New Unputdownable Series Titles

These two books are rivetting reads and the start of two great new series for independent readers. Boys espeically will devour these books.

Edsel Grizzler (#1): Voyage to Verdada James Roy (UQP)
Imagine a land for kids where you only have to work for a few hours each morning - and all that 'work' is sorting out and categorising the misplaced things and then the rest of the day is FREE!!! No school, No parents telling you what to do (Edsel's are way over protective), Pizza for breakfast, no bedtime - just time to hang out with your friends doing whatever you desire. That has to be the perfect place. And Edsel Grizzler has found it in a parallel dimension at Verdada where everyone stays forever young in this fun place.
But be careful things are not always what they seem.
This is the first title in a new three part series. It is a great read.


Conspiracy 365: Part 1 January Gabrielle Lord (Scholastic)
Are you ready for a 12 part crime action-packed thriller series with one book coming out each month and being published all around the world by one of the best crime writers? If you are then grab this series! I couldn't put this book down. Alex Rider fans will love it!

Callum Ormond is 15 years old. It's New Year's Eve and a sick and wild-eyed man confronts Callum with the dire warning:-
‘They killed your father. They’re killing me.’
‘The Ormond Singularity. Don’t let it be the death of you too, boy!’
And he is told that he has to stay alive for the next 365 days. Suddenly Callum is on the run fleeing criminals and the police. Who wants Callum dead? What is the Ormond Singularity? How can he survive for 365 days? There are drawings on documents that Callum has to decipher. His uncle is nasty and wants Callum out of the picture. And the end of this book is a cliff hanger! Bring on book 2!

For more info you visit the website: www.conspiracy365.com where there are competitions and prizes, online games and much much more. Do also check out the (UK) trailer ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uNiX1cFO4g

These books will have readers clammering for more!

Picture Books for older and younger

I just found these - more picture books - sitting there to be put on the blog ... argh!

Wanted: The Perfect Pet Fiona Robertson (Penguin)
It's about a boy who wants the perfect pet and for him that perfect pet was a dog. It's also stars a duck who wants to be wanted. So when the boy advertises for the perfect pet - also known as a dog, and the duck reads this advertisement he turns into - a dog! Lovely illustrations, with clever story, and further text in the sides, make this picture book for young readers a delight to share.


Running With The Horses Alison Lester (Penguin)
This picture book for older readers is inspired by the rescue of the rare and precious Lipizzaner stallions from the Spanish riding school in Vienna during World War 2.
To escape the oncoming war ten year old Nina, her father and an old friend flee with the horses riding through the nights, through forests, past rivers and through snow over the distant mountains. The drama of the escape and the special bond that Nina has with the old carriage horse makes this a powerful read.


Australia at the Beach Max Fatchen & Tom Jellett (Scholastic)
This is the 10th anniversary edition and it is still the great Australia Day book!!!
What do Aussies love to do on Australia Day ... go to the beach and this book, written in rhyming verse, fills out a glorious Australia Day - from heading off, to the beach activities (of course including cricket), building sandcastles, swimming in seaweed forests and finally coming home exhausted.

With great side notes too -- like how to get an ice cream if you are a dog -- this book is a wonderful celebration of Australia and the beach!

Enjoy!

Christmas Picture Books

I Love Christmas ... and these are just beautiful Christmas picture books to share with readers of many ages.


The Watchmaker Who Saved Christmas Bruce Whatley (Random House)
This is a beautiful Christmas tale of Santa, a watchmaker and young boy and a broken watch.
Kids all over ask how Santa can deliver presents all over the world in just one night and here we find out - it is all because of one very special watch that Santa owns and that watch slows down time!! But what happens when that watch is broken - it has to go to a talented watchmaker who uses all his skill to repair the broken wheel.


The ABC Book of Christmas Mark Macleod & various illustrators (ABC)
This beautiful book faithfully retells the story of the very first Christmas; of the three wise men, the shining star, the baby in the manger, the flight to Egypt and of course the shepherds. It is a really fine retelling.
What makes this book extra special are the stunning double page illustrations by each of the contributing illustrators - including Wayne Harris, Stephen Michael King, Ann James, and Anna Walker


Twelve Dogs of Christmas the Kevin Whitlark (Scholastic)
With DOGS and not days in the title you know that this book is going to star DOGS in these very special twelve days. This Christmas the dogs are preparing the Christmas tree and a little chaos develops.
On the first day of Christmas my true dog sent to me - a fat cat in a fur tree ... and there are also dogs a digging and pooping and licking and ffencing and skating and heaps more that will make the readers of all ages giggle with laughter under the Christmas tree.


Brucie Saves Christmas Yvonne Morrison & Michelle Pike (Scholastic)
This is a delightful sequel to An Aussie Night Before Christmas. It is also told in rhyming verse and it is FUN!
When Brucie the joey is born much anticipation surrounds his eventually joining the troop and pulling Santa's sleigh ... but Brucie is timid and shy and small and the other roos don’t think that he "Could be any help at all". But when catastrophe strikes one Christmas Eve and a fog rolls in ... you know that it is Brucie who saes the day - or night!


I Love Christmas Anna Walker (Scholastic)
This is such a treat and perfect for Christmas - and to add to the collection of sweet Ollie and Fred books. This book is just perfect for small hands and for sharing the joy of friendship at Christmas!
In this title we find out all wonderful things that he Ollie loves about Christmas including crinkly paper, the star, the donkey and the baby asleep, twinkling lights and baking cakes - but of course the best thing is listening for Santa's reindeer with Fred!


Share one of these books with someone close and Merry Christmas all!

New Titles from Great Series

Here are new titles from books in existing series that I have absolutely enjoyed reading and most importantly so do the kids they were written for.

The Undys: On the Move Wagner Michael & Gus Gordon (Penguin books)
Oh No! ... Josh Undy and his dad (Fillmmore) have to move out of their public housing apartment. They have just four weeks to find a new dwelling. Manny work has been soooo good that they a re making too much money! So what do they do ... well in-between searching for a new apartment they do a lot! Josh and his friends go crab racing, Josh and his dad learn the art of trampoline dodge ball, and of course when they do find a place to move to ... they have to move all their things - and that calls for some very special strong help!
This is a fun book with short crazy linked tales that kids, especially boys love giggling over!


Battle Boy #3 & #4 - Destroy Troy and Bloodaxe Charlie Carter (Pan Macmillan)
These titles are fantastic for boys - especially those younger readers just starting on chapter books. In each book in this adventure series Battle Boy is flung back into time, in his specially designed body suit (AKA SimulSkin) and with his Battle Watch with the latest downloaded operating system that has all the information for the battle in which he lands. In each case his task is to operate as a HD-CD (Human Data Collecting Device) but not everything goes according to plan.
In Destroy Troy Napoleon Augustus Smythe (AKA Battle Boy 005) lands in 1185 AD has to find out if the Greeks really did leave the Trojan horse outside the city and in Bloodaxe he lands in Dark Age England 954 and is flung into a Viking battle.
Short action packed chapters make this history fun!

Ranger's Apprentice 9: Halt's Peril John Flanagan (Random House)
These are great reads with well developed characters. They are filled with action, mystery and tensions and will have the readers begging for more. Lots of solid reading here in this book for older competent readers.
Following on from the Kings of Clonmel (#9) Halt, Horace and Will are in pursuit of the dangerous cult leader Tennyson and his followers from the Outsider cult. This time Halt really is in peril, his life hangs in the balance as Will and Horace attempt to save him but they are forced to make very heavy decisions. Tension and drama throughout!

This series is award winning and readers just keep wanting more. If new to the series grab #1The Ruins of Gorlan and get going!

Enjoy this bundle!

Sport & more Sport!

A History of Cricket Catherine Chambers (Black Dog Books)
With the sound of bat on ball starting to echo across the playing fields of Australia this is a book to devour for all things cricket.
How did cricket begin?
What are the ashes?
How is cricket played?
Which countries have played the most tests?
What are some of the different forms of cricket?
Who's the best batsman of all time?
This book will provide some insights to these questions and a whole lot more.
Includes a timeline, the top 10 test captains, highest batting averages and more.
Read this to find out all about cricket!


FIFA World Football Records 2010 (Scholastic)
With the 2010 Soccer World Cup just around the corner this is a book that soccer lovers will want to read and read.
It is not just a list of soccer records. This book also inlcudes the 2009 FIFA world rankings (Australia is in the first column), information about the competing countries and players as well as events, including the FIFA world cup, that link the football family. Competitions, players, records and a whole lot more are included in these full colour pages - photos of many stars are here too.
What is the record international score?
When were Greece European champions?
Where is the world's biggest stadium?
Who is the youngest player to appear in a World Cup final?
This is the book that will answer these questions and whole lot more!


for Sports fans!!!

Ballet & Toymaker & Kids Night In!

The Toymaker and the Bird Pamela Allen (Penguin Books)
A toymaker creates beuatiful music on his violin. When a plain coloured bird joins a gathering flock of colourful birds she starts to sing. All the birds stopping to listen to her melodious sounds. The bird travels everywhere with the toymaker but at the dawn of spring flies away. When the bird does return, at season's change, the toymaker places her in a cage so that she can be with him forever ... but the brown bird no longer sings and the toymaker has to make a heavy decision.
Pamela Allen creates some of the most wonderful picture books and this book, of longing, freedom, loss and friendship, is another.


Swan Lake Ballet Theatre Viola Ann Seddon & Jean Mahoney (Walker Books)
This delightful box set will be a request from every ballet lover.
Favourite scenes from Tchaikovsky's best-loved ballet can come alive with this ballet theatre. The package contains the fold-out theatre set with scenery and backdrop (and a draw to store all the parts), figures of the dancers, CD of selected music and story booklet and stage directions. Play the CD, read the story, replay the scenes in the theatre - just wonderful!


Kids' Night In! #3 Jessica Adams (Penguin)
This has long been a favourite - a THICK book with lots and lots and lots of stories written by some of Australia's best kids authors ... and a few other folks as well. It's months of reading!!!
Here are just a few of the wonderful creators in this collection who have written NEW stories, poems and illustrations ... Leigh Hobbs, Meredith Costain, Paul Collins, Gus Gordon, Stephen Axelsen, Garth Nix, Shaun Tan, Libby Glesson, Kim Gamble, Tohby Riddle, Morris Gleitzmann and a whole lot more.
And even more wonderful than a HUGE book chock-a-block full of stories is that every copy purchased raises money for War Child, the aid organisation that helps children all over the world, affected by war.
And don't miss the kidsnightin website.

Enjoy!