year 6 book recommendations - kelvin grove state · pdf fileyear 6 book recommendations ......
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YEAR 6 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Adventure/Action/Mystery
Two Wolves – Tristan Bancks
Thirteen years old Ben ‘Cop’ Silver is bewildered when his parents rush home, insist he
and his sister Olive pack a few things, and roar off in the family car. They are going on
holidays? It is a strange holiday where his mother insists on cutting everyone’s hair and
his father won’t provide ID at a motel. Then they arrive at a hut in the forest... (The
Source)
Arrival by Chris Morphew
When Luke arrives in Phoenix he looks around at the neat as a pin houses and thinks ‘The
Brady Bunch’. His mother, noticing his unease assures him moving towns, ‘isn’t the end
of the world’. As it turns out she is very wrong!
Phoenix is a one horse/business town with the Shackleton Co-operative running
everything, right down to what school shirts children wear or what furnishings are in the
cookie-cutter houses. Luke is on high alert immediately. Why are there no cars, no
phones, and no internet except the town intranet? (The Source)
Jimmy Coates: Killer - Joe Craig
38% human, the rest of his body composed of cellular mechanics interwoven into his
DNA, eleven-year-old Danny Coates is unaware of his make-up, that his parents are not
his biological parents and that he has been programmed to be a very efficient killer. His
programming was supposed to kick in when he reached the age of eighteen but he is
needed now by the prime minister and his secret organization NJ7. (The Source)
Assault by Brian Falkner
In the 2030s a group of six teenaged soldiers have been specially trained and physically
modified for reconnaissance work in a war with alien invaders, the Bzadians. The
Bzadians hold most of Earth–with only the Americas holding out against their attempts
to wipe out all humans. An adventure thriller, with the young soldiers battling the odds
to find what the Bzadians are constructing beneath Uluru. (The Source)
The Real Thing – Brian Falkner
This book is about taste. Fraser "Fizzer" Boyd is an Auckland schoolboy who has a sense
of taste so highly developed that he can tell any kind of soft drink in a blind tasting. He
can even distinguish which size of container it came from. When the only three Coke
executives who know the secret Coke recipe are all kidnapped, Fizzer and his close friend
Tupai White (a Maori-Chinese boy, who is a karate expert) are flown to Coke’s
headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. (The Source)
Red - Libby Gleeson
‘Red’ wakes to a world of mud. She has no recollection of her name, the place she is in,
only that she has been uttering ‘jaymartin’. Together with Peri, another survivor, she
begins to piece together a few clues which lead her to the understanding there is
something she has to achieve, and with almost no resources except her own quick
thinking, she does so. (The Source)
White Ninja - Tiffiny Hall (series)
Every morning boys Heroshi, Krew and Bruce wait inside Gate Two, the school gate for
nerds and outsiders, to taunt Roxy and Cinnamon and spit chewed paper at them. Why
‘Hero’ should so dislike Roxy is at first a mystery. When Roxy meets new boy Jackson Axe
and is told the story of the White Warrior, the Tiger Scrolls and why samurai hate ninjas,
aspects of Roxy’s life suddenly make more sense. (The Source)
Young Bond 1: Silver Fin – Charlie Higson (series)
What’s your name, boy? Bond, James Bond.
And so the most famous spy of our time begins his schooling at Eton. It is an unhappy
beginning; he is mourning the death of his parents and the bullying ethos of the school
and the dreadful food and living conditions makes for an unpleasant life. In his first long
holiday he joins his aunt in Scotland who is looking after her brother, James’s Uncle Max,
who is dying of cancer. Max, it turns out, was a spy in WWI. The holiday is a turning point
for James. (The Source)
Camel Rider – Pru Mason
Two boys, Emir and Adam are thrown together due to a series of misadventures. Emir, a
young Bangladeshi, is almost a slave to the Old Goat and Breath of Dog, cruel masters of
the tiny boys bought to ride in traditional camel races. He bites Old Goat and is blamed
for crippling a racing camel and the men bind and dump him in the desert. Desperate to
stay with his friends and his dog in their Abudai (a fictional city located in the Arabian
Gulf) compound rather than return to Australia and boarding school, Adam hides his
passport in Dad’s flight bag. Result—passport in Australia, Adam stranded in Abudai—
home alone! (The Source)
The Truth about Verity Sparks – Susan Green
Verity Sparks has itchy fingers or teleagtivism, the power to find missing items by
thought.
Billionaire’s Curse – Richard Newsome (series)
Gerald is whisked off to London by his parents to attend the funeral of Great Aunt
Geraldine, a woman he has never met. Astonishingly Aunt Geraldine has left most of her
vast estate to Gerald. He is suddenly the richest thirteen-year-old in the world! He learns,
almost immediately, that wealth can be both a problem and a lifesaver, particularly
when an assassin is stalking you. (The Source)
Troubletwisters – Garth Nix (series)
Twelve year old twins Jaide and Jack live in a regular suburban house with their mother
who works as a paramedic and their father who is often away overseas on business. As
they wait anxiously for their father to come home (he is a whole day late) an odd
invitation arrives by post, their father arrives looking a bit singed and shortly after the
twins heave his battered Samsonite suitcase upstairs, their family house blows up! (The
Source)
The Last Thirteen – James Phelan (series)
Sam, Eva and Alex are snatched from their high school classrooms by armed military-like
people and then ‘rescued’ by another group. Eva knows what will happen because she
has dreamt the entire kidnapping event, and Sam has had very violent and troubling
dreams involving an otherworldly creature/man who has the ability to destroy the world.
The three teenagers learn they are part of, or associated with, a group of people with
‘true’ dreams who will eventually save the world. (The Source)
Holes – Louis Sachar
Stanley Yelnats given the choice of jail or Camp Green Lake as punishment for a crime he
did not commit, chooses Camp Green Lake because he has never been to camp. Once
there he is required to dig one hole exactly five feet by five feet each day. (The Source)
Tiger – Jeff Stone (series)
When the secret Cangzhen Temple falls to an invading force led by one of its own
disaffected fighting monks, five young acolytes escape. Each is an expert in his own
animal style of Kung-Fu and each will tell his own story in the five books of the series.
(The Source)
The Mapmaker Chronicles, Race to the End of the World – A.L. Tait (series)
Quinn is the youngest and least regarded in a poor farming family of six brothers, living in
a small village. Somehow the King’s representative finds him because word has reached
the capital that Quinn has a special ability, a mind that never forgets.
The King is gathering boys to compete to be cartographers, mapmakers that will
accompany three captains on three ships, all in turn competing to map the world ahead
of a rival country.(The Source)
Children of the king – Sonya Hartnett
Cecily, Jeremy and a young refugee, May, have been sent to live with Uncle Peregrine in
the country, safe from the war in London. But, when Cecily and May find two mysterious
boys hiding out in a nearby castle ruin, and Jeremy runs away to London to help in the
war effort, several destinies come together to make an extraordinary adventure.
Sudden Death– Nick Hale (Striker series)
The first in a thrilling new action series combining international football and international
espionage. Jake Bastin—talented teenage footballer, son of England's top coach. Jake's
dad has been posted to Russia to train Igor Popov's all-star team. No expense has been
spared to lure the best talent in the world to St. Petersburg, including American goal
scoring sensation Devon Taylor. But people are being killed—a football scout, a
journalist, and an eco-scientist are all murdered within days of one another, and Jake's
dad is always at the scene of the crime. (The Source)
Foul Play – Tom Palmer series)
The Foul Play books are about a fourteen-year-old boy called Danny Harte who wants to
solve football crimes. In the first book Foul Play, Danny stumbles across the kidnap of
his favourite player and it all starts there. (Good Reads)
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer – John Grisham
Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk in his town —and a lot about the law. He
dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom. But Theo finds himself in
court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is
suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is
about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. (Good Reads)
For EALD students (Reading age: 6-9)
Horrendo’s Curse - Anna Fienberg
The cleverest child is Horrendo, an outcast since Gretel the Wise Woman evoked a charm
(or curse) that he be always polite and kind. His parents see his good nature as a burden
in a world of cruel circumstance where once a year pirates come and take all the twelve-
year-old boys to sea, only returning those who are tough and nasty enough to survive a
year of slavery. Anger and insults are regarded as survival skills but Horrendo breaks the
cycle through generosity, good cooking and positive thinking. (The Source)
Deep Waters (Zac Power) - H I Larry (series)
Zac Power is an ordinary schoolboy hero with a secret spying career and in every
adventure he has only 24 hours to save the world, get home for dinner, finish his
homework and tidy his room. In this mission Zac has to retrieve top secret information
from the bottom of the deepest ocean in the world, rescue a special agent, and stop
petrol tankers being attacked at the Icy Pole... (Good Reads)
Football Academy – Tom Palmer (series)
The Football Academy books are about a Premier League under-twelve side – about
what it’s like to play the game at the top.
Shark Bait - Justin D'Ath (adventure series)
No matter how desperate the situation, Sam Fox is good at outlining and assessing
alternatives. Readers can be assured he will ALWAYS take the most adventurous path!
Sam's survival skills are well-honed. And just as well they are when he is washed off a
coral reef with Michi, a young Japanese tourist. Sam might have saved himself but elects
to strike out to help Michi. Soon they are menaced by a huge shark, and swimming in a
tangle of sea snakes. (The Source)
Speculative fiction (incl. fantasy, science fiction, horror…)
I am number four – Pittacus Lore (series)
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are
not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having.
We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes
you worship in movies and comic books--but we are real. Our plan was to grow, and
train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and
started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. (Good Reads)
Maximum Ride: Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Six unforgettable kids — with no families, no homes — are running for their lives. Max
Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their
amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why
they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind — or
destroy it. (Good Reads)
Last Spirit Warrior: Jamie Reign by P.J. Tierney (series)
While diving on an uncharted reef, Jamie discovers a terrible force that exposes his
connection to ancient warriors and to the warlord intent on destroying them all. He must
quickly learn kung fu and the secret skills of the Warriors of the Way, guided by Jade,
who seems intent on making him fail, and Wing, who is even worse than Jamie is at kung
fu. Jamie’s past and the future of these ancient warriors are inexplicably linked. And as
the two collide, Jamie and his new friends set off on a desperate mission to save them
all. (Good Reads)
Ruins of Gorlan – John Flanagan (series)
Will is very nervous about Choosing Day, his chance in life to go from life as an orphan
under the care of Baron Arald to be apprenticed to a Craftmaster. He longs to join
Battleschool but unlike fellow orphan Horace who is tall and strong, Will is small.
However his ability to climb and to move quickly has attracted the notice of Halt, one of
the mysterious Rangers. Meanwhile war is brewing as evil Morgarath stirs in his
mountain isolation seeking revenge on the Kingdom of Araluen which had once come
close to being under his rule. Will is to play a central role in defeating the first of the evil
lord's sallies. (The Source)
Artemis Fowl – Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl, twelve-year-old arch fiend, captures and holds to ransom the fairy, Holly
Short. His mistake is that Holly is not any old fairy – she is the first woman recruit to the
Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit (LEPrecon for short) – and she is intent on
escaping. LEPrecon mounts a rescue mission as Artemis follows his carefully researched
plan with precision and daring. (The Source)
Word Hunters: Curious Dictionary – Nick Earls
Far in the past a man speaks a language for the last time and puts these silenced words
into a book, along with other knowledge he has gathered, for the future. The book is
passed to a hunter, a word hunter, and down the centuries these special people keep the
book passing on, and recording things that because of fire, war or foolishness might
otherwise be lost forever. (The Source)
The Golden Door – Emily Rodda (series)
Rye, together with Sonia, sets forth to rescue his brothers and save his city. The citizens
of Weld find their great wall is no protection from skimmers, ferocious bat-like creatures
that come in the night to hunt—goats, chickens, humans—their hunger seems
unquenchable. The Warden of Weld asks for volunteers to seek out the land of the
skimmers and somehow stop their visits. To the despair of his gentle mother, both of
Rye’s brothers go with many other young ‘Weldians’. Time passes and none return. (The
Source)
The Tunnels of Ferdinand - James Moloney (series)
A city is controlled by Malig Tumora who uses the hypnotic scent of certain flowers to
subdue the population and has created monsters, the Gadges and the Dfx to help him
achieve domination. Children are kept in huge dormitories knowing nothing of family life
but when Berrin escapes he is taken in by the Rats, child rebels who live in the city
drains. (The Source)
Silvermay – James Moloney
Silvermay is living quietly in her village when a handsome young man, Tamlyn, and a
young woman Nerigold with a newborn baby Lucien, arrive at her home seeking aid. The
wizard Wyrdborn, Coyle Strongbow, is determined to find the child and use him to gain
power and Silvermay must help protect him.
Key to Rondo – Emily Rodda (series)
There are three rules to the old painted, music box: Wind the box three times only.
Never shut the box when the music is playing. Never move the box before the music
stops. Leo wouldn't dream of breaking these rules, but does his stubborn cousin Mimi
listen? She winds the box four times -- and suddenly the paintings on its side come to life
and a powerful witch is released. Now it’s up to Leo and Mimi to stop the witch, if only
they can find the key to the music box -- and the magical world it controls. (Good Reads)
The Cloud chasers – Steven Hunt
Alice watches out the schoolroom window, daydreaming but seeing only monsters, but
imagination is not allowed in Bankertown.
Dragon keeper – Carole Wilkinson (series)
Ignorant, ill-nourished slave girl Ping is cajoled, duped, encouraged, and given friendship
by the last imperial dragon as he makes his slow painful way across China to the ocean.
He needs Ping to help him look after the strange stone he insists on taking with him as
they escape from the remote palace of Huangling and certain death for both of them;
with them travels Ping’s only friend, Hua the rat. (The Source)
Percy Jackson and the battle of the labyrinth – Rick Riordan (series)
After battling some cheerleaders, Percy needs to defend camp against his arch-enemy
and bloodthirsty monsters. To battle this army, Percy needs to navigate his way through
the Labyrinth.
The Whisperer – Fiona McIntosh
A boy, Griff, has a talent for hearing the thoughts of others, and a young prince, Lute, in
mortal danger from his ambitious uncle, Janko. Griff and Lute have not met, but can
communicate even when far apart, and they resemble each other... (The Source)
The Vampire’s Assistant – Darren Shan (series)
Darren Shan was just an ordinary schoolboy - until his visit to the Cirque Du Freak. Now,
as he struggles with his new life as a Vampire's Assistant, he tries desperately to resist
the one temptation that sickens him, the one thing that can keep him alive. But destiny is
calling... the Wolf Man is waiting. (Good Reads)
Dangerous days of Daniel X – James Patterson (series)
Daniel is a 15 year old alien, sent to Earth with his parents to hunt out and destroy a
long list of evil aliens.
Steelheart – Brandon Sanderson (series)
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and
women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are
no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must
crush his will. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of
ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and
then assassinating them. (Good reads)
Skulduggery Pleasant – Derek Landy (series)
Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Sure, he may lose his head now and again (in fact, he won
his current skull in a poker match), but he is much more than he appears to be—which is
good, considering that he is, basically, a skeleton. Skulduggery may be long dead, but he
is also a mage who dodged the grave so that he could save the world from an ancient
evil. (Good reads)
Tomorrow Code – Brian Falkner
Teenagers Tane and Rebecca receive a coded message from the future, warning them
about catastrophic devastation. Together with Fatboy, they must decipher the clues and
try and save the world.
Iron Trial – Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (series)
Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All
his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the
Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for
him. So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits
him. (Good Reads)
For EALD students (Reading Age 5-9)
The Magic Faraway Tree – Enid Blyton
Jo, Bessie and Fanny (yes, that’s right) are delighted when their cousin Dick comes to stay
and joins them in adventures at the top of the Faraway Tree. There, together with their
three friends Moon-Face, the Saucepan Man and Silky the fairy, the children enter a
series of other worlds that provide a different adventure each visit. (Good Reads)
The magic finger – Roald Dahl
The protagonist of the story has a magic finger that causes strange things to happen
when she is really, really angry. And she is really, really angry with Mr Gregg and his two
boys who insist on blasting away at anything that moves. The next morning all four
Greggs (Including the mother) find they have been changed into ducks and four real
ducks have grown in size and taken over their house.
Tashi books – Anna Feinberg
In the first book of the much-adored Tashi series, children are introduced to Jack’s
extraordinary imaginary friend Tashi, a gnome-like character from a place far away.
(Good reads)
Case of the really, really, scary things – Michael Gerard Bauer
Wild animals are turning to a life of crime and it's all the work of evil Doctor Evil Mac
Evilness. Can Secret Agent Derek 'Danger' Dale outwit a criminal mastermind, escape the
clutches of the four most deadly creatures on the planet and save the world's biggest
diamond? Extreeeeeeeemely unlikely! (ReadPlus)
Realistic/Adolescent
Wonder – R.J. Palacio
Auggie was born with severe facial disfiguration and a succession of operations from the
age of 4 months has still left him looking like the names he is called – Rat Boy, Freak.
Monster. Freddy Krueger. E.T. Gross-out. Lizard Face. Mutant.
Auggie is a sweet child, loved and protected by his parents and sister, and the
introduction to the school environment is brutal and devastating. His headmaster and
form teacher are models of understanding but are unaware of the whispering and
ostracism to which Auggie is daily subjected. (Good Reads)
Geek Girl – Holly Smale
Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a
"jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What
she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So
when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself.
(Good Reads)
The Naming of Tishkin Silk – Glenda Millard
Griffin Silk is the only boy in a large family of girls. His parents are loving and creative—
and compared to their neighbours a bit eccentric—but the family is experiencing
troubled times now that Mama has gone away. Griffin has to go to school for the first
time after being home-schooled by his mother and of course his difference makes him a
target. However his courage seems to keep off the bullies and draws a girl, Layla, to him
who proves to be a wonderful friend. (The Source)
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children – Jen Storer
When Albie Gribble collects a basketful of linen from the front of the hospital, he finds
instead an abandoned baby, and his life takes a dramatic turn. Albie is instantly besotted
by the seemingly abandoned child and names her ‘Tensy Farlow’ after his mother,
Hortense, and his lorry, a ‘Farlow’. Hortense Gribble is not at all besotted and plots to be
rid of the child, but when Tensy is taken off to the Home for Mislaid Children at Fretful
Heads by ghastly Matron Pluckrose, leaving Albie grief-stricken, even she acknowledges,
‘Babies, they always get under your skin’. (The Source)
Once – Morris Gleitzman
Felix Stanislaus, the son of Jewish booksellers, has been living in a Polish Catholic
orphanage for over three years. His parents have hidden him there but Felix is convinced
they are on a book buying trip and will collect him soon. Of course they don't and Felix
leaves the sanctuary of the orphanage to go down into the city to find them. What he
discovers on the way are horrors beyond any imagining together with acts of courage
and selflessness. (The Source)
Mahtab’s Story – Libby Gleeson
The story of the journey of an Afghan family, fleeing their home in Herat and persecution
by the Taliban, told by the eldest daughter, Mahtab, who with her only partial
knowledge of the situation conveys the tension, confusion and frustrations of refugees.
(The Source)
Boy Overboard – Morris Gleitzman
Jamal, his younger sister Bibi, and his parents have to flee Afghanistan when their small
homebased school for boys and girls is discovered. Their home is blown up and all they
have left is what they can carry and money made from selling their taxi. This is what they
use to buy a way out of the country to a refugee camp and from there to what might be
Indonesia (although this is not stated). (The Source)
Girl Underground – Morris Gleitzman
Bridget has been sent to an exclusive boarding school by her parents who want her to
have chances beyond the family business of a bit of semi-criminal importing and
exporting—especially now that her beloved brother Gavin is serving time. However
keeping her background a secret is impossible, particularly when she befriends a fellow
student, Menzies, and helps him storm parliament to protest the incarceration of
refugee children.(The Source)
There is a boy in the girls’ bathroom – Louis Sachar
We are never too sure why Bradley Chalkers is like he is: as likely to spit at you as speak,
he tells lies, refuses to work and he is feared throughout the school. He sits at the back
of the class alone and shunned – that is until Jeff Fishkin joins the class and the only seat
left is the one next to Bradley. (Good Reads)
Just a dog – Michael Gerard Bauer
Mr Mosely is the loyal dog that Corey and his family love. When the family goes through
troubles, it is Mr Mosely who helps to keep them together. (The Source)
Parvana – Deborah Ellis
Parvana and her family are inventions of the author but they could be any one of many
families who lived in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban. In twenty years of bombing
Parvana’s family lost their home and most of their possessions. Her father was badly
injured, losing a leg. With the coming of the Taliban to power schools were closed, girls
forbidden education, women jobs. Women could only go outside covered in a burka and
accompanied by a man of the family. Against this background Parvana helps her father
daily to the market. When the Taliban invade their one-room home and take her father
to prison, Parvana, disguised as a boy, becomes the sole support and the only outside
contact for the family. (The Source)
Cherry Crush – Cathy Cassidy (Chocolate Box series)
Cherry Costello is facing new challenges when she and her father move from Scotland to
Somerset, to blend families with Charlotte and her four girls. The twins make Cherry feel
welcome but Honey, the eldest, warns Cherry to keep away from her boyfriend and tells
her that she is not wanted at Tanberry House. (Good Reads)
Henry Hoey Hobson – Christine Bongers
Henry starts at a new school—again—only this time the first day is worse than usual
because he is the only boy in Year Seven. The only positive aspect is that perhaps he can
impress the Year Six boys in his composite class but one handball game shows how
wrong he is about that! Once again a laughing stock Henry retires to his own company,
waiting for brief moments with his whirlwind mother who thinks success is just around
the corner, and swimming in his daggy speedos at the local pool.(The Source)
Turning Pointes – Emma Freedman
April Franklin is 13 years of age and has just started high school. April has also been
dancing half her life and while she loves ballet, she's not sure if classical is right for her,
particularly since she doesn't have the perfect ballet body. (Good Reads)
My Life as an Alphabet – Barry Jonsberg
Jen Marshall calls Candice Phee ‘Essen’ as in ‘S’ ‘N’ or Special Needs. It is a twist then to
read how Candice, a clear-thinking, scarily honest and forgiving child brings healing and
happiness to her grieving family. Candice even sets Jen on a path to self-confidence! The
eccentricity can be over-whelming (not to mention the vomit) but Candice is a special
child indeed who brings about miracles. (Good Reads)
Barrumbi Kids – Leonie Norrington
Life for all at Long Hole Community in the Northern Territory is shaken up after a new
'boss man', Mr Armstrong, is installed. He wants to smarten the place up and in the
process steps on many toes. Most bitter of all is Dale who until the coming of the
Armstrongs thought his dad was the boss. An undeclared war breaks out. (The Source)
A Ghost in My Suitcase – Gabrielle Wang
Celeste, Little Cloud in Chinese, is visiting her grandmother in China; together they will
scatter her mother’s ashes where she grew up on the Isle of Clouds. Before that sad
event Celeste discovers a special gift: like her grandmother she is a talented ghost fighter
which is just as well as her gift will be tested in a most dramatic way. The bonds between
Grandmother and grandchild grow stronger as Celeste learns more about her Chinese
heritage and family history. (Good reads)
A bridge to Terabithia – Katherine Patterson
A friendship blooms between ten-year-old Jess Aarons and the newcomer to the school,
Leslie Burke. Together they develop a secret world, based on Narnia and other fantasy
worlds of literature, in which they are King and Queen of Terabithia. To reach their land,
hidden in the woods, they must swing over a creek on a rope. (Good Reads)
My side of the Mountain - Jean Craighead George
Sam Gribley runs away from his New York apartment home, mother, father, four sisters,
four brothers. He has spent time in the New York Public Library reading up about survival
on the land and plans to live on the long deserted land his great-grandfather farmed in
the Catskill Mountains before leaving for a life at sea. What follows is a fascinating first-
person account interspersed with entries in a running series of notes, full of details of
survival and descriptions of the mountains, seasons and animals as Sam makes a shelter,
learns to live off, and with, the land.(Good Reads)
Mao's Last Dancer young readers' edition – Cunxin Li
A condensed version of the 2003 bestselling autobiography by ballet dancer Li Cunxin
who was born the sixth of seven sons in a Chinese peasant family in Qingdao, Shandong
Province. His future as a hardworking, often hungry, poorly educated peasant was
changed by a seeming miracle—he was chosen to train as a dancer in Madame Mao's
ballet school in Beijing. (Good Reads)
For EALD students (Reading Age 5-9)
Eric Vale, Epic Fail – Michael Bauer
Poor Eric Vale, his life at school is being ruined because he has a fabulous imagination!
Inattention in class while he is enthralled by the creation of an adventurous tale about
Secret Agent Derek ‘Danger’ Dale leads to a series of accidents and to a hated nickname,
‘Epic Fail’. (The Source)
The Tuck Shop Kid – Pat Flynn
Matthew is seriously fat, a target of bullies but a wonder at working out the most food
you can buy at the school tuckshop. His services are much in demand at lunchtime.
However, when he faints at sport the doctor is worried that his obesity may have already
caused him to develop class 2 diabetes. Mum really takes notice and cuts back on her
work hours in order to spend time with her son, cooking healthy food and exercising
with him. And it turns out quite a few of the kids at school are on his side as well in his
battle to lose weight. (The Source)
The Toilet Kid – Pat Flynn
Matt, The Tuckshop Kid, is still an expert on tuckshop food, but now it is the healthy
choices. He exercises and has lost weight but his girlfriend Kayla seems to be getting very
thin indeed. What is going on? Is it just worry about Kayla’s overweight father’s heart
attack? Friends Nina and Jasmine ask Matt to find out what is wrong with Kayla but is it
disloyalty to spy on Kayla, and then try to find help for her? (The Source)
Pookie Aleera is Not My Boyfriend – Steven Herrick
The identity of Pookie Aleera is a running joke in this warm-hearted depiction of children
in a small country school. Class 6A think Pookie could be newly arrived Ms Arthur’s
boyfriend but there are many other things to occupy their minds. Each child reveals their
inner thoughts through verses that directly address the reader. (The Source)
Boy – Tales of a Childhood - Roald Dahl
In Boy, Roald Dahl recounts his days as a child growing up in England. From his years as a
prankster at boarding school to his envious position as a chocolate tester for Cadbury's,
Roald Dahl's boyhood was as full of excitement and the unexpected as are his world-
famous, best-selling books. Packed with anecdotes -- some funny, some painful, all
interesting -- this is a book that's sure to please (Good Reads)
Humour (suitable for EALD students too)
Thai-riffic! – Oliver Phommavanh
Having spent his primary school years being taunted about his heritage and the fact that
his parents own the Thai-Riffic! Restaurant, Albert Lengviriyakul begins high school.
My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up – Tristan Bancks
Nine stories about the crowded life of Tom Weekly, a boy whose adventures invariably
involve vomit (cat and human), dog slobber or other unspeakable body liquids.
Bancks takes out the yucky crown; even Paul Jennings and Andy Griffiths stop short of an
explosive colostomy bag or amputating a sibling’s toe! (The Source)
Eric Vale Epic Fail – Michael Gerard Bauer
Poor Eric Vale, his life at school is being ruined because he has a fabulous imagination!
Inattention in class while he is enthralled by the creation of an adventurous tale about
Secret Agent Derek ‘Danger’ Dale leads to a series of accidents and to a hated nickname,
‘Epic Fail’. (The Source)
WeirDo – Anh Do (WeirDo series)
A new school could mean a fresh start but there is no escaping a name like Weir Do, or a
family whose grotty or annoying habits can (and do) fill a book! (The Source)
The 78-Storey Treehouse – Andy Griffith ( Treehouse series)
The treehouse has another thirteen storeys including, significantly, an outdoor movie
theatre with a super-giant screen. Yes, there is going to be a movie, The 78-Storey
Treehouse, directed by Mr Big Shot, a perpetually angry Hollywood director who sacks
Andy and replaces him with Mel Gibbon, a gibbon who becomes Terry’s best friend. Could
the strange world of movie-making be the end of Andy and Terry’s friendship, and their
creativity?
UFO unavoidable family outing – Dave Hackett (UFO series)
Anybody who likes order will become very anxious reading this book. Is it possible for one
family to have so many horrible experiences on a car journey from Sydney (not to) Cape
York? (The Source)
A bad beginning – Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
The Baudelaire children are suddenly orphaned when their house burns down with their
parents inside. Wealthy, and in the trusteeship of their father's banker the children find
themselves in the care of their villainous uncle, Count Olaf. He has his eye on their fortune
and this novel sets the stage for the various ways in which he is going to try to get his
hands on it. (Good Reads)
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children – Jen Storer
When Albie Gribble collects a basketful of linen from the front of the hospital, he finds
instead an abandoned baby, and his life takes a dramatic turn.
The Floods: Neighbours – Colin Thompson (The Floods series)
The Floods are a family of witches and wizards—Nerlin, Mordonna and their seven
children—with six of the children made in the cellar. They live in a regular suburb next
door to the ghastly Dent family who they gradually murder or turn into kitchen appliances,
leaving the Floods free to buy the Dent house for a few dollars and expand their empire.
(Good Reads)
Big Nate: In a class of his own – Lincoln Pierce (Big Nate series)
Nate knows he's meant for big things. REALLY big things. But life doesn't always go your
way just because you're awesome. Trouble always seems to find him, but Nate keeps his
cool no matter what. He knows he's great. A fortune cookie told him so. (Good Reads)
Strange case of Origami Yoda – Tom Angleberger (series)
Origami Yoda is a finger puppet that gives wise advice. Tommy decides to investigate.
(Good Reads)
Diary of a wimpy kid : hard luck - Jeff Kinney (series)
Greg Hefley feels his luck is all bad. His best friend Rowley has found a girlfriend Abigail
and to Greg's dismay has no time for him anymore. (Good Reads)
Tom Gates best book day ever (so far) – Liz Pichon (series)
Tom Gates, the main character, is getting ready for the Book Week parade and really
wants to go as Iron Man. His mum steps in to help with the costume but it looks like he
will go as a biscuit tin. How embarrassing! (Good Reads)
Very bad book – Andy Griffiths
In the very bad house on a very bad shelf, in a very bad box is the very bad book. (Good
Reads)
Middle school : the worst years of my life – James Patterson (series)
Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of
middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he
can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to
break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000
points! Running in the hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points! But
when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that
matters. (Good Reads)
Demon Dentist – David Walliams
Darkness had come to the town. Strange things were happening in the dead of night.
Children would put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they
would wake up to find - a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping and
crawling beneath their pillow. Evil was at work. But who or what was behind it? (Good
Reads)
NERDS : National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society – Michael Buckley (series)
Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of
elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy
network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science,
their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities(Good Reads)
Unbearable more bizarre stories – Paul Jennings (series)
Extraordinary stories, mostly with some awfully grotty aspect likely to appeal to young
readers!
Awful End – Phillip Ardagh (series)
Eddie Dickens is sent off to stay with his aunt and uncle and a riotously funny comedy of
errors ensues. When both Eddie Dickens's parents catch a disease that makes them turn
yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of hot water bottles, it's agreed he
should go and stay with relatives at their house, Awful End. Unfortunately for Eddie, those
relatives are Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud. (Good reads)
Do not this book – Pat Moon
Warning! Snoopers watch out!
Fierce guard-bunny on patrol! So paws off this book! That includes my friend, Cassie. And
especially MUM. Who's FAR too busy drooling over creepy-crawly Action Man to care
about what I think anyway. (Good Reads)