Games - Evony

Game platform: Online game
Game genre: Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Rating (Aust): G - General
Rate the game: 9.5

This game is for all those who want to make their own empire in this world and it is a game with very easy rules and enhances your managing skills

This game unlike other games has its production of food,iron even when a person is not online......

In the game you have many special features to earn money and gain knowledge.If u want a real rocking and cool game,this is it. Your search is over.EVONY is the game.

With Regards, Karan

----reviewed by Karan

Games - Evony

Game platform: PC
Game genre: Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Rating (Aust): Unknown
Rate the game: 10

The Genius that is EVONY. A couple weeks ago i was looking to download a movie from ..... when a very clever looking advertisement caught my eye. I curiously clicked it and up came the Evony website.  The first thing you will notice is beautiful maiden and an intense looking knight ready for action and a subtitle that reads "FREE TO PLAY FOREVER".  I was sold.  I knew i was in for a treat, but when i actually started playing i became even more delighted.  I was instantly hooked.  You are overseer of a town that you need to build.  And you need to do it hastily as other will be competing against you.  As a leader you need to make sure your town is prosperous by building the right amount of resource facilites.  You need to build enough housing to accomidate a rising population.  You need to build an army to protect all you progress from your fellow online gamers.  

It is a very relaxing and rewarding game.  And you can play it without anyone noticing.  I personaly have it rinning at work the entire day.  Every once and a while i will go to the game and build something new or learn new techniques at the academy and because it can take multiple hours to learn and build I can just go back to my regular routine knowing that my citizens are doing what i told them to.  It is very empowering.  At this stage in the game i am currently building my army getting ready to plunder from other towns and possible destroy a few.  You can make alliances, betray alliances, or go it alone.  And this is only the beginning.  Evony is in its early stages.  There is so much more to come.

But don't waste your time listening to me ramble on about this fantastic game because i could go on forever about all the detailed features of the game.  Just type www.evony.com in your address bar and have fun.  Did i mention it's FREE

Sean

----reviewed by Sean

Games - World of Warcraft

Game platform: Online game  
Game genre: Action
Rating (Aust): PG - Parental guidance
Rate the game: 10

Gold is back! Yes I play this game now and I think it's amazing. Let's just say if you love runescape, don't play this because you will never go back to rs!

----reviewed by Gold


World of Warcraft official site

Welcome back Gold! I missed you. WoW sounds like fun. I've never played it but a woman at work does and loves it. In honour of your return may I present your own tag. See below..........webgurl

Games - imagine teacher

Game platform: Nintendo DS
Game genre: Other
Rating (Aust): E - Exempt
Rate the game: 10

if you want to be a doctor when you grow up this is the for you it will teach you to train to be a doctor

----reviewed by hannah

Books - The Keys to the Kingdom Series by Garth Nix

Rate the book: 9

The first book in thsi series is Mister Monday. It is extraordinarily good and I would recommend it to anyone. It is about a boy named Arthur Penhaligon who is the Rightful Heir to the House, which is the epicentre of the universe. There is a Will by the creater of all, the Architect that Arthur must bond with and will help him fullfil it and defeat the Seven Trustees, named after the days of the week. Lady Friday would have to be my favourite by they are all great. If you love fantasy, you will love this. Recommended for ages 12-15.

----reviewed by AdZ

Books - Reptiles and Amphibians by Priddy Books

This book tells you about reptiles such as the komodo dragon,green iguana,chamelean,water dragon,gecko,frilled neck lizard,THORNY DEVIL,blue-tongued lizard, cbra,crocodile,alligator.

----reviewed by Jake

Books - The Worst Band in the Universe by Graeme Base

This book is a great Picture book for kids who have alot of imagenation,and if they love Fantasy it`s probably a great bedtime story.

This isn`t a book that 5 year olds would read by themselves.

I really enjoyed the book and recomend that older people will enjoy it too.

----reviewed by Jessica

Games - Habbo

Game platform: Online game
Game genre: Other
Rating (Aust): PG - Parental guidance
Rate the game: 9.99999

Habbo website | Habbo Australia

thisgame is really good for teens 13ears and older. it is a fun online game where you can custonise your character and build them house's. you walk round and talk to friends on public or private chat and play games with friends or go look and rooms made by other people. it is really fun to play if you just want to chat. if you do play though, to get the best clothes and furniture, just like club penguin, you have to be a member and pay real money, but you dont have to be a meber and im not. by the way, if you do play and someone asks you asl? it means your age,sex(gender) and location (country) i hope you playthis and enjoy it.

----reviewed by Aleisha

Books - Cherub series by Robert Muchamore

Rate the book:100000000000000000000000000000000000000000 etc

This is the BEST series every. it is funny ad thrilling and entertaining and exiting and SO TOTALLY AWSOME! It is so hard to put down and when ur finished you'll want to go get the next book and it keeps u o the edge of ur seat! the main character is james and hs sister lauren and all their frends. Cherub is a kids secret agents place from the ages 10-17 yrs old so SHHHH!!! its all about the different missions they go on and their life at the cherub campus I LOVE IT! if u dont read this or read this and u dont like it u r completly and utterly WEIRD TO THE MAX! this series is the bomb so read it. i think it is not appropriate for under 12 year old cus there are some violent and sexual bits (not that bad, very mild) As u can see, i ike this series so take it from me, u should read it cus ive read thousands(literally) of boos and tis series is by far the best. i reckon its better the harry potter and twilight for all those edward lovers out there Please, i beg u read this bok!

----reviewed by aleisha

Books - The messenger by Markus Zusak

Rate the book: 8 1/2

this book was awsome. when ed kennedy- a 19year old taxi driver and card player, stops a bank robbery. this changes his life. when he recieves the ace of diamonds thats when he needs to protect. when he gets the ace of clubs he has to survive them and when he gets the ce of spades he ha to look hard to find it. but its the ace of hearts thats the hardest- he has to help his frends. when he gets the joker he realises something. to find out what it is read this awsomlyu awsome book! you wont regret it!

----reviewed by aleisha

Books - If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Rate the book: 6

17 year-old Mia's life is changed forever when a terrible car accident faces her with a difficult choice: to stay or go. The ideas behind this heart-wrenching story are original and inspired. However, this novel felt more like 196 pages of pure sadness which took away from the book.

This is an extremely well written story but one I would not recommend to the faint-hearted.

If you decide to follow Mia on this moving journey, make sure you've got tissues at hand.

----reviewed by lily

Music - 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day

Rate the CD: 10

I love Green Day so much and personally, I think this is their best album ever! It has a perfect combination of slow, sad tunes and upbeat numbers. The lyrics are beautiful and the music is catchy. 21 Guns is my favorite song from this album- it's been stuck in my head for over a week.

Even if you don't think you like Green Day buy this CD! Buy it buy it buy it!

----reviewed by lily

Games - Call of Duty 2

Game platform: PC
Game genre: Action
Rating (Aust): M - Mature
Rate the game: 9

One of the best action game i have ever played. Intension goes on rising from stage to stage and the graphics, sounds and character effects are near to the real world. I suggest all the rummy game lovers has to play this game.If you want any cheats related to this you can find among this sites www.gamecheats4u.com and they are lot of more sites also. Dont miss this game.

----reviewed by Kalyan

Books - Double exposure by Bonnie Hearn Hill

I think it is a very scary book.
When i read it i was very scared so i stopped reading and then i never ever finished it because it was so scary!
I think that noone should read this book because it will give you nightmares for life.
It is just so scary!

----reviewed by Alyssa

Books - Almost Dead by Lisa Jackson

I think that this book is really good and scary and everyone in the whole world should read it because it is so great!! and its just so great it is undescribale how good it is

----reviewed by Tarryn

Games - Shinoni Shadows

Game platform: Online game
Game genre: Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Rating (Aust): G - General
Rate the game: 2

This game is an insult to php, 60% of the code for this game was burrowed form the-ninjarpg.com. The staff is very bad, one of the admin will ban you because you tell them that the code for his game is burrowed.

If you ever want to play a game i say do not play this one, play a far more better game.

----reviewed by Leone

Games - Elf Island

Game platform: Online game
Game genre: Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Rating (Aust): G - General
Rate the game: 9

Elf Island is a great game. It is aimed towards kids ages 8 to 14 , but don't be fooled many teenagers and adults play it as well. It is a great game for the whole family. In Elf Island you are an Elf which you can personalize with many different clothing items and styles. Elf Island is not your average online game. Elf Island is gaming for good. Elf Island is a safe place for kids to have fun and make a difference in the real world. It has a chat filter and much more to keep its members happy and safe. The community of Elf Island all participate in Goodquests to help make a difference in the real world. Goodquests are quests that everyone can do to reach a goal to do good. Some recent Goodquests the Elf Island community has completed were for, Polar Bears, Sharks, Building houses in Honduras and many more. Currently, elves are helping Pandas! When playing Goodquests you don't only help the world but you can win prizes and coins. Elf Islanders can make a difference in the world thanks to non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Plant 2020, Polar Bear International, Pandas international, Fresh Producers, Wild Aid and more.

There are also many fun things to do on the Island other then Goodquests. You can also find many games throughout the island. These games are lot's of fun and you can earn coins playing them. Later you can spend those coins in the market place for cool items at stores such as Holiday Curio, the Wing Dome, the General Store and more! You can use the items you buy to decorate your own room, which you choose when you join. You can always buy a new room and add rooms.

Also in Elf Island you can always find staff members around. Mods are very helpful in answering questions and keeping everyone safe. Hosts do the same as Mods but they also hold games in which you can win prizes. In game you can always send a question, or report a player to the M button(message to the staff) and I find they get back to you fairly quickly.

Elf Island also holds many contests and Giveaways. Though one of the best things is the great friends you can make and add to your buddies list.

There are also many awesome places to visit on the island, some are the Volcano, beach, woods, meadow, Marsh, Mountain Cave, Ice cavern, Savanna, and many more! The rooms are very cool and beautiful! Elf Islanders can also win awards when they go above and beyond when trading,gifting items, and just playing and many more. With they award you can redeem prizes as well. You can do all this for free, but you can also pay to be a member and get special member only goods, get an allowance, more clothing options and much more! Elf Island is always coming up with new fun ways to do good and is growing fast and making some awesome updates frequently. Most everyone I find is so friendly and helpful and I look forward to continue to play Elf Island as it continues to grow.

Visit Elf Island Here: http://www.elfisland.com/

You can also visit the Elf Island Fansite of the year here: http://www.elfislandfansite.com/

There you can find lot's of helpful information, including the wiki which is a full directory of every item, room, quests, events, and more that has ever been or is on Elf Island! You can find the latest news and see what other Elves are doing around the island! You can also find some helpful threads and make your own threads if you have questions, opinions, ect.

----reviewed by CleverCoolPuppy

Books - The Gimlet Eye (Book Three in Quentaris: Quest of the Lost City) by James Roy

Rate the book: 9/10

Ford Street Publishing, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-87646-77-2
Price: AUD$16.95

The First lot of Quentaris books was a series of shared-world, stand-alone novels for kids, all set in the magical city of Quentaris. They had some recurring characters, but for the most part each book focussed on a new set of main characters. The second series Quentaris: Quest of the Lost City is a little different. The city has been magically uprooted and is now flying through the uncharted rift-maze with the aide of giant sails. And the novels are no longer quite so stand-alone, as they follow the adventures of the same set of characters, most notably — Tab Vidler, the orphan who can enter the minds of animals; her best friends, Philmon and Amelia; Fontagu Wizroth III, actor and scoundrel; Torby, the young boy rescued from the prisons of the rival city, Tolrush; and Captain Verris.

The Gimlet Eye takes things in a new direction, again. The Archon, who has ruled the city since the first set of books, dies. This signals a great change for the city of Quentaris, as the Archon’s spoiled and power-hunger nephew Florian takes charge. He exiles or imprisons many of the people who had previously held key positions in the running of the city, and puts into play is own secret agenda. Under his rule, Quentaris seems set on a course of piracy… unless Tab and her friends can put things right.

James Roy has done exceptionally well at taking characters created by another author and making them his own. This book really hits the mark in terms of characterisation and also delivers an intriguing fast-paced story. My only real reservation is that I found the conclusion a little too speedy and neat. But that certainly didn’t stop me enjoying the book.

The cover, by Les Peterson, is the best so far.

---- reviewed by George Ivanoff (www.georgeivanoff.com.au)

Reviewer Bio

George Ivanoff is a Melbourne based author who has written over 25 books for children and teenagers. Two of his books (Life, Death and Detention and Real Sci-Fi) are on the booklist for the 2008 Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge – this is their fourth year on the list. George used to regularly review books, CDs and DVDs for the now defunct Frontier Magazine. Check out George’s website at: www.georgeivanoff.com.au

Books - Ice-Cream Man By Jenny Mounfield

Rate the book: 9/10

Ford Street Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-876462-68-0
Price: AUD$16.95

The cover and the blurb on the back of this book led me to expect a run-of-the-mill teen horror about a murderous ice-cream man. Not that I don’t enjoy a formulaic horror novel every now and then… But what I read this time was an intelligent, character-driven suspense with elements of horror.

Three kids play a silly prank on the driver of an ice-cream van, and then find themselves being stalked by that driver. It’s a tense book — right from the first sentence: “Marty flicked sweat out of his eyes as he hurtled down the path towards the bike compound.” And Mounfield manages to skilfully maintain that tension all the way to the end.

Although the catalyst of the story is the title’s Ice-cream Man, much of the tension and drama is actually derived from the three main characters’ lives. Marty is stuck in a wheelchair with an over-protective mother watching over him. Aaron is trying to deal with his bullying stepbrother and parents who don’t listen. Rick is coping with the recent death of his father and his mother’s subsequent slide into alcoholism. It is these characters and their life-struggles that form the most interesting aspect of the book. Their dealings with the Ice-cream Man, then adds to the tension. I felt myself quickly liking these kids, if not their choices, and wanting then to be able to smooth out their lives.

I did find the resolution to the stalking scenario to be a little predictable. But that did not detract from my enjoyment of the characters’ journeys. All up, this is a strong, tense novel, that’s well worth a read.

----reviewed by George Ivanoff (www.georgeivanoff.com.au)

Reviewer Bio

George Ivanoff is a Melbourne based author who has written over 30 books for children and teenagers. Two of his books (Life, Death and Detention and Real Sci-Fi) have been on the booklist for the Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge since its inception in 2005. George’s latest publication is a series of five chapter book, Cory Jansen: Teen Spy (Pinnacle Press, NZ, 2008). Check out George’s website at: www.georgeivanoff.com.au

Books - Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Rate the book: -2

The literary world has been taken by storm by the Young Adult paranormal romance Twilight, by the first time author, Stephenie Meyer. Certainly no one could begrudge Meyer her success – especially for an amateur writer to have this kind of explosive reaction to her books.

But is her fame deserved? Of course this writer can see the attraction – a dark, mysterious Edward Cullen bursts into the seemingly plain Bella Swan’s life, a dazzling Adonis, a hollow shell of a man – no personality, see, so the readers can superimpose their idea of the ‘perfect man’ on him.

Well, alright, let’s look at the male protagonists. Dark, sexy Edward Cullen may seem perfect, but the only character traits we see in him is that he is obsessive and...well, a stalker. Admitting to following Swan and watching her sleep unawares, Swan waves it off as ‘love’, disregarding, of course, the fact that she has only known him for literally 4 days. www.ReachOut.com defines they key symptoms in an ‘abusive relationship’ as possessiveness – definitely shown through Edward’s incessant need to ‘have Bella safe’ and insists he knows ‘what’s best for her’, going so far as to employ his sibling to kidnap her in Chapter 6 of Eclipse – jealousy – obviously in a romance there will be jealousy, but to dismantle her car engine to prevent her from seeing her friend, ‘for her own good’, perhaps is going a little over the mark? – and controlling behaviour, which speaks for itself through the aforementioned examples.

The secondary male protagonist, Jacob Black, is the long-lost friend who is naturally in love with Swan (who isn’t?). One of the only characters in Twilight who actually has a personality, we fall in love with Black all across New Moon, where Edward is mercifully absent for most of the book. But in Eclipse, we see a very dramatic shift in his person, finding Black suddenly becomes...pure evil.

Okay, maybe that’s an overstatement. But for a feminist reading Twilight, I have to be a little nasty. Jacob’s repeated sexual harassments – not to mention going so far as to threaten suicide should she not kiss him...and then, in the middle of this harassment, Bella up and decides she loves him – definitely warrants some concern for the impressionable young teens reading.

Let me see, what is the very basic criteria for a good novel? Plot – I can’t really seem to find one. Oh, wait, got one, right at the end – although does it count if it’s just an excuse for Swan to play the damsel-in-distress yet again? Character development – well, Meyer didn’t intend on publishing, so allowances must be made for that, and the bad writing, and the lack of good morals, messages or symbols...

Looking past all the technicalities, we look at the storyline. Teenage girl moves from one place to a very different setting all together, makes friends and a supernatural being falls in love with her. Wait a minute...this all sounds very familiar. Oh, right, wasn’t this the storyline to the great paranormal romance, Mediator by MEG CABOT?

Never mind. Meyer didn’t intend on publishing, did she? Who cares if the storyline is plagerised, or that the entire story has already been done?

Of course, it’s a romance. Romances have clichés, and you can always see a pattern. The handsome supernatural being falls in love with the female protagonist – it’s been used a lot. So what if none of the characters have a personality? It’s a romance, therefore it’s okay to have clichés. But to have a story completely built on clichés and stereotypes? Suffice to say the line has to be drawn somewhere.

But of course, this is just my own opinion. Stephen King gave his own, shocking the world momentarily before the torrents of angry Twilighters yelled, insulted and threatened one of the best authors of the 20th Century. The same thing also happened with Hamish and Andy, a leading radio show on Fox FM; making a few harmless jokes on the Twilight movie, they were inundated with angry emails and letters, consisting of, and I quote, “mostly suck, crap and idiot.”

All this, and not to mention the attacks on ‘anti-Twilighters’. www.twilightsucks.com, a literary forum dedicated to all things anti-Twilight or –Stephenie Meyer, has an entire topic solely devoted to attacks by extremist Twilight fans. Perhaps not all of them are verified, but to disregard them all for the mere chance that they might not be true? If you look at the amount of broken arms, scratches, bruises and general injuries caused by ‘rabid twilighters’, you have to start wondering when Stephenie Meyer is going to call down her army of ‘fanpires’ and tell them that it’s okay for others not to like Twilight!

But knowing Stephenie Meyer, that’s not happening anytime soon.

----reviewed by Rafal