This year we’ve seen a bumper crop of books, music and film and over the next few weeks we’ll be presenting a series of our favourites, voted for and selected by Readings’ staff.

Here, our children and YA specialists share their picks for the best Junior and Middle Fiction of 2012.

JUNIOR FICTION

Holly Harper recommends

Mouse journalist Geronimo Stilton is back for a fourth adventure in the Kingdom of Fantasy, and this time he’s trying to save the last dragon from extinction. With their full-colour illustrations and exciting stories, this series is perfect for readers 7 and up who are looking to move on to their first chapter books.

Holly is from Readings Carlton.

Alexa Dretzke recommends

A sweet story about finding your place in a new neighbourhood and school. Fitting in can be very hard and Pea’s move to London, while initially exciting, proves to be tricky on the friend front. The prose is fun and engaging, and Pea’s family are charming. For ages 7 and up.

Alexa is from Readings Hawthorn.

Emily Gale recommends

Tan loves new words, playing detective and her dog Awesome. The first book in a new series, this is a winning combination of fun and adventure as the dry-humoured Tan heads up an investigation into a ghostly mystery. Their first clue is a creepy photo, but who is Wandering Wanda? For ages 8 and up.

Emily is from Readings Carlton.

Emily Gale also recommends

Arg is a Neanderthal boy in a village that’s under constant threat from carnivorous dinosaurs. Unlike his grunting family, Arg is extremely evolved, which comes in handy when he’s in a perilous situation or dealing with his bullying big sister, Hng. A highly appealing series for 5 to 8-year-olds.

Emily is from Readings Carlton.

Kathy Kozlowski recommends

These interlinked stories about the pets and families who come to Rainbow Street – how they come to be there and how they find each other – are perfect for 7 to 9-year-olds to read to themselves.

Kathy is from Readings Carlton.

Athina Clarke recommends

Independent readers graduating to first chapter books need great stories to whet their appetite. This collection of five fabulous Aussie Nibbles for boys has plenty, including my all-time favourite, ‘The Gorilla Suit’. (Girls have their very own collection of stories in My Best Book of Nibbles.)

Athina is from Readings Malvern.

Athina Clarke also recommends

Set in Botswana, this gorgeous little story of friendship, family and community is a pleasure to read, and the curious Precious is a thoughtful, empathic protagonist, who is perfectly suited to solving mysteries. For ages 7 and up.

Athina is from Readings Malvern.

Angela Crocombe recommends

Princess Betony’s tree dryad mother disappears, and Betony must catch a unicorn in the Dark Forest to find her. This gorgeous, petite hardcover will be enjoyed by readers who love princesses, dragons and unicorns.

Angela is from Readings St Kilda.

Kim Gruschow recommends

Excitable and distracted on his class outing to the city, cheeky Boris is in trouble again. Regardless, our energetic warthog hero still manages to save the day! The Boris series is perfect for new readers and, with lovely colour illustrations, it fits nicely into that often-awkward gap between picture and chapter books.

Kim is from Readings Hawthorn.

Kim Gruschow also recommends

Funny and anarchic, Horrible Harriet takes readers on a history lesson in disguise as she fills in her family tree in order to claim her inheritance. Harriet’s hilarious deeds and terrible traits will delight young readers. There are even a few cameos from the irrepressible Mr Chicken!

Kim is from Readings Hawthorn.

*MIDDLE FICTION *

Holly Harper recommends

After Ash Mistry’s sister Lucky disappears on a trip to India, he’ll have to explore ancient temples and fight legendary demons to get her back. This action-packed story is like Percy Jackson mixed with Indian mythology – a fantastic adventure read for ages 9 and up.

Holly is from Readings Carlton.

Emily Gale recommends

Smart, sensitive Georges is bullied at school, but a new friendship with an eccentric boy named Safer is set to change their lives. Together, they spy on the mysterious Mr X, who lives in their building, but it’s what we discover about Georges and Safer that is more surprising. Clever and reassuring, for ages 9 and up.

Emily is from Readings Carlton.

Emily Gale recommends

Romola and Seb miss their dads: Romola’s is a soldier in Afghanistan and Seb’s is just AWOL from his family. And they both have a taste for revenge – Romola against the mean girl at school, and Seb against the new man in his mum’s life. The dual narrative works brilliantly. A moving read for ages 9 and up.

Emily is from Readings Carlton.

[[Tom-Gates-3—Everything_s-Amazing-_Sort-Of]]Emily Gale also recommends

Third in a highly accessible series for Wimpy Kid fans (the first of which won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize), this substantial but very easy to read book is packed with drawings and gags in a story that will delight readers ages 7 and up. It also shows you how to make toast doodles. Fun!

Emily is from Readings Carlton.

Angela Crocombe recommends

This quirky tale about an unusual boy has a great deal of heart and humour. After his uncle kills his beloved goldfish, Stanley Potts joins the circus where he finds his destiny awaiting. Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, whose stunning drawings perfectly capture this strange world.

Angela is from Readings St Kilda.

Angela Crocombe recommends

This posthumous release from beloved author Eva Ibbotson has everything a young reader could wish for: semi-mythical creatures, intrepid adventurers, daring rescues, dastardly villains, incredible bravery, gross stupidity and, of course, against the greatest of odds, a very happy ending. It is brilliant storytelling for readers ages 8 and up.

Angela is from Readings St Kilda.

Leanne Hall recommends

Writer-illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi (of Spiderwick Chronicles fame) continues his captivating intergalactic story about the intrepid Eve Nine in words and fantastic pictures (I adored poring over the drawings of aliens, spaceships and strange environs). The second book in the series, A Hero for WondLa provides a winning mix: a relatable heroine, astounding worlds, action and friendship.

Leanne is from Readings Carlton.

Athina Clarke recommends

Vividly imagined, this exceptional story is a wonderful mix of gothic high fantasy and suspenseful mystery, set in a dark and ominously atmospheric world of evil faeries and human changelings. A compelling story for ages 10 and up (as well as adults who enjoy reading fantasy).

Athina is from Readings Malvern.

Kim Gruschow recommends

Narrated by a young boy who is learning about his family history, this is a story based loosely on that of Walter Tull, the first black combat officer in the British Army. Written in Morpurgo’s straightforward and accessible manner, it is emotionally engaging and features many strong characters, both human and non-human! Warmly illustrated by Michael Foreman.

Kim is from Readings Hawthorn.

Kim Gruschow also recommends

Wahoo Cray’s father is an animal handler and their house is an oddball zoo. When his dad is injured, Wahoo ends up doing a whole lot of wrangling, not just of animals but of absurd reality show stars and other dodgy characters. Full of cleverly twisted plots and humour.

Kim is from Readings Hawthorn.

If you’re after advice this Christmas concerning gifts for young people, come visit one of our stores to chat with our children and YA specialists in person.