Shortlisted for 2008 CBCA Awards!!

Books for Younger Readers

SIXTH GRADE STYLE QUEEN (NOT!)

All the girls want to be style queens - except Dawn. Problem is, she's not really sure what she wants.
But as everything in her life starts to change, Dawn learns that sometimes not having all the answers isn't such a bad thing after all.
Sixth Grade Style Queen (Not!) is a verse novel that tells the story of an awful year in Grade 6 and a girl who finds that nothing can be made to stay the same forever.

Listen to some poems from the book (on poetry4kids.net).

Read some poems from the book.

How to read a verse novel (article)

Teacher's notes on the book

If you live outside Australia and you'd like to buy a copy of this book, click on this button. If you have any problems using this, please email me.

Latest Penguin Bite out now!
PROBLEM PONY

Beth wants a horse more than anything. When her family move to a new house which has a paddock - with horses! – at the end of the street, she pleads with her parents to let her have her own horse, but to no avail. Then Aunty Grace needs someone to look after her pony, Brady. Only trouble is, Brady is old and very grumpy, and isn't interested in anyone riding him, especially not Beth.

PIRATES OF QUENTARIS

(Lothian Books)

The next exciting addition to the
Quentaris Chronicles.

When Kiall and Eena's father is
thrown in the dungeons, they
are desperate to save him. But
no one is allowed in the rift caves.
They stow away on a sky pirate
ship and end up in a harsh,
windswept world with the
evil Captain Bloodwine.

The Littlest Pirate and the Hammerheads
(Aussie Nibbles - Penguin)

Nicholas Nosh, the littlest pirate in the world, is back in another adventure!

Captain Hammerhead sneaked into the pirate castle and stole all the treasure. Nicholas and first mate Gretta have to get it back.

But can they outwit Captain Hammerhead and his deadly sharks?

(OUT IN 2007! The Littlest Pirate in a Pickle)

Farm Kid

(Penguin)

The family farm is the only life Zack knows. To him it's space, blue skies, cows, hay and the creek. But the drought could change everything.

'Farm Kid' is a novel in poems, described by one reviewer as '...a series of beautifully crafted blank verse, free of condescension and sentimentality' (Ruth Starke, ABR)

Read some poems from 'Farm Kid'

'FARM KID' won the 2005 NSW Premier's Literary Award - Patricia Wrightson Prize

If you live outside Australia and would like to buy Farm Kid, please click on the button below.

Susie the Lifesaver
(Aussie Nibbles – Penguin)

Susie is very shy, too shy to make friends or speak in class at school. But when she overhears two bullies planning to hurt Ben, the only boy who has helped her, she must find a way to warn him. But how, when she’s too scared to talk to him?

Boots And All
(Aussie Chomps – Penguin)

Tony has two talents – drawing and playing football. His father is his footy team coach and wants Tony to try out for the regionals. Tony wants to attend a special cartooning workshop with his hero, Bren Tong. How can Tony do what he most wants without making his father angry?

Up A Tree
(Penguin)

It’s the school holidays at last and Simon can’t resist the Grubb twins’ flying fox. It’s up to Molly to save him. This story is full of action and includes a tangle with a crazy neighbour, trying to save an endangered possum and avoiding Grandma’s naughty parrot, Pecker.

The Too-Tight Tutu
(Aussie Bites – Penguin)

Merry dreams of being a ballerina, dancing on the stage in a beautiful tutu. But there are no ballet schools where she lives, and everyone thinks she is too fat to dance and wear a tutu. When Merry gets her chance to dance, nothing can stop her!

The Littlest Pirate
(Aussie Nibbles – Penguin)

Nicholas Nosh, the littlest pirate in the world, isn’t allowed to go to sea. “You’re too small,” his parents say. But when Redbeard the Pirate captures his family, Nicholas must sail off with Gretta, the cook, to rescue them.

Tiger Trouble
(Aussie Bites – Penguin)

Eric’s mum is a worry at the best of times, but when she gets hypnotised at the circus, trouble looms. Why is Mum dancing in weird places? How can Eric stop her embarrassing behaviour?

Batter Up
(Aussie Bites – Penguin)

Haggis and Spit used to be best friends – now they’re enemies. What happened? And will the big softball game solve the problem? Or will Front End Loader, their terrible teacher, make things worse?

If you want to know more about the Aussie Nibbles, Bites and Chomps, you can go to the Penguin website.

Wednesday Was Even Worse
(picture book now out of print – sorry, even I don't have copies to sell any more!)

Tuesday was a very windy day – the wind blew hats, umbrellas and washing around – but Wednesday was even worse…

Other Titles

• Mathew Madigan and the Motor-Mouths (chapter book – Macmillan Education)
• Slow Down, Sam! (chapter book – Macmillan Education)
• Which Dog? (chapter book – Nelson Learning)
• The Big Bubblegum Blow-Out (chapter book – Nelson Learning)
• Whose Birthday Is It? (early readers – Watts Publishing)
• Asking For Trouble – series of 3 chapter books (Pearson Education Australia, Scholastic Canada, Sundance USA)

For Teens

• Shooting Through
• Blues Point Blues
• Flip Side (all short novels for high school – Pearson Education)