Frogkisser by Garth Nix
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.
Hotaka: Through My Eyes – Natural Disaster Zones by John Heffernan
When the tsunami strikes the Japanese coastal town of Omori-wan, the effects are utterly devastating. Three years later, much of what happened on that day is still a mystery. As Hotaka sets about convincing local performers to appear at the town’s upcoming Memorial Concert, he finds himself increasingly haunted by memories of his best friend Takeshi.
When strong willed Sakura initiates a controversial anti-seawall movement, there is danger at every turn for Hotaka and his friends. As the town and its people struggle to rebuild their lives, can Hotaka help Omori-wan look to the future – and let go of his past?
We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Nicu thinks Jess is beautiful. His dad brought Nicu and his mum here for a better life, but now all they talk about is going back home to find Nicu a wife. The last thing Nicu wants is to get married. He wants to get educated, do better, stay here in England. But his dad’s fists are the most powerful force in Nicu’s life, and in the end, he’ll have to do what his dad wants.
As Nicu and Jess get closer, their secrets come to the surface like bruises. The only safe place they have is with each other. But they can’t be together, forever, and stay safe – can they?
As their worlds widen, both boys meet other children like them–other Blunderkinder who are living complicated and amazing lives. But when Ollie and Moritz see that their new friends are in danger from serious health complications they realize that only one person could save them: Moritz’s mother. Finding her won’t be easy, but if Moritz can attend a new school and Ollie can leave his home in the woods, then surely anything must be possible.
But when the human she captures tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, she finds herself transformed into a puny human girl with tiny blunt teeth, no fire, and not one single claw. She’s still the fiercest creature in these mountains though – and now she’s found her true passion: chocolate! All she has to do is walk on two feet to the human city, find herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a chocolate house (which sounds delicious), and she’ll be conquering new territory in no time … won’t she?
Wild and reckless young Aventurine will bring havoc to the human city – but what she doesn’t expect is that she’ll find real friendship there too, along with betrayal, deception, scrumptious chocolate and a startling new understanding of what it means to be a human (and a dragon).
All eleven-year old Alex wants is to launch his iPod into space. With a series of audio recordings, he will show other lifeforms out in the cosmos what life on Earth, his Earth, is really like.
But for a boy with a long-dead dad, a troubled mum, and a mostly-not-around brother, Alex struggles with the big questions. Where do I come from? Who’s out there? And, above all, How can I be brave?
Determined to find the answers, Alex sets out on a remarkable road trip that will turn his whole world upside down.
Dinosaur Trouble: The Great Egg Stink by Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley
Some times a big brain means big trouble! There is a surprise inside Arg’s dinosaur egg. His food is too cute to eat. But saving his new friend gets mega-messy! Step back in time to meet Arg and Krrk-Krrk. It’s where the trouble begins!
Busting! by Aaron Blabey
Lou is BUSTING for the loo. But the loo has quite a queue. So what on earth is Lou to do?
Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, shell realize how big she is inside, where it counts. She hasnt ever thought of herself as a performer, but when the wonderful director of Oz casts her as a Munchkin, she begins to see herself in a new way. As Julia becomes friendly with the poised and wise Olive, one of the adults with dwarfism who’ve joined the production’s motley crew of Munchkins, and with her deeply artistic neighbour, Mrs Chang, Julia’s own sense of self as an artist grows. Soon, she doesnt want to fade into the background and it’s a good thing, because her director has more big plans for Julia!
Torty and the Soldier by Jennifer Beck and Fifi Colston
Meet Torty! Shes one tough little tortoise with a beat-up shell and some missing toes. Torty survived a great war that raged in Europe 100 years ago. Torty was rescued back then by a young Kiwi soldier. She is a World War One survivor.
Shadow House #2: You Can’t Hide by Dan Poblocki
Shadow House will find you …Poppy, Marcus, Dash, Dylan, and Azumi are all trapped within Shadow House, a sinister estate where past and present intertwine. As they fight to find a way out, the kids think the ghosts of the house are the greatest danger they face. Little do the kids know it’s the secrets they’re each hiding that will prove even more lethal. They’re going to have to come face to face with their fears if they stand any hope of escaping the house alive. Is there anyone or anything in the house they can trust? Or is all hope disappearing, too …Enter Shadow House …if you dare.
Who Let the Gods Out? by Maz Evans
Elliot’s mum is ill and his home is under threat, but a shooting star crashes to earth and changes his life forever. The star is Virgo – a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. But the pair accidentally release Thanatos, a wicked death daemon imprisoned beneath Stonehenge, and must then turn to the old Olympian gods for help. After centuries of cushy retirement on earth, are Zeus and his crew up to the task of saving the world – and solving Elliot’s problems too?
My Best Friends Are Books 