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Reviews roundup: your top reads this month

'Original', 'outstanding' and 'enchanting' – which book are you describing? You'll be climbing up the walls waiting to find out!

Without further ado this month's most read book on the Guardian children's books site is awarded to the heart-warming Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell!

  1. Rooftoppers
  2. by Katherine Rundell
  1. Tell us what you think: Star-rate and review this book

In this story, Sophie – a baby found floating in a cello case after the sinking of the Queen Mary – is rescued by a charmingly eccentric academic who takes her in. However, when the authorities threaten to put Sophie in a home for orphans, she decides to go in search of her mother. Escaping on to a roof to evade the authorities, she finds Matteo, travelling unseen across the great roofscape of Paris. With Matteo's help Sophie learns the tricks of roof-top living, how to break into buildings and bamboozle officials.

PetrovaFossil explained their love of the characters: 'my favourite part of the book was how I warmed to Sophie. She is such a likeable person, in that she is different from all the other girls of her era - she wears trousers instead of skirts … Sophie's opinion on this has now made me change my own; it takes a very powerful novel to do that to people!'

Last year Lottie Longshanks described why she favoured the eccentric character of Charles 'because I thought he was an amazing guardian and because he showed great courage when he followed Sophie onto the rooftops', while Gabs had also praised the characterisation of Matteo:

'He is very mysterious and difficult to get to know; he is also very commanding. I really liked all the characters … I liked them all so much I didn't want the story to end!'

Back to the present, however, and Potterhead103 complimented Rundell's writing style, explaining,

'she writes in such a way that makes you want to know what happens and leaves you with a bond with the characters she creates. Rundell tells the story so it grips the reader, making the book impossible to put down … this book is just beautifully written and is an amazing world to read about.'
Reader Safah also praised Rundell's prose, including the use of imagery. 'The metaphors and ideas were fresh and entertaining; with birthday cake offered up on books, biscuits for breakfast and lightening coloured hair, there can be no doubt cliché is not in this book's vocabulary.'

All our site members were quick to recommend the book for readers aged 8 and above, as Olivia, from group members the Roskear Reviewers stated: ''I recommend this book for 8 years and over because they will understand. I give this book 5/5 stars.' Another Roskear Reviewer, Holly, agreed. 'I would recommend this book for 8 years or over and would tell everyone to read this book, it is amazing!'

We're going to go back to December 2013 though for our final thought, when Safah aptly summed up the novel: 'Jumping from rooftops, breaking into confidential records, making friends, and most importantly, learning to 'never ignore an impossible', this story had a fairy tale feel that taught one to always have faith.'

Need some more inspiration for tip top reads? Other popular books this month included:

• Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (again! c'mon guys be a bit more imaginative!)
• The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan
• Trouble by Non Pratt (few surprises - it was our Teen book club!)

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Children's books weekly archives

May 2014
M T W T F S S

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