Review of ‘The Shop at Hoopers Bend’
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My children mostly think my blog is ridiculous and of no use to them whatsover. But recently, PudStar offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse…a review of her latest favourite book in exchange for the latest ‘whatever it was’ thing she wanted. I am not above bribery when it come to reading and writing.
‘The Shop at Hoopers Bend’, in my opinion (not Pud’s!) is Emily Rodda returning to her earlier themes of quintessentially Australian stories for Australian kids, with a touch of magic thrown in. I’ve loved everything she’s ever written (okay I appreciated Deltora…but it wasn’t my thing), but I have most loved her realistic fiction writing, and ‘The Shop at Hoopers Bend’ is up there with her finest.
Thanks PudStar! We’ll arrange the swap now this is published…
Click on cover image or title links to purchase.
‘The Shop at Hoopers Bend’ is the latest book by bestselling author Emily Rodda. This book is set in Australia and Emily Rodda makes it seem like you can smell the eucalyptus trees because her descriptions are so good. This story is about an eleven year old name Jonquil, Quil for short. Quil’s parents died in a car accident and she now goes to boarding school, but spends her holidays with her aunt or Summer Camp. On the way to Summer Camp, Quil is drawn to a little town called Hoopers Bend. There are so many mysteries about Hoopers Bend that are unsolved, it is fun to join Quil, Bailey and Pirate the dog as all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
I must admit that at first I thought this book was going to be really boring but as I kept reading I realised that the boring introduction was actually another piece of a very interesting puzzle. I would recommend this story to readers 9+. The book is about how magical things can happen in the real world. My mum says I now should read some other of Emily Roddas 50+ books like ‘Something Special’, ‘Pigs Might Fly’ and ‘The Best Kept Secret’.
Reviewed by PudStar, 9 years old. 
Looking for more great book reviews and recommendations? I’m Megan Daley and you can find out more about me here.
My book recommendations (for babies to young adults) is here and you can peruse ALL of my reviews (searchable by age, genre and theme) here.
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Great review, PudStar! Now I want to read the book. 🙂
It sounds like loved the book as much as I did. It was a mysterious mix of discovery and unknowns. I really enjoyed your review. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks to your review I am going to read this book now. And my daughters too when they are a bit older.
Thanks Pudstar for a great review…..when I worked in a School Library I was not a real fan of Emily Rodda’s newer books (but Deltora Quest was a big thing at the time) ….but now I am retired I am always looking for new books to read and still love to read books not only suited to adults. I am headed away to the beach soon and you have now got me interested in this book….Being at the beach it would be lovely to be able to almost smell the eucalyptus leaves. Great review and maybe I will have to get back in to reading and rereading more of Emily Rodda…..<3
Great work, Pudstar! Jazzy has lots of Emily Rodda books, too. I will make sure she reads your review when she gets home from school.
Thank you!
Thank you for your review! I think I will buy this book for my daughter Zoe for Christmas. She is 10! I’m looking forward to reading it too.
She will love it!
What a beautifully written review -now I want to read the book. Will have to wait a bit as my big girl is not quite 6 years old, although she loves when we get to read aloud together.