Book picks similar to
Sleepover! by Rowan McAuley


children
childhood
go-girl
childrens

Sister Spirit


Thalia Kalkipsakis - 2005
    Snip!  Snip!  Cassie is convinced her big sister hates her.  First, Hillary cuts off Cassie’s hair (so she won’t look like such a “baby!”).  Then she stops talking to her.  But Cassie knows a secret about Hillary’s biggest fear.  And she’s going to use it to win her big sister back!   Over 600,000 GO GIRL! copies in print in Australia!

Surf's Up!


Chrissie Perry - 2005
    Kowabunga!  Lucy can’t wait to go on vacation with her BFF, Bonnie, and her family.  They’re going to stay by the beach, take surf lessons, and eat tons of junk food!  But the trip takes a nosedive as soon as they hit the waves.  Bonnie is a natural, while Lucy keeps wiping out.  Lucy doesn’t want to feel jealous, but she can’t help wondering…will they still be friends when this vacation is over?

Back to School


Meredith Badger - 2008
    She has to get used to a new teacher and harder work. But she didn't expect to be the only one to find the new math so difficult.   Is everyone else really smarter than Chloe?

Lunchtime Rules


Vicki Steggall - 2007
    Friendship fumble!  Ant (short for Samantha) loves playing sporty games with her friends at lunchtime.  But when one of the boys decides she’s too slow to play, Ant feels completely left out.  Can she come up with a plan to turn things around?  Or is Ant doomed to spend a lifetime of lunchtimes alone on the playground?   Over 600,000 GO GIRL! copies in print in Australia!

Gangsta Granny


David Walliams - 2011
    A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David’s previous bestsellers.Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble, and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn’t know about his grandma.1) She was once an international jewel thief.2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben’s help…

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew


Margaret Sidney - 1881
    Pepper has to sew all day long just to earn enough to pay the rent and to feed the five growing Peppers. But she faces poverty and trouble with a stout heart, a smiling face, and the help of her jolly brood: blue-eyed Ben, the eldest and the man of the house at the age of 11; pretty Polly, so eager to cook for the family and make everyone happy and comfortable; and the three littlest Peppers, Joel, Davie, and baby Phronsie.A favorite of children, parents, and teachers for generations, this heartwarming classic first appeared in 1880. Since then, it has inspired countless young imaginations with its tender tales of the ways in which courage and good cheer can overcome adversity.

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates


Liz Pichon - 2011
    It's not easy when he's up against Delia, his weirdo big sister. All of his plans seem to get him into major trouble!

Frindle


Andrew Clements - 1996
    When Nick learns some interesting information about how words are created, suddenly he's got the inspiration for his best plan ever...the frindle. Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle? Things begin innocently enough as Nick gets his friends to use the new word. Then other people in town start saying frindle. Soon the school is in an uproar, and Nick has become a local hero. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but the funny thing is frindle doesn't belong to Nick anymore. The new word is spreading across the country, and there's nothing Nick can do to stop it.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened


Jim Benton - 2004
    Actually, it was better than okay. Angeline got her long, beautiful hair tangled in one of the jillion things she has dangling from her backpack, and the school nurse -- who is now one of my main heroes -- took a pair of scissors and snipped two feet of silky blond hair from the left side of her head, so now Angeline only looks like The Prettiest Girl in the World if you're standing on her right. (Although personally, I think she would look better if I was standing on her neck.)

How to Eat Fried Worms


Thomas Rockwell - 1973
    But Billy may have bitten off more than he can chew when he takes his friend Alan's bet that Billy can't eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. If Billy wins, Alan has to fork over fifty dollars. Billy wants the money to buy a used minibike, so he's ready to dig in. He sets up mustard and ketchup, salt and pepper, and sugar and lemon to disguise the disgusting taste.Good news for Billy—once he gets going, he finds himself actually getting hooked on those juicy worms.Bad news for Billy—Alan is busy cooking up schemes to make Billy worm out of the bet. Will Billy keep up his wormy work for fifteen days?No cheating! Keep eating! Worm by worm by worm...--back cover

Do-It-Yourself Book


Jeff Kinney - 2007
    In Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you ever had? The worst thing you ever ate? The best secret you ever heard? The most trouble you ever got in for something that wasn’t even your fault to begin with? This Do-It-Yourself Book features art throughout, along with ruled and blank pages for readers to create their own stories, keep their own diaries, and record their favorites and least faves. Includes a bonus full-color comics section featuring the collected cartoons of Greg Heffley and his best friend, Rowley.Includes 16 pages of full-color comics!

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories


R.J. Palacio - 2014
    Thought-provoking, surprising, infuriating, heartbreaking and heartwarming, AUGGIE & ME is a must-read for the thousands of readers who loved WONDER.

Mitch and Amy


Beverly Cleary - 1967
    Amy is good at reading. Mitch is a math whiz. Amy likes to play pretend. Mitch would rather skateboard. They never want to watch the same television show. And they always try to get the better of each other.Then the school bully starts picking on Mitch -- and on Amy, too. Now the twins have something rotten in common: Alan Hibbler. This twosome must set aside their squabbles and band together to defeat a bully!

The Magic Finger


Roald Dahl - 1966
    To the girl who lives next door, it's just plain horrible. She tries to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs only laugh at her. Then one day the Greggs go too far, and the little girl turns her Magic Finger on them. When she's very, very angry, the little girl's Magic Finger takes over. She really can’t control it, and now it's turned the Greggs into birds! Before they know it, the Greggs are living in a nest, and that's just the beginning of their problems…

The Suitcase Kid


Jacqueline Wilson - 1992
    THE SUITCASE KID."When my parents split up they didn't know what to do with me. My family always lived at Mulberry Cottage. Mum, Dad, me - and Radish, my lovable toy rabbit. But now, Mum lives with Bill the Baboon and his three kids. Dad lives with Carrie and her twins. And where do I live? I live out of a suitcase."Andy has always lived at Mulberry Cottage with her mum and dad.But when they split up, Andy has to say goodbye to her childhood home. Now she spends one week at her mum's and one week at her dad's.With a brand-new stepfamily to deal with and two new houses, will Andy ever feel at home?Written by the multi-award-winning author, Jacqueline Wilson, The Suitcase Kid explores the emotions around divorce with humour, and ultimately optimism. The perfect book to start conversations about difficult topics like divorce with young readers. Gripping, funny and sensitively written - Independent on Sunday