Review Blog
Nov 13 2009
Blackthorn's betrayal by Elizabeth Pulford
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781921529030.
(Ages 9-12) In this sequel to Blackthorn, the reader
follows Blackthorn on a quest to become a Trahern warrior. A stranger,
Esil,
has arrived in the forest requesting that Blackthorn find his daughter
Freya, who
has been abducted as a baby by the Doane. On a promise that a
successful
mission will finally seeing her win her coveted goal of becoming a
warrior,
Blackthorn sets out on her dangerous travels deep into enemy country.
Freya's
sister, Sepha, accompanies her and they
plunge into a perilous journey, surviving traps, freezing conditions
and saving
an abandoned baby boy on the way to Blackthorn's ultimate betrayal.
This is a thoughtful adventure story with a feisty heroine,
who learns much from her mistakes and about herself on her quest. The
characters are well drawn and memorable. The moral dilemma of where do
you
belong, with the family that has brought you up or with your blood
relations,
is a tantalising one and handled very well by Pulford.
I was drawn into the chilly, heavily forested world that
Blackthorn inhabits and intrigued by the warring tribes. The book had
the feel
of both a fantasy and a historical novel and should appeal to readers
who enjoy
both of these genres.
Pat Pledger
© Copyright Pledger Consulting 2007- 2009
Archived Blog Entries
2010 February 
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer- Gamer's Quest by George Ivanoff
- The penguin who wanted to find out by Jill Tomlinson
- Bright girls by Clare Chambers
- Top reads for 2009 by Pat Pledger
- Surf Ache by Gerry Bobsien
- I am not a serial killer by Dan Wells
- Agent Alfie: Licence to fish by Justin Richards
- 100% hero by Jayne Lyons
- The wheels on the bus ill. by Mandy Foot
- Outside In by Chrissie Keighery
- Why by Lila Prap
- Ctrl-Z by Andrew Norriss
- Someone like you by Sarah Dessen
January - Claire Larson's top reads for 2009
- Percy Jackson and the Battle of Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
- Wang Wang and Funi by Phil Cummings
- The Saga of Darren Shan: The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
- I lost my mobile at the Mall by Wendy Harmer
- Are these my basoomas I see before me? by Louise Rennison
- Faketastic By Alexa Young
- Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
- Are you ready to play outside? by Mo Willems
- Red Ted and the lost things by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart.
- Beating heart by A. M. Jenkins
- The goblin and the empty chair by Mem Fox
- Dreamdark series by Laini Taylor
- Seven Sorcerers by Caro King
- Shapeshifters: tales from Ovid's Metamorphoses retold by Adrian Mitchell
- Watch me throw the ball by Mo Willems
- What to do About Holly by Joan Lingard
- Gibblewort the goblin series by Victor Kelleher
- The Red Piano by Andre Leblanc
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The Enemy by Charlie Higson
- The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
- Magenta McPhee by Catherine Bateson
- Fran's dozen (baker's) 2009 (a selection of what I have read and enjoyed in 2009) by Fran Knight
- Conspiracy 365: January by Gabrielle Lord
- Beach break by Meredith Badger
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Wishing for tomorrow: The sequel to A Little Princess by Hilary McKay
- The fairy's return and other princess tales by Gail Carson Levine
- Arrival by Charlotte McConaghy
2009 December - Blood Promise : A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead
- Saving Sam by Susan Brocker
- Stop in the name of pants! by Louise Rennison
- The TV Time Travellers by Pete Johnson
- The Dragons 1: Camelot by Colin Thompson
- The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton
- Saving Pandas by Dr Carla Litchfield
- Dracula by Bram Stoker Re-edited by Jan Needle
- Bang, bang, you're dead by Narinder Dhami
- Sam's Bush Journey by Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
- Willy Waggledagger: A belt around my bum by Martin Chatterton
- Eternal by Cynthia Letich Smith
- A year in girl hell: Trashed by Meredith Costain
- Fallen by Lauren Kate
- Pilot and Huxley by Dan McGuiness
- Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia by Christopher Paolini
- Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
- Ten little hermit crabs by Lee Fox and Shane McG
- Little Bird by Camilla Way
- Operation Storm City by Joshua Mowll
- Lessons from a dead girl by Jo Knowles
- Cooking with Grandma by Rosemary Mastnak
- A history of cricket by Catherine Chambers
- A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken and Jan Pienkowski
- Fire by Kristin Cashore
- Cupid's arrow by Isabelle Merlin
- Envy a Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen
- Fallen by Lauren Kate
- Fly away Peter by Frank Dickens
- The billionaire's curse by Richard Newsome
- Dust by Christine Bongers
- Daniel X: Watch the skies by James Patterson
- Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha by Janine Fraser
- Fearless by Colin Thompson
- The magician's elephant by Kate DiCamillo
November - A small free kiss in the dark by Glenda Millard
- Running on the cracks by Julia Donaldson
- The Amanda Project, Invisible I by Melissa Kantor
- Your mother didn't do that! by Sharon Holt
- The Painted man by Peter V. Brett
- The lucky ones by Tohby Riddle
- Snowy's Christmas by Sally Murphy
- Halt's Peril by John Flanagan
- Interview with John Flanagan
- Mama's song by Ben Beaton
- First Strike by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards
- Nitty Gritty series
- Running wild by Michael Morpurgo
- The Loblolly boy by James Norcliffe
- City of bones to be a movie
- Father Christmas needs a wee by Nicholas Allan
- Baby Wombat's Week by Jackie French
- Novel activities: lessons in literature for the primary and post-primary classroom by Judy Dwyer
- Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
- Your mother didn't do that! by Sharon Holt
- The Crime Club Scene Series: Fact and Fiction by Kenneth McIntosh
- How to get dumped by Pat Flynn
- Z.Rex by Steve Cole
- The Stone Crown by Malcolm Walker
- Glister: The Haunted Teapot by Andi Watson
- Glister: The House Hunt by Andi Watson
- My private pectus by Shane Thamm
- Chalkline by Jane Mitchell
- Blackthorn's betrayal by Elizabeth Pulford
- Nanny Piggins and the wicked plan by R.A. Spratt
- Hopscotch: Medusa stone by Ian Trevaskis
- Undercover by Beth Kephart
- Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett
- Liar by Justine Larbalestier
- Isabella's garden by Glenda Millard and Rebecca Cool
- Tallow by Karen Brooks
- Vulture's Gate by Kirsty Murray
- Hate that cat by Sharon Creech
- Lock and key by Sarah Dessen
- The Land of Mirthful by Sally Morgan, Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
- 60 classic Australian poems for children edited by Christopher Cheng
- Feather and bone by Laslo Strangolov
- Interview with Gabrielle Williams by Fran Knight
- Beatle meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams
- Confessions of a liar, thief and failed sex god by Bill Condon
- Bang, bang, you're dead by Narinder Dhami
- The hunger games: Catching fire by Suzanne Collins
- The last knight by Hilari Bell
- Marsh Island by Sonya Spreen Bates
- The Magician's Elephant by Kate diCamilo
- The loblolly boy by James Norcliffe
- The wrath of Silver Wolf by Simon Higgins
- Santa's little helper by Angela McAllister and Daniel Howarth
- Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
- Blue noise by Debra Oswald
- Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
- Hate that cat by Sharon Creech
- Snowy's Christmas by Sally Murphy and David Murphy
- Barack Obama: The making of a president by Dawne Allette
- Halloween in Christmas Hills by Karen Tayleur
- Who wants to be a poodle - I don't by Lauren Child
- Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson
- Bear and Chook by the sea by Lisa Shanahan and Emma Quay
- Children of War : Iraqi Children Speak by Deborah Ellis
- Pink by Lili Wilkinson
- The wrong grave by Kelly Link
- The Boat by Nam Le
- Interview with Kirsty Murray
- Vulture's gate by Kirsty Murray
- Boom! by Mark Haddon
- Finding Home by Gary Crew
- The fury in the fire by Henning Mankell
- Fill out this application and wait over there by Ruth Starke
- Searching for the Secret River by Kate Grenville
- One, two, cockatoo by Sarah Garson
- Grace by Morris Gleitzman
- Monster Revenge by Dean Lorey
- The uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones
- The poison throne by Celine Kiernan
- Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Ranger's Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan
- The lucky ones by Tohby Riddle
- Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
- Along for the ride by Sarah Dessen
- Samurai Kids: Shaolin Tiger by Sandy Fussell
- The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke
- The youngest Templar: Keeper of the grail by Michael P. Spradlin
- The trouble with sauce by Bruno Bouchet
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Where the giant sleeps by Mem Fox
- Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett
- Journey of dreams by Marge Pellegrino
- The Phoenix files by Chris Morphew
- Pyro Watson and the hidden treasure by Nette Hilton
- Dead funny by Tanya Landman
- Fire song by Libby Hathorn
- The golden flower by Eleanor Coombe
- Here lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
- The last thing that I remember by Andrew Klavan
- Beyond the Knock Knock door by Scott Monk
- Lucky by Rachel Vail
- Without looking back by Tabitha Suzuma
- Little bird by Penni Russon.
- Labour day by Joyce Maynard
- First the egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
- Servants depots in colonial South Australia by Marie Steiner
- The ask and the answer by Patrick Ness
- The dragon tattoo by Tim Pigott-Smith
- The whisperer by Fiona McIntosh
- What does your daddy do? by Gordon Reece and Vilma Cencic
- The bone tiki by David Hair
- Half way to good by Kirsten Murphy
- Sarah's heavy heart by Peter Carnavas
- The duck in the gun by Joy Cowley
- Oliver Nocturne: Blood Ties by Kevin Emerson
- Pieces of eight by John Drake
- My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright
- Mr Chicken goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs
- Maisy's Street: A Maisy Concertina Book by Lucy Cousins
- LA Candy by Lauren Conrad
- Island girl by Lolo Houbein
- The ask and the answer by Patrick Ness
- I like books by Anthony Browne
- Pink by Lili Wilkinson
- Gotta B by Claire Carmichael
- The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
- Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
- Letters to Leonardo by Dee White
- Dig 3ft NW:The Legendary Journey of Burke and Wills
- The dead and the gone
- Grandpa baby by Margaret Wild.
- Burn this book edited by Toni Morrison
- Short Stuff by Mark Stevens
- A child's garden by Michael Foreman
- Siggy and Amber by Doug MacLeod
- Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
- Don't breathe a word by Marianne Musgrove
- All we know of love by Nora Raleigh Baskin
- Juno of Taris by Fleur Beale
- The eternal kiss. Vampire tales of blood and desire. Ed. by Trisha Telep
- The bride's farewell by Meg Rosoff
- The Jade Dragon by Carolyn Marsden
- My silent world by Nette Hilton and Vincent Agostino
- Pearlie and Great Aunt Garnet by Wendy Harmer
- Elephant by Petr Horacek
- Gool by Maurice Gee
- Callie by Ruth Park
- Dark angels by Katherine Langrish
- It's Yr Life by Tempany Deckert and Tristan Bancks
- Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip
- Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy
- Free to a good home by Colin Thompson
- Journey of dreams by Marge Pellegrino
- Chook Shed Snake by Phil Cummings
- Boy on a Wire by Jon Doust
- Frannie in pieces by Delia Ephron
- Frannie in pieces by Delia Ephron
- The book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale
- Naked Mole rat gets dressed by Mo Willems
- Malcolm and Juliet by Bernard Beckett
- Sharp Shot by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards
- The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Nina of the dark by Ken Catran
- A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Retold by Robert Swindells
- The sea-wreck stranger by Anna Mackenzie
- The Soul Trade by E. E. Richardson
- By Royal Command by Charlie Higson
- Far from home by K.M. Peyton
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth
- The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan
- Dance of the sugar plum fairy by Sue Whiting
- They told me I had to write this by Kim Miller
- Second star to the right by Deborah Hautzig
- Oddly by Joyce Dunbar
- A finder's magic by Philipa Pearce
- Little chick by Amy Hest
- Sting by Raymond Huber
- The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
- Flight of the bumblebee by Hazel Edwards
- Exposure by Mal Peet
- Collecting colour by Kylie Dunstan
- The extraordinary adventures of Ordinary Boy series by William Boniface
- Genesis by Bernard Beckett
- Genesis by Bernard Beckett
- Rascal and the hot air balloon by Paul Jennings and Bob Lea
- Creature of the night by Kate Thompson
- One dragon's dream by Peter Pavey
- Ten mile river by Paul Griffin
- Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Skulduggery Pleasant: The faceless ones by Derek Landy
- The good daughter by Amra Pajalic
- City of glass by Cassandra Clare
- Ruby and Leonard and the great big surprise by Judith Rossell
- Jolt by Bernard Beckett
- The Scarecrow by Sean Williams
- The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine
- The remarkable secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen by Deborah Abela
- Worldshaker by Richard Harland
- Prom nights from hell by Meg Cabot et al
- By the picking of my nose by Martin Chatterton
- Gone by Michael Grant
- Switched by Sienna Mercer
- Chester's back by Melanie Watt
- Pop Princess by Isabelle Merlin
- The Witch's children go to school by Ursula Jones and Russell Ayto
- Mending Lucille by J.R. Poulter and Sarah Davis
- The tomorrow code by Brian Falkner
- Stanley Paste by Aaron Blabey
- Magic to the bone by Devon Monk
- The book from Baden Dark by James Moloney
- Heroes of the valley by Jonathan Stroud
- A book for kidz by C.J. Dennis
- Highway robbery by Kate Thompson
- Uncle Eddie and the croc by Lucy Farmer
- The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
- Curly saves Grandma's house by Sally Morgan, and Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
- Mrs Lincoln's dressmaker by Lynda Jones
- Riding the black cockatoo by John Danalis
- Tuck by Stephen Lawhead
- The 10 pm question by Kate De Goldi
- George's cosmic treasure hunt by Lucy and Stephen Hawking
- Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera
- Mac Slater, Cool Hunter 2: I love NY by Tristan Bancks
- Jackdaw Summer by David Almond
- A certain music by Celeste Walters
- Posse by Kate Welshman
- Waterslain Angels by Kevin Crossley-Holland,
- Shrapnel by Robert Swindells
- Magenta McPhee by Catherine Bateson
- My secret diary by Jacqueline Wilson
- Poems by Young Australians by Taringa Foundation
- Crime Stories by David Belbin et al.
- Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan
- The night they stormed Eureka by Jackie French
- The escape by Robert Muchamore
- Pearl verses the world by Sally Murphy
- Love is hell by Scott Westerfeld et al
- The locket of dreams by Belinda Murrell
- Krakatoa Lighthouse by Allan Baillie
- Read and reflect: literature discussion in small groups by Dee Clements and Sally Godinho
- The gimlet eye by James Roy
- Map of the invisible world by Tash Aw
- Bookmark days by Scot Gardner
- Bloodflower by Christine Hinwood
- Newes from the dead by Mary Hooper
- The switch by Anthony Horowitz
- A small white scar by K A Nuzum
- Zoltan the magnificent by Bob Graham
- The adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A Spratt
- The priestess and the slave by Jenny Blackford
- Zig Zags series
- The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan
- Perspectives edited by Helen Sykes
- A Certain Music by Celeste Walters Illustrated by Anne Spudvilas
- I'm dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan
- Martha's journey by Tracey Hawkins
- Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
- The remarkable secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen by Deborah Abela
- The twin giants by Dick King-Smith
- Akimbo and the baboons by Alexander McCall Smith
- The game by Diana Wynne Jones
- The accidental sorcerer by K.E. Mills
- The winds of heaven by Judith Clarke
- Solitaire by Bernard Ashley
- Canyon by Christopher J. Holcroft
- Cross my heart and hope to spy by Ally Carter
- The Floods - Better homes and gardens by Colin Thompson.
- Stop Watch the land of Kur by Sally Morgan, Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
- Zelah Green, Queen of clean by Vanessa Curtis
- The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
- Miki Falls: Summer by Mark Crilley
- Daisy Dawson and the big freeze by Steve Voake
- Evernight by Claudia Gray
- Alive in the death zone by Lincoln Hall
- Auslander by Paul Dowswell
- Crime time: Australians behaving badly by Sue Bursztynski
- The composer is dead by Lemony Snicket
- Cicada Summer by Kate Constable
- The Donkey who carried the wounded by Jackie French
- Ever by Gail Carson Levine
- Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland
- The best cow in show by Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto
- Torn pages by Sally Grindley
- When the Hipchicks went to War by Pamela Rushby
- Chalice by Robin McKinley.
- The 10pm question by Kate De Goldi
- Dream land by Lily Hyde
- A world away by Pauline Francis
- Break of day by Tony Palmer. Read by David Tredinnick
- The Paris enigma by Pablo De Santis (translated from Spanish by Mara Lethem)
- Into the dark by Peter Abrahams
- Shrapnel by Robert Swindells
- Granny by Anthony Horowitz
- How to drink from a frog and other things you need to know about food by Michael Cox
- Love without hope by Rodney Hall. Read by Rodney Hall
- Before wings by Beth Goobie
- The boy from Bowral: the story of Sir Donald Bradman by Robert Ingpen
- Maralinga by Christobel Mattingley
- The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow by A. J. McKinnon
- Ape by Martin Jenkins and Vicky White
- Atomic Testing : Woomera 1953 by Alan Tucker
- Salt by Maurice Gee
- Waterslain angels by Kevin Crossley-Holland
- Jackdaw Summer by David Almond
- The Spell of Rosette by Kim Falconer
- Don't ask by Hilary Freeman
- The rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif by Najaf Mazari and Robert Hillman
- Sky village by Monk and Nigel Ashland
- Indian Summer by Patrima Mitchell
- The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
- The thing about Georgie by Lisa Graff
- The incredibly boring monotonous family by Phillip Barry
- Miki Falls: Spring by Mark Crilley
- Off to war: Soldiers' children speak by Deborah Ellis
- Frozen in time by Ali Sparkes
- A small free kiss in the dark by Glenda Millard
- Kaspar, prince of cats by Michael Morpurgo
- Willy the dreamer by Anthony Browne
- Whale Pot Bay by Des Hunt
- Angel Boy by Bernard Ashley
- Screw loose by Chris Wheat
- Snake and lizard by Joy Cowley and Gavin Bishop
- How to ditch your fairy by Justine Larbalestier
- Mahtab's story by Libby Gleeson
- The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt
- Love you two by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
- This morning I met a whale by Michael Morpurgo
- Cowboy baby by Sue Heap
- Cruisin' by Brian Caswell
- Bookmark days by Scot Gardner
- Hangman by Julia Jarman
- The big big book of Gibblewort the Goblin by Victor Kelleher
- Mahtab's Story by Libby Gleeson
- Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton
- My dog may be a genius by Jack Prelutsky
- City of ashes by Cassandra Clare
- I love my new toy by Mo Willems
- Easy library displays to promote reading by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger
- Ostrich boys by Keith Gray
- Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls by Lynne Jonell
- The diary of Laura's twin by Kathy Kacer
- Darius Bell and the glitter pool by Odo Hirsch
- The cat who liked rain by Henning Mankell
- A rose for the ANZAC boys by Jackie French
- Dream Land: One girl's struggle to find her true home by Lily Hyde
- Hunting elephants by James Roy
- Teen, Inc. by Stefan Petrucha
- Lost Riders by Elizabeth Laird
- Owl Ninja: Samurai Kids by Sandy Fussell
- Von Gobstopper's Arcade by Alexandra Adornetto
- Then by Morris Gleitzman
- 3 Willows: a new sisterhood grows by Ann Brashares
- Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
- Girl next door by Alyssa Brugman
- Wombat and fox thrillseekers by Terry Denton
- Way of the Wolf by Bear Grylls
- The sniper by James Riordan
- Broken Glass by Adrian Stirling
- Belmont and the dragon by Mike Zarb and Robin Gold
- Purple snow by Eric Lobbecke
- Roland Wright : brand new page by Tony Davis
- Strays by Ron Koertge
- The Mozart question by Michael Morpurgo
- Amazons! Women warriors of the world by Sally Pomme Clayton and Sophie Herxheimer
- Home and Away by John Marsden and Matt Ottley
- Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
- Can you keep a secret? Timeless rhymes to share and treasure
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
- The magician of Hoad by Margaret Mahy
- After the Flood by L. S. Matthews
- The tall man by Chloe Hooper
- Nation by Terry Pratchett
- Shifty by Lynn E. Hazen
- There are cats in this book by Viviane Schwarz
- Roland Wright at the joust by Tony Davis
- Black ships before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
- Dandylion by Lizzie Finlay
- Say hello by Jack and Michael Foreman
- The Game Players of Titan by P.K. Dick
- The volcano book by Dr Gill Jolly
- One beetle too many by Kathryn Laskey and Matthew Trueman
- Lord of the animals by Fiona French
- Stories from the billabong by James Vance Marshall and Francis Firebrace
- Garibaldi's biscuits by Ralph Steadman
- Paper towns by John Green
- Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
- Tender morsels by Margo Lanagan
- Victor's quest by Pamela Freeman and Kim Gamble
- If I were you by Richard Hamilton
- 30 Australian sports legends by Loretta Bernard and Gregory Rogers
- The curious case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Tales of terror from the Black Ship by Chris Priestley
- The boy who could fly by Laura Ruby
- Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson
- Sleep tight, my honey by Lisa Shanahan
- Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
- The wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff
- Nyuntu Ninti (What you should know) by Bob Randall and Melanie Hogan
- Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
- High crime in Milk Bay by Moya Simons
- Tamburlaine's elephants by Geraldine McCaughrean
- Fred the croc by Matt Zurbo and Sarah Dunk
- A brief history of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
- Somebody's crying by Maureen McCarthy
- Life, interrupted by Damian Kelleher
- Open for business by Moya Simons
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- Murderer's thumb by Beth Montgomery
- Aunt Nancy and the bothersome visitors by Phyllis Root
2008 December - The story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
- The dust devils by Sean Williams
- Roadworks by Sally Sutton
- Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler
- Ratwhiskers and me by Lorraine Marwood
- The graveyard book by Neil Gaiman Ill. by Chris Riddell.
- Little brother by Cory Doctorow
- Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
- What was lost by Catherine O'Flynn
- Moonshadow: Eye of the beast by Simon Higgins
November - Rapunzel's revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
- I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you by Ally Carter
- The resistance by Gemma Malley
- The trouble with dogs by Bob Graham
- Ghostscape by Joe Layburn
- What's that noise, Mr Croc? by Jo Lodge
- The minister for traffic lights by Tony Wilson and Andrew McLean
- The fatal fire by Terry Deary
- Nocturne by Diane Armstrong
- If you're reading this, it's too late by Pseudonymous Bosch
- The boy in the dress by David Walliams
- The boy in the dress by David Walliams
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- The way of the warrior by Chris Bradford
- The sweet life by Rebecca Lim
- Necropolis by Anthony Horowitz
- My candlelight novel by Joanne Horniman
- The First Escape by G. P. Taylor
- Double Cross by Malorie Blackman
- The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
- Twisted Tales - Six fairy tales turned inside out by Richard Tulloch Ill: Terry Denton.
- The secret of Spirits Bay by Stephen Barker
- Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
- Word of honour by Michael Pryor
- The Servants by M.M. Smith
- Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
- Mac Slater, Cool Hunter by Tristan Bancks
- Roland Harvey's big book of Christmas by Roland Harvey
- Peka-Boo the smallest bird in all the world by Eliza Feely
- The detachable boy by Scot Gardner
- Audrey goes to town by Christine Harris
- Sprite Downberry by Nette Hilton
- Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks
- The gift of the Magi by O. Henry
- Death diamond by Dan Jerris
- Big and me by David Miller
- The Trap by Sarah Wray
- Blackthorn by Elizabeth Pulford
- A good arriving by David McRobbie
- War's end by Victoria Bowen
- Cinderella by Max Eilenberg
- Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
- Hamlet by John Marsden
- The pop up dinosaurs galore by Giles Andrease and David Wojtowycz.
- The View from Connor's Hill by Barry Heard
- How to heal a broken wing by Bob Graham
- The General by Robert Muchamore
- Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
- Does a sea cow say moo? by Terry Webb Harshman
- The declaration by Gemma Malley
- Naomi and Ely's no kiss list by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
- Little ballet star by Adele Geras and Shelagh McNicholas
- The sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore
- Murderer's thumb by Beth Montgomery
- Perry Angel's suitcase by Glenda Millard
- The red leather diary by Lily Koppel
- George's secret key to the universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawkin
- Ratwhiskers and me by Lorraine Marwood
- Crash by J.A Henderson
- Cat on the island by Gary Crew and Gillian Warden
- Evening is the whole day by Preeta Samarasan
- Saltwater moons by Julie Gittus
- The twisted citadel by Sara Douglas
- Bunker 10 by J A Henderson
- Give me truth by Bill Condon
- Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
- Spirit of hope by Bob Graham
- Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
- One beastly beast by Garth Nix
- Issues of our time edited by Helen Sykes
- The world's bellybutton by Tanya Landman
- By Royal Command by Charlie Higson
- Boobela, Worm and the potion power by Joe Friedman
- Ironbark by Barry Jonsberg
- The pencil by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman
- I'm still awake, still! by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson
- Black Water by David Metzenthen
- Dreaming again ed. by Jack Dann
- Lu-Lu's wish by Matt Zurbo and Ben De Quadros-Wander
- Blue Skies & Gunfire by K. M. Peyton
- Bloodline by Katy Moran
- The wish pony by Catherine Bateson
- Stravaganza: City of secrets by Mary Hoffman
- Gang-o-kids by Hazel Edwards
- The night we made the flag : A Eureka story by Carole Wilkinson
- Captain Congo and the Crocodile King by Ruth Starke and Greg Holfeld
- Lightning Strikes Series
- The highest tide by Jim Lynch
- The cow that laid an egg by Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto
- Under the Same Stars by Suzanne Fisher Staples
- Crossing the line by Dianne Bates
- Triskellion by Will Peterson
- The (not quite) perfect boyfriend by Lili Wilkinson
- True Green Kids by Jim McKay and Jenny Bonnin
- The savage by David Almond
- Marty's shadow by John Heffernan
- Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan
- Nighttrap by Tom Becker
- Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer
- Daddies by Catriona Hoy and Mal Webster
- Sovay by Celia Rees
- Knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness
- Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine
- Special Kev by Chris McKimmie
- Angel Boy by Bernard Ashley
- The tomb of treasure: An awful Egyptian adventure by Terry Deary
- Abela : the girl who saw lions by Berlie Doherty
- The Buddha's Diamonds by Carolyn Marsden and Thay Phap Niem
- Missing girl by Norma Fox Mazer
- Extraordinary Ernie and Marvellous Maude by Frances Watts
- Message in a bottle by Valerie Zenatti
- Crusher is coming by Bob Graham
- Finding Darcy by Sue Lawson
- Noodle Pie by Ruth Starke
- The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
- The beginner's guide to bears by Gillian Shields and Sebastien Braun
- The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman
- Orphans of the Queen by Ruth Starke
- Traitor! by John Pilkington
- Gifted by Nikita Lalwani
- Screw Loose by Chris Wheat
- The H-Bomb Girl by Stephen Baxter
- Revolution is not a dinner party by Ying Chang Compestine
- Two by two and a half by David Melling
- The Stone Crown by Malcolm Walker
- Destroying Avalon by Kate McCaffrey
- Kisses are yuk by Julia Jarman
- Pix and me by Carolyn Ching
- Screwed by Joanna Kenrick
- The falconer's knot by Mary Hoffman
- The naked penguin by Kym Lardner
- The Black Dog Gang by Robert Newton
- Possessing Rayne by Kate Cann
- Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
- The Iron Throne by Ben Julien
- Little Beauty by Anthony Browne
- The Dream-Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn
- Love-Struck by Rachael Wing
- The ice-cream man by Jenny Mounfield
- The changeling by Sean Williams
- The Awakening by Bevan McGuiness
- My Story: Road to War by Valerie Wilding
- Perky little penguins by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees
- The equen queen by Alyssa Brugman
- The spell of undoing by Paul Collins
- Midsummer Knight by Gregory Rogers
- Indij Readers for little fellas, for big fellas
- Minnie Pearl and the Undersea Bazaar by Natalie Jane Prior and Cheryl Orsini
- The Seventeen Secrets of the Karma Club by Karen McCombie
- The Other Book by Philip Womack
- Tales from outer suburbia by Shaun Tan
- Rain by Kate Le Vann
- The pony game by Robyn Opie
- Are we there yet? by David Levithan
- The Floods: the great outdoors by Colin Thompson
- Only the brave dare by Christopher Holcroft
- Captain Clawbeak and the ghostly galleon by Anne Morgan
- Nim at Sea by Wendy Orr
- Genesis by Bernard Beckett
- The last elf by Silvana de Mari
- Mr Pavlov's possum by Vashti Farrer
- Cinnamon Girl: Looking for a Hero by Cathy Hopkins
- The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman
- Danny Allen was here by Phil Cummings
- China Land of Dragons and Emperors by Adeline Yen Mah
- The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
- Danny DaVinci: the flying machine of Lombardy by Bruce Whatley and Rosie Smith
- Whose eggs? by Jeanette Rowe
- Jimmy Coates: Sabotage by Joe Craig
- Media Savvy by Jim Schembri
- Paraphernalia's present by Diana Lawrenson
- Trust me! edited by Paul Collins
- Jungle by Maurice Pledger
- Pip: the story of Olive by Kim Kane
- Take it Easy, Danny Allen by Phil Cummings
- Scribble sunset by Ann Shenfield
- Genius squad by Catherine Jinks
- My life and other catastrophes by Rowena Mohr
- Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller
- The uncommon reader by Alan Bennett
- I do it by Andrew Daddo and Jonathan Bentley
- Georgiana by Libby Hathorn
- Love Divided by Vanessa St Clair
- I am Rembrandt's daughter by Lynn Cullen
- M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
- Mia's Story by Michael Foreman
- The pumpkin eater from Pondicherry by Bruce Atherton and Ben Redlich
- The ghost's child by Sonya Hartnett
- Anila's journey by Mary Finn
- The Night Garden by Elise Hurst
- Broken Glass by Sally Grindley
- The OK Team by Nick Place
- Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
- A pact of wolves by Nina Blazon
- The town mouse and the Spartan house by Terry Deary
- Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
- Tomorrow all will be beautiful by Bridget Lowry
- The navigator by Eoin McNamee
- Scared to death by Alan Gibbons
- The Gulps by Rosemary Wells
- Woodenface by Gus Grenfell
- Allira's gift by Paul Collins and Danny Willis
- Dusk by Kenneth Oppel
- Miss McAllister's Ghost by Elizabeth Fensham
- The Black Dog Gang by Robert Newton
- Juicy Writing by Brigid Lowry
- Camp Creepy time by Gina Gershon and Dann Gershon
- Best mate by Michael Morpurgo
- Seams of gold by Christopher Cheng
- Diego's pride by Deborah Ellis
- True Blue? On being Australian by Peter Goldsworthy
- Sunny side up by Marion Roberts
- Ana's story, a journey of hope by Jenna Bush
- Game as Ned by Tim Pegler
- Antarctic close-up by Hazel Edwards
- Chelonia Green, champion of turtles by Christobel Mattingly
- Monster-Blood Tattoo: Book 1: Foundling by D.M. Cornish
- Volcano by June Colbert
- Wibbly Pig's silly big bear by Mick Inkpen
- Peak by Roland Smith
- The night of the burning by Linda Press Wulf
- Our little secret by Allayne Webster
- Ruby roars by Margaret Wild and Kerry Argent
- Uncle Montague's tales of terror by Chris Priestley
- In the city by Roland Harvey
- The Indigo girls by Penni Russon
- Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp by Odo Hirsch
- Ghost dogs by Susan Gates
- Noodle Pie by Ruth Starke
- Chicken Dance by Jacques Couvillon
- Love like water by Meme McDonald
- A penny to remember by Kirsty Murray
- Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo
- The day I was history by Jackie French
- Teacher's dead by Benjamin Zephaniah
- Apache by Tanya Landman
- At the house of the magician by Mary Hooper
- Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
- The declaration by Gemma Malley
- Paddy the wanderer: the true story of the dog who captured the heart of a city by Dianne Haworth
- Old Tom's big book of beauty by Leigh Hobbs
- Dragonskin Slippers by Jessica Day George
- Cross-currents by Janeen Brian
2007 November
- The rage of sheep by Michelle Cooper
- How absurd by Beck Wheeler.
- It’s true, Pirates ate rats by Heather Catchpole and Vanessa Woods
- The year of the dog by Grace Lin
- The girl’s like spaghetti by Lynne Truss
- Cedar, seals and whaling ships by John Nicholson
- Blood brothers by Peter Corris
- Giddy the great by Jamie Rix and Lynne Chapman
- Red rage by Brigitte Blobel
- The last muster by Leonie Norrington
- Sold by Patricia McCormick
- Larklight by Philip Reeve. Illustrated by David Wyatt
- Opal dream by Ben Rice
- Terrier, (Beka Cooper, book one. A Tortall Legend) by Tamora Pierce
- Everyman's rules for scientific living by Carrie Tiffany
- One whole and perfect day by Judith Clarke
- Voices by Ursula Le Guin
- Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
- Lost Property by James Moloney
- xxxHolic by Clamp
- Cold skin by Steven Herrick
- The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
- Stride's summer by Jenni Overend
- The island by Armin Greder
- The Truth About Emma by Gary Crew
- Relax Max by Sally Grindley
- To the boy in Berlin by Elizabeth Honey and Heike Brandt
- Pool by Justin D'Ath
- The bear in the cave by Michael Rosen and Adrian Reynolds
- Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White
- Crime Seen by Jenny Pausacker
- Right book right time: 500 great reads for teenagers by Agnes Nieuwenhuizen
- Digger J Jones by Richard J Frankland
- Pirates drive buses by Christopher Morgan and Neil Curtis
- The Charioteer of Delphi by Caroline Lawrence (The Roman Mysteries)
Latest News
Salinger dies at 91 Future Leaders Awards Commission into UK school libraries Aurealis Awards ALA Best books for young adults ALA Book Awards announced Waterstone's Children's Book Prize shortlist Twilight leads boost in books sales Keeping Young Australians Reading Ness wins Costa Book AwardReadPlus Features
Sample theme animation How to find lesson plans Read similar authors Print similar authors bookmarkPromote Reading
Rights of the reader poster Reviews: Author index Books for boys Teenage Book Community