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.