The Happiest Refugee” by Anh Do

The book is a fascinating read giving an insightful view into the life of a refugee who became one of Australia’s most loved comedians. It reveals the struggles of Anh’s life,  fleeing from his country with his family on a dilapidated and congested boat to Australia, in the hope for a better life. Personally, I found this book very ineresting as it showed a perspective of a refugee coming to Australia as at such a time, much political and media hype is centralised around “stopping the boats” and headlines of “boat people”. I enjoyed this book as Anh found humour in the toughest of times and gives a rare view into the life of a refugee.

Reviewed by: Dominic Kocx

Available in BLRC at NF 792.702 DO

Conspiracy 365 is about a teenager named Callum Ormond who inherets a conspiracy against his family, which is passed to the first born boy.  After someone attacks his uncle and younger sister, Cal is framed for it and is forced into a life on the run. He must rely on instinct and cunning to outwit both his enemy’s and the cops and with his best friend Boges at his side, Cal must find out the mysterious picture his dad sent him, clear his name, and survive the year as a fugitive. Conspiracy 365 is an explosive, 12 book series, a must read for fans of action, suspense and mystery. Highly recommended.

Review by : Charles McCann

Available in BLRC at F LOR

This book starts in a concerntration camp where the main character, David, is about to escape. The concentration camp has turned his view on life upside down. We learn about his perspective of life as he travels through Europe. He has many speed bumps on the way he saves a girl from a fire, so the family takes him in for a few days. In this time he learns about houses, seeing as he has never been in one. David has a straight forward view of life and when he is taken by a farmer as a slave, he comes to relise that ‘they’ aren’t the only bad people. I recommend this book as a great read.

Reviewed by Thomas Callaughan

Available in BLRC at F HOL

By Charlie Howard

Stephanie a 13 year old girl couldn’t be more shocked when she realises that she is living in a world of magic and adventure. This ordinary girl discovers what she is really capable with the help of her new found detective friend Skulduggery Pleasant. Together they stop the Faceless ones from entering this world with the help of a few old friends and new.

This book i think is a great lead up to the rest of the books in the series. It was a very challenging book to review because it is a journey not a story, of an outcast girl coming into a community where she felt accepted. The adventures were perfect ways to relate to us because a lot of them were in everyday places. Because of this you have to look at it at a completely different way but to be honest I am not sure what that way is.

This gripping book is just what I look for after siting in classes all day with its sense of humour and gripping adventure.