Our school magazine
Read the reviews in this month’s edition of Pulse. Then choose a book, a film or a TV programme that you’ve enjoyed and write a review.
Reviews
If you want to know about the best books, films and TV programmes, here are the latest reviews from some of our readers.
Books
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is the best book I’ve read for a long time. I couldn’t put it down. It’s about a 15-year-old boy called Christopher Boone, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s brilliant at maths but he finds ordinary life very difficult. Christopher discovers his neighbour’s dog dead in the garden next door, and his neighbour thinks that he killed it. Christopher decides to find the real killer, and he makes some interesting discoveries on the way. This isn’t just a good story; it helps you to understand the problems of people with learning difficulties. Buy it, borrow it or get it from the library – but make sure you read it!
Ellie East, Year 9
Films
The Hunger Games is one of the most thrilling films I’ve ever seen. It’s a sciencefiction film, based on the first of a trilogy of books by the American author Suzanne Collins. The action takes place in a dystopian land called Panem. Panem is a postapocalyptic country somewhere in the ruins of North America. The principal city, Capitol, is wealthy and powerful, but the other twelve districts of the country are poor, and people often die of starvation. As a punishment for a past rebellion against Capitol, every year one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18, are chosen from each district to fight in a ‘death match’ called the Hunger Games. The winner receives a home and money, and regular food for their district. The heroine of the film is Katniss Everdeen, played brilliantly by Jennifer Lawrence, who volunteers to take the place of her younger sister. She wins the games. Go and find out the rest for yourself!
Chloe Turner, Year 11
TV
I’ve just watched the first part of Life in the Undergrowth, a series about insects by David Attenborough. Yes, insects! Boring? No way! They’re incredible creatures and it’s one of the most interesting programmes I’ve ever seen. The camera operators use the latest high-tech equipment and the results are amazing. Attenborough travels to the four corners of the planet to bring us his fantastic pictures and fascinating reports. Don’t miss it! It’s on BBC1 on Wednesdays at nine o’clock.
Anthony Wall, Year 12