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Razorbill, 2009. ISBN 9781921518324.
(Age 13+) Recommended. Dru Anderson and her father have led a nomadic
existence, travelling
around the U.S. searching for things that go bump in the night. She has
been used to packing up and moving on since her grandmother died and
life with her dad has been anything but dull. She’s been drilled to
look after herself, physically and mentally. Outwardly she is self
assured, self contained and confident. But the move to the Dakotas
changed everything. Not only was it bone-chillingly cold but there was
a feeling of menace in the air.
Life changes dramatically for Dru when her father is killed and she has
to deal with the very serious consequences. Not only is she alone, but
there are some very weird 'things' from the 'Real World' that want her
dead. Fortunately, Graves, a Goth from school gives her shelter, food
and a shoulder to cry on. But this means she draws him into her world;
a world of suckers, djamphir, loup-garou or werewolves and zombies.
This tale of horror is a cut above the usual vampire tale. Dru is a far
more believable character than most in the genre and St. Crow keeps the
action moving and the tension high. True there are a couple of cute
guys but they are not given the soap box treatment. If you like a bit
of zombie and vampire in your life give Strange Angels a read
and be
prepared for the next in the series soon.
Mark Knight
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780007311170.
(Ages 15-Adult) Recommended. Chevalier has written a riveting story
about the discovery of fossils in the English seaside town of Lyme
Regis. Based on the lives of two real women, Mary Anning and Elizabeth
Philpot, it tells of the struggle for women to be recognised in a
scientific world dominated by men. Mary Anning, struck by lightning as
a child, uncovers fossils of strange and wonderful creatures in the
cliffs. Her discoveries challenge the accepted ideas of the time about
creation and evolution. However she is given little scholarly or
financial recognition for her work as male scientists force her into a
subservient role of mere gatherer of the fossils not recognising her
intelligence and ability. Spinster Elizabeth Philpot, who has been her
mentor and taught her to read, is also an avid collector of fish
fossils and begins to champion her.
Chevalier has the wonderful ability to bring alive a time in history
and to examine the lives of the women struggling to make a place for
themselves. I found it fascinating to read about Mary Anning's work
with fossils, the way she set up a museum, her collaboration and
infatuation with Colonel Birch and the role of women in the 19th
century. Elizabeth Philpott, poor but of a higher social class, is a
remarkable woman also fighting against the class structure and
prejudice about women of the time.
This is a stunning historical read, an in-depth examination of the
nature of friendship between women; the strictures of social class and
how one woman manages to rise above them to make important scientific
discoveries.
Pat Pledger
Wendy Lamb Books, 2009. ISBN 9780385737425.
(Age 10+) Highly recommended. Winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal,
When you reach me is a complex, challenging and ultimately
very rewarding book. Set in the 1970's, it tells the story of Miranda,
as she weaves her way through complications at school, having to walk
past a crazy man on her way home and losing her best friend Sal, who
after being hit by another boy, withdraws from her. Miranda
writes to some unknown person, who has asked her to write down the
events that have occurred. She tells of how her apartment key
disappears and how anonymous notes appear telling her to do strange
things.
Set in New York City, the book gives an intimate look into urban life.
The reader gets to know Miranda's apartment, her school and the deli
where she has a lunch time job with some friends. Characters in the
book are finely drawn. Her mother is determined to win the $20,000
Pyramid game show and I became engrossed in the preparation and
practice that Miranda and her mother's boyfriend, Richard, give her
mother.
She makes new friends and is appalled when she discovers that one of
them, Marcus, fascinated by the idea of time travel, is the boy who hit
Sal.
Miranda is obsessed with the book, A wrinkle in time by
Madeline
L'Engle and themes like time travel, friendship and mystery
thread through
the book. It is a complicated puzzle: why is she receiving these notes,
who has written them, and what is going to happen? Astute readers will
ponder the clues on the way, others like me will rush ahead to see what
happens. All in all a very satisfying book.
Pat Pledger
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780007283620.
(Ages: 6-10) Award winning author of The Ant Colony and Finding Violet
Park, Jenny
Valentine has created a couple of very funny characters in Iggy and her
older, long suffering sister, Flo. The scrapes they get into will have
instant appeal to middle primary students, who will instantly recognize
all the sorts of things they get up to at home. Iggy's world is
totally self centred, as she marches through the day, expecting
everyone to fall in line with what she wants to do. From cutting her
own hair with disastrous results, finding out what a mirage is, to
demanding that everyone call her Iggy instead of her real name, both
girls in this book will endear themselves to the reader.
Fran
Knight
Walker Books, 2008. ISBN 9781406325492
(Ages Junior Primary) Highly Recommended. This award winning picture
book is one that warms the heart and
soul of all readers, and the story it portrays will cause many to
simply go 'ahhh' at its completion. As with many of Bob Graham's
picture books, the premise is seemingly simple. A small boy finds a
wounded bird on the street near the underground. No one else has seen
it or if they have, they have hurried past, or moved around it and not
bothered. The boy retrieves the bird, takes it home and cares for it.
With time and care, the bird recovers from its injury until the family
takes the bird back to where they found it and release it. The
background story of a loving, caring family permeates the story, as the
pictures show the family creating a place for it in their home,
bringing home a bird cage for it, watching it take its first steps and
then flying around their sitting room. The whole is redolent of looking
after what is in your own backyard, of taking time to see what it in
front of you, of being prepared to put yourself out for someone or
something else, of reaching out to help. The implicit storyline
portrays a selfless individual caring about his environment. But more
than this, the whole is based firmly, as are all of Bob Graham's books,
in the family. The heart of his tales show a loving, caring family. The
children are never alone, they have parents there to help and guide
them, to back them up. A beautiful picture book, I love the way Graham
shows the family, the parents concerned not only for the bird but their
child, the looks on their faces showing their apprehension about their
baby. The yellow glow on several pages spotlights the family in
the midst of the moving, uncaring crowd, intent on their own purpose of
rescuing the bird. Children reading the book will love looking at the
crowd of people, the plethora of animal images in the family's home,
the sights of London and finally a bird's eye view of the city.
Fran Knight
Jonathan Cape, 2010. (Ages 3-6) In spite of an entertaining story and vibrant illustrations I felt short changed by this book. Wormell's smart fish can sing, dance, paint and perform, wowing all his friends. However when this fish visits the 'landside' for his holiday he gazes up the beach and longs to explore. Everyone knows fish can't walk, so Smart Fish makes himself some feet and walks up the beach. He is the first fish, indeed creature to walk on the land and although he returns to his friends in the ocean, change has begun. Wormell concludes his story by describing how millions of years later other fish began crawling on their fins and in another few hundred million years they grew feet instead, until eventually people emerged. This brief text is accompanied by a fabulous double page illustration of reptiles, dinosaurs, mammals and humans. On one level this is an entertaining fantasy, but on the other Wormell is introducing the concept of evolution. Modification of species, dominant genes, natural selection and the work of Darwin and Mendel are obviously inappropriate in a story for young children. However, somewhere, perhaps as an epilogue, I would have appreciated a mention of Darwin, and even the word 'evolution' to show children that this is not just a fantasy but the story of our very existence. I think Wormell (or perhaps his publisher) misses a trick here, offering a beautifully illustrated story that could have gone one step further to begin to explain to young children the concept of evolution. Claire Larson
Speak, 2010. ISBN 9780142415573.
(Ages 14+) Chosen by the American Library Association as one of their
2010
Best books for young adults, Wintergirls is an unflinching
and
very frightening look at eating disorders. Lia is haunted by the death
from bulimia of her best friend Cassie who had sent her 33 messages
before she died. She is consumed with guilt because she didn't answer
the phone and relives some of the moments that she has shared with
Cassie as well as the struggle that she has with anorexia nervosa.
Anderson has written about a difficult subject in a confronting and
honest way. She describes Lia's descent into the depths of her
disorder, her lies and her feelings about her parents, stepmother and
stepsister . Everyone who has ever dieted will be familiar with the
counting of calories : a muffin (410), an orange (75); and the hard
grind of a treadmill to wear off even more calories. Lia takes dieting
to a new high, always striving to lose more weight and even cutting
herself to forget the shadows that surround her. It is a frightening
portrayal of an intelligent young woman who has been unable to cope
since the death of her grandmother and her parents' divorce.
Lia is offered all sorts of help: she is hospitalised; she visits a
psychiatrist; her mother is prepared to sell her stocks and her father
to get a second mortgage to pay for her medical expenses. However,
Cassie's ghost seems to sit on her shoulder, encouraging her to lose
weight. It is not until she reaches the depths that she confronts
the idea of staying alive.
This is a compulsive, honest and disturbing book.
Pat Pledger
Puffin, 2004 (50th anniversary edition.
ISBN 9780140308907.
Highly recommended. With the release of the film of this book in
September 2010, there will
be enough hype for kids to want to reread this classic tale. New
editions have been released; in the last ten years, along with
the 50th anniversary edition in 2004, and I expect another will be
released as the film opens. Already some citizens of the USA are seeing
the film as criticism of their exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
the publicity is being stepped up. So I retrieved my husband's year 8
copy from the back of the bookcase and began to read. And I was
overwhelmed with glee as I reread one of my favourite authors from my
teens, Rosemary Sutcliffe. Her work is undergoing a revival and
no wonder, her novels are exciting, involving, with characters that are
believable, and issues that remain with us to this day.
The Eagle of the Ninth is the story of a young centurion, Marcus
Aquila, proudly leading his cohort. It is his first tour of Britain,
and his first command, and he is very aware of the might of the Roman
army and all it does in bringing civilized society to the savages. He
suffers a major injury in an heroic battle against the Painted People,
having then to find another occupation. While recuperating at his
uncle's house, he attends a gladiatorial fight and seeing something
defiant and brave in the young Briton pitched against the gladiator
with a net and trident, asks to buy him as his personal slave.
But Marcus cannot forget that his father was the First Cohort of the
Ninth, the famed legion that was lost and never heard of again, losing
their eagle, the pride of the corps. So he takes on the role of an
oculist, and he and Esca, head north, the place of the painted savages,
to search for the lost 4,000 and their eagle. Adventures come thick and
fast as they roams the villages and settlements of the north, curing
them of eye disease and gathering information. They finally meet a
soldier of the Ninth, who escaped the carnage and settled with a
northern village, he is able to tell Marcus what happened to the legion
and more importantly, his father. Along the way, Marcus learns more
about the people he has been sent to conquer and about himself and
where his future lies.
Fran Knight
(Ages 10+) Recommended. Subtitled Very small stories, very big
scares, this is a collection of terrifying short stories that can
be
read silently or out loud in half a minute. It is a quality collection
of dozens of chilling stories written by outstanding international
authors like Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, Jerry Spinelli, Kenneth Opel,
James Patterson, Jenny Nimmo, Margaret Atwood, Melissa Marr and Libba
Bray.
Ideal for teachers to use on school camps or as a fun end of the day
activity, this collection could also be used as a starter for
encouraging creative writing of a horror story. The stories will also
have immediate appeal to reluctant readers as most take up only a page
or two. There are also illustrated stories that are equally haunting
and quite challenging.
Pat Pledger
Egmont Books, 2009. ISBN 9781405248235.
(Ages
8 and up) Recommended. In this eighth and final book of the Charlie
Bone
series, we find Charlie still missing his parents, the Pets' Cafe
closed, and
Billy trapped in Badlock. To make matters worse, it seems that the
Bloors are
becoming more of a threat, as they recruit stronger and more dangerous
allies
in their race to find the box which holds the secret to the Bloors'
power. Charlie's parents
are in danger, and he no longer knows who he can trust. Then a
mysterious Red
Knight appears, and Charlie must discover if he is really there to help
him.
With a huge cast of characters, readers may find themselves needing to
refer
back to the family tree at the start of the book, but all the
characters are
intriguing and have their own role to play. A very satisfying end to
the series.
Donella
Reed
Walker
Books, 2009. ISBN 9781406314281.
(Ages
8 and up) Recommended. The fifth book in the Scream Street
series finds
werewolf Luke Watson searching for another of the relics which will
help his
family escape back to their old lives. It's Halloween, and the arrival
of a new
celebrity resident is causing a stir. Eddie aka the Headless Horseman,
makes a
grand entrance, causing mummies and skeletons alike to swoon. That is,
until
his head disappears. Meanwhile Luke, Cleo and Resus must fight a demon
created
by Sir Otto before his parents, and indeed the whole of Scream Street
are
destroyed.
This book, while part of a series, is also successful as a
stand-alone read, as the characters are reintroduced and motives
explained
clearly. With witty writing, an abundance of bad taste, and a
fast-moving plot,
this is sure to entertain.
Donella
Reed
David Fickling Books, 2009. ISBN 9780385616447.
(Ages 13+) Fantasy. Recommended. Eon
will be snapped up by fans of fantasy sagas as they delve into the life
of Eona, as she trains to be a Dragoneye, the most powerful of lords
within this ancient Chinese kingdom, able to control wind and water.
Women are forbidden to train for this high station, but she has kept
her sexuality hidden for most of her life, and to become the next
Dragoneye is her avowed aim.
While training she is unwittingly involved in a life and death struggle
for the throne of this kingdom, and is asked to be the representative
of the current emperor, to fight against his enemies to the death. Her
supporters, some of whom know her secret, go to great lengths to find
information about her combatants, just as her combatants delve into her
abilities and styles of fighting.
This is a page turner, a breathless account of survival against
overwhelming odds, made all the more pertinent because she is also
hiding her sex. Shortlisted for many awards, and winning the
prestigious Aurelius Award in 2009, Eon is the first in what I
hope is
a trilogy.
Red Fox, 2010. ISBN 9781862309067.
(Ages 3-7) Highly recommended. If you are in any doubt that
crocodiles are
actually delightfully appealing creatures then read Little
Croc's Purse. This is another triumph from Lizzie Finlay,
whose first book Danylion was one of
my top books of 2009.
Little Croc discovers a purse
full of coins
during a game of hide and seek. His friends try to persuade him to keep
it as
'no one returns things nowadays'. But Little Croc has plenty of moral
fibre and
as the story unfolds he manages to resist the temptation to shop,
requests from
a good cause and sly old Murdock, the bully. He delivers the purse to
the
police station and Mrs Doolally, the owner reveals the secret of the
purse and
rewards Little Croc for his honesty. Little Croc is delighted with his
reward
and decides to spend some, share some and save some, a message which in
our
debt ridden society it is probably good to start teaching at an early
age.
With Finlay's now
characteristic
combination of artistic styles Little
Croc's purse has a fresh and engaging feel. My three year old
goddaughter
loved the collage roses on Mrs Doolally's hat and we both spent ages
poring
over the pictures. Each page layout is a perfect balance of text and
illustration and there is plenty in this story to delight adults and
children
alike. I can't help feeling that anyone who can succeed in making a
crocodile
look vulnerable must be a genius!
Claire Larson

Strange Angels by Lil St. Crow
Remarkable creatures by Tracy Chevalier
When you reach me by Rebecca Stead
Iggy and me by Jenny Valentine
How to heal a broken wing by Bob Graham
One smart fish by Chris Wormell
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe
Half-minute horrors ed. by Susan Rich
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight by Jenny Nimmo
Scream Street: Skull of the Skeleton by Tommy Donbavand
Yummy by Lucy Cousins
Deadline by Chris Crutcher
The Seer of Shadows by Avi
Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
Little Croc's purse by Lizzie Finlay
King Lear adapted and ill.by Gareth Hinds
Through the magic mirror by Anthony Browne
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Why the animals came to town by Michael Foreman
Monster Republic by Ben Horton
Shadowmagic by John Lenahan
The Devil's Ladder by Graham Joyce
The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Changes by Anthony Browne
Dark Summer by Ali Sparkes
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
Barnaby Grimes: Phantom of Blood Alley by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Elizabethan Mysteries: Revenge by John Pilkington
The penguin who wanted to find out by Jill Tomlinson
Bright girls by Clare Chambers
I am not a serial killer by Dan Wells
Agent Alfie: Licence to fish by Justin Richards
Ctrl-Z by Andrew Norriss
Someone like you by Sarah Dessen
Claire Larson's top reads for 2009
Percy Jackson and the Battle of Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
The Saga of Darren Shan: The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
Are these my basoomas I see before me? by Louise Rennison
Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
Are you ready to play outside? by Mo Willems
Red Ted and the lost things by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart.
Beating heart by A. M. Jenkins
The goblin and the empty chair by Mem Fox
Dreamdark series by Laini Taylor
Seven Sorcerers by Caro King
Shapeshifters: tales from Ovid's Metamorphoses retold by Adrian Mitchell
Watch me throw the ball by Mo Willems
What to do About Holly by Joan Lingard
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
Conspiracy 365: January by Gabrielle Lord
Wishing for tomorrow: The sequel to A Little Princess by Hilary McKay
The fairy's return and other princess tales by Gail Carson Levine
Blood Promise : A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead
Stop in the name of pants! by Louise Rennison
The TV Time Travellers by Pete Johnson
The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton
Dracula by Bram Stoker Re-edited by Jan Needle
Bang, bang, you're dead by Narinder Dhami
Willy Waggledagger: A belt around my bum by Martin Chatterton
Eternal by Cynthia Letich Smith
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia by Christopher Paolini
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Little Bird by Camilla Way
Operation Storm City by Joshua Mowll
Lessons from a dead girl by Jo Knowles
A Necklace of Raindrops by Joan Aiken and Jan Pienkowski
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Cupid's arrow by Isabelle Merlin
Envy a Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Fly away Peter by Frank Dickens
Daniel X: Watch the skies by James Patterson
Running on the cracks by Julia Donaldson
The Amanda Project, Invisible I by Melissa Kantor
Your mother didn't do that! by Sharon Holt
First Strike by Jack Higgins with Justin Richards
Running wild by Michael Morpurgo
City of bones to be a movie
Father Christmas needs a wee by Nicholas Allan
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Z.Rex by Steve Cole
The Stone Crown by Malcolm Walker
Glister: The Haunted Teapot by Andi Watson
Glister: The House Hunt by Andi Watson
Chalkline by Jane Mitchell
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Isabella's garden by Glenda Millard and Rebecca Cool
Lock and key by Sarah Dessen
Feather and bone by Laslo Strangolov
Bang, bang, you're dead by Narinder Dhami
The hunger games: Catching fire by Suzanne Collins
The last knight by Hilari Bell
The Magician's Elephant by Kate diCamilo
Santa's little helper by Angela McAllister and Daniel Howarth
Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
Hate that cat by Sharon Creech
Barack Obama: The making of a president by Dawne Allette
Who wants to be a poodle - I don't by Lauren Child
Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson
Boom! by Mark Haddon
The fury in the fire by Henning Mankell
One, two, cockatoo by Sarah Garson
Monster Revenge by Dean Lorey
The uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones
The poison throne by Celine Kiernan
Ranger's Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan
Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
Along for the ride by Sarah Dessen
The youngest Templar: Keeper of the grail by Michael P. Spradlin
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Where the giant sleeps by Mem Fox
Dead funny by Tanya Landman
The last thing that I remember by Andrew Klavan
Without looking back by Tabitha Suzuma
Labour day by Joyce Maynard
First the egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
The ask and the answer by Patrick Ness
The dragon tattoo by Tim Pigott-Smith
The duck in the gun by Joy Cowley
Oliver Nocturne: Blood Ties by Kevin Emerson
My Secret War Diary by Flossie Albright
Maisy's Street: A Maisy Concertina Book by Lucy Cousins
I like books by Anthony Browne
The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
The dead and the gone
Burn this book edited by Toni Morrison
A child's garden by Michael Foreman
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
All we know of love by Nora Raleigh Baskin
The eternal kiss. Vampire tales of blood and desire. Ed. by Trisha Telep
The bride's farewell by Meg Rosoff
The Jade Dragon by Carolyn Marsden
Elephant by Petr Horacek
Dark angels by Katherine Langrish
Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip
Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy
Journey of dreams by Marge Pellegrino
Frannie in pieces by Delia Ephron
The book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale
Naked Mole rat gets dressed by Mo Willems
Sharp Shot by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards
The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Retold by Robert Swindells
The Soul Trade by E. E. Richardson
By Royal Command by Charlie Higson
Far from home by K.M. Peyton
The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Second star to the right by Deborah Hautzig
Oddly by Joyce Dunbar
A finder's magic by Philipa Pearce
Little chick by Amy Hest
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
Exposure by Mal Peet
The extraordinary adventures of Ordinary Boy series by William Boniface
Genesis by Bernard Beckett
Creature of the night by Kate Thompson
One dragon's dream by Peter Pavey
Ten mile river by Paul Griffin
Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Skulduggery Pleasant: The faceless ones by Derek Landy
City of glass by Cassandra Clare
Ruby and Leonard and the great big surprise by Judith Rossell
The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine
Prom nights from hell by Meg Cabot et al
By the picking of my nose by Martin Chatterton
Gone by Michael Grant
Switched by Sienna Mercer
Chester's back by Melanie Watt
The Witch's children go to school by Ursula Jones and Russell Ayto
The tomorrow code by Brian Falkner
Heroes of the valley by Jonathan Stroud
Highway robbery by Kate Thompson
The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
Mrs Lincoln's dressmaker by Lynda Jones
Tuck by Stephen Lawhead
George's cosmic treasure hunt by Lucy and Stephen Hawking
Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera
My secret diary by Jacqueline Wilson
Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan
The escape by Robert Muchamore
Love is hell by Scott Westerfeld et al
Map of the invisible world by Tash Aw
Newes from the dead by Mary Hooper
The switch by Anthony Horowitz
I'm dirty by Kate and Jim McMullan
Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
The twin giants by Dick King-Smith
Akimbo and the baboons by Alexander McCall Smith
The game by Diana Wynne Jones
Solitaire by Bernard Ashley
Cross my heart and hope to spy by Ally Carter
Zelah Green, Queen of clean by Vanessa Curtis
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
Daisy Dawson and the big freeze by Steve Voake
Evernight by Claudia Gray
Auslander by Paul Dowswell
The composer is dead by Lemony Snicket
Ever by Gail Carson Levine
Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland
The best cow in show by Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto
Torn pages by Sally Grindley
Chalice by Robin McKinley.
A world away by Pauline Francis
The Paris enigma by Pablo De Santis (translated from Spanish by Mara Lethem)
Into the dark by Peter Abrahams
Shrapnel by Robert Swindells
How to drink from a frog and other things you need to know about food by Michael Cox
Before wings by Beth Goobie
Ape by Martin Jenkins and Vicky White
Waterslain angels by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Jackdaw Summer by David Almond
The Spell of Rosette by Kim Falconer
Don't ask by Hilary Freeman
Sky village by Monk and Nigel Ashland
Indian Summer by Patrima Mitchell
Miki Falls: Spring by Mark Crilley
Frozen in time by Ali Sparkes
Kaspar, prince of cats by Michael Morpurgo
Willy the dreamer by Anthony Browne
How to ditch your fairy by Justine Larbalestier
The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt
This morning I met a whale by Michael Morpurgo
Cowboy baby by Sue Heap
Hangman by Julia Jarman
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton
My dog may be a genius by Jack Prelutsky
City of ashes by Cassandra Clare
I love my new toy by Mo Willems
Ostrich boys by Keith Gray
The cat who liked rain by Henning Mankell
Dream Land: One girl's struggle to find her true home by Lily Hyde
Teen, Inc. by Stefan Petrucha
Lost Riders by Elizabeth Laird
Then by Morris Gleitzman
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
Way of the Wolf by Bear Grylls
The sniper by James Riordan
Belmont and the dragon by Mike Zarb and Robin Gold
The Mozart question by Michael Morpurgo
Amazons! Women warriors of the world by Sally Pomme Clayton and Sophie Herxheimer
Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
Can you keep a secret? Timeless rhymes to share and treasure
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
After the Flood by L. S. Matthews
Nation by Terry Pratchett
There are cats in this book by Viviane Schwarz
Roland Wright at the joust by Tony Davis
Black ships before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
Dandylion by Lizzie Finlay
Say hello by Jack and Michael Foreman
The Game Players of Titan by P.K. Dick
One beetle too many by Kathryn Laskey and Matthew Trueman
Lord of the animals by Fiona French
Stories from the billabong by James Vance Marshall and Francis Firebrace
Garibaldi's biscuits by Ralph Steadman
Paper towns by John Green
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Tender morsels by Margo Lanagan
If I were you by Richard Hamilton
The curious case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tales of terror from the Black Ship by Chris Priestley
The boy who could fly by Laura Ruby
Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson
Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
The wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
Tamburlaine's elephants by Geraldine McCaughrean
Life, interrupted by Damian Kelleher
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Aunt Nancy and the bothersome visitors by Phyllis Root
Rapunzel's revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you by Ally Carter
The resistance by Gemma Malley
The trouble with dogs by Bob Graham
Ghostscape by Joe Layburn
What's that noise, Mr Croc? by Jo Lodge
The fatal fire by Terry Deary
Nocturne by Diane Armstrong
If you're reading this, it's too late by Pseudonymous Bosch
The boy in the dress by David Walliams
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The way of the warrior by Chris Bradford
Necropolis by Anthony Horowitz
The First Escape by G. P. Taylor
Double Cross by Malorie Blackman
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
The Servants by M.M. Smith
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Roland Harvey's big book of Christmas by Roland Harvey
Audrey goes to town by Christine Harris
Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks
The gift of the Magi by O. Henry
The Trap by Sarah Wray
Cinderella by Max Eilenberg
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
The pop up dinosaurs galore by Giles Andrease and David Wojtowycz.
How to heal a broken wing by Bob Graham
The General by Robert Muchamore
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Does a sea cow say moo? by Terry Webb Harshman
The declaration by Gemma Malley
Naomi and Ely's no kiss list by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Little ballet star by Adele Geras and Shelagh McNicholas
The sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore
The red leather diary by Lily Koppel
George's secret key to the universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawkin
Crash by J.A Henderson
Cat on the island by Gary Crew and Gillian Warden
Evening is the whole day by Preeta Samarasan
The twisted citadel by Sara Douglas
Bunker 10 by J A Henderson
Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
One beastly beast by Garth Nix
The world's bellybutton by Tanya Landman
By Royal Command by Charlie Higson
Boobela, Worm and the potion power by Joe Friedman
The pencil by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman
Dreaming again ed. by Jack Dann
Blue Skies & Gunfire by K. M. Peyton
Bloodline by Katy Moran
Stravaganza: City of secrets by Mary Hoffman
The highest tide by Jim Lynch
The cow that laid an egg by Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto
Triskellion by Will Peterson
True Green Kids by Jim McKay and Jenny Bonnin
The savage by David Almond
Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan
Nighttrap by Tom Becker
Sovay by Celia Rees
Knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness
Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine
Angel Boy by Bernard Ashley
The tomb of treasure: An awful Egyptian adventure by Terry Deary
Abela : the girl who saw lions by Berlie Doherty
The Buddha's Diamonds by Carolyn Marsden and Thay Phap Niem
Missing girl by Norma Fox Mazer
Message in a bottle by Valerie Zenatti
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
The beginner's guide to bears by Gillian Shields and Sebastien Braun
The Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman
Traitor! by John Pilkington
Gifted by Nikita Lalwani
The H-Bomb Girl by Stephen Baxter
Revolution is not a dinner party by Ying Chang Compestine
Two by two and a half by David Melling
Kisses are yuk by Julia Jarman
Screwed by Joanna Kenrick
The falconer's knot by Mary Hoffman
The naked penguin by Kym Lardner
Possessing Rayne by Kate Cann
Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley
Little Beauty by Anthony Browne
The Dream-Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn
Love-Struck by Rachael Wing
My Story: Road to War by Valerie Wilding
Perky little penguins by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees
Midsummer Knight by Gregory Rogers
The Seventeen Secrets of the Karma Club by Karen McCombie
The Other Book by Philip Womack
Rain by Kate Le Vann
Are we there yet? by David Levithan
Nim at Sea by Wendy Orr
The last elf by Silvana de Mari
Cinnamon Girl: Looking for a Hero by Cathy Hopkins
The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman
The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Jimmy Coates: Sabotage by Joe Craig
Jungle by Maurice Pledger
Pip: the story of Olive by Kim Kane
Genius squad by Catherine Jinks
Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller
The uncommon reader by Alan Bennett
Love Divided by Vanessa St Clair
I am Rembrandt's daughter by Lynn Cullen
M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
Mia's Story by Michael Foreman
The ghost's child by Sonya Hartnett
Anila's journey by Mary Finn
Broken Glass by Sally Grindley
The OK Team by Nick Place
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
A pact of wolves by Nina Blazon
The town mouse and the Spartan house by Terry Deary
Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
The navigator by Eoin McNamee
Scared to death by Alan Gibbons
The Gulps by Rosemary Wells
Woodenface by Gus Grenfell
Dusk by Kenneth Oppel
Camp Creepy time by Gina Gershon and Dann Gershon
Best mate by Michael Morpurgo
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