KBR Recommends: Fabulous Junior Fiction, ages 6 - 12

Jem's world has been turned upside down by a family crisis, and then it gets worse. Just when it all seems too hard, along comes Ella, Jem's great-aunt, who's also a solo round-the-world sailor. She decides that what Jem, his sister Maddy and brother Tyler need is a sea change. But is seasickness the only thing that Jem adds to his list of woes?

What's the mystery that Ella is chasing? Why does Jem keep having strange and troubling dreams, and what could they mean? And who is stalking them all?

Title: The Secret of the Lonely Isles
Author: Joanne Van Os
Publisher: Random House, $15.95 RRP
Publication Date: February 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781741662528
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Novel

Marcus Atkinson is a Soccer Star (not!). But his Dad is convinced that Marcus has magic in his feet.

Yes, it may be another soccer book/diary book but Diary of a Soccer Star is fabulous fun for boys who can't get enough of the world's most popular sport.

Title: Diary of a Soccer Star
Author: Shamini Flint
Publisher: Sunbear Publishing, $9.95 RRP
Publication Date: 27 September 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9789810858247
For ages: 6 - 12
Type: Junior Fiction

Ollie is lost.

The world he came from is just one of many. Some of them are almost identical to his. Others contain cyborg pirates, living castles, talking cats-and now, hungry vampires too. Getting back home is proving surprisingly difficult.

Fleeing from the eerie Fixers, Ollie lands in a village cursed by blood-sucking neighbours. It's easy to take sides. But does Ollie choose the wrong one this time? And if so, how can he possibly put it right?

Title: The Fixers Book 3: Curse of the Vampire
Author: Sean Williams
Publisher: Omnibus Books, $12.99 RRP
Publication Date: February 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781862918566
For ages: 6 - 10
Type: Junior Fiction

Also released in February - The Fixers Book 4: Invasion of the Freaks

"It was a night without comfort, and without sleep. The rain fell without mercy, and the waves tossed the boat around like a plaything. There were no lights to head for, and there was no rescue coming. No one on Earth knew where they were, and no one even noticed that they were missing."

In the spirit of The Silver Sword and from the author of the bestselling Parvana series, this heart-stopping story of courage and friendship is based on the true experiences of children, caught up in the refugee jungle of Calais and striving to find a place for themselves in the world. A novel of high adventure and heart-stopping suspense by a writer at the height of her powers.

Title: No Safe Place
Author: Deborah Ellis
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $15.99 RRP
Publication Date: February 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781742374109
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Novel

Talk of ancient Egyptian ruins hidden deep in the Australian rainforest readches Mr Socrates, and immediately he, his faithful servant, Tharpa, and his young agents, Modo and Octavia, leave London. Their destination: far north Queensland.

But before they reach the site of the infamous God Face - rumoured to cause madness in anyone who gazes upon it - they are set upon by Miss Hakkandottir and her Clock Guild henchmen. their latest weapons are mechanical birds capable of delivering lethal poison, and they have no hesitation in using them on Modo and Octavia.

Separated from his allies, Modo makes his way through the strange terrain, fighting for his very survival against unseen enemies. Can he prevent the God Face from getting into the hands of the Clockwork Guild and avoid an international catastrophe?

Title: The Hunchback Assignments: Empire of Ruins
Author: Arthur Slade
Publisher: HarperCollins, $19.99 RRP
Publication Date: February 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780732290467
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Novel

Raven is first to reach the mountain top. Her sister and step-dad are still climbing the trail below. She is alone on top of the world. So she dances - a crazy, jumping, spinning dance... because if you can climb a mountain you can do anything! But then there is a rumble and the earth shakes. Rocks are falling, and so is Raven, in a terrible tumble down the side of the mountain.

When she comes to, no one answers her calls. The rockfall is covering the trail where she last saw Lily and Scott... Wendy Orr tells the dramatic story of a girl who goes beyond her limits to save her family - and on the way, discovers a mysterious bond with a family of bears and a raven.

Title: Raven's Mountain
Author: Wendy Orr
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $14.99 RRP
Publication Date: February 2011
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781742374659
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Novel