Bianca doesn't fit in with the perfect students, at Evernight Academy. She wants to escape but then she meets another newcomer, Lucas, and feels an instant rapport with him. Can their love survive their differences and what are the secrets that the school is hiding?
The whole town's obsessed with a local bushranger's long-lost treasure, including Nick and his best mate Peter. They won't let anything stop them finding it first. (Publisher)
SUITABLE AGES:
PUBLISHED:
2009
PUBLISHER:
Puffin
ISBN:
9780143304654
SERIES:
Aussie chomps
GENRE:
adventure
CATEGORY:
Young novel
THEMES:
Treasure
Archaeology
Friendship
Condon, Bill
Confessions of a liar, thief and failed sex god
2009
9781741664546
TITLE:
Confessions of a liar, thief and failed sex god
AUTHOR:
Condon, Bill
Recommendation:
Recommended
Neil is in his final year at a Christian Brothers school in Sydney, a year that will see many changes for this boy on the cusp of manhood.
SUITABLE AGES:
14 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2009
PUBLISHER:
Woolshed Press
ISBN:
9781741664546
GENRE:
adolescent
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Brothers and sisters
School
Coming of age
AWARDS:
Prime Minister's Literary Awards Young Adult Fiction 2010
Vlad is about to face his final year of high school, but only if he lives long enough. There are so many people trying to kill him that it is by no means certain he will even make it to his last year at high school or survive it if he does.
Set in West Africa, a young man who has left the army and is looking for his family and fellow soldiers and is trying to fit back in, reflects on what he did as a child soldier.
SUITABLE AGES:
PUBLISHED:
2008
PUBLISHER:
Scribe
ISBN:
9781921372094
GENRE:
war
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Child soldiers
Soldiers
Children in war
Africa
AWARDS:
12 13 14 15
Lloyd, Alison
Letty and the stranger's lace
2011
9780143305415
TITLE:
Letty and the stranger's lace
AUTHOR:
Lloyd, Alison
Recommendation:
Recommended
Newly arrived Letty and her sister, Lavinia try to find work in the struggling colony at Sydney Town.
In the summer of 1962, 12-year-old Jack Gantos is "grounded for life" by his parents. Jack accidentally fired a live bullet from his dad's Japanese sniper's rifle, and got in the middle of a dispute between his parents and disobeyed his mother's orders not to cut down her corn crop.
Zac and Mia by A. J. Betts, In bloom by Matthew Crow, Everything left unsaid by Jessica Davidson, Before I die by Jenny Downham, The fault in our stars by John Green, Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil, You don't even know by Sue Lawson
Baby brother is little and admires his brother nonchalantly sitting cross legged on his chair eating his toast, a big boy. He longs to be big and tries various schemes to be big but they do not work.
SUITABLE AGES:
5 to 7
PUBLISHED:
2013
PUBLISHER:
Little Hare
ISBN:
9781921894442
GENRE:
animal
CATEGORY:
Picture book
THEMES:
Size and shape
Dimensions
Mathematics
AWARDS:
Early Childhood Book of the Year Award Notable Books 2014
Sixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in The Testing to attend the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out her friends who do not pass The Testing are disappearing.
SUITABLE AGES:
13 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2013
PUBLISHER:
Templar
GENRE:
mystery and suspense
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Universities and colleges
Examinations
Missing persons
Dystopian fiction
Reluctant readers
AWARDS:
Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2014, Agatha Award shortlist 2013, Teens' Top Ten 2014
Weetman, Nova
Haunting of Lily Frost
2014
9780702250156
TITLE:
Haunting of Lily Frost
AUTHOR:
Weetman, Nova
Recommendation:
Recommended
When Lily Frost's parents move her from the only home and best friend she's ever known to a country town called Gideon, she finds herself seeing things she thought belonged to the dead.
Harriet Manners knows all kinds of facts but can't work out why nobody at school likes her.
SUITABLE AGES:
13 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2013
PUBLISHER:
HarperCollins Children's
ISBN:
9780007489442
SERIES:
Geek girl ; 1
GENRE:
adolescent
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Self-perception
Self-esteem
Social skills
School
Self-confidence
Humour
Class text suggestion
AWARDS:
UKYA Awards Funniest book 2014, Branford Boase Award shortlist 2014, Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2014, Roald Dahl Funny Prize shortlist 2013
Lemon-Scott, Candice
Moon attack
2014
9781925059090
TITLE:
Moon attack
AUTHOR:
Lemon-Scott, Candice
Jake, has struggled to pass his space car driving test and is now being sent to remedial driving school. But then he uncovers a plot to blow up the moon and must summon his courage to save everyone.
Nova can't forget Quinton, the one who made her realise that an empty life is not what she deserved. Nova has come to terms with her past and has started to heal, while Quinton is out there getting worse and sinking deeper. She is determined to find him and help him, even if he doesn't want the help.
In 2003, three women are brutally murdered in Barcelona. And then, a famous Catalan actress is found dead, sparking the interest of the nation. But before the police can piece together the baffling clues, the killer vanishes without a trace. Ten years later, Anna Verco, book hunter extraordinaire, discovers ancient letters that could help solve the case.
Jack is selling the toys he doesn't play with anymore. There's some old Lego, a scruffy teddy bear and a robot dog that doesn't work. But when Jack sees other kids having fun with his stuff, will he regret the whole idea? (Publisher's website)
A seemingly simple game of find the starfish, the clownfish and the jellyfish amongst the double pages bright with different colours, shapes and varieties of fish, soon turns into a subtle look at the pollution in our oceans as the fish, big and small, find that their habitat is being crowded out by the litter clogging their world.
Sage Cookson is thrilled that she has finally been given her own phone. She will now be able to keep in touch with her friend Lucy when she travels with her parents on their trips away for their TV cooking show. This time she is off to the west where they meet up with a chocolatier and things go dangerously wrong.
When Rory visits his friends Hank and Vera they have a surprise for him. Hank has a pet and they do lots of things together. Hank shows off his pet, Sheldon, as they play fetch and hide and seek. Sheldon is so much fun and when Rory walks off back home he wants a pet as well.
Mr Chicken arriva a Roma = Mr Chicken arrives in Rome
2016
9781925266771
TITLE:
Mr Chicken arriva a Roma = Mr Chicken arrives in Rome
AUTHOR:
Hobbs, Leigh
Recommendation:
Highly recommended
As a child Mr Chicken had always been interested in Ancient Rome, and now learning the language from his beginner's book of Italian, means to see as much as he can in Rome. He has written a list of the sights he wishes to see, including the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Forum and the Spanish Steps, and he also wishes to meet some real Romans.
SUITABLE AGES:
4 to 7
PUBLISHED:
2016
PUBLISHER:
Allen & Unwin
ISBN:
9781925266771
SERIES:
Mr Chicken
GENRE:
humour
CATEGORY:
Picture book
THEMES:
Travel
Rome (City)
Voyages and travels
Chickens
Poultry
Tourism
AWARDS:
Picture Book of the Year Award Notable Books 2017, Young Australians' Best Book Awards shortlist 2017
Heather Feather is a special emperor penguin whose intrepid environmental journey sees her circumnavigating Australia. Antarctica is the 'coldest, driest continent on Earth' and millions of emperor penguins raise their eggs and young in difficult conditions.
The conflict in Malaysia during and after World War two, as seen from the perspectives of a Kiwi soldier (Peter) and a Chinese Malay freedom fighter (Ng).
SUITABLE AGES:
15 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2012
PUBLISHER:
HarperCollins
ISBN:
9781869509415
GENRE:
historical
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Soldiers - New Zealand
War stories
Army soldiers
Malaysia - History
Comparative texts
SIMILAR BOOKS:
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, Tanamera by Noel Barber
McCreight, Kimberly
Outliers
2016
9780008115067
TITLE:
Outliers
AUTHOR:
McCreight, Kimberly
Recommendation:
Highly recommended
Wylie hasn't heard from her one time best friend, Cassie, in over a week. Not since their last fight. But that doesn't matter. Cassie's in trouble, and it's up to Wylie to do what she does best, save her best friend from herself.
Alberto lives alone in the town of Allora, where fish fly out of the sea and the houses shine like jewels. He is a coffin maker, spending his quiet, solitary days creating the final resting places of Allora's people. Until the day a mysterious boy and his magical bird arrive - flying from danger and searching for a safe haven. (Publisher)
Jason Zhou is trying to survive in Taipei, a city plagued by pollution and viruses, but when he discovers the elite are using their wealth to evade the deadly effects, he knows he must do whatever is necessary to fight the corruption and save his city.
SUITABLE AGES:
15 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2017
PUBLISHER:
Simon Pulse
ISBN:
9781481489225
GENRE:
science fiction
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Viruses
Survival
Viral infections
AWARDS:
Andre Norton shortlist 2018
Midnight special
2016
FILM TITLE:
Midnight special
A father and son go on the run, pursued by government agents and a cult drawn to the boy's special powers.
SUITABLE AGES:
MA
PUBLISHED:
2016
PUBLISHER:
Roadshow Entertainment
GENRE:
science fiction
CATEGORY:
Film
THEMES:
Parent and child
Cults
Parents
Offspring
Dubosarsky, Ursula Illus. Vane, Mitch
Fairy bread
2001
9780141311753
TITLE:
Fairy bread
AUTHOR:
Dubosarsky, Ursula Illus. Vane, Mitch
Recommendation:
Highly recommended
When Becky's Mum asks what she wants as her party food at her birthday party, she answers fairy bread. So Mum makes plates of it for the guests, but when the great day comes, they only eat the birthday cake.
The seemingly idyllic lives of civic-minded environmentalists Patty and Walter Berglund come into question when their son moves in with aggressive Republican neighbours, green lawyer Walter takes a job in the coal industry, and go-getter Patty becomes increasingly unstable and enraged.
