Bookmarks

Junior Readers

‘How To Be A Giraffe’ by Thea Baker

Joffrey is a giraffe. At least, he thinks he is. He has a giraffe nose and neck and a giraffe mane and tail. But he doesn’t have spots. Instead, he has stripes. Joffrey sets out to see what else he might be. It turns out he isn’t a bee and certainly not an elephant, but maybe a crocodile? As Joffrey explores all the things that make him different from the other animals, he learns a few things about being himself. This is a great picture book to share and read aloud together. The artwork is beautifully vibrant and the story has such a wonderful message about being yourself.

Middle Readers

‘The January Stars’ by Kate Constable

When 12-year-old Clancy’s parents leave on an emergency family trip to New Zealand, she and her older sister Tash convince their parents they will be fine to stay with their aunt. But when their aunt also leaves to stay with friends, the girls find themselves alone. They decide to visit their grandfather in his aged-care facility and thanks to a slight incident with a cat, an open door, run-away residents and an angry nurse, the girls find themselves on the run with their Pa. The girls must pool their resources and stop their constant fighting if they are going to outrun the growing number of adults that seem to be chasing them! This is a wonderful cross-generational story about family, memories and love.

‘One Of Us Is Next’ by Karen M McManus

If you like mystery novels or read and loved ‘One Of Us Is Lying’ then you are definitely going to want to get your hands on ‘One Of Us Is Next’. As the titles suggests, this sequel returns readers to Bayview High. Three narrators, Phoebe, Maeve and Knox, work together to solve the mystery of who is behind an anonymous game of truth and dare that is set to turn deadly. With so many twists and secrets about to be spilled, you’ll probably want to read this in one sitting. If not, maybe just don’t turn off the lights right after reading. Enjoy!