Beneath the Surface
Gary Crew
Steven Woolman

Hodder Children's 2004
32 pages, hbk., $27.95
0733613594

Beneath the Surface is the sequel to The Water Tower, set in Preston twenty years later.

Spike returns to his old town to find out about the mystery surrounding the water tower and its maker.

After his bad sleep Spike went to the water tower to get an analysis of the water. He discovered that it was pure water. He drank some and he changes.

The writing in Beneath the Surface begins the same as The Water Tower and the symbol from the tower is repeated.

The writing tells us about Spike’s return to Preston while the pictures show life around the world influenced by the water tower.

I think the illustrations are great because they show two different settings. They show Spike as he goes to the tower and tests the water and different scenes from around the world. The pictures of Spike are not in colour but the scenes from around the world are. I enjoyed looking for the symbol from the water tower. The people who would like this book are grade 3s and older. I think aliens are the cause of the water tower. What do you think?

Daniel, 11, Highfields / Toowoomba

I think that the story should have given you more clues of where Spike was from.
We read the 1st story first so I assumed that it wasn't my type of book, but then the 2nd story was read, so it all started to fall into place and make sense.
I'd say that this book is for people aged 10-14.
It had brilliant illustrations with a strange mystical story line.
If you look at the pictures carefully, you will notice that all the water is green and polluted.
For me , the ending wasn't very satisfying.
It was a weird book, but I really enjoyed both books.
Lauren

TODAY WE READ BENEATH THE SURFACE BY GARY CREW I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE WRITING AND THE PICTURES. I DIDN'T LIKE THE STORY IT WASN'T MY TYPE OF BOOK.
Todd

It was a weird story and I didn't understand it very well. I think it was about a secret society that was slowly polluting the world.
Timothy

Today we read the story Beneath the surface I didn't like the story because I didn't understand. The ending was weird I
couldn't understand it.
Ryan

Our teacher read book, Beneath the Surface, to us.
I didn't really understand the book until we read the first one. I think that the book is all about the world getting polluted. Though to know that it is about being polluted you have to look at the pictures very carefully, to understand that it is about that. I liked the pictures even though they didn't fit in with the writing on that page. I think that it should be for ages 10 and up.(It might even be to hard for the adults out there.)
Madeline

I think this book was unusual and it takes alot of thinking to work it out. I loved the way how the light makes the peoples faces look EVIL. It gave it a mystical feel while it was read. I loved all the different people in the pictures.
Luka

I could not understand what it was about because the words did not describe the pictures and ending was not satisfying.
Kieran

On 17th of September we read Beneath the surface . I didn't understand the words and pictures and I didn't get the tank part.
Joshua

Today we read the story Beneath the surface.
I didn't really understand it but I thought it was a dream that he had when he was little.
Joel

Our teacher read the book, Beneath the Surface, to us. The second book doesn't make any sense unless you read the first book first. I think there should be a third book, because the second book had an unfinished ending. I think it was about pollution, but I'm not completely sure. The pictures were good, but they didn't match the writing on the page. I rate the book 7 out of 10. I think the ages that would enjoy this book the most would be 10 and up.
Jessica

I think that the story had good illustrations I got it a bit at the start but towards the end I didn't understand it. It's not my type of story. It wasn't very exciting.
Jarred

OUR CLASS READ THE BOOK CALLED BENATH THE SURFACE. THE PICTURES WERE REALLY GOOD BUT THE WORDS DID NOT DISCRIBE WHAT THE PICTURES WERE ABOUT.
Jamie

I didn't like anything and I didn't understand the story but when I read the forest story it was a bit better and easier to understand.
Jake

Today the story beneath the surface was read to us.

I liked the way it was like he went back in time I also liked the illustrations of the book but it made no sense to me. The rest of it I didn't like at all because I did not understand it.
Daniel

I did not quite follow it at the start it was a interesting story. The words were pretty easy to understand
but I did not like the ending.
Chris

Today my teacher read beneath the surface I did not understand the picture because they did not go with the word's.
Chelsie

I kind of liked it because the pictures didn't match the story as if Spike was in a dream.
Little sketches went round each page as if it was a windmill.
The ending was weird.

It was hard to understand what our teacher was saying because everyone was talking.
The last picture was a green swirl and Spikes broken glasses.

I think he drowned.
Bridie

It was weird at first but a little bit more into the story it started to get cool and interesting, however I did
not really understand the rest of the book
Bradley
Calvary Lutheran School, Morphett Vale, SA