early chapter books for young readers

More terrific junior books:

Crooked Mick Dave Luckett & Andrew Joyner (Scholastic)
The books in the Mates series are all junior novels with clear text and short chapters. They are illustrated in full colour and are fun reads - as the subtitle says - Great Australian yarns.

This title stars Crooked Mick of the Speewah - who can do anything - like spilt a hardwood post by look at it, or twitch his eyebrows to drive a bullocky team, or even ride lightning bolts bareback. Crooked Mick is an outback legend
All this is being discussed around a campfire in the outback by a Jackaroo, a drover and an old bushman - who is the wandering bushman?

Fool's Gold Margaret Clark & Andrew McLean (Penguin)
This is another delightful title in the Aussie Bites series - books that are just right for readers who have progressed past the beginning chapter books, but not quite ready for the longer junior chapter books.

Set in the Victorian gold fields of the middle 1800s two boys need money - or find gold to buy food. Their families are hungry and the slate at the local goldfield store is full - no money, no food! But jack finds a back entrance into the store and is soon borrowing food - even writing or drawing IOU notes. There is also a legend about McHools gold that lies somewhere around - if the boys can only find the gold, then everything will be alright. But first they have to contend with Laura, the store owner's daughter, and the curse that is said to be on the gold!

Joe's Boat Raewyn Caisley & Anne Spudvilas (Penguin)
This is another delightful title in the Aussie Nibbles series - books that are just right for younger readers who are tackling their very first chapter books.

Joe and his dad have arrived at Great-uncle Allan’s beach house and in the shed there is a boat. Joe loved everything about this place so much that he couldn't sit still to eat his lunch. And Bob arrives, an elderly friend who shows and tells Joe all about lures and tackle and helps clean the boat - while Joe’s dad sets about cleaning the house. Joe can't wait until they can take the boat out and go fishing.

Longer Younger Readers

Here we go with a few more books for younger readers. These are shorter stories, great for younger readers who want short chapter books that are fast paced and appealing. The illustrations are fun and the books, of course, great reads!

Harriet Bright: The Star You Are Claire Craig & Melanie Fedderson (Puffin)
I really like Harriet Bright. She is a female character with class and grit and determination and she loves poetry! This is the second book about 9 years old Harriet Bright who has been nine nearly every single day this year but will soon be ten.
There are three short stories in this book:
Laugh Out Loud ... where Harriet conducts a ground breaking survey to find out why adults don't laugh as much as kids do - to do that she becomes a laughologist (and finds out about crinkles and wrinkles and laugh lines along the way)
Only Lonely Me ... where Harriet delves into her family history and discovers she is not the first Harriet Bright! Now not only is she an only child she is alone not the only Harriet Bright! bjt she does discover something about her great aunt that she really likes!
In Talent take Two, Harriet and Melly have one week to find their talent to enter the talent quest which is no easy task!
Scattered throughout this book are Harriet's poems. There is also ahs a great website where young readers can send poems to Harriet. See the website http://www.harrietbright.com/

Tikki the Tricky Pixie Tiffany Mandrake & Martin Chatterton (Little Hare)
This is book number 4 in the Little Horrors series ... and they are little horrors!
Tikki Flicker is fed up being good. She wants to earn her Badge of badness and then be a bad fairy. She wants to go to Hag's Abademy of Badness to become even badder! But her uncle Sedge Withy, the Marsh fairy, is sure that Tikki is good, so to convince her Uncle otherwise Tikki sets out doing bad things ... not pesky things that are annoying but really really bad tings in the marsh. And when she flitters across the Pixiepackers (in acutality dryfeet, aka humans) Tikki might just have a chance of proving her badness!
A bad fairy book ... how good!

Skoz the Dog: All at Sea Andrew Daddo & Judith Rossell (ABC Books)
Skoz the dog is a sleep walking dog and he finds himself waking up in a boat with his head on a pillow that is actually a bag of bait.
Skoz the dog is all at sea in the middle of the ocean. Soon Skoz also discovers he has a shark swimming very close by. a few rough waves and Skoz is floating in the air, free of the boat and heading for shark teeth! but when he escapes from that teethy encounter more troubles being to unravel as the boat gradually falls apart as the boat is bring dragged through the water while Skoz holds onto the fishing line. But Skoz's sea adventure has only just begun!

 
 

Duck for a Day Meg McKinlay & Leila Rudge (Walker Books)
This is a delightful story about a teacher, her students and the classroom pet - a duck!
A new pet, Max, has been brought to the school by the teacher and everyone wants to take Max home. The problem is the teacher has some very rigid rules that must be adhered to before Mac can stay overnight such as:
No dogs or cats, with the supplementary rule of
No ferrets or other clawed or toothy animals of any kind ... and just a few more. So Abby and her annoying neighbour Noah set about creating just the perfect environment in their homes that will meet the teacher's rules! When finally the conditions are met Max does get to stay over night with Abby all goes well ... until the next morning. Where is Max and what will happen to Max, and Noah and Abby?
Delightful illustrations accompany the short chapters - and comes with Little horror tattoos too!!

Enjoy these great reads!

Young Readers Stepping Out

Thes are new titles for the young reader who is movng away from picture books and tackling books on their  own. These are just lovely.

the Honey and Bear Stories Ursula Dubosarsky & Ron Brooks (Puffin)
Honey is a bird and Bear is a bear and for the first time all of the ten Honey and Bear stories are together in this one lovely book - complete with colour illustrations too.
The stories are short and easily read. They are gentle, calming and reassuring, touching on issues that are part of every youngster’s life. These stories are just perfect for the beginning readers who want to read by themselves. The illustrations are masterful.
It is terrific to see these two delightful characters back again!

Squidnapped! David Metzenthen David & Stephen Axelsen
When a little girl wanders along the beach showing her prize catch to beachgoers she gets lost. At the same time her parents get worried wondering where she is and start looking for her. When a baby squid is taken from the sea by the little girl the parents of the missing baby squid start getting worried too wondering where their youngster is and they too start searching. Eventually both youngsters, squid and human are reunited with their parents but what an adventure they both have! Another great book in the Aussie Nibbles series ... books with large clear text and delightful illustrations that are just the ones for young readers who want to read by themselves.

Lighthouse Lucy Kate walker & Serena Geddes (Blake)
Lucy, the lighthouse keeper, likes a quiet life but when unexpected visitors arrive and her life becomes noisy, first a ghost, then a sea lion and then a giant squid, Each of the arrivals stay at the lighthouse which soon isn't quiet any longer - but Lucy doesn't mind... she likes the noise. Then, when a storm blows up Lucy, with the aid of her visitors has to go to rescue of drowning sailors - and she soon finds out that the quiet life is no longer for her. This chapter book for the young reader is a lovely story with absolutely fantastic illustrations.

Pearlie In Central Park Wendy Harmer & Gypsy Taylor (Random House)
Another Pearlie book is always a delight for young girls starting to read on their own. And this is the latest. This time Pearlie has left Jubilee Park because Queen Emerald has arranged for Pearlie to stay with Crystals the Central park fairy for a wonderful winter holiday. But when Pearlie arrives Crystal has left for her holidays leaving Pearlie to look after the park. What an adventure Pearlie has with her new friends the squirrels in the park. There is food to find and an ice skating show to present and of course spring is to come too!.
Pearlie fans will love this one!

 


These books are great for young readers stepping out on their own.

Great for Boys

Two more new series


Boy Vs Beast (Scholastic)
The first 4 titles in this series are out now. These are sure to have the boys reading! They give young readers who want to move to chapter books something to grasp and really get absorbed in. The titles have a larger font (but not too big) and great illustrations - with a few pages that look like graphic novels and a powerful, face paced storyline -- it is a terrific read.

Boy vs Beast, Battle of the worlds is the first series where a 21st Century boy battles ancient beasts ... with the titles Aquatan, Infernix, Tornados, Terradon
Once beast and man shared the world ... but no more. Now they are separated by a border-wall patrolled and protected by five boys

Boy Vs Beast Battle Of The Worlds 01 : Aquatan
Kai masters and his dogbot must battle a mega-beast Serpinitan - or is it something else. Has he chosen the right weapon? Will it work against toxic jellyfish and be enough to take on a wave attack?

and see http://www.boyvsbeast.com/ for heaps of great 'stuff" including a competition to win prize packs. great sounds and images and really tempting to play in!

Space Scout (hardiegrantegmont)
Another new series is SPACE SCOUT ... and again this is a great collection of titles perfect for the younger reader (especially boys) wanting quick, fast-paced adventures ... this times the adventures are out in the space fields. The chapters are not too long, have appropriate text size and are scattered with illustrations - the first title also comes with an World Corp Issue, replica space cuff (a watch type thingummyjig ... well you have to read the book). There are starships, and aliens and space monsters and planets vastly different from the earth we inhabit and heaps of techo assistance for the space scouts!

Space Scout : The Big Freeze H. Badger (hardiegrantegmont)
This is the first space mission for twelve-year-old Kip Kirby! He has a spaceship that gives him orders (and sometimes won't follow his) and his second in charge is half human half wolf! His mission to find a new planet because the earth is running out of room (well it is 2354 and there are over a trillion people here!) But his first mission might also be his last if he can't work out a way of getting off the rather frozen planet he had landed on and was exploring!

also
Space Scout: The Robot King
Space Scout: The Jelly People
Space Scout: The Shrinking Race

See too http://www.spacescoutportal.com/. It has games, more information, downloads and heaps of fun ... love the sounds too!

Sure is plenty to tempt reluctant young male readers.

Younger Reader series fun!

Wow ...
There have been a heap recently so here we go with the first of a few posts for new junior fiction series books ... these are terrif.

A new series:

Billie B Brown Sally Rippin (HardieGrantEgmont)

Billie B Brown is a terrific new star for the younger readers - especially girls - who want to move to their first chapter books. The books are 44 pages in length and have a large font size. There are generous illustrations scattered throughout. BUT most importantly Billie B brown is a delightful character. She is strong, determined, brave, and clever ... and a bit sassy too! This girl will soon be in demand!

And what does the B in Billie B Brown stand for? So far it is something different in each title. She also has her best friend Jack appearing in the titles, so the boys are in there too.

The titles so far:

Billie B Brown: The Bad Butterfly (when Billie goes to ballet class she and Jack have some role swapping to do so they both enjoy it).

Billie B Brown: The Soccer Star (when the boys announce that girls can't play soccer its up to Billie and Jack to prove them wrong)
Billie B Brown: The Midnight Feast (when Billie and Jack decide to camp in Jack's backyard strange night sounds disturb their plans)
Billie B Brown: The Second-best Friend (when a new girl arrives Billie has a new friend...but what about jack?)

And http://www.billiebbrown.com/ is the dedicated website for this star where readers (and parents can send emails to the creators), where kids can check out more about the books, find colouring in pages, activity pages to create and print and a whole lot more.

Existing series:

Freak Street Knife & Packer (Scholastic)

The Freak Street series is totally warped and totally funny and the kids love them.

Schools that I know with the Freak Street books have not been able to keep them on the shelves. These are great too for the very bight visual graphic of this graphic novel format for younger readers.

Four new titles and this time each of the families are travelling through time!!!

Aliensons' Time Machine
Humansons' Time Machine

Wizardsons' Time Machine

Zombiesons' Time Machine

The Aliensons have zoomed over 1000 years into the future ... and when they land there they find that Freak Street and its residences have all been made of metal, where robots rule the world and where no non robotic life forms exist ... or so it seems - and its all to do with the 3011 version of talent called Galaxy Idol - and here they meet the Robotsons too. If the family can't fix he broken lever they will be stuck there forever!!!

For the Wizardson's Mr Wizardson's magic staff is now a pile of cinders so back to medieval times to Magikville the family must travel through the magic cauldron of course tp purchase another magic staff but they must first confront a grumpy dragon, Flamethroat, with toxic breath. Of course witches and giants and a new family the Knightsons are here too!

And don't forget the Humansons' and Zombiesons' who have time travelling adventures too!

EJ12 Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic)

This series stars Emma Jacks but Emma Jacks the school girl is also known as EJ12 Special Agent. She is a member of SHINE, a secret agency that protects the world from evil-doers. Emma Jacks was chosen because of her wonderful maths skills - EJ12 cracks codes and foils plans all over the world while at the same time coping with all the issues of going to school - issues like mean girls, and best friends. This is a fun book for the younger readers - especially girls who want a girl superhero.

EJ12 : #3 In The Dark SHINE is powered by a solar energy station but when SHADOW finds the secret location and has a way of infiltrating and causing the power to rapidly decrease SHINE will be in the dark very soon ... and maybe out of business! It is up to EJ12 to crack the code and find the solution ... of course at the same time Emma jacks has to deals with scary noises at night and spooky slumber parties

Also out now EJ12 : #4 Rocky Road

Don’t forget the website ... http://www.ej12girlhero.com/ and drop in there to see a message from the author.

So ... lots of series fun for younger readers!

More Picture Book Delights

More .....

Two Peas In A Pod Chris McKimmie (Allen&Unwin)
Marvin and Violet have been friends since they were babies (dinosaur time according to Marvin) and these two friends absolutely go together ... like Roundabouts and swings, fish and chips, socks and shoes, and two peas in a pod.
But then Violet moves away (she says they are going to the moon) and for Marvellous it is unsettling - and he nearly puts her into the 'forgets' until ....
A book about childhood friendships and separations and reunions.

I Spy Mum! Janeen Brian & Chantal Stewart (New Frontier)
A little boy scans a whole lot of mums searching for his own, and sees a waking mum, a baking mum, a making mum, a roaring mum a scoring mum .... and many many more (including a ding-a-linging mum) but none of them are his mum ... until (of course) eventually he discovers her! told in rhyming verse with soft illustrations, this is celebration of the wonderful mums out there who do so many wonderful things!.

The Important Things Peter Carnavas (New Frontier)
Christopher's mother does everything from painting the house, to cooking breakfast, and building cites with Christopher because Christopher’s father has left the family. When she decides to remove some of the unimportant things from their lives, that just happen to be the things of Christopher's father, they are boxed and taken and taken to a second-hand store. Mysteriously, a few days later, the 'unimportant' things start to return until the mystery remains no more.
A lovely book about remembering, about parents, about absence and the way the unimportant things in life actually might not be so unimportant.

An ABC of Pirates Caroline Stills & Heath McKenzie (Little Hare)
Here it is ... just what all pirate-lovers (of all ages) have been waiting for ... an ABC book of pirates and all things piratical!
     A is for adventure on an azure-coloured sea.
     Hoist the anchor, maties, 'tis a pirate's life for me.
Great rhythmic text with absolutely entrancing illustrations of pirates - rather young pirates too. Also includes a list of objects hidden in the pictures and a glossary of a few of the more complicated words (eg: zephyr, mutiny)
Ahoy there maties ... This book has to be part of any pirate day!

Keep sharing the reading!!!!

Picture Book Delights

Over the past weeks heaps of delightful picture books have been arriving ... so I will start with these treats:

Hooray! There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Having a Birthday Party Hazel Edwards & Deborah Niland (Penguin)

30 years ago these wonderful creators crafted the FIRST gorgeous Hippopotamus book - and today Hippopotamus is still going strong. many many children have grown up with the hippo books so it is terrific to see this latest hippo sensation. And what better way to celebrate the anniversary of Hippo than with a new hippo book. This time there is a birthday party being prepared downstairs and hippo is getting ready too!!!
There are only three sleeps to go till the birthday party and animal invitations have to be made, animal character costumes have to be organised and animal party food created - and of course all the time these are being organised Hippopotamus on the roof is in party preparation mode too!
And if you want to host your own hippo party then just drop in at this link on the Penguin Australia site to get Hippo party invitations and lots more! (or http://tinyurl.com/26qhkrm)

Family Forest Kim Kane (Hardie Grant Egmont)
A fantastic book for the children of blended families that explains their families - because while most kids talk about family trees, this family is a family forest. The ‘forest' is made up of half sisters, and whole sisters, and brothers and step mums (who aren't wicked) and mums and dads and partners.
This well written and delightfully illustrated book (the characters are whimsical and full of expression) is a book for the modern family and celebrates how they come in all shapes and sizes.

Wibbly Wobbly Street Trudie Trewin & Cheryl Orsini (Scholastic)
Wibbly Wobbly Street is in dull Squaretown where streets are straights and smooth, flat and trim and where the houses were all lined up and ordered. It was a delightful street (one i am sure folks would love to live in) but the councillors didn’t like having their well ordered town messed up by this one street and they want to straighten it out. So restorations to Wibbly wobbly Street begin. The street-straightener and teams of council workers and their engines work long and hard and after repeated efforts finally straighten the street .... until deep in the ground something shuddered and shook and twanged!
With delightful phrases like "our wibble's too strong" and words like wibble-ectomy and wobble-ocotmy kids young and old will be giggling along with this delightful book.

You Stephen Michael King (Scholastic)
I really adore the books by this terrific author and illustrator and this new title just continues that tradition of charming and emotive creations. It is a lovely blend of simple text and delicate soft illustrations telling us that it is the people we love who make the world a beautiful place. The perfect book to share with a child, parent, friend, or any special person.
The central character describes the wonders of the world - the colours around, the things in the world, the music that surrounds, but for all the glorious colours, and things, and all the wonderful music - the best part of the world is ... YOU.

Noah's Garden Mo Johnson & Anabelle Josse (Walker Books)
This is a touching story of the beauty of nature, the joy of a child's imagination and the patience in wishing and hoping and waiting ....
Noah's garden is a wonderful garden. There are tigers and pirates and camels and thundering helicopters and penguins roaming around in this garden. Yes ... it is not an ordinary garden. This is the hospital garden. Here Noah comes with his family during the days while waiting for his baby sister to leave hospital and come and join Noah in his garden.

Enjoy these gorgeous Australian picture books ... more soon.