Book picks similar to
Henry and the Flea by Brian Falkner
young-adult
new-zealand
childrens
nz-writers-quiz
Boris to the Rescue (My Monster #1)
Kaz Campbell - 2014
It is funny and shows that the good guys win in the end. Your child will love this story. Bobby has a special friend. Don't tell anyone, but it is a monster! His name is Boris and he is red and furry with two golden horns. Boris helps Bobby when he has bad dreams. In Book 1, Boris goes to school with Bobby. He doesn't like the way Jack the Bully treats his friend Bobby. Jack doesn't know that Boris is setting him up for embarrassment. Book 2...Felix - the Naughty Monster! is out now.
The Sword of Darrow
Hal Malchow - 2011
Princess Babette, the only surviving member of the royal family, manages to escape and seeks refuge with Asterux, a powerful wizard who agrees to teach Babette magic, and who disguises her as an ugly gypsy girl to protect her from King Malmut’s thugs.Ten years later, Babette must use the magic she has learned to help aid the kingdom’s only hope at defeating the goblins’ horrible reign: Darrow, a lame boy who can barely pick up a sword but has a great gift for inspiring others. With Babette’s unseen help, Darrow begins a journey to free his country once and for all and bring peace back to Sonnencrest.Written by a father and his then eight- year-old son who struggled with a learning disability at the time, "The Sword of Darrow" is an enjoyable adventure that shows how even the unlikeliest of heroes can rise up against injustice.
Long Cloud Ride: A Cycling Adventure Across New Zealand
Josie Dew - 2007
Over the next nine months she cycles 10,000 kilometers all over North and South Islands while experiencing the wettest, windiest, and stormiest year on record. During this time Josie was spat at, shouted at, honked at, and both run off and blown off the road. She got soaked, sunburned, hailed on, and snowed on; and was alternately starved and overfed, overcharged and under-charged. Then there was the wildlife—the possums (both dead and alive); exotic birds such as moreporks (with their eerie call) and fantails (who decided to follow); the ostriches, who liked to chase English cyclists and the harriers, who liked to dive bomb them; and the more familiar but no less frustrating farm animals, who provided sheep-jams and cow-blocks to slow Josie down. Josie brings New Zealand brilliantly to life. Warm, witty, and acutely observed as ever, her latest adventure is sure to delight old and new fans alike.
Shadows of the Master
Emily Rodda - 2015
Her dreams seemed safe until her fathers quest to find the fabled Staff of Tier ended in blood and horror. Now his shamed family is in hiding, and his ship, the Star of Deltora, belongs to the powerful Rosalyn fleet. But Brittas ambition burns as fiercely as ever.When she suddenly gets the chance to win back her future she knows she has to take it whatever the cost. She has no idea that shadows from a distant, haunted isle are watching her every move.
Ricky
Eric Walters - 2002
Ricky's an eighth grader with an amazing menagerie of animals that includes dogs, cats, rats, squirrels, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, grouse, groundhogs, iguanas, budgies, and a three-foot-long alligator called Ollie. It's no wonder, then, that he's a big fan of his science teacher, Mr. Johnston, who has even more animals in his classroom, including Bogart, a pet boa constrictor. When vandals wreck Mr. Johnston's classroom, leading to Bogart's death, Ricky and his best friend Augie decide that it's up to them to put things right. Their plan is to surprise Mr. Johnston with a new snake with the financial help of every kid in the school. But keeping the plan a secret isn't easy when you're dealing with a six-foot boa! Ricky is a thoroughly engaging contemporary novel that will have particular resonance with boys. Walters looks at some pretty serious issues--including how to cope with the death of a parent, the nature of friendship, learning disabilities, and teen violence--but, as always, he has a light, quirky touch and a strong sense of plot. In an afterword, Walters explains his part in his latest fiction, which will delight readers interested in what inspires their favourite writers. (Ages 8 to 12) --Jeffrey Canton
Boss of the Pool
Robin Klein - 1986
Shelley's reluctant attempts to teach a mentally handicapped boy to swim teach her some painful lessons about herself.
Where the Wild Things Are: The Movie Storybook
Barbara Bersche - 2009
Follow Max, a rambunctious boy who feels misunderstood at home, as he sets out in a tiny boat, seeking new worlds across the sea. He lands on the incredible island of the wild things, a place where being a beast isn't a bad thing. The wild things make Max their king, and he reigns over a land of friendly battles, 100-foot-tall dogs, enormous forts, and amazing chases. But life on the island is full of challenges, too. The wild things expect a lot from their king, and if he doesn't please them, there's a good chance he'll be gobbled up! "If you were king of all the wild things, what would your crown look like? If you could make a delicious feast for your subjects, what would it be?\
Thunderbolt House
Howard Pease - 1944
Who is responsible for the strange happenings? Who would want to tamper with his rich uncle's dusty library? And why?Jud's search succeeds just before the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 wipe out every clue forever.
Escape From Wolfhaven Castle
Kate Forsyth - 2014
. . Wolfhaven Castle has been attacked, and only four escape capture... Tom, trained to scrub pots, not fight; Elanor, the lord's daughter; Sebastian, a knight in training; and Quinn, the witch's apprentice.Somehow, if they are to save their people, these unlikely heroes must find four magical beasts from legend and awaken the sleeping warriors of the past. But first, they have to make it out of the castle alive...
Deep Water
Watt Key - 2018
When the clients, a reckless boy Julie's age and his equally foolhardy father, disregard Julie's instructions during the dive, she quickly realizes she's in over her head.And once she surfaces, things only get worse: One of the clients is in serious condition, and their dive boat has vanished--along with Julie's father, the only person who knows their whereabouts. It's only a matter of time before they die of hypothermia, unless they become shark bait first. Though Julie may not like her clients, it's up to her to save them all.
Eager
Helen Fox - 2004
Your house watches you, knows your secrets, and talks to you. And your closest friend can be—a machine? Gavin Bell and his teenage sister Fleur come from a middle-class family. Their much-loved, old-fashioned robot, Grumps, is running down and can’t be repaired, so a scientist friend loans them EGR3, an experimental new robot to help Grumps. EGR3, known as Eager, learns from his experiences, as a child would. He feels emotions—wonder, excitement, and loss. When the ultra high-tech, eerily human BDC4 robots begin to behave suspiciously, Eager and the Bells are drawn into a great adventure that is sometimes dark and often humorous. As Eager’s extraordinary abilities are tested to the limit, he will try to find the answer to this question: What does it mean to be alive?From the Hardcover edition.
Princess Stories
Jenny Woods - 2013
Make story time extra special with this wonderful collection of princess stories, written especially for children aged five and under. Adorable characters and beautiful illustration, these gentle and funny stories will make you smile time and time again.
Reading Is Fun With Dr. Seuss (Dr Seuss)
Dr. Seuss - 1999
Seuss\’ most wacky tales, packed with colourful zany pictures, rollicking rhyme and off-the-wall humour is guaranteed to make reading fun! Hop on Pop introduces readers to a range of simple rhyming words, all used in short, humorous sentences. The nonsense escalates in Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! as the reluctant Marvin is driven to bed by whatever means he can muster, be it on stilts, by mail, or even on lion\’s tail. Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! encourages readers to explore the fantasy world of their own imagination, offering a surreal combinations of things to think up. Finally, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!, featuring the famous Cat in the Hat, offers even more fun to be had by reading with Dr. Seuss!
Monster High: Hopes and Screams: An Original Graphic Novel
Heather Nuhfer - 2013
Brand-new stories about all your favorite Monster High characters come to life in this gorgeous full-color graphic novel.
The Best Bear in All the World
A.A. Milne - 2016
Milne to create a quartet of charming new adventures for Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their friends. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall: take a trip back to the Hundred Acre Wood with a collection of tales sure to delight year-round.One story finds Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet on a quest to discover the "Sauce of the Nile" (they suspect it's apple). And in another, all the animals rally around poor Eeyore when he thinks he sees another donkey eyeing his clover. The winter story features a new penguin character, based on a stuffed toy owned by Christopher Robin Milne himself. Readers of all ages will love rediscovering old friends and making new ones in this essential new volume of Pooh stories.