Don’t fall asleep we are told, don’t fall asleep they are told – you just can’t fall asleep! You want to keep reading until the end. Every Year 6 class has a residential trip and this book is about a class who are the first people to go to a new place called Crater Lake. The main characters in this book are Lance and his friends Chetan, Katja, Big Mak and Adrianne and throughout the book we see how close their friendship is. Crater Lake: Evolution is a thrilling, nail-biting sequel that I devoured. I thought Crater Lake was an amazing story but Evolution is even better! The action is fast-paced and there were times I found myself holding my breath as I wasn’t sure how the characters were going to get through. Chapter 13 is one of the most terrifying scenes I’ve read in a children’s book! I can’t spoil what happens but it sent chills down my spine. It is incredibly creepy but such fantastic writing, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s the sort of book that I guarantee would capture a whole class of Year 7/8 students because it’s so gripping. The characters in the narrative are totally believable and readers will find at least one that they can relate to and will probably see their friends in others. The relationships between Lance and his friends feel totally genuine and their interactions are typical for children of that age - the banter they share, the arguments they have, the feelings and emotions that they are experiencing and have towards each other.

Life has been crazy since the summer, and there have been times when I genuinely didn’t think we’d make it through. But here we are. I guess life will always throw change at you, and there will be times when people have to go their own way for a while. But knowing that I have people in my life who will always be there when it really matters makes me feel like I can face anything. Lance and his friends face the sporelings of Crater Lake but this time they have evolved. With fast paced action and good characterisation, this builds on what went before with the added dynamic of tensions amongst the friends due to transitioning to secondary school. I felt this worked really well, looking at the need to conform in a new school suddenly so much larger than their old primary school, the pressures that puts on old friendships and the need to be more tolerant and understanding. Ultimately they manage to deal with their issues becoming once more the team they need to be. There were also some genuinely creepy scenes here, Lance's mum climbing down the outside walls into his room being one. I really enjoyed this and it was just as good as the first book. When a disturbance occurs in the town and strange things start happening, Lance knows it is related to the activities at Crater Lake. His suspicions become stronger when Miss Hoche reappears on the scene. Education Shed Ltd, Severn House, Severn Bridge, Riverside North, Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK, DY12 1ABThings seem like they're going to be OK but then there's a huge explosion at the University in town and suddenly his mum is acting weird and odd stuff is happening.

A group of friends are off for their end of Year 6 outward bounds residential. Apart from the usual issues like dealing with bullying and teachers that have it in for you, what can possibly go wrong? Things don’t start too well when their coach is stopped by a man covered with blood who is rambling about Bears in the woods. At the activity centre they are given a strange reception and fed only on warm soup but it’s when they go to bed that things take a turn for the worse. Lance and his friends have to stay awake because it’s when you sleep that danger strikes! This was a griping read, I extended reading for pleasure time in class so I could get through an extra chapter. Dark, brilliantly written, super cool but not cheesy and chilling. Better than book 1? 🤔 yes, I think it just might be! Definitely read Crater Lake first as it gives a better grounding for the events in this book. Maybe it’s the bloodstained man who tries to stop the coach, maybe it’s the absence of welcoming staff, but something is definitely not right at Crater Lake activity centre. Then, at night, things get much, much stranger … but no matter what happens, don’t – ever – fall asleep! Get this exciting scary adventure book today! The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have...Next to aliens we also have friendships and making up. Because after Crater Lake things just broke apart for our group. Maks got a girlfriend, Ade and Kat weren’t being so nice to each other, Chets is still not OK with Karim (though we do find out that has a different reason than normal). I am happy to say that it fitted with the story. We needed all these teens to save the world. These kids knew what happened in Crater Lake and they are up for the challenge again. Crater Lake is the story of a residential school trip that becomes a fight for life against a non-human enemy. It begins with a class of children on a coach to a new activity centre, and soon descends into horror when the coach is stopped by a bloodstained man who warns them not to go to Crater Lake...