Bug in a Book

Scarlet in the Snow

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Sophie Masson Random House Australia ISBN: 9781742758152 RRP: $17.95 Age: 12+ Key Words: Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Fairy Tales Published: 1st May 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Natasha and her family have fallen on hard times, they aren’t living in the manner her sisters want to be. With her mother doing what she can to provide Natasha steps out to help. Then she gets caught in a blizzard, just when she thinks she is out of options she stumbles across a mansion. It’s […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: Adventure, Fairy Tales, mystery, Recommended, romance, Sophie Masson

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Acid

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Emma Pass Corgi Children’s ISBN: 9780552566148 RRP: $17.95 Age: 12+ Key Words: Dystopian, Romance, Mystery, Action Published: 25th April 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Jenna Strong is in a maximum security jail, locked away for life because ACID – the most brutal police force in history, say she murdered her parents. Jenna works hard to stay alive. It comes as a huge surprise to her when she is broken out of the facility. She doesn’t know what is going on but she […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: action, crime, Dystopian, Emma Pass, Recommended, romance

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Ambush at Cisco Swamp

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter bk 2 Jack Wells Random House Children’s Books Australia ISBN: 9781864718461 RRP: $9.95 Age: 5+ Key Words: Adventure, Dinosaurs, History Published: 1st March 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Robert is in Texas with his family, they are doing some research on the American alligator. Robert loves this sort of thing though he is finding himself easily distracted by getting into trouble with his best friend Riley. Even though the focus of this trip is the alligator Robert […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, Dinosaurs, history, Jack Wells, Robert Irwin

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The Dinosaur Feather

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter bk 4 Jack Wells Random House Australia Children’s Books ISBN: 9781742750927 RRP: $9.95 Age: 5+ Key Words: Adventure, Dinosaurs, History Published: 1st March 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Robert and Riley are back at Australia Zoo, they are helping with filming some footage of cassowaries. Whilst doing this Robert tells RIley he believes many dinosaurs had feathers. Riley thinks there is no way this is possible, until that magic bone of Robert’s transports them back in time once […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, Dinosaurs, history, Jack Wells, Robert Irwin

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Armoured Defence

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter bk 3 Jack Wells Random House Australia Children’s Books ISBN: 9781742750910 RRP: $9.95 Age: 5+ Key Words: Adventure, Dinosaurs, History Published: 1st March 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Robert is on a holiday with his best mate Riley. They are visiting Riley’s Uncle Nate in the Canadian Badlands. For Robert this is an awesome place for a holiday because it’s a place where loads of dinosaur fossils have been found. Robert is thrilled when he gets pulled back […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, Dinosaurs, history, Jack Wells, Robert Irwin

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The Discovery

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter Jack Wells Random House Children’s Books Australia ISBN: 9781864718454 RRP: $9.95 Age: 5+ Key Words: Adventure, Dinosaurs, History Published: 1st March 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell For his birthday Robert Irwin is taken on a dinosaur dig. He is so excited when he finds an actual fossil. What he hadn’t expected was to find a way to travel back in time. Robert finds himself in the cretaceous period, trying to avoid a dinosaur stampede and being eaten. He […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, Dinosaurs, history, Jack Wells, Robert Irwin

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Girl Defective

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Simmone Howell Pan Australia ISBN: 9780330426176 RRP: $16.99 AGE: 12+ KEY WORDS: Family, Disfunction, Romance PUBLISHED: 01 March 2013 REVIEWER: Kylie Calwell Skylark lives above her dad’s record store with her dad and brother Gully. They each have their own problems. Dad is an alcoholic, Gully has social difficulties, including the fact he cannot go out without wearing a pig snout over his face. Sky looks fairly normal on the surface but a little scratching and it’s clear she has more […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: Disfunction, family, romance, Young Adult

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Mouse in Space

June 17, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Geronimo Stilton series book 52 Geronimo Stilton Scholastic ISBN: 9780545481915 RRP: $ 12.99 Age: 7+ Key Words: Adventure, Space, Reading Schemes Published: 01 March 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Geronimo has done something that meant he has a special agent status. The only problem is Geronimo is more a fraidy mouse than a bravey mouse. In fact he’s just put in a whole new security system to protect himself. Geronimo is thrust into danger when an evil professor threatens his home with […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, Geronimo Stilton, Reading Schemes, space

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Divine Clementine

April 19, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Hayley S. Kirk Random House 978 1 86471 899 7 2012 By Cassandra Griffin ‘I blow her a kiss. She catches it and puts it in her pocket for later like she always does. And then it happens. Why doesn’t she look? Why doesn’t the bus brake? Why is my body frozen? Clementine Footner is 16 years old when she witnesses her Aunt Stella’s tragic death. Piece by piece her entire world falls apart. Stella was not only her […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: Grief Loss and Bereavement, Health, Mental health, Random House, Reviewer - Cassandra Griffin

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Rapture – A Fallen Novel

April 19, 2013 by Bug in a Book

by Lauren Kate Random House Published June 2012 ISBN: 9780385618120 Reviewer – Kelli Ryder Luce and Daniel have been living in a curse that keeps playing out for them over and over. Is there a way to finally break it so they can be happy in love together? Rapture is the conclusion to the Fallen series and is a brilliant windup to the saga. Luce will discover the secrets of her past and her importance in changing the grand scheme […]

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult • Tags: Fallen, Lauren Kate, Random House, Reviewer - Kelli Ryder

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Mortal Combat – Time’s running out.

April 19, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Author; Martin Chatterton Publisher; Random House Australia. ISBN; 978174225216 Market; Primary age children Mortimer Devere for those who haven’t read the first book is over 10,000 years old but he is just a kid, he lives on a creepy Island and this time Mort and his crew travel in time landing in the middle of a war! Of all the places to land Mort could think of better ones and so the fun begins. Fighting Vikings and to his surprise […]

Categories: Children's Books • Tags: action, history, humour, Martin Chatterton, random house australia, series, travel in time

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The Enormouse Pearl Heist

April 10, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Geronimo Stilton series bk 51 Geronimo Stilton Scholastic ISBN: 9780545341035 RRP: $12.99 Age: 7+ Key Words: Adventure, Reading Schemes Published: 1st Oct 2012 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Geronimo goes on a trip with beautiful Petunia, his nephew Ben and Aunt Sweetfur. Petunia is hoping Geronimo will get some time to relax and she sends him scuba diving. Geronimo isn’t very happy with this idea, even less so when he believes he has seen a huge blue fish. It turns out that Geronimo […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: 7+ years, Adventure, Animal Stories, crime, Reading Schemes, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Scholastic, series

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Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

April 10, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Stephan Pastis Walker Books ISBN: 9781406339819 RRP: $26.99 Age: 8+ Key Words: Detective Story, Humour Published: 28th Feb 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Timmy Failure is a private detective, with a polar bear called Total who is his business partner, this of course does not make for a very good business name ‘Total Failure’. Timmy has several cases on the go at once; missing candy, who TP’d someones house and what happened to the Failuremobile? There is also of course his greatest rival […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: 8+ years, Detective Stories, humour, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Stephan Pastis, Walker Books

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Dyson’s Drop-The Maximus Black Files (Book #2)

March 18, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Paul Collins Ford Street Publishing ISBN: 978 1 921665 66 0 RRP: $19.95 Date of Publication: August 2012 Reviewed by Cassandra Griffin “The youth was dying. Worse, he was dying without confessing his sins against Maximus Black. ‘Just tell me what I want to know,’ said Black to the terrified, panting youth strapped to the table, ‘and all this will end. No more pain. I promise.’” Double Agent Maximus Black is back with all his alter egos, and […]

Categories: Science Fiction, Young Adult • Tags: double agent, Ford Street Publishing, future, other worlds, Paul Collins, Reviewer - Cassandra Griffin, Secret Agents, spy

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Mary MacKillop – Australia’s First Saint.

March 18, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Gabian Marin Angela Grzegrzolka National Library of Australia ISBN: 9781921928192 RRP: $14.95 Publication Date: 1/10/2012 Reviewer: Cassandra Griffin Aussie Heroes presents the story of Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint, from her birth in 1842 until her death in 1909. Her life was touched from a young age, not that Mary truly understood why. All she wanted to do was look after and provide for her growing family, especially while her Father indulged in flights and fights of fantasy. Like many […]

Categories: Children's Books, Children's Non Fiction, Junior Novel • Tags: Angela Grzegrzolka, Australia, Education Resource, Gabian Marin, history, Mary MacKillop, National Library of Australia, Reviewer - Cassandra Griffin, School resource

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Falling to Ash

March 18, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Karen Mahoney Random House Australia ISBN: 9781742754932 RRP: $18.95 Publication Date: 3/9/2012 Reviewer: Cassandra Griffin While expecting a typical “this generation” vampire story, Falling to ash is a refreshing surprise. It places a twist on the undead genre, with wit, drama and bucket loads of intense mystery. We follow Moth, as she narrates her own story of being introduced to her Boston vampire family by her powerful Maker Theo. She has to give up her living family, but how […]

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult • Tags: adult themes, choices, consequences, drama, fitting in, Karen Mahoney, murder, mystery, Random House, Reviewer - Cassandra Griffin, Vampire, wit

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Me and Him: A Guide to Recovery

March 15, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Karen Tyrrell Me and Him: A Guide to Recovery is the second instalment from Karen Tyrrell regarding her journey through mental illness and back again. If you are unfamiliar with Karen’s first book please pop over to our review of Me and Her: A Memoir of Madness. It is in this book that the very important connection is made between recovery and support people. Karen reveals secrets her husband shared that changed everything she thought she knew about her recovery […]

Categories: Adult, Author Blog Tour, Autobiography, Guide Book, Memoir, Non-Fiction • Tags: Competition, Guide Book, Karen Tyrrell, Mental health, Support

Topsy-Turvy World

February 26, 2013 by Bug in a Book

How Australian Animals Puzzled Early Explorers Kirsty Murray National Library Publications RRP: $29.95 (Hard cover with dust jacket) Publication Date: 1 October 2012 ISBN: 9780642277497 Age: 8+ Reviewer: Cassandra Griffin Every single aspect was back to front in Australia for early European explorers. The weather was hot when it was meant to be cold. Animals were like nothing they had ever laid eyes on before! Whereas the Europeans were the strangest thing the Aboriginals had ever seen. “Extraordinary, intriguing, eccentric, peculiar, curious and […]

Categories: Children's Books, Children's Non Fiction, Historical, Picture Books • Tags: 8+ years, Australia, Australian animals, Explorers, history, Kirsty Murray, National Library of Australia, Non-Fiction, Reviewer - Cassandra Griffin

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Apollo The Powerful Owl

February 26, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Gordon Winch Stephen Pym New Frontier Publishing RRP: $24.95 (Hard Cover) Publication Date: October 2012 ISBN: 9781921928284 Age: 4 – 6 Years Reviewer: Cassandra Griffin Apollo The powerful owl is a delightful children’s book. Apollo no longer wishes to eat meat, so he journeys to find out what other animals eat and to try some new food. Apollo learns that a new diet makes him ill and not very strong. Will Wilfred the Wise Old Owl give Apollo the right advice? Apollo […]

Categories: Children's Books, Picture Books • Tags: 4 - 6 years, animals, Diet, Food, Gordon Winch, New Frontier, Owl, Reviewer - Cassandra Griffin, Stephen Pym

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Not Bog Standard (and other peculiar stories)

February 26, 2013 by Bug in a Book

by Mark Pardoe (Omnibus books) Scholastic ISBN 978-1-86291-863-4 RRP: $15.99 Age: 10+ Published: March 2012 Review by Rachel Mason Not Bog Standard is a compilation of short stories, each one involving something crazy or gruesome or downright weird!! Tales of strange creatures, freaky animals and mind-boggling gadgets – There is always something to make you squirm! Each story is told in the words of a young teen (a different one each time) , and is written in a way that […]

Categories: Children's Books, Middle Grade, Short Stories • Tags: 10+ years, animals, crazy, creatures, gadgets, gruesome, Omnibus for Scholastic, Reviewer - Rachel Mason, short stories, weird

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My Fantastic Father – Little Mates Series

February 22, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Susannah McFarlane Lachlan Creagh Scholastic Australia ISBN: 9781742832234 RRP: $14.99 Publication Date: August 2012 Ages: 4+ Years Reviewer: Angela Hall The Little Mates Series is a great learning tool for our junior readers as they make learning fun! Can you get your tongue around the twisters? This book is a tribute to all the fantastic fathers out there who make our lives a joy. My Fantastic Father mixes ‘f’ words into the story flawlessly and there are even more ‘f’ […]

Categories: Children's Books, Picture Books, Special Topic Books (For Children) • Tags: early learning, Fathers, Lachlan Creagh, letters, Reviewer - Angela Hall, Scholastic Australia, Susannah McFarlane

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Superworm

February 22, 2013 by Bug in a Book

Julia Donaldson Axel Scheffler Scholastic UK ISBN:9781407132044 RRP: $24.99 (Hardcover) Publication Date: November 2012 Ages: 3+ Years Reviewer: Angela Hall Another fun and fabulous book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, who really have become big names in children’s books. You know it is a guaranteed hit with these names on the cover. Superworm has more uses than you could imagine! Everything from a lasso to a skipping rope. Is there nothing he can’t do? But be careful because the naughty […]

Categories: Children's Books, Picture Books • Tags: 3+ Years, Axel Scheffler, garden, insects, Julia Donaldson, Reviewer - Angela Hall, Scholastic, wizard, worm

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The False Prince

February 19, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Jennifer A. Nielsen Scholastic ISBN: 9781407133058 RRP: $16.99 Age: 10+ Genre: Fantasy Key Words: Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Conspiracy Published: 1st Dec 2012 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Sage is an orphan, one who causes trouble and takes risks. He is one of four boys who get kidnapped. Four boys who look remarkably similar. There is something devious, even dangerous, going on, failure will result in death. The boys embark on an intense round of training, the end result of it being that […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: 10+ years, action, Adventure, fantasy, Jennifer Nielsen, Middle Grade Fiction, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell

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Shatterproof

February 19, 2013 by kyliecalwell

39 Clues Cahills vs Vespers bk 4 Roland Smith Scholastic US ISBN : 9780545298421 RRP : $17.99 Age : 8-12 years Key Words : Action, Crime, Adventure, Family 39 Clues Published : 04 Sept 2012 Reviewer : Kylie Calwell Amy, Dan, Atticus and Jake are still jet-setting around the world at the beck and call of Vesper one. This time he is sending them after one of the worlds biggest diamonds – the Golden Jubilee. Jonah and Hamilton are pursuing their own […]

Categories: Middle Grade, Miscellaneous • Tags: 39 Clues, 8 - 12 years, action, Adventure, crime, family, Middle Grade, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Roland Smith, Scholastic Inc

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← Older posts

Bug in a Book

Celebrating Literacy for Everyone

Scarlet in the Snow

Acid

Ambush at Cisco Swamp

The Dinosaur Feather

Armoured Defence

The Discovery

Girl Defective

Mouse in Space

Divine Clementine

Rapture – A Fallen Novel

Mortal Combat – Time’s running out.

The Enormouse Pearl Heist

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Dyson’s Drop-The Maximus Black Files (Book #2)

Mary MacKillop – Australia’s First Saint.

Falling to Ash

Me and Him: A Guide to Recovery

Topsy-Turvy World

Apollo The Powerful Owl

Not Bog Standard (and other peculiar stories)

My Fantastic Father – Little Mates Series

Superworm

The False Prince

Shatterproof

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