Singenpoo Shoots Through by Paul Jennings

This is the third book in the Singenpoo series. Scott has since left the take-away shop and is now working for The Boss in a carnival doing shows with Singenpoo. Most of the other acts in the show are fake and The Boss doesn't believe that Singenpoo really can read. Scott even has his own caravan to live in but something at the carnival is not right, there is a sad old man there called Jack who seems to be being held captive there. Singenpoo takes a real liking to Jack and Scott is determined to find out what is the big secret about Jack.

The Paw Thing by Paul Jennings

Scott works at Major Mac's take-away chicken joint and there he become acquainted with Singenpoo the cat. Why such a weird name for a cat? Well, it so happened that Sigenpoo once swallowed a radio and as a result her owner, Mac, made her sit her on a chair every evening with her mouth open so he could listen to the news. She also had to follow him around everywhere so he could listen to music. One day, Mac found a cat poo singing the song "Please release me, Let Me Go" and that's when he recovered the radio. Anyway, Singenpoo wasn't much of a mouser and Mac was not hapy with her at all, and even less so when his secret recipe for making delicious fried chicken goes missing and a rival take-away is selling chicken that tastes suspiciously like his recipe. Singenpoo gets the blame and is going to be put down, and that's when kind-hearted Scott comes to her rescue. This is a humorous story and the illustrations by Keith McEwan add to the comical situations. It's a small book and could be read in one or two silent reading sessions.

An Uncommon Friend by Lisa Shnookal

So far there are no reviews of this book on the web. This is Australian author Lisa Shnookal's first book. Lisa, who has a teaching background, has worked mainly with disadvantaged teenagers and this book reflects these experiences. The story is set in Melbourne and spans the years 1970-1976, and the action is seen through the eyes of thirteen year old Lucy Runelli who lives with her younger brother Andy and her older sister, Gina. When, as a 13 year old she first meets Scott Allen (Scotchie), she is not impressed; he may well be the son of a judge but he has far too many bad habits for her liking. The fact that her dad is an Italian party boy certainly doesn't help matters. This book is definitely for a mature high school reader and deals with many issue which face students in their mid-teen years.