Penny Pollard's Passport
Robin Klein
Ann James
Hodder Headline 2004
127pp., pbk., $12.95
0733618073
Penny Pollard’s Passport by Robin Klein is the sixth book of adventures involving the character Penny Pollard.
Penny’s friend Alistair Ross wins a competition in a local supermarket for a bus tour to the United Kingdom. He is able to persuade the supermarket to change the prize from 2 adult tickets to one adult and two children. So Penny joins Alistair and his mother on the bus tour of the United Kingdom.
The novel is written as a series of letters back home from Penny to her friends and relatives. There are also notes written by Penny to Alistair and other members of the bus tour. It is through these letters and notes that the story is told. Penny has also been given an assignment by her school teacher to write about three important historical sites in England.
During the bus tour Penny tries to play matchmaker to one of the other passengers, Lucy Bryson without much luck. Alistair and Penny also meet Heidi, a girl slightly younger than them on the plane. They find out she is going to be on their bus tour. The bus tour does not quite turn out as expected and there are some funny events along the way. Alistair and Penny also have suspicions about Heidi.
I found this book to be very interesting and I enjoyed the fact that it was written in diary and letter form. There are some funny moments in the book which made it enjoyable to read. I think that this book would appeal to readers between the ages of 8 to 12 years of age.
Lucy, Adelaide, aged 10 years
Penny Pollard's Diary
Robin Klein
Ann James
Hodder Headline 2004
89pp., pbk., $12.95
0733618065
When Penny meets Mrs. B. in the hostel garden, she says 'You should be inside at the concert'.After a few minutes of talk, a slice of cake and a drink of water, Penny decided that old people are not so bad.....well at least Mrs. Bettany.
We were hooked from the very beginning and could picture Penny's every move. It was almost impossible to put the book down after we had started reading.
We think Penny has real personality and makes choices and decisions just like a living person. Robin Klein made this book so well, it was almost like Penny was in the room with us when we were reading.
We totally recommend this book and it entertained us until we finished reading. The pictures were really simple and easy to see and it also looked like Penny had drawn them herself.
We recommend this book to anyone over seven, to boys and girls. This book is fabulous and we would love to receive this book as a gift or present.
Victoria and Katherine,aged 10, Victoria
