Theme - friendship

Looking for a compelling, gentle narrative to grab middle readers? Award winning Steven Herrick achieves that beautifully in Pookie Aleera, a story about every day children living in a country town. Pookie Aleera had us from the very beginning.

The Fault In Our Stars from John Green, is a sensitive yet gutsy portrayal of Hazel, a sixteen year old with terminal cancer. Yep, he's tackled, head on, this most awful illness through the character of Hazel, and her developing friendship with Augustus.

Never Too Little to Love is an adorable little book with many endearing qualities.

** WIN ~ Meet Ruby AND Meet Lina in our latest competition, click here for details ** The Our Australian Girl collection of chapter books are proving so incredibly popular - and for all the right reasons. Each story in the series focuses on a particular era in Australia's history, and centres on one character. There are a total of four books for each character. They may all be linked by a common theme - four books based on the same Australian girl - but each has been penned by a different author, the end result being that each one is as individual as the girl it portrays.

** WIN ~ Meet Ruby AND Meet Lina in our latest competition, click here for details ** Lina is the lastest edition to the popular Our Australian Girl series. The reason for their success? Each one is individual - carefully crafted, researched and nurtured. Penguin has sought out the talents of some awesome children's authors, and all of them bring something a little different to their series. There's no set, predictable formula to these novels - each is as individual as the girl they portray.

The Secret Hen House Theatre is an engrossing debut novel from writer Helen Peters. This novel, ideally suited to readers aged 10+, has a timeless quality to it. Helen Peter's wonderful narrative - the tone, atmosphere, sense of adventure - evokes fond memories of the novels I devoured when I was younger.

Definitely No Ducks!, the sequel to Duck For A Day, is proving very popular here at My Book Corner. It is a great book for those who are new to chapter books, and makes perfect bedtime reading fodder for little listeners.

The Selfish Giant from the pen of celebrated writer Oscar Wilde is a classic tale that never looses its magic and enchantment.

'I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid.' 'ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds.' Wonder by R J Palacio, has attracted much attention, including The Waterstones Children's Book Award 2013. Palacio has approached a delicate issue - the facial disfigurement of 10 year old August - with a high level of sensitivity and power. She has created a novel which has much to offer. 

Too Flash is an engrossing chapter book for older readers. Penned by Melissa Lucashenko, an Australian writer of mixed European and Murri heritage she articulates the trials and tribulations of Zo, a fifteen year old who is forced to move across country when her career focused mum is relocated by her employer.