Brilliant Books
Books are just brilliant – we all know that! But some books are more brilliant than others! On this page I want to share with you my favourite books of all time. But I also want you to tell me and all our readers what your favourite book is, it’s name and author, why you love it so much, and the best part of the book. So post me a comment and tell us all about it!
This month, my brilliant book is one of the top ten children’s books in the world – ever! And it’s as famous for its pictures as for the story! It’s about being angry, being lonely, being afraid and making big messes! But in the end it’s all about love.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Have you ever been really, really angry with your mum or dad? It’s okay…we all have at one time or another! Especially when we’ve been grounded for doing something wrong, or when they’ve told us we can’t do something we really want to do – and even if we know deep down that Mum and Dad are right and we’re wrong but it’s still SO UNFAIR! And when you’re feeling like that, have you ever fantasized about running away to somewhere special where you can do exactly what you want to do all the time? Well, if you have, my latest Brilliant Book is the book for you!
It’s all about a boy called Max who is a bit of a rebel, who loves noise and mess and dressing up as a wolf. One day he goes on a rampage through his house, messing it up so badly that his mum shouts at him and calls him a Wild Thing! He shouts back that he’s going to eat her up, and she sends him to his bedroom without dinner. Suddenly, his room turns into a forest with an ocean and a boat, and Max sails away to an island where the Wild Things live. They are gigantic, hairy, scary monsters, but Max tames them with a single glance and they crown him their King. Then the rumpus begins!! After a fabulously wild playtime, Max sends the monsters to bed…then he gets lonely and decides to go back to the place where he’s loved best of all…by his mum of course!
I’ve always loved this story, because it’s about being young and naughty and angry and lonely all at the same time. All kids feel this way sometimes, but there aren’t many picture books about these feelings. This book has just 10 sentences and 338 words – but it says so much! And I especially love the monsters on the island – they are so big and ugly and loveable, like bulldogs which have such ugly faces that they’re kind of beautiful! The best thing of all though for me is the ending, where after all the rumpus and wildness and fun, Max realizes that his mum’s love is the most important thing of all. And the pictures are AMAZING. They have such wonderful detail and every time you look at them you can find something new – a bit like Harry Harrison’s pictures in my books!
It’s not just children who love this book, but adults too. Over 19 MILLION copies have been sold around the world to date! It won the famous Calcecott Medal in 1964 just one year after it was published. The author AND illustrator of this wonderful book was Maurice Sendak who died just this year. He was a most unusual, extremely talented man with some very strong ideas about kids – and adults! He was a bit of a rebel himself! Go to my Amazing Authors page right away if you want to learn all about him!
And if you really love this story, then AFTER you’ve read the book you can see a wonderful film adaptation by Spike Jonze – but make sure you see it with Mum and Dad as it’s a PG film and it gets a bit scary!
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Can you imagine being best friends with a SPIDER? Well, in this beloved classic of children’s literature, Wilbur the Pig was!
Wilbur was the runt of his litter, and his owner, Mr Arable, decided he had to be killed. His daughter Fern begged him to let her keep the pig and raise him, and her father relented. However when he reached five weeks of age, Mr Arable insisted that Wilbur be sold to another farm, where he was kept in a big old barn. He was soon befriended by the other farm animals, including a large grey spider with the magnificent name of Charlotte A. Cavatica, who took him under her “web”, teaching him his manners and how to be confident, singing him lullabies and telling him stories. However Wilbur’s idyllic existence was soon shattered by the news that the farmer was fattening him up for the market! Charlotte, who was extremely wise and kind, devised a very clever plan to save him…but I’m not going to tell you what that was as you simply MUST read the book for yourselves to find out!
You’ll just love this gentle, kind and funny story of farmyard life! And after you’ve read the book you can even borrow out a DVD of the animated film which came out in 2006 with Julia Roberts doing the voice of Charlotte and Dakota Fanning doing the voice of Fern!
Charlotte’s Web was written by E.B. White who was also the author of Stuart Little. Both books were so popular that they were jointly awarded the prestigious Laura B. Ingalls Award! Go to my Amazing Authors page right away to find out more about their fabulous author!
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Imagine setting off in a small boat with just a couple of friends – your brothers or sisters maybe, or your best buddies at school – and spending the summer camping in tents on a small island in the middle of a large lake – and then living a life of discovery and adventure, with battles with pirates thrown in!
That’s what happened to the four Walker children in this fabulous first book in the famous Swallows and Amazons series!
John, Susan, Titty and Roger are four very ordinary kids on holiday on a farm in Yorkshire with their mum and baby sister, and a Dad far away in the war, when their mum agrees to let them go camping on Wild Cat Island on the lake nearby, sailing there in their small boat the Swallow. Everything starts off well, until two other children, Nancy and Peggy, arrive on their boat the Amazon, and claim ownership of the island. Then there are fights, truces, fun and great adventure for day after day …without an adult in sight!
I loved this book when I was a kid, and my kids love it now, even though it’s over 80 years old!! In fact it’s regarded as an all-time children’s classic, and all the 12 books in the series are still in print, all these years later!
I think that’s because they take the reader back to a time when kids had much more freedom than they do today. It fulfils the fantasy of so many kids – and many adults too – to live close to nature, camp out under the sky, explore and sail and hike and go fishing – with no school, no work, none of the boring every day duties we all have to put up with! It’s a fabulous escape from city living, traffic, telecommunications, pollution, crowding, all those things that make our modern lives so frustrating sometimes.
So read the book and if you like it, there’s 11 more to come! Lucky you!
And if you want to read about its Amazing Author, who didn’t just write books but was also a real life Russian SPY (or so they say…) click right away on my Amazing Authors page!
The Sheep-Pig by Dick King-Smith
If you love stories about animals and farm life, or even just stories where the little guy beats hardship and struggle to find success and happiness, you’re going to LOVE this story about a brave little piglet, the runt of his litter on a farm, who refuses to accept his fate as just another pig being bred for bacon, and becomes a model sheep dog/pig! I’m willing to bet that most of you know this story already, in the form of the very famous film called Babe! Babe is in fact the name of the hero-pig in this book, so his name was used for the film when it was made in America in the 1990s.
This book is one of my daughters’ all time favourites, and I love it too. Like all Dick King-Smith’s books, it’s very simply written, but it’s full of humour and wisdom, with wonderful descriptions of farm animals and life on a little country farm. I love the sheer fun of the plot, with a little pig braving the odds to become not a great pig, but a great sheepdog! And I also admire the principles of respect and hard work and bravery which are at the heart of the story. It was an immediate success when it first came out in 1983, winning the Guardian Children’s Book Prize the following year.
Dick King-Smith was one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors, who only died this year at the grand old age of 88! His favourite animals were pigs, and this book was the most successful of all the many books he wrote – see my Amazing Authors page to find out more about this wonderful writer and his previous careers as a soldier, a farmer and a school teacher!
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
If you like adventure stories or fantasies full of courage, hope and romance, you’re just going to LOVE my new Brilliant Book! The Tale of Despereaux tells the story of Despereaux Tilling, a tiny mouse with huge ears and an even bigger heart, who is born to an ordinary mouse family living in a castle. Despereaux is different. He loves beauty, he loves music, and most of all he loves the human Princess Pea. Down in the deep, dark dungeons live the evil rats. But one of them, Roscuro, is also different – he loves the light, and he loves soup! And finally there is a girl called Miggery Sow, a servant girl, who despite being not very bright and having cauliflower ears, believes that she too can be a Princess! Their stories all come together in a riveting adventure when Princess Pea gets kidnapped and Despereaux vows to save her.
I fell in love with this book from the very first page. It’s written in a quirky style which reminds me of old-fashioned fairy stories, with lots of little asides to the reader by the author explaining tricky words and commenting on what’s happening. The three main characters are very strongly drawn and colourful, and the tale is a rollicking great adventure. The only thing I wasn’t so keen on was the ending, because it happened rather suddenly! But maybe you’ll feel differently – read it and let me know!
The book was an instant best-seller when it came out and won the Newbery Medal for Children’s Literature in 2004! It’s even been made into a film! In the book, there are beautiful black and white drawings by Timothy Ering and the chapters are quite short so it’s perfect for reading aloud with mum or dad at bedtime. And if you love this book, you can read Kate DiCamillo’s other wonderful award-winning books such as The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (about the extraordinary adventures of a lost porcelain rabbit) and for slightly older kids, the heart-warming Because of Winn Dixie, about a girl who adopts a big, scruffy dog who changes her life.
And if you’d like to find out all about the amazing author Kate DiCamillo, got to my Amazing Authors page right away!
Happy reading!
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
This is a moving, wonderful, inspiring book for any kid who dreams of adventure, exotic travel and freedom! It’s the story of an orphan girl Maia who travels – with her clever and strict but kind governess Miss Minton – from a boarding house in England all the way to the city of Manaus, 1000 miles up the Amazon River in Brazil, to live with her aunt and uncle on a rubber plantation! The story is set back in 1910, one hundred years ago. When she arrives in Manaus, which lies right in the middle of the jungle, she discovers that her aunt and uncle have gone slightly mad, and their twin daughters are cruel and absolutely horrible to her. But eventually she gets away and embarks on an amazing adventure in the jungle with a mysterious boy and two British detectives! I won’t say any more as the story is just too good to ruin by telling you what happens!
The author Eva Ibbotson (see my Amazing Authors page right away for more information!) wrote this book in memory of her beloved husband, who had just died. He was an entymologist (a scientist who studied insects) and he loved everything about nature. So she wrote this book so she could feel close to him and every page is packed with wonderful descriptions of the rainforest and its amazing array of plants and animals.
I love this book because it’s got a bit of everything: adventure, suspense, mystery, even a bit of romance, while at the same time containing some of Eva Ibbotson’s trademark whacky sense of humour. And I’m not alone! When the book was published in 2001, it won the Smarties Book Prize Gold Award, and was also Runner-Up in both the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year AND The Guardian Fiction Award AND it was also short-listed for the famous Carnegie Medal. Wow – that’s one good book! Read it and find out for yourself!
Watership Down by Richard Adams
This book is one of the most famous books about rabbits ever printed! It was first published in 1972 with a tiny printrun, but within years had sold over 1 million copies. To date, it has sold over 50 million copies around the world! It’s the story of a group of rabbits who live in a comfortable warren in Berkshire in England but whose lives are suddenly turned upside down when their warren is destroyed by humans to make way for a housing development. A small group of rabbits escapes, and the story follows their epic and dangerous journey to find a new home, including strange and frightening encounters with humans, poison, machines and the evil leader of another rabbit warren.
Watership Down is a bit of everything: nature story (the book was very carefully researched and is very accurate about rabbit behaviour), adventure story, mystery, and above all a story about friendship, bravery and endurance. Interestingly, this book has been just as popular with adults as with children, and it’s quite a grown-up book in many ways. So it’s the perfect book to ask Mum and Dad to get for you and to read together! Especially in this very special Year of the Rabbit!
And if you want to read all about the author of this wonderful book, who is 91 years old and still living in Berkshire today, make sure you visit my Amazing Authors page right away!
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
Just imagine if you were staying in an old house with a small concrete backyard, with a very strange clock in the hall which struck 13 times after midnight, and when you got up to investigate and went outside, the backyard had transformed itself into a beautiful old garden? Then imagine that you met a little girl in that garden who became your friend, but every time you went back to the garden at night, she got much older, then became young again, then became a grown up! That’s what happened to Tom in this magical story about children, time travel and the fears that children have about growing old. It’s such a wonderful story, written by a woman with a truly fantastic imagination, and once you start reading it you won’t want to put it down! I’m not going to tell you my very favourite part of this story, because it happens right at the end, and I don’t want to spoil it for you. But my next favourite part is where the girl, Hatty, takes Tom on a wonderful ice-skating trip on the Cam River, from Cambridge all the way to Ely, during the Great Frost of 1894/95, which happens to be the very same trip that the author’s Dad did in real life, when he was a kid growing up in Cambridgeshire. Many people say that Tom’s Midnight Garden is one of the best children’s stories ever written – why don’ t you read it and see if you agree? And if you want to know more about the truly amazing author who wrote the story, go to my Amazing Author page right away!
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
Now I know that I’ve only just featured a book by Dr Seuss a couple of months ago…but I just can’t resist another one when it’s so funny and so perfect for Christmas! If you haven’t read it already, you’re just going to love it! It’s about a very mean, small-hearted creature who lives in a cave above the town of Whoville, and who just HATES Christmas! And he especially hates the happy Whos who are singing and laughing as they get ready for a wonderful Christmas Day. So he disguises himself as Father Christmas and sets off down the mountain with his poor dog Max to wreck the Who’s celebrations. Will he succeed or will the spirit of Christmas triumph once more? You’ll have to read the book to find out! I love this story because it’s just plain fun – the verses are great, the story is a cracking one, and the ending is very satisfying! So make sure you ask for a copy this Christmas!And if you want to know more about Dr Seuss, just click on his name under the tab at the right for Awesome Authors!
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
If you like reading books about fantasy worlds which just might – you never know – be true right now, in your very own home, then this is the book for you! It’s a wonderful story about a family of tiny people, called “Borrowers”‘ who live on the things they “borrow” from human beings (or “human beans”) whose houses they live in. At the beginning, we meet the Clock family, Pod (the dad), Homilly (the mum) and their daughter Arrietty, who live a safe life behind the skirting boards of an old country house , only emerging to “borrow” items like thimbles and postage stamps and match boxes to provide their furniture, as well as morsels of food to eat. One day, a human boy comes to stay and the adventurous Arrietty is seen by him, much to her family’s horror. I won’t tell you what happens next, but it’s a great classic adventure story, and I don’t know any kid who’s read this story who hasn’t loved it – or its three sequels! It was written over 50 years ago but it’s won many prizes and is still one of the best-loved children’s stories of all time. So be a Borrower yourself and Borrow it from your school library – you won’t regret it! And if you want to hear more about its Awesome Author, go to my Awesome Authors page right now!
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Kids often ask me “Why do you always write in rhyme?”. Well, the reason is: The Cat in the Hat! I just LOVED this book when I was little, and I still do now, hundreds of years later! I loved the whacky rhymes, the silly story, the crazy words and the funny illustrations! I’d never seen anything like it! Best of all, you could tell that the author Dr. Seuss was having a lot of fun writing it and that he really loved playing with words. And that’s what I wanted to do, so I started writing poems!
The Cat in the Hat tells the story of a brother and sister, left alone in their house one day, who are visited by a tall, thin and very mischievous cat wearing a big top hat and a bowtie. The cat entertains them by balancing lots of items, one on top of the other, then brings in two boxes containing two weird moptop creatures called Thing One and Thing Two who proceed to wreck the house! I won’t tell you how it ends, but it’s a crazy ride before you get there! So if you haven’t read The Cat in the Hat yet, you’re in for a great treat! And if you have read it, go out and get the sequel, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back or any other book written by Dr. Seuss. You’ll be giggling for the rest of the day!
And if you want to learn all about the author Dr. Seuss, and how The Cat in the Hat came about, go to my Awesome Authors page RIGHT NOW!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Can you imagine a book being published over 50 years ago, which is STILL the most popular children’s book of all time (and that means even more popular than Harry Potter)? Well, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is IT! It’s the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, who I’ve featured today on my Awesome Authors page. It’s the mysterious and exciting story of two brothers and their two sisters who are sent to live in an old house in the country during World War Two. One rainy day, the children discover a wardrobe in an empty room which is the entrance to a snow-covered forest in the fantasy land of Narnia. Narnia is ruled by a wicked White Witch who has stolen Narnia from the true king, a great and wise old lion called Aslan. One of the boys is lured away by the White Witch, and the other children must endure a long and hazardous journey to rescue him. Eventually they become the Kings and Queens of Narnia themselves…but that is the subject of the rest of the series!
My kids and I LOVE this book. When you read it, it’s as if you are being carried away to a magnificent fantasy world of greatness, bravery, true goodness and terrible evil. It’s a much more exciting world than your average school playground! So if you want to have a truly amazing experience reading one of the best books that’s ever been written, make sure you read this book! And NB, the film version isn’t NEARLY AS GOOD!
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
This is an amazing story about a boy called Torak who lived about 6000 years ago in the wild forests and mountains of Northern Europe. His father has just been killed by a gigantic bear, but before he dies he makes Torak promise to find the mythical Mountain of the World Spirit. Torak is an outcast of his tribe, so his only companion on his search is a young wolf cub whose life he has just saved. My favourite part of the book is when he finds the Raven Clan and is taken in by them. I love this book because it’s very exciting and really interesting because Torak’s way of life is so different from ours. Even better, it’s the start of a series called Chronicles of Ancient Darkness so if you love this book as much as I did, there are five more books to read in the series!
Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo
I first read this book when I gave it to one of my daughters as a gift a couple of years ago, and she left it in the car one day when I was sitting around and had to fill in time. The story was so good I couldn’t put it down, and since then I’ve been a huge fan of Michael Morpurgo! It’s the story of an orphan called Arthur Hobhouse who was separated from his beloved sister when he was sent to Australia after the Second World War to start a new life. When he arrived he and a group of other boys was sent to a farm in the outback run by a very cruel man and his kind but powerless wife. He had to go through many terrible trials but he survived and eventually married a lovely nurse and had a daughter with her. The second part of the book is the story of the daughter’s solo sailing trip back across the wide, wide sea to England to attempt to trace her father’s long lost sister. It’s a fabulous story, full of adventure and amazing characters, and it’s a moving testament to how human beings can survive the most terrible events in their lives and still end up happy. Make sure you read it and also try some of Michael Morpurgo’s other wonderful books!
See my Awesome Author’s page this week for more information about Michael Morpurgo!
This week my daughter Annabel is going to tell you all about her favourite book:
Inkheart by Cornelia Funk
Annabel says: Inkheart is about a twelve year old girl called Meggie whose Dad is able to read objects and people out of the books he reads aloud, but one day when he is reading, Meggie’s mum disappears with the two family cats and out comes two villains and a fire-eater. The story is about what happens next. The best bit in the book is when Meggie, her father, the fire-eater and Meggie’s aunt fight the bad guys and win. I love this book because it’s full of mystery and is very exciting. And when you’ve finished you can read two more books, Inkspell and Inkdeath and then you can even watch the movie!
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie is the name for a series of books by an American woman, Laura Ingalls Wilder, about her childhood in the American Mid West over one hundred years ago. They were first published back in the 1930s and 40s and they were so popular – then and now – that they’ve NEVER gone out of print! I love these stories and so do my kids because they are fascinating and full of adventure. They tell what it was like to be a kid living on the wild prairies of America when people had only just settled there. There are scary meetings with Red Indians, encounters with wolves and bears, horrible strict teachers in tiny schools, runaway horses, loyal dogs, ice skating on huge frozen lakes, blizzards that almost kill people. And it’s all true! They also have some of the best descriptive writing I have ever read! Make sure you don’t miss this wonderful series – these books are just amazing.
So what’s YOUR favourite book? Post me a comment now!
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
.jpg)
Another one of my favourite kids’ books of all time. I’m actually reading this one (again) to my daughter Annabel at the moment. It’s the story of three children growing up in a wealthy family in London who have to move to a small cottage in the country after their father is mysteriously taken away one night. There they become obsessed with the railway that runs past their cottage, becoming friends with the Porter and the Old Gentleman who waves to them from the train every day. It’s not a funny story, but rather a mystery with some amazing characters. It was written way back in 1905 but it’s still a popular book today! Now THAT’s what I call a classic!
Matilda by Roald Dahl
I love this book because it is very funny, very original and I love the contrast between the very strong characters. I love the way that Roald Dahl has made Matilda so clever and good but with a wicked edge when she needs it, and Miss Honey so sweet, and Miss Trunchbull and Matilda’s Mum and Dad so absolutely AWFUL! I love the way that Roald Dahl uses big words and interesting language, and never dumbs down his story. My favourite part of the book is difficult to choose because there are so many wonderful scenes, but I think the best has to be when Matilda magicked a newt into Miss Trunchbull’s glass of water then poured it all over her so that the newt stuck to Miss Trunchbull’s enormous bosom!That made me laugh out loud!
So what’s your favourite book? Post your reply below!
118 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.
Sarah Brennan Funny & Fabulous Blog 
Sleeping Dragons All Around by Sheree Fitch
This was my favourite book when I was in elementary school. I used to race to the bookshelves to get it before someone else could get there first. I was always disappointed when it was not there. It’s about a girl who wakes up in the middle of the night for a snack. On her way to the kitchen she has to tip-toe past a slew sleeping dragons. What do you think happens? Read the book to find out!
Comment by Tessie— May 30, 2010 #
Thanks Tessie – that sounds like a great book! I often find that kids return again and again to books they loved when they were younger – it’s the mark of a really good book!
Has anyone else visiting my blog read this book? What do you think about it? Write in and let us know, or tell us what YOUR favourite book is!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— June 1, 2010 #
Eragon and the Inheritence cycle
This one rocks!If you haven’t read it it’s about a ordinary farm boy Eragon who accidentally stumbles over a dragon egg and a few weeks later, POOF! he’s a dragon rider! After that, he’s off to battle evil and save his country before it’s too late.
P.S. after the book Eragon there are still Eldest and Brisingr waiting for you!
P.P.S. Psst! Hello, anybody has the book Empire? If I don’t get it soon I’m going to die!!!
Yan Yan
Comment by Yan Yan— June 6, 2010 #
Hi Yan Yan, I haven’t read these books yet but my eldest daughter has and she just loves them! I love dragons anyway, so any story about dragons is good. But I also love the way that books about magical worlds light up the imagination! Everyone who reads the books will have a different picture in their mind of the characters and the settings and that’s what makes books like this great fun and even greater brain food!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— June 10, 2010 #
Sarah Brennan, to me any books with dragons are good!!!!!! I have a lot of adulation for them and I agree, I need the 4th book of Inheritance series sooo bad!
Comment by Jamie— May 18, 2011 #
Hi Jamie – my kids like the Inheritance series too! Thanks for the comment!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 19, 2011 #
Hi Yan Yan My name is Alexandra and i absolutely LOOOOVE Eragon. I have
read the first and the second books. You have great taste in what book to read.
and YEAH!!!!. JUST READ IT JUST READ IT!!!!!!
Comment by Alexandra— August 14, 2012 #
Great to hear from you Alexandra. Yan Yan is a great Hong Kong young writer and she does indeed have excellent reading taste!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 17, 2012 #
hi Sarah,
your books are really fantastic! I just love reading your books! They are just so funny!!!! Do you remeber you visited our school in Hong Kong Shatin Junior School 6.3????? Well I hope you remeber us!!!!!
yours sincerly,
Ysabel Moulders
p.s my friend Alex Lee says you have a nice face he say it would be a pleasure if you said something to him. He really likes your books!!!!
We both are fans!
Comment by Ysabel— June 10, 2010 #
Hello Ysabel – I remember my workshops at Shatin Junior in January very well – they were such fun! I’m really glad you like my books so much – it’s comments like these that make my day!
And HELLOOOO to Alex Lee – I’m delighted to hear that you think my face is nice as I’m stuck with it for the foreseeable future and would hate to think it was horrible or scary! Though my girls Bea and Annabel will tell you that my face CAN be horrible and scary when I’m in a cross mood! Glad you like reading my books too!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— June 10, 2010 #
Hi Sarah,
You just talked to my class today and I already like the way you play with words. I am in 6.2. I already want to read your books already because of the catching title, (A dirty story & a even dirtier story!!!!!)
Moriah Howard
Comment by Moriah— September 20, 2010 #
Thanks Moriah! Keep on reading!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— September 20, 2010 #
Hi Sarah!
I’m from SJS!
And…
When you came today
We were on our way,
To make some poems and to laugh a lot,
So please come and visit again! 😛
Your books are fantastic,
I’m very enthusiastic,
So I wanna order some books!
Kyra
Comment by Kyra— September 20, 2010 #
Wow Kyra – that’s a great poem! I’m glad you like my books and even more glad that my workshop has inspired you to write a poem! Excellent!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— September 20, 2010 #
I love your books! thank you for coming to my school today!!
Comment by lotte— November 19, 2010 #
And thank you Lotte very much for your comment! It was my great pleasure to visit your lovely school! Sarah
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— November 21, 2010 #
thanks for coming to Churchie Sarah
You are AWESOME!!!!
your books are to!
Comment by Fraser Land— August 14, 2012 #
Well thank you very much Fraser – I thought all you Churchie boys were pretty awesome too!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 17, 2012 #
My favorite books
are all the Harry Potter books:)
Comment by Anna Kömpel— November 27, 2010 #
I like them too! Sarah
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— November 29, 2010 #
they are awesome I love the Goblet Of Fire.
Comment by Fraser Land— August 14, 2012 #
That’s great Fraser. You must be a very keen reader – keep up the good work!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 17, 2012 #
Hi Sarah,
Today you came to my school, KCIS. You talked us many amazing and splendiferous things. You read books to us and talked about how important about imagination. It was a splendid day! My favorite authors are C.S. Lewis, Dr. Susess, Roald Dahl, Jeff Kinney (Wimpy Kid) and J. K. Rowling.
Happy New Year!
Brian
Comment by Brain— January 10, 2011 #
Hi Brian,
What a lovely message! I’m so glad that you enjoyed our workshop today and I”m VERY impressed that you are using my Wicked Word for the Week in your comment – well done! You sound like a great reader – keep it up! Happy New Year to you too!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 10, 2011 #
Love matilda
it’s such a great book.
Comment by Peace Gal— January 21, 2011 #
Me too, Peace Gal, it’s one of my all time favourites!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 31, 2011 #
Hi Sarah
I like the naughtiest girl series it is just so cool. There are two heads and they organize weekly meetings to give out money and discuss their issues and the two heads are children. The teacher only takes part if they are asked to.I hope to see you in KJS soon.
Sydney
Comment by Sydney— February 8, 2011 #
Hi Sydney – that sounds great fun!I’ll have to read it myself! See you at KJS soon!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 9, 2011 #
Hi Sarah:
I am Rael and I am in Yan Yan’s class. There is this really great series called the Mysterious Benedict Society. (It is about a bunch of egg benedicts that go off to save the world ;)) No, it is about a bunch of kids that pass a bunch of tests and have to save the city of Stonetown, and then the whole world, from an evil smart guy that falls asleep when he gets too angry! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! It is a really good series for anyone who likes adventure, action, and a little bit of science fiction.
– Rael (ET1)
Comment by ET1— February 23, 2011 #
Hi Rael – thanks for your great comment! I’ll have to read the books – they sound fantastic! See you soon at the CDNIS!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 23, 2011 #
Thanks for comming to my school today! There are a great seires of books Warriors, they are about these cats who live in clans. The books are 10 and over but they are great books. They are not very funny books more serious and there is some blood.
Comment by Alice— February 28, 2011 #
Wow Alice – they sound just great! I’ll have to look them out and have a read! You sound like a very good reader – keep up the good work!!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— March 1, 2011 #
Dear sarah i like your books please could you send rhonda rabbt and i live in sheng shi tian di.
Comment by melissa— March 3, 2011 #
Dear Melissa – I’m so sorry Melissa but I can’t send the books without an order form! But don’t worry – it’s easy to get my books. Take a look at my Website/Books/News page on my Blog which will tell you how you can get a copy.
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— March 14, 2011 #
Hi Sarah:
My name is MinnieLo and I’m 8 years old.Well my favorite book for now is the Candy Fairies by Helen Perelmen. Those fairies are having candy fair. Candy fair candy fair is the biggest event in sugar valley.(four years one time)~~~bye
Comment by minnie— March 5, 2011 #
Hello Minnie, that sounds like a lovely book. My girls used to love fairy stories too – keep up the excellent reading!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— March 14, 2011 #
Hi Sarah
My favorite book this month is George’s Marvolous Medicine by Roald Dhal.
The book is really funny and crazy!!!
Have u read it???
From Sarah
Comment by Sarah— March 21, 2011 #
HI Sarah – I haven’t read George’s Marvellous Medicine yet but it’s on my list! I just love Roald Dahl’s books – take a look at my Amazing Authors and Brilliant Books pages to see some information about Roald Dahl and some of his other books!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— March 23, 2011 #
My favourite book is conspiracy 365
By:Gabriell Lord
Comment by Fraser Land— August 14, 2012 #
Thanks for the tip Fraser – I’ll make sure to look out for the book!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 17, 2012 #
Dear Sarah,
Um, the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe is the 1st to PUBLISHED but it’s not the 1st book of the series. The Magician’s Nephew is the 1st book of the series although it’s published way, way later than the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s about the creation of Narnia and the professor talked about logic to Peter and Susan in the LWW.
Just inform you a bit :]
Bianca
Comment by Bianca Chui— March 25, 2011 #
HI Bianca – you’re quite right, though when I think of the series I always think The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe first because that was the first one he wrote and the Magician’s Nephew was really an afterthought. after the huge success of the LWW and the other Chronicles of Narnia. I think you can probably look at it both ways!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— March 26, 2011 #
hi Sarah
i hope you remember me you came to my school lis on wednesday me and my friend Juana helped you set up and you red to us rhonda the rabbit. well anyway i love all your books and i hopefully will purchase some books this week.
Comment by sophie— April 7, 2011 #
Thanks Sophie for all your help on the day! And I do hope you were able to get a copy of one of my books!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— April 14, 2011 #
My favorite book was “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane”
by Kate Dicamillo.
Ir was an adventurous book featuring a journey of a china rabbit who got lost and had many owners. He ended up in a toy store where he was bought from the daughter of his original owner.
Comment by Yuti Khare— April 13, 2011 #
I love Kate di Camillo’s books too! I’ll have to feature her soon on my Amazing Authors page!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— April 14, 2011 #
i have seen one of those books in my class!
Comment by Arman— January 27, 2012 #
That’s great Arman – I hope you enjoyed it!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 27, 2012 #
I just love your books!:)
Comment by Qin Qin Tang— April 14, 2011 #
Thanks Qin Qin!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— April 14, 2011 #
Hi!
My favorite book is Old Yeller by Fred Gipson. It’s about a fourteen year old boy’s father went away for a journey so the boy is left responsible for the family. With his mother and little brother they encounter bears, bulls and a mad wolf. They had a hard time until Old Yeller, a dog came along.Travis wants to run it off at first, but as the dog saves first his brother’s life then his mother’s, Travis comes to love the dog. Only to have his heart broken when Old Yeller contracts rabies and he is forced to face the sad realities of life.
Comment by Leo— May 9, 2011 #
Hi Leo – it sounds a wonderful story – thanks for telling us about it!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 14, 2011 #
I hope you enjoyed your visit to my school, SAS. Your books rock. I hope you remember my class is the fifth grade class you met today.
Leo
Comment by Leo— May 9, 2011 #
Hi again Leo! I very much enjoyed my visit to your school – thanks for having me!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 14, 2011 #
Hi Sarah Brennan!
I love the book Matilda too!
I read it every night over and over again!
What books do you like?
I also LOVE Jacqueline Wilson books!
They are really cool!
From Lucie
Comment by Lucie— May 20, 2011 #
Are these the books you read in childhood??
Cara
Comment by Cara— May 23, 2011 #
HI Cara – some are and some aren’t! I have found a lot of great authors through my kids, who love reading books, and also through school librarians when I do my school tours. But they’re all great and I hope you can read them and enjoy them too!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 24, 2011 #
hey! I remember u visiting our school Shanghai American School. When you were talking to the 3rd graders, u told a story about Miffy the dog! that one was a good story, mind publishing that story somedays?
Comment by yvonne— May 28, 2011 #
Hello Yvonne – I remember telling you all that story! Maybe I WILL publish it some day – that would be fun!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 31, 2011 #
i was wondering, you know the book matilda, so you must know… Fantastic Mr.Fox! It is by roald doahl too! i am reading it now, will sorta! i love that book! the book how the grinch stole chrstmas was good too, did you see the movie! The movie made me cry!
Comment by yvonne— June 3, 2011 #
Hello Ms/Mrs Sarah!
I like the book Matilda too!
It’s so amazing, it’s so cool,
But I do not know what she learnt when she was 2!
Mr.Dahl is so amazing.
He is famous world-wide.
His books have big words which I can’t understand,
Oh wait I swam in a swimming pool not so wide!
Comment by Maisha— June 5, 2011 #
Hi Maisha – it’s great to hear from another Roald Dahl fan – he’s terrific isn’t he?
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— June 6, 2011 #
I just read the blog again and my favorite book is Disgusting Digestions By Nick Arnold. ( the book is from horrible science)
Comment by Cara— June 7, 2011 #
Hi Cara – that sounds like a fun book! I have seen the Horrible Science series and think they’re terrific – but I haven’t read Disgusting Digestions and will put it on my To Read list right away!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 29, 2011 #
Hi Sarah, My name is Tiffany and I am 6 years old. I am sorry I may have put something weird on the blog. It’s my first time I visited your website and first time I type on someone’s blog and I was not sure how it works. Anyways, I love your website ! I read some of your books and I love them. I also like Roald Dahl.
Comment by Tiff— August 29, 2011 #
Hello Tiffany and welcome to my blog! It’s lovely to hear from you and I’m delighted that you like my books and that you like Roald Dahl too! He was a great writer and a bit of an idol for me! Keep on reading and keep on visiting my blog!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 29, 2011 #
Dear Sarah Brennan,
I really enjoy your books! they are really fun to read. My favourite books are
1. Your books-Dirty Stories, Chinese Calender Tales!
2. Michael Morpurago War House, The Butterfly Lion,Shaddow etc
3.Geromino Silton
4. Charlote’s Web
5. Hank Zipzzer Books
6. Judy Blume Books
7. The Adventures of Robertson Cruso
8. Roald Dahl
9. Cresida Cowell
Just so you know you came to my old school and then you visited my new school!
Comment by Arman— January 27, 2012 #
Thank you Arman – I feel very honoured that my books are in such good company!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 27, 2012 #
I think the book War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is an excellent book; it is about a exciting adventure and the horse is written like the feelings of a person! So I recommened this book as a book on this page! You should really read this eye watering book!!!
Comment by Amna— January 29, 2012 #
Thanks Amna – great idea! I LOVE Michael Morpurgo’s books!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 31, 2012 #
Also The Elephant in the garden by Mr Morpurgo set in World War II!
Here are some more:
Diary of a wimpy kid books
Percy Jackson and the lightning thief and others
and of course your books
many more…
Comment by Amna— January 29, 2012 #
Hi Amna – thanks for your list! I agree with a lot of it!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 31, 2012 #
Some Enid Blyton books to!
Comment by Amna— January 29, 2012 #
Hi again Amna – I loved Enid Blyton when I was a kid, especially the Secret Seven and Famous Five series!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— January 31, 2012 #
Dear Sarah,
We LOVE your book that you have written to us and put them in our library.
from Rowling Reading Group in 3.1
Comment by jasmine— February 2, 2012 #
Thank you Jasmine and the Rowling Reading Group in Year 3.1 – I look forward to seeing you all soon!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 2, 2012 #
Which school are you in? I love the school visits.
Comment by cottoncandy12345— May 7, 2013 #
Hi Sarah Brennan! I really love your books
Comment by Grace— February 3, 2012 #
Thanks Grace – I really love to hear that!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 4, 2012 #
I remember when you went to my school-Shatin Junior School in HK. You read The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit to my class and you also showed us what garrotte meant. I can’t wait till you visit us again!
Comment by Grace— February 5, 2012 #
I remember visiting SJS last year too! And I’ll be back this year so keep an eye out for me and my very cheeky Panda!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 6, 2012 #
I really love your Ronda Rabbit story
Comment by Julia— February 5, 2012 #
I like it too
Comment by billy— February 5, 2012 #
Thanks Billy!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 6, 2012 #
Thanks Julia – I love it too! I expect you like dogs more than cats???
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 6, 2012 #
Of Course!
Comment by Julia— February 6, 2012 #
How about you?
Comment by Julia— February 7, 2012 #
dear ms. brennan,
after you came to our school, I told my mum and dad about how good your books were, and how much expression you used when you read your story to us. and mum said that she also thinks you are a fantabulous author, just like me.But that it was starting to get annoying when I burst through the doors of the house and start yelling about how interesting the day had been.
No matter what, please keep writing books!
your biggest fan,
Nicole
Comment by nicole lee— February 9, 2012 #
Wow – what a lovely post – thank you Nicole for making my day! Please say hello to your mum and dad for me and tell them that it’s okay to yell if it’s a happy yell about school!!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 11, 2012 #
Hi Sarah,remember me? Im Kaitlyn,and I sended you a note before.Anyway,what I wanted to tell you, is that my favorite type of book is Rainbow Magic.Hope you can respond to me. I also hope I win your competition!
Comment by Kaitlyn— February 21, 2012 #
Hi Kaitlin – it’s lovely to hear from you again! I’m glad you are such a good reader – my daughters used to love those Rainbow faires too!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— February 23, 2012 #
I like the Thea Stilton Books! it’s about Thea ( Geronimo’s Sister) who taught at mouseford academy favorite students Collete, Nicky, Violet,Pamela and Paulina who go on adventures. My Favorite is Mystery In Paris
Comment by chimpy888— February 27, 2012 #
I love the Geronimo Stilton books too – but I haven’t seen Thea’s books yet – I’ll have to look out for them!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— March 6, 2012 #
hi! Sarah, geronimo has written soooooooo ,any different kinds of books. There are comics, chapters, mini ones and special edition ones too!. I really like legend of the fire flowers by Thea Stilton, you should go check it out!
Comment by sarahbrennan123— April 11, 2013 #
Will do Angel – thanks for the tip!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— April 12, 2013 #
Hi Sarah! what is your favorite type of animal? mine is dogs especially white pomeraninans. They are so sweet and chubby, especially when they get a furcut!.
Comment by sarahbrennan123— April 11, 2013 #
Hi Angel – I love LOTS of animals, but my favourite would have to be my dog Bobby, because he’s gorgeous and funny and a bit of a nut case!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— April 12, 2013 #
could you post up a pic please!
Comment by Angel— April 13, 2013 #
Angel you will find a photo of my dog on the Contact Me page of my website!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 2, 2013 #
Dear Sharah My name is Daniel I like YOUR book that you put in our library!
Comment by Daniel— May 2, 2013 #
Thank you Daniel!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 2, 2013 #
Hey, you should put your books on the brilliant books page too!
Comment by cottoncandy12345— May 7, 2013 #
Hillary that’s very kind of you, but I like to reserve that page for other people’s books!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 7, 2013 #
i agree!
Comment by sarahbrennan123— May 23, 2013 #
Hi Sarah, I’m so scared! I am going to college next month and I’m freaking out!
There are only two friends from my class that I know!
Angel
Comment by sarahbrennan123— May 30, 2013 #
Hi Angel – all change is scary so don’t worry! It’s also FULL of possibilities! Think of all the new friends you’re going to make, and all the interesting stuff you’re going to learn! Focus on those and I’m sure you’ll get through the next month with great style. Keep in touch!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— May 30, 2013 #
hi! can we still enter your competition if we are in college, grade 7 or 8?
Comment by sarahbrennan123— June 17, 2013 #
Hi Sarah. Have you read Jonathan Livingston Seagull or Animal Farm? I love these books sooooo much!!!
Comment by Gabby— October 2, 2013 #
Yes Gabby I have, many years ago, and I loved them too. George Orwell is one of my favourite writers and his books, although written many decades ago, still seem fresh today because he was dealing with such universal and important subjects.
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— October 15, 2013 #
HELLO
Comment by Joel r— August 31, 2014 #
Have you tried the divergent series?if you haven’t then please give it a try, the book is just beyond explainable, its just too good. And I couldn’t agree with you more, The Tale Of Despereaux is amazing, it captured me the second i picked it up, after that i probably read it another 10 times in that month or two, it will always be one of my favourite books.
Comment by conspiracytheorytruth— July 18, 2015 #
Thanks for the tip Madhura -my girls love that series too, though it’s probably for high schoolers rather than primary school aged kids. Keep on reading great books!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— July 20, 2015 #
I like reading:
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
Roald Dahl books
David Walliams books
A to Z mysteries
Gnid Mlyton books
Benedict
Comment by Benedict Pang— March 7, 2016 #
Blyton
Comment by Benedict Pang— March 7, 2016 #
Hi
I’m Scarlett from Sha Tin Junior School And I want to ask where is the link above cause I can’t find it !Thanks!
Comment by Scarlett— March 24, 2016 #
For the clever competition words
Comment by Scarlett— March 24, 2016 #
Hi!
Remember me!I’m Scarlett from Sha Tin Junior School.
I want ask that are you writing a story about a dog cause you never wrote one!
All the best ,Scarlett Tse 5.1 Sha Tin Junior School
Comment by Scarlett— April 27, 2016 #
Hello Scarlett – you have to be patient! It’s the Year of the Dog in 2018, so I’ll be writing a book about a dog next year in 2017! But hang in there…and if you want to see what the Dog is going to look like, read my book The Tale of Pin Yin Panda which has ALL the zodiac animals in it!
Comment by sarahbrennanblog— August 6, 2016 #