134. Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk by Megan McDonald illustrated by Peter Reynolds

Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk by Megan McDonald illustrated by Peter Reynolds
Published May 2012 Candlewick Press


From the publisher:
Reading is UNdead - and everyone has zombies on the brain - as Stink's school and a local bookstore cook up a frightfully fun Main Street event.


It might not be obvious by the title, or the cover for that matter, but this is a great book for the National Year of Reading...it's a book about books.

133. Red by Libby Gleeson

Red by Libby Gleeson
Published May 2012 Allen & Unwin


From the publisher:


Red can't remember the cyclone. She can't remember anything - her name, where she lived, who her family might be. Her identity has been ripped away. Then she makes a discovery, and finds she has an important mission to accomplish. But in this chaotic, bewildering world, can she do it on her own? Who can she trust?

Waking up with mud in her hair, in her mouth, covering her body Red mutters the words 'jaymartinjaymartinjaymartin' , and is slapped across the face by a boy she doesn't know.  This boy isn't the only thing she doesn't remember, she doesn't remember anything about her life, not even her name.  Red is just the name Peri (the boy she doesn't know) gives her because he spotted her because of her red t-shirt.

132. The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp illustrated by Sara Ogilvie

The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie
Published May 2012 Simon & Schuster

From the publisher:
Once upon a time, in a tower near you, Lived a sad princess; the Princess Sue. "Some day," she sighed, "my prince will come, But I wish he'd move his royal bum." But when Princess Sue's prince finally does arrive, he's not quite what she had in mind. Find out how the feisty princess escapes the clutches of her twit of a prince in this funny twist on the traditional princess tale.

One of my favourite picture books form last year was Rhino's Don't Eat Pancakes, written by this very same pair, so I did have high hopes from this book.  This isn't necessarily a new story, we have seen a number of picture books over the years where the princess characters break through the 'sweet, and lovely' stereotype, and are portrayed as feisty individuals with their own agendas.  If that kind of princess story is what your looking for, the Princess Sue will not disappoint.

131. Under a Silver Moon by Anne Fine illustrated by Lotte Klaver

Under a Silver Moon by Anne Fine illustrated by Lotte Klaver
Published May 2012 Walker Books


From the publisher:

In a hot, faraway land, two baby boys are born under the same silver moon: Haroun, the son of the sultan, and Akil, the son of the gardener. As children they play together until one day Haroun has to learn princely ways. He is waited on hand and foot and all he can do for himself is eat, so every day he eats more and more and grows bigger and bigger. No doctors can offer a cure. But one day a hooded stranger tells Haroun that if he digs the garden he will find a key that will give him good health. After weeks of hard toil, Haroun doesn't find the key, but he does lose weight, and finds health and happiness once more.


This book reads like a traditional tale, but it is a modern fairytale or fable.  While the setting may be that of faraway lands, the message is relevant to all, no matter where you may live.

130. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Published May 2012 Hachette

From the publisher:
'On the third night after the day her father died, Liesl saw the ghost.' Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice - until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone. That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey. 


Liesl's spends her days (and nights) in the attic bedroom, she reads and draws and sleeps, but she is never allowed to leave.  Twice a day she is  bought food, that is usually little more than stale bread and bouillon soup.  The world outside is not a much better place to be is is cold, dark and often wet. In the alchemist's search for The Most Powerful Magic in the World he had to source ingredients such as, a perfect snowflake, the laughter of a child, and the most difficult ingredient of all: pure sunlight (1cup), for 5 years the alchemist took all of the sunlight until he perfected the spell, as a consequence the sun had not come out in 1,728 days.

129. Phoenix Files Book 5 - Fallout by Chris Morphew

Phoenix Files Book 5 - Fallout by Chris Morphew
Published May 2012 Hardie Grant Egmont


From the publisher:

The time for pretending is over. The Shackleton Building has been turned into a concentration camp, and the last free people in Phoenix are forced into hiding.  The fight is over unless Jordan and Luke can figure out where the Co-operative is hiding Tobias. And Jordan has to find a way to protect Luke before Peter rages out of control … or else history is doomed to repeat itself.  With only weeks left until Tabitha is released, Phoenix’s biggest secrets are yet to be revealed. And the clock is still ticking.

There are 14 days until the end of the world.


I have loved this series from the very first book, so this was on my MUST READ list for this year.  If you haven't read the other books in this series, I hate to tell you that you can't start with this one.  The Phoenix Files series is basically one story broken 6 parts (book 6 due 2013).  This book begins exactly where book 4 left off.  Maybe it's just me, but the time between reading book 4 and this one (a year) made it difficult for me to get back into the story.  In a year (especially this one) I read a lot of books, and while I do love this series, I had to really think about what had gone one at the end of book 4 and get my head back into Phoenix. I would have loved a quick re-cap at the beginning of the book. 

128. I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry

I'll Tell You Mine by Pip Harry

Published March 2012 UQP

From the publisher

"Here’s the thing. I’ve been kicked out of home. After the last thing I did I ran out of chances. Tipped all my parents’ patience out on the floor like the last bit of milk in the container. They just lost it. Fair enough, I suppose. I did do something pretty bad. So bad I can’t even say it out loud. Neither can Mum. We both just: Don’t. Talk. About. It."

Kate has been sent to Boarding School.  She is in Year 10 and is usually a day student at Norris Grammar, but after the terrible thing that she did her Mother doesn't want her at home, they all need a break from each other.  Kate found school difficult enough when she was there during school hours, but to be there 24 hours a day surrounded by girls who think she is a freak is more than she can handle.