I have often wondered what these books were like. I assumed they were drivel because some of the bigger publishers grab a name, a marketing strategy and churn out rubbish; however, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this book. Full credit to the author and editors.

There were plenty of twists and turns and excitement in this early-reader book. It is perfect for children just starting to read longer books. Year 3 children and some early Year 4 readers would enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book. It was published in 2000, and all the references are modern. It is less than 20,000 words so is suitable for a competent Year 4 reader through to a Year 6 reader. It is a story of a young girl; however, the story would appeal to both boys and girls.

I actually thought the story was about crossing the Blue Mountains on the east coast of Australia, until mountain lions were mentioned. I was disappointed it was not Australian. Perhaps I can get the children in my class to write an Australian version.

A girl has a journal account written by her great, great, great grandfather and becomes obsessed with his own obsession to see what is on the other side of the mountain range. (Perhaps google earth could have helped here.) Anyway, she goes on an adventure with her grandfather. I would have liked the mountain lion attack to have been described in greater detail. Kids will enjoy this – it is well-written.

I hate the cover of this book – yuck!

This is a straight forward adventure story – nothing special but well written none-the-less. Pub 1988, reprinted 92. Suitable for boys and girls in years 4 to 6. Less than 30,000 words. A brother and sister get a bad horoscope and then everything bad happens to them. Almost killed in a plane crash. Almost attacked by a shark. They stumble across abalone poachers. They help save a diver who has the bends. There are some obvious parts where the author wanted to include some of his research – apart from that it is good.

I enjoyed this book. It is suitable for years 4 – 6. (marketed as ages 9 – 11) The book has between 60000 and 70000 words There were a stack of old books at the back of a classroom, and some teachers were talking about possibly throwing them out. I said I’d read the books and give some feedback. First off the rank is Aquila. Two boys find an alien spaceship and slowly find out its capabilities. Realistic. Funny. Recommended. The main message is that you can do whatever you want as long as you have determination and strong support. ‘A man can fly anywhere, if he rides on the back of an eagle.’

Published 1997 – still topical (Just) with references to mobile phones and the internet.

I loved this. I highly recommend it for upper primary and older children – adults too. All the illustrations are done using small plastic soldiers and the mood is captured beautifully. The book is really amazing. And the narrative is based upon a true story – it is so sad. I must emphasize that it is NOT for younger readers.

I read this quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is the story of 2 children (boy and girl depend on each other) surviving after society crumbles. This is also a story of the need to care for the environment, food security, family, strength and survival. How the land was managed prior to European settlement. Also about dogs. 2 children set off across the country in a cart pulled by dogs. It is about 40,000 words maybe. I’d highly recommend it for Year 5 to lower secondary. I enjoyed this.

What a super book for Years 5 – 9. Meg writes so well. This story is about a young girl dealing with her father’s death, and the effect it has had on her little family. There is no swearing or fighting or adventure, as such, but there is the loving relationship of a sister to her younger brother, and a healthy friendship between two girls. The book is well over 50,000 words so the read is for upper primary and lower secondary kids. I have read many young adult books recently and there is so much crud printed nowadays – Meg’s book is of superior quality. I highly recommend the book.

This book is hard to read because there is so much baseball terminology. I persisted and I enjoyed the book, but would only recommend it to baseball fanatics. It is for 10 – 13 year old children. It is a story about a young boy who gets hit twice by pitched balls. Now he is spooked and must overcome his fear.

I liked this book. It is about 13 000 word long maybe? Quite short, but well written and quite an easy read. Maybe kids will be hooked in by the mystery! If so, they will enjoy it. There are other books in the series – A Different Dog, and A Different Boy. I’d recommend the book for Year 4 to Year 6. And probably enjoyed more by boys.

I am in the middle of this book and throughly enjoying it. Highly recommended for a competent Year 5 reader upwards. About 25000 words or less. Very funny book.

I read this a week ago and even though I loved it, I cannot recommend it for any reading age because I cannot remember the word count or the sentence length or the suitability of the content. There is a nice twist at the end.

This is a graphic novel for teenagers and young adults. I recommend it to them.

This is probably quite a nice little book for Grade 3 children, and the advanced Grade 2 reader.

The book is heavily illustrated and the illustrations are consistent and of a high standard. The font is large and the chapters are short. In total, the book is about 15,000 words, so a beginning reader will have success.

It is a simple storyline which the kids will like. Vampires and fairies are subjects which kids enjoy. The book cover is appealing.

Gee, Michael Morpurgo tells a good story. Twist of Gold is about 70,000 words. It is a long read for a competent reader in upper primary and high school. When their mother is close to death, two young children travel to America to find their father. On their journey they have many adventures, but never give up hope, after all, they have their family’s golden torc, which keeps them safe!

This book is highly recommended. It is too long for a Year 4 reader, or even an average Year 5 reader.

This is a simple book and some parts needed better editing, but it is light and easy to read, with plenty of examples of good behaviour. I actually enjoyed the book and I think a Year 3 or Year 4 child would as well. With so many black line illustrations inside, it is difficult to determine the number of words, but maybe there are 14,000.

A young boy has a pet dragon, which he keeps hidden from the adults; however, most kids seem to know about it.

The story is about two dads, a bunch of kids, and a dragon who go on a camping trip.

I think books which start with only two characters are so much easier to continue with. In the first chapter we have a ‘nice’ old man asking his grand daughter to bring him a disposable boy.

I was hooked.

The book was well written and boys and girls in Year 6 upwards would enjoy it. I think it is about 70,000 words long, so a competent Year 4 or Year 5 child would also enjoy it.

The Rogues is part of The Keepers series. A clever young girl and a painfully trusting young boy are given magical gifts, which they use to battle the evil spirit, who is trying to kill the Heir of Neuhalt.

I read Run, Pip, Run last year and had forgotten how good it was. When I approached Pip and Houdini, I wasn’t keen, but I persisted and was rewarded for the effort. These books are excellent middle grade readers – no wonder they feature in the CBCA awards. Highly recommended for a good Year 3 reader to a Year 5 or Year 6 level.

Pip is on the run from the authorities again, this time heading up the coast in search of her mum. She has a big heart, and is accompanied by a goofy dog.

About 40,000 words long so a bit of a task for a Year 3 reader. I think this would be a good book for a Year 4 class to listen to.

The book starts quickly and it is a good read. It is the story of a young boy and his community who survived the Tsunami of 2011. What a powerful story.

66 000 words – I would have thought more.

There are many wonderful themes in the book : entrenched corruption and the power of teenagers to overcome it, taking leaps of faith, friendship, persistence…

Highly recommended for competent readers in Year 6 upwards. It is quite a lengthy book at 220 pages x about 300 words per page =

Even though I was quite tired when I read this, it still appealed to me. Therefore, it must be good.

It is a verse novel, so it is an easy read, and one which would enable a struggling reader to have success with a long book. The characters in the story are in Year 2. I felt that many of their actions were more of a Year 4 ability.

The issues dealt with are typical amongst young girls. I’d recommend the book for advanced Year 2 readers, up to Year 5 readers, and it is mainly written for girls.

I quite enjoyed this book because I learnt about Ghana. The dialogue was strange and I see this as an accurate portrayal of children’s speech in Ghana.

I learnt about the slums in Ghana as well. The only thing I question is “Would a child get a scholarship JUST because she has lost an eye?” I wish this issue was addressed.  I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers in Years 4 to 6.

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George is written for the young and competent reader. The book is quite long (maybe around 50,000 words) and the young protagonist outwits the evil invader by pulling all sorts of tricks. e.g. Hiding all the chamber pots. It is a light read and young readers will love it.

(Copy copyright: By a Western Australian children’s author who loves books.)