Holiday Reading 2002

Fiction for younger readers

Ahlberg, Allan. The woman who won things
A sequel to The man who wore all his clothes, this second Gaskitt family adventure has Mrs Gaskitt winning prizes, Mr Gaskitt working as a postman and Gus and Gloria getting a new teacher with silver hair and a big suitcase, who is very helpful when things start going missing in the classroom.
Burns, Khephra. Mansa Musa: the lion of Mali
A fictional account of the nomadic wanderings of the boy who grew up to become Mali's great fourteenth-century leader, Mansa Musa.
Colfer, Eoin. Ed's bed
Ed is the class star. He can spell tyrannosaurus and can do a backward roll, but he can't learn his maths tables.
De Paola, Tomie. What a year
The author celebrates his sixth birthday, deals with a bout of chicken pox, takes part in Halloween festivities, and more.
Dubosarsky, Ursula. Special days with Honey and Bear
Honey is a bird and Bear is a bear. Together they have special days. There's a birthday, a new year, a surprise and an adventure. These gentle stories, reminiscent of Frog and Toad, are a sequel to Honey and Bear.
Feiffer, Jules. By the side of the road
Richard refuses to stop fooling around in the backseat of the car despite his father's warning that he's going to pull over by the side of the road and let Richard out unless he behaves.
Fine, Anne. How to cross the road and not turn into a pizza
Crossing the road safely is like anything else - you can learn how to do it. That's what Miss Talentino tells Simon and the rest of his class, and she even gives them a demonstration. But there is one big difference: if you get a question wrong in class, you won't end up as flat as a pizza!
Gantos, Jack. Practice makes perfect for Rotten Ralph
When he goes to a carnival with Sarah and his cousin Percy, Rotten Ralph learns that winning is not everything.
Hathorn, Libby. The wishing cupboard
While Tan is waiting impatiently for his Mum to come home from Vietnam bringing his cousin Lan, his grandma decides to show him the wonders of the wishing cupboard. In every drawer there is an object which has its own story. Attached to the object is a wish. Tan finds the last space is empty and his grandma invites him to place his own object inside and make his own wish.
Hoffman, Mary. The colour of home
Hassan feels out of place in a new, cold, grey country. At school, he paints a picture showing his colourful Somalian home, covered with the harsh colours of war from which his family has fled. But gradually things change and Hassan begins to see the colours of his new home.
Hurst, Carol Otis. Rocks in his head
A young man has a lifelong love of rock collecting that eventually leads him to work at a science museum.
Lehmann, Geoffrey. Sky boy
A story of courage and love set in Sicily. It's the story of a special baby with unusual blue eyes: he's called Sky Boy and although the villagers say that he has been brought by bad spirits and will bring bad luck, his sister Teresa loves him very much.
Le Guin, Ursula K. Tom Mouse
Tom Mouse hides on the train he has boarded for travel and adventure, but an old woman finds and befriends him.
McCaughrean, Geraldine. Six storey house
Every floor of the Six Storey House has a different address: flats 1 to 6. Each chapter of this text follows the characters from a different flat number and gradually all the neighbours' lives are woven more closely together, until a brush with chicken-pox changes their lives - and their flats
McDonald, Meme and Boori Monty Pryor. Flytrap
Nancy promises to bring a Venus flytrap to school, only she doesn't really have one. A story about stories.
Mak, Kam. My Chinatown: one year in poems
A boy adjusts to life away from his home in Hong Kong, in the Chinatown of his new American city.
Marsden, Carolyn. The gold-threaded dress
When Oy and her Thai American family move to a new neighbourhood, her third-grade classmates tease and exclude her because she is different.
Mason, Simon. The Quigleys
In an ordinary city, in an ordinary street, in an ordinary house, live an ordinary family called the Quigleys. They all want different things, but, as with all families, occasionally things do go as planned - but not necessarily for the right person.
Miller, Sara Swan. Three more stories you can read to your cat
Stories addressed to cats and written from a cat's point of view, featuring such topics as birthday presents, snow, and breakfast.
Myers, Christopher. Fly!
On the roof of his building, lonely Jawanza meets a homeless man who teaches him how to make friends with the sparrows and pigeons.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Flamingo dream
Grieving over her father's death from cancer, a young girl celebrates their last year together by making a book that includes mementos and a story.
Reeve, Philip. Night of the living veg
First title in a new series by the author of Mortal engines.
Teague, Mark. Dear Mrs. LaRue: letters from obedience school
Gertrude LaRue receives typewritten and paw-written letters from her dog Ike, entreating her to let him leave the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy and come back home.
Van Allsburg, Chris. Zathura: a space adventure
Left on their own for an evening, two boisterous brothers find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical space adventure board game. Sequel to Jumanji.
Vaugelade, Anais. The war
Prince Fabien uses an ingenious trick to end the war between the Reds and the Blues without violence.
Yorinks, Arthur. Company's going
After inviting two spacemen to stay for dinner, Shirley and Moe are asked to return with them to their planet Nextoo to cater their sister's rather large wedding. Sequel to Company's coming.