Children's Fiction Recent Picks

December 2010 / January 2011

The underlined title links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

The shadows / by Jacqueline West ; illustrated by Poly Bernatene.
When eleven-year-old Olive moves into the crumbling old mansion on Linden Street, she's right to think there's something weird about the place, especially the walls covered in creepy antique paintings. But when she finds a pair of old-fashioned glasses in a dusty drawer, she discovers the most peculiar thing yet--
She can travel inside these paintings to Elsewhere, a world that's strangely quiet . . . and eerily sinister.
For fans of Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman comes a tale at turns haunting, moving, and darkly funny (and best if read with a flashlight under the bed sheets--shhh!). (Book Cover) 9+ (staff member)

An elephant in the garden / Michael Morpurgo ; illustrated by Michael Foreman.
"It's 1944. Elizabeth and Karli live in Dresden where their mother works at the zoo. When the zoo director announces that the dangerous animals must be shot to prevent them running amok if the town is bombed, the childrens' mother moves a young elephant into the back garden to save her. Then the allied bombs begin to fall and the whole family, elephant included, must flee the city. Suggested level: primary, intermediate." (Syndetics Summary)

The Grimm legacy / Polly Shulman.
Elizabeth’s after school job is New York Circulating Material Repository kind of like a library of magical artifacts. Musuem’s in children’s books are generally paired with mystery, and this book doesn’t disappoint on that score, actually it doesn’t disappoint on any level, it’s fast pace, delightful prose, and generous handful of fairytale features will repay more than just fans of fantasy. (10+) (staff member)

Philippa Fisher and the stone fairy's promise / Liz Kessler ; illustrated by Katie May.
Sweet but not saccharin In this charming, quirky story Phillippa and her fairy godsister, one on earth and the other above the clouds race against time to fulfil their mission and discover much about friendship along the way. (9+) (staff member)

Castle of the zombies / Sean Williams ; illustrated by Nial O'Connor.
Ollie Jolson has stumbled across a secret so big no one will ever believe him. He's fallen into a world where walls can literally have ears - and eyes, and brains, and stomachs too. The despicable Lord Wight wants to take over everything and everyone, and only a couple of kids stand in his way. One of them is still in his pyjamas. When you're lost in a space-time continuum, getting home is much harder than it sounds. (Book cover) 7+ (staff member)

Blast from the past / Meg Cabot.
In Allie Finkle’s latest outing she’s off on a school trip – finally - but she has to share it with chief of the mean girls, and her ex- best friend. The feisty Allie Finkle is bound to have a ton of adventure and insight along the way. Aged 9+ (staff member)

Julia Gillian (and the dream of the dog) / by Alison McGhee ; with pictures by Drazen Kozjan.
This novel has some great characters from Julia’s school and home life, it describes the normal fears, hassles and joys for a kid this age, and is told with a gentle humour and tone. Engaging characters, large font, and lots of great illustrations make this an enjoyable reading experience for ages 9+ (staff member)

The raspberry rules / Karen McCombie.
"Was it a mistake to sew felt squirrels onto a pair of knickers?” If that question made you laugh you will love Rowan Love’s secret diary. Ages 9+ or anyone who likes to giggle why they read. (staff member)

Ottoline at sea / Chris Riddell.
In the latest from this talented author/illustrator Ottoline heads of to find Mr Munroe travelling by submarine and silver seaplane, meeting polar bears and whales and a beautiful aviatrix along the way. Perfect for younger readers; but so quirky and beautiful that older children will adore it too. (6+) (staff member)

Zac Power, ultimate mission / by H.I. Larry ; illustrations by Cal Bennett and Daymon Greulich.
For the legion of Zac Power fans comes this new large format book (with super silver edged pages) in which Zac Power must save the world (again) luckily he’s got some cool gadgets, unluckily this time he has to fight a whole army of evil, and he’s only got 24 hours to succeed. (staff member)

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