Sure Fire

Grow Up Fast or Die

Author: Jack Higgins

Year published: 2006

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 304

ISBN:

All is well until Jade and …………’s mother dies in a car crash and they get left with their father, that they never knew existed until now. Mysterious happenings are going on with their father until they decide to find out what’s going on and follow their father to find out, only to see him get kidnapped. The race to find him takes them all around the world and meet many dangerous people. All this begun when a fuel enhancing formula gets stolen and three different agencies are looking for it. John Chance, Jade and ………….’s dad is the only person who knows where it is, but the people who have it don’t even know they do.

I really enjoyed this book because of the intense story line, it was full of action, adventure and you could never predict what was going to happen next. The characters in this book are well described, you could invision clearly in your head what they looked like and what their personality was like. Also I enjoyed the fact the it was in our time now not say; a fantasy book or a sci-fi book. However it is a bit unbelievable that two or three people can fend off hundreds of soldiers and win easily. Another reason is that Jade and ………… Get help from many people but some aren’t true friends and because of the good descriptive writing you felt like the only people you could trust were the ones that they trusted.

Over all I would really highly recommend this book to any one who loves action and adventure. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading other Jack Higgins books. I would rate this book 9/10.

Iain

Sure Fire

Grow Up Fast or Die

Author: Jack Higgins

Year published: 2006

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 304

ISBN:

All is well until Jade and …………’s mother dies in a car crash and they get left with their father, that they never knew existed until now. Mysterious happenings are going on with their father until they decide to find out what’s going on and follow their father to find out, only to see him get kidnapped. The race to find him takes them all around the world and meet many dangerous people. All this begun when a fuel enhancing formula gets stolen and three different agencies are looking for it. John Chance, Jade and ………….’s dad is the only person who knows where it is, but the people who have it don’t even know they do.

I really enjoyed this book because of the intense story line, it was full of action, adventure and you could never predict what was going to happen next. The characters in this book are well described, you could invision clearly in your head what they looked like and what their personality was like. Also I enjoyed the fact the it was in our time now not say; a fantasy book or a sci-fi book. However it is a bit unbelievable that two or three people can fend off hundreds of soldiers and win easily. Another reason is that Jade and ………… Get help from many people but some aren’t true friends and because of the good descriptive writing you felt like the only people you could trust were the ones that they trusted.

Over all I would really highly recommend this book to any one who loves action and adventure. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading other Jack Higgins books. I would rate this book 9/10.

Iain

On the 8th of April 2008 Room Three and Room Seven went on camp. We all arrived at school by nine o’clock. By ten we had all packed into the cars and set off to Ohope. On the way there we stopped at Lake Okataina and ate lunch there. We set off again on our final approach to Ohope. 

When we got there we set up our gear and went down to the beach for about half an hour.  Then it was off to the pools.  We went on the hydroslide and played games in the pool.  When we got back to camp we had dinner, spaghetti and meatballs.  After dinner we played cards and then we settled down for the night.

On the second day Room Three headed to the high ropes whilst Room Seven did other activities around Ohope.  When we arrived at the high ropes we put sunscreen on and then settled down to listen to the instructor.  After that we played some trust games and cat and mouse.  To start us off on the ropes we played some games on the low ropes.  We then proceeded to the high ropes.  They were exciting.  A little bit frightening at first but adrenaline soon kicked in!

Once we had finished at the high ropes we headed to the Amazing Maze ‘n Maize.  At the Amazing Maze ‘n Maize we headed off with clues and a scavenger hunt to find various things within the maize maze.  We worked in groups and at one point my group lost Johannes.  When our group came out of the maize maze first we played around in the games that were at the end of the maze until all the other groups had finished. 

We headed back to camp for dinner and a well earned sleep.

On the third day our groups were broken up into different activities.  My group headed off with Mrs Flay’s to fishing.  The girls got the good spot and caught lots of fish.  But Darcy and I helped the girls to take the fish hooks out of the fish caught by the girls and to kill them as necessary.  

Following fishing we headed off to kayaking in the harbour.  We had sit-on kayaks and Ivan and I were the fastest kayakers in the group.  We had to do the limbo in our kayaks and we had to step over a pole still on the kayak and we had to play stuck-in-the-mud also.  

After kayaking our groups walked over the hill to Shelly Bay.  It was a bush walk over the hill, but it didn’t take very long.  We explored the rock pools and saw mussels, cat’s eyes, starfish and some small fish.  I tried to catch a small fish with my hand.  

We followed our walk by heading out to the hot pools outside of Whakatane.  When we got there we had a BBQ tea and we went swimming.  It was at this point on camp that my shorts got ripped!  When we got back to camp everyone was exhausted and went to sleep.

After a refreshing sleep, we all packed up our cabins.  We put up the mattresses and vacuumed the floors.  We packed up into our cars and headed to Te Puke for lunch.  Some of us had a brilliant idea of buying fish and chips for lunch.  After that, the boys all decided to play league in a local park and we had a great time before heading off to the reality of home.

When we got back to school, we unloaded the cars and people’s parents started to come to pick them up!  But not my parents!  They’re in the UK so I had to wait for my sister.  However I was glad to be home in my own bed for the night!

After my student lead conference, here are my revised goals, discussed between me, my family and Mrs Crowe. 

1. To improve on time management and to not leave things the last minute. I will achieve this by checking my iCal regularly and putting work that is due into my phone and iCal.  I will aim to watch less TV and play less computer games until due work is completed.
2. To improve my handwriting.  I will achieve this by persevering with linking my letters and practicing throughout all subjects.
3. To produce work that I am capable of in English.  I will achieve this by improving my time management and putting more time into tasks that need to be completed.  I will aim to have others give me feedback and feedforward before I have to hand in a piece of work.
4. To be on-task when using my laptop.  I will achieve this by allowing myself time to explore new programmes outside of school and using programmes at school which will help me to complete work and due tasks on time. 

Swiss family Robinson

The Robison family get ship wrecked on a deserted island so far off their designated course that no one knew were they were. When the ship was washed on to rocks not too far off shore and the ships crew abandon ship and make for shore but were not successful in their attempt. The Robinson family wait and gather some useful tools for on the island. A few days later they make for land in a improvised raft. On the island the family set up camp for 3 years surviving on what they had retrieved from the ship and the naturally growing food on the island.

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons, my main reason is the story line and how the story could actually happen and the fact it wasn’t fantasy out of this world. Another reason is that the characters were all portrayed early in the book so when reading it it’s a lot easier to create an image in your head of what the characters are doing. Also I enjoyed the old style vocabulary and how words like fibrous, sufficient and agreeable, words that don’t occur often in conversation. I would highly recommend this book to any one interested in an adventurous, exiting and all around good book. I would rate this book 8/10.

 By Iain

Lt D R Miller

After stumbling through the darkness, I spied something, a light, the first I had seen in hours. It seemed to light a pearl white door. Slowly I walked up to the door, my legs were on fire. I had walked for what seemed liked years. I opened the old, rusty door. It creaked as it slowly and light flooded in. It seemed to light the entire corridor, half rotted beams of oak crisscrossed across the roof. I was glad to get out of that place as it could collapse at any moment. A ladder, old and worn, lead skyward. I climbed up ward to a trap door. It opened with a crash and plumes of dust exploded like fireworks around the room. Old bunks surrounded me and I breathed in musty air. Dust-laden bedclothes draped over edges of beds and ancient tin utensils were set for five. What had happened here? A strange, eerie feeling came over me. I looked around some more; the dust became unsettled as I walked across the old wooden floor.  I approached the bunks on the furthest side of the cabin and I started to feel around under the lumpy, linen mattresses. I checked every bed working clockwise around the cabin.  I checked all but one, the one in the corner by the door. Then something caught my eye. A glint, like some one was shining a mirror at me.  I traced it across the room, squinting in the muffled right.  It was a small, silver canteen, some tarnished but some still revealing the polish of its former days. Embedded in the lower left corner was a copper bullet, above it, it read, “To protect and to serve”.  As I turned it over in my trembling hands, I thought of the many souls that had occupied this room. I glanced down . . . once, twice . . . was I reading it right?  The initials said “Lt  D R Miller”.  Could this be the flask my grandfather had told me about?  Is it the one he drank out of?  Was it the one which saved his life?  I had so many questions.  I tucked the flask into the side pocket of my cargo pants and turned to head back to the trap door.  Could this be real?  I coughed as I emerged, covered in dust and returned, weary and unsteady on my feet, to the bus where my class were waiting.

Iain

I got a new laptop as you might tell by the title. It’s an apple ibook G4. I have taken it to school three times but have failed to get it on to the school’s network. I mainly use it for school work as it does not have many games. Now that I have worked out how to get on to the net I have used it a lot for doing school work online as our class does a lot of stuff online.