Patrick doesn’t know why he collects acorns, he just knows that he feels better when he feels their hard, smooth roundness in his hand.
The fact that acorns suggest new growth, in that they are a very small nut with the potential to grow into a very large tree, is quietly central to the story.
Luckily for Patrick and this story, he lives in a town with a lot of oak trees.
This is the highlight of the week for both of them. For Gramps claims to have lived many roles in his lifetime.
These he recalls in minute
detail, in an animated, flowing and lighthearted narrative, full of excitement and non-stop action.
But no story compares to the one about the time
that he was known as the famous magician, The Astonishing Alfredo. With
his white dove, Montgomery, the Mysterious Bird of Mystery, who sang a
song at the end of each show, the two brought the house down.
The stories the old man shares with his grandson are so incredible, so imaginative and unlikely, the boy finds it hard to accept them as truth.
Do the reindeer talk?
And can I ride your sleigh?
Even before you open the cover, this book makes you love
it just a little bit.
It has raised lettering, slightly glittering stars, a crescent moon and a cloud upon which sits Santa (with the kindest, warmest face you’ll ever see).
A child laments the absence of his longed-for and
requested toys at Christmas.
Sneaking downstairs when the family is sleeping, he checks his gifts under the tree.
He is an experienced present-shaker. But at the first shake he knows what he wants is not there.
He falls to the floor in frustration while the dog enjoys the socks.
Beautifully designed for little hands, the book has wipeable, bright coloured pages and images, sectioned into easy-to-follow instructions and recipes.
This is initiative enough to send mothers and children off to kitchen cupboards to check for ingredients.
Tips on the importance of preparation before starting, set the scene.
It is Christmas Eve. The family is gathered to share the joy and love that unites them.
Preparations are ready for the morning, except for the one thing that remains for Granny to finish.
But she can’t find her wool.
Clementine and her family search for the missing purple skein of wool.
They look high and low, beneath the coloured paper chains that hang from pictures, and around the tree. At last! Success!
In this collection of delightful short stories with
exquisite, timeless and funny line drawings, we meet Hazel and her friends.
‘Hazel is nine years old, as long as her bunk bed and as
kind as a marshmallow.’
Hazel shares a treehouse in the bush with Pokey the
‘feelings’ echidna, Odette the pademelon, Walter the wombat and little Tiny,
the honey possum. Together the friends get up to all sorts of mischief and
adventure – in the very best of ways.
I personally don’t know of any 6-year-olds who wouldn’t want to live inside this beautifully rendered treehouse with a menagerie of Australian animals as their best friends.
Maisie is learning how to swim safely. With her Dad by her side she practices jumping waves and knowing when it's better to dive under them.
When Maisie hesitates to dive under a bigger wave, she discovers the strength of the water as it tumbles her about and dumps her. Maisie's fortunate that Dad's there to pull her to safety.
All this beauty has been made accessible to
children through the brilliance of Jess Racklyeft’s illustrations.
Jevita Nilsen’s alliteration intensifies the poetic
prose and draws attention to the referred images of the twelve locations addressed.
As readers tour our wonderful world, each There is a Place… takes your breath away.
It begins with aurora borealis.
It’s easy to see why these books are delighting readers
young and old – the writing is fresh, funny and fabulous.
Lottie Brooks is one of those tween characters who is
sometimes all-bluff, sometimes all-heart, and you sort of fall in love with her
either way.
She is a frustratingly endearing creature who creates
crazy and embarrassing moments in every aspect of her life – the word ‘chaotic’
in the title is an understatement.
Lottie’s voice is clear and engaging, even when her
actions are heart-stoppingly ridiculous. She constantly gets herself into
awkward situations, giving readers the joy of watching her squirm out of them.
It’s one of
those very special stories where every page-turn is a cornucopia of discovery, filled
with things to make your mouth water – and your tummy rumble.
Mabel loves visiting the Sugar Plum Café, and specifically she loves visiting Miss Plum because of her radiant smile (among other things, of course. She is a café owner after all!).
Her mother sent her away. She was too different. Too much. Too difficult.
She is picked up by Fern and taken to the fairy realm.
Rosemary ends up at Fern’s School for Wayward Fae.
Half human and half fae, Rosemary has the power to see how people are going to die. It seems that all the students own a magical gift.
Partnered with Trym, a banshee who is deaf, can lip
read and speak, and whose scream can kill, Rosemary begins a new life, a
different one where she can be herself; be wanted and loved.
In essence, it’s as the title suggests - the tale of Santa becoming snagged on the branch of a gum tree, while the local natives try (and mostly fail) to help him down.
Eventually, of course, the day is saved but not before some very funny situations
which, let’s just say, include Santa losing his boots and pants.
Told in
joyful, masterful rhyme, this book is a gem that begs to be read aloud. Author
Jackie Hosking does not shy away from using sometimes long and
wonderful-sounding words that make the reading experience a true pleasure.
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I got over it though, and then we spent whole days of the
summer poring over that miraculous book – marvelling at the unbelievable photos
and records, and vowing to one day break a record of our own (which we never
did).
In 2025, Guiness World Records is celebrating its 70th year of publication.
It contains a chapter celebrating the book’s evolution in
terms of design and inclusions over seven decades, and all the special extras
that you’d expect and love from such a publication – including items that
didn’t make it to print over the years. It’s such a mind-boggling treat to
wander through!
Father Christmas has to step away from his sleigh for a
short while, and before he goes, he asks the reader to make sure that nobody
steals it. Especially not the pigeon.
And, well, if you want to see a pigeon having a tantrum
mid-strut, then look no further. This is the book for you.
Mo Willems’ much beloved pigeon series has delivered
again, with ho ho hos and surprises aplenty.
The book uses simple, rhyming lines to explain the pine marten's behavior, its forest home, and what it eats. The text is direct and easy to follow.
Each page focuses on a different aspect of the animal’s life, making it a useful educational tool.
The pine marten is the only character and is portrayed as active and curious. The writing emphasizes its agility, strength, and love for trees.
Rhyming prose creates a light music-like atmosphere
when read.
Stunning images of these lovable creatures and their habitats, fill the pages.
Descriptions of their lifestyles in general, the poisonous ones are pointed out along with ones that burrow in the ground to keep cool and those which camouflage helps to hide and protect from danger.
This colourful, dynamic book is laid out in a magazine style similar to it’s older sibling, The Guinness Book of World Records.
Being a paperback rather than a hardcover, it’s perhaps a little more accessible and definitely easier to hold for long periods! Plus it has popping sub-heads and interesting pictures.
Described as a ‘must have for gaming afficionados’ this book celebrates the greatest achievements in video gaming.
The Purinina (Tasmanian devil) are an endangered species.
They grow in their mother’s pouch.
Pink fleshed, at birth, they are the size of a rice grain.
The mother gives birth to about 30 babies at once but the strongest alone reach the pouch where they suckle from her four teats, therefore surviving.
They are weaned at ten months, prefer dry, dark places, and can run at a speed of 25 klm an hour.
The glacier star of this story is a frozen, tall character depicted in an anthropomorphic cartoon form.
When the glacier packs his bags and leaves determined to explore new places and enjoy the world.
One place he wants to visit is the beach, and to get there he will go through different kinds of environments.
As he travels, he becomes impatient with how glacially slow the pace is. The glacier tries various methods to go faster, including a pair of skis, express post, and train.
In this story the birds might look like those you've seen before, or perhaps not. They might act somewhat differently, too.
Galahs have a reputation for being silly and funny. Like a silly galah. But Greg is a galah who isn’t like that at all.
Greg is incredibly polite and introverted. He never makes jokes, and he’s shy.
Bruce the budgie is Greg’s best friend and quite the opposite. Bruce makes silly noises, loves dancing and trying new things.
In it, you will find advent calendars, street parties, antler-wearing dogs, trombone playing children and Christmas lights galore.
Indeed,
it will make you want to bake gingerbread and sing carols with those cute little
busking kidlets.
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A fantastic read, they are part of a series with wonderful characters,
light-hearted narratives, and a focus on multicultural - people and customs.
Ten-year-old Grace and Izzy are identical twins. But that’s where the likeness stops.
They love each other very much, but there is friendly sibling rivalry between them.
Sharing a bedroom is challenging.
Totally different in character, Izzy is untidy, loud, feisty, and loves hamburgers.
Grace is quiet and thoughtful. She loves to read, art, wear fashionable clothes, and eat vegetarian food.
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My writing style is willy nilly. I write children’s novels and poetry. Children’s novels demand imagination, well-crafted sentences, suspense, humor, intrigue, and a satisfying resolution that ties all the ends together.
But now it’s the last week of year six and Tash is
standing in Leo’s front yard with a misdelivered letter – and a favour to ask.
It’s a request that will set off a chain of events in Noble Park, their little
suburb that is changing, and fast…
A big, hopeful coming-of-age middle-grade book that
features complicated families and life-changing summers.
Tash and Leo have been friends forever, until they’re not (one day, Tash simply starts hanging out with different kids and Leo is left wondering what he did, what he said, and why he was dropped like a hot potato).
In Ethel the Penguin, with its rhyming text and bright pictures, you’ll
met a penguin who lives in a semi-detached iceberg next door to her best friend.
Ethel goes to school and often does what’s least expected.
When Ethel decides she wants to ride a ferris wheel, and takes off without eating dinner, her parents can’t believe it. When they find her atop the ferris wheel Ethel doesn’t want to come down. She loves it.
This new young adult novel is exploding with
dramatic tension and mystery. Secretive characters, challenging rivals, impossible
puzzles and many dark secrets are combined to create an addictive novel, The
Grandest Game.
In an annual game run by Avery Grambs and the four Hawthorne brothers, seven tickets are on offer for the chance of a lifetime.
On
an island of dreams, romance is simmering between characters and lives are at
stake in this deadly game. Daunting choices are made, creating plot twists
until the very last page.
Felice Arena’s use of rhyming verse in delightful rhythm, makes you want to settle down with fresh pasta smothered in grated cheese, crackers with the cheese of your choice, or
Starting with a brief overview of nature's 'microscopic to monstrous' world, Mini to Maxi moves on to look at cells and the minuscule DNA that's a part of us all.
Each double-page spread leads into the next, with featured organisms and animals growing in size as the book progresses.
Myke Mollard's stunning illustrations are the centrepiece of his books, and what make them so special. Mini to Maxi is no different.
With detailed, coloured drawings and and labelled cross-sections, you'll delve deep into the world around you.
It’s PARTY RHYME!
Put on your PARTY BAT,
enjoy the LIZZIE DRINKS,
but don’t eat too much HAIRY BREAD!
As the name suggests, this book contains delightful
jokes and puns, witty rhymes and playful language.
The Christmas Star is the narrator of this delightful
rhyming picture book full of rhythm and metre. This is Laura Motherway's first book.
From up high, it sees everyone sharing the joy they feel on the eve of the best day of the year.
It shines for everyone, no matter
who or where.
Through the day, the children played in the sun, in
water, and on the sand.
A wonderful child-filled double spread full of activity,
reflects the freedom and joy youngsters find when on the beach.
Core character, Whitney Curry has thoroughly prepared herself for a semester abroad, arming herself with the perfect, yet extensive to-do list in order to experience the Paris magic at its best.
Wanting to live the life of her idol, Josephine
Baker, Whitney aims to set foot in all the places she did. Although she feels
prepared for this trip, unexpected locations (and people) may leave her ideal
trip up to chance.
Determined
to keep her love and school life separate, the line between the two gets
blurred and both her head and heart are overwhelmed.
Featuring a cast of cute Australian animals – wombat, kangaroo, echidna, platypus – it’s a story about their Christmas traditions.
Mrs Roo holds a festive lucky dip and the animals each receive musical instruments. There’s a wooden flute, shaker, triangle, tambourine, harmonica, drum, and horn.
The animals take a musical march to the beach for a Christmas party with food and games.
The only thing missing is a Christmas tree, but with some dressing up they find a unique solution for that, all while cleaning up the beach.
She knows the history of every shipwreck of the area,
and always frequents the museum there to get an update from her friend Bobbi.
But this year, Lou has come with her new friend, Hailey, the most popular girl at their school, who is only interested in boys. So, Sid becomes the odd one out.
Eager to please Hailey, Lou seems to fit nicely under the girl’s thumb and agrees with everything she says and suggests.
Even when it concerns her former best friend.
Sid hasn’t got over her parents’ separation yet. Mum has brought along her new boyfriend Tony and his daughter Eva.
Sid feels resentment towards Tony, and the fact that Eva ignores Sid entirely, works well for her, as Eva shows no sign of thawing out towards her.
She is not ready to be part of a blended family.
Hailey makes Sid feel unwanted and worthless at every opportunity. She has stolen the magic that Lou and Sid had together.
Gone is the closeness and ability to be herself. She can't be forced to change, just to fit in.
Sid just needs to find the old Lou again, like buried treasure.
But is that possible when everyone is changing and moving forward?
But friendship arrives when Sid needs it the most and least expects it, in an unusual form.
This is a beautifully told story with a lot of history and information entwined in the characters’ personal lives, and their struggles to remain true to themselves, while they overcome and adapt to life’s changes.
Perfect prose and strong, interesting characters, and fast-paced action and excitement fills the pages.
I loved it!
Title: Summer of Shipwrecks
Author: Shivaun Plozza
Publisher: UQP, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 September 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780702268373
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction