A note before I begin… This month a sudden influx of brilliant, varied picture books meant that I felt compelled to write a separate blog post about them. If you’re a picture book lover, whatever age, you can find my write-up here.

Moving along now into books for independent readers… I’ve seen how incredibly loyal children are once a book captures their imagination, which explains the phenomenal success of many series. It’s the comfort of the familiar world, I think, but it’s also an ability to remain open to the possibilities of that world. There is no Australian children’s series that demonstrates this loyalty better than Andy Griffiths’ Treehouse books. The last few weeks I’ve been tracking the progress on Twitter of his 52-Storey Treehouse tour and to see hundreds of patient children waiting in line for a chance to meet their literary hero is a truly restoring experience.

This month also sees new titles in other popular Australian series. EJ12 Spy School is ideal for Preps and Year 1s who want to read about this well-established schoolgirl spy independently. The original EJ12 Girl Hero series, now into its nineteenth book, deftly weaves together a spy mystery, involving codes, international travel and either history or current affairs, with real-life school and friendship issues.

There’s also a new addition to the Billie B Mystery series (the slightly more difficult reading level for Billie B fans) called Treasure Hunt (Book 6); a new Alice Miranda called Alice Miranda at Camp; and two more titles added to the Stuff Happens series – a new, highly accessible stories about Aussie boys that focuses on the everyday issues they face in school and at home.

For fantasy lovers, there’s an exciting new fantasy series from Kate Forsyth (many adults will know her books Bitter Greens and The Wild Girl). Impossible Quest: Escape From Wolfhaven Castle is a reliable blend of magic, battles and children on a brave quest. And for eager Percy Jackson fans here is something to keep them going until the new Heroes of Olympus book: Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods sees Percy narrating the stories of the gods in his own style – appealingly casual, you might say.

Turning to non-fiction, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has suffered some setbacks over the years and so it’s no wonder that he is recruiting some extra helpers. Here’s a Make Your Own Virgin Galactic Spaceship kit! And if space isn’t your thing, you can also make your own skeleton. And those with an interest in natural history fans will love this set of highly illustrated books: The Field Guide to Insects, The Field Guide To Birds and The Field Guide to Ocean Animals.

Into fiction for young adults now, and one of the most popular writers of series fiction for this genre, Michael Grant, has released the first in a new series: Messenger of Fear. As you’d expect from the author of the Gone series, the issues are tough ones (suicide, bullying, homophobia) and these are cleverly woven into a violent, challenging story about the choices we make and how they impact on others.

James Dawson is a popular YA author in the UK (he was recently crowned ‘Queen of Teen’) who has spoken often about the challenges of being a gay teenager. This Book Is Gay, with its bright rainbow cover, is about what it’s like to grow up LGBT. You can read an article about why James wrote the book here.

There really are some attractive YA books this month. I’ll start with two Melbourne authors.

First, there’s the very elegant The Year It All Ended by Kirsty Murray, which our Children’s Specialist at Malvern, Athina Clarke, reviewed here. At the book launch, Kirsty talked about the (often overlooked) courage of ordinary women during wartime. I grew to love the ABC’s recent series, ANZAC Girls, about Australian and New Zealand nurses during WW1, so The Year It All Ended seems like the ideal way to continue that theme.

Second, Melissa Keil’s debut, Life In Outer Space, was a huge success and just released this month is The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl. This book has such a fun, flamboyant cover, giving a strong hint of its appealingly geeky humour.

I’m equally drawn to the wonderfully minimalist cover of Firecracker. The author has also worked on the US television comedy series New Girl, which is so bizarre and hilarious that I cannot wait to see what this novel has in store. I’m a few chapters in and enjoying the witty repartee and the confident, slightly ludicrous tone of an over-privileged girl who excels in causing trouble.

My final mention goes to To This Day, by spoken word poet Shane Koyczan, which is a book that is part of a wider project on bullying. The accompanying video, a collaboration by animators and motion artists, is highly arresting, heartbreaking stuff.

Emily Gale