Lady Lollipop
Dick Smith-King, Illustrated by Jill Barton
Walker Books, CHILDRENS, PB, 9781406340211
$11.77 ex $12.95 inc
Lollipop is no ordinary pig. According to her young owner Johnny Skinner, she's the cleverest pig in the whole kingdom. When people stare into Lollipop's bright, intelligent eyes, it seems to change them for the better. But will Lollipop win over spoilt Princess Penelope - and the King and Queen?
The Yearling
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Aladdin, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780689846236
$6.32 ex $6.95 inc
No novel better epitomizes the love between a child and a pet than The Yearling. Young Jody adopts an orphaned fawn he calls Flag and makes it a part of his family and his best friend. But life in the Florida backwoods is harsh, and so, as his family fights off wolves, bears, and even alligators, and faces failure in their tenuous subsistence farming, Jody must finally part with his dear animal friend. There has been a film and even a musical based on this moving story, a fine work of great American literature.
Slow Down Boris
Andrew Joyner
Puffin, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780143306702
$9.05 ex $9.95 inc
Boris is excited! The whole class is going on a school excursion to the city. They're visiting the museum, the park and the Road Safety School. There's so much to see and do, and Boris wants to try everything – including a big red bike that looks like it could go really fast . . .You'll never be bored when Boris is around! With his big dreams and super-sized imagination, anything is possible – and adventure is guaranteed.
The Horse Road
Troon Harrison
Bloomsbury, CHILDRENS, PB, 9781408819357
$14.54 ex $15.99 inc
Kallisto is a skilled horserider living in ancient China and her story weaves fiction with true events in this fascinating historical adventure. Returning from racing her horses, Kallisto finds that the Chinese Army has stolen her favourite horse, along with her city's other horses. She sets off on a daring mission to rescue the horses. Troon Harrison's The Horse Road is the first in a series of three books and is packed with interesting horse facts and well-researched historical detail.
Maestoso Petra: 4 Horse Diaries, Austria 1940s
Jane Kendall, Ill. Ruth Sanderson
Random House, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780375858420
$7.27 ex $8.00 inc
A latest entry in the popular new series is set in 1938 Austria and follows the adventures of a famous Lipizzaner stallion whose life as an admired performer with the Spanish Riding School is put at risk by the outbreak of World War II. Original.
An Elephant in the Garden
Michael Morpurgo
Harpercollins, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780007339587
$13.63 ex $14.99 inc
It's 1944. Elizabeth's father is fighting with the German army on the eastern front. Her mother works at Dresden zoo, where her favourite animal is a young elephant named Marlene. When the zoo director tells her the dangerous animals must be shot to prevent them running amok when the town is bombed, Elizabeth's mother moves Marlene into the back garden to save her... and then the bombs start to fall.
Their home destroyed, Elizabeth and her family must flee the bombed-out city and through the wintery landscape, all the while avoiding the Russian troops who are drawing ever closer. It would be hard enough, without an elephant in tow...
Age: 7 years +
The White Giraffe/Dolphin Song
Lauren St John
Orion Children's, CHILDRENS, , 9781444004717
$22.73 ex $25.00 inc
11 year old Martine's African adventures begin in The White Giraffe and Dolphin Song, as she meets a magical white giraffe, rescues beached dolphins, and learns of an ancient prophecy that says the child who rides the white giraffe will have power over all the animals.
Martine is eleven when she goes to live on a game reserve in South Africa. One night she looks out of her window and sees a giraffe - silver, tinged with cinnamon in the moonlight. In that instant she knows that she is prepared to risk everything for it, and her thrilling adventures as the child who can ride the white giraffe begin.
Join Martine in these heart-warming stories, as she discovers her special gift of healing, and rescues beached dolphins in the islands of Mozambique.
These are books full of charm and atmosphere and stunning African landscapes, which will enchant animal lovers everywhere.
Hachiko Waits
Leslea Newman
Square Fish, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780312558062
$9.09 ex $10.00 inc
"What a good dog you are. What a fine dog you are. Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan."Professor Ueno speaks these words to his faithful dog before boarding the train to work every morning. And every afternoon, just before three o'clock, Hachi is at the train station to greet his beloved master. One day, the train arrives at the station without the professor. Hachi waits. For ten years, Hachi waits for his master to return. Not even Yasuo, the young boy who takes care of Hachi, can persuade him to leave his post. Hachiko Waits, a novel inspired by a true story, brings to life the legendary Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and devotion. This is a must-read for dog lovers of all ages. Hachiko Waitsis a 2005 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
A Dog's Journey
Cameron Bruce
Pan Australia, CHILDRENS, PB, 9781742611532
$18.17 ex $19.99 inc
Buddy is a good dog. After searching for his purpose through several eventful lives, Buddy is sure that he has found and fulfilled it. Yet as he watches curious baby Clarity get into dangerous mischief, he is certain that this little girl is very much in need of a dog of her own. When Buddy is reborn, he realises that he has a new destiny. He's overjoyed when he is adopted by Clarity, now a vibrant but troubled teenager. When they are suddenly separated, Buddy despairs - who will take care of his girl? A charming and heartwarming story of hope, love, and unending devotion, A Dog's Journey asks the question: Do we really take care of our pets, or do they take care of us? More than just another endearing dog tale, A Dog's Journey is the moving story of unwavering loyalty and a love that crosses all barriers.
One Dog & His Boy
Eva Ibbotson
Marion Lloyd, CHILDRENS, PB, 9781407124247
$15.41 ex $16.95 inc
But a dog would damage the expensive carpets in Hal's glamorous home, and his wealthy parents refuse to consider one. Then they discover Easy Pets, a convenient dog-rental agency. Terrier Fleck arrives on Hal's birthday, but when Hal discovers that his dog must be returned, he runs away. Hal and Fleck are joined by a group of pedigree breeds joyfully escaping from Easy Pets - among them is Otto, the wise and somber St Bernard, and the fierce and excitable Pekinese Li-Chee. A large reward is offered for the missing boy, and soon Hal and his dogs are being chased across the country by ruthless pursuers. Helped by a travelling circus, and the sympathetic children from an orphanage, they race for their freedom in a classic adventure in the tradition of "101 Dalmatians". Every dog-loving child will adore this irresistible story from a truly great and much-loved children's author.
Dingo: The Dog Who Conquered a Continent
Jackie French
Harpercollins, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780732293116
$13.63 ex $14.99 inc
All of Australia's dingoes may be descended from one south-east Asian 'rubbish dog' who arrived here over 5,000 years ago. This is a story about the first dingo.
It is also the story of Loa, who heads off across the sea in his canoe when the girl he loves marries another. He takes only his spears and a 'rubbish dog', one of the scavengers from around the camp to eat if he gets hungry, or to throw to threatening sharks or crocodiles. But when a storm blows boy and dog out to sea, both must learn to survive in a strange new world as partners - and even as friends.
From renowned author Jackie French comes a story about survival in our earliest times.
Dragon Hunter
Nazam Anhar
Ashton Scholastic, CHILDRENS, PB, 9781742830308
$15.45 ex $16.99 inc
Vengeance will bring them back here. Prepare for battle. When the dragons emerge to terrorise the village of Shenzing, the legendary Dragon Warriors are summoned for help. Hajur answers the call, but in exchange for his protection he requests a boy to become his follower ...someone brave enough to train in the dangerous ways of the warrior. Could Baran, a village outcast, prove to be the one?
The Little White Horse
Elizabeth Goudge
Lion Publishing, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780745945781
$13.64 ex $15.00 inc
The beautiful valley of Moonacre is shadowed by the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. When Maria Merryweather comes to live at Moonacre Manor she finds herself involved with an ancient feud. She is determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley, and Maria usually gets her own way!
Mystery Horse
Jane Smiley
Faber & Faber, CHILDRENS, PB, 9780571279364
$15.45 ex $16.99 inc
When Abby Lovitt gets to work at her family's ranch, she can hardly believe her luck. True Blue is a beauty, a dapple grey, and he needs a new home - his owner was tragically killed in a car crash, and no one has claimed him. Her father is wary, as always. But Abby is smitten. True Blue is a sweetheart, and whenever Abby calls out, ""Blue, Blue, how are you?"" he whinnies back. But sometimes True Blue seems, well...spooked. He paces, and always seems to be looking for something. Or someone. Abby starts to wonder about True Blue's owner. What was she like? What did she look like? And what are the strange whispers Abby sometimes hears when she's with him?
Caesar: The War Dog
Stephen Dando-Collins
Random House Australia, CHILDRENS, PB, 9781742756318
$15.41 ex $16.95 inc
At the kennels, Caesar the chocolate labrador doesn't look special. But Corporal Ben Fulton sees something different - an intelligent dog whose curiosity will make him an excellent sniffer dog in the Australian Army.
On operations in Afghanistan with Ben, Caesar proves his worth, finding hidden explosives and saving the lives of the soldiers. Then, during a Taliban ambush, Caesar is separated from his master. Ben and his best mate Charlie are seriously wounded and evacuated to hospital.
But where is Caesar? From their home in Australia, Ben and his family search for clues that might reveal whether their beloved dog is still alive and surviving Afghanistan's bitter winter cold and capture by the Taliban.
It will be a long road home, and Caesar will face many hardships along the way, but for this brave and loyal dog, anything is possible.
Caesar the War Dog is based on the true story of Australian military dog Sarbi and its experiences in Afghanistan, combined with the factual experiences of Endal, the devoted British dog who cared for his wheelchair-bound ex-serviceman master and became the most decorated dog in history.