Fantastic Non-Fiction

These books are great for any reader who wants to know or joke or draw.

Alive in the Death Zone Lincoln Hall (Random House)
Lincoln Hall is one of Australia’s best known mountaineers and on his 2006 expedition it was very nearly his last. this is his story of climbing the world's highest mountain, being left for dead near the summit and his subsequent return to life and safety. There are also insights into how and why people climb mountains, facts about mountain climbing, maps and heaps of photographs ... and a snake and ladders style Everest climbing game!
A great story of survival against all odds using sheer willpower, courage and determination.

Australian and World Records 2009 Jennifer Morse & David Harris (Scholastic)
Boys are going to love ripping through these pages finding the records!
This will be popular and great for reluctant readers who love records! It begins with an Australian section highlighting Aussie records like the oldest artworks, largest aquarium, highest test innings, our driest place. The book then moves onto world records - all the typical fastest, biggest, longest records are there and then some ore obscure ones too like, the country with highest internet use, most mobile phone accounts, and just for the sweet tooth - the world’s biggest selling confectionary! And there’s a section on whacky facts too!

The Make-Your-Own Joke Book Sharon Holt (Allen&Unwin)
Kids love jokes ... telling them and also trying to make them up too ... and this is the book to joke around with. Filled with jokes and also with the instructions to making you won jokes with this book the kids will be the jest boker in class! Just right for the young comedian or for a a giggle on your own. There are also facts about humour in history.

1001 Awesome Things To Draw! Robert Ainsworth (Scholastic)
For the reader who loves to draw then this just ahs to be the perfect book! With the four 'awesome' drawing books combined into one spiral bound book you can draw anything - from aliens to animals, to jokes, to animal cartoons.
It has step-by-step instructions and examples as well as lettering ideas to draw any creature imaginable --- or unimaginable! Also has practise drawing sheets!

Young readers will have fun learning with these books!

For The Very Young

These small books are just right for children begining to explore and have fun with books. Just right for little hands!

Star & Sun Natalie Jane Prior & Anna Pignataro (ABC Books)
These are two beautiful little books, the perfect size for little hands, with repetitive text and lovely illustrations.
Star tells us about the end of the day and what it sees - perfect for an end of the day bedtime read! And Sun wakes up the world as the rays shine through forests and window all over the world.

I Love Birthdays and I love Holidays Anna Walker (Scholastic)

Ollie and Fred are back and this time it is birthdays and holidays that they love! Birthdays with balloons, fairy bread, singing party tunes and treasure hunts; and Holidays with picking up shells and splashing by the sea and drippy ice cream!


Froggy Green Anna Walker (Puffin)
A lovely book about colours and differences. Each child in this book likes a different colour Lucy likes orange and Joe likes froggy green, but all his friends at the park like something special.
This board book is great for youngsetsers to handle and play with.

Wonderful gifts and great for sharing.

Christmas Books for This Christmas

Just 4 weeks away from Christmas Day so here are the delightful Christmas books that have popped up this year. Four picture books and the perfect Christmas activity book are here!

Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King (ABC Books)
This is just a wonderful reworking of the Christmas story - set in a very Australian setting with a little pig called applesauce that learns that Christmas comes from the heart. Beautiful illustrations. Great story. Wonderful present.

An Aussie Day before Christmas Kilmeny Niland (Scholastic Australia)
Before the NIGHT before Christmas comes the DAY before Christmas and this is the book that explains everything that happened on that day. This glorious picture book is from the creator of the hugely successful An Aussie night Before Christmas.
'Twas the day before Christmas and in his beach shack,
Santa was snoozing flat on his back.
'Shake a leg, love,' Sheila Claus said.
'Time to get ready for the big night ahead.'
This is the book that tells how Aussie Santa gets ready to deliver his presents.

Letters to Santa Andrew Daddo & Michelle Pike (Scholastic Australia)
Now what would the animals from around the world write in their letters to Santa at Christmas time? What presents would they request from Santa? The amazing and very surprising answers are in the pull-out letters that are in the pages of this delightful book.

Princess and Fairy: A Very Sparkly Christmas Anna Pignataro (Scholastic Australia)
Princess and Fairy are back and this time its a very sparkly Christmas. The keeps of Christmas have asked them to decorate The Christmas tree in time for the midnight display. There is a list of items to collect for the tree ... which the reader has to find - and of course the real key to Christmas must be found.

Roland Harvey's Big Book of Christmas Roland Harvey (Allen&Unwin)
This book swill keep the kids (both big and small) entertained all through Christmas Day and beyond - there are recipes to make (the Christmas Pudding recipe looks delicious), activities to complete, ideas for homemade gifts, song to sing and even stickers to stick on those last minute Christmas presents. There are stories about Christmas celebrations and traditions from around the world. And of course this had Roland Harvey’s humorous illustrations.

A Bush Christmas CJ Dennis & Dee Huxley (black dog books)

It is wonderful seeing classic Australian verse that has stood the test of time gloriously illustrated - and this is one of those books. This story still is classically Australian - a hot Christmas, with a burning sun, visitors dropping by and a hot kitchen preparing a Christmas feast. It is sure to make new readers giggle and smile and with the great illustrations the reader will giggle and smile even more. An Aussie Christmas book for an Aussie Christmas.

Have fun sharing these Christmas themed books.

on the radio

Thanks to James Valentine for having me on his radio program Afternoons on 702ABC last Monday ... we chatted for half an hour about Australian kids books and especially about the new titles coming out this Christmas -- and they even had live video streaming going!

So if you missed it these are some of the books that we mentioned:

Fanatastic Presents - new releases
Wizard of Rondo
The Kings of Clonmel - Rangers Apprentice 8
Boy from Bowral
The Final Curtain – Max Remy 10
Enigma
Cloudchasers
Pencil of Doom
Chain of Charm
Secrets of Deltora
High Crime in Milk Bay

CHRISTMAS BOOKS – new releases
Applesauce & the Christmas Miracle
An Aussie Day Before Christmas
Princess & Fairy – A Very Sparkling Christmas
Letters to Santa
Roland Harvey’s Big Book of Christmas

The list with publication details will also shortly be on my website ... and linked from here!

Have fun grabbing those Christmas books!

Still More Series Fiction!

For sure fire hits to keep them reading that are also great fun and enjoyable ... try these.

The Final Curtain (Max Remy Superspy #10) Deborah Abela (Random House)
This is the final title in the Max Remy series but it still has the same excitement and buzz that began the series.
Max has a spooky dream featuring her old nemesis. There is the 50th anniversary party and the old agents have rolled in. There's a suspicious waiter - or is it Max's dream causing her to think suspicious thoughts? Has Spyforce been infiltrated and Will Max and Linden survive the onslaught? Does Spyforce get destroyed after 50 years? What is happening to London’s monuments and famous buildings? Will Max survive her kidnapping or is this truly the final curtain?
These are questions that will only be answered reading this fantastic book.
And to find out more Max Remy info check out this You Tube vid and also Info about Max - both straight from the author.


High Crime in Milk Bay Moya Simons (Walker Books )
Here is the second title in the wonderfully engaging fun series – the Walk Right In Detective Agency – about two kids with their own detective agency!
Milk Bay has MORE crime – flowers are being stolen from the council park (or are they); missing goats are found; a client has a letter and rose-sending secret admirer who she wants revealed. And then there is the biggest mystery there are the new neighbours, the Davenports, who have moved in across the street but the boy living there hasn't been to school yet. Could it be a kidnapping! Yes, there is more mischief afoot in Milk Bay!
And the detectives do real detective too ... like wearing surgical gloves so that the perp's finger prints won’t be messed up! Better than CSI!


Great reads that will make great gifts for any cooccassion. Enjoy!