Ally Carter Scholastic Australia ISBN: 9781743628942 RRP: $19.99 Publication Date: February 2015 Reviewed by Brianna All Fall Down is the first book in the New Embassy Row Series by a bestselling New-York Times author, Ally Carter. It has a cleverly developed plot about Grace Blakely, a 16 year old girl whose mother was brutally murdered. Grace also happens to be the only granddaughter of perhaps … Continue reading Embassy Row #1: All Fall Down
Tracy Alexander Scholastic Australia ISBN: 9781760152895 RRP: $16.99 Published: April 2015 Reviewed by Wil Hack is a modern day thriller about Dan Langley, an innocent teenager who finds out how powerful the internet is and that not everyone on the internet is who they say they are. Dan is a typical 16 year old teenage geek who loves computers and has an interest in hacking. … Continue reading Hack
Pauline Deeves National Library of Australia ISBN: 9780642278500 RRP: $14.99 Published April 2014 Reviewed by Eva Midnight Burial takes place in Australia in the 1860s. The story centres on Florence Williamson, a 10 year mischievous girl who always seems to be up to no good. Florence becomes curious about the mysterious death and burial of her older sister, Lizzie. Florence was told Lizzie died from … Continue reading Midnight burial
Juliet Marillier Pan Macmillan Australia ISBN: 9781743517024 Published: October, 2014 RRP: $29.99 Reviewed by Keeley Dreamer’s Pool, a fantasy novel that feels like a medieval fairy-tale, set in Ancient Ireland, follows the tale of Blackthorn, an embittered healer, who in exchange for freedom from being wrongly imprisoned, must assist anyone who asks for her aid. Oran, the crown prince of Dalriada, as he reluctantly waits … Continue reading Dreamer’s Pool: Blackthorn and Grim Book 1
Karen Thompson Walker Simon and Schuster UK ISBN: 9781471124853 RRP: $15.99 Reviewed by Sophie The Age of Miracles is a fabulous read that explores people’s behaviour in impending doom. The novel is set in California and is narrated by 11-year-old Julia. Just weeks before Julia’s birthday it is discovered that the world is undergoing an unexplained phenomenon which the scientists call ‘slowing’. The hours of … Continue reading The age of miracles
Brandon Mull Simon and Schuster Australia ISBN: 9781471121883 Published: July 2014 RRP: $14.99 Reviewed by: Nicola Cole Randolph and his friends were out trick or treating on Halloween. That is, in the realm of Earth. But when they get yanked into to the realm of the Five Kingdoms of the Outskirts, they are turned inside-out, upside down and thrown into a wagon. Cole and his … Continue reading Five Kingdoms Book 1: Sky Raiders
Tommy Wallach Simon and Schuster Australia ISBN 9781481418775 Published: April 2015 RRP: $17.99 Reviewed by Sophie We All Looked Up is a great book that teenagers will easily be able to relate to. The novel takes you on a journey with Eliza, Andy, Peter and Anita. These four very different teens have their own stories and lives, with not much to do with each other. … Continue reading We All Looked Up
Louis Nowra Allen and Unwin ISBN 9781743314821 Published: April 2015 RRP: $16.99 Reviewer: Debbie Berger Set in war time Afghanistan in Taliban territory, this book tells the story of Australian soldier, Corporal Mark Hollis and an army sniffer dog, Prince. They are involved in a bomb raid that goes wrong that sees Mark’s best friend, and Prince’s handler, killed in a suspenseful start to the … Continue reading Prince of Afghanistan
Gayle Forman Simon and Schuster Australia ISBN: 9781471124396 Published: January 2015 RRP: $19.99 Reviewed by Monique From Gayle Forman, the author of If I Stay and Where She Went, comes her latest novel, I Was Here. I Was Here tells a beautiful heart-wrenching story of friendship, grief, love, mystery and letting go. When her long-time best friend, Meg, commits suicide while away at college, 18 … Continue reading I Was Here
Marc Kushner Simon & Schuster Australia ISBN: 9781471141768 Published: April 2015 RRP: $16.99 Reviewer: Debbie Berger ‘The future of architecture in 100 buildings’ is an interesting and inspiring journey through, you guessed it, 100 fascinating buildings from around the world. Can a building zig? Can you live in a rock? Can you live on a rock? Can a library be a lighthouse? Can architecture hug … Continue reading The future of architecture in 100 buildings
Melinda Salisbury Scholastic Aust ISBN: 978 1760151577 Age: 12+ Published: March 2015 RRP: $16.99 Reviewer: Nicola Cain Twylla is blessed. She can withstand the deadly poison, Morningsbane, being in her blood. She is destined to marry a prince. She is considered the Queen’s daughter. She is a descendant of the gods. She is Daunen Embodied. Twylla is cursed. She can kill with a single touch. … Continue reading The sin eater’s daughter
Sharon M Draper Simon and Schuster Australia ISBN 9781442494978 Age: 11+ Published: January 2015 RRP: $19.99 Reviewed by Debbie Berger Set in 1932, Stella lives in North Carolina at the peak of the Klu Klux Klan activity. Stella is a black 11 year old girl who, by accident, witnesses Klu Klux Klan members burning a cross at night. The community is scared that this is … Continue reading Stella by starlight
Shane Koyczan Various illustrators Walker Books Aust ISBN: 9781925081510 Date of publication: September 1, 2014 Age: 12+ RRP: $19.95 Reviewed by: Debbie Berger This powerful book details the effects bullying can have on an individual. Created from the experiences author Shane Koyczan had as a bullied child himself. Through poetry, Koyczan exposes the emotions and thoughts that go along with being bullied at school. The … Continue reading To this day
Dan Gemeinhart Chicken House ISBN 978190002131 Published: February, 2015 RRP: $15.99 Age: 10+ Reviewed by Debbie Berger Mark’s cancer has returned and this time he has had enough of the treatments, the sympathy and the tears. He decides he is going to run away to the mountains to escape it all. He takes along his loyal four legged friend, Beau the dog, for the adventure. … Continue reading The honest truth
Clare Atkins Black Inc ISBN: 9781863956895 Keywords: Australian, Young Adult Age: 14+ Publication date: October 2014 RRP: $19.99 Reviewer: Debbie Berger Rosie is a 15 year old white girl growing up in a remote Australian town where she lives in an Aboriginal community. Her childhood best friend, Nona, is Aboriginal. In fact, Nona is considered her sister as Rosie’s family has been adopted Nona’s Aboriginal … Continue reading Nona & me
Connie and Samuel Johnson Hachette Australia ISBN: 978 0 7336 3324 9 RRP: $32.99 Publication Date: 28th October, 2014 Keywords: Memoir, Australian, Adult Reviewed by Debbie Berger This warm and honest memoir tells the story of Connie and Samuel Johnson, siblings who are faced with the awful news that Connie has terminal cancer. Connie wants to make sure that she doesn’t die without trying to … Continue reading Love your sister
David Warner Simon & Schuster Australia ISBN 9781925030785 Published: 1st December, 2014 Age: 8 – 11 years RRP: $14.99 Reviewed by Debbie Berger Davey and his friends are placed on detention, again, by their cricket-hating teacher. This is a disaster for them as they are in desperate need to practice for their upcoming cricket game against their local rivals, Shimmer Bay. The boys need to … Continue reading The kaboom kid – The big switch
Bruce Springsteen Frank Caruso Simon & Schuster Australia ISBN: 9781501 103858 12+ RRP: 22.99 Publication Date: 4th November, 2014 Reviewer – Debbie Berger Outlaw Pete is a picture book written by singer Bruce Springsteen. It is illustrated with great detail by Frank Caruso with drawings that support the story at each page turn. This adult book tells the story of the legend of Outlaw Pete, … Continue reading Outlaw Pete
Chris Van Etten Scholastic Inc ISBN: 9780545415873 RRP: $14.99 Date of publication: September, 2014 Key words: Young adult, Suspense, Horror Reviewer: Debbie Berger Best friends Cole and Gavin use Wikipedia to play a practical joke on Josh. Josh just happens to have stolen Cole’s girlfriend Winnie so he is the perfect target for this joke. The Wikipedia page that Josh uses for his assignment has … Continue reading Wickedpedia
Anna Davies Scholastic Inc ISBN: 9780545511964 RRP $14.99 Keywords: Young Adult, Horror Publication Date: September 2014 Reviewed by Debbie Berger Briana Beland attends McHale boarding school. She struggles to fit in at school and is trying to escape her mother’s shadow, where a sandwich had been named after her at the local deli. Briana tries out for the part of Ophelia in the school play … Continue reading Followers
Billy Idol Simon & Schuster Australia ISBN: 978 0857205599 RRP: $32.99 Date of Publication: October, 2014 Keywords: Autobiography, Adult, WARNING: OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE AND DRUG USE Reviewer: Debbie Berger Billy Idol tells it how it was in his hey-day as a rock and roll legend of the 1980s. ‘Dancing with Myself’ is an honest and raw account of Billy’s life during his rise to fame. He … Continue reading Dancing with myself
Meg Wolitzer Simon & Schuster ISBN: 9781471123764 RRP: $16.99 Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Age: 12 + Date of Publication: October 2014 Reviewer: Donna Clark Jam Gallahue is a grade 10 student so lost in her grief over the death of her English boyfriend Reeve Maxfield that her parents decide to send her to a boarding school called The Wooden Barn, which is in rural Vermont. … Continue reading Belzhar
Allayne L. Webster Omnibus Books ISBN: 9781742990699 RRP: $16.99 Genre: War stories Age: 12 + Date of Publication: September 2014 Reviewer: Donna Clark How resourceful would you become if war had broken out in your country and you had no running water, electricity and food was in short supply? Paper Planes by Allyayne L. Webster is a story about a family in Sarajevo whose lives … Continue reading Paper planes
Aine Carlin Simon & Schuster Australia ISBN 9780857832528 Published: October 1st, 2014 RRP: $29.95 Reviewed by Debbie Berger Aine Carlin has written an attractive cook book for those who may want to explore a vegan diet. She has three simple rules: Keep it simple, keep it tasty and keep it fun. Keep It Vegan follows these principles with over 100 appetizing dishes to try. The … Continue reading Keep it vegan
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