PICTURE STORY

1. Kissed By The Moon
Alison Lester

May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong.

Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby’s wonder at our beautiful world. From much-loved Australian Children’s Laureate Alison Lester comes a timeless book to share and to treasure.

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2. In My Room
Jo Witek

In her room, one little girl can be anything she wants to be and go anywhere she wishes to go, all with the power of her imagination (and paper, markers, and crayons, of course!). She can go on safari or sail the seven seas. She can be a doctor, teacher, or high-powered businesswoman. The sky’s the limit! And when the day is over, she can become a little girl again, safe in her room. Like the classic Where the Wild Things Are, this latest addition to the Growing Hearts series celebrates imagination as a means to try on different identities and work through difficult emotions, all while having fun.

The Growing Hearts series celebrates the milestones of a toddler’s emotional development, from conquering fears and expressing feelings to welcoming a new sibling.

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3. Why I Love My Daddy
Daniel Howarth

Everyone’s daddy is the best. And who better to tell the world than children themselves?

This charming book combines endearing things said by children about their fathers with gentle illustrations of familiar animals. The text is amusing and insightful, with reasons why
daddies are loved by their children ranging from ‘because he tickles me’ to ‘because he is my best friend’.

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4. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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5. Home in the Rain
Bob Graham

Francie’s going to have a new baby sister very soon. But what will her name be? Francie has so many ideas! On a long drive home with Mum, in the pouring rain, maybe they’ll find one that’s just right…

A beautifully observed celebration of the way inspiration can, and often does happen in the most ordinary and unlikely of places.

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6. Mighty Mighty Construction Site
Sherri Duskey Rinker

All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site-this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small!

Down in the big construction site, tough trucks stir in the morning light! They’re eager to get things underway. There’s a brand-new job to start today …but this new job is the biggest they’ve ever seen, and Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Together, there’s nothing they can’t do!

Playful rhyming text and vibrant illustrations by the bestselling team behind Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Sitemake this book a surefire favorite for construction fans everywhere.

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7. Ruby Red Shoes
Kate Knapp

Ruby Red Shoes lives in a colourful caravan with her grandmother. Ruby is gentle and kind and cares for all living things, including plants and trees, animals and people. Ruby is also particularly fond of strawberry jam and peppermint tea.

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8. Magic Beach (20th anniversary edition)
Alison Lester

Imagine a beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, make sandcastles, hunt for treasures, explore rock-pools, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Imagine a beach where adventure begins…

A bestseller and a favourite with families for twenty years, Magic Beach is now a true Australian classic.

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9. A Thousand Hugs from Daddy
Anna Pignataro

In your arms its safe and snug, you always give a thousand hugs. And Im as happy as can be one hug is not enough for me! A Thousand Hugs from Daddy is a beautiful book filled with cuddles!

There are hugs for play, there are hugs for bravery, there are hugs for love and happiness, and there are always hugs for bedtime.

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10. Guff
Aaron Blabey

This is my Guff.
He’s really nice.
I’ve known him since I was little.
And I still know him even now I’m big

A funny and delightful picture book for anyone who’s ever had a little fabric friend.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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2. Three Times Lucky
Sheila Turnage

Meet Mo LoBeau: natural-born detective.

Mo’s summer is looking good.  But that’s before the murder, the kidnapping, the car crash, and the hurricane.  If ever there was a time for Mo to put her detective skills to work, this is it.

Good thing Mo’s always been lucky.

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3. Charlie and the War Against the Grannies
Alan Brough

I didn’t want Mrs Cyclopolos to explode. I just wanted a paper round.

My name is Charlie Ian Duncan. I will be 12 on 2 February. I have written this history of my war with the grannies because I need everyone to know that I didn’t mean for Mrs Cyclopolos to blow up. I just wanted a paper round.

When I say ‘my war with the grannies’, I really mean the war I waged alongside my best friend Hils, my second-best-friend Rashid, Peter the Iraqi who isn’t afraid of anything (well apart from one thing), Warren and his magical bike TwelveSpeed and those crazy people we met underground.

The grannies started it when I asked them about a paper round and they sprayed me in the face with rooster brand chilli sauce and made me think that I was dead. Hils and I decided to go to war with them but then I discovered one of the grannies had a glass eye and I wasn’t sure if it was okay to go to war against someone with a glass eye but then I discovered that the granny with the glass eye could pinch bricks in half, turn her snot-covered hankies into deadly throwing weapons and possessed a truly terrible device called the Gnashing Gnet.

It’s all true.

Especially the bit about me not wanting anyone to blow up.

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4. The 13-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Where it all began…

Andy and Terry’s 13-storey treehouse is the most amazing treehouse in the world! It’s got a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of man-eating sharks, a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you’re hungry.

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5. Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches
Alan Brough

It begins with an interrupted story. Then, a mysterious box that speaks and sings. Add unusually unusual teachers, incredible lurking from the Lurker, an insect orchestra and a bungling burglar and it’s up to Charlie and Hils to save three innocent bugs from the forces of evil.

Another hilarious adventure starring Charlie and Hils from comedian, actor, singer and dancer (it’s true!), Alan Brough.

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6. A Most Magical Girl
Karen Foxlee

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time – and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being ‘proper’ isn’t always easy – especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter…

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They’re keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn’t believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty – an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel’s aunts seem very fond of – and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . .

This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away . . .

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7. Funny Kid for President
Matt Stanton

Meet the funny kid! Because every kid loves to laugh.

Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

He’s the class clown, the punch line and he’s even volunteered his bottom to be the butt of the joke.

Max is the funny kid … and he’s running for class president.

Poop scandals, stalker ducks, surprise debates, psycho sports teachers, tell-all interviews and the great library vomit-a-geddon are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends at Redhill Middle School this election season.

For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and Big Nate, FUNNY KID is the hilarious new series from bestselling children’s author Matt Stanton.

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8. Worlds Collide (Land of Stories #6)
Chris Colfer

In the highly anticipated finale, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters – heroes and villains – are no longer confined within their world!

With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale world?

Breathtaking action mixed with laugh-out-loud moments and lots of heart will make this a gripping conclusion for fans old and new.

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9. Spooky Weird! (Weido #9)
Anh Do

Halloween’s coming up, and Bella and Weir are busy working on their costumes. But everything will be turned upside-down when Weir Do finds out his family are moving away!

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10. Grandpa’s Great Escape
David Walliams

Jack’s Grandpa…

• wears his slippers to the supermarket

• serves up tinned tongue for dinner

• and often doesn’t remember Jack’s name

But he can still take to the skies in a speeding Spitfire and save the day…

Grandpa’s Great Escape is the story of the bond between a small boy and his beloved Grandpa – this book takes readers on an incredible journey with Spitfires over London and Great Escapes through the city in a high octane adventure full of comedy and heart.

This spectacular flight of the imagination is destined to become a much-loved favourite for all the family.

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TEEN / YA

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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3. Refuge: Many Dreams One Land
Jackie French

When a boat carrying a group of asylum seekers is sunk by a freak wave, Faris wakes from the shipwreck in an Australia he’s always dreamed of. There are kangaroos grazing under orange trees and the sky is always blue.

On a nearby beach, Faris meets a group of young people who have come from far different times and places. They are also seeking refuge, and each has their own story of why they had to leave their own story of why they had to leave their country to make a new life for themselves. It is only when Faris chooses to return to ‘real life’ and find his father in Australia that he learns the extraordinary truth about the friends he made in the golden beach.

From one of Australia’s best-loved authors comes a remarkable story about Australia’s long history of migration and the people who make up our country.

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4. Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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5. The Fall
Tristan Bancks

In the middle of the night, Sam is woken by angry voices from the apartment above.

He goes to the window to see what’s happening – only to hear a struggle, and see a body fall
from the sixth-floor balcony. Pushed, Sam thinks.

Sam goes to wake his father Harry, a crime reporter, but Harry is gone. And when Sam goes downstairs, the body is gone, too. But someone has seen Sam, and knows what he’s witnessed.

The next twenty-four hours could be his last.

 

Ages 10+

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6. The Sun is Also a Star
Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

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7. Geek Girl 
Holly Smale

Harriet Manners 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. She knows that bats always turn left when exiting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her. So when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her best friend’s dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of impossibly handsome model Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

Veering from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, Harriet begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn’t seem to like her any more than the real world did. As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything? The award-winning debut by bestselling author Holly Smale.

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8. The Dark Prophecy (Trials of Apollo #2)
Rick Riordan

The god Apollo, cast down to earth and trapped in the form of a gawky teenage boy as punishment, must set off on the second of his harrowing (and hilarious) trials.

He and his companions seek the ancient oracles – restoring them is the only way for Apollo to reclaim his place on Mount Olympus – but this is easier said than done.

Somewhere in the American Midwest is a haunted cave that may hold answers for Apollo in his quest to become a god again . . . if it doesn’t kill him or drive him insane first. Standing in Apollo’s way is the second member of the evil Triumvirate – a Roman emperor whose love of bloodshed and spectacle makes even Nero look tame.

To survive the encounter, Apollo will need the help of a now-mortal goddess, a bronze dragon, and some familiar demigod faces from Camp Half-Blood. With them by his side, can Apollo face down the greatest challenge of his four thousand years of existence?

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9. Everything Everything
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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10. Tell it to the Moon (The Moonlight Dreamers #2)
Siobhan Curham

Tell It to the Moon continues the story of Moonlight Dreamers Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose, who are not like everyone else and don’t want to be: becoming friends gives them the courage to be themselves. After failing to find her surrogate mother, Amber is left unsure of who she is and what she wants to do; Maali’s spiritual faith is tested when her father becomes ill; Sky, previously home-schooled, struggles to adapt to the pressures of the school system; and after having found the courage to come out, Rose begins to pursue her dream of becoming a patissier. Once again the four girls band together to help one another overcome their individual challenges and fulfill their dreams in this fabulous and heart-warming celebration of friendship.

An inspirational feel-good novel celebrating friendship and focusing on being true to yourself and following your dreams.

The third year of our Children’s Book Week Story Writing Competition and we were yet again blown away by the number and quality of the entries we received.  We absolutely love that the community is embracing story writing and feel very lucky to be able to read through your highly imaginative creations.  

We were delighted to have such a fantastic turn out for the prizes presentation on Saturday 26 August, with the fabulous Alan Brough ably assisting.  You all asked such insightful questions of him – he was very impressed – and we were all thoroughly entertained by his reading from Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches.  We’re all looking forward to the third installment of the Charlie series some time next year – hopefully he can come up with a better title than ‘Charlie and the <insert title here>‘ by then!!   

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Unfortunately, there can only be a few winners and our judging task was a difficult one as usual, but we are pleased to announce the 2017 winners as follows:

LOWER PRIMARY (Prep – Yr 3)

Shortlisted

Niah Barker – Life Saving Foxes    

Lulu Bowman – Arabella Finds Her Power

Caleb Hatch – The Dream World

Jude Shannon – Andy Man

WINNERS

Lachlan Burnett – The Rainy Day

Noah Sier – The Chicken Fish

Jasmine Burnett – Starcloud and the Unicorns

Zali Horner – Time Travel!

UPPER PRIMARY (Yr 3 – 6)

Shortlisted

Hayden Bowes – Cookie Cutter Rises

Sash Horner – Open Minded

Emma O’Neill – Captive

Lauren Sinclair – The Great Barrier Reef

Sienna Whyte – The Little Fighter

Honourable Mention

Charlotte Dungey – My Second Mother

RUNNERS-UP

Faith Hatch – The Dragon War

Sarah Norris – The Intruder

WINNER

Mia Davies – Hope

LOWER SECONDARY (Yr 7 – 9)

Shortlisted 

Tara Bull – Missing in Venice

Alex Tepaske – Finally Detected

Emily Van Shaik – Unleashed

WINNERS

Tayla Basso – On Top of the World

Adam Houben – Waves

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We have uploaded the winning entries, so click on the links if you’d like to have a read. And you can see the winners of previous years here – 2015 and 2016.

If you didn’t win a prize this year, don’t be disheartened – keep working at your stories and illustrations, and read lots for inspiration – next year might be your year!!  As Alan told us today, sometimes you just have to start writing SOMETHING, even if it turns out to be not very good – at least it gives you something to work at until you get to your best story.

We have prepared a certificate for every entrant – you can collect yours in store – just ask our friendly staff.

Please note: we will dispose of any certificates and stories not collected by the end of October.

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Thanks for helping us celebrate
Children’s Book Week 2017
– we can’t wait to see what you’ll have for us next year!!

PICTURE STORY

1. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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2. All I Want For Christmas is Rain
Cori Brook

An Australian Christmas is threatened when drought takes hold.

A little girl has only one wishfor rain.

Will her wish come true?

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3. Chip
Kylie Howarth

Chip, like most other gulls, is wild about chips. He likes fat chips, skinny chips, sandy or crunchy or soggy chips. But, most of all, he loves Joe’s chips from Joe’s Chip Van beside the sea.

Chip, like most other gulls, can be a little intrusive on his search for chips. So, one day, Joe erects a sign near his van warning people not to feed the seagulls. Chip is devastated, so he plans a way to get back into Joe’s good books, thus gaining access once more to his favourite food.

Will Chip succeed, or has he gone too far this time?

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4. Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas
Aaron Blabey

‘Hey there guys.
Would you like a banana?
What’s wrong with you, Brian?
You’re a Piranha.’ 

Brian is a piranha. He is also a vegetarian. But do you think he can convince his family to join him?

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5. The Very Sleepy Bear 
Nick Bland

On a Jingle Jangle Mountain, as the snow fell on the rocks A sleepy bear was being followed by a very sneaky fox. But Bear was in a hurry, he was running very late Winter had arrived and it was time to hibernate!

The Very Cranky Bear is back and he has a mischievous fox to contend with…

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6. What The Ladybird Heard On Holiday
Julia Donaldson

Those two bad men, Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh, are back! They may be in the city instead of the farm, but they haven’t changed their thieving ways. In fact, they’ve got even more ambitious. They’re planning to steal a monkey from the zoo and use it to pinch the Queen’s crown. It’s a pity for them that a certain crime-busting ladybird is holidaying in the very same city… and she’s got a good idea that will ensure the dastardly pair won’t get away with it!

With a whole host of noisy new zoo-animal characters to meet and even a cameo from the Queen, What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday, from stellar picture book partnership Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, is a sure-fire hit.

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7. Rainbow Fish
Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish, with his shimmering scales, is the most beautiful fish in the ocean but he is proud and vain and none of the other fish want to be his friend – until he learns to give away some of his most prized possessions.

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8. Guess How Much I Love You (20th anniversary edition)
Sam McBratney

Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not always an easy thing to measure!

Now new and existing fans can relive this cherished classic with this lavish edition, celebrating two decades of delighting readers since its initial creation.

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9. Guff
Aaron Blabey

This is my Guff.
He’s really nice.
I’ve known him since I was little.
And I still know him even now I’m big

A funny and delightful picture book for anyone who’s ever had a little fabric friend.

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10. Be Brave Little Penguin
Andreae Giles

Little Penguin Pip-Pip would love to join in with all his friends swimming in the sea, but there’s just one problem . . . he’s scared of water. Can Pip-Pip overcome his fears and finally take the plunge? This irresistible story shows that sometimes all it takes is a little bit of encouragement – and a whole lot of heart – to finally make that leap!Illustrated with humour and warmth by Guy Parker Rees, this touching tale will soon become a new family favourite.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. Worlds Collide (Land of Stories #6)
Chris Colfer

In the highly anticipated finale, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters – heroes and villains – are no longer confined within their world!

With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale world?

Breathtaking action mixed with laugh-out-loud moments and lots of heart will make this a gripping conclusion for fans old and new.

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2. Funny Kid for President
Matt Stanton

Meet the funny kid! Because every kid loves to laugh.

Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

He’s the class clown, the punch line and he’s even volunteered his bottom to be the butt of the joke.

Max is the funny kid … and he’s running for class president.

Poop scandals, stalker ducks, surprise debates, psycho sports teachers, tell-all interviews and the great library vomit-a-geddon are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends at Redhill Middle School this election season.

For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and Big Nate, FUNNY KID is the hilarious new series from bestselling children’s author Matt Stanton.

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3. A Most Magical Girl 
Karen Foxlee

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time – and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being ‘proper’ isn’t always easy – especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter…

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They’re keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn’t believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty – an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel’s aunts seem very fond of – and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . .

This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away . . .

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4. The World’s Worst Children 2
David Walliams

The brilliant follow-up to David Walliams’ bestseller The World’s Worst Children! Ten more stories about a brand new gang of hilariously horrible kids from everyone’s favourite children’s author, illustrated in glorious full colour by Tony Ross. If you thought you had read about the World’s Worst Children already, you’re in for a rather nasty shock. The beastly boys and gruesome girls in this book are even ruder, even more disgusting and WORSE than you could ever imagine!

This gorgeous collection of ten stories from the master himself, David Walliams, will make you snort with laughter and thank your lucky stars that you don’t know anyone like Gruesome Griselda or Fussy Frankie in real life. It also features a special appearance from fan-favourite Raj! Gloriously illustrated in full colour throughout by artistic genius Tony Ross, The World’s Worst Children 2 is a side-splitting companion to David’s blockbuster hit, The World’s Worst Children.

Ages 9+

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5. The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories #1)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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6. Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches
Alan Brough

It begins with an interrupted story. Then, a mysterious box that speaks and sings. Add unusually unusual teachers, incredible lurking from the Lurker, an insect orchestra and a bungling burglar and it’s up to Charlie and Hils to save three innocent bugs from the forces of evil.

Another hilarious adventure starring Charlie and Hils from comedian, actor, singer and dancer (it’s true!), Alan Brough.

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7. Polly and Buster
Sally Rippin

Who ever heard of a witch and a monster being friends?

Everyone knows that witches don’t mix with monsters. Witches are educated, clever, sophisticated. But monsters? Monsters are just uncouth. Some are even dangerous.

But Polly the witch and Buster the feelings monster have been best friends forever.
It’s the sort of friendship that makes your heart squeeze with happiness.
Somehow, they’ve managed to keep their friendship a secret.
Until one day, when everything changes …

Ages 7-10 yo

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8. The World’s Worst Children
David Walliams

Are you ready to meet the World’s Worst Children? Five beastly boys and five gruesome girls!

• Like Sofia Sofa – a TV super-fan so stuck to the sofa that she’s turning into one!

• Or Dribbling Drew – a boy whose drool gets him into trouble on a school trip!

• And not forgetting Blubbering Bertha – a girl who bawls and tells terrible tales!Also featuring a special appearance from fan-favourite Raj!

From Number One bestselling author David Walliams comes this collection of wickedly funny, deliciously mischievous tales, illustrated in glorious colour by the artistic genius Tony Ross.

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9. The Enchantress Returns (Land of Stories #2)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother. Against the will of their grandmother (the one and only Fairy Godmother), the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it’s ever faced.

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10. Minecraft: The Island
Max Brooks

Minecraft: The Island, the first and only official Minecraft novel, will tell the story of a new hero stranded in the world of Minecraft, who must survive the harsh, unfamiliar environment and unravel the secrets of the island.

Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks, bestselling author of World War Z, is the first official Minecraft novel.

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TEEN FICTION / YOUNG ADULT

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Everything Everything 
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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3. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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4. Resurrection (Skulduggery Pleasant #10)
Derek Landy

The skeleton detective is coming back to life… again! It’s the tenth, triumphant novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and it will rearrange your world.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie are back in the tenth instalment in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasantseries – an incredible and unexpected treat for the legions of fans around the world.

We can’t say much but we can say this: Skulduggery and Valkyrie are going to team up with beloved characters from the first 9 books as well as an all-new cast, including new teen co-star Omen Darkly, for an adventure that takes the story to truly global proportions… while answering questions that go right back to the beginning.

And Derek says this: “I was halfway through Last Stand of Dead Men, I think, when I realised that I had more stories to tell. I told myself that if Skulduggery and Valkyrie survived the series, I would leave the option open of returning to their world. There were still secrets I need to reveal, after all, and there were still horrors they had to face. They survived the first series. But they’re really going to wish they hadn’t.”

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5. The Sun is Also A Star 
Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

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6. One of Us is Lying
Karen McManus

On Thursday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investi­gators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Thursday, he died. But on Friday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they just the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

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7. The Maze Runner 
James Dashner

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he’s not alone. He’s surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade – a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they came to be there – or what’s happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything – even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out.

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8. Divergent
Veronica Roth

In sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior’s world, society is divided into five factions – Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) – each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, in the attempt to form a “perfect society.” At the age of sixteen, teens must choose the faction to which they will devote their lives.

On her Choosing Day, Beatrice renames herself Tris, rejects her family?s Abnegation faction, and chooses Dauntless, the faction of daredevils and adrenaline junkies whose lives are devoted to courageousness and chasing out weakness. After surviving a brutal initiation, Tris finds romance with a super-hot, super-fearless Dauntless boy named Tobias, but also discovers unrest and growing conflict in their seemingly “perfect society.” To survive and save those they love, Tris and Tobias must use their strengths to uncover the truths about their identities, their families, and the order of their society itself.

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9. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Graphic Novel Edition)
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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10. Delirium
Lauren Oliver

The first book in Lauren Oliver’s New York Times bestselling trilogy about forbidden love, revolution, and the power to choose. Now with a brand-new cover and an exclusive-to-this-book sneak peek at her next novel for teens: the ambitious, wholly original masterwork Replica.

In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn’t about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

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We’re holding our story writing competition to celebrate Children’s Book Week again this year.  We had some fantastic entries last year, which you can have a look at here.

There are Farrell’s book vouchers up for grabs as prizes – to be awarded by our guest author, ALAN BROUGH!!  (see below) – so be sure to get your entry in if you’d like to be in the running.  We will also share the winning entries here on our website.

There are four different age groups and conditions:

1. Lower Primary – Prep to Year 2/3
   (if you’re in Year 3, you can choose which group you’d like to enter)

   • Picture story format

2. Upper Primary – Year 3/4 to Year 6

   • Picture story or short story format (Limit 2 pages / 1000 words)

3. Lower Secondary – Years 7 – 9

   • Short story format (Limit 2 pages / 1000 words)

4. Upper Secondary – Years 10 – 12

   • Short story format (Limit to 3 pages / 1500 words)

A note re page / word limits – as our entry numbers have been steadily growing annually, we will this year need to exclude any entries that exceed the limits.  A good opportunity for some of you to hone your editing skills, perhaps !!

In all groups, there is a limit of one entry per person.

Hard copy entries can be dropped in our competition box in store (we are happy to return them after the competition if you wish to come and collect them again).  Electronic entries can be submitted to events@farrells.com.au with the Subject: CBW Story Comp.  Please use either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Please ensure you include your name, age and group of entry, and contact information (phone and email).

Entries close Sunday 16 July.

GUEST AUTHOR VISIT: Alan Brough

We are super excited to announce our visiting author for our Children’s Book Week celebrations this year…. Alan Brough!!

Saturday 26 August
From 3pm IN STORE

To all our junior fiction readers out there, Alan is the author of the hilarious and crazy Charlie books – Charlie and the War Against the Grannies and the newly released second book, Charlie and the Cockroaches (and for a lot of our parents, he’s “that funny guy from Spicks and Specks”…).

Alan will be joining us to help present prizes to the winners of the Story Writing Competition, speak about being an author and of course to sign some of his books!

Join us for lots of laughs and a celebration of all the great things about reading, writing and books!

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So what will you write about?

• You could use the Children’s Book Week theme from this year – “Escape to Everywhere” – as a starting point.

• Think about some favourite books you love to read and see if you can create something similar.

• For those of you writing picture story books, have a look at this fun interactive book about how to write a story or perhaps try out the Scholastic Story Starter.  (Be sure to get Mum and Dad’s okay to use the computer).

• For Groups 2-4, have a look at Andy Griffith’s Once Upon A Slime for some tips on writing or check out this YouTube video of him speaking with a school group about how to write.

• Ask your school librarian or teacher for some ideas.

• Be creative!  Your imagination is a unique and wonderful thing – so put it to good use!

We can’t wait to see what wonderful creative stories you share with us.

Happy Writing!

1. Really Weird! (Weirdo #8) (Anh Do)

Grandma Do is visiting, just in time for Grandparents Day, a trip to the farm AND the school dance! Life is about to get REALLY weird for Weir Do… because Grandma Do is the weirdest one of all! It wont be easy… but it will be funny!

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2. Frankie Fish and The Sonic Suitcase (Peter Helliar)

Twelve-year-old Frankie Fish hates visiting his grandparents. Grandad Fish is cranky, and yells a lot, and has a creepy hook for a hand – plus he NEVER lets Frankie go inside his shed. But after a teensy tiny prank goes wrong at school, Frankie is packed off to Old-People Jail for the whole holidays.

What Frankie doesn’t know is that Grandad has been building a home-made TIME MACHINE in the Forbidden Shed, and the old man has big plans to get his missing hand back. But when Grandad goes back in time, he changes history and accidentally wipes out Frankie’s entire family – Nanna, Mum, Dad, even his annoying sister Saint Lou. Somehow, everyone is gone but Frankie and Grandad! And it’s only a matter of time until Frankie disappears too…

As the last Fish men standing, Frankie and Granddad must race back in time to undo this terrible mistake. But can they stand each other long enough to put the past back together again? And even if they manage the impossible – will Grandad’s wonky time-machine ever get them home?

In his first ever kids’ book, Australian comedian Peter Helliar takes young readers on a hilarious time-travel adventure about mega mischief, missing limbs, and a grandad with a wicked secret…

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3. The Wishing Spell (Land Of Stories#1) (Chris Colfer)

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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4. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (J.K. Rowling)

An approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander’s masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the Wizarding World.

In this comprehensively updated edition, eagle-eyed readers will spot a number of new beasts and an intriguing new author’s note. Scamander’s years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books – the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail …Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents.

A brand new edition of this essential companion to the Harry Potter stories, with a new foreword from J.K. Rowling, an irresistible new jacket by Jonny Duddle, illustrations by Tomislav Tomic and six new beasts!

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5. Weirdo (Anh Do)

My parents could have given me any first name at all, like John, Kevin, Shmevin …ANYTHING. Instead Im stuck with the worst name since Mrs Face called her son Bum. Meet Weir Do. No, thats not a typo, thats his name! Weir Dos the new kid in school. With an unforgettable name, a crazy family and some seriously weird habits, fitting in wont be easy …but it will be funny!

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6. Unleashed (Dogman #2) (Dav Pilkey)

Dog Man is back and he’s got a bone to pick with the world’s fiercest feline felon!

Dog Man, the newest hero from the creator of Captain Underpants, is still learning a few tricks of the trade. If only the Chief would throw him a bone every once in a while . . .

Petey the cat is out of the bag, and his criminal curiosity is taking the city by storm. Can the canine crime biter unleash justice on this ruffian in time to save the city, or will Petey get away with the purrfect crime?

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7. Rooftoppers (Katherine Rundell)

My mother is still alive, and she is going to come for me one day.

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means it’s still possible. You should never ignore a possible.

So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has – the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie’s mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

A beautiful novel about a group of urchins living on the rooftops of Victorian Paris, which is a tribute to believing in the impossible.

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8. Hotdog (Anh Do)

Meet Hotdog , the sausage dog, and his friends!

Theres Kev, the goofy cat, whos always dressed up in some silly costume, and Lizzie, the gutsy lizard, who eats bug burgers for breakfast!

Together theyre going on a mad adventure to help a baby bird find its missing mum!

Hotdog and his friends will go to any lengths, and dizzying heights, to find her!

But can they handle dirty nappies and karate-chopping roosters along the way?

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9. Dogman (Dav Pilkey)

There’s a new breed of justice in town, and he’s ready to sniff out criminals — as soon as he stops chasing his own tail!

George and Harold have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks, and rolls over robbers. When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, and Dog Man is born. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound has a real nose for justice. But can he resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

New from the creator of Captain Underpants, it’s Dog Man, the crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!

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10. Olga And The Smelly Thing From Nowhere (Elise Gravel)

I love animals. I get along with them JUST FINE.

 

1. I’m Australian Too (Mem Fox)

I’m Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

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2. Kissed By The Moon (Alison Lester)

May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong.

Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby’s wonder at our beautiful world. From much-loved Australian Children’s Laureate Alison Lester comes a timeless book to share and to treasure.

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3. In My Heart: A Book Of  Feelings (Jo Witek)

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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4. We’re All Wonders (R.J. Palacio)

I know I can’t change the way I look. But maybe, just maybe, people can change the way they see . . .

Wonder is the unforgettable story of August Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. With over 5 million copies sold, Wonder is a true modern classic, a life-changing read, and has inspired kindness and acceptance in countless readers.

Now younger readers can discover the Wonder message with this gorgeous picture book, starring Auggie and his dog Daisy on an original adventure, written and illustrated by R.J. Palacio.  With spare, powerful text and richly-imagined illustrations, We’re All Wonders shows readers what it’s like to live in Auggie’s world – a world in which he feels like any other kid, but he’s not always seen that way.

We’re All Wonders taps into every child’s longing to belong, and to be seen for who they truly are. It’s the perfect way for families and teachers to talk about empathy, difference and kindness with young children.

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5. What Do You Do With An Idea? (Kobi Yamada)

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child’s confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens.

This is a story for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It’s a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s just getting started.

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6. Love (Emma Dodd)

Join little rabbit and his mummy as they spend a glorious sunny day together in the meadow. Little rabbit finds love everywhere, but knows that a mummy’s love is always the best love of all.

Exploring the loving relationship between animal parents and their babies, and featuring a tenderly-told rhyming text and heartwarming illustrations.

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7. Ruby Red Shoes (Kate Knapp)

Ruby Red Shoes lives in a colourful caravan with her grandmother. Ruby is gentle and kind and cares for all living things, including plants and trees, animals and people. Ruby is also particularly fond of strawberry jam and peppermint tea.

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8. Imagine (Alison Lester)

Imagine yourself deep in the jungle, under the sea, in a land of ice and snow, on a farm, in the moonlit bush, on an African plain, in a prehistoric swamp. Then turn the page and find all the animals living there.

A wonderful introduction to the natural world with intricate pictures to explore again and again, and a key to help you name all the animals.

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9. Anzac Biscuits (Phil Cummings)

Rachel is in the kitchen, warm and safe.

Her father is in the trenches, cold and afraid.

When Rachel makes biscuits for her father, she adds the love, warmth and hope that he needs.

This is a touching story of a family torn apart by war but brought together through the powerful simplicity of Anzac biscuits.

ANZAC Biscuits delicately entwines the desolation of life on the frontline of war with the tenderness of life on the home front.

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10. Are We There Yet? (Alison Lester)

The year I turned eight, Mum and Dad took us on a trip around Australia. Luke, Billy and I missed school for the whole winter term.

Join Grace and her family on their adventurous and sometimes funny expedition. A warm, heartfelt story based on an actual journey undertaken by the much-loved, award-winning author and illustrator, Alison Lester.

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PICTURE STORY & JUNIOR FICTION (6-12yo)

1. I’m Australian Too
Mem Fox
Illustrator: Ronojoy Ghosh

I’m Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

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2. Frankie Fish and The Sonic Suitcase
Peter Helliar

Twelve-year-old Frankie Fish hates visiting his grandparents. Grandad Fish is cranky, and yells a lot, and has a creepy hook for a hand – plus he NEVER lets Frankie go inside his shed. But after a teensy tiny prank goes wrong at school, Frankie is packed off to Old-People Jail for the whole holidays.

What Frankie doesn’t know is that Grandad has been building a home-made TIME MACHINE in the Forbidden Shed, and the old man has big plans to get his missing hand back. But when Grandad goes back in time, he changes history and accidentally wipes out Frankie’s entire family – Nanna, Mum, Dad, even his annoying sister Saint Lou. Somehow, everyone is gone but Frankie and Grandad! And it’s only a matter of time until Frankie disappears too…

As the last Fish men standing, Frankie and Granddad must race back in time to undo this terrible mistake. But can they stand each other long enough to put the past back together again? And even if they manage the impossible – will Grandad’s wonky time-machine ever get them home?

In his first ever kids’ book, Australian comedian Peter Helliar takes young readers on a hilarious time-travel adventure about mega mischief, missing limbs, and a grandad with a wicked secret…

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3. The Lights Under The Lake (Scarlet And Ivy #4)
Sophie Cleverley

Scarlet and Ivy’s school trip takes a turn for the worse as another mystery begins to unfold…

The fourth book in the Scarlet and Ivy series is perfect for fans of MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE.

It’s summer and as a special treat after the horrors of last term Mrs Knight announces a school trip to Shady Pines Hotel on the shores of Lake Seren. Scarlet and Ivy are thrilled to get away from Rookwood for a break! But the old hotel and the waters of the lake reservoir are covering up dark secrets. And when mysterious things start happening to hotel guests it seems that a malicious new threat is haunting the girls. Locals say that at night you can hear the ringing of the church bells and see lights under the lake, that troubled souls buried in the flooded graveyard no longer rest…

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4. Charlie And The War Against The Grannies
Alan Brough

I didn’t want Mrs Cyclopolos to explode. I just wanted a paper round.

My name is Charlie Ian Duncan. I will be 12 on 2 February. I have written this history of my war with the grannies because I need everyone to know that I didn’t mean for Mrs Cyclopolos to blow up. I just wanted a paper round.

When I say ‘my war with the grannies’, I really mean the war I waged alongside my best friend Hils, my second-best-friend Rashid, Peter the Iraqi who isn’t afraid of anything (well apart from one thing), Warren and his magical bike TwelveSpeed and those crazy people we met underground.

The grannies started it when I asked them about a paper round and they sprayed me in the face with rooster brand chilli sauce and made me think that I was dead. Hils and I decided to go to war with them but then I discovered one of the grannies had a glass eye and I wasn’t sure if it was okay to go to war against someone with a glass eye but then I discovered that the granny with the glass eye could pinch bricks in half, turn her snot-covered hankies into deadly throwing weapons and possessed a truly terrible device called the Gnashing Gnet.

It’s all true.

Especially the bit about me not wanting anyone to blow up.

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5. Double Down (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid #11)
Jeff Kinney

The pressure’s really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his “creative side.

As if that’s not scary enough, Halloween’s just around the corner and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle.

When Greg discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can he get his mom off his back by making a movie … And will he become rich and famous in the process? Or will doubling down on this plan just double Greg’s troubles?

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6. Busting
Aaron Blabey

Lou is BUSTING for the loo.

But the loo has quite a queue.

So what on earth is Lou to do?

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7. Mighty Mighty Construction Site
Sheri Duskey Rinker

All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site-this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small!

Down in the big construction site, tough trucks stir in the morning light! They’re eager to get things underway. There’s a brand-new job to start today …but this new job is the biggest they’ve ever seen, and Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Together, there’s nothing they can’t do!

Playful rhyming text and vibrant illustrations by the bestselling team behind Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Sitemake this book a surefire favorite for construction fans everywhere.

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8. In My Heart: A Book Of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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9. Grandpa’s Great Escape
David Walliams

Jack’s Grandpa…

• wears his slippers to the supermarket

• serves up tinned tongue for dinner

• and often doesn’t remember Jack’s name

But he can still take to the skies in a speeding Spitfire and save the day…

Grandpa’s Great Escape is the story of the bond between a small boy and his beloved Grandpa – this book takes readers on an incredible journey with Spitfires over London and Great Escapes through the city in a high octane adventure full of comedy and heart.

This spectacular flight of the imagination is destined to become a much-loved favourite for all the family.

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10.Under The Love Umbrella
Davina Bell
Illustrator: Allison Colpoys

Whatever you fear, come close my dear
You’re tucked in safe for always here
And I will never not be near
Because of our love umbrella

From this award-winning creative duo comes a stunning celebration of the joy and comfort that love can bring – wherever we roam in the big, wild world.

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TEEN

1. Everything Everything
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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2. Wonder
R J Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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3. Mr Romanovs Garden In The Sky
Robert Newton

Living in the commission, Lexie is left to fend for herself. Her mother is mostly absent, out searching for something to help her forget the tragic death of Lexie’s dad.

But then, after witnessing the aftermath of a shocking incident, Lexie finds solace in the most unlikely of places – in a troubled old man called the Creeper.

A chance, life-saving encounter on the commission’s roof seeds a friendship between the two and when they enlist the help of Lexie’s friend Davey, the three set off on an epic journey; one that will change their lives and the lives of those around them.

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4. Forever Geek
Holly Smale

My name is Harriet Manners and I’ll be a geek forever…The FINAL book in the bestselling, award-winning GEEK GIRL series is here! Harriet Manners knows almost every fact there is.Modelling isn’t a sure-fire route to popularity. Neither is making endless lists.The people you love don’t expect you to transform into someone else.Statistically you are more likely to not meet your Australian ex-boyfriend in Australia than bump into him there.So on the trip of a lifetime Down Under Harriet’s to-do lists are gone and it’s Nat’s time to shine! Yet with nearly-not-quite-boyfriend Jasper back home, Harriet’s completely unprepared to see supermodel ex Nick. Is the fashion world about to turn ugly for GEEK GIRL?It’s time for Harriet to face the future. Time to work out where her heart lies. To learn how to let go…

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5. Frogkisser
Garth Nix

Talking dogs. Mischievous wizards. An evil stepstepfather. Loads and loads of toads. Such is the life of a Frogkisser.

Princess Anya needs to see a wizard about a frog. It’s not her frog, it’s her sister’s. And it’s not a frog, it’s actually a prince. A prince who was once in love with Anya’s sister, but has now been turned into a frog by their evil stepstepfather. And Anya has made a ‘sister promise’ that she will find a way to return Prince Denholm to human form…

So begins an exciting, hilarious, irreverent quest through the Kingdom of Trallonia and out the other side, in a fantastical tale for all ages, full of laughs and danger, surprises and delights, and an immense population of frogs.

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6. Six Impossible Things
Fiona Wood

Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door.

His life is a mess, but for now he’s narrowed it down to just six impossible things…

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7. The Sun Is Also A Star
Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

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8. Library Of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s #3)
Ransom Riggs

Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever…. Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs.

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9. Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s #2)
Ransom Riggs

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

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10. The Hate U Give
Angela Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

 

PICTURE STORY

Florette
Anna Walker

When Mae has to move house from the country to the city, she feels lonely and sad – until she discovers a beautiful place full of green in the centre of Paris. What she finds there sparks something special and beautiful that will make her feel much more at home.

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I’m Australian Too
Mem Fox
Illustrator: Ronojoy Ghosh

I’m Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

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Lucy’s Book
Natalie Jane Prior

Triangle
Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

Meet Triangle. He is going to play a sneaky trick on his friend, Square. Or so Triangle thinks. . . .

With this first tale in a new trilogy, partners in crime Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen will have readers wondering just who they can trust in a richly imagined world of shapes. Visually stunning and full of wry humor, here is a perfectly paced treat that could come only from the minds of two of today’s most irreverent – and talented – picture book creators.

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A Walk in the Bush
Gwyn Perkins

Little Iggy doesn’t want to leave the house, but Grandad insists – they always have fun together.

What follows is a wonderful journey in the great Australian outdoors with singing birds, wallaby surprises, secret caterpillar messages and oodles of grandad humour.

Here is a story about the wonders of nature, the funny side of life and spending time with the ones we love.

From an original and exciting new talent comes A Walk in the Bush, proudly the first picture book from Affirm Press.

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Labyrinth
Theo Guignard

The biggest maze book to hit shelves this year! Explore worlds made of plants, giant skyscrapers, wild habitats, and futuristic cities, in this book that asks you to trace your way through 14 magical mazes. With things to spot along the way, each maze grows in complexity with every turn of the page.

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YOUNG ADULT

Mr Romanov’s Garden in the Sky
Robert Newton

Living in the commission, Lexie is left to fend for herself. Her mother is mostly absent, out searching for something to help her forget the tragic death of Lexie’s dad.

But then, after witnessing the aftermath of a shocking incident, Lexie finds solace in the most unlikely of places – in a troubled old man called the Creeper.

A chance, life-saving encounter on the commission’s roof seeds a friendship between the two and when they enlist the help of Lexie’s friend Davey, the three set off on an epic journey; one that will change their lives and the lives of those around them.

---

 

Frogkisser
Garth Nix

Talking dogs. Mischievous wizards. An evil stepstepfather. Loads and loads of toads. Such is the life of a Frogkisser.

Princess Anya needs to see a wizard about a frog. It’s not her frog, it’s her sister’s. And it’s not a frog, it’s actually a prince. A prince who was once in love with Anya’s sister, but has now been turned into a frog by their evil stepstepfather. And Anya has made a ‘sister promise’ that she will find a way to return Prince Denholm to human form…

So begins an exciting, hilarious, irreverent quest through the Kingdom of Trallonia and out the other side, in a fantastical tale for all ages, full of laughs and danger, surprises and delights, and an immense population of frogs.

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The Things We Promise
JC Burke

There are two things you need to know about me. The first is that I remember life by what I was wearing. The second is that I think too much.

It’s the early 1990s and all Gemma can think about is looking perfect for her first school formal. Gemma’s brother Billy – New York’s up and coming hair and make-up artist – has made her the ultimate promise: he’s returning home especially to ‘create magic’ on her and two friends for their end-of-year formal. Gemma’s best friend, Andrea, is convinced it’ll be their moment to shine; Gemma hopes it’s the night Ralph will finally notice her.

But when Billy arrives home from New York, Gemma’s life becomes complicated. Her family’s been keeping secrets; friendships are forged and broken; and suddenly the length of her formal dress is the least of her worries.

Set in a time of uncertainty and fear, The Things We Promise is a beautifully told novel that sings with emotion, humour and heartbreak.

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History is All You Left Me
Adam Silvera

You’re still alive in alternate universes, Theo, but I live in the real world where this morning you’re having an open casket funeral. I know you’re out there, listening. And you should know I’m really pissed because you swore you would never die and yet here we are. It hurts even more because this isn’t the first promise you’ve broken.

OCD-afflicted seventeen-year-old, Griffin, has just lost his first love – his best friend, ex-boyfriend and the boy he believed to be his ultimate life partner – in a drowning accident. In a desperate attempt to hold onto every last piece of the past, a broken Griffin forges a friendship with Theo’s new college boyfriend, Jackson. And Griffin will stop at nothing to learn every detail of Theo’s new college life, and ultimate death. But as the grieving pair grows closer, readers will question Griffin’s own version of the truth – both in terms of what he’s willing to hide, and what true love ultimately means…

 

PICTURE STORY

1. In My Heart: A Book Of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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2. I’m Australian Too
Mem Fox

I’m Australian! How about you?

Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

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3. What Do You Do With An Idea?
Kobi Yamada

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child’s confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens.

This is a story for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It’s a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s just getting started.

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4. What Do You Do With A Problem?
Kobi Yamada

“What do you do with a problem? Especially one that follows you around and doesn’t seem to be going away? Do you worry about it? Ignore it? Do you run and hide from it?

This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn’t so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.

This is a story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It’s a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it’s here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem and yourself. What are problems for? They challenge us, shape us, push us, and help us to discover just how strong and brave and capable we really are. Even though we don’t always want them, problems have a way of bringing unexpected gifts.

So, what will you do with your problem?

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. The Midnight Gang
David Walliams

Welcome to the Midnight Gang!

Midnight is the time when all children are fast asleep, except of course for… the Midnight Gang. That is when their adventures are just beginning…

When Tom gets hit on the head by a cricket ball, he finds himself at Lord Funt Hospital, and is greeted by a terrifying-looking porter. Things go from bad to worse when he meets the wicked matron in charge of the children’s ward… But Tom is about to embark on the most thrilling journey of a lifetime!

The Midnight Gang tells an extraordinarily heartwarming and, of course, funny story of five children on a hospital ward – and on a quest for adventure! It is a story of friendship and magic – and of making dreams come true. Readers are set to be utterly spellbound by this heartfelt story.

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2. Unleashed (Dog Man #2)
Dav Pilkey

Dog Man is back and he’s got a bone to pick with the world’s fiercest feline felon!

Dog Man, the newest hero from the creator of Captain Underpants, is still learning a few tricks of the trade. If only the Chief would throw him a bone every once in a while . . .

Petey the cat is out of the bag, and his criminal curiosity is taking the city by storm. Can the canine crime biter unleash justice on this ruffian in time to save the city, or will Petey get away with the purrfect crime?

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3. The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories #1)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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4. Frankie Fish and the Sonic Suitcase
Peter Helliar

Twelve-year-old Frankie Fish hates visiting his grandparents. Grandad Fish is cranky, and yells a lot, and has a creepy hook for a hand – plus he NEVER lets Frankie go inside his shed. But after a teensy tiny prank goes wrong at school, Frankie is packed off to Old-People Jail for the whole holidays.

What Frankie doesn’t know is that Grandad has been building a home-made TIME MACHINE in the Forbidden Shed, and the old man has big plans to get his missing hand back. But when Grandad goes back in time, he changes history and accidentally wipes out Frankie’s entire family – Nanna, Mum, Dad, even his annoying sister Saint Lou. Somehow, everyone is gone but Frankie and Grandad! And it’s only a matter of time until Frankie disappears too…

As the last Fish men standing, Frankie and Granddad must race back in time to undo this terrible mistake. But can they stand each other long enough to put the past back together again? And even if they manage the impossible – will Grandad’s wonky time-machine ever get them home?

In his first ever kids’ book, Australian comedian Peter Helliar takes young readers on a hilarious time-travel adventure about mega mischief, missing limbs, and a grandad with a wicked secret…

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5. Double Down (Diary Of A Wimpy Kid #11)
Jeff Kinney

The pressure’s really piling up on Greg Heffley. His mom thinks video games are turning his brain to mush, so she wants her son to put down the controller and explore his “creative side.

As if that’s not scary enough, Halloween’s just around the corner and the frights are coming at Greg from every angle.

When Greg discovers a bag of gummy worms, it sparks an idea. Can he get his mom off his back by making a movie … And will he become rich and famous in the process? Or will doubling down on this plan just double Greg’s troubles?

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6. Dog Man
Dav Pilkey

There’s a new breed of justice in town, and he’s ready to sniff out criminals — as soon as he stops chasing his own tail!

George and Harold have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks, and rolls over robbers. When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, and Dog Man is born. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound has a real nose for justice. But can he resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

New from the creator of Captain Underpants, it’s Dog Man, the crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!

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TEEN / YOUNG ADULT

1. Wonder
R J Palacio

My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island?

An abandoned orphanage?

A strange collection of very curious photographs?

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience.

As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive?

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

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3. Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s #2)
Ransom Riggs

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

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4. King’s Cage (Red Queen #3)
Victoria Aveyard

5. Before I fall
Lauren Oliver

Sam Kingston is dead.

Except she isn’t.

On a rainy February night, Sam is killed in a horrific car crash. But instead of seeing a tunnel of light, she wakes up in her own bed, on the morning of the same day.

Forced to live through the same events the drive to school, skipping class, the fateful party she struggles to alter the outcome, but wakes up again on the day of the crash. What follows is the story of a girl who comes of age in a matter of days. Who discovers, through heartbreaking insights, the consequences of her every action. Of a girl who dies young, but in the process learns how to live. And who falls in love . . . a little too late.

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6. Carve The Mark
Veronica Roth

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favoured by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not – their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power – something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive – no matter what the cost.

When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive – or to destroy one another.

Fans of Star Wars and Divergent will revel in internationally bestselling author Veronica Roth’s stunning new science-fiction fantasy series.

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7. Library Of Souls (Miss Peregrine’s #3)
Ransom Riggs

Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be?

This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs.

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8. All The Bright Places
Jennifer Niven

An exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of ways he might die, but every day he also searches for—and manages to find—something to keep him here, and alive, and awake.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her small Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school—six stories above the ground—it’s unclear who saves whom. And when the unlikely pair teams up on a class project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, they go, as Finch says, where the road takes them: the grand, the small, the bizarre, the beautiful, the ugly, the surprising—just like life.

Soon it’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a bold, funny, live-out-loud guy, who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet forgets to count away the days and starts living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is a heart-wrenching, unflinching story of love shared, life lived, and two teens who find one another while standing on the edge.

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9. Everything Everything
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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10. Frogkisser
Garth Nix

Talking dogs. Mischievous wizards. An evil stepstepfather. Loads and loads of toads. Such is the life of a Frogkisser.

Princess Anya needs to see a wizard about a frog. It’s not her frog, it’s her sister’s. And it’s not a frog, it’s actually a prince. A prince who was once in love with Anya’s sister, but has now been turned into a frog by their evil stepstepfather. And Anya has made a ‘sister promise’ that she will find a way to return Prince Denholm to human form…

So begins an exciting, hilarious, irreverent quest through the Kingdom of Trallonia and out the other side, in a fantastical tale for all ages, full of laughs and danger, surprises and delights, and an immense population of frogs.

 

PICTURE STORY

The Everywhere Bear
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Rebecca Cobb

The Everywhere Bear has a wonderful time with the children in Class One, but one day he gets more than he bargained for when he falls unnoticed from a backpack and embarks on his own big adventure! He’s washed down a drain and whooshed out to sea, rescued by a fishing boat, loaded onto a lorry, carried off by a seagull … how will he ever make it back to Class One?

The Everywhere Bear is a warm and engaging story from Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, the creators of The Paper Dolls, which has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenway Medal.

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JUNIOR FICTION

The Grand, Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler
Lisa Shanahan

It struck Henry that perhaps he was waiting for the exact right moment to be daring and brave. The exact right moment where he felt no worry at all, not one tiny flicker. But what if that moment never came?

Henry Hoobler is a reluctant adventurer who is worried about his summer holiday camping at the beach: bugs, spiders, snakes, stingers, blue-ringed octopi or sharks. Worst of all, his family and friends are pushing him to ride his new silver bike – without training wheels. But when Henry meets Cassie, he discovers that courage is there to be found when you have a friend who is straight-up and true.

A joyous, heart-warming story from the much-loved author of My Big Birkett.

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Marge and the Pirate Baby
Isla Fisher
Illustrated by Eglantine Ceulemans

Marge is back and exploring the neighbourhood with the kids! With some help from Jemima and Jake, can she stay in charge and keep ‘pirate’ baby Zara under control? And can the children make sure Marge behaves at Uncle Desmond and Annie’s wedding?.

The second fun family story in the Marge in Charge series by actor and comedian Isla Fisher, illustrated with wit and warmth by Eglantine Ceulemans.

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Snow Man and the Seven Ninjas (Epic Fail Tales Book 1)
Matt Cosgrove

Don’t worry! This isn’t the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that has bored children for years.

This disgusting and completely awesome retelling of the classic tale brings the story to life for a whole new generation of blood thirsty, booger hunters!

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TEEN / YOUNG ADULT

The Cruelty
Scott Bergstrom

When Gwendolyn Bloom realizes that her father has been kidnapped, she has to take matters into her own hands. She traces him from New York City across the dark underbelly of Europe, taking on a new identity to survive in a world of brutal criminal masterminds. As she slowly leaves behind her schoolgirl self, she realizes that she must learn the terrifying truth about herself. To overcome the cruelty she encounters, she must also embrace it.

The Cruelty is the first book from a groundbreaking new YA voice: an utterly compelling thriller.

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Wipeout (Seven Signs Book 3)
Michael Adams

After Andy and Dylan are caught in a fiery explosion, Zander, JJ, Yasmin, Mila and Isabel realise their only chance to stop the next attack is to get one step ahead of The Signmaker. But the evil mastermind is far from their only problem, with the DARE winners now on the run from police, government agents and sinister suited thugs.

Nowhere is safe. No-one can be trusted. Can they stay free long enough to decode the Third Sign, stop the next attack and reveal The Signmakers true identity? If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs . Five days left to save the world.