Absorbing Non-Fiction

The Surfing Scientist: 40 Super Human Body Tricks Ruben Meerman (ABC Books)
First it was Cool Science Tricks, next DIY Science Gizmos now its a Super Human body Tricks ... check your pulse with a straw heart rate monitor, learn to become invisible, move a straw with soundwaves, a trick to make people believe you can read their minds, and there are also some brain twisters, smell identifying tricks and some amazing illusions as well ... of course there are stacks more too!
With easy step by step instructions this is wonderful science and it is FUN! Discover just how super the human body is!


The Tsunami Book: Killer Waves Dr Gill Jolly & The Dolphin Book: Good Vibrations Jeff Weir (blackdogbooks)
These two titles are further additions to the wildplanet series. with superb photos and concise and easy to read information as well as great graphics these books are well worth investigating to find out more about the wild planet where we dwell.
Find out information including how Tsunamis are formed and how scientists are searching for them. Find out how Dolphins hunt for food, how they use the senses and how they interact with humans.


Monster Book of Drawing: Monster Battles Marc McBride (Scholastic)
Another creative endeavour from one of the masters of monster drawings -- this time that explains how to turn a blank page into a marvellous fantasy monster, mythical and fantasy creations - kids who love drawing monsters will just lap up the simple explanations and examples. This is the book to show how easy it is to create monsters.

Enjoy!

Early Reader Chapter books

Water Fight Frenzy Felice Arena (Scholastic)
A new series starring The Stick Dudes.
Stick figures which many of us have used to 'draw' a picture now have their own stories to tell in this new series and it comes complete with illustrations of the stick figures! The stick dudes are four boys (Ben, Johnny, martin and Michael) and they get into lots of mischief and just a few adventures as well - including water bomb fights with the girls next door, a case of lost swimmers in the swimming pool and even a 'gift' left floating in the swimming pool. This is boy humour!


Sam Sullivan's Scooter Jane Godwin & Andrew Joyner (Penguin Books)
Sam has a new scooter ... "the kind your mum or dad might have had when they were young" but Sam’s scooter is still missing its handle bar grips ... and that's how Sam gets into a whole lot of handle bar trouble when his fingers get stuck.
A new Aussie Nibbles book with large text and illustrations is always quickly borrowed so this one will soon be gone. They are great reads for the early readers just starting on chapter books.


Just One Wish Sally Rippin (Penguin)
Imagine arriving in Australia and being able to speak hardly any English and having a cousin who should be looking after you making you feel miserable at school - that's what happens to Penny who has just arrived from China with her family. Her Nai Nai (grandmother) gives her a special pouch with just one wish to make things right that has been passed down through the generations, a special friend is made in the drawing room at school, and drawing becomes very special for Penny - and her father.
Aussie Chomps are delightful chapter books ... a step up from the Nibbles for younger readers gaining confidence.

Great new titles for younger readers to enjoy!

Aussie Gems

The Ausssie Gems series (published by Scholastic) are great Australian yarns ... some old and many new and some retold. They are delightful hardback picture books with terrific words and hilarious illustrations but best of all they are at a SUPER price ... kids love these!
Here are four recent additions:



The Three Kangaroos Gruff Kel Richards & Janine Dawson
The grass is always greener on the other side so when three kangaroo brothers decide to feast on the greener grasses they first have to cross a bridge that is patrolled by a mean and strong troll. of course the first two kangaroos outwit the troll with the promise of a bigger kangaroo to come ... and when brother number three comes he is very much bigger ... and puts the troll in it's place!

The Wheels on the Ute Go Round and Round Loraine Harrison & Claire Richards
A truly wonderful Australian version of the wheels on the bus song that finds the wheels are on a ute that is being driven through wonderful Australian landscapes by a cool wombat who says "hop on mates", with appearances by koalas, roos, emus, and stacks of other aussie creatures.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Mozzie P. Crumble & Louis Shea
Many children know the wonderful rhyme about an old lady who swallowed the fly ... but what about
There was an old lady who swallowed a mozzie.
I don't know why she swallowed the mozzie...
She's got to be Aussie.
Aussie animals beware because an old lady is loose in the bush and there is a lot of swallowing of aussie animals going on!

The Lamington Man Kel Richards & Glen Singleton
The Gingerbread Man returns but he's now the LAMINGTON Man!
Told in rollicking verse this will have readers giggling and chanting along with the line so run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I'm the lamington man! ... of course we all know what happens to the Lamington man in the end. a delicious treat!

A great series at a great price and young children love them.

These new picture are really delightful, great for sharing, for imagining and for every bookshelf.

Isabella's Garden Glenda Millard & Rebecca Cool (Walker Books)
This is a glorious book celebrating the beauty and change that happens in a garden and it all begins with a small seed is planted. Told in the style of this is the house that Jack built readers will be easily chanting along in this joyful recollection of the gardens and the environment as they explore the stunning bright illustrations.


Stuck! Charlotte Calder & Mark Jackson (Walker Books)
Flying a kite is wonderful fun but when the kite gets stuck in the tree how do you get it down? This is the problem Charlie encountered when one warm and windy day he went kite flying. So Charlie and his friends try many ways to get the kite down without success and until the cat enters the picture and frees the kite and the Christmas tree of toys ... but creates another problem.
This is a story that just about everyone who has flown a kite will understand.


Mannie and the Long Brave Day Martine Murray & Sally Rippin (Allen&Unwin)
This is beautiful ... beautiful verse and beautiful illustrations and beautiful imagination.
Mannie, wearing her ladybug dress, is going on an adventure with her friends Lilliput and Strawberry Luca and she takes along her special box that is full of secret things. In that special box is everything, big and small, that Mannie and her friends need to help them leap leap leaping and tip top toeing for having a successful adventure.

My Silent World Nette Hilton (Hachette)
Without sound the world is a very different place. Other senses come forward. But for one young child who has lived in this silent world and knows it so well it is all about to change as an unseen monster that fits tight and snug in her ear appears. For her, she will learn the new sounds but they will never be as loud as the sounds of her silent world.

New and Old series are here

These are series books that are just great for the younger readers.
Battle Boy is new, while Tashi has been around for ages and is loved by many many readers.

The Battle Boy series Charlie Carter (Pan Macmillan)

A fantastic new adventure series that are going to devoured - especially by boys. This is James Bond adventure (complete with all the gadgets and spy-ability) for the younger readers. the librarian is a spymaster, the library is a secret spy repository and the adventures are all booked-up as the spy ahs to travel back in time to great battles of the past ... the mission is to spy on the past, collect information (especially DNA for the warrior gene bank) and solve the mysteries of history.

With short action packed chapters and graphics this is great - and will also make history fun!!
Open Fire (Battle Boy #1) finds battle Boy in 1587 and his objective: to land on Sir France Drake's ship and collect his DNA
In Red Devil Down (Battle Boy #2) Battle Boy's mission is to find out who shot down the Red Baron but chaos develops before he can even start his mission.
And the Battle Boy website is coming soon.


Horse Crazy! The Complete Adventures of Bonnie and Sam Alison Lester (Allen & Unwin)
Lovers of horse books will be thrilled to snap up this compilation series of the 4 Horse Crazy titles. A wonderful book of friendship, horses and adventure to treasure, with full colour illustrations throughout. Set in an Australian country town called Currawong Creek the two girls, Bonnie (who could talk a special horse language) and Sam (who could tell things about a horse just from looking at it), have great adventures.

There’s the brumby that comes to visit them; the talent quest, the visiting circus and trick riding; and more.
Don’t forget to check out the Bonnie and Sam website for free fun stuff and lots of Bonnie and Sam information.


Tashi and the Golem Anna Fienberg & Barbara Fienberg (Allen & Unwin)
A new Tashi title (this is number 16) is always a treasure and this one most definitely continues the Tashi legend!

A big bully Bang Bang is causing problems for Tashi and his friends so they create a Golem (from the Books of Spells) to teach him a lesson, but first they have to teach the golem a few things. But after one problem is solved another appears - Bang Bang's brother arrives. Now Tashi and his friends have to leap in and save the day rescuing Little Sister from the hands of the River Pirates.
Don’t forget the Tashi website - there are games, information, newsletters information and lots more.

These are great reads for younger readers. They shoold really get into these and the other books in the different series.

History, Romance, Surf -- Fiction

These came out last year but need to be mentioned.

A Brief History of Montmaray Michelle Cooper (Random House)

Sophie has received a journal, a 16th birthday gift from a bother, so she decides to keep a record of the things that are happening all around her. Living in a remote, run down castle on an island that is nearly cut off from the outside world because of its isolation with her cousin and her tomboy sister means that there is plenty to write about, especially when strangers appear on the island. It is 1936 and the rise of Nazi Germany has begun.

With historical references (there is information in the Author’s notes), politics, and religion and much more are woven into this read that is adventure, romance and thriller all rolled into one. It is a book that girls will love.

This book won the 2009 NSW Premier's Ethel Turner Prize for young people’s literature award.

Surf Sisters Laurine Croasdale (Pan Macmillan)
Surfing books for girls ... great for your teen keen surfers - especially girls.
Following on from Surf School comes Surf Sisters and the four surfer girls are once again consumed by all things surfing. There is a big surfing competition coming but money is needed to get there, potentional sponsors are looming and then there is a surf off with the world champion. But at the same time there are distractions - and one of them is boys! There are arguments with parents and other family members too and a new range of surf wear that is being developed and might just even get worn at the sign in.

More fiction for older readers soon ....

Then

Then Morris Gleitzman (Penguin)
Having jumped from a train that was transporting Felix and Zelda to the Nazi death camps in Poland at the end of Once, the first title in this series, the two children now have to survive in a land where asking for help can be very risky. Grabbed by a Genia a "farmer woman" whose husband was taken away by the Nazi’s the children develop a bond with her and her farm animals. But all too soon, the relative calm of this life is shattered as the animals are taken away. Revenge is sought and ultimately a tragic ending occurs.
This is a truly beautiful book, deeply moving and emotive. It must be read.
A few words about Then from Morris ...
This story comes from my imagination, but it was of course inspired by an all-too-real period of history. In particular it was inspired by the people who risked everything to shelter strangers. That generosity and bravery will always shine for me, and is made even brighter by the darkness of that time.
More about Then at www.morrisgleitzman.com