Author: Admin

Jedda Robaard, The Little Elephant who Lost his Bath,  The Five Mile Press,  May 2016, 12pp.,  $12.95 (board book), ISBN 9781760400408 Jedda Robaard,  The Little Giraffe who Lost her Spots,  The Five Mile Press,  May 2016, 12pp.,  $12.95 (board book), ISBN 9781760400392 Two illustrated board books in the ‘Little Creatures Collection’ about discovering interesting things whilst looking for something you have lost. The little elephant wakes up hot and grumpy and really wants a nice cooling bath. None of the wash places he finds on his search are quite right even though they provide much fun. The little giraffe wakes to…

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Ann James,  Bird and Bear and the Special Day,  The Five Mile Press,  May 2016, 24pp.,  $19.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781760402808 Two best friends are off to the park for a day of surprises and the simple joy of companionship. Busy and conversational this follow-up picture book to Bird and Bear by award-winning Ann James explores age relevant educational games with deceptive simplicity. It follows the couple through the autumn leaves, splashing in the fishpond and pausing for a picnic. In all their fun has Bear forgotten Birds’ birthday? A mix of sweeping crayon lines barely contains joyful dabs of watercolour…

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Jen Banyard (text),  Tracey Gibbs (illus.),  Riddle Gully Secrets (Riddle Gully #3),  Fremantle Press,  30 May 2016,  224pp.,  $14.99 (pbk),  ISBN 9781925163957 Youth reporter for the local newspaper, Pollo di Nozi is on the look-out for a juicy story.  Her good friend, Will is keen to help although he is very much the apprentice when it comes to investigating suspicious activities in the town.  When they both happen upon some campers hidden away in the bush, a whole lot of trickery and surprises come to the surface. Riddle Gully Secrets is the third book in this highly successful series by…

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Katie Abey,  Basket Cat,  The Five Mile Press,  June 2016, 18pp.,  $12.95 (board book),  ISBN: 9781760402303 Katie Abey,  Dog House,  The Five Mile Press,  June 2016, 18pp.,  $12.95 (board book),  ISBN: 9781760402310 Katie Abey’s books, Basket Cat and Dog House are two colourful and lively easy-care books to be enjoyed by small children and the adults who read them. In Basket Cat, we meet a friendly feline who, like most cats, loves baskets and spends a lot of time trying out numerous ones for comfort.  But the one difference between other cats and Basket Cat is that she dreams of having a basket…

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John Flanagan,  The Ghostfaces (Brotherband #6), Random House Australia,  16 May 2016, 386pp.,  $18.99 (pbk),  ISBN 9780857980113 I have never read speculative fiction, or science fiction, so when The Ghostfaces arrived – and it was no.6 in the popular Brotherband series – I did feel somewhat tentative about the enjoyment level this book would deliver. But deliver it did in what is an action-packed, adventure-driven quest.  The Herons, so-called because of the type of ship in which they sail, make up the Brotherband.  Each of them possess particular skills which gives them the capacity to rise to any occasion that…

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Bill Condon (text),  Lucinda Gifford (illus.),  One More Friend (Mates: Great Australian Yarns),  Scholastic Australia,  June 2016,  64pp.,  $12.99 (pbk),  ISBN: 9781742991184 A recent addition to Scholastic’s Mates*series, One More Friend is a fully illustrated chapter book for readers 7+. The story follows Jack’s first day at a new primary school, during which he is faced with the challenges of making new friends and finding a way to deal with the resident bully, Mark. Fortunately, Jack’s gift – the ability to make people laugh – comes in handy when making friends. However, dealing with Mark is another matter entirely. The story’s…

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Roland Harvey,  On the River,  Allen & Unwin,  July 2016,  32pp.,  $24.99 (hbk),  ISBN: 9781760112455 This next installment of Roland Harvey’s At the Beach series is On the River – a picture book about the Murray River, from its beginning in the high country to its end at the sea. The first thing that struck me on opening this book was the extensive research that has gone into it. The endpapers alone could keep a reader happily busy for an hour or two! As with the other books in this series, On the River has something for all ages. As the…

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Fleur Ferris,  Black,  Random House Australia,  27 June 2016,  288pp.,  $19.99 (pbk),  ISBN: 9781925324976 Black isn’t Ebony Marshall’s true name, but the moniker has stuck. Seventeen-year-old Black is in her final year of high school, and can’t wait to escape the small country town of Dainsfield after graduation – but not for the usual reasons. Everyone in Dainsfield knows that Black is cursed. Three of her friends have died in tragic accidents. Enter Aiden, a newcomer to the school, who asks her to the school formal. Will Aiden be the next victim? Fleur Ferris, author of Risk, skilfully combines mystery, romance…

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Jules Verne,  Stephanie Smee (translator),  David Allan (illus.),  Jules Verne’s Mikhail Strogoff,  Eagle Books/Christmas Press,  April 2016,  337pp.,  $55.00 (hbk),  ISBN: 9780994234001 Jules Verne’s Mikhail Strogoff is a classic adventure story set in nineteenth century Tsarist Russia at a time of great turbulence as foreign armies threaten to invade the Empire. Only one man, Mikhail Strogoff, has the skill and fortitude to traverse the vast countryside and warn of the invasion—but will he make it in time? The story, by celebrated French writer Jules Verne, is a rollercoaster of good versus evil, man versus nature, and overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds.…

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Naomi Hunter (text),  Karen Erasmus (illus.),  A Secret Safe to Tell,  Empowering Resources,  April 2014,  32pp.,  $17.00 (pbk),  ISBN 9780994501004 Tackling a rarely discussed issue, A Secret Safe to Tell is a gently told story about a girl who finds freedom after sharing her deepest secret. With evocative language, readers are drawn into the life of a young girl experiencing abuse. Each page brings readers down the same path as this child who is trying to understand what is happening to her. Eventually, the emotions become more than she can handle alone. And in a sweet, satisfying conclusion, she finds help…

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