Series: Young and Yang (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Kristen Kittscher (US)
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins ; 2013.
PAGES/ILL: ~370 pages.
SERIES: Young and Yang. The Wig in the Window ; The Tiara on the Terrace.

PLOT: (Book 1: The Wig in the Window)
Best friends, 7th graders Sophie Young and Grace Yang, love mysteries and have made a game out of spying on their neighbours. When they discover a bloody scene at the home of their bizarre middle-school counsellor, they are on the case to prove she is not what she seems. Soon the girls are breaking secret codes, being followed by a strange blue car, and tailing strangers. As the case heats up, they are under pressure, which threatens their friendship.

REVIEW:
This is a really fun story for fans of The Secret Seven, The Famous Five, Encyclopaedia Brown, and Nancy Drew (and their parents would have likely liked Trixie Belden and the Hardy Boys). The age-range would target children who have long since moved on from the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series, but are not be ready for the full series featuring the older Nancy Drew.
The plot has little twists and more suspense than your average middle-grade mystery fiction.
Overall, I highly recommend this series. It would be an appropriate class read-aloud for Grades 4-6

For promoting it in school libraries, I would display this book (along with the others I've listed) together with articles about real-life child investigators, such as this one.

For more mystery and suspense books, check out the list from A Mighty Girl.

AGE: 9+.
GENRE: Detective and Mystery Fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 - 5 stars.

Olive of Groves (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Louis Nowra (Aust)
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 262 pages.

PLOT:
When Olive arrives at Mrs Groves' Boarding School for Naughty Boys, Talking Animals and Circus Performers, it is not the boarding school she thought it would be. However, she is determined to make the best of the situation and earn her place. She pretends to be an acrobat, and makes friends with her talking rat roommates.
She eventually earns a place in the heart of other Naughty Boys, Talking Animals and Circus Performers... All except Pig McKenzie, the most Dastardly Fiend who is Up to No Good.
Eventually she foils a Dastardly Plot, and Pig is kicked out of the school. And all ends well.

REVIEW:
This is a rather cute story about acceptance, belonging, friendship, and standing up against bullies. It is quite silly - maybe a little too much at times, and not quite to the sophistication of Roald Dahl's silliness, but young children will love it.

AGE: 7+.
GENRE: Realistic Fantasy fiction.
RATING: 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

Cody and the Fountain of Happiness (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Tricia Springstubb (US)
PUBLISHED: Candlewick ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: ~150 pages ; ill.

PLOT:
Cody loves talking to ants, her family, and summer vacation. When her summer camp is cancelled, she thinks the summer might have taken a turn for the worse, with a teenage brother who is moping after a girl and a mother who has started a new job. But then she meets a new neighbour - a boy who is staying with his grandmother for the summer - and finds that that friendship and family is the fountain of happiness.

REVIEW:
This is a cute little story about a young girl and her relationships with her family and new friend. It would be an appropriate read-aloud for a year 1 class, or for children who are moving on to reading chapter books on their own.

AGE: 6+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction
RATING: 3 1/2 stars.

Series: Everest (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Gordon Korman (Canada)
PUBLISHED: Scholastic ; 2012, c2002.
PAGES/ILL: ~130 pages.
SERIES: Everest: 1. The Contest 2. The Climb 3. The Summit.

PLOT: (Book 1: The Contest)
Teenagers from across America have the chance to be on the youngest team ever to climb Everest. After winning a sports drink promotion, they must compete in boot camp to prove they have what it takes to survive on the mountain. Dominic is the smallest and the youngest and is in danger of being cut at every turn. The competition is fierce, and some contestants will go to any lengths to make the team.

REVIEW:
This adventure will appeal particularly to boys in upper primary school. I would also recommend it to reluctant readers and it could be used as a year 5 class read aloud. Themes include survival, friendship and interpersonal relationships, being highly skilled, competition, etc.

AGE: 10+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction, Adventure
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Prince of Afghanistan (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Louis Nowra (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Allen & Unwin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 162 pages.

PLOT:
When a rescue mission goes horribly wrong, an Australian soldier and a dog must embark on a journey to safety. Working their way through rough terrain and enemy territory, they depend on each other to survive.

REVIEW:
Written in the first person, present tense, this is a story with strong themes of endurance and survival in war. The bond between man and dog grows stronger as their journey progresses, which touches the heart strings at times. It provides a small glimpse into one view of the war in Afghanistan. Themes include war, soldiers, dogs, survival and death as well as family relations (a mother's death) and drug use. It would be a book you could read aloud in a high school class with discussion of the themes.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Paper Planes (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Steve Worland (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Puffin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 196 pages.

PLOT:
Twelve-year-old Dylan Webber lives in outback Western Australia in a small country town. When he discovers he has a talent for folding and flying paper planes, Dylan begins a journey to reach the World Junior Paper Plane Championships in Japan.
Along the way he makes unlikely new friends, clashes with powerful rivals and comes to terms with his family's past before facing his greatest challenge: to create a paper plane that will compete with the best in the world.

REVIEW:
Written in the second person, present tense, this is a quick and easy read. It is based on the screenplay of the movie. I'm sure it will appeal to primary school children who see the movie.

AGE: 7+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Series: Shoutykid (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Simon Mayle (UK)
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins, c2014.
PAGES/ILL: 397 pages, ill.
SERIES: Shoutykid.
FIRST BOOK: How Harry Riddles Made a Mega-Amazing Zombie Movie.

PLOT:
Told through a series of texts, emails and letters, follow Harry Riddles' ups and downs in life with school, girls and his family.
When his dad looses his job, Harry begins thinking that making a zombie movie might just be his ticket to success (and money).

REVIEW:
This book will appeal to fans of Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Charlie Merrick's Misfits, or Compton Valance. The format will have high appeal with reluctant and struggling readers.

AGE: 7-10.
GENRE: Realistic fiction
RATING: 4 stars (not because it is a literary great, but because of its high appeal to under 10s, especially reluctant readers).

My Brother's Secret (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Dan Smith (UK)
PUBLISHED: London : Chicken House, c2014.

PLOT:
Germany, 1941. 12-year-old Karl Engel is looking forward to joining the Hitler Youth, like all boys his age.

But when his father is killed, and his family moves in with his grandparents, he discovers things that leave his faith in the Führer shaken. Everyone seems to know something he doesn't. When he joins his brother in rebellion, his life will never be the same.

REVIEW:
This book is very interesting (I read it on my lunch break over a week and it was very difficult to get back to work :) ), and could be recommended to reluctant readers and to tweens/teens interested in history. It could be included on the reading list when introducing WW2 - certainly it lends itself to further discussion about Germany and the war, and how it may have felt to be a German at that time.
I liked the progression of the main character (from a very naive and rather irritating boy to a character with courage and convictions) and the inclusion of factual information about the Edelweiss Pirates.

This book could be a class read-aloud with 6th or 7th graders.

Also in this vein (war): Boy in the Striped Pajamas or Then.


AGE: 12-15. While the actual reading level is around age 10 or 11, the topics require a little maturity if you want children to read this and understand the implications in the broader context of a complex real-life war.
GENRE: Realistic fiction / Historical fiction.
RATING: 4 - 4 1/2 stars.

The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish (PB)

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman (AUS); ILLUSTRATOR: Dave McKean
PUBLISHED: Australia : HarperCollins, c1998.

PLOT:
When a boy swaps his dad for his friend's goldfish, chaos ensues. Mum is not impressed and demands that he swap them back, but in the meantime, his friend has swapped his dad for something else. The boy and his sister go on a hunt to get their dad back.

REVIEW:
Very funny. Lots of subtleties to the story that may go over the heads of some kids, but enjoyable all the same; even more so for the child who gets the jokes. It would lend itself well for children to create their own stories about something that keeps getting swapped for something else and how one might hunt it down.

AGE: 4-10.
RATING: 5 stars

Fussy Freya (PB)

AUTHOR: Katherine Quarmby ; ILLUSTRATOR: Piet Gobler
PUBLISHED: 2012, c2008

PLOT:
Freya has an appetite as fine as can be until one day she declares, "Your dhal and rice are just not nice." She spurns baked beans, sausages, and soon she's very thin indeed. Mum, in despair, phones Grandma Clare. "We'll sort her," says Grandma, "the fussy little beast." So off Freya goes for a fabulous feast and a lesson she will never forget.

REVIEW:
The cover sums it up nicely: "For children who like their food familiar and their rhymes revolting." This story about fussy eating is sure to get a laugh.

AGE: 3-7
RATING: 4 stars

Rules of Summer (PB)

AUTHOR: Shaun Tan
PUBLISHED: 2013

PLOT/REVIEW:
A deceptively simple story about two boys, one older and one younger, and the kind of rules that might govern any relationship between close friends or siblings. Rules that are often so strange or arbitrary, they seem impossible to understand from the outside.
Yet through each exquisite illustration of this nearly wordless narrative, we can understand the story of friendship that is so familiar - something friendship is easy, and sometimes it is hard. As you venture deep into the story, the images and the story line become darker, more mysterious and unsettling, but it draws together at the end to affirm the bond of deep friendship.

AGE: 6-10
RATING: 4 stars

Tales From Outer Suburbia (short stories) (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Shaun Tan (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 2013

Fifteen illustrated short stories set in the Australian suburbs. Stories include: The water buffalo -- Eric -- Broken toys -- Distant rain -- Undertow -- Grandpa's story -- No other country -- Stick figures -- The nameless holiday -- The amnesia machine -- Alert but not alarmed -- Wake -- Make your own pet -- Our expedition -- Night of the turtle rescue

PLOT (Eric): Eric is a foreign exchange student (the pictures make him seem alien-esque) comes to stay. Some of his behaviour seems very strange, but Mum just says "Maybe it's a cultural thing." But they're not really sure if he's happy or not. It's only when he mysteriously leaves that they find his thank-you gift.

REVIEW: Quite a charming collection of short stories, some humorous, some haunting and thought-provoking.

AGE: middle primary school to junior highschool.
GENRE: various
REVIEW: 5 stars

Just a Dog (Fic)

AUTHOR: Michael Gerard Bauer (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 2010

PLOT:
An ultimately sad little book about a dog and his family as told through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. It is a collection of stories about the dog's antics, and how a dog can truly be a member of the family.

REVIEW:
It made me laugh, and brought a tear to my eye, and reminded me of the dogs I've had in my life.

One criticism I have is the grammar and the over-misuse of the word "but" instead of "though" at the end of sentences ("It was good but."; "I didn't mind but.") Yes, it is supposed to be how the boy is talking, but it actually gets distracting and quite annoying. I'll go through my copy and edit it properly before I give it or read it to a child.
I wouldn't give the book to children under 10, or to sensitive children, as there are some themes (financial and marital problems, fighting, suggestions of infidelity, animals being scared and eventually dying) that will be confusing and/or confronting to some children.

AGE: Ages 10/11-15 (take maturity into account when suggesting this book)
GENRE: Realistic fiction
RATING: 4 1/2 stars

The Pros and Cons of Being a Frog (PB)

AUTHOR: Sue DeGennaro (Aust) PUBLISHED: 2012

PLOT:
Frogboy (we never actually learn his name) loves dressing up. Camille loves numbers (and loves them so much she sometimes uses them instead of words). They are very different. Frogboy first met Camille when he was dressed like a cat. And being chased by a dog. He doesn't like being chased, and after exactly 11 days, Camille suggests he try a different animal. Hence the frog.
While they are making the frog costumes, Frogboy gets frustrated with Camille, he shouts at her and she leaves.
Frogboy doesn't like being alone and makes a list of pros and cons of being a frog.
He then goes to find Camille to say sorry.

REVIEW:
I have to say that the first time I read this to children, I wasn't blown away. After reading it aloud again, and considering the story, I
While on the surface it is a sweet book about being friends, there are a few more subtle issues that you could explore with children. E.G.
 - The idea of replacing words with numbers, and how people communicate with each other.
 - How different people can be friends. Ask children to consider the two characters. What is different about Frogboy and Camille? What is the same? What makes them friends?
 - The importance of understanding things from another's point of view. Why did Camille leave?  Why did Frogboy shout?
 - The use of numbers in the illustrations, particularly when the children are speaking to each other.

On the surface, it is easy to get younger children (kindergarten/reception) to observe that Camille went away because Frogboy shouted at her, but with older children (yr 1/2) you could also trace the series of events which led to his shouting, which are as follows.
1. Frogboy knew that when Camille started singing her six times tables it meant she wanted a snack.
2. Since she kept singing louder and louder and becoming restless, we can infer that Frogboy was not sensitive to what she was telling him.
3. Frogboy shouted because Camille was restless.
4. Camille left because Frogboy shouted.

The numbers in the illustrations and storyline give this story that little something extra.  Camille is depicted as offering numbers to Frogboy, and Frogboy's shout is interlaced with numbers. When he goes looking for Camille to say sorry, we see the buildings covered with numbers, indicating he is looking for her in her environment.

Some of the vocabulary in the story needs to be explained (pro, con, solitary).
When reading to kindergarteners, I explained pro and con when we read the title. When I read it in the story, I used the tone of my voice and gave a thumb-up/thumb-down sign while I read to help children's understanding without interrupting the flow of the story to remind them.
Since I generally dislike interrupting a story to explain things if I don't have to, I've become adept at adding explanation in my "reading voice". In other words, when the book said "Frogs are not solitary creatures." I read "Frogs are not solitary creatures; they don't like being alone," shaking my head and using emphasis.

AGE: 4+.
RATING: 5 stars. I wouldn't buy it for my home library, but it would be a lovely addition for school and public libraries.

Where the Forest Meets the Sea (PB)

AUTHOR: Jeannie Baker (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 1988

REVEIW: In a combination of realism and fantasy, WTFMTS tells the story of a young boy visiting a Nth Queensland island with his grandfather.  Through his eyes we see the past, present, and possible future of pristine rainforest.
The book has strong environmentalist themes.

AGE: 5-10
RATING: 5 stars

Then (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Morris Gleitzman (Aust) PUBLISHED: 2008

PLOT: Two children run away from a Nazi train bound for a concentration camp. They befriend a farmer woman who tries to protect them. The story is confrontational, and gives perspectives from many people: Nazi soldiers, those who are sympathetic to Jews (including some soldiers), etc.

Similar to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

AGES: 10+
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
RATING: 4 1/2 - 5 stars

Series: High School Musical (Fic)

AUTHOR: Helen Perelman (USA) PUBLISHED: ~2008

PLOT: The books tell various stories based on the characters created by Peter Barsocchini for the hit movies.

REVIEW: Will appeal to tweens because of links to the Disney movies.

AGES: 8-13. The thin plots and simple language will not appeal to more advanced readers.
GENRE: Realistic Fiction.
RATING: Personally, I'd give them 1 star, but they get 3 1/2 stars for their appeal to the target age group.

Where's My Cow? (PB)

AUTHOR: Terry Pratchett (UK)
PUBLISHED: 2005

REVIEW: Pratchett may not be known for picture books, but you only need to skim this one to see his style coming through. It's a story about reading a story and making up a story. May go over the heads of some children (it's quite unusual, and the double/triple layering of the story can take a bit for young minds to wrap their head around), but a great book which lends itself to adult-child discussion about what is happening.

AGES: 5+.
RATING: 5 stars.

Series: Ace Detectives (Kids Inc series) (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Geoff Patton (AUST) (2007)

PLOT: A group of teenagers join together to create a detective agency, solving crimes in their town.
NOTES: A 4-book series. Well-written. Children will enjoy following the clues along with the characters. Part of the Kids Inc series'.
Good follow-up books would be Encyclopaedia Brown, etc.

AGES: 7-10.
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, Adventure.
RATING: 4 - 4 1/2 stars.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

AUTHOR: Jeff Kinney (USA) (2007)

NOTES: There is now a movie based on the books.

ISSUES: coming-of-age, friendship, life

PLOT: Presented in diary form (lined pages and all), a young boy gives a humorous recount about events in his life from a realistically egocentric point of view. Similar to Tales of a Forth-Grade Nothing (Judy Blume). Children (especially those on the verge of adolescence) will be able to relate, and enjoy these stories of growing-pains.

AGES: 7/8+ GENRE: realistic fiction RATING: 5 stars.