Delightful Stories for Holiday Reading

Here are books with short chapters (a few with illustrations) that children will enjoy reading. Some are for very young readers just starting to latch onto the joy of reading chapters books. other are for those a little older.

Pippa’s Perfect Ponytail Julie Nickerson & Janine Dawson (Puffin)

Everything has to be perfect for young Pippa's party - perfect dress, perfect cake, perfect ponies to ride and of course perfect hair in a perfect ponytail! But perfect preparations don't always turn out perfectly so when Pippa's hairdresser is sick Pippa's needs to find someone to do her hair perfectly! No one knows how to make the perfect ponytail so Pippa decides that she will just have to do her perfect ponytail herself.

Aussie Nibbles books are just the right start into chapter books with lots of illustrations adn generous sized text for childen who have just learnt to read.

A Chook Called Harry Phillip Gwynne & Terry Denton (Puffin)
When things get a little tight families have to learn to economise or find ways of making additional income and in Chris's family, that has been hit hard by the drought, Dad decides that a few egg laying chooks would be just the thing.
Together the family builds the chook house, ten chooks from a battery farm are housed and soon the eggs start coming - ten a day! But to be worth keeping the chooks must continue to lay so when only nine eggs arrive, the non laying chook has to go! Chris hatches a costly plan to keep his favourite chook - the chook which is not laying any eggs. But things don't always go according to plan ....!

Aussie Bites are great for readers who need more text but still like the short chapters and illustrations.

Blueback Tim Winton (puffin)

I loved this book the first time around and it is great to see this wonderful book back in print. A beautiful read about nature, and friendship and family and belonging!

In the water Abel swims like a natural - he loves it and when he meets a blue groper, the biggest fish he has ever seen, Abel is first scared but then develops a special friendship with the big blue creature. He helps his mother earn a living fishing. And when a greedy fisherman with a bad reputation comes along Abel knows that he has to do something to protect his way of living and his special blue friend! But worse was to come when the developers started arriving and storms and oil spills ... who will protect the bay?

Two new lightning strikes (Walker Books) - perfect for readers who want short chapter books that are fast paced, full of giggles and excitement and are great reads. The storylines are always fun reads and enjoyable.

Dog Squad Meredith Costain (Walker Books)
Life can get complicated when your sister's guinea pig hutch is broken and the guinea pigs escape. The hutch and the piggies are replaced but to do this Jez (who is called Jeremy by his mother when he is in trouble) borrows the money. Another complication, the lender wants his money back really quickly OR - well he isn't called Crippler for nothing! So Jez and his mates form the Dog Squad and their first job - to find the mayors missing dog, Fifi! Another problem arises ... Fifi is now Trix and a bit of dog switching has to go on!

Big Dig Meg McKinlay (Walker Books)
Three best friends spend EVERY summer at the local pool but this summer they arrive to buy their bargain season ticket - 181 swims for 55c but the pool is closed. And when they try the new pool that has opened nearby - well that costs a lot more and isn't nearly as much fun! So what do three enterprising boys do - they build their own concrete lined pool in mum's backyard instead! of course that takes a lot of digging and many bags of cement and ... lots of sweat too! Of course there is a plan but that is just a little too simple!

Check out these books in your local book store.

And enjoy the reading!

Scottish Fantasy and Shakespeare

Two new fiction titles that just have to be read!

The Puzzle Ring Kate Forsyth (PanMacmillan)
This is a joy to read. A wonderfully written historical fantasy that just had to be read.
Hannah is nearly 13 years old and has just received a letter from a great grandmother that she never new existed that sends her and her mother back to her ancestral roots. With Scottish mythology and history, brilliantly woven through this wonderful tale of old castles, fairy hill, a prophecy, a toad, wild magic, a hag stone, a journal filled with old writings, a curse that is over four hundred years old that must be broken, a ring in four parts that must be reunited, a trip back in time to the days of Mary Queen of Scotts, this is a book that fantasy readers and history lovers and readers of delightful adventure and mystery stories will adore.
Also includes end notes on time travel, Mary Queen of Scotts, further reading and even a cake recipe.


Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths (PanMacmillan)
This is Shakespeare as can only be told by Andy Griffiths.
The Just kids are back and this time taking on Shakespeare's Macbeth! But how do they assume those Macbeth characters? There's murder, madness and mayhem abounding, although not the way Shakespeare created it! Wonderful phrases like "The heart is sorely charged," and "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time: ..." fill the pages.
Originally commissioned to introduce younger audiences to Shakespeare by the Bell Shakespeare company this is the script of the play that was reviewed as "...riotously funny, ... surprisingly good Shakespeare," and of course it has Terry Denton's wildly witty cartoons.
Shakespeare is fun!!!


Just in time for the holidays!

New release of Old Picture Book Favourites!

And it is a treasure to see these ones back again!

Old Pig Margaret Wild & Ron Brooks (Allen & Unwin)
One of my all time favourites.

Here is a new edition of this tender and loving story of saying goodbye to those we hold very close to our hearts. It truly is beautifully touching and one of the great picture books.
When an elderly pig realises that she does not have long to live she makes sure that all things are in order (closing accounts and paying bills) and then takes her young granddaughter (who has lived with her for a long time and shared everything with her beloved grandmother) for a long walk to feast on everything around so that they can say goodbye. And that last night holding each other tight until morning.
A pure joy -- again.

I'm Green And I'm Grumpy and Who's That Knocking? Alison Lester (Puffin)

These two lift-the-flap books are just so much rhyming fun! Young readers will be excited and thrilled to turn the page and reveal the characters hiding there - and they will know!

In I'm Green And I'm Grumpy the children are dressing up, reciting a rhyme before revealing who is in dress-up hiding behind the green door!

In Who's That Knocking? there are visitors knocking on the front door but the silhouette behind the glass is not who or what they think is there!

Immerse youselves in these great re-releases.

New Picture Books

Here are some lovely new picture books....

Stanley Paste Aaron Blabey (Penguin)

From the award winning creator of Sunday Chutney and Pearl Barley comes another lovely creation. Stanley Paste is really, really small and he hates it. When a new girl arrives at school she is really, really tall and she is not too pleased either ... but when these two team up and become inseparable they didn't seem to have the same problems and tall or short - it didn't seem to matter anymore.

This is a terrific book, Full of humour in both text and illustration. Another delight.

Crocodile Cake Palo Morgan & Chris Nixon (Fremantle Press)
This is a cooking recipe with a difference.

This cake really does come alive and instead of being eaten - well i am sure you know what happens next, that is until a little girl realises what are the ingredients of her crocodile cake.
A scrumptious rhyming yarn.

Crocodile River Diana Lawrenson (Working Title Press)
This book tells the wonder of a crocodile's very precarious life for every day is a struggle for survival - at least until it becomes the big reptile that it does ... if it gets that far in life. From the moment the egg is laid in the mound the crocodile can become dinner for another predator - whether it be the pigs who steal the eggs or the humans who catch the crocodiles.
The story is fun and the end papers are filled with crocodile information that readers who enjoy riveting facts will love.


Our Daft Dog Danny Pamela Allen (penguin)
Oh this is a wonderful tale great story and illustrations which we come to expect from this talented creator of picture books.
Danny really is a daft dog (i love the word daft). Everything goes wrong when the children and Danny visit their uncle and his dog at the beach. How can they all enjoy the beach ... well of course it is resolved when one of the children comes up with a great idea and tug-o-war is stacks of fun ... especially with a daft dog!!!Young readers - especially with pet dogs will love it!

Delightful picture books to share.

Little Picture Books

These new books are just delightful and perfect for young readers getting a grasp of a book!

Jump Over the Puddle, Let’s Play House, Yummy Ice-Cream
Emma Quay & Anna Walker (Scholastic)

A delightful new series for young readers - Friends For Keeps - is created by the highly talented Emma Quay (text) and Anna Walker (illustrations).

In these books three friends - Panda, Sheep and Owl - share the fun of playtime, whether it is jumping over puddles (but don't fall in), or eating yummy ice creams (but who is missing out), or playing house (but what happens when it gets too squashy).

Just perfect for younger hands with stories that they can relate too.

Together Anna Pignataro (scholastic)
Another beautiful tender book about togetherness and reassurance from the creator of Brave Little Penguin. As Mumma and little bear go walking little bear asks 'Mamma, will you hold my hand?" and of course Mamma replies ‘...we'll go everywhere together.' This is just the reassurance that Little Bear, like little children all over the world, need to hear - the reassurance of their parents' love and security and togetherness. Lovely!


Share these delightful books with your young readers. You will all enjoy them.

Non-Fiction

A short break these past few weeks but back we are again with lots of new books:

Smart Babies: Mummy's Little Zoo Babies (blackdogbooks),
These two delightful board books in the Smart Babies series have lovely photographs of baby animals - and most people just love going 'ah' over cute baby animals.
In Mummy's Little Zoo Babies they are the are the fiercest, strongest, and bravest in the zoo as long as mum's around while in Mummy's Little Farm Babies the animals are spending time with friends even if things are quite perfect!


Gorilla Book: Born to be Wild Dr Carla Litchfield (blackdogbooks)
For children (and adults) who love animal books this is delightful one about gorillas. Simply told this brief book is full of information about gorillas.
With maps, breakout boxes, amazing pictures of gorillas, succinct double page information spreads each focussing on a different aspect of gorillas and gorilla life, a glossary and index, this is an easy to read book that will really get younger readers interested in this great ape.


Explorers: Filling in the Map of Australia Chris Miles (blackdogbooks)
How did the puzzle of Australia get put together by the early European explorers? This book will tell you how. Simply told in easy to read double page spreads this book puts the pieces to the jigsaw puzzle of the mapping of Australia’s. Who were the explorers? What did they discover and how did it fit into the puzzle ... this and lots more is in this book!

Non-fiction books are not just for education ... they are also just wonderful to read and devour! Enjoy!