'Seven Great New Books for readers aged 6-12 Years'

 

1.'The Mosaic' by Deborah Kelly & illustrated by Nicky Johnson

Have you ever been responsible for breaking something special? Was it yours' or someone else's? Yikes!

 

Frankie's intentions were good, she took the special vase to collect flower's for Nan. But... it was broken into many pieces. Nan takes her on a special drive to an art gallery that seemed to change everything...

I just love this special book.

2. 'Too Many Acorns' by written and illustrated by Susannah Crispe.

At one level this is a wonderful and warm story about a Dad his Son and a fascination with acorns that gets out of hand. But beneath the surface there is another untold story of heartbreak and personal loss, as a Dad and his Son try to cope with the loss of someone they loved.

Can you have too many acorns? Maybe not if you're a squirrel, but if you are a young collector of acorns, you never know. This delightful book from Susannah Crispe is a simple tale that draws you in as a reader as the keenness of a young boy to collect a few acorns, gets out of hand.

Beautifully illustrated with the vibrant colours you'd expect from a talented author illustrator like Susannah Crispe. Originally from New Zealand, she now lives in Canberra and we've claimed her as an Aussie!  Her other works include 'Where the Heart Is', 'Cookie', 'Under the Moonlight', 'Swoop', 'Cloudspotting' and 'The Real Cowgirl'.

3. 'The Welcome Cookies' by Kaye Baillie & illustrated by Kirrili Lonergan

I'm sure readers will relate to this lovely story about a girl and her Mum who visit their favourite cafe every Friday; the 'Sugar Plum Cafe'. And like all of us, if we have a special cafe and suddenly it is sold! Well, devastation. But Mabel is to find that even though Miss Plum has left, something new might just fill the gap left when Miss Plum retired.

"Will Mabel be able to give to give the new-look cafe a chance or has she lost her happy place forever?"

Beautifully illustrated Kirrili Lonergan. Her pencil sketches and water colour images are delightful and bring the key characters to life. Children will want to hear this time and time again, and also enjoy reading it themselves.  

A wonderful collaboration between author & illustrator.

4. 'Dragon Guest Handbook' by Jeanette Stamphone & illustrated by Novia Heroanto.

Wow! This little gem of a book is wonderful. And practical too, because we all need to know, just what to do if a dragon arrives unannounced. Thanks to the experience of one boy, we are given the 'good oil' on the requirements, and what NOT to do. Like any tourist who drops in, a Dragon might well have a few quirky ways.

First greet it well and be careful how you introduce the dragon to your parents when he sits down for breakfast. Perhaps get him to put on a disguise before venturing out. And of course take Dragon exploring in the disguise. But be careful, especially if you visit a museum and be doubly if you visit the skeletons.

Dragon will most likely love surfing, Hot Air Ballooning (watch where he points its flaming breath) and dining out! But make sure Dragon doesn't breath any fire while there. 

A quirky and fun book that readers 2-6 will enjoy.

5. 'When Santa Got Stuck in a Gum Tree' by Jackie Hosking & illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom

It's Christmas in Australia and unlike the Northern Hemisphere it's hot and dry. This alone makes Christmas different. And things are different for Santa too! 

It's very hot for him and the hazards down under are different than in the northern winter. He won't get stuck in the snow, or the chimney but...could he end up in a tree?! Unfortunately, yes he just might.

The creators of this wonderful little book are also different. Jackie Hosking is a Nigerian born Australian who moved to Australia when she was 10. She began writing for children after completing a creative writing course at her local community house in a seaside town just off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. She was awarded the 'May Gibbs Creative Time Fellowship'. She is also the author of 'The Croc and the Platypus' (2014).

Nathaniel Eckstrom is an illustrator based Sydney. He has worked on a number of children's books including 'Stubborn Stanley', 'The Hole Idea', 'Roadtrip' and 'Ten Little Figs'.

6. Two wonderful short novels for readers aged 8-12

There are three books in this series, one of which I have reviewed previously ('The Fingerprint Code'). But here are two I haven't shared.

a) 'The Counterfeit Bust' by R.A. Stephens & illustrated by Em Hammond

Riz is a kid who often notices things that others miss. With a name like Riz this kid was always going to be a little different. She seems to have uncanny ability to see things that others miss. As usual Rizz is thinking and wondering. But when she goes to hand a 10 dollar note to the check out person she exclaims "can notes be faulty"? Mum says, just hand it to her. But no! Riz hands it to the checkout person and says something is wrong with this. A security guard is called and Mum and Rizz end up heading to the police station to have things checked.

Like all of the Riz Chester books, you can't easily put it down. You'll have to buy the book to find out how this all ends!

b) 'The Evidence Track' by R.A. Stephens and illustrated by Em Hammond

Riz and her friends successfully led the Counterfeit Bust. Now Riz has discovered a passion for forensic science.She loves mysteries, and with her new interest in forensics she is looking for crimes to solve. But what?! Nothing has happened for months. 

So what do you do? Riz organises the perfect ‘match-the-tracks’ party for her friends. Moulds are prepared and muddy prints are evidence to help solve crimes. But given Riz's past, could such a innocent party get them into trouble?