Home - About - Latest Reviews - Links - Site Map - FAQ  
Categories 

- 2546 reviews -

Action
Animals & Nature
Lots of animal content
Animals tell the story
Biography
School
Racism/Discrimination
Sports
Fun stuff
Suspense
Romance
Mystery & Adventure
Computers
Crime & Detective
Fantasy Worlds
Ghosts & Supernatural
Magic & Witchcraft
Science Fiction
Space
Spies etc.
Time Travel
Other people/places
Short & snappy
Real life
Bullying
Illness & Disability
Friends/Families
Survival
Living without grownups
Survival in the wild
War
War animal/fantasy
War in human world
Second World War

Search




People say
Newspapers
'Last year two English brothers aged 11 and 13 went online with their own book review website ... cool-reads happens to be exceptionally cool - both in a web design way and in a books way' Kidstuff, RTÉ Guide, 17/4/02

'Created and run by brothers Tim and Chris Cross, aged 12 and 13, this impressive site features reviews of new and backlist titles for 10-15 year olds' Top Ten Children's Book Websites, Financial Times, 7/4/01

‘… a website dedicated to reviewing all the books [Chris and Tim] have read … they have had enthusiastic responses from as far afield as Australia and America’ The Times 1/03/01

'..cool-reads is an adult-free zone, showing the potential of the internet for allowing young readers to develop critical faculties and share word-of-mouth enthusiasm with their peers rather than making token appearances on review pages and award judging panels controlled by adults' Times Educational Supplement 23/02/01

'Boys don't read? Try telling that to Tim and Chris Cross...... who have set up a site reviewing books they have read, thus giving other potential school-age readers the low-down from their peers, rather than suspect do-gooders such as parents and teachers. Respect to the Cross Bros team for telling it like it is.',
10 Best Sites of the Week, The Independent 3/02/01 

Other sites
‘A fabulous new review site administered by 11 yr old Tim Cross and
his 13 yr old brother - VISIT IT NOW’ ACHUKA

‘I can see it's a great site …Keep up the good work’ Mrs Mad’s Book-a-Rama
‘Congratulations on a great site’ The Word Pool

‘What a great site! Good luck with it’ Yahoo

‘Your site looks excellent’ The Book Trust

‘We love your website and will be listing you as one of our recommended links’ Reading is FUNdamental, UK (National Literacy Trust)
‘Congratulations on your site - I think it's really fantastic’ Ben Locker, Education Extra

'... excellent - clean layout, easy to read, easy to move around, informative, unashamedly partisan, good. Have already recommended it to others and will continue to do so' Lois Beeson, Childrens' Laureate Website

Authors
'Great web site. Informative, to the point and no nonsense!' Malorie Blackman

'A great idea and very well executed. Keep up the good work.' Melvin Burgess

‘Congratulations on putting together such a cool reviews site
– and on finding the time to read so many books!’ Darren Shan

'... check out your site and was very impressed. Best of luck with it'  Kenneth Oppel

'I've had a look at your website and it's very professional ... Keep it up!' Bernard Ashley

‘A very inventive site! ..... good luck to you!’ Beverley Naidoo

‘I have just taken a look at cool-reads. I think it's great’ Michael Lawrence

‘Great website, brilliantly done’ Paul May

‘A new website to do with books is an excellent idea … long may your website thrive’ Debi Gliori

'I read about your site on achuka.co.uk & had to have a look, & I think it's terrific’ Gerard Whelan

‘It's great to see a review site by the target audience’ Geoff Steward

‘Oh wow! I do love your site. It's way too cool! I've bookmarked it because I know I'm going to HAVE to come back’ Laraine A Barker

‘Mightily impressed! Congratulations. It’s a terrific site’ Sophie Masson

'Congratulations, it looks great’ Andrea Deakin (Canada)

Librarians
'I never know what books to order for boys. Some of the suggestions on your cool-reads webpage make it easier to order books for the library' Helen Rickett (Săo Paulo, Brazil)

'This is a brilliant site! I have recommended a few sites about books to the students I work with (in a secondary school library). This is five star!' Angela Evans

‘This is a pretty slick operation, I'm impressed! I will be adding you to the reviews section of our school web page’ Anita Kane

'Congratulations on the website - a really clear interface and a great selection of boy's reads.' Christine Charlton

‘… I think it is GREAT. Congratulations!’ Valerie Watkins

‘Congratulations to you both on your great site! Especially the book bits’ Jill McCallum (Wantima, Australia)

‘Congratulations!’ Jo-Anne Keller (Wauwatosa, USA)

‘….it's a great site. You've definitely filled a gap as there are not enough review sites for kids & by kids’ Donald MacLean

Teachers
'Thank you for producing such a fantastic site. I will be using this with my English classes here in Melbourne Australia. Well done!!!' Cate Watson

‘Brilliant! Well done both of you. I wish there were more sites I knew that I could recommend to youngsters with confidence that they would find it interesting and focussed for them. Thank you.’ Alex Larg, Headteacher of Park Spring Primary, Leeds, West Yorkshire

  ‘I think that your site is excellent and is doing a great job’  Jim Henderson Assistant Head Teacher/NGfL Development Officer Highland Council Gairloch High School Wester Ross, Scotland

‘This is a brilliant site, well done. I'm going to use it to show my year 4 class that there are books that children like to read and that I'm not making it up when I say "Go to the library and look for ... It's a great book.”’ Sue Breslin

  ‘I think your site is very clear, no gimmicks and easy to navigate. I think everyone at school will enjoy looking round it. Keep up the good work!’ Julie Hunt, Headteacher St Michael's CE Primary, Oxfordshire

 ‘Well done on your web site. I am a History teacher who also teaches a little bit of English, so your site is very welcome indeed !! Can I suggest that you add some historical novels to your lists as well as the Horrible Histories?’ Judith Shawe, St. John's School, Newton, Porthcawl

 ‘What a superb job you're doing! And the book reviews are excellent. I wish I could get just one of my 11-16 year old students to read a fraction of what you manage.’ Ann Roberts

 ‘I commend you on the time and effort you have taken to share your wonderful interest with the rest of the world and also on the excellent presentation of your website! As someone who also enjoyed reading from a young age I know what a fantastic gift books are. Keep up the good work!’ Noelle Mc Gread, University of Ulster

 ‘For my teaching course I have to read loads of children's books and review them so your website is really helpful to me! I am really impressed that you read so much and that you have managed to compile such a wonderful website in your spare time. It’s brilliant, keep up the good work!’ Kim Paynter, Chatham Kent

‘Have just visited your page and send you my congratulations on your excellent contribution to the fun of reading’ Maria Cristina Thomson, teacher and author, Buenos Aires, Argentina

 Publishers
'I love the site. Its gets right to the heart of why you would want to read the books. Great stuff.' Tessa MacGregor, Bloomsbury Publishing

‘I have just logged on to your website and think it looks great - hope it's going well’ Clare Hall-Craggs, Random House

‘I've just had a quick look and it's brilliant!’ Jane Nissen Books

‘I've just visited your site and I think its fab!’ Jane Smith, Walker Books

 ‘Keep up the good work on your site - I think it's great that you have had the initiative to set it up’ Katherine Giles, Transworld Books
Bookshops

'Congratulations on your website - it is very informative and helpful. I run a children's bookshop in London and refer people to cool-reads.' Early Bird Books, London

'Congratulations! This is a brilliant website, well designed, interesting reviews and easily navigated. Best of luck with it in the future' Mable's Fables Children's Bookstores, Toronto, Canada

'Your site is one of the best I have seen for a long time' The Children's Bookshop

‘We followed a link to your site from ACHUKA and are very impressed’ The Book Case

Other cool-readers
'I think your site is great. Our school uses it to find out what are of the great books and the good reads. You have a 10 out of 10 site!' (Natasha Inkster, 11, Waimate, New Zealand)

'I think that this is a brilliant website because i can never find books that I like and have never read before.' (Vicky, 13)

‘Just to say your site is brilliant, I'm glad I've finally found a good site I can actually go on without having to wait hours, or get bored. Keep it up!’ Emma Sookia, 11, Sussex

‘Well done for putting up such a professional website. I visit it most days’ Edmund Danon, 12, London

‘That’s a great site you've put together!’ Matt Jones, 13, Somerset, UK

‘I think your idea is brilliant’ Ciaran Daly, 10, Manchester

‘I devour books, as you. I've e-mailed to say I'm v. impressed with your site’ Patrick Johnson, 12, Birmingham

‘I think your website’s amazing’ Piran, 11, Sussex

‘Thanks for doing the website. I've found loads of books I liked’ Alex, 13, Leeds

‘Your site looks really cool it must have taken you a long time’ George West, 11

‘I really like your web page, it's great. I read about it in the paper’ Adam Bailey, 13

‘I just wanted to say how much I admire you in like saying you like reading because I know a boy who loves reading but doesn't admit it’ Lucy Pearce

‘Your site is totally fantastic, it gives people (young and old alike) a totally different way to look at books. It is fun to go onto your site’ Balan Anthonysamy

‘I really like your site and I visit many times to see your Top Ten books’ Nick Booth

‘Your web site is really cool! I think you are really good book reviewers. Good luck for the future of COOL READS’ Ben Osborne

‘I think your website is really cool I like the fact that you don't just review the books by yourself but you let the viewers of the website review their own books’ Saral Kaushik
 



Quick Pick
- 17 December 2011 -

Tilja and Tahl have the ability to understand streams and trees, which helps them to keep the valley where they live safe from intruders. However the magic is dying, and it will not be long before they are found, unless the two can succeed in their dangerous quest.


Latest 
Hellbent
The Wereling: Resur...
Siberia
The City of Ember
The Cry of Icemark
Hite
Freaky Green Eyes
Time Bomb
Hover Car Racer
The Ring of the Sla...
Hunted
The Eagle of the Ni...
Not the End of the ...
The Golem's Eye
The 7 Professors of...
Tiger, Tiger
Gangsta Rap
Whispering to Witch...
The Saint of Dragon...
Freeglader

- More -


Top 10 Reviewers 
Tim 445
Chris 239
Elizabeth Collingwood 106
Hilary Martin 59
Rebecca Varley-Winter 57
Alex Varley-Winter 56
Helen Sanders 53
Sarah Vining 46
Daniel Vining 41
Fiona McCollum 38