Tag: friendship

Ollie’s Odyssey

May 9, 2016 by mstuart720

William Joyce Simon & Schuster Australia ISBN 9781442473553 RRP $9.99 Age 7+ Date of publication April 2016 Reviewer Megan Stuart This is an unusual book and although it is set in a “toy world” it explores feelings and relationships in a very human way. It will no doubt foster empathy and imagination in the reader. It is a wonderful and uplifting adventure and the illustrations are fabulous.

Categories: Children's Books, Illustrated, Miscellaneous, Reviewer - Megan Stuart, Simon and Schuster • Tags: friendship, Reviewer - Megan Stuart, Simon & Schuster Australia

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Stick and Stone

October 19, 2015 by mstuart720

Beth Ferry Tom Lichtenheld Koala Books ISBN 9781742761671 RRP $14.99 Age 4+ Date of publication September 2015 Reviewer Megan Stuart Thanks to Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld we have the combination of a good family story and a good teaching tool about friendship. It rocks and rhymes!

Categories: Children's Books, Rhyme • Tags: 4+ years, friendship, Koala Books, Scholastic

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Blue whale blues

October 19, 2015 by mstuart720

Peter Carnavas Peter Carnavas Scholastic ISBN 9781925059410 RRP $24.99 Age 4+ Date of publication September 2015 Reviewer Megan Stuart Peter Carnavas has written and illustrated another great book for children. This one is about feeling blue and about friends who are there to cheer you up. The reader however could become blue because the story reminds us how much pollution lies beneath the sea.

Categories: Austrlalian, Children's Books • Tags: friendship, New Frontier, Scholastic 4+, Whales

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Ghostheart

July 25, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Black Dog Books Ananda Braxton-Smith Secrets of Carrick bk 3 ISBN: 9781742032184 RRP: $1895 Age : 12+ Key Words: Fantasy, Family, Fear, Loss Published: 1st May 2014 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Mally is different from the rest of her family. Her brothers and sisters are brave, fearless, they will do what ever they want, when ever they want. Nothing holds them back. Mally is just the opposite, she has so many fears, so many secrets. She can’t go near the water and […]

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult • Tags: Ananda Braxton-Smith, family, fear, friendship, loss, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Secrets of Carrick

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Melody & Jackson’s Christmas Spell

May 4, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Vivian French Walker Books Stargirl Academy bk 7 ISBN: 9781406349382 RRP: $11.95 Age: 7+ Key Words: Magic, Friendship, Christmas Published: 1st Dec 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Melody and Jackson are still hoping to get their final star and graduate from Stargirl Academy, but with the other girls already having got their stars the best friends are wondering if they will get their chance. They are so glad when they get their chance and they know just what they want to do. […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: friendship, magic, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, School Stories, Stargirl Academy, Vivian French

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Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover

March 25, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Ally Carter Hyperion Books Gallagher Girls bk 3 ISBN: 9781423116608 RRP: $17.99 Age: 12+ Key Words: Espionage, School Stories Published: 11th May 2010 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Cammie Morgan’s holiday has just gotten fun, or so she thinks when she gets to join her friend Macey McHenry on her dad’s campaign trail. Fun takes on another meaning when she has to draw on all her skills to prevent her friend from being kidnapped off the roof of a building. Of course Cammie […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: action, Ally Carter, Espionage, friendship, Gallagher Girls, Highly Recommended, Politics, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, romance, School Stories

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Cross My Heart & Hope to Spy

March 25, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Ally Carter Hyperion Books Gallagher Girls bk 2 ISBN: 9781423100065 RRP: $17.99 Age: 12+ Key Words: Espionage, Romance Published: 1st Dec 2008 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell The Josh disaster of last semester has left Cammie just wanting to have a quiet semester, after all using her spy skills to get her first boyfriend then being forced to give him up was quite enough. She even promises her mother to stay out of trouble. That is way easier said than done when […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: Ally Carter, Espionage, friendship, Gallagher Girls, Recommended, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, School Stories

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Annabelle & the Missing Turtles

March 18, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Rose Inserra Wombat Books Australian Girl Series ISBN: 9781921632389 RRP: $12.95 Age: 8+ Key Words: Environment, History, Friendship Published: 1st Nov 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Annabelle is very interested in turtles, in fact she is really determined to find the hatchlings that have gone missing. It’s a real mystery that no one seems to be able to figure out, not even the people at Marine World know where they went. Annabelle enlists the help of her friends Matilda, Emily, Amy and […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: animals, Environment, friendship, history, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Rose Inserra

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The Disappearance of Ember Crow

February 21, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Ambelin Kwaymullina Walker Books The Tribe bk 2 ISBN: 9781921720093 RRP: $19.95 Age: 12+ Key Words: Dystopia, Friendship, Rebellion, Published: 1st Nov 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Ashala Wolf has struggled since returning to the Tribe but she needs to leave the wolf pack where she has found solace and return to leading her people because her best friend Ember Crow has gone missing. Ashala will not rest until Ember is found and safe with friends. Ashala struggles to control her sleepwalking […]

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult • Tags: action, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Dystopian, family, fantasy, friendship, Highly Recommended, Rebellion, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, The Tribe

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More Than This

February 3, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Patrick Ness Walker Books ISBN: 9781406331158 RRP: $27.95 Age: 12+ Key Words: Mystery Published: 5th Sept 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell A boy, feeling desperate and totally alone, drowns. His final moments painful and then he dies. Then without reason he wakes. Alone still, naked, bruised and thirsty. Nothing makes sense in this moment. How is this even possible. The place he wakes to is vaguely familiar but deserted. The boy struggles to understand what is happening to him. He manages to […]

Categories: Young Adult • Tags: friendship, Highly Recommended, mystery, Patrick Ness, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell

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12

January 23, 2014 by kyliecalwell

James Phelan Scholastic Australia The Last Thirteen bk 2 ISBN: 9781742831855 RRP: $14.99 Age: 10+ Key Words: Dreams, Action Published: 1st Dec 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Sam just escaped last time he followed his dreams, the dreams that lead him to The Star of Egypt. He finds himself heading to Egypt with someone he would never have expected. He is on the path to finding out why the Star was so important and discovering the rest of the last 13. This […]

Categories: Middle Grade, Young Adult • Tags: action, Dreams, friendship, James Phelan, mystery, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, The Last Thirteen

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Monster School

January 22, 2014 by kyliecalwell

DC Green Ford Street Publishing City of Monsters bk 1 ISBN: 9781925000078 RRP: $18.95 Age: 9+ Key Words: Adventure, Monsters Published: 1st Oct 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Thomas Regus is an endangered species, he is a human in a city of monsters. If he isn’t very careful he will end up as food for any one of various predatory species. The problem is he is feeling trapped. He is net in line for the human throne but he feels he knows […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: Adventure, Bravery, DC Green, friendship, goblins, Monsters, Mummies, Ogres, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Vampires

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Flora & Ulysses – The Illuminated Adventures

January 22, 2014 by kyliecalwell

Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by KG Campbell Candlewick Press ISBN: 9780763660406 RRP: $19.95 Age: 9+ Key Words: Fantasy, Adventure, Friendship, Family Published: 24th Sept 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Flora Belle Buckman is a little different. Flora considers herself a cynic. She loves comic books, practices hard at ignoring her mother and misses her father who no longer lives with them. One day she witnesses something strange, a squirrel getting vacuumed up. She races out to rescue him and a most amazing thing […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: Adventure, family, fantasy, friendship, Highly Recommended, humour, Kate DiCamillo, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Super Heroes

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The Will of the Empress

December 8, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Tamora Pierce Scholastic ISBN: 9780545074551 RRP: $13.99 Age: 11+ Key Words: Magic, Friendship, Adventure Published: 1st Oct 2008 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Winding Circle is a long way away for our four mages, at least it is time wise and now they are all back together they find they can’t go back to the way things were. They all experienced things they don’t know how to share and this causes rifts between them. Then Sandry’s uncle asks the others to accompany her […]

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult • Tags: Adventure, Espionage, fantasy, friendship, Highly Recommended, magic, Politics, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Tamora Pierce

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Princess Betony and the Rule of Wishing

November 8, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Pamela Freeman & Tamsin Ainslie Walker Books The Princess Betony Series ISBN: 9781921720253 RRP: $17.95 Age: 7+ Key Words: Princess, Friendship Published: 1st Oct 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Princess Betony is thrilled that she finally might have a friend. Rosie’s niece Clover Pink has come to stay next door for a while and Betony is really looking forward to finding out what a real friend is. It’s not as simple as all that when you are a Princess and your friend […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, friendship, Pamela Freeman, Princesses, Recommended, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Tamsin Ainslie

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Alice-Miranda in Paris

November 2, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Jacqueline Harvey Random House Alice-Miranda Series bk 7 ISBN: 9781742752884 RRP: $15.95 Age: 9+ Key Words: Fashion, Friends, Mystery Published: 1st March 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Alice-Miranda and her friends are in Paris, they have been asked to sing at several events for Fashion Week and they are tres excited. There is more going on than work for them, it is a great opportunity for them to explore the fabulous city. What is fashion week though without some corporate espionage. A […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: Alice-Miranda, Fashion, friendship, Jacqueline Harvey, mystery, Recommended, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell

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The School For Good and Evil

October 19, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Soman Chainani Harper Collins ISBN: 9780007492930 RRP: $14.99 Age: 10+ Key Words: Fantasy, Fairy Tales Published: 7th June 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Sophie is so excited. Every four years two children from Gavaldon were kidnapped, supposedly they were taken to the School For Good and Evil. There the good one would be trained to be a fairytale princess and the bad one a villain. Sophie is so sure she is going to be taken to be a princess, it’s all she […]

Categories: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult • Tags: Fairy Tales, fantasy, friendship, Highly Recommended, Princesses, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Soman Chainani, Villains

Day of Doom

October 6, 2013 by kyliecalwell

David Baldacci Cahills vs Vespers bk 6 Scholastic ISBN: 9780545298445 RRP: $17.99 Age: 9+ Key Words: Action, Crime, Family Published: 4th April 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell It is now the end. The Vespers have all they need to build Archimedes Doomsday Machine. The Cahill’s don’t have their hostages back and the world may be about to end. Amy, Dan, Jake and Atticus are determined not to give up, it is simply not in their nature. Vesper One has managed to get […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: 39 Clues, Cahill vs Vespers, crime, David Baldacci, family, friendship, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell

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Thea Stilton & the Legend of the Fire Flowers

October 6, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Thea Stilton Thea Sisters Series bk 15 Scholastic ISBN: 9780545481885 RRP: $12.99 Age: 6+ Key Words: Adventure, Reading Schemes Published: 28th May 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Hawaii is a great spot for a holiday and a hula competition. The Thea Sisters are there for the latter, they are one of two teams representing Mouseford Academy and they are so excited. They are staying at a hotel really close to a volcano and although they have been reassured that there is no […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Adventure, crime, friendship, Reading Schemes, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Thea Sisters, Thea Stilton

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Violet Mackerel’s Pocket Protest

October 5, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Anna Branford & Sarah Davis Violet Mackerel Series Walker Books ISBN: 9781921977572 RRP: $19.95 Age: 6+ Key Words: Environment, Friendship Published: 1st July 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Violet and her best friend Rose love playing at the park. They love to collect the acorns. Then something terrible happens, people turn up to measure the tree. They say they are going to cut it down so that a carpark can be built there instead. Violet and Rose decide they need to think […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: Anna Branford, Environment, family, friendship, Highly Recommended, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Violet Mackerel

Drongoes

October 3, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Christine Bongers & Dan McGuiness Aussie Mates Scholastic ISBN: 9781862919822 RRP: $11.99 Age: 6+ Key Words: Humour, School Stories, Friendship Published: 1st Feb 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Jack and his best mate Eric have a goal each for this years cross-contry race. Jack wants to beat Rocket Robson and Eric just wants to finish. Together they train with their goals in mind. The day of the big race dawns and it all doesn’t go according to plan but Jack learns that […]

Categories: Junior Novel • Tags: friendship, Reading Schemes, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, School, Sport

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Lina at the Games

September 25, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Sally Rippin Our Australian Girl Series Puffin Books ISBN: 9780143307020 RRP: $ 14.95 Age: 8+ Key Words: History, Australian Themes, School, Olympics Published: 26th June 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Lina is excited, the best thing about living in Melbourne in 1956 is the Olympic Games and they are finally here. Lina is fit to burst about her school paper and the chance to actually go to some of the Games. She misses her friend Mary, and wonders how she will ever […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: Australian Themes, family, friendship, history, Olympics, Our Australian Girl, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Sally Rippin, School

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School Days for Ruby

September 25, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Penny Matthews Our Australian Girl Series Puffin Books ISBN: 9780143307440 RRP: $14.95 Age: 8+ Key Words: History, Australian Themes, School Published: 26th June 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell Ruby is adjusting to a big change. She has come from a wealthy place in the city and now finds herself living with relatives in the country. It is a big adjustment for her. She no longer can have all the things she wants, there just isn’t the money for it. The other thing […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: Australian Themes, family, friendship, history, Our Australian Girl, Penny Matthews, Recommended, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, School

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In The Wings

September 25, 2013 by kyliecalwell

Elsbeth Edgar Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781922077325 RRP: $16.95 Age: 10+ Key Words: Theatre, Friendship, Family, Fear Published : 1st June 2013 Reviewer: Kylie Calwell It is that time of year again, auditions have been posted for this years school play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ella Jamison would like nothing more than to be able to audition. She would love to be on stage, but Ella has a secret, she suffers from terrible stage fright. Standing in front of people to […]

Categories: Middle Grade • Tags: drama, Elsbeth Edgar, family, fear, friendship, Reviewer - Kylie Calwell, Theatre

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← Older posts

Bug in a Book

Celebrating Literacy for Everyone

Tag: friendship

Ollie’s Odyssey

Stick and Stone

Blue whale blues

Ghostheart

Melody & Jackson’s Christmas Spell

Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover

Cross My Heart & Hope to Spy

Annabelle & the Missing Turtles

The Disappearance of Ember Crow

More Than This

12

Monster School

Flora & Ulysses – The Illuminated Adventures

The Will of the Empress

Princess Betony and the Rule of Wishing

Alice-Miranda in Paris

The School For Good and Evil

Day of Doom

Thea Stilton & the Legend of the Fire Flowers

Violet Mackerel’s Pocket Protest

Drongoes

Lina at the Games

School Days for Ruby

In The Wings