First published 1949. Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil are sisters with a difference. All three were adopted as babies by Great Uncle Matthew, an eccentric and rich explorer who then disappeared, leaving them in the care of his niece Sylvia. The girls grow up in comfort until their money begins to run out and nobody can find Great Uncle Matthew. Things look bleak until they hit on an inspired idea: Pauline, Petrova and Posy will take to the stage.
SUITABLE AGES:
11 to 14
PUBLISHED:
2004
PUBLISHER:
Penguin
ISBN:
9780140300413
SERIES:
Puffin modern classics
GENRE:
all
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Ballet
Dancing
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert
Princess Ben
2008
9780330424271
TITLE:
Princess Ben
AUTHOR:
Murdock, Catherine Gilbert
Locked in a tower in the hope that she will lose weight and learn some manner, Princess Benevolence finds her magic and grows in wisdom.
Sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. Charmain Baker is in over her head. Looking after Great Uncle William's tiny cottage while he's ill should have been easy, but Great Uncle William is better known as the Royal Wizard Norland an his house bends space and time. Its single door leads to any number of places - the bedrooms, the kitchen, the caves under the mountains, the past, to name but a few.
SUITABLE AGES:
11 to 14
SIMILAR AUTHORS:
Jane Yolen, Lian Hearn, Isobelle Carmody, Susan Cooper, Robin McKinley, Ursula Le Guin, Patricia C. Wrede, Garth Nix
PUBLISHED:
2009
PUBLISHER:
HarperCollins
ISBN:
9780007275687
GENRE:
fantasy
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Wizards, witches and magicians
Adventure
AWARDS:
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature finalist 2009
A cow falling out of nowhere onto Limbo Goulash marks the beginning of a very strange chain of events.
SUITABLE AGES:
7 to 10
SIMILAR AUTHORS:
Jeff Kinney, Lemony Snicket,
PUBLISHED:
2009
PUBLISHER:
Faber and Faber
ISBN:
9780571242337
SERIES:
Grubtown tales ; bk. 2
GENRE:
humour
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Cities and towns
Humour
Cattle
Books for boys
Ardagh, Philip
Far from great escape or, The light, the switch and the wardrobe
2009
9780571242344
TITLE:
Far from great escape or, The light, the switch and the wardrobe
AUTHOR:
Ardagh, Philip
When the local lighthouse is plunged into darkness and a ship runs aground, flattening The Rusty Dolphin, it's hard to imagine things can get much worse in Grubtown.
SUITABLE AGES:
7 to 10
SIMILAR AUTHORS:
Jeff Kinney, Lemony Snicket,
PUBLISHED:
2009
PUBLISHER:
Faber and Faber
ISBN:
9780571242344
SERIES:
Grubtown tales ; bk. 3
GENRE:
humour
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Cities and towns
Humour
Lighthouses
Prisoners
Books for boys
Harland, Richard
Liberator
2011
9781742373423
TITLE:
Liberator
AUTHOR:
Harland, Richard
Recommendation:
Recommended
It has been three months since the liberation and the Worldshaker is now called Liberator. But every thing has gone wrong, the Filthies no longer trust the Upper Decks people, now know as Swanks.
Set after World War II breaks, Laura's mother pulls her out of school when her father dies and takes the two sisters to Sydney where she treats them as servants. Intelligent, hard-working Laura is sent to Business College while younger girl, Clare, is allowed to remain at school for a time.
A beautiful picture book following the antics of a wombat, as it copes with the reindeer that have landed nearby. Following the smell of carrots lands him in unusual places, but all is well when he arrives back home. Full of the spirit and customs of Christmas, told with subtlety and imagination.
During his painful recovery from horrific burns suffered in the crash, the narrator plots to end his life after his release from the hospital. When a schizophrenic fellow patient, Marianne Engel, begins to visit him and describe her memories of their love affair in medieval Germany, the narrator is at first skeptical, but grows less so.
When Casey Blue's victory at the Badminton Horse Trials earns her and Storm an invitation to the prestigious Kentucky Three Day Event, it is a dream come true. But that dream is about to turn into a nightmare.
SUITABLE AGES:
11 to 14
PUBLISHED:
2013
PUBLISHER:
Orion Children’s Books
ISBN:
9781444007978
SERIES:
One dollar horse trilogy bk 2
GENRE:
sport
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Horses
Books for girls
Gwynne, Phillip
Turn off the lights
2013
9781742378435
TITLE:
Turn off the lights
AUTHOR:
Gwynne, Phillip
Dom should be concentrating on training for his biggest race and a possible spot on the Australian team at the World Youth Games. But the powerful, shadowy organisation, The Debt, has other ideas. And as Dom knows: you don't mess with The Debt. Their demand: bring back Cerberus, the new generation technology that's only whispered about in the furthest reaches of cyberspace. Drawn into the shady world of black-hat hacking and industrial espionage, Dom will need every skill he's learnt, and acquire some more, to complete this instalment. It's an impossible task. How can Dom steal something that doesn't exist? Failure, however, is not an option. (Back cover)
SUITABLE AGES:
11 to 14
PUBLISHED:
2013
PUBLISHER:
Allen & Unwin
ISBN:
9781742378435
SERIES:
Debt ; Instalment Two
GENRE:
adventure
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Gold Coast (Qld.)
Thriller
Secret societies
Mystery and suspense
Goodwin, Doris Kearns
Team of rivals : the political genius of Abraham Lincoln
2012
9781451688092
TITLE:
Team of rivals : the political genius of Abraham Lincoln
AUTHOR:
Goodwin, Doris Kearns
Abraham Lincoln saved Civil War-torn America by appointing his fiercest rivals to key cabinet positions.
SUITABLE AGES:
15 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2012
PUBLISHER:
Simon & Schuster
ISBN:
9781451688092
GENRE:
realism
CATEGORY:
Non fiction
THEMES:
Lincoln, Abraham
United States - Politics and government - 1861-1865, Civil War
United States - Presidents - Biography
Biography
Film of the book
Presidents
Biographies
Stormbreaker
2008
FILM TITLE:
Stormbreaker
Stormbreaker based on the novel by Anthony Horowitz.
SUITABLE AGES:
12 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2008
PUBLISHER:
Roadshow
SERIES:
Alex Rider
GENRE:
adventure
CATEGORY:
Film
THEMES:
Crime
Fantasy for boys
Adventure stories
Books for boys
Reluctant readers
Spies
Read aloud
Film of the book
Martin, Helen
ABC book of seasons
2014
9780733331954
TITLE:
ABC book of seasons
AUTHOR:
Martin, Helen
Each season has its own group of pages that show a range of familiar sights, colours and activities and concludes with a question that draws the child into sharing their own ideas and experiences.
Grey is just a puppy when he arrives at the War Dog Training school. Nathan, his trainer, is a brave young soldier. Wolf is a war dog who's seen it all. Grey and Nathan soon become inseparable. Until the day a parachute jump goes tragically wrong.
SUITABLE AGES:
9 to 12
SIMILAR AUTHORS:
Michael Morpurgo, Lauren St John
PUBLISHED:
2013
PUBLISHER:
Puffin
ISBN:
9780141347899
GENRE:
animal
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
World War, 1939-1945 - Great Britain
World War, 1939-1945 - France
Dogs
Adventure
AWARDS:
Red House Children's Book Award shortlist 2015
Riordan, Rick
Blood of Olympus
2014
9780141339221
TITLE:
Blood of Olympus
AUTHOR:
Riordan, Rick
Recommendation:
Recommended
Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, Chronus Chronicles by Anne Ursu, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, Slawter by Darren Shan, Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever by James Patterson, Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan, Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo
Bound, Samantha-Ellen
And all that jazz
2015
9780857982827
TITLE:
And all that jazz
AUTHOR:
Bound, Samantha-Ellen
Recommendation:
Recommended
Eleanor Irvin is ten years old, and dancing is her everything. Tap, ballet, lyrical, and ballroom - she's tried it all. But her favourite style by far, is jazz. When Miss Caroline, the owner of Silver Shoes Dance Academy, announces she will be selecting dancers to perform in the upcoming Jazz Groove Dance Competition, Eleanor is over the moon! There's only one problem, she's not so good at auditions. Actually, there are two problems - the new girl, Ashley, is really good. Will Ellie be able to overcome her nerves and hold on to the spotlight? (Back cover)
High school sophomore Miles Shaw goes to live with his father, a jazz musician, in New Orleans, and together they survive the horrors of Hurricane Katrina in the Superdome.
SUITABLE AGES:
15 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2009
PUBLISHER:
Speak
ISBN:
9780142414187
GENRE:
issues
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Critical incidents
Jazz music
Tropical cyclones
Environmental hazards
New Orleans (La.)
AWARDS:
2010 Popular Paperback for Young Adults
Nowra, Louis
Prince of Afghanistan
2015
9781743314821
TITLE:
Prince of Afghanistan
AUTHOR:
Nowra, Louis
Recommendation:
Recommended
When dog handler, Casey, is killed in the escape after the rescue of three kidnapped doctors in Taliban held Afghanistan, Mark is the only survivor of the attack and is left with Casey's injured dog, Prince. The first helicopter was able to get away with the rescued people, but Mark and the now deaf Prince are on their own and must make the perilous journey back to base.
Marly's life changes when her Uncle Beng, Aunty Tam and cousins Tuyet and DaWei, Vietnamese refugees who fled to Hong Kong, arrive to live at her house.
The prize for winning the race around the world is almost within reach. But sometimes the biggest danger can lie close to home. Quinn, Ash, Zain and the crew of the Libertas are racing against the clock to get back to Verdania before the King's deadline. Will they make it in time? Will Quinn complete the first map of the whole world? Will Zain bring back enough treasure to satisfy the King? Will they win the race to the end of the world? Or will their enemies stop them from getting back at all? (Publisher)
As the star witness in a murder trial against a drug dealer, Stella is now in the Witness Protection Program. The small town locals can never know who she is. Not even Chet Falconer, the one boy who makes her want to reveal her true self.
30 cities from around the world are brought to life with illustrations by Martin Haake, which show in fabulous detail key landmarks, famous people, iconic buildings and cultural icons.
With hard work, dedication, plenty of backyard and after school practices, young Timmy is chosen for the Rep Team. His special skill is combining a turbo-powered jump with a header to shoot straight into the net. Even when Studs and Hacker, two bullies, taunt him, call him names and play pranks on him, Timmy is not fazed.
SUITABLE AGES:
to 12
PUBLISHED:
2016
PUBLISHER:
Scholastic Australia
ISBN:
9781760273644
SERIES:
Tiny Timmy ; 2
GENRE:
sport
CATEGORY:
Young novel
THEMES:
Soccer
Persistence
Teamwork
Bullying
SIMILAR BOOKS:
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Weirdo series by Anh Do
The Fool is near death, maimed by mysterious pale-skinned figures whose plans for world domination hinge upon the powers the Fool may share with Fitz's own daughter.
SUITABLE AGES:
16 to 18
SIMILAR AUTHORS:
C. J. Cherryh, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Sara Douglass, David Eddings, Lian Hearn, Robert Jordan, Anne McCaffrey, Fiona McIntosh
Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles
Tales from Outer Suburbia and The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Roy, James
Let's do diwali!
2017
9781925381597
TITLE:
Let's do diwali!
AUTHOR:
Roy, James
Recommendation:
Highly recommended
Chook and his friend Praj are going to the Hindu festival Diwali. But big crowds make Chook nervous. Can Praj help Chook overcome his fear? (Back cover)
Daddy is always able to find the little bear when it is hiding and can help surmount any obstacle, all the while giving hugs for being brave and travelling far and wide.
I just ate my friend. He was a good friend. But now he is gone. Would you be my friend? A hilarious story about the search for friendship and belonging . . . and maybe a little bit about the importance of impulse control. (Publisher)
Meet your new assistant principal - Miss Frost! Uh-oh, that's not good. At least we're away on camp. Mr Bambuckle lets us eat marshmallows before dinner!
When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, a group of teens is forced to make life and death decisions in this harrowing story of survival.
SUITABLE AGES:
13 to 18
PUBLISHED:
2018
PUBLISHER:
Walker Books
ISBN:
9781406386851
GENRE:
dystopian
CATEGORY:
Novel
THEMES:
Droughts
Survival
Adolescents
Californa
Climate change
Water
Class text suggestion
Literature circle text
Reluctant readers
AWARDS:
Best Fiction for Young Adults 2019, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2020
