Readings staff customerservice@readings.com.au http://www.readings.com.au/feed/collection/new-kids-books 2008-03-05T03:37:51Z 9780316013680 <p>In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.</p> <p>Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, *The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian*, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.</p> <p>National Book Award (US) winner 2008</p> 9781877467011 <p>Mouk is off on a world tour and he sends postcards back home to his friends about his trip. He learns a lot! The book comes with a set of removable stickers.</p> 9780141383361 <p>Conor Broekhart was born to fly. Or more accurately, he was born flying. Little wonder he became what he became. In an age of discovery and invention, many dreamed of flying, but for Conor flight was more than just a dream, it was his destiny.</p> <p>In one dark night on the island of Great Saltee, a cruel and cunning betrayal destroyed his life and stole his future. Now Conor must win the race for flight, to save his family and right a terrible wrong...</p> <p>Swashbuckling new fiction from the amazing Eoin Colfer, ideal for readers aged 10+.</p> 9781741752922 <p><i>Zara's an alpha - the first letter of the Greek alphabet. She's popular. I'm more like one of the obscure letters in the middle that no one's ever heard of - an omicron or something.</i><br /> <br /> Zara, Tilly and Mieke go to different schools and live in different social worlds. But for two weeks every summer they're the Indigo Girls - surfing, bushwalking, or just hanging out at the campground or the nearby resort. This year Mieke doesn't show up, and Zara and Tilly - the queen bee and the geek - are left circling each other, unsure how to relate without Mieke in the middle. Soon it becomes a summer of change and a summer of secrets; a summer for losing themselves but finding each other.<br /> <br /> 'Teenage girls will love the raw truth about their lives which has been captured in this book.' - Lucienne, age 16, Silverfish Book Group</p> 9781741752861 <p>Ever get the feeling your life would qualify for National Disaster Relief? Say hello to Erin Costello.<br /> <br /> Erin's pretty much your average teenage girl ... except that her mother has all the maternal instincts of a black widow spider, and her dad is out of work and completely clueless. That's probably why they're divorced. Not that anyone except Erin seems to care. Certainly not Erin's sucky little brother Ben, who's too busy making money, or her best friend, Rami, who is turning into a fanatical environmental activist - with the emphasis on mental. And definitely not Creepazoid - Erin's mum's new boyfriend - who may or may not be a drug-dealing pervert disguised as a mild-mannered PE teacher! It's an eventful year for Erin Costello, but is her imagination running wild?<br /> <br /> 'I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was deadly realistic writing which was funny and convincing at the same time! I'm recommending this book to all my friends.' - Sophie, age 15, Silverfish Book Group<br /> <br /></p> 9781741754278 <p>Cars, trucks, boats, planes, submarines - Minton loves anything that moves and he's always ready for action. His friend Turtle is not so brave but together they have wild adventures. Find out what happens when they zoom through town, and operate a dump truck.<br /> <br /> Climb aboard with Minton! 2 great stories in 1 book, perfect for L-plate readers, fun to read aloud and plus you can make Minton's car and truck!</p> 9781741754292 <p>Cars, trucks, boats, planes, submarines - Minton loves anything that moves and he's always ready for action. His friend Turtle is not so brave but together they have wild adventures. Find out what happens when they explore the deepest ocean, and soar above the clouds.<br /> <br /> Climb aboard with Minton! 2 great stories in 1 book, perfect for L-plate readers, great fun to read aloud - and plus you can make Minton's submarine and hot-air balloon!</p> 9781741754285 <p>Cars, trucks, boats, planes, submarines - Minton loves anything that moves and he's always ready for action. His friend Turtle is not so brave but together they have wild adventures. Find out what happens when they set sail, and take to the skies.<br /> <br /> Climb aboard with Minton! 2 great stories in 1 book, perfect for L-plate readers, great fun to read aloud and plus you can make Minton's boat and plane!</p> 9780670072187 <p>Sometimes a box is <i>just</i> a box.<br /> Sometimes it is much <i>much</i> more.<br /> That is what Bear thinks. But not everyone agrees. Until Bear finds someone who sees it differently. Sometimes finding a friend who sees things as you do is the greatest gi</p> 9781862917637 <p>Andy is an Australian of Vietnamese parentage and he and his dad go to Vietnam to meet all his relatives. What a cultural shock it is for this Aussie kid to meet them all. He thinks they are greedy and grasping.</p> 9781921272189 <p>In this story about identity and independence, Audrey tries being a swagman, a man, a teacher and a pirate – all with dire consequences!</p> <p>She is shadowed by the ever–loyal Stumpy – a character who will take the reader by complete surprise!</p> <p>Determined, mischievous, imaginative and inquisitive, Audrey of the outback will have every girl in the country, wishing she were a swaggie.</p> 9780670072354 <p>Can a fish disappear into a book? Can a boy jump into a book to save a fish?</p> <p>The answer? When a boy and a fish enter a magical library in the middle of a forest, anything can happen.</p> <p>Join JeJe and his friend in this striking and dreamlike picture book by talented author-illustrator Taeeun Yoo.</p> 9781406306729 <p>How does a sunflower seed grow? The fun format of this book encourages young minds to wonder and learn as each page opens up to reveal the next stage of development; a large flower or pond scene finally emerges. The illustrations are charming and the text simple but informative.</p> <p>An innovative way of introducing natural history to 3 to 6 year olds.</p> 9781406306712 <p>How does a tadpole become a frog? The fun format of this book encourages young minds to wonder and learn as each page opens up to reveal the next stage of development; a large flower or pond scene finally emerges. The illustrations are charming and the text simple but informative.</p> <p>An innovative way of introducing natural history to 3 to 6 year olds.</p> 9781741751864 <p>They think they're freaks, but really they're superheroes.</p> <p>Hazy Retina was born out of focus, but the Australian Federation of Hero Types thinks he has what it takes to control his power and become a superhero. He can't do it alone, though - first he has to find some equally low-grade superheroes to join his team ... the OK Team!</p> 9780732286194 <p>The much-awaited sequel to <em>The Shadow Thief</em> is here! The Shadow Thief has departed, but a new horror lurks inside the Big Tent of Drabville's newest attraction. Their shadows safely restored to them, Drabville's citizens prepare to enjoy their freedom, and Milli and Ernest are convinced they have seen the last of their power–hungry nemesis, Lord Aldor the Illustrious. But have they?</p> 9781741690804 <p>Gentle, joyful and engagingly fun, this picture book is about Ollie the zebra and Fred the dog, a pair of friends who – as the titles suggest – love to sing, in many different places and many different ways. Whether it’s in the bath, in the park, or shuffling through autumn leaves, these two know how to have fun! The repetitive text is perfect for young children.</p> 9781741751710 <p>There in the shimmering green water lay four big oval shapes like a giant's carving dishes. They were patterned in brownish green and had five handles. Suddenly the handles stirred and the giant's carving dishes began to move!<br /> <br /> Chellie was very small when she first saw the beautiful green turtles with the scientific name so close to her own. Every year she would watch them swim in the sea and make their long journeys up the beach to lay their eggs. But one day, Chellie makes a grim and horrible discovery, a discovery that turns her life upside down and forces her to act.</p> 9781741750485 <p><i>Why being a writer is good:</i> You can stay home and work in your pyjamas, you get paid to make stuff up, you get to travel because it's research<br /> <br /> <i>Why being a writer is bad:</i> Staring at a blank page when you can't think of even a semi-interesting idea is terrifying and lonely<br /> <br /> Brigid Lowry knows the highs and lows of being a writer, but she still thinks it's a joy. In this book she takes you on a journey to discover yourself and what you really want to say, AND how to make it juicy and original. So, what do you need to begin? Where can you find ideas? How can you make your writing better? What can you do if you get stuck?<br /> <br /> Let Brigid inspire you to doodle, daydream and discover your creativity - then write hard and fast into the wild land of your imagination. If you ever thought you'd like to write, start reading <i>Juicy Writing</i>!</p> 9781742030128 <p>Sharks have been around since before the dinosaurs. Today, there are more than 370 types of sharks in the world. Some are ferocious and others are just plain shy. From the huge whale shark to the smalleye pygmy shark, these amazing creatures come to life here. Mark Norman won the Children’s Book Council Eve Pownall Award for Information Books for one of his previous books in this series, <em>The Penguin Book: Birds in Suits</em>.</p> 9780670072279 <p>Award-wining young adult author Ursula Dubosarsky teams up with cult illustrator Tohby Riddle to create this entertaining journey through the English language. Learn more about where the alphabet came from, find out what ATM stands for, make your own palindromes (it's easy!) and impress your pigs by speaking Pig Latin. There are cartoons, riddles and a special code to solve along the way.</p> 9780143302797 <h2>At last, a pair of Undys we can all enjoy!</h2> <p>Is your Dad silly? Does he muck around too much? Is it annoying when he wins?</p> <p>If you said "yes" to any of these questions, your Dad is just like mine. That means you will love this bo</p> 9780143303848 <p>Whatever you do, don't ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer holidays, because he definitely doesn't want to talk about it.</p> <p>As Greg enters the new school year, he's eager to put the past three months behind him... and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother Rodrick knows all about the incident. And secrets have a way of getting out... especially when a diary is involved.</p> 9780143303633 <p>Every night, Peter and Nick sneak out to dig up really old bottles, which they sell for heaps of money. But with a snooping sister, two kids from school and now a policeman on their tail, will they be able to keep it a secret long enough to find the ultimate prize?</p> 9780143303077 <p>Terry and Harry always get whatever they want. Right? Wrong!</p> <p>Young readers will love these mouthwatering bite-sized stories from their favourite authors and illustrators.</p> 9780143007463 <p>Nothing is how it seems in the forest. Your best friend may turn out to be your worst enemy. A deadly poison might save your life. And two smiling children could become the most horrifying monsters of all.</p> <p>Morton is sure of one thing, however. His four treasures are lost somewhere in this forest and he has to find them, or life is not worth living. Mind you, with bizarre perils lurking behind almost every tree, Morton's life could end at any moment. If that isn't bad enough, he is travelling without a hankerchief.</p> <p>Funny and sinister, this is Doug MacLeod at his scary and entertaining best.</p> 9781741754308 <p>After the cruelty of the coca pits, the Ricardo's farm seems like a blissful haven to Diego. He works hard with the family to harvest their coca crop and earn money to go home. But then come the soldiers, with orders to confiscate the entire coca harvest and destroy the plants. Driven to desperate protest by the loss of their livelihood, the local farmers organise road blockades that shut down all of Bolivia. Quick and clever, Diego soon finds himself in the heat of the action. But he faces a terrible choice: should he stay and help the cocaleros in their fight for justice, or grab the chance to head home? And what will happen when government soldiers and blockaders confront each other head-on?<br /> <br /> A thrilling sequel to <i>Diego, Run!</i> this is another brave, revealing novel from the author of the best-selling Parvana books.</p> 9780747589273 <p>Kirsten's world is crumbling. Her parents are barely speaking to each other and her 'best-friend' has fallen under the spell of queen bee, Brianna.<br /> <br /> For new boy Walker the goal is simply to survive in the private school his mother has moved him to because she doesn't want him to mess up with most of the kids in his old school.<br /> <br /> Then Kirsten discovers something that has a big impact on both her and Walker's lives . . .</p> 9780733322785 <p>Danny and his best friend Mick Angelo are apprentices in an art studio run by Danny's Uncle Leo. When the Duke of Milan issues a challenge to build a flying machine, Danny and Mick, with more than a little bit of help from Lisa, set to work. They build some fantastic machines, but can they make them fly?</p> 9780747585008 <p>The book is called 'The Compleat Necromancer', and when three children read an incantation from its pages, they have no way of knowing they are about to raise the dead.<br /> <br /> But the ghosts that they conjure aren't your average ghosts. These spirits were captured long ago on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean - Ilhas dos Fantasmas - a place where the living and the dead once coexisted peacefully. But all that ended when a visiting missionary trapped the image of the spirits with a special camera nearly eighty years ago. Now confined to the pages of a few dozen library books, the ghosts must rely on the three children and a determined librarian to free them before they are lost forever.</p> 9780747593669 <p>Lysander is a Helot - a slave in ancient Sparta. He struggles on a daily basis to survive and to protect his desperately ill mother, and dreams of a day when the Helots might rebel.<br /> <br /> When a chance meeting reveals his noble heritage, he is allowed to begin training as a Spartan warrior. But the vestiges of his life as a slave are hard to shake off and he struggles to survive the brutal and nepotistic world of the Spartans-in-training.<br /> <br /> Worse still, his precious amulet, the Fire of Ares, which he has sworn he will guard with his life, is stolen. With it goes some of his formidable strength.<br /> <br /> When Lysander picks up the trail of the jewel, it leads him to dark secrets about the few people he felt he could trust, and forces him to make a choice between his Helot friends and his Spartan instincts.</p> 9780571234332 <p>One dark night, a pirate is washed ashore with a box tied around his lifeless neck. It bears a warning to Isiah Lovelock, the town's most prominent mouse collector. The message comes from Mousebeard, the most feared pirate on the Seventeen Seas.<br /> <br /> Soon twelve-year-old Emiline, mousekeeper to Lovelock's collection (which includes the rare Sharpclaw Mouse, NosferatuMouse, and Moose Mouse), is pitched aboard Captain Drewshank's ship to hunt Mousebeard. But who is Mousebeard really? And what hidden motives drive Lovelock's fury?<br /> <br /> Emiline must find answers in a world of spies, ship battles and sea monsters; a world where the Nosferatu Mouse flits at night, the Howling Moon Mouse haunts exotic islands and the Cadaver Mouse sniffs out dying sailors . . .</p> 9781741751321 <p>Cadel Piggott has had a hard time lately. He's living with a teenaged thug. He doesn't know where he was born. He doesn't know who his father is. All he knows is that he's under constant threat from Prosper English - the criminal mastermind he helped to put in gaol.<br /> <br /> And now Cadel must decide whether to throw in his lot with a team of specialists dedicated to bringing down a corrupt corporation. Will Genius Squad be the answer to all his prayers? Or is he right to feel suspicious of its motives?<br /> <br /> Praise for <i>Evil Genius</i>, winner of the 2006 YA category of the Davitt Awards:<br /> <br /> 'Highly original ... Imagine Harry Potter brought up by Lord Voldemort, and you have some idea.' - Jane Sullivan, the <i>Age</i><br /> <br /> 'Really smart and clever.' - <i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i><br /> <br /> 'This hefty but engrossingly complex tale features a young super-brain being groomed for world domination . . . Cadel rides right up there with Artemis Fowl as a sympathetic anti-villain.' - <i>Kirkus Reviews</i></p>