Picture Books for many ages

Thoroughly lovely picture books ....

Look, A Book! Libby Gleeson & Freya Blackwood (Little Hare)
This is beautiful. a wonderful exploration of the imagination and all it can offer.
In a run down area, two children discover a book, much like the book itself, lying face-down on the ground. They take it to the top of a shed and start reading the book - and imagining ... they shelter from the rain and escape the flooding in a teacup, they can sail the skies with the aid of a used plastic soft drink bottle, and their surrounding landscape is constructed from recycled cans and bottle and cartons. And as the story tells, this book can be read again and again enabling imagination.
With beautifully creative and evocative illsutrations you never know where a book might take you!

Captain Congo and the Klondike Gold Ruth Starke & Greg Holfeld

(Working Title) A gorilla and a penguin ... who would have imagined them as an adventurous duo but they are wonderfully exciting as they team up in the Captain Congo books. In their third adventure Captain Congo and Pup are sent on a mission by The Agency, to the Klondike, the Yukon, the Great North west to investigate strange happenings in a gold camp. There are ghosts and monsters, including Sasquatch, skeletons in mines, and film crews making movies. Then when an attempt is made on Pup's life the mystery deepens.
This is a fantastic book for readers who like adventure and love reading in graphic novel format. The illustrations are perfect for this adventure.
Also discover Captain Congo and teh Maharaja's Monkey.

The Little Refugee, the Inspiring True Story of Australia's Happiest Refugee Anh Suzanne Do & Bruce Whatley (Allen&Unwin)
This is the children's version in picture book format of Anh Do's award winning memoir The Happiest Refugee and it is a delight.
It is the story of how and why he and his family fled Vietnam in an old fishing boat they had bought, it stank of fish, of their brush with storms and pirates, how his family established a business and lived in their beautiful new country instilling in the children that you just always have hope and Ahn Do's early school days as friendships develop and he becomes class captain.
An inspirational story with bruce Whatley;'s throughtful and delightful illustrations.

Fiction Delights

Here are some delightful fiction reads.

The Golden Door (The Three Doors Series: Book 1); Emily Rodda (Scholastic)
A new series from Emily Rodda will always be devoured and this one is no different. I couldn't put this book down and just HAD to finish reading it!
This is another richly created classic fantasy delight that the author creates so well with hideous creatures, magical objects, a quest to be endured, villainous villains and a very unlikely hero.
Weld is a city surrounded by protective walls. These walls must be maintained but this season the deadly Skimmers are getting more and more resourceful and getting over the walls in their nightly search for food. The city warden has called for more young men - 18 and over - to go forth and defeat the Skimmers and be forever rewarded. Rye is too young and is waiting for his brothers to return but after they fail to do so, young Rye takes matters into his own hands and ventures forth. But first he has to choose the correct door to leave the city.
See more at :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZY5yme7Nfw&feature=player_embedded\
http://scholastic.com.au/minisites/threedoors/

Harry’s War John Heffernan (Scholastic)
Harry loves spending time with his grandfather. They build model planes together and Harry loves listening to the stories about his grandfather's heroic World War 2 adventures. Harry even tapes the stories. He beams when he gets to share his grandfather with his class at school when he is asked to visit the school. They also build model planes and share time together, which is very important because Harry doesn't know his own dad and the adults in his life wont talk about him. He too was a soldier but in a different war.
Harry's own adventures start to cause problems and soon his grandfather's war stories begin to unravel revealing that not all is quite as it seems.

On Orchard Road Elsbeth Edgar (Walker)
After living as the only child for 13 years Jane has a brand-new sister. As well, her mother has to stay in the city with the prematurely born sibling while Jane and her father, who has just lost his job, live in the country.
As the tale unwinds Jane is bullied at her new school, she strikes up a friendship with a boy who assists her when she gets stranded after twisting her ankle, and they meet a mysterious and lonely old woman with a rambling garden who becomes entwined in Jane's and Michael's lives.
A story of friendship, hope and healing, growing up and coming of age, and families.

Another Picture Book feast!

Glorous picture books ready to be snaffled by yougner readers.

Bilby Secrets Edel Wignell & Mark Jackson (Walker Books)
Part of Walker's Nature Storybook series, these wonderful books are all true. they are non-fiction presented in picture book format. There are 'facts' written into the narrative as well as specifically included within the book. The books contain an index and are wonderful for any child with an inquisitive naturalist mind.
Bilby Secrets is a narrative non-fiction picture book following the life of the bilby, an Australian marsupial. It tells of a young bilby's birth, habitat, behaviour and diet and how he learns the secrets of his desert home.
Beautiful accurate illustrations accompany the well structured text.

The Jewel Fish of Karnak Graeme Base (Viking)
A picture books from Graeme Base has not just exquisite illustrations and wonderful text, it often has a puzzle or riddle that must be solved to gather even more information and The Jewel Fish of Karnak is another of these treasures.
This tale set in ancient Egypt follows two scruffy thieves, Jackal and Ibis, who, have been assigned the task of returning the golden Jewel fish by the Cat Pharaoh to receive his pardon. They are also instructed not to steal anything else ... which they find very hard to resist.
Entwined with a puzzle that is resolved online, this is a lusciously illustrated book and comes complete with hieroglyphics and sparkling jewels. And don’t miss the work on the inside of the book’s dust jacket.
See more and hear Graeme at the youtube clip.

The Bicycle Colin Thompson and others (ABC Books)
As the title suggests this book is all about bicycles. But this book is different to the usual picture book about a bicycle.
For a start all royalties from the sale of THE BICYCLE will go to Save the Children, an organisation that works to improve the quality of children’s lives around the world.
Then it has illustrations from some of the world's leading illustrations including Quentin Blake, Shaun Tan, Tony Ross, Sarah Davis and Freya Blackwood - all with a picture of a bicycle within and snippets of text and quotes about the importance of bicycles.
This is a beautiful picutre book exploring how bicycles fit into our lives in all different situations. It is a celebration of how much one bike can help - and change lives.

Come Down, Cat! Sonya Hartnett & Lucia Masciullo (Viking)
This is a lovely tale of friendship and bravery between a boy and his pet cat with delightful illustrations that beg for more investigation.
When Nicholas' cat decides to spend the night on the roof, even after he climbs a not too safe ladder to attempt a rescue, Nicholas has a restless and anxious night of attempted slumber. Then when it rains Nicholas hears the desperate calls and ventures outside to rescue his loved cat.

Once There Was a Boy Dub Leffler (Magabala Books)
This is a longer picture book, delightfully written and lovingly illustrated and showing the vastness of the landscape with exquisite double page spreads.
A young boy lives successfully and alone on an island until a young girl appears. As she enters his life things change and when she uncovers the boy's secret box under his bed, which she has been instructed not to, she is surprised and breaks the contents of the box, his broken heart. But the girl has a solution, which they both share.
A beautiful loving story of friendship and temptation and as the author states "... show(ing) kids that boys have feelings too (just like girls) ...."

The Carousel Ursula Dubosarsky & Walter Di Qual (Viking)

One winter's day my dad and I
Went down to see the carousel.
We stood and watched as round and round
The little horses rose and fell.

... begins the tale of a little girl experiencing for the first time the magic of a carousel with wooden horses, flashing lights, organ music, mirrors and the magical adventures (and sorrows) that are told by the carousel horses. Beautiful illustrations are covering every page. Girls who love horses will imagine too!


These are books to be deeoured and treasured.

Great Fiction Reads for Independent Readers

Mr Badger and the Magic Mirror Leigh Hobbs (Allen&Unwin)

Every day is full of adventures for Mr Badger at the Boubles Grand Hotel and none more amazing than when a new mirror (that had been in a private room) is hung above the stairs. Mr Badger, checking the mirror, suddenly found that he could leap right though the mirror. And when young attention getting and rather annoying Sylvia also discovers the mirror she pops on through the mirror to join Mr Badger and they both find themselves n Bouble Land where there is mystery and danger and a few surprises as well.

The Mr Badger books (this is number four) are delightful fun reads.

Neville No-Phone Anna Branford & Kat Chadwick (Walker Books)

Neville is the only kid in his class at his school who does not have a mobile phone - at least that is what he tells his dad. When repeated attempts at persuading his parents to get him a mobile phone have proved fruitless, their suggestions included using an old mobile phone or the baby monitor, and when Neville and his friend Enzo stumble across a fully functioning as mobile phone left in a bus shelter, the boys get into all sorts of mischief and adventure trying to use the phone and eventually seeing it back with its rightful owner.
A laugh out loud story about not giving up.

T-Wreck-Asaurus (Dinosaur Rescue Series: Book 1) Kyle Mewburn & Donovan Bixley (Scholastic)

Welcome to the Stone Age and the land of dinosaurs. This title in the new Dinosaur Rescue series is wonderfully funny and will have readers - especially boys - giggling with fits of laughter.

Arg is not like all the other Stone Age cave dwellers. Arg's brain is twice as big as everyone else's and that means he is heaps smarter so when an angry T-Rex is set to destroy Arg's village it is Arg who has to find a solution - and really quickly too. Of course to save the village Arg gets into quite a few pickles - especially when everyone else wants to kill the T-Rex, who has a very good reason for being in the valley anyway. The T-Rex is a talking dinosaur and together they embark on a mission to save the dinosaurs from extinction.

also available Stego-Snottysaurus.

Fun reading - perfect for the holidays.

Board Books

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Present 1 2 3, and
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Present Colours May Gibbs (Scholastic)
Board books are very special and a beautiful start to the world of books.
Featuring the May Gibbs Gumnut Babies these two new titles are gorgeous and will introduce May Gibbs to a new generation of young australians.
Both titles have short phrases
Three buzzing bugs,
Seven floating flowers
Black spider weaves
Red ladybird crawls
... across the lower board with the illustrations above. The numbers title also showing the appropriate number.
Royalties from both titles go to two charities: the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and the Northcott Society.

Our Australian Girl series

Our Australian Girl series (Penguin) featuring Grace, Letty, Poppy and Rose

Our Australian Girl is a new Historical Fiction series - with wonderfully written titles that I just couldn't put down. Each character has four titles in the 16 book series telling their own story, in their own voice at that time. The stories are fast-paced, compelling and engaging with each girl enduring hardships and disappointments to become strong memorable characters that will want to be read again and again.

Through the 16 book series (with titles released throughout the year - currently the third title for each character is available) we are able peer into the lives of four very different Australian girls in very different time periods in Australia's recent history. Grace is from 1808 (the convict era), Letty 1841 (colonisation), Poppy 1864 (the gold rush) and Rose 1900 (federation). And very importantly the historical research is great.

There is also the supporting Our Australian Girl website (http://ouraustraliangirl.com.au) that contains character information, funs tuff, and notes.

beginning with: 

Meet Grace, Sofie Laguna

As a mudlark Grace's job is to find things in the mud of the Thames River to sell. But muddy and with nothing to sell, Grace (who is living with her Uncle in London and giving him the money from the things she sells) stands wanting to mind a horse for the gentlemen of on Fleet street. Hungry, she spies a man selling apple from a barrow and ... soon winds up on a convict ship - bound for Australia.

Meet Letty, Alison Lloyd
In 1841 Letty's big sister is going by boat all the way to Australia. Letty and her Papa are there to see her off but when the big sister suddenly has to attend to business on shore, Letty is left under orders from her father to stand right by her sister's chest. And within moments, the chest is hauled onto the boat deck, which Letty has to follow, the gang plank is removed and the boat is getting ready to sail - with Letty on board.

Meet Poppy, Gabrielle Wang
Poppy is a young Chinese Aboriginal girl living on a Christian mission near Echuca. She hates life here and when she is cleaning the matron’s desk and discovers that her brother Augustus is to be sent to another mission she tells him the news and he runs away in search of gold. Alone, Poppy decides that the only thing left for her to do is to also escape and find Gus.

Meet Rose, Sherryl Clark
It's 1900 and playing cricket with her brother in the early morning hours in Melbourne - even on your birthday - is not the correct thing for Rose to be doing. Rose wants to play cricket, climb trees and be an adventurer! But Rose's mother has other ideas, and only wants Rose to be a proper young lady, wear frilly dresses and learn how to sew, which to Rose was a punishment. And then her favourite Aunt arrives and things really start to change!


See all of the available titles and lots more information at the Our Australian Girl website. These really are wonderful reads.

Star Girl

New Girl (Star Girl #1) Louise Park (Macmillan Education Australia)
This is absolutely terrific - a SPACE series for young girls from the creator of the spy series Zac Power Test Drive. Star Girl is a brand new tween fantasy adventure series of books perfectly crafted for young readers - especially girls, who are just starting to handle chapter books ... and of course who want space adventures.
In the first series of 8 titles Addie Banks is a Space Cadet (in the later series she progresses to Space Captain and then Space Agent). Addie is in a boarding school - on a space station and she is learning how to protect space. At the same time she also has to learn how to cope with some of the other school girls on the station who don't quite think Addie is up to joining the Space Agent program. She has amazing gadgets including a SpaceBerry communicator and a holographic watch - and of course lots of space cleverness too!
In this first title -New Girl- Addie has to discover why the alien life forms are in danger on one of the planets where the ice is melting. But the aliens are not her only danger. Her roommate creates dangers of her own. And like many schools there are scoreboards for the top students and also for the school houses ... points for these are accumulated, or deducted, from the space adventures.
These 78 page books have generous sized text, perfect for the younger reader, and lots of illustrations.

Other titles include
#2 Odd One Out
#3 Winning Moves
#4 Three’s a Crowd

And Star Girl is now online at http://www.stargirluniverse.com/.

Check out Star Girl! They are wonderful.

Terrific Fiction

Two delightful fiction titles - both a little different and fun.

The Truth about Verity Sparks Susan Green (Walker Books)
Set in late 1800s England, 13 year old Verity is no ordinary orphan girl. She is working as a lowly hat girl for a milliner where she discovers that she has the unique talent of Teleagtivism ... she can find all sorts of lost things and she also has an almost perfect memory. When she is accused of theft and dismissed from her job after delivering a hat to a wealthy client, she soon winds up at the CIA - the Confidential Inquiry Agency where her talent excels. But one thing Verity still has to discover - the truth about her own past. there are nasty letters being sent about verity, the mystery of a fatal fire, pet snakes, a chase through the dark back alleys and of course the truth to be revealed.
This was a wonderful read, a great detective mystery title that I couldn't put down with well developed characters and setting. Great.

Lost Floods #10 Colin Thompson (Random House)
The dysfunctional Floods, having been restored to their rightful place as the rulers of Transylvania Waters are attempting to bring their country out of the Dark Ages. To get things underway the first task that must be done is to draw an official map of Transylvania Waters - especially as the population of Transylvania Waters is growing and wizards are returning there to live. So Maldegard, Winchflat's new wife set off with Edna to begin the task ... and they discover some amazing revelations about the country. They also have to start giving all the places they visit names and at the same time they have to also conduct a census. So much to do!
Fans of the Floods will love this latest riotous tale that continues the wonderful floods tradition!

Great fun reads to share.

Picture Book Delights

That's Not a Daffodil! Elizabeth Honey (Allen&Unwin)
Young Tom's next door neighbour, Mr Yilmaz, gives him a daffodil bulb but to Tom it looks more like an onion so his neighbour suggests that they plant the bulb and Tom starts to watch the pot, and watch and watch and watch but nothing seems to be happening. Eventually a green beak starts to appear and the plant continues to grow. Of course every time Tom and Mr. Yilmaz look at the yet-to-completely-grow daffodil Tom imagines something different.
A lovely story and beautiful illustrations with themes of change, imagination, grwoth, friendship.

Nog and the Land of Noses Bruce Whatley (Scholastic)
This is the story of the noses from the land of Nog. Here every nose was different and every nose did something special. There were running noses, blocked noses, picked noses and lots of other noses that did strange things. but Nog's nose just sat there. he tried all sorts of ways to make his nose special to no avail. but one day when he sneezed his nose began to get itch and suddenly he found a use for his special nose!
Illustrations created by Bruce Whatley are just wonderful and this one, along with his own story, continues that tradition. A humorous tale about patience, differences, and discovery

The Last Viking Norman Jorgensen & James Foley (Fremantle Press)
Young Josh is very brave. He's not afraid of anyone or anything – mostly, but when he has to stay at Nan and Pop's house Josh is a little nervous, especially because Pop tells some hair-raising but exciting stories about Vikings. Pop gives Josh a present - a book about Vikings Josh decides to become a Viking even dressing like one with Pop's help. All this excites the Gods who are watching way up in the sky and when Josh encounters a little bit of local trouble its quite amazing who comes to the rescue.
A delightful story of bravery, imagination, resilience and growing up, with terrific illustrations. Also contains a puzzle to solve.

Enjoy these new titles.

Fun, Fun Picture Books

Here is a picture book feast full of giggles and fun.

No Bears Meg McKinlay & Leila Rudge (Walker Books)
This is a lovely Once upon a time, Happily ever after, The End type of story with fairies and princesses and castles and funny things and exciting things and maybe even giants and lots and lots more but as Ruby, who is in charge of this book, writing the story and illustrating the pictures will tell you, there are absolutely NO BEARS in this book, not even one. But there are heaps of characters that will be recognised. And just who is saving the characters in Ruby's story?
A delightful picture book that is your not quite so traditional fairy tale.

Good Morning Mr Pancakes Chris McKimmie (Allen&Unwin)
This book is a real family affair with McKimmie family members contributing the title, some of the phrases and even the end papers as well as providing the inspiration for the story - a holiday on Moreton Island.
It's holiday time for Bee. But before she embarks on her week away she must take care of all her animals. She has to paint the toenails of her chooks so that they don't get mixed up with her uncle's chooks, and she has to pack her cat's things because he is going to the cat house (and not on the holidays). then when Bee does make it to the island it is a wonderful time, talking to dolphins and crabs, watching spiders and swimming in the ocean.
Full of imagination and adventure this is a wonderful celebration of childhood.

Bobo, My Superdog Michael Salmon (Ford St)
It is terrific seeing a new book from Michal Salmon and this one is another of his funny creations.
Bobo is a dog and he is a very spoiled Shichon (Shih Tzu/Bichon Frise cross). he has failed Miss Tiggy's Puppy Obedience School down at the local park, he gets washed in Mr Rex's pampered Pooch mobile dog wash, he eats with the family, sits and watches TV, and likes playing ball or chewing his favourite squeaking toy. He even has a fancy doghouse with lots of comfy cushions. But he is also Super-Bo, a dog with super powers, a one dog, crime fighting, lost girl finding, damsel saving, alien bandit defeating, pirate fighting super hero dog. He wears a mask so that he won't be recognised and an old striped beach towel as a cape. And no one knows, except of course the young boy telling the story.
A fun superhero tale that's just a little different.

The Aunties Three Nicholas Bland (Scholastic)
The three aunties that are arriving at the house to look after the children are not the nice loveable friendly aunties that would be hoped for. These are rather severs and very proper, withered and pompous aunties. When these aunties arrive the children can't smile, or giggle or sniffle or sneeze. They have to dress perfectly, a dress for the girls and a tie for the boy, the aunties will want biscuits and tea and of course there must be a thank you and please.
But chaos develops even though the children are on their best behaviour and try their very best to do as requested as things don’t quite go to plan and the aunties are forced to leave.
Told in rhyming verse with glorious illustrations, this is a book to be read again and again, which will make children giggle again and again.

Have fun sharing these.

Holiday Fiction Reads

These books are great for holiday time reading.

Liberator Richard Harland (Allen&Unwin)
I was so thrilled that I had this book to read on a recent long plane trip ... I couldn't put it down.
The juggernaut Worldshaker has been renamed Liberator. Now the “Filthies” are in charge and the members of the Upper Decks who remained on board are living greatly endangered and victimised lives. For Col and Riff their world is rapidly changing. There is a saboteur on board and the revolution which enabled the lower decks to take control of the vessel is getting out of hand. The coal reserves which powers the mobile city are running dangerously low so the vessel has to port in Botany Bay to replenish supplies - and quickly too as the other Imperialist juggernauts are closing in to battle the overthrown vessel.
This is the wonderful sequel to the steam punk fantasy novel Worldshaker.

Surface Tension Meg McKinlay (Walker Books)
Another beautiful read.
A town is flooded; it is drowned, to provide a water supply but no one in Cassie's family sees the lever as it is flipped to drown the town. That was the day she was born. But years later during the drought when Cassie and her friend Liam are swimming in the new lake they discover the water is receding. Now parts of teh old flooded town are being revealed from the top of the water, first the tall tree, and then a roadway and sheds are revealed - soon parts of the flooded town are floating to the surface. Swimming on this side of the lake is very dangerous so it has been fenced, and locked ... or is there some other reason why it has been forbidden. As the water continues to recede a mystery is revealed and there is more than a town bruied beneath the waters.
What secrets lie beneath?
A riveting read for both boys and girls.

Nanny Piggins and the Accidental Blast-Off R. A. Spratt (Random House)
In space no one can hear you oink!
This is the fourth Nanny Piggins book and this time she blasts off in to space, accidentally of course, and with the Green family children in tow (being with nanny the children will learn way much more than at school anyway). When the greatest aeronautical engineers are having trouble launching the Space Shuttle they call on Nanny Piggins after all no one knows more about being blasted that the world's greatest flying pig.
She also wrestles with a crocodile, bungy jumps of the roof using the elastic from Mr Green's underpants, staples chicken wire over their chimney to keep out Santa, and heaps more.
The Nanny Piggins books are great fun reads, perfect for giggling all the way through. Young readers will love the humour and the Pig who takes control.

Happy holiday reading ...

Picture Books

If you need some great new Aussie picture books then you can't go past these. They are terrific.

My Mum Is the Best Rosie Smith & Bruce Whatley (Scholastic)
I missed this for Mother's Day but mum's deserve celebration every day - as do dad's - and this book is just a lovely celebration of all things mum!
From the kisses and hugs, feeding, transporting to school, and all the other things they do, like singing and playing games and just generally taking care. Of course the mum's in the terrific illustrations are well chosen mum's from the animal kingdom like fish, seals, bears elephants and gorgeous bats who snuggle heir babies to bed each night and each mum is demonstrating a different wonderful activity that mum's do. There is generous space surrounding the text and the illustrations.
A delightful book to share with the very young.
Hooray for mum's everywhere.

Song of the Dove Errol Broome & Sonia Kretschmar (walker Books)
How terrific to find a picture book with some lovely period illustrations that touches on the world of opera.
Vincenzo Bellini (best known opera is probably Norma - at least for me) wrote the music for beautifully flowing operas. Bellini gives music lessons in Naples (before writing is first opera) and one of his students is the beautiful Maddelena. They fall in love. When her parents forbid them to marry they vow that nothing will tear them apart - even when he is called to Milan to continue composing operas.

Alpha Monsters Chris Kennett (Scholastic)
This is a delightful take on the alphabet book with monsters being the alphabet stars. Told in rhyming verse it is the story of a boy and his teddy who go out in the rain and get caught in a thunder storm and land in another world. They land no an island of alphabetical monsters and one of those monsters has lost his teddy. together Freddy and the monster set off to find the monster’s lost teddy. The rhyming text and bright, cartoon style illustrations make this book fun and entertaining.

Button Boy Rebecca Young & Sue DeGennaro (Scholastic)
People collect the most amazing things and Banjo loves collecting the buttons that the folks in his neighbourhood seem to be continually loosing. Even day he would come home with a new button and every day Grandma Woolly would sew the button onto his favourite jumper (that was her idea). Of course having lost the buttons all the neighbourhood knows where to find them and they are soon meeting Banjo for their buttons.
A lovely tale with simple illustrations about lost and found things and of course friendships.

Waiting for Later Tina Matthews (Walker Books)
A delightful story about being told to wait for later that will ring true for nearly every child.
When Nancy asks all her relatives to spend time with her doing different activities, that include rocking backwards and forwards, being tickled, being told a story, they all tell Nancy to wait for later. So Nancy climbs a tree to wait for later. In that tree Nancy find that all the things that she wants to do with her relatives, the tree can do too.
And when later arrives, it’s her family who wonder where Nancy’s got to.
Lovely woodcut and stencil images accompany the text. Great for young readers.

Enjoy sharing these lovely titles.

from Magabala

Two new great titles from Magabala books, Australia's oldest independent Indigenous publishing house.

Stolen Girl Trina Saffioti & Norma MacDonald (Magabala Books)

A young Aboriginal girl is taken by the Child Protector of Aboriginals to live in a new home with other Aboriginal children. At night she whispers to herself her Aboriginal name and she sings songs, imagines and dreams. She remembers her early life and upbringing with her mother and the Elders. She hears of the 'lucky' girls who are taken as domestic help and decides she doesn't want to be that lucky. One day the time has come and she takes her first steps back to her home.

This fictionalised account is a great way to introduce young readers to the Stolen Generation. The story is beautifully and emotionally told and accompanied by lovely water colour illustrations.

Ubby's Underdogs : The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon Brenton E. McKenna (Magabala Boooks)

The cast of Ubby’s Underdogs – a small rag-tag group of misfits who makeup the town’s smallest gang but are often underestimated by the other town gangs includes Ubby, a street-wise Aboriginal girl, Sai Fong, a Chinese girl just off the boat from Shanghai, Fin a cool Irishman and Sel a big friendly giant and a New Zealander descended from Maori warriors called Gabe.

Set in the 1940s in the small pearling settlement of Broome this graphic novel is a heroic tale of fun and adventure, with themes that include courage, bravery and friendship, and the weak and the strong and the battle of the underdogs. It is intertwined with myths and legends.

This is a fun read – especially if readers like graphic novels. It is the first Australian Indigenous novel (and the first in the Ubby's Underdogs trilogy).

First Fiction

Here are some titles that are just perfect for the younger reader who is stepping away from picture books into reading fiction titles. they all have generously spaced text and appropriate font size as well as illustrations on every page. each title also has a number of chapters or stories within the title.

Mr Tripp Smells a Rat (Walker Stories) Sandy McKay & Ruth Paul (Walker Books)
This is a collection of three stories about Room 5 and their teacher Mr. Tripp, who loves telling jokes.  The first is about a class rat that has escaped from its cage; another about a birthday party for Mr. Tripp who just happens to be on a seafood diet which makes party food hard); and lastly the number one problem of all early school years - the dreaded Nits. These are lovely stories appropriately told for the early reader.




Our Gags (Walker Stories) Catriona Hoy & Annabelle Josse (Walker Books)
There is a new baby in the house and so mum is very consumed with feeding and change smelly nappies and burping and little vomits … luckily there is a gag's machine on hand to lend assistance and keep it all  running smoothly. Gag's of course is grandmother and the three stories in this book delightfully tell tales about Gags and her adventures with the family, getting things in order in the house, playing in the park, and going on family holidays - again perfect stories for the early reader.





The Deep End (Aussie Nibbles) Ursula Dubosarsky & Mitch Vane (Puffin)
The Deep End is Ursula's latest instalment for the Aussie Nibbles series - and this time Becky who has appeared in earlier nibbles titles - is learning to swim. She loves swimming lessons at the local pool but now it is time for her group to move up. Now she is moving into the deep end of the pool and Becky doesn't know if she is quite ready for the that part of the pool yet.
A wonderful examination of a young child's discovery of learning to swim in the deep end of the pool.
This title is shortlisted for the Younger Reader Book of the Year award.

New Junior Reader Series Titles

Great new series titles for younger readers have been hitting the shelves.
here are some of the ones I really like.

Camp Croc Trudie Trewin (Walker Books)
Another title in Walker's Lightning Strikes series that are great for readers who want a good solid read that is fast paced with plenty of action.
School camp has never been like this. Daks and his mates have been waiting all their school lives to go to camp - school camp at Camp Trib is legendary and the boys have arrived. WHen they set out  on the first activity and come across the sign at the boundary fence it doesn't take too much to entice the boys further intuit eh jungle. and that is where the unsexpected adventure begins as they discover two wildlife smugglers in the process of increasing their illegal collection. Now the boys have to decide exactly what to do and who they are afraid of - the muggers or the wildlife!

Out of This World, EJ12 Girl Hero : Book 9 Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic)
another delightful Emma Jack title. These books are just the thing for young girls who want adventure with a girl who is the hero.
EJ is at school when she receive the call from SHINE and she soon becomes a Special Agent. This adventure finds the evil SHADOW agency with a mission to destroy SHINE's top-secret spy satellite, that contains all of SHINE's secrets. EJ has to decipher coded riddles to defeat the SHADOW scientists and she has to fly a rocket into space - even to the moon to find the solution.
Even though EJ can become a super spy she still has trouble with her school assignments and especially this one on space but he SHINE adventure might just have given her the assignment solution!

Pearlie and the Silver Fern Fairy Wendy Harmer & Gypsy Taylor (Random House)
With their simple tex, vivid illustrations and appropriate size, the Pealie books are great reads - especially for the younger readers who are transitioning from picture books.
Pearlie is back and her latest trip to the lush New Zealand forest where she is meeting the park fairy Omaka is as sparkling and exciting as ever! Omaka is planning a surprise birthday party for her forest friend, the 150 years old tuatara and Pearlie assists by delivering the invitations. unfortunately for Pearlie she gets lost among the ancient trees and starts to worry … but all is not lost as she meets many amazing creatures and one, which eventually shows her the way back.

Boys Vs Beast: Flamatoraq Battle of the Mutants #10 Mac Park (Scholastic)
This series is just right for young boys moving from picture books who want short titles with lots of action and adventure. Large font size and illustrations scattered throughout make this easy to read.
Kai Masters is a high tech border guard and beast battler and this time he has to battle new and bigger beasts - mutants - and his battle is against a fire-air-water beast. He has new combo gear and an ice chopper but will he be victorious?
also see Boy Vs Beast: Terraserpix







Aussie Dog (Mates series) Eleanor Nilsson & Beth Norling (Scholastic)
Mates are a series of titles for younger readers, illustrated in full colour and in an easy to read chapter book for
mat.
It was June and already Sophie was putting in her Christmas order - she wants a dog - a good australian kelpie. And because they are expensive to keep (her father told her so she would even have it as birthday present nest february. still pestering her parents weeks later a dog comes across her path … but it's not the dog she hopes for.
A lovely tale that wishes can come true - although not quite the way we might expect.

Rivetting Fiction

These are great reads so read and enjoy.

Head Spinners Thalia Kalkipsakis (Allen&Unwin)
The subtitle is Six Stories to Twist Your Brain and that is most certainly true. With tittles like, Tick Tock Time Machine, It began with a Tingle, Alive Again, these stories, all of varying length with really hook in readers who want something not suite so predictable.
Tick tock Time Machine - about a clock, given as a present (Sam really wanted a surf board) from her ingenious Uncle, that becomes a time machine…
It Began with a Tingle - an itch on the arm that soon grew to be a rather useful appendage, that is about to surgically removed!
These are FUN! Great for jump starting imaginations too.

Vinnie's War David McRobbie (Allen&Unwin)
With war raging in London, and Vinnie homeless after a bomb destroys the pub where he was living, Vinnie is evacuated on a train to the countryside with nothing but the clothes he is wearing (he doesn't even have a gas mask) and his harmonica and amazing musical talent. Vinnie and his three friends arrive in Netterfold to begin their wartime stay. The children, labelled the Vaccies by the locals, are soon entwined in mystery as things start to go missing in the town and the blame is laid right at their feet. Vinnie stands tall, the truth is revealed, and his life after Netterfold will be amazing.      
This author writes wonderful fiction and this one is just fantastic. It is a wonderful crafted story about the impact of World War 2 in wartime Britain. It is the story of Vinnie, a homeless boy who starts by losing everything, and - through his experience as an evacuee in World War II - finds friendship, vocation and a place to belong. The characters and settings are vivid, the drama is real, and emotions, raw. I couldn't put this book dow. It is one of he my favourite reads so far this year.

Henry Hoey Hobson Christine Bongers (Random House)
Imagine being twelve and half years old, starting your sixth school in six years and finding out that in you are the only boy in the final grade at our Lady of Perpetual Succour ("a school that even Catholic boys avoid") - that's what happens to Henry Hoey Hobson - and he's not even Catholic. Henry also has braces, unfortunately they make his mouth bleed so he soon is known as a vampire. And when the strangers move in next door, with some very strange nightie activities, Henry really thinks his life has taken a plummet. Henry just doesn't fit in … but all is not lost. There is always the school swimming carnival for Henry to redeem himself (as well as seeing the school queen fall) and the neighbours next door one of whom has a secret that changes Henry drastically. heroes come in all sorts of styles.
This book, shortlisted for the 2011 Children's Book Council Awards, is a terrific read.

Yep - these are great reads.