100. Millie's Special Something by Tania Cox and David Miller

Millie's Special Something by Tania Cox and David Miller
Published March 2012 Working Title Press

From the publisher:

Big, bad Reggie loves to scare Millie. It's fun. But not for Millie. It's frightening! Her friends each have a special something to make them feel brave. So why doesn't she? Or does she?

Millie has had enough of being picked on by Reggie,  But what can she do? She can't swoop like Lea, stomp like Dan or roar like Gus.  She has beautiful feathers, but they're not good for flying...maybe they can be of use in some other way.

99. Ghost Club Book 1: The New Kid by Deborah Abela

Ghost Club Book 1: The New Kid by Deborah Abela
Published March 2012 Random House

From the publisher:
Angeline and Edgar might be kids, but they're also two of Ghost Club's youngest ghost-catchers. Got a problem with a ghost, poltergeist or ghoul? Can't sleep because of all the rattling chains and cackling laughter? Angeline and Edgar are the experts to call.So it's entirely logical that when new kid Dylan joins Ghost Club, Angeline and Edgar are the perfect candidates to introduce him to everything he needs to know, from which ghost-catching gadget will do the trick to when to run like crazy to avoid being splattered with ectoplasm.The trouble is, Dylan's not quite sure he wants to be a ghost-catcher . . .

If you work in a school library how many times do you get students coming up to you saying "I want a scary book"?  Usually the student is about 8 and they probably don't want an actual scary book, but more a book that looks scary.  Maybe one with ghosts?  Well now you have something to give them.

98. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
Published April 2012 Usborne

From the publisher:

11-year-old Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome, and has always had her older brother, Devon, to explain the confusing things around her. But when Devon is killed in a tragic school shooting, Caitlin has to try and make sense of the world without him. With her dad spending most of his time crying in the shower, and her life at school becoming increasingly difficult, it doesn't seem like things will ever get better again. 


This book is set in the aftermath of a school shooting.  A shooting that took place in a small community where two students and one teacher died.  The entire community is affected by this tragedy, but in this book we get a close up look at how one family copes. Devon was one of the victims, and we follow his Dad and his sister on their road to recovery.  Caitlin also has Asperger's syndrome, so she is dealing with her own grief, but also trying to understand the feelings of all of those around her.

97. 10 Futures by Michael Pryor

10 Futures by Michael Pryor
Published April 2012 Random House


From the publisher:
Sam and Tara. Best friends in a future when artificial intelligence organises our lives, and micropets are the latest craze. Best friends when rationing means cold showers and no Internet. Best friends when genetic matching makes asking a girl on a date a minefield of epic proportions. 

But will they still be best friends in a future when plague wipes out most of humanity? Or a future when the Inquisitor asks Sam to choose one betrayal over another?


This book is actually a collection of short stories.  Each short story has the same two main characters, Sam and Tara. Each story takes place at at different time in the future, from 2020 - 2120.  None on the stories are connected, we don't see 16 year old Tara and Sam in 2020 and then 96 year old Tara and Sam in 2100, each future is a stand alone story and Tara and Sam are always the same age.  Hope that's clear?!  It will be when you start reading it.

96. Sam the Cat by Sam Bowring illustrated by Andrew McLean

Sam the Cat by Sam Bowring and illustrated by Andrew McLean
Published February 2012 Penguin


From the publisher:

Sam lives very happily in a tumbledown house with Jane and Ian. But when Jane and Ian bring home a baby boy, not only does the baby get all the attention – he even steals Sam's name!


This is a funny picture book, with at least one page that made me laugh-out-loud (the page when the cat hears the owners talking about changing his name).  It's even funnier when you realise that this is actually a true story.
  
This is the story of how the author's parents, Ian and Jan,  struggled to come up with a name for their new son.  The only name they really loved was Sam, but that was the cats name.  "I know!" they thought, lets call the baby Sam and give the cat a new name...Jack.  Needless to say 'Jack' wasn't impressed with his new name, and he leaves the house in disgust.  The next part of the story, 'Jack's' adventure in the real world is entirely fictional (but the real cat did indeed run away) and not very pleasant, but then one day Ian spots 'Jack' while on his way to work and takes him back home again.  Where Jack realises that having people who love you and feed you far outweighs the indignity of having your name changed without permission.

Who will like this book: Boys and girls age 5+
Read it if you like: Scallywag by Jeanette Rowe

95. DC Super Friends #1: Brain Freeze by JE Bright illustrated by Loston Wallace & David Tanguay

DC Super Friends #1: Brain Freeze by JE Bright  illustrated by Loston Wallace & David Tanguay

Published April 2012 Hardie Grant Egmont

From the publisher:

The city of Metropolis shivers when it feels Mr. Freeze's icy touch. But never fear: BATMAN, SUPERMAN, and the rest of the DC Super Friends will melt this coldhearted villain's frosty plans! 

There is really not too much to say about this book, except that I think it and the others in the series will be very popular with young boys.

Big day for children's books in Australia

The busiest day of the year for me.

Today was the announcement of the CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) shortlist for 2012.  This is a selection of the best children’s books published in 2011. The shortlist is comprised of six books in the following categories, Younger Reader, Picture Book, Early Childhood, Older Reader, Eve Pownall Award for Information Books and the Crichton Award, which is for new illustrators.  While the shortlist is announced today, the winners are not announced until Friday 17th August, giving schools and libraries plenty of time to get the books and read them before Book Week (Aug 18-24) that takes place the week after the winners are announced. 
While you would think because of the awards these books will be everywhere and easy to get, that is not the case.  Because these books are shortlisted every school and library in Australia will want copies of them, that is 1000’s of schools and libraries.  That's one problem, then we have the issue of those books being published in 2011, some more that 16 months ago, and that means that they may have to be reprinted…all of this adds up to what might be a long wait for some of the books.  On the flip side, because they were published in 2011, many libraries may already have copies on their shelves.

Here are some links you may find interesting.:
CBCA website: for info about the organisation
CBCA  Awards FAQ page: answers the questions of the process involved in choosing the shortlist and the criteria. 
Notable book list: the long list, from which the final books were selected.

Here are the shortlisted titles for 2012:

Book of the Year: Older Readers

Intended for mature readers

Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel  by Michael Gerard Bauer 
Straight Line To My Heart by Bill Condon 
Golden Day, The by Ursula Dubosarsky 
Dead I Know, The by Scot Gardner 
Ship Kings Book 1: Coming of the Whirlpool, The by Andrew McGahan  
When We Were Two by Robert Newton 

Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Intended for independent younger readers

Crow Country by Kate Constable
Brotherband (Outcasts Book 1) by John Flanagan
Nanberry: Black Brother White by Jackie French Age12+
Truth About Verity Sparks, The  by Susan Green
Golden Door, The  by Emily Rodda
Bungawitta by Emily Rodda

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages

Runaway Hug, The by Nick Bland illustrated by Freya Blackwood
Come Down, Cat! by Sonia Hartnett illustrated by Lucia Masciullo
That’s Not a Daffodil!  by Elizabeth Honey
Last Viking, The  by Norman Jorgensen illustrated by James Foley
No Bears by Meg McKinlay and  illustrated by Leila Rudge
Rudie Nudie  by Emma Quay

Picture Book of the Year
Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years(Some books may be for mature readers.)

Look, a Book! by Libby Gleeson and illustrated Freya Blackwood   

Dream of the Thylacine by Margaret Wild illustrated by Ron Brooks

For All Creatures by Glenda Millard illustrated by Rebecca Cool
Bus Called Heaven, A  by Bob Graham
No Bears by Meg McKinlay and illustrated by Leila Rudge
Flood by Jackie French and illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years

(Some books may be for mature readers.)

Little Refugee, The  by Anh Do illustrated by Bruce Whatley

One Small Island by Coral Tulloch illustrated by Alison Lester
Surrealism For Kids by the Queensland Art Gallery
Bilby Secrets by Edel Wignell and illustrated by Mark Jackson
Fromelles: Australia’s Bloodiest Day at War by Carole Wilkinson
Playground: Listening to Stories from Country by Nadia Wheatley illustrated by Ken Searle

Crichton Award for New Illustrators
The Crichton Award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children's book illustration

Ben and Duck by Sarah Acton
Squish Rabbit  by Katherine Battersby
Song For Lorkie, A  by Jennifer Castle and illutsrated by Dean Bowen
York’s Universe  by Heidi Goh
Mozzie and Midgie by Doug MacLeod and illustrated by Sandy Okalyi
Grumpy Little King by Michael Streich

While I don’t always agree with the choices, I understand the process involved and the difficulty the judges face narrowing their selection down to 6 books in each category, when they have 100s to read and choose from.

My aim this year was to only read books published from 2012, but  I may have to make an exception to my own rule, as there are a number of the shortlisted titles I have not read, and reading them is something I have to do.  As I only have time this year to read books that I will be writing about, you may see some of these books cropping up here n the next few months.