Recommended Aussie books for beginner readers
We love to see Australian junior fiction for kids embarking on their reading journey. Here are some recommended reads for beginner and newly independent readers. (And we’re always hungry for more!)
From Nerd to Ninja (Ninja Kid Book 1) by Anh Do
Nerdy Nelson gets a big shock on his tenth birthday when he learns that he’s the last ninja on earth! Suddenly in possession of inherited coordination and cool ninja moves, Nelson is charged with the daunting task of protecting his town and the world (no pressure). Cue an evil scientist, giant spiders, a school bully, Grandma Pat’s amazing inventions and a large supply of bug spray – and Nelson’s work is cut out for him.
Ninja Kid: From Nerd to Ninja moves at a cracking pace and uses slightly more text than author Anh Do’s popular WeirDo and HotDog series, making it suitable for novice readers with growing confidence. Jeremy Ley’s fantastic black and white illustrations ramp up the action and humour, and readers will love meeting Nelson and his quirky family, and exploring his strange junkyard home.
This is the first book in the Ninja Kid series. For ages 7 and up.
A School Day Smile (Tiggy and her Magic Paintbrush Book 1) by Zanni Louise & Gillian Flint
Tiggy is shy, quick to worry and immensely imaginative, but she has an amazing weapon on her side – her magic paintbrush. All Tiggy has to do is paint something and it comes alive! On the first day of school Tiggy uses her paintbrush to ease her nerves, but relying on it doesn’t always work. Instead, Tiggy must use her own voice to connect with others, and doing so makes her first day a bit easier.
With short sentences, simple grammar, and extensive black and white illustrations that explode with colour when the paintbrush does its magic, this is a great read for beginner readers who are progressing well, but need pictures to maintain attention.
This is the first book in the Tiggy and her Magic Paintbrush series. For ages 7 and up.
Patty Hits the Court (Game Day Book 1) by Patty Mills, Jared Thomas & Nahum Ziersch
Young Patty is a great AFL player, but when he tries basketball for the first time, he realises he’s not a natural at every sport – getting better will require persistence, teamwork and friendship. Patty has to learn to practise new skills humbly with his friend Josie, cope with frustration, share the ball with his whole team, disregard negative comments from others, and still allow enough time for homework and traditional Torres Strait Islander dance.
This is the first kids book by much-loved San Antonio Spurs and Olympic player Patty Mills, written in conjunction with Jared Thomas. There’s plenty of on-court action, together with thoughtful emphasis on friends, family, Torres Strait Islander culture and school. Pages are laid-out clearly with medium-sized text, black and white illustrations, and medium-length chapters. It’s is a great read for newly independent readers and sports fans.
This is the first book in the Game Day! series. For ages 7 and up.
The Life of the Party! (The Susie K Files Book 1) by Shamini Flint & Sally Heinrich
Susie K (full name Susanna Saathiavanni Kanagaratnam-Smith) is an avid problem solver, which is fortunate, because she’s also VERY good at identifying problems in her life, from a brother who loves riddles, soccer-obsessed dad, perfectionist mum and general dearth of friends. When Susie’s concerned mum finds out Susie wasn’t invited to a recent party, Susie K decides she must get invited to Clementine’s upcoming celebration to avoid her mum getting involved because, as she quite rightly points out, nothing good comes from parents getting involved.
With short snippets of text interspersed with cartoons and speech bubbles on every page, this is an exuberant, funny read perfect for visual readers. Susie K is a verbose, quirky dervish: she loves science, talks to her goldfish George and has some interesting insights into why her mum, who fled Sri Lanka as a refugee, is the way she is.
This is the first book in The Susie K Files series. For ages 7 and up.
Ginger Green is Absolutely MAD for Birthday Parties! (Mostly) (Ginger Green, Playdate Queen series) by Kim Kane & Jon Davis
You’ll be familiar with the original Ginger Green, Playdate Queen series, but Ginger is growing up, and so are her readers. In this new title, Ginger celebrates her new maturity with a princess-themed eighth birthday party, complete with a castle cake, crowns, games and slime. But the party turns out to be far more eventful and uncontrollable than Ginger anticipated, with hilarious results (ahem, bottom cake).
Fun mixed fonts, simple grammar with some extension vocabulary, more detailed storylines, and the playful black and white illustrations of Ginger and her fox friends, make this a great step-up in reading from simpler readers.
Another new title in this longer format, The NOT-MUCH Sleepover Starring Ginger Green, is also out now. For ages 7 and up.
Perfect World (OTHER WORLDS Book 1) by George Ivanoff
Keagan wanders into a collectibles shop, picks up a mysterious key in the form of a computer chip and unexpectedly finds himself in another world. This new world is full of groups of eerily Perfect clones. Keagan is soon targeted as different and taken to the Dumping Ground, where he makes friends with the forgotten Refuse people. Soon, he’s battling to return home.
Perfect World has a nuanced sci-fi plot that touches on the power of fear to drive intolerance, and the need to accept individuality. It’s pacy, simply written and has a cast of engaging characters. With slightly longer chapters, it’s a great stepping stone to fuller-length novels, and would also suit a reluctant older reader.
This is the first book in the OTHER WORLDS series with each story featuring a different character travelling to a new world. For ages 8 and up.
Bring It On! (Play Like a Girl Book 1) by Jo Stanley
Sarah has just moved to Milsborough West and started at a new school. There’s no beach, no surf, and even worse, no one laughs at her amazing dog fart jokes. Playing on the school footy team, the Flyers, might be the ticket to making friends, but Sarah has plenty of obstacles to clear first.
Bring It On! perfectly depicts the excruciating doubt and awkwardness of new beginnings, and the frustrations and triumphs of developing skills on the sporting field. With solid pages of medium-sized text, short chapters and very relatable situations and characters, this is a great story for newly independent readers.
This is the first in the Play Like a Girl series. For ages 8 and up.
