Book Week: Younger Readers

Blurb
A gently funny yet powerful coming-of-age middle grade novel about surviving the odds, unlikely friendships and the magical music of Elvis.

It’s not eggsactly easy being Jimmy Baxter ’cause-
The real Jimmy’s hiding inside
Ned Kelly’s giving him the evil eye
Mum’s stopped going to work and stays in bed
There’s no eggs in the fridge – or anything else.
AND there’s new jobs, bad-at-school brains and a whole lot of trouble called Duke.
But then . . . there’s Mac.

Blurb
Ever wonder why pigeons always act so weird? It’s because they’re out there chasing the bad guys and saving your butts!

The Real Pigeons love flapping around the city and fighting crime.

But when lunches start mysteriously DISAPPEARING from tummies, a LOOK-ALIKE pigeon makes evil plans and a dangerous DOVE starts DESTROYING the city, the pigeons will need to use all the powers they have – and more!

Can the Real Pigeons stick together through the chaos? Or will someone fly away for good? One thing is for sure: the squad will never be the same again!

Huda hatches a bold plan to help her dad get a job - which lands her and her brother in all kinds of trouble. A delightful and hilarious story from a CBCA award-winning author, about a lion-hearted girl who just wants the best for her family.

A missing father. A drowned town. A buried secret. Three friends on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth. Seven years after Old Scarborough was drowned, a house is emerging from the water. Will and his friends Dar and Juno dare each other to explore it. But when they find bones - and a stash of cash - they realise they’re not the only ones interested in its secrets. Now they’re fighting for their lives against the men who want what they found. Will can’t leave the mystery alone, though. What if the bones belong to his missing dad?

Blurb
Friendship, family and feelings collide in this sparkling middle-grade debut from Matilda Prize winner, Samera Kamaleddine.

Evie Hart likes rules. A lot. But as she embarks on her very last year of primary school, it feels like all the rules around her are being broken.

When Evie’s class starts learning about the Earth’s place in the universe, it makes Evie think about her own place in the world and where she belongs. Which has her more worried than ever.

When your mum writes a horoscope page for a living, it’s hard not to think about what the future holds. Especially when she and the only dad Evie has ever known are acting like they’re on different planets.

But the more Evie learns about the sky and the stars, the more she learns that changes in the world can’t always be controlled. And maybe that’s not a bad thing.

From the inaugural winner of the Matilda Prize comes a tender and moving story about one girl’s journey to find her place in the world.

Blurb
A celebration of community, adventure, kindness and, above all, dogs!

The summer holidays have finally arrived and Scout can’t wait for her adventure in the big rig with Dad. They’re on a mission to deliver donations of dog food to animal rescue shelters right across the state..

There’ll be lots of music, dad-jokes and a brilliant plan that will make sure everyone’s got a friend for the holidays. There might even be a special four-legged friend in it for Scout..

But Scout and her dad get more than they’ve bargained for. It’s bushfire season – and it’s not just the dogs who need rescuing . . .
The CBCA judges say…
Realistically set during the 2019/20 bushfires, this book journeys with Scout and her dad as they deliver donations of dog food to animal shelters throughout south-eastern Australia. The bushfires and the geographical details related to their travels are accurately presented. Grieving the loss of her mum, sparked by their travels, the people they meet and a school friendship project, Scout develops a website to connect shelter dogs with truck drivers needing company. Responsible internet use, described throughout the text is commendable and age appropriate. Including creative design features, this fictional narrative is heart-warming and uplifting, dealing sensitively with topics of parental loss, environmental threat, bullying and separation balanced by optimism and the love Scout shares with her father and with animals.