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The Gypsy Crown by Kate Forsythe
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A well written book, the first in the series! A tale of a gypsy family in the time of Cromwell! Gypsies persecuted by Cromwell and the church. A family is arrested, and 2 kids escape with a monkey, bear, horse and one family medallion. Others gems are scattered around England with other gypsy families. The big problem is that the book just STOPPED in the middle of the story, so you have to buy the next book – very disappointing marketing ploy. I actually enjoyed the book – year 6 level. |
| #7 The Kids in Ms Colman’s Class Ann Martin | – Like a babysitter’s club book. Year 3 or 4. Poor in great scheme of things but OK. An okay storyline. |
| A tale of two families – Diary of Jan Packard | – Just full of facts about women’s movement and about Vietnam. All about 1974. A good book should get the info across without it just laying on great slabs of info. In the form of a diary. Disappointing. |
| Adrift by Allan Baille | – slow but some kids will like it. Simple story to be read by year 5,6,7, but only understood fully by year 6/7. |
| Alex Rider books by Horowitz | – excellent series for boys of competent year 5 upwards |
| Andrew Daddo – | Usually okay You may get swearing in there – I think!. Sprung Again – one Very Funny part and the rest Okay. Well Marketed. |
| Animorphs | – I read 3. Two were okay and one was brilliant. A lot of the language is strange, talking about the different creatures. |
| Artemis Fowl | recent book 2009 wayrba list – I enjoy these books. |
| Because of Winn-Dixie, | Gentle and beautiful book, especially for girls of grade 5/6/ 7 Theme is sadness and loss and joy all at the same time. Super book. |
| Aussie nibblesAussie Bites –Aussie chomps – | Nibbles are the easier book for beginner readers.Some of these are very good. Some are poor. A Year 4 book.Longer stories still – 12000 words I think. I‘ve read 2 and both were very good. Highly recommended. Year 4/5 boys and girls |
| Black Earth by Elaine Forrestal (***) | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 Not a bad book. A few loose ends that seemed to be placed in there almost oddly.e.g. If a man has bandaged hands at the hospital it should have been easy to trace him. I guessed it was the cause of the fires, but will the kids. Maddie with the matches was a bit odd, also, she is such a brilliant drawer, doing identikit pictures and ‘arresting’ pictures of the fire. Trying to investigate when the dad is just there seems odd. The anger from the girl seemed a bit odd. Still, it was easy to read, and a racing fire is always exciting. The excitement was wonderful – some well written bits. Wonderfully described setting. Probably for upper year 5, year 6 and year 7.This series really grabbed a few of my Year 6 girls – who were just getting into reading – so I cannot say enough about this series. |
| Bleach – graphic novel. | So hard for me to understand but some kids devour these books. |
| Boss of the Pool | by Robin Klein – great. I read it to Year 6 and they loved it. Hating Alison Ashleigh is a popular girls book. |
| Boyz Rock- Girlz rule | Plays. Dialogue – usually very poor storyline. I’ve read a lot of both series and have been disappointed. But it gets kids reading. Year 3 book. Very simple. |
| Camel story by Jackie French | (2009 wayrba list)– I gave up on it. It was okay. |
| Captain Congo and the Crocodile King. (Graphic Novel) by Ruth Starke | An enjoyable book for adults and children. A gorilla and Penguin explore Africa to save a professor. Loaded full of clichés and stereotypes, which is the fun. An excellent book to view stereotypes of an adventure story. |
| Captain Courageous cat | by Paul … Corny jokes. I thought the puns were very funny, but kids only find them okay. |
| Captain underpants | – Short comics. Read one or two, then move them on. Kids enjoy and they are for years 4 -5 |
| Chasing the break Michael Panckridge | An excellent book for the sporty boys. One of a series of books (9 in total) based on a school sporty legend. Year 5/6 |
| Cities on wheels – | wonderful, story. Year 6/7 (I can’t remember author or title) |
| Cornelius Funke | This is a slightly older reader’s author – year 6 or 7. Nearly always a good read. |
| Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsh. | As with all his books they are not exciting,(a long slow read) but well worth the effort. A good reader will love them. A poor reader will be bored. Year 6. |
| David Caddy books. | Usually funny. The Reef is for Years 5 upwards and is a serious book. Smash is liked by some kids but it is definitely not his best. Whammy was his first novel and is suitable for Year 4. |
| Dear Dumb Diary | It was ok. Many girls love them. Read by girls in Year 4 upwards. |
| Dick King Smith – | Babe. Many animal stories. I read them so long ago i can’t comment. |
| Dragon Blood – pirates. By dan Jerris | Very simple story and an easy read. Very short. For Year 4/5/6 |
| Dragon hunter | Great idea – poorly edited. Some boys/girls will like it. |
| Drop Dead mad dog Fred | – about a talking dingo and a girl who wants her brother to walk again. A clean easy read book suitable for Year 4? |
| Duncan Ball – | usually short stories, except the Piggot stories. Excellent Novel for first junior NOVEL readers, with simple short stories in them. Selby is a series of short self contained chapters. Easy but good read. He also writes the Emily Eye-finger books which are an easy read for Year 4/5 – the stories are often unbelievable and quite simple.(About the same level as the Rainbow Fairies, but more than one story in a book.) |
| Eldest / | Christopher Paolini I didn’t like. I think it is poorly written but some kids like it. Year 6/7 |
| Emily Rodda – | One of Australia’s most prolific authors. I haven’t read a book by her that was poorly written. She has written the Deltora quest –a great series to get chn hooked on a series – for year 5 upwards. Or second half of year 4 for stronger readers. I have nothing but praise for her. |
| Emerald Atlas | A long but excellent Year 6 book. Boy or girl’s book. 416 pages long. The first of 3 books. |
| Eoin Colfer – Legend of worst boy in the world | . Great book. A moral. Boy has troubles and he confides in his grandfather. I read this some time ago, and I think it was for younger readers. |
| Eragon – | Well known dragon book. I didn’t finish it, but many Year 6 children read it. |
| Eva Ibbotson | This author writes with slower, longer sentences but the result is great books for the slightly older reader. ‘NICE’ storylines. |
| Extraordinary Ernie and Marvellous Maud | by Frances Watts This was a notable cbc book. What a poor choice. Any fathead could have written it. Short. A boy joins a special super hero club and saves a girl from being teased.Year 3 or 4 child idea, but some of the words are too big, so a year 5 level!Gruesome from memory, some of it. I should reread it before making a real comment here> |
| February Dragon by Colin Thiele | .Most of the book is about growing up in outback VIC.Then a bushfire hits at the end of the book.A difficult book to read for a Year 6, but for the most competent readers – good.Written years ago, but still good. |
| Flour babies by Anne Fine | – upper primary and high school. Great book for older readers. A bit slow, but a strong message for the more competent readers. |
| Freak the Mighty | Good book for year 6. |
| The friendship matchmaker | Year 6 girl’s book. I couldn’t get into it. |
| Garden of the Purple Dragon | Carole Wilkinson – wonderful book years 6/7. I think she is an Australian author. |
| Girlz Rule – | Great series for younger reader. (As with Boyz Rock) |
| Morris Gleitzman | He’s written loads of books. His TV background makes many time sequence cuts in his books, like in a movie. Books are usually very funny, dealing with serious topics. Some criticism is that his stories are not believable! Another is that often the story is so plot driven, the characters are not well developed. Two Weeks with the Queen dealt with issue of cancer and was controversial at the time. Blabber mouth, Toad rage… and others are usually very funny. |
| The Golden Door by Emily Rodda | A book for girls and boys. Advanced Year 6 book. 264 pages long.Once again, Emily Rodda has written so well. |
| Goosebumps | – Some of the earlier books were junk. Some of the recent books were very well written. Highly recommended for year 4/5/6 |
| Gravity Buster – Frank Asch | –Okay for year 6 but I grew bored. A kid invents things from cardboard that actually work. Not much suspense. Very short. |
| Griffiths – Andy | Some very funny stories within some of his books. I hated the Bum… series, and the Bad books. Well marketed. |
| Harry Potter | – Well known books. Slow descriptive and hard to get into. I tried the first book three times and couldn’t finish it, but I believe a few people like Harry Potter. |
| Hatchett series by Gary Paulsen –. | Excellent book for Year 6. |
| Heartbeat by Sharon Creech (***) | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 Cleverly written but sparse of words. A story about a grandfather growing old, and from him a grandson is born. An apple dies and a seed is born. Do not live life for the race, but live it for the living. Very nice, discussable book. Suitable for years 5,6 and 7. |
| Holes – | Good, clever book. No good for a read aloud for Year 6. |
| Horowitz Anthony – Night Bus | A Horror book. 4 stories I think, and one is gruesome and it’ll give kids nightmares, even in Year 6? |
| Hovercar Racer | Matthew Reilly Excellent book for years 7 upwards. A page of innuendo but still a great book for an advanced boy reader. |
| Inkheart by Cornelia Funke(**) | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 It started so well about books and binders and reading aloud causing stories to come to life, but in the end the author just waffled and waffled. Up to over half way through it was a great book, but it was so long, and to even have a quarter of it at such a low standard was too much for me. The end was too predictable and could have been done in the first half of the book. Also, the book was about reading a book aloud and the binder going into it to save his wife, but she wasn’t even in the book – she was already in this world. (A child has inherited the skills of the parents is a common theme.) |
| Jacqueline Wilson | Careful. Some issues of obsession/ death /multiple marriages/. E.g. A girl whose mum has a current boyfriend, past boyfriend who was her dad, previous husband. Smoking. Tattoos.Very popular author in England. She writes very well and I usually love her books. She is an author who gets new jewellery every time she gets a book published. Very popular. I actually, really like her books. |
| Jasper Zammit | soccer book – year 5, 6, 7 boys have enjoyed. |
| Judy Moody | I hate these books, but girls enjoy them. Very American!! Is there a complication/problem in these books? The title wins these books for girls. Simple – year 4-6 |
| Justin Dath – | Scorpion sting – unbelievable but exciting. Buffalo story – unbelievable but exciting. . Riding a legendary crazy bull out of a bushfire!!. Crocodile attack – unbelievable but great excitement. Most are okay but Boys get hooked on them because of the excitement. Year 4- 6 |
| Keys to Kingdom series by Garth Nix | More advanced year 6 reader although a year 4 girl dived into them. Clever fantasy books of length. Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday. I only read a couple. |
| King of Shadows – Susan Cooper | A more difficult read all about a player who goes back to the time of Shakespeare.Year 6/7 |
| Lies flies and strange big fish | – bush poetry and short Aussie stories. Won’t appeal to kids at all, I think. Illustrations by Craig Smith. |
| Lilliana Stafford – | 4 or 5 horse stories(Chiko series) , all set in WA around hills of perth. Perth Royal Show. Year 5,6,7. Wonderful stories for girls. Shah / Liliana Stafford won Hoffman award. |
| Lily And Me / | Moses Aaron |
| Magic pony | Very simple book – year 3 and 4. Not much here at all. |
| Magyk – | Magical story that is fantastic, with a twist at the end. The sequel is Flyte. Septimus series.I loved the first book. Highly recommended. |
| Margaret Clark – | I’ve read some of hers which are great, and some which are just horrible. She is also one of Australia’s prolific writers. She wrote some books with a name of Lee Striker – beginning with ‘st’ so they would be on the shelf after Stein.(Of goosebumps fame) Focused on selling books. Hair Raiser series. |
| Max Dann – | Worst best friends. Some of his stuff is poor, but this one is wonderful. A bully helps a kid. The kid is the bully’s only friend. |
| Max Remy by Deb Abela Girl spy. | – Personally I didn’t like the books but kids do. I think it is too slow moving. Also the title sucks boys in and often they enjoy it. I knew one boy who read a book and didn’t realise the hero was a girl. |
| Michael pankeridge – The legends – down the line is book 2. | Year 5 up is fantastic. A school runs a sports competition for boys and girls over the year. They participate indifferent sports and gain points. Well written and exciting. |
| Millions – | story about 2 kids who find money that was supposed to be destroyed when new currency is introduced. They use the line ‘ My mum died’ to get street cred, protection from the local bully, and to get out of trouble. They also speak to a saint! Funny. To read. Or year 6/7 There is a movie of it. |
| Molly moon stops the world by Georgia Byng (****) | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 A very long book(354 pgs) but a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was realistic, within the world of the book, very cohesive, and the end had some good twists in it. It is a year 7 book, just because of the length, or for a bookworm in year 6. There are a few molly moon books.(A child has inherited the skills of the parents is a common theme.) |
| My Secret Unicorn(Starlight Surprise) by Linda Chapman | A very simple book about a young girl who has a magic unicorn. They frighten away boys, who are frightening little kids. Year 3 girl’s book. |
| Nathan Nutboard | family matters A good read for years 6/7. Tony Eaton usually writes books for the older kids. |
| Nathan Nutboard upstaged – | Holding the suspense of a year 7 boy having to kiss a year 7 girl for an environmental play on romeo and Juliet. Funny and believable. excellent – year 6 or 7. |
| Nudie Dudie – | quite simple. Title got it onto the wayrba list, but it wasn’t noteworthy. |
| Ocean Without End | tells of Lily’s adventures as she makes her mark on the pirate world and embarks on her own journey in search of her father. Action–packed with swashbuckling action, it is also a story about family and unexpected friendship, longing and belonging, and about growing up in a strange and sometimes violent world. I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t really end (because it is part of trilogy) |
| Parvana, | I think it is called, and another. Good informative books for girls mainly.– About Palestine. |
| Paul Jennings | . – his writing has developed. Even his short dinosaur story picturebooks are very well written. Be careful with his older readers books. Some deal with controversial issues!! 99 percent of the time you’ll laugh silly and WANT to read more. |
| Pinquo – by Colin Thiele |
story of a little penguin who saves a town in SA by running up the hill before a Tsunami. The little penguin gets caught up in the oil and … Sad little story. Great story to read to kids. |
| Quentaris – Quest of the lost city – the gimlet eye. Quentaris series | – written by different authors and usually a good read. An excellent read for average Year 6 child. The Gimlet eye is all about girls, but it is recommended for boys and girls. Fantasy and a girls or boys book. By James Roy. |
| Raewyn Caisley | – Long sports books on issues like sledging in cricket, I thought they were slow moving, but after forcing myself to persist, I thoroughly enjoyed the two I read. Soccer, rugby, cricket, aussie rules. |
| Rainbow fairies series | e.g. Izzy the Indigo fairy. Simple books for year 3 girls. A bit more difficult/longer than the Girlz Rocks series. |
| Raising the Bar Michael Panckridge (**) | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 Another one of those sport books, like above.(Chasing the break) I’d recommend reading the others first, but as this is wayrba some kids will probably go straight to this one. This book is athletics. Mitch vs Fisk and Mitch wins again. Big print and easy to read. Probably year 5/6, Or easy year 7. Once again the boys in particular will enjoy it |
| Rangers apprentice series. flanagon | First book is wonderful. Second is okay. Third is unbelievable, etc. There are other books. |
| Remember Me by Moya Simons (**) | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 The ending seemed rushed and improbable with the businessman cancelling the setting up of a hardware store. It is about a young girl who doesn’t like her new stepfather. She is struggling with her feelings and decides to keep her thoughts in a diary to straighten them out. The writing standard is nothing special. Definitely a girls’ book. Year 6/7. |
| Roald Dahl | Excellent – especially coupled with a film/story disc. |
| Rowan of Rin – | I read it to my Year 4’s. Independent readers is a bit higher than this level. It has 7 tasks. I believe it matches the multiple intelligences but I don’t know for sure. |
| Sadako and the thousand paper cranes | Eleanor Coerr. Wonderful resource. |
| Sadie and Ratz(Nibbles | Sonya HartnettAn excellent read, however, I am not really sure most kids will enjoy it. It is a bit hard to understand for kids. A girl has 2 angry hands – sadie and ratz, which do things when she gets mad. Her younger brother misbehaves and blames Sadie and Ratz, and her parents believe this. One day they catch out the younger brother who has 2 angry hands visiting – colin and scraps. Ha! It is obvious that Sonya writes for an older age group. |
| Seven Ancient Wonders – | Got bored – a long novel. Matthew Reilly. Some clever parts, but the writing is clichéd and a thousand maps. No doubt some capable readers will love it. Year 7 upwards. Advanced year 6 boys. Like an Indiana Jones, but soldiers do have their heads pulverised by bullets, etc |
| Silverfin – | Young Bond series. First book. Boys will enjoy it. Year 6/7 The author got a bit carried away, but it is fun. (unbelievable) |
| Solos – | For years 4-6 these little factual books are often grabbed by children wanting a quick read(year 6). They’re fine. |
| Someone like me. | Elaine Forrestal –Story about a little boy. Great cover. Twist at the end that is a surprise. Elaine’s Eden Glazie mysteries are okay. Years 5/6/7. |
| Sonya Hartnett | –silver donkey – great book, even if a bit slow. Well written. Year 5/6/7 |
| Specky Magee | by felice arena and gary lyons – Years 6/7. Even year 5. Great books. Boys will LOVE them. |
| Spooks Shack by Wendy Orr | Year 4 up, fun book about a boy who finds a spook in shack. The spook needs to recompense for a past theft and then all is well. Spook disappears. Environmental book and Australian. |
| Superfudge or Fudge by Judy Blume Also, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing | Is usually enjoyed by Year 4s and 5s. Dated now but still enjyed. |
| Surfing Goliath by Michael Hyde | Simple story with nothing special. A second storyline goes nowhere. Year 5/6/7.It is an okay read. Quite short. |
| Take it Easy Danny Allen by Phil Cummings | It is well written but I struggled to stay to the task. There was nothing to keep the story moving forward. A boy moves from the country to the city. Nothing seems at stake. At the start there is a recount of an adventure. They move. Then the boy saves his sister from a dog attack. On page 121 he meets other kids in the city. That is where I am stopping! |
| Tashi – | Years 4-6. Simple storylines. Nice sketches. Even a colour hardback. Kids enjoy these short stories. So do I. |
| The boy in striped pyjamas. | Excellent. I read it to the Year 6 kids and they loved it. But, I sort of regret reading it to the kids because it is so sad/depressing. I won’t read it to kids again. |
| The Boy who would live forever – Moya Simons. | Moya’s work is usually just okay. I enjoyed this book. Most Chomps are very good. Years 4-7. Year 6’s are hesitant to read… but should. |
| The Cockroach War by Jonathan Harlen | This is a fantastic book, just right for primary school.The kids and adults would love it. Suitable for library Year 5,6,7 |
| The Deptford Mice book 1 | – The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis. Quite a dark book. If the story had been about people it would be a teenage book. As it is about mice and rats and cats and bats, it is all tamed down. There is sorcery and rats eating each other and blood dripping from their lips, and small kittens heads in a rats sack, but it isn’t so bad, considering it is about animals. an evil cat who burns rats. In the end the cat falls into the sewers, and all the ghosts of mice he had tortured over the year drag him down into davey jones locker. Danny read the book in Year 5 and loved it. I think it is appropriate for Year 6/7s. (N.B It is runner up for the Smarties Book Prize) |
| The Fent – | 2009 WAYRBA book – quite exciting for a young reader… but a few holes in structure and in storyline. It was a half hour read, but not really very good. |
| The First Charlie Small – Gorilla City | Year 5 or 6 book. Simple and enjoyable. A boy goes into another world; in this book of a series, he is captured by a gorilla. At one point a steam rhinoceros saves him from hyenas. |
| The legend of spud Murphy – eoin colfer. | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 (*) Very simple and a grade 4 level really. 2 boys are forced to read in a library where there is an evil librarian who is really a nice woman. Predictable. Good twist where librarian promises a pirate stamp, but instead stamps on the boys arm with… |
| The Lion Drummer( | Aussie Bites) by Gabby Yang. A chinese girl wants to drum. She feels the rhythm of life around her. Eventually she becomes the drummer for a Chinese dragon. This book is full of facts about Chinese new year celebrations. It is the only thing that keeps you reading. An average read for Year 4s. |
| The Quicksand Pony by Alison Lester | More a girl’s story. Slow and about a pony and a boy who grows up in the wild with his mother. Girls will enjoy it. Average Yr6 read. |
| The Seeing stone – the Arthur Trilogy. | By Kevin Crossley-Holland. A thick novel for the advanced Year 6/7 reader. Well written indeed. |
| The tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo | Wayrba book 2005-01-19 (***, but for different reasons to black earth.) A light and lovable tale. A quest by a mouse, and plenty of foreshadowing at the start which is seen later. The only problem, and I found it so annoying is the constant reference to, ‘And then reader, they decided to continue. Now do you, reader know what perfidy is. Well it means treachery…Now reader…’ So you can’t really get into the tale. But it finishes with everybody sort of happy, and there are insights into humanity in the book. It is very well written, except for the references to READER. |
| The Wednesday Wizard by Sheryl Jordan | She can write, but I think the editing was poor. The story meandered a bit, and the characters wandered. It was a simple story. Still, a good read for a middle of the road year 5/6. |
| The Wish Pony by Catherine Bateson | Well written. A girl receives a small toy ‘a wish pony’, which actually has feelings.But the girl never finds this out. The wish pony grants her wishes. Maybe! What happens when she wishes her brother dead? An excellent book, well deserving of a CBC nomination.Highly recommended for a Year 6 girl. Or a competent year 5 reader. |
| The Woman Who kept possums In Her Bra | Dianne Wolfer – simple(year 4/5) but everybody read it in yr 6 because of the title and because we went to a talk by Dianne and she is a genuinely nice person. |
| They came on Viking Ships by Jackie French | – wonderful girls’ book. Year 6/7 |
| Tiger Shan series | – new series which is okay. Some kids love them. Simple story line. Year 5/6. |
| Tom Jones Saves the world | – Steven Herrick – written in poetry about a boy who reconciles his dad and grandad. About living in a sterile world. Not bad.. A slow book. |
| Tony Bradman – Fairytale series. | There are a few of these types of books around at the moment. Something is changed in a fairytale. E.g. A wolf who doesn’t want to eat piglets anymore because he has his own wolf cubs. He goes into the security line to defend pigs against other wolfs. This is a series for the younger reader. It is OKAY. This author also wrote SWOPPERS. Okay again. Environmental themes – “Wow I’m a whale.” Young readers – Year 4. |
| Top Marks | Doesn’t really go anywhere. Boy embarrassed that his pop is coaching the team. Disappointing, but a footy kid will love it. Year 6/7 |
| Tremors – | scary stories. Print is big – appealing for year 4s. Content is for slightly older. I enjoyed, but challenge will be to get year 5.s reading them! |
| XXVII annual African hippopotamus Race | wonderful – read to year 4s |
| Twilight – | Very slow and girlish. Excitement starts on page 324, when playing a game of baseball and a tracker arrives to kill Bella. At pg 400 the excitement is finished, and it is all lovey dovey again, till the end of the book. The last tenth of the book is the start of the next book. Not recommended for boys at all. It is a long but easy read – plenty of brooding eyes, etc. Recommended for year 7 girls and upwards. |
| Weird Stuff By Richard Tulloch | Excellent for Year 6/7A very funny romance, writing, nerd becomes a hero type story. wonderful.(There are others in this series.) |
| Wicked – | Very poor. Two authors trying to outdo each other. (Jennings/Gleitzman) There is an animated TV series from them, which is better. Most children don’t read many of these, at all. But kids usually read one or two. |
| Water by Geoff Havel – | I have read the start a few times. I haven’t read it yet. An internet review said it was no good, however, one of my students enjoyed it!! But she didn’t finish it! |
| Glitter pool | Usual book by this author is well written, but not too exciting. |
| Elijah of Buxton | Excellent story for year 6. |
| Bartlett and the forest of plenty. By Hirsh | Usual book by this author is well written, but not very exciting. I can’t remember how it ended, but this author never offends and can be read by all – Year 6 book. |
| The graveyard book by gaimon | Disappointing. |
| The red wind / | Isobelle Carmody. She writes so well, but describes everything. She must plan a lot because it is very interesting. Year 5 or 6. Enjoyable – recommend for yr6. |
| Don’t call me Ishmael! | Excellent Teenage book. But for Year 7/8 – not the year 6 kids. |
| Acceleration by Graham McNamee | This was in the library in JF. It needs to be YA. I enjoyed the book but definitely NOT for primary kids. |
| Wild Rescue – Polar Meltdownby Burchett and Vogler | (A book from a series – kids helping the environment.)A simple story for a year 4 reader. |
| You’re a bad man Mr Gum | A book from a series. English book and full of similes. Good fun. Suitable for Year 4. Strange books that are enjoyable. |
| My life as an alphabet | Starts so slowly. We meet a dysfunctional child and family. Then, at page 50 we find out why, ( cot death) and the next 200 pages is getting the family back together. I pushed myself to keep on with the book, but was well rewarded. Year 6 girl’s book |
| Pookie Aleera | A story told by various kids in a class. Narrative poetry. Simple story. I read pages to children in my class, then gave them a choice of what to write. They loved it. Reluctant writers turned into enthusiastic writers. I should have done the whole book but finished early. |
| The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian by Sherman Alexie | Definitely a high school book but enjoyable. Someone is alcoholic. Suicides, beatings, all treated lightly. A tale of friendship. An indian kid leaves the reservation and makes it in a whitey high school. Teenage book – searing, fights , etc but I enjoyed it – boys book. |
| The cay | I have finally read this book. I was disappointed. Lots of telling and not much showing. It is a thin book that moves very quickly. It is about a blind boy and an old African bloke who cares for him on an island. The old bloke lays down his life for the boy, protecting him against a storm. But prior to this the old bloke prepared the boy for being blind and surviving on the island. There is dignity in the story overcoming prejudince. |
| Percy Jackson and lightning thief | Thick book. Advanced year 6 readers read it. It is okay but it didn’t do much for me. |
| The firework-maker’s daughter. / Pullman, Philip, | 1946- A daughter wants to be a fireworker but he dad won;t let her. She runs away and proves her worth. Year 5/6 |
| Star jumper : journal of a cardboard genius / by Frank Asch. / Asch, Frank | Year 5. A simple read and okay book. About 2 boys and one of them is a genius and invents all kinds of things from cardboard. Brother is a pain but they end up beign together. |
| Ralph the Magic Rabbit. / Frost, Adam. | Simple story. Snail wants to be something quick. Travels with others who also want to change shape. Eventually, snail is happy to be himself. Nice story of attacks by slugs. A hedgehog and bird also want to change an travel with the snail. Good Year 4/5 book. |
| Hate that cat. / Creech, Sharon. | This is all poetry and hard to get into. It was okay. Some of poetry was wonderful. Year ??4/5/6? |
| Captain Cook’s apprentice. / Hill, Anthony, | Wow – I gave up on this long book – Year 6 upwards. |
| The Pain and the Great one. Going, going, gone | I was going to read it to the kids but I thought Tales of a 4th grade nothing was better. A bit longer but same idea basically about sibling rivalry. |
| Saving Shiloh [Shiloh trilogy;3]. / Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. | Excellent book but a bit gritty – probably best read by Year 6. |
| Beezus and Ramona. / Cleary, Beverly Bunn, | Old language and I didn’t finish it. |
| The Magician’s Elephant by kate DiCamillo | Written as if almost told as an oral story. A magician makes an elephant appear instead of flowers. An orphan boy finds his sister by following the elephant.Gentle book with Kate’s usually good style. |
| Mariah Mundi – The Midas Box by GP Taylor | Excellent book for boys and girls. A steam book.Teenagers book however suitable for all… but really for Year 10 upwards, although content is fine for Year 6 upwards. Too Lengthy a book for Year 6 kids. |
| Whats for dinner Mr Gum by andy stanton | As adult, I enjoyed the metaphors, etc. joe didn’t finish it. He is in year 7. Probably a Year 4/5 book. |
| A very unusual pursuit – city of orphans by Catherine Jinks | A bogler takes a young girl chasing terrifying demons around England. Girl and boys book – winner 2014 CBC book of year. Hobyahs, etc. |
| Comspiracy 365 gabrielle Lord | Book 1 – January – excellent mid range book for boys for year 5, 6 Boy trying to solve a puzzle left by his dead dad. Maybe 35,000 words |
| Chicken Stu by Nathan Luff | Funny book for upper primary. Recommended. Waybra book. Six weeks on your cousin’s farm. Finishes with boy resolving his ‘afraid/safe’ tendencies, brought about by his father’s death. Generally, it is realistic. 50,000 words |
| Duck for a Day Meg mckinley | Small light book for Year 3 or 4 girl. A good read for this age. Maybe 7,000 words |
| Shadow thief AlsoThe Joy of Spooking – unearthly asylum | I gave up. Both books were very English. Very descriptive but so slow and the start was just not worth it. |
| The Devil’s Ladder by Graham Joyce | Recommended for Year 6 and 7, girls and boys.This story is about a girl who becomes friends with an outcast boy. They are both savants, and are drawn into the world of demons and the supernatural.Quite a long book for a 11/12 year old. 223 pages. For the competent reader. |
| Red Dirt Diary by Katrina Nammestad | Very funny book for Ages 9 – 12.Highly recommended. |