Holiday Reading 2004

Fiction for older readers

Arbuthnott, Gill The chaos clock: Kate and David are best of friends, playing football and doing their museums project together. However, in Edinburgh, where they live, time is coming unstuck and the past is breaking loose. Old Mr Flowerdew needs their help in the war between the Lords of Chaos and the Guardians of Time.
Arena, Felice Specky Magee & the season of champions
Balliett, Blue Chasing Vermeer: When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.
Barnes, Emma Sam and the Griswalds: Sam Harris is miserable, his mother won't let him out of the house for fear he might catch a chill, and he has already missed the first week of school, but Sam's life is about to change as the Griswalds move next door.
Beddor, Frank The looking glass wars: Alyss, born in Wonderland, is destined to be a warrior queen. After a bloody coup topples the Heart regime, Alyss is exiled to another world entirely, where she is adopted into the Liddell family, renamed Alice and befriended by Lewis Carroll. At age 20 she returns to Wonderland to regain her sceptre, battle Redd and lead Wonderland into its next golden age of imagination.
Blackman, Malorie Cloud Busting: A lyrical story, written in verse, celebrating friendship and individuality.
Boyce, Frank Cottrell Millions: A bittersweet story (recently made into a film) about the perils and pleasures of having too much money. Two bothers, Damian and Anthony, are unwittingly caught up in a train robbery during Britain's countdown to join the Euro. Suddenly finding themselves with a vast amount of cash the boys have a dilemma - how to spend it in the few days before it becomes worthless.
Bruchac, Joseph Hidden roots: Although he is uncertain why his father is so angry and what secret his mother is keeping from him, eleven-year-old Sonny knows that he is different from his classmates in their small New York town.
Colfer, Eoin The Supernaturalist: Cosmo joins a gang of children who can see the tiny supernatural Parasites that threaten to drain the life force of all humans.
Corlett, William Kitty: Kitty is a stray puppy with a lust for life and a thirst for adventure. But the world can be a dangerous place for a young dog with no-one to look after her, so it looks as though her travels will never get started. Then she meets Bailey, another stray, who becomes Kitty's beloved travelling companion.
Creech, Sharon Heartbeat: Twelve-year-old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather starts forgetting and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant.
Crew, Gary Beneath the surface: Spooky sequel to The watertower.
Dickinson, Peter The gift boat: Grandad is the most important person in Gavin's life. He is suddenly struck down by a massive stroke and is paralysed. The doctors are not optimistic. Gavin begins a desperate emotional journey, against all the odds, to bring his grandfather back to life.
DuPrau, Jeanne The people of Sparks: Having escaped to the Unknown Regions, Lina and the others seek help from the village people of Sparks. Sequel to The City of Ember.
Dyer, Heather The Fish in Room 11: Toby can't remember a time he didn't live at the seaside hotel. Left there as a small baby, he's grown up without a lot of friends. Then he meets Eliza Flot and her parents. So what if they're mermaids? But Toby's friendship with Eliza arouses suspicion back at the hotel, and soon he has to hatch a plan to keep the Flot's identity a secret. He comes up with the ingenious idea to disguise them as hotel guests, with unexpected - and hilarious - results.
Fine, Anne Frozen Billy: Unsettling and atmospheric, this story of a young brother and sister boldly making their own fates in music-hall England is told in the voice of the girl with lightness and simplicity, but covers dark and complex territory before reaching its happy ending.
Fisher, Catherine The Archon: The Archon vows to lead a pilgrimage to the Well of Songs to seek peace with the Rain Queen and save the land from the terrible drought. But he's not the only one with his sight set on the mountains. Sequel to The oracle.
Fisher, Catherine The oracle: In a distant desert land, the servants of the god rule supreme. But new Bearer Mirany is afraid of her onerous duties and her secret doubts. When she receives real visions of the god, revealing the true heir to the kingdom, she must try to stop the corrupt High Priestess seizing power.
Funke, Cornelia Caroline Dragon rider: Firedrake, a brave young dragon, his loyal brownie friend Sorrel and a lonely boy called Ben are united as if by destiny. Together, they embark on a magical journey to find the legendary place where silver dragons can live in peace forever.
Gleitzman, Morris Girl underground: feature characters from Gleitzman's Boy overboard.
Gleitzman, Morris Worm story: The story of an intestinal worm looking for love.
Gliori, Debi Deep trouble: Fourth title about the eccentric Strega-Borgia family.
Grant, Katie A Blood Red Horse: Will longs to be a knight, like his older brother Gavin. Then he could ride a charger, fight bravely in the Crusades for King Richard and win the heart of a fair maiden. All he needs is a horse. And when he chooses a horse, he chooses well - a small chestnut stallion with a blaze on its forehead.
Grimes, Nikki What is goodbye?: Alternating poems by a brother and sister convey their feelings about the death of their older brother and the impact it had on their family
Hartnett, Sonya The Silver Donkey: Marcelle and Coco find a blind soldier sheltering in the woods above their house in France. He wants to reach the English Channel and get home again, away from the carnage of the First World War.
Hoobler, Dorothy In darkness, death: In eighteenth-century Japan, young Seikei becomes involved with a ninja as he helps Judge Ooka, his foster father, investigate the murder of a samurai. Sequel to The demon in the teahouse.
Hooper, Mary Petals in the ashes: Hannah and Sarah escape London, leaving behind plague and death as well as their sweet shop and, when it is safe, Hannah and her younger sister Anne return, only to face the city's Great Fire of 1666. Sequel to At the sign of the Sugared Plum .
Ibbotson, Eva The star of Kazan: In a tiny alpine church an abandoned baby girl is found by a middle-aged cook from Vienna. So begins the unusual childhood of Annika, brought up in the house of three eccentric professors by their two domestic servants. By the age of seven she can bake and ice a three-tiered cake and polish parquet floors to perfection. Her life in this golden city of music, fabulous food, and the beautiful Lippizana stallions who dance before the Emperor Franz Joseph is greatly blessed - until her unknown mother tracks her down and comes to claim her.
Jacques, Brian The Ribbajack & other curious yarns: A collection of six short stories which feature a variety of monstrous creatures. By the author of the Redwall series.
Johnson, Gillian Thora: "Ten years at sea, ten years on land…" It's time for Thora - half-mermaid, half-human - to leave the sea and live with humans on dry land.
Johnston, Tony The harmonica: Torn from his home and parents in Poland during World War II, a young Jewish boy starving in a concentration camp finds hope in playing Schubert on his harmonica, even when the commandant orders him to play.
Karr, Kathleen Exiled: memoirs of a camel: A first-person narrative from a camel's viewpoint about being sent from Egypt to serve in the United States Camel Corps, and life on the Mojave Desert before and during the Civil War.
Kay, Elizabeth Back to the Divide: Snakeweed, the arch villain is at large. Having failed to sell bad magic to the real world, he wants to go back home. All he needs is the spell hidden in Felix's notebook. Sequel to The Divide.
Kerr, Philip Children of the lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure: Non-identical twins Jonathan and Philippa Gaunt live in New York. The early arrival of their wisdom teeth aged 12 coincides with an ominous earthquake in Egypt, and heralds strange dreams and a trip to London. There they meet eccentric uncle Nimrod. He tells them the truth about their background - they are born of a Djinn mother and as a result they themselves have Djinn powers. Nimrod turns out to be an important figure in the Djinn world and soon the children find themselves in the midst of a titanic battle of good and evil set across three continents.
Kochka The boy who ate stars: Lucy is determined to meet all the people in her apartment block, interested in their names which seem to come from around the world.
Konigsburg, E. L. The outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place: Upon leaving an oppressive summer camp, twelve-year-old Margaret Rose Kane spearheads a campaign to preserve three unique towers her grand uncles have been building in their back yard for over forty years. Companion volume to Silent to the bone.
Laird, Elizabeth Paradise End: Carly often finds herself gazing through the gates of Paradise End. She fantasizes about discovering that she was swapped at birth, and is in fact the rightful owner of the beautiful, empty mansion. But then she meets Tia, the daughter of the new tenant, whose life has some cruel secrets.
Langrish, Katherine Troll Fell: An adventure-filled story of Peer Ulfsson and his dog, Loki; Peer's hideous uncles Baldur and Grim Grimsson; their dog, Grendel, and the trolls of Troll Fell.
Leonard, Elmore A coyote's in the House: Antwan is a coyote, living in the Hollywood Hills, who loves life on the wild side. But then he meets Buddy, a retired canine movie star who has lost his sparkle. He also happens to share a house with a poodle called Miss Betty. Antwan thinks it would be good for Buddy to try life on the wild side - so they decide to swap. Elmore Leonard's first children's novel.
McCaughrean, Geraldine Smile!: When Flash's plane crashes in the desert he has only 10 photographs left in his polaroid camera. Each picture he takes adds to the reader's understanding of Flash and the mysterious people who shelter him.
McGhee, Alison Snap: Eleven-year-old Edwina confronts old and new challenges when her longtime best friend Sally faces the inevitable death of the grandmother who raised her.
Metzenthen, David Tiff and the trout: A story about coming to terms with change.
Nickerson, Sara How to disappear completely and never be found: Margaret's father died in a mysterious drowning accident when she was eight years old. Four years later, her mother still won't talk about it - in fact, she doesn't talk about much of anything. But when Margaret's mother takes her and her little sister, Sophie, to a strange abandoned mansion and puts a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the front yard, Margaret is determined to solve the puzzle of her family, once and for all.
Nimmo, Jenny The Blue Boa: Third in the Charlie Bone series Children of the Red King.
Nix, Garth Grim Tuesday: Volume two of The keys to the kingdom series.
Ogilvy, Ian Measle and the Wrathmonk: A magical adventure story about an orphan called Measle who lives with his horrible guardian, Basil Tramplebone. Basil is a Wrathmonk - the worst kind of wizard. When he find Measle playing with his beloved train set he zaps him with an evil spell. Now Measle is tiny, and trapped in the train set.
Oppel, Kenneth Airborn: Matt Cruse is cabin boy aboard the airship Aurora and has high hopes for promotion to junior sailmaker on this voyage until Kate de Vries, one of the wealthy passengers, makes friends with him. All their bravery is required when one night, in the middle of the ocean, they are boarded by pirates.
Orlev, Uri Run, boy, run: Based on the true story of a nine-year-old boy who escapes the Warsaw Ghetto and must survive throughout the war in the Nazi-occupied Polish countryside.
Paver, Michelle Wolf Brother: Evil stalks the land. Only a boy and his wolf guide stand between it and destruction. This is the first part of a series set in the Stone Age world, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.
Pearce, Philippa The little gentleman: When Bet is first asked to go into the meadow and read a passage aloud from a book - apparently to no-one - she wonders why. But then she realises that her audience is a little mole, who listens attentively. This isn't just any mole. This mole can speak, he is more than 300 years old and he has an amazing tale to tell. So begins an extraordinary friendship between a lonely little girl and The Little Gentleman in Black Velvet. This is Philippa Pearce's first full-length novel for twenty-one years.
Pennac, Daniel Kamo's escape: Kamo won't get on a bike, not even his friend's grandfather's classic. He says he has a bad feeling - it turns out he is right. As he lies in his hospital bed it seems to his friends that their funny, crazy friend is turning into someone else, someone fierce and strong who can escape from anywhere.
Philbrick, W. R. The young man and the sea: After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge blue fin tuna.
Pratchett, Terry A hat full of sky: a story of Discworld: Tiffany Aching - a hag from a long line of hags - is trying out her witchy talents again when she is plunged into yet another adventure, leaving home to be apprentice to a 'real' witch.
Prue, Sally Goldkeeper: Sebastian is an unlikely choice to become the high priest's apprentice in the Temple of Ora, but all is not as it seems.
Rosen, Michael Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: This most famous of love stories is presented in picture book form. The tale is told scene by scene, with dialogue reproducing Shakespeare's own words so that the most celebrated passages of the play are retained in their original form. Illustrated by Jane Ray.
Rutt, Valerie The Race for the Lost Keystone: Kate and Phil Reynolds think they belong to an ordinary family. That is until a larger-than-life old lady turns up on a Harley Davidson with her golden retriever Fearless in the sidecar, and introduces herself as their Great Aunt Elizabeth. Kate and Phil Reynolds' lives are about to be irreversibly turned upside down.
Shearer, Alex Fugitives: On the run after blowing up a deserted building with dodgy fireworks, Davy and Mike are taken in by a passing couple who witnessed their misdemeanor. It's almost like the loving family they never had, except it's not. Events take a sinister turn and things will never be the same again.
Shipton, Paul The Pig Scrolls: When Odysseus's crew were transformed into pigs by Circe, only Gryllus was never turned back into a man.
Sivers, Bowering Jammy dodgers on the run: The first of two books set in the helter-skelter world of Victorian London. Featuring a cast of exaggerated caricature figures and some classic screwball comedy episodes, this novel entertains and amuses.
Stewart, Paul Fergus Crane: Fergus Crane has an almost ordinary life until a mysterious flying box appears at the window of his waterfront home followed by a winged mechanical horse that whisks him off to meet his long-lost uncle and his penguin helpers, Finn, Bill and Jackson.
Stroud, Jonathan Golem's Eye: The second volume of the Bartimaeus Trilogy.
Swindells, Robert Ruby Tanya: a contemporary tale about two friends one of whom, Asra, is an asylum seeker from an unnamed Eastern European country. The other, Ruby Tanya, is the daughter of a local man who is campaigning against the presence of asylum seekers in his community.
Temperley, Alan Harry and the treasure of Eddie Carver: Sequel to Harry and the wrinklies.
30 Australian stories for children: edited by Linsay Knight
Wang, Gabrielle The pearl of Tiger Bay: When Annie moves with her family to the seaside town of Tiger Bay, she finds a place full of secrets, mystery and a strange sadness.
Wein, Elizabeth E. The sunbird: When, in the sixth century, plague spreads from Britain to Aksum, young Telemakos travels to the kingdom's salt mines to discover the identity of the traitor to the crown who, ignoring the emperor's command, is spreading plague with the salt from port to port. Sequel to A coalition of lions.