Young Quills reviews

Isabella A’s review
I think Ally Sherrick has written this book very skilfully, especially as she has a female protagonist (Kitty) so that there is a relatable female character. This probably attracts more girls to the book but on the other hand, Kitty is the only female character we ever meet in the entire story. The time period this is set in is WW2 but it has links to the Anglo Saxon period which me and all Year 7 have been learning about, so it was nice to link what I’d been learning in school to a true page turning plotline. I feel that this book revolves around the story of the characters’ past: Kitty’s time in Germany, Opa’s (Ernst’s) time as an archaeologist, and last but certainly not least, the heart-warming story of George, Spud, and Charlie.

Star rating ★★★★★

Livi’s review
An amazing book which really gets you feeling like the whole thing is happening around you. It's a story about a crown which has the power to control the kingdom and ensuring it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. A book full of magic, history, mystery, and lots more. I would recommend this book.

Sophie’s review
In my opinion the crown is a very good book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery! My favourite character is Kitty as she is a brave girl and deserves more credit! My least favourite character has got to be Bill Jarvis as he is so horrible to George! Overall, I would give the book a 7 out of 10 as I don't normally read mystery books but if you love a bit of mystery and historical fiction together, this book is for you!

Arthur’s review
The Buried Crown by Ally Sherrick is a great read and I would highly recommend it. Throughout the book I got used to the characters George Penny, Kitty Regenbogen, and lots more. I think these characters have unique personalities and are all given plenty of standout moments. I found Kitty the most interesting character because of her backstory with the Nazis and being a Jew. This book did teach me about some of the events during WW2 and the last pages explain whether all of these are true. The fact that it was set in WW2 was already interesting because it interests people more because it’s not a standard superhero book and has its own unique, interesting storyline and characters. The setting is well described and really gives you a taste of what it would really be like at that time of WW2. The Regenbogen’s house/museum is also well described and I think it sounds like the most interesting place so far.

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 10. I think George Penny is an excellent main character because it’s like leading you through his emotions and thoughts. It’s as if you’re battling his emotions alongside him, they’re described that well. Overall I would give this book a 4 out of 5-star rating because some moments in the story were quite repetitive.

Ben’s review
The Buried Crown is set in Britain during 1940 during the Second World War, George Penny, a 13-year-old boy and orphan, is living with a man by the name of Bill Jarvis, a cruel man putting him to work in his fields. The main plot revolves around a crown with an enchantment on it, whoever has me has the kingdom. However, the führer himself wants to get his hands on it so he can complete his collection of artefacts. George meets a girl named Kitty and together they stop the Nazis from getting the crown.

In this book I’d have to say my favourite character was Kitty because of her tragic backstory, as she was an orphan too. However, I disliked George the main character, as what he does is just stupid. In the book after the first attack on London, George decides to see if he can find his brother at the air base (he’s a pilot), however when he is at the gate the guard says to him that he can’t come in, now then George decides to RUN INTO A MILITARY FACILITY UNINVITED! To be honest I’m surprised he wasn’t shot immediately. In this book I found out that the Anglo-Saxons were buried with their treasure which really surprised me, and to be honest it could have been set when the Anglo-Saxons ruled, but being set during the Second World War honestly was a better tone in my opinion and makes it stand out. The plot was quite exciting especially in the final chapters. Would I recommend it to my peers? Yeah it’s quite engaging and an interesting read.

My rating of the book would be a 6.5/10 as some of the stuff in this book really annoys me but again it was quite interesting.

Chloe’s review
This story was set in World War Two. My favourite character was the grandfather because he was involved in digging up the Sutton Hoo treasure find and I had learned about this at school. I didn’t like Bill Jarvis because he was mean to George and his dog. He was nasty and very money-minded. I had already learned about Sutton Hoo but I also learned more facts about WW2.

The plot was exciting because George was hunting for the treasure. I liked the ending of the book because George didn’t have to go back to Bill Jarvis.

I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in WW2.

Sadie O’s review
I did not really enjoy The Buried Crown. I found the characters plain and clichéd and not much happened in the story. Also, it wasn’t a very realistic interpretation of WW2 (though it did have some facts). The ending was also a disappointment as it was also quite unrealistic. The plot was exciting in some parts but it could have done with more description. Overall, the book doesn’t stand out and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Star rating ★★

Isabelle’s review
I enjoyed this book quite a lot and my favourite character was Kitty because she was so brave. I didn’t really find it exciting but the plot was well-told and interesting. I think it was really realistic as it used lots of real data. I would recommend it to anyone who isn’t too sensitive about the topics discussed in the story.

Star rating: Four and two fifths!

Palakpreet’s review
What happens? Did you find the plot interesting?
No, because I never read the whole book because I didn’t like the first couple of pages.

Did you like the book?
I did not like this book because I am not much of a history person.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I would not because as I said before, I did not like this book.

Star rating ★

Savannah’s review
The plot: George, who lives in London, lives with a mean man named Bill Jarvis who hits George all the time. George is only living there because his brother Charlie, who George loves, works in the RAF; their parents died in an accident.

The characters: I found Kitty the most interesting character because she never gives up and she is a nice friend. The character I did not like is Bill Jarvis, as he stole George’s money he got from Charlie. Another reason I didn’t like him is, he ripped the calendar George got from Charlie in half.

Did you learn anything new about the past? From this book I learned that in 1939 people discovered the great Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo ship, this was just before the Second World War.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? The time in this book was interesting to me as I don’t know much about the Second World War.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted (or any combination of these?) This book was quite sad but very exciting and makes you want to read more.

What stands out most? What stood out for me was Charlie going missing because it made you think he was dead.

Would you recommend it? Yes, because it was very exciting and I really enjoyed it.

Lily’s review
The plot: George is sent to live in the countryside so he’s safe from the war. He meets Kitty Regenbogen and her grandfather and they try to help him find out if his brother is okay. George and Kitty have to protect a priceless Anglo-Saxon crown from the Nazi invaders. Charlie, George’s brother/guardian, turns out to be just fine and safe.

The characters: George is the character I find the most interesting in the book. This is because although his parents died when he was quite young, he still carries on with his life. I didn’t like Bill Jarvis because he abused George and Spund and no-one knew. Bill Jarvis also made George do loads of work and he was too young to do so much.

Did you learn anything new about the past? I have learnt that in the past, children were treated differently and had to work more than what they would these days.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? I thought it was interesting because I don’t really know much about the 1940s. The book has given me a better idea of it and what used to happen.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted (or any combination of these?) The plot was exciting and a little bit serious. I’d say it’s a little bit light-hearted at the end when George introduces Charlie to the Regenbogens.

What stands out most? The thing that stands out to me most is that George always tries really hard and perseveres even though he’s had a bad past.

Would you recommend it? I would definitely recommend this book to my friends. I really enjoyed it, especially the ending.

Willow’s review
The plot: A boy called George goes to live with a sinister man who makes him do all the hard work. George is a boy from London whose parents died and brother joined the RAF. An invasion (air raid?) happened in London and his brother, Charlie, was reported missing. George meets a girl called Kitty, the grand-daughter of a Jewish archaeologist, and he must find and protect the crown before the Nazis can get it.

The characters: I found Ernest Rogenbogen one of the most interesting characters as well as Kitty as they both are very fascinated by ancient history, such as the Legend of the dragon-headed crown. One character I didn’t like was Bill Jarvis. I didn’t like him as he was very sinister and threatening.

Did you learn anything new about the past? I learned that there were many different planes for different countries. Germany used one plane called a Messerschmitt.

What made the history of the time it was set in interesting to you? The thing that I found interesting about the time it was set in was that it was set in WWII and I’ve never read a book set then before.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, light-hearted (or any combination of these?) The plot was exciting but serious and also melancholic.

What stands out most? The thing that stands out most for me is that Kitty and Ernest Rogenbogen are very determined and dauntless.

Would you recommend it? I would definitely recommend this book to other pupils as I was very fond of it and I think many others will be too.

Miranda’s review
Characters: I found Kitty the most interesting because she experienced prejudice. I didn’t like Bill Jarvis because he was a violent bully. I didn’t like the Fuhrer because he seemed to threaten people who didn’t give him what he wanted.

Did you learn anything new about the past from this book? I learned about the struggles of ordinary people and the cruelty and stereotypical views of Germans.

When was the book set? What made the history or the time it was set in interesting? It was set in WW2. It was interesting because it affected everyone.

Was the plot exciting, thought-provoking, serious, or light-hearted (or any combination of these?) It was exciting because of the mystery and serious because of how realistic it was.

What stands out most for you from the book? The way that it intertwines Anglo Saxon and WW2 together.

Would you recommend it to other pupils? Yes, because of the realism and the excitement.

Any other comments? 8 stars out of 10.