New Series Titles ... and a new series!

In the last few months a few wonderful new series titles for younger readers have popped onto the shelves. Here are some of the ones that I enjoyed.

This new series Animal Rescue, from the amazing Jackie French, is sure to be devoured by young readers. It is full of adventure and excitement and just a little amazingness thrown in (there is a boy who can talk to animals) which will have readers searching for more. Each title is devised around an animal being in danger and needing to be rescued. There are also factual end-notes that give facts and explain the present day danger faced by the animals.

Elephant Alert (Animal Rescue Series #1) Jackie French (Scholastic):
Leo can talk to animals and his best friend's a guinea pig! One moment he is in his backyard staring at his guinea pig and the next moment he is on a beach in Indonesia as part of a recue team, getting there in a rocket that is made from recycled plastic bottles and piloted by Mozz, a very clever girl who lives with her mad scientist grandmother.
Leo talks to the elephants on the island but they elephants won't move to higher ground. If they don't a fast approaching tsunami will wash them out to sea and soon the elephants and Leo are in deep trouble. The elephants are there for a special reason, but will they get away in time?
also available Gorilla Grab.

The kids love the titles that are in these and the librarians tell me they can’t keep enough of them.

Meet the Vampiresons (Freak Street #13) Knife & Packer (Scholastic)
This is the thirteenth title in this series about a very freaky group of families that live on Freak Street and this family flies around the neighbourhood on wings. It could be frightening having a blood sucking family on the street, although with aliens and zombies on the street it couldn’t be too more frightening, but these vampires have given up their blood sucking ways! This book continues the fun of Freak Street with well designed pages and lots of bright colour throughout.
Mrs Vampireson is a dentist specialising in the treatment of fangs and ‘monster dentistry’ so when the shark at the local aquarium needs a special set of razor sharp teeth it is this dentist who is charged with the job of supplying them. Crazy adventures happen - the gigantic teeth are stolen from the back of the car they are being delivered in; the star chef for Junior Superchef has fallen from grace; and there is a werewolf – with missing teeth.

Torlavasaur (Boy vs Beast Battle of the Mega-Mutants #13) Mac Park (Scholastic)
Beasts have escaped from the Outlands and are back in Beastium and fighting in the fire land. These beasts are new, not those encountered by Kai in earlier battles but there are similarities. They are Mega-mutants. And this time Kai must join forces with Jay and together they must defeat the new beasts.
These books are wonderful reads for young boys wanting to read their first chapter books. The print is large, and they are filled with illustrations and all the technical gadgetry they can imagine to help them defeat the creatures. Two new Boy vs Beast titles, Torlavasaur and also Chillteratan, are sure to be popular.


Enjoy the reads!

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 ...

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.

Junior fiction and New Historical Fiction - especially for girls

These new Junior Fiction Reads will be loved by kids and really can't be missed.

Bungawitta Emily Rodda & Craig Smith (Scholastic)

Bungawitta is the latest creation by Emily Rodda of Deltora Quest fame and this title is another great one.

The town of Bungawitta has been hit severely by the drought. The residents have left in droves so that it was "like Noah's Ark in reverse" ... until there were only 12 people left in town. The folks would gathered every morning at the general store to drink tea and to watch the morning news. One morning they decided that enough was enough, even if the rains came tomorrow they still needed money to help keep Bungawitta alive. And a festival would attract city tourists with money to spend. But can such a small band of enthusiast pout on a festival?

Our Australian Girl Series.

This is a fantastic new series. The books are un-put-downable. They are history, wonderfully written, about girls and the development of early Australia. Each of the four titles Meet Poppy, Meet Grace, Meet Letty, Meet Rose, are the first books and each character has four titles in the series telling their stories. Each title also has as sample chapter from the next title and a few pages of facts about the period of time that each character is in. Must reads that will make history real!

Our Australian Girl: Meet Poppy Gabrielle Wang (Penguin)

It is 1864 when we meet Poppy. She is a young Chinese Aboriginal girl, who lives on a Christian mission with her brother Augustus and other children. When she discovers a letter about her brother's removal to a new home in a room she was dusting in the Mission Office she immediately warns Augustus who flees that night. But poppy is also to be moved, so using the secret Her brother told her about a secret passage behind sacks in the Darkling Room Poppy to flee ... in search of her brother of freedom and a better life and the gold that will save them.

Our Australian Girl: Meet Grace Sofie Laguna
It's 1808 when we meet Grace who soon becomes a convict girl. She is living with her uncle in London. Her Uncle sends her daily to scour for anything that he can sell for money. She is barely fed and lonely. But Grace loves talking to the Fleet Street horses and so when one day, when she has hunger pangs after her uncle has drunk all the money from her latest find she takes an apple and then more from a grocer's cart fleeing on the back of horse. She is pursued and in a hopeless escape she is caught. What will happen to her? Will she be sent to prison and hanged ... or worse.

Other titles:
Meet Letty (1841) and Meet Rose (1900)
see the terrific website (http://ouraustraliangirl.com.au/) for lots more information and fun!

Terrific Series Titles

For younger and older readers here are books that they will surely enjoy.

Series books are great, especially because if the readers enjoy the title they will want the next one.

For independent readers:

August (Conspiracy 365 #8), Gabrielle Lord (Scholastic)

6 August, 148 days to go ....

10.32 am

Overpowering fear and worry about Gabbi had me pacing the room, desperately looking around for an escape. Together with the loss of the Ormond Riddle and the Ormond Jewel, and the long hours of boredom, it took everything I had not to start kicking the door and screaming my head off.

But the days I spent in this room had helped me get clear about one thing: I had to get away from this hospital .....

Callum is trapped underground, buried alive, and his friends Boges and winter are trying to find where he has been buried.

This is a fantastic read. The titles (and this is number 8 in the series, naturally) are absolutely absorbing reads. Kids - especially boys, love the adventure and the fast paced action. There is always a twist or a turn in every book and of course the reader is left wondering what is going to happen to Callum in September!

Excalibur (The Dragons #2), Colin Thompson (Random House)

Hooray -- for the wonderful Days of yore have begun. Peace has settled and dragons are no longer at war with humans for Brat, the false old king of Book 1 has been deposed. He is now a lowly kitchen hand and not very happy. He escapes of course and wants to return the kingdom to the Dark Ages, with the aid of Bloat, a teenage dragon.

On the run as a highwayman with a big walking potato, all covered in cuts and bruises, they snaffle another king’s daughter riding to the celebrations at the palace, who isn't so princess like and takes over the gang making her own trouble along the way. So Sir Lancelot, Morgan le Fey and vampire set out to make sure no ill comes to the celebrations.

A fun read that will really suit kids who like crazy humour and impossible happenings.

For younger readers:

Great for younger readers just moving away from picture books and wanting to move to the next level. Both these titles have simple text and wonderfully vibrant full-page illustrations.

Pearlie in Central Park Wendy harmer & Gypsy Taylor (Random House)

Pearlie is not in Jubilee Park this time. Now she is in Central park New York where it is cold and snow and freezing. she has come to stay with Crystal (another fairy), arranged by Queen Emerald but when she arrives a grey squirrel is waiting with a note for Pearlie. Crystal has gone on holidays and is leaving Pearlie to run all of Central park - which is much bigger than what Pearlie is used to. She needs a place to stay and to help the squirrels find food but how? An ice show might just do the trick!

The Pearlie books are heaps of fun and loveable!

Danger in Redwitch Villa (Belmont And The Dragon #4) Robin Gold & Mike Zarb (Random)

They're back, Belmont, a would-be knight and a chicken of a dragon and this time they have to save Old York from an explosive destruction!

Three Beastly Bedraggled Batniks have stolen a top-secret compound called Kablooey for the Boss, tripping over Belmont along the way (who doesn't recognise them at all). Belmont soon discovers that the compound can blow solid matter into itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny pieces.

Who is the Boss? Will Belmont and the dragon escape? Will the Kablooey for kablooey? All will be revealed.



And these two titles have a little more depth and are fun reads too:

Kumiko and the Dragon's Secret Briony Stewart (UQP)
Kumiko has a guardian, Tomodo, a dragon. Her family is of dragon heritage and so have great powers and the Shadow Catchers, spirits of the earth who want to add dragon powers to their own, have discovered this family secret.
When her sister is kidnapped by the Shadow Catchers, even the dragons are powerless to stop them for they cannot let their magic get too close. Only Kumiko can save her sister and defeat the shadow catchers. But first she must convince the dragons that she alone can do it and then she has to descend from the clouds and find her sister ... all without being caught by the Shadow Catchers.

Making Waves (EJ12: #7) Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic)
School girl Emma jacks is also Special Agent EJ12 who cracks codes and foils evil plans all over the world. She receives text messages on her mobile phone and when she does she has to get to the last cubicle in the toilets which will transport her to SHINE's headquarters where she can begin her special agent assignment to battle the evil agents of SHADOW.
At school Emma Jacks is nervous about the school swimming carnival and swimming in deep water but when she gets a text message from SHINE and she finds out that SHADDOW are making waves and the coral reef is in danger EJ12 is quickly into action. But how will a secret agent who is nervous of the school swimming carnival save the reef?


For beginning readers:

Rascal Runs Away Paul Jennings & Bob Lea (Penguin)

This series of small story books are designed for beginning readers. It has simple clear illustrations and a single line of text running across the bottom of each page.

Rascal is a small dragon and the world of this book dragons are just like pet dogs. When Rascal runs away from his home a crazy chasing game follows. He is soon captured but the fun continues when he is taken to the Stray Dragons’ Home because he escapes again -- soon everyone around wants Rascal and is in hot pursuit.

Finally, after gathering many chasers, Dragon makes his way back to the Home for Stray Dragons and not only is Rascal reunited with Ben but the chasers all find dragon pets too.

Series fun for younger readers

All of these books are fun reads. They are short, some with illustrations some without, and great for younger readers who want short chapter books with action and fun and that have other books of the same kind. Kids love the "collecting' aspect.

Stick Dudes #2 : The Secret Four-ce & #3 Champions Of The World Felice Arena (Scholastic)

The Stick Dudes are 4 'dudes', around about 10 years old. They return in more riotous fun – and they really are stick drawings so kids, especially boys, are going to love them!
In The Secret Four-ce, the Stick Dudes (Ben, Martin, Johnny and Michael) uncover a thief in their very own school. There is only one thing the Stick Dudes can do—form the ace spy team ‘The Secret Four-ce’ and attempt to uncover the culprit! With high-five slaps, secret spy names, and some crazy detectiving the mystery os about to be solved ... but not before some craziness too.

The Stick Dudes have World Cup Fever! Soccer is the rage and these dudes have been caught up with it too ... starting with an attempt at the world record for juggling a soccer ball. This fails when the school bully sends another soccer ball whooshing by that collides with the record attempt and eventually a soccer match where the winner gets to meet the soccer hero as he presents the cup. But to meet their hero they dudes have to play the perfect game!
Littered with quirky sketches and pages for readers to draw their own stick dudes these are fun! And this is a ripper for BOYS.

Slowcoach Turtle Kyle Mewburn & Heath MacKenzie (Little Hare)
Pop Hooper’s Perfect Pets is a fun series -- Slowcoach Turtle is the latest instalment. Great for younger readers who love animals and pets.
Tilda wants a monkey - which she thinks will make a perfect pet, so when Pop Hooper’s long shiny Pet Express truck arrives she was sure to get her perfect pet - after all Pop Hoopper guarantees perfect pets! And after her best friend Nat fell out of tree she is very lonely ...but things are not as they seem. Tilda gratefully accepts Houdini the monkey as a pet but when he runs away - that's when the trouble beings. Will Tilda find the perfect pet, and will she and Nat be friends again?

Haggis McGregor and the Night of the Skull Moon Jen Storer & Gus Gordon (Penguin)
This book is a real bony giggle.
Haggis McGregor is a skeleton. His horse is a skeleton too and together, once a month, on the night of the skull moon, they roam the village of Dunroamin for haggis is searching for a wife -even though Haggis has been dead for hundreds of years. Of course Haggis is not the only roaming spirit. Young Gordon has also, for the first time in years, materialised and he is searching for a family! When Miss Myrtle McDougal (standing alone on the railway station) breaks the second rule that all villages heed - never give Haggis anything, things get a little restless in Dunroamin!
A new Aussie Bites title - just right for kids wanting books with short illustrated chapters.

A Horse Called Darling Delwyne Stephens (Penguin)
Penny will never ride again; at least that is what she feels when her horse Manny is killed in a riding accident. Horse riding is expensive and her parents can't afford another horse but a when a mean-spirited horse called darling is brought home by her father Penny finds that she might ride again - but first she has to tame the wild horse! Will she and Darling ride the Windhaven one-day event and can they beat the not so pleasant Miranda!
A new Aussie Chomps title which are short chapter books and high interest.

Great Fiction Reads for Independent Readers

I have just finished reading three great fiction titles for independent readers, each are special in their own way and all great reads.

Send Simon Savage Stephen Measday (Little Hare)
Simon arrives home from school to be confronted first by police and then federal agents (they wear dark suits Ray-Ban sunglasses). His dad is missing, drowned under mysterious circumstances ... and soon pronounced dead. The agents immediately start searching Simon's father's home office for research papers and his computer because Simon's father was working on a top-secret government project. They leave, but not before scanning the family with a forensic scanning device. And within months Simon and his family have moved from Australia and are in England and Simon has been enrolled at a very special school. Simon has become an agent for the very secretive Time Bureau ... agents, temponauts, who travel through time! But as well as travelling through time on mission for the Tim Bureau Simon also has a mission to find out about his father's disappearance!
Fantastic, riveting read. Where will Simon go next?

Chess Nuts Julia Lawrinson (Puffin)
A wonderful read about friendship, sports, chess (of course) and
Anna loves chess - in fact she is a chess nut and captain of her schools chess team. She loves chess. Jackson is the schools star athlete, racing for the title of the Outstanding athlete of the year for the school. Anna detests the physical sports and the sporting people, so admired by the school population. So when Jackson, joins the schools chess club and shows that he is also an excellent chess player (as well as a sporting jock) Anna has to confront her sporting issues (and learn to do some running too) and Jackson has to make some very serious decisions.
It's great to see a title where chess is the star school sport!


Willy Waggle-Dagger: By the Picking of My Nose Martin Chatterton & Gregory Rogers (Little Hare)
Wearing a fake beard to see the latest production of hugely famous Black Skulls, we meet young illy Shakespeare wearing a big false ginger beard (because he is in disguise as only grown-ups are allowed inside the theatre). Soon Willy is hiding beneath the Queen's petticoats. but when the beard starts tickling the queen - chaos begins and Willy is on the run. The Queen's guards are chasings him. His own father is chasing him! Where will Willy hide .. with the Black Skulls of course!
There are giggles and laughter by the bucket loads with this book - which is not quite Shakespeare as we know it although there are plenty of links to the great bard and his works!
Hilarious fun, lovely reading and terrific illustrations.

New Series Books

New titles in popular series that will have readers wanting more ....

Conspiracy 365 : March Gabrielle Lord (Scholastic)
January and February have gone ... here comes March.
Cal is in deep, deep trouble. He is about to shredded by a fast moving train. it will be impossible to survive. He is being chased by criminals as well as the police who have an alert out for him. He can't turn to his family. Things are looking grim for Cal ... he still carries the drawings and he is beginning to piece together some of the clues to the Ormond Riddle but each clue holds more puzzles and more dangers for Cal. Will he survive the year! Cal's friend Boges helps, as does Repro who rescues him from the train but Cal must move alone.
A great riveting title that will have readers hanging out for April!
See the website for online games, downlaods and heaps more!

The Floods 9: Who Wants To Be A Billionaire Colin Thompson (Random House)
The Floods are back and this time Wall Street is their target - and solving the global financial crisis too.
Setting up Summer School in a block of luxury apartments in Manhattan in New York city is where the Floods begin. When New York children wake up one morning with a mystery disease - a red mask-shaped pattern on their bottoms it can only mean that witch Betty's spell turned out not quite the way it should. When Winchfalt and Aubergine invade the nearly empty stock market buying and selling they make millions instantly and when they decide to corner the market with a machine that transports all the toilet paper in the world to a secret location people have to think laterally to find something to replace the missing toilet paper ... and there are many other hilarious happenings throughout the pages of this book. And readers will love the footnotes!

Mates: You Turkeys! Michael Gerard Bauer & Nahum Ziersch (Scholastic)
This title features a crazy dad who loves his garden and will protect it at all costs from the two scrub-turkeys who want to call his backyard home.
Lots of humour as the turkeys go round scratching and establishing nests that dad has to pull down and then come up with scrub-turkey deterrents! And in the end Dad gets a very special award!
This full colour junior novel series is great for young readers.




Watch out for new titles following these!!!

Fiction for the Younger Readers.

Here are books for the reluctant reader and also for the younger reader. They are all books in new or near new series ....

Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs Jackie French (HarperCollins)

Oh this book is FUN!

Boojum Bark is a werewolf puppy, and a student at the School for Heroes. His mother has also been kidnapped so with his friends (that include a zombie, a warrior mouse and other ‘beings’ who are all trainee heroes) he sets out to find her. but to do this he has to go into the Ghastly Otherwhen ... and strange things start to happen here. There are dinosaurs, and bogeys, and a strange hypnotic spell that causes chaos.
Following on from the previous School for Heroes book comes this new title which will have readers giggling all the way through at the craziness and silliness and the 'weirdness' within these pages.
This series is designed for reluctant readers ... but with lots of pages to develop their reading confidence. And this series should do that!

EJ12 #1: Hot and Cold Susannah McFarlane (Scholastic)

This new series stars Emma Jack but Emma Jack 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. EJ12 cracks codes and foils plans all over the world while at the same time coping with all the issues of going to school like mean girls, and best friends. This is a fun book for the younger readers - especially girls who want a girl superhero.

In EJ12 #1 someone is melting the polar cap. There is a furious scientist who is creating chaos and wants to sell her invention to the highest bidder. there are secret agent tools for EJ to use to get the job done and when she does, she still has to go back to school and cope with the not so nice girls and the Ice Queen of Mean!

See: ej12girlhero.com and drop in here to see a message from the author.

And especially for beginning readers comes the new series Pen Pals Forever ...

Pen Pals Forever 1: Summer Days Lenny Pelling (Random House)

In this first title, Polly and Jez are the closest of friends but wile Polly begins an adventure around Australia during the school holidays Jez is stuck at home so to keep in touch Polly sends postcards form all the places she visits. As Polly reads each postcard her imagination is let loose and her summer days aren't quite so lonely without Polly there.
With large print, simple storylines and generous illustrations this is a series for the beginning readers that should be enjoyed. This title also includes Pen pal tips at the back.

Fantasy Excellence

Holidays have been a great time for reading so here we go with two of the wonderful titles that I have consumed! More to come soon.

The Keys to the Kingdom #7 Lord Sunday Garth Nix (Allen&Unwin)
This is it ... the final title in the wonderful and all-consuming Keys to the Kingdom series. From the moment I read the first page of the first title I was hooked. Each of the preceding titles has been unputdownable and Lord Sunday continues that heritage.

Now Arthur, with six of the seven keys has to defeat Lord Sunday and assume the position as rightful heir to the kingdom. But are the six keys enough? Can Arthur defeat Lord Sunday, the last of the trustees, as Nothing sweeps the house? And what will holding all seven keys reveal? The conclusion to this series is just amazing!

For kids (young and old) who like strong reads with fantastically developed characters and intriguing plot lines - this fantasy series is sure to hold them. It really has been the most delightful series to read. Yep ... I really loved this series!
Also check out the website.


Worldshaker Richard Harland (Allen&Unwin)
There is a huge iron ship sailing the world - over land and sea. The Filthies on the lower decks provide the labour that operates the vessel while the upperclass live a grand life on the upperdecks (going to school, resting, having holidasy - all on teh vessel of course) and never the two societies shall meet. But when one of the Filthies escapes to the upperdeck, and is soon assisted by Colbert, the assigned heir who will one day be Supreme Commander of the Worldshaker to bring up other Filthies from the lower decks, the 'world' order becomes unsettled and rebellion ensues.

This book is littered with twists and turns and adventure throughout these pages. Loyalty, betrayal, friendship, family, trust, cruelty, and rebellion are all part of this riveting fantasy read. Once I got into this, reading was hard to stop!

Enjoy these great new fantasy titles.

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!

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!

Popular Series titles

These are the latest titles in really popular series and of course they are books that I really enjoy reading - and very importantly the kids are enjoying reading them too.

On the Case (Walk Right In Detective Agency Book 5) Moya Simons (Walker)
They are at it again. The Milk Bay school-aged detectives have some very intriguing cases to solve. Like the case of Jake, the new kid in Milk Bay who has drawer full of stolen things that he swears he didn't steal and now he's being charged. There's also a really bad smell (a killer really) that needs solving and a missing lorikeet that needs to be found.
Great fun reads for kids that they might not even put down.

Monkey Fist (Samurai Kids #4) Sandy Fussell (Walker)
The Samurai kids are back and this time they are venturing deep into China and confronting the advisor to the Emperor - Secretary Lu Zeng. Kyoko has been kidnapped, and sensei knows by whom. But what reason would the Secretary have for this - surely there is only evil in his mind. Could it be to further his search for eternal life?
As with the other titles there is still much to be learnt for the Little Cockroaches in this is a riveting read.

Battle for Rondo Emily Rodda (Scholastic)
This is the thrilling climax to the Rondo books.
Leo and Mimi return for one final time to the magical world of Rondo with its talking creatures and magic and mystery. But the evil Blue Queen herself has become more powerful. This time she has an almighty powerful dragon by her side and the queen has revenge firmly on her mind. A defence shield encompassing the Blue Queen's castle is not enough to protect the world of Rondo. A quest is begun, a prediction whispered from the Tideseer that must be unravelled, a ferocious battle engaged, a name denied, and once again ... the key to Rondo is vitally important and enables the final resolution.
This series has been a joy to read. Rondo readers who love this book and will not be disappointed. Just right for competent readers.

These books are great reads and should be thoroughly enjoyed along with teh other titles in various series.

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.

Pearl & Detectives

Pearl Verses the World Sally Murphy & Heather Potter (Walker Books)
This short verse novel is tenderly written, lovingly created so that the reader is drawn right into this story. A few adult tears might even be shed.
Pearl is a young girl who lives in a loving household but her life is getting very complicated. Her adored grandmother has dementia and is dying and at school she has problems too - she doesn’t fit into any of the groups, she is in a group of one and her teacher wants the class to write rhyming poems. Pearl's poems don't rhyme! And when her grandmother does die all Pearl wants is that life would return to the way it was.
This is a story of loneliness, loss, but also of the continuation of life.

Bad News for Milk Bay Moya Simons (Walker Books)

I just love this series and this title continues the great action of the earlier titles of the Walk Right In Detective Agency. They are fun titles with plenty of action that kids will feel confident in reading and will want more!!

David is forced to go to the council meeting with his father where he hears some bad news ... Milk Bay is going to be destroyed by developers -- at least that is what some people think. Others think that development is good. The news the invesitgators's hear us that their muffin making 'friend' Mr Brown is selling up and moving to a nursing home ... which doesn't seem right for him! But when David discovers that the nephew is doing the dealing then mischief is afoot. The agency needs to get to the bottom of this investigation - and they also get to provide their professional assistance at the supermarket too when the owner asks for their help in tracking down the person responsble for half-eating chocoltate bars!

Junior investigators will enjoy the read!

New Series Books

More of the same and still lots of fun ....

The Greatest Sheep in History Frances Watts & Judy Watson (ABC Books)
Another title in the Extraordinary Ernie and Marvellous Maud series is as much fu as the first two.
This time the Baxter superhero team are attending the National Superheroes Conference and will hear Super Wizz speak. But things don't go as planned of course and when Chicken George - the most terrifying and villainous chicken anyone has ever seen invades the conference and steals the notes of from Stupendous Sue as she is giving her opening address right in front of all the superheroes and later - who will save the day?


One Wacky Week Michael Wagner & Gus Gordon (Puffin)
More wacky fun with the Undy's is here.
All in one week - Josh and his dad have Fun; Josh attempts to tackle the worlds seventh strongest man but when that doesn't work mass tackle mania begins when josh and a crowd of kids all pile on top; they continue their mannying duties and this time having a competition to find then strongest strongman; they are media stars on the number one morning TV show talking about mannying (and having fun!); and get involved in a wife-carrying race, part of public housing family fun day!
It’s another wacky week!


Better Homes and Gardens Colin Thompson (Random House)
Here is the 8th and final instalment of the crazy family - the Floods and this time it is true ... after years on the run the Floods are coming home (for some of the floods it’s the first time and a return to the land of their forefathers). And just in time too. Transylvania Waters was bad before but now the current ruler King Quartorze has just about ruined the country! Everything’s has been sold - even everyone's shoelaces, only the castle has electricity. But to rule the country they first need to get rid of the present king and some seriously nasty characters before Transylvania waters is liberated! There are fortune tellers, a genie, secret spells, magic gates that give departing travellers wonderful memories (and awesome photos) and stacks more.



and the Freak Street series Knife & Packer (Scholastic) ...
Wizardsons On Holiday
Humansons On Holiday
Zombiesons On Holiday
Aliensons On Holiday
and yes they are all going on holidays! of course any holiday that these families are part of will not be an ordinary holiday. This is the second series of Freak street books and like the first the stories are fun. Great full colour illustrations too. There is also the Freak Street website (http://www.freakstreet.com.au/) with lots of freaky information, wallpapers, games, and fan site! These books will have readers giggling.

If readers enjoyed the earlier books ... they will not be disappointed with these!