The 26-Storey Treehouse
Terry Denton (ill)
Andy Griffiths
Pan Macmillan, PB, 9781742611273
$11.81 exGST $12.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
The new Treehouse collection provides a double dose of enjoyment, with Griffths and Denton delivering 13 new and terribly silly stories. This modern Magic Faraway Tree will delight children aged 8+.
All the Wrong Questions
Who Could That be at This Hour?
Lemony Snicket
Egmont Childrens Press, HB, 9781742972961
$15.41 exGST $16.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Fantastically crazy stuff, this, as Lemony Snicket gets more ‘autobiographical’ in the first in a series of prequels to his Unfortunate Events series. An adolescent Snicket finds himself apprenticed to a truly useless detective in Stain’d-by-the-Sea, a town dying as its octopi-reliant ink industry peters out. The highly eccentric characters, clever wordplay and black humour that characterised the early series are here again in spades, but this one is for slightly older children. 9+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $19.95
An Anthology of Unwitting Wisdom
Aesop's Animal Fables
Helen Ward
Five Mile Press, PB, 9781742112138
$9.95 exGST $10.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Never have morals been so exquisitely explained! Helen Ward’s reworking of these enduring tales features warm, precise illustrations that match the wry humour of Aesop. Her retellings capture the spirit of the originals while making them accessible, witty and ever beautiful.
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $24.95
Birds
Sounds of the Wild
Maurice Pledger
Five Mile Press, HB, 9781742482330
$11.77 exGST $12.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Entertaining and educational, this clever ‘paper art’ book looks at birds from all regions and shows off their calls. As you fl ip through the pop-up panoramas, you are transported to wetlands, desert, rainforest and more through the sounds of the birds. The bright pop-ups and audio will capture littlies’ imaginations, and older kids will enjoy the keys containing details and facts about the birds and their habitat. 4+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $29.95
Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure
A J Wood, Clint Twist
Five Mile Press, HB, 9781742114446
$13.59 exGST $14.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Opening envelopes, unfolding pages and peering behind flaps gives kids a satisfying sense of discovery and make these handsome books feel like fun rather than a lesson. 9+
The Convent
Maureen McCarthy
Allen & Unwin, PB, 9781742375045
$20.90 exGST $22.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Filled with every emotion imaginable, The Convent will have readers staying up into the wee hours, and, at intervals, indulging in a pleasurable cry. The characters here feel like friends, especially Peach, who has never wanted to find her birth mother but whose past is chased down one summer when she discovers a matriarchal line of family all linked to Melbourne’s Abbotsford Convent. 14+
The Diviners
Libba Bray
Allen & Unwin, PB, 9781742375229
$22.72 exGST $24.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
A darkly entertaining horror story set against the dazzling whirl of 1920s New York, this first book in a promised series of four introduces us to Evie, a 17-year-old escaping rural Ohio. While eager to make the most of the city’s glittering offerings, she fi nds herself in the midst of a far-from-glamorous hunt for a supernatural serial killer, and discovers her own unusual talent. With The Diviners, Libba Bray, author of the award-winning Going Bovine (A&U. PB. $24.99), creates a genuinely scary sense of evil as well as a fabulous rendition of both city and era. 15+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $29.95
The Encyclopedia of Scary Things
Barbara Cox, Scott Forbes
Five Mile Press, HB, 9781742522845
$20.86 exGST $22.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Have you heard of hinkypunks, grindylows, dokkaebis and tupilaks? If not, never fear! This fully indexed and illustrated encyclopedia of scary stuff profi les these and many other supernatural creatures, providing plenty of shivers and a fair few sniggers along the way. Zombies, vampires, ghosts, witches, wizards, dragons and werewolves receive extended – but never too scary – treatment. 10+
The Farm
Emily McKay
Penguin, PB, 9781405909259
$15.45 exGST $16.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Dystopic speculative fi ction with vampires – what’s not to love? Lily and her twin Mel are kept on a farm to produce blood for a scourge of vampirish mutated humans called Ticks. Determined to protect her autistic sister, Lily has an escape plan, a kick-ass attitude and some cool moves, but will that be enough to keep them safe? Can she trust the boy from her past who suddenly reappears? And is she really the only person who can save the world? Action and plot twists aplenty, with a hint of romance. 13+
Figaro & Rumba & the Crocodile Cafe
Stephen Michael King (ill)
Anna Fienberg
Allen & Unwin, HB, 9781742373119
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Sweet as honey, and without a hint of saccharin, this gentle adventure tale features a Cuban cat called Rumba and a fl oppy dog called Figaro. When they fi nally board the Very Fast Train, having had a few misadventures in getting there, they encounter a smoothtalking, music-loving crocodile who seems to just adore cats. What could he be up to? Written by Anna Fienberg of Tashi fame, this is the perfect fi rst chapter book for ages 5+.
Friday Brown
Vikki Wakefield
Text Publishing, PB, 9781921922701
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
South Australian writer Vikki Wakefi eld pulls no punches in a gritty novel that is half social realism, half thriller. After her mother dies, Friday Brown fi nds herself living in an inner-city squat with Silence, a mute boy; the moody and unpredictable Arden, undisputed head of the squat; and six other teenagers. When Arden decides they should move to an abandoned town in the outback, Friday has to make some tough decisions and fi nd independence and strength. 14+
The Game in the Dark
Hervé Tullet
Phaidon, BD, 9780714864853
$13.59 exGST $14.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Preschoolers will love popping out pieces of card from this book and inserting them into slots and holes to create colourful imaginative sculptures. Designed by acclaimed French illustrator Hervé Tullet and produced by prestigious art book publisher Phaidon, it combines learning and play in a truly delightful manner. Other titles in the series include The Game of Red, Yellow & Blue ($11.95), which explains the basics of colour mixing, and The Game in the Dark ($14.95), a glow-in-the-dark introduction to astronomy. 4+
The Game of Red, Yellow and Blue
Hervé Tullet
Phaidon, BD, 9780714864815
$10.86 exGST $11.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Preschoolers will love popping out pieces of card from this book and inserting them into slots and holes to create colourful imaginative sculptures. Designed by acclaimed French illustrator Hervé Tullet and produced by prestigious art book publisher Phaidon, it combines learning and play in a truly delightful manner. Other titles in the series include The Game of Red, Yellow & Blue ($11.95), which explains the basics of colour mixing, and The Game in the Dark ($14.95), a glow-in-the-dark introduction to astronomy. 4+
The Game of Sculpture
Hervé Tullet
Phaidon, BD, 9780714864891
$13.59 exGST $14.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Preschoolers will love popping out pieces of card from this book and inserting them into slots and holes to create colourful imaginative sculptures. Designed by acclaimed French illustrator Hervé Tullet and produced by prestigious art book publisher Phaidon, it combines learning and play in a truly delightful manner. Other titles in the series include The Game of Red, Yellow & Blue ($11.95), which explains the basics of colour mixing, and The Game in the Dark ($14.95), a glow-in-the-dark introduction to astronomy. 4+
Good Night, Sleep Tight
Judy Horacek (ill)
Mem Fox
Ashton Scholastic, HB, 9781742832579
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
From the partnership that brought us Where is the Green Sheep? comes this tale of getting to bed. Bonnie and Ben put babysitter Skinny Doug through his paces, demanding story after story before they will go to sleep. He obliges with a bunch of much-loved kids ditties and nursery rhymes. Mem Fox’s clever verse and Judy Horacek’s delightful illustrations breathe life into these old rhymes, delivering a book that is bound to have little ones asking for it to be read ‘just one more time’! 1+
Grimm Tales
Philip Pullman (ed)
Penguin Classics, HB, 9781846140266
$36.36 exGST $40.00 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
This collection of fairy tales is the real deal – full of weirdness and violence. In his retellings, revered children’s author Philip Pullman refuses to sanitise the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, instead focusing on their essence: narrative. The collection is, of course, replete with the wicked stepmothers, beautiful princesses and brave heroes that junior readers love, but Pullman also follows each story with notes about its background and history, making Grimm Tales as much for adults as children. 10+
Herman and Rosie
Gus Gordon
Viking, HB, 9780670076031
$22.73 exGST $25.00 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Herman – lover of pot plants and wild boysenberry yoghurt – and Rosie – adorer of pancakes and teeth-sticking toffees – navigate the wilds of busy city life, intersecting here and there but not meeting until their mutual love of Jacques Cousteau and jazz brings them together. This is a sweet and quirky story about finding out what moves you and grabbing onto that tune. 6+
The Hunters
Brotherband 3
John Flanagan
Random House, PB, 9781742750620
$16.32 exGST $17.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
A showdown between the Pirates and Skandians seems inevitable at the start of the third instalment of Flanagan’s hugely popular Viking series. But will Hal be up to the task? 10+
I Can Jump Puddles
Australian Children's Classics
Alan Marshal
Viking, HB, 9780670076840
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Rediscover the magic of our country’s most memorable children’s books in this handsomely presented series. 10+
Kangaroo for Christmas
James Flora
Hardie Grant, HB, 9781742972770
$18.14 exGST $19.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Adelaide is little Kathryn’s Christmas gift from Uncle Dingo, but oh what havoc she wreaks! Because she’s more used to the bush than the city, the honks, toots and beeps on the street cause her to hop, hop, hop all the faster, taking Kathryn for a somewhat scary – and extremely destructive! – ride. There’s lots to notice along the way, too. 4+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $39.95
Lego Harry Potter
Building the Magical World
Dorling Kindersley
Dorling Kindersley, BX, 9781405366458
$13.59 exGST $14.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Parents of young children know full well that collector mania isn’t limited to elderly devotees of Antiques Roadshow, with the obsession pre-schoolers boys have with Thomas the Tank Engine being a good case in point. Slightly older children tend to feel the same way about Harry Potter, and their collector instinct is catered for with the extensive collection of boy wizard–related Lego sets. This book includes a colourful and detailed visual guide to every set. 5+
Liar and Spy
Rebecca Stead
Text Publishing, PB, 9781921922947
$15.45 exGST $16.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Wow. Wow. Wow. This book is just so good! Rebecca Stead won the Newberry Medal in the US for her previous novel When You Reach Me (Text Publishing. PB. $16.95), and Liar & Spy is just as intelligent and moving. Georges (named after pointillist artist Seurat) reluctantly becomes the first member of a spy club headed by an odd boy named Safer. Unhappy at school and missing his mum, Georges soon becomes involved in Safer’s world. There are some genuinely gasp-outloud moments as the dots come together to bring the whole picture into focus. 10+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $29.95
The Life and Times of William Shakespeare
Kristen McDermott, Ari Berk
Five Mile Press, HB, 9781742481418
$13.59 exGST $14.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Opening envelopes, unfolding pages and peering behind fl aps gives kids a satisfying sense of discovery and make these handsome books feel like fun rather than a lesson. 9+
Maddy West and the Tongue Taker
Brian Falkner
Walker Books, PB, 9781921977671
$18.14 exGST $19.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Maddy West is a charming young heroine with a mysterious ability to understand and speak any human language. The Tongue Taker is an evil witch who wants to steal every human’s ability to speak or understand their own language. The two are destined to lock horns in this quirky adventure story that sees Maddy and her best friend Kazuki fi nd bravery deep within. Glorious fun for kids aged 8+.
Monsieur Albert Rides to Glory
Bob Graham (ill)
Peter Smith
Allen & Unwin, HB, 9781742376806
$22.72 exGST $24.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Albert Larousse, ‘cyclist extraordinaire’, takes up the challenge of a bike race from Paris to Nice. It’s not giving anything away to say he does ride to glory, but not without some embarrassing rest stops, punctures and wardrobe malfunctions along the way. Bob Graham’s characteristic cheeky and detailed illustrations bring Paris and the route alive, and author Peter Smith’s rhymes – ‘café au lait’ / ‘breakfast one day’ – deserve gold! 6+
A Mutiny in Time
Infinity Ring 1
James Dashner
Ashton Scholastic, HB, 9780545386968
$13.63 exGST $14.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
There’s barely time to draw breath while reading the exciting first book in this new series, which follows the adventures of Zak and Sera as they use time travel to save the world by fi xing up mistakes in human history. 8+
Not For Parents
How to be a World Explorer
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet, HB, 9781743214091
$22.72 exGST $24.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
This engaging series from our favourite travel publisher was a huge hit last Christmas, and these follow-up volumes supply plenty more astounding facts of the biggest, longest, hottest, coldest, noisiest, smelliest, wildest variety. 8+
Not For Parents
Extreme Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet, HB, 9781743214107
$27.26 exGST $29.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
This engaging series from our favourite travel publisher was a huge hit last Christmas, and these follow-up volumes supply plenty more astounding facts of the biggest, longest, hottest, coldest, noisiest, smelliest, wildest variety. 8+
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Australian Children's Classics
Joan Lindsay
Viking, HB, 9780670076857
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Rediscover the magic of our country’s most memorable children’s books in this handsomely presented series. 10+
Playing Beatie Bow
Australian Children's Classics
Ruth Park
Viking, HB, 9780670076864
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Rediscover the magic of our country’s most memorable children’s books in this handsomely presented series. 10+
Princess Betony and the Unicorn
Tamsin Ainslie (ill)
Pamela Freeman
Walker Books, PB, 9781921720239
$16.32 exGST $17.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Princess Betony is the daughter of a human king and a dryad queen, and longs to learn about the magic world her mother comes from. In her first adventure, she follows her mother into the forbidden Dark Forest, discovers its magical secrets and learns some important truths. The book’s gorgeous illustrations and small hardback format lend it an old-fashioned feel, but Betony is a true modern-day heroine. 7+
Ratburger
David Walliams
Harper Collins, PB, 9780007453535
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Little Britain’s David Walliams is as absurdly funny in his writing for kids as he is on TV. The unlikely plot of Ratburger involves an evil stepmother of epic proportions and a rat-catching, burger-making villain. Both are out to get the gentle Zoe, who is also fending off the school bully and protecting her new pet rat. The plot may be improbable, but Zoe’s story has the ring of truth: a girl looking for affection and trying to reclaim her dad from his despairing days in the pub. 8+
The Raven Boys
1 Cabeswater Chronicles Quartet
Maggie Stiefvater
Ashton Scholastic, HB, 9780545424929
$22.72 exGST $24.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Maggie Stiefvater’s most recent novel is a worthy successor to those in her bestselling Wolves of Mercy Falls series and is sure to be a huge hit with fans of the Twilight series, too. Stiefvater writes well, and this book’s female protagonist, Blue Sargent, is a strong and likeable character. When she is drawn into the orbit of the rich boys from the prestigious Aglionby Academy, sparks (some carrying a tinge of romance and others a supernatural frisson) fly. The first in a series of four books, The Raven Boys will be enjoyed by girls and boys aged 13+.
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $24.95
Ready, Steady, Grow
Royal Horticultural Society
Dorling Kindersley, HB, 9781740337717
$11.77 exGST $12.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Published in association with Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society, this lavishly illustrated, easy-to-follow book aims to get kids into the garden, courtyard or balcony to grow vegies, fl owers and fruits. Step-bystep instructions for a variety of projects make acquiring a green thumb easy and loads of fun. 7+
Rocket Into Space!
Ragbir Bhathal, Johanna Davids
National Library of Australia, HB, 9780642277510
$18.14 exGST $19.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Maddy and Jack are fl ying into space, and preschoolers are invited along for the ride! There are plenty of ways they can help, including turning the countdown wheel from 10 to zero and helping the rocket ‘lift-off’ by pulling the tab. On the way into the solar system, they can lift the fl aps to let the planets reveal their secrets, spot the ‘happy face’ on Mars and rotate Jupiter’s moons. 4+
Seven Little Australians
Australian Children's Classics
Ethel Turner
Viking, HB, 9780670076871
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Rediscover the magic of our country’s most memorable children’s books in this handsomely presented series. 10+
Take Your Last Breath
Ruby Redfort 2
Lauren Child
Harper Collins, HB, 9780007334087
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
The feisty girl detective is back for a second adventure featuring the same offthe- wall humour, action and friendship that made its predecessor, Ruby Redfort: Look into My Eyes (HarperCollins. PB. $14.99), such fun. 9+
Terry Denton's Bumper Book of Holiday Stuff to Do!
Terry Denton
Puffin, PB, 9780143306658
$15.45 exGST $16.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Just in time for Christmas comes a second fantastic activity book from Terry Denton that is packed with drawing activities, cartoons, maps, lists and games. 7+
Thai-No-Mite
Oliver Phommavanh
Puffin, PB, 9780143306528
$15.45 exGST $16.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
The follow-up volume to the bestselling Thai-riffic! (Puffi n. PB. $16.95) provides more hilarious adventure, as Albert (Lengy) Lengviriyakul and his parents go on a family holiday to Thailand. 8+
The Third Wheel
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney
Puffin, PB, 9780143307334
$13.59 exGST $14.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Love is in the air – but what does that mean for Greg Heffley? Will he and his best friend Rowly fi nd dates for the Valentine’s Day dance at Greg’s middle school? 8+
This Moose Belongs to Me
Oliver Jeffers
Harper Collins, HB, 9780007263875
$22.72 exGST $24.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Wilfred’s pet, Marcel the moose, is mostly good at obeying the rules of How to be a Good Pet, although he struggles with Rule 7: ‘Going whichever way Wilfred wants to go’. However, this turns out to be the least of Wilfred’s problems. An old woman claims that Marcel is actually Rodrigo the Moose – calling into question his role as Wilfred’s pet. In true, clever Oliver Jeffers’ style, solutions are found, and Marcel/Rodrigo proves himself with Rule 73: ‘Rescuing your owner from perilous situations’. 4+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $25.95
Timmy the Tug
Jim Downer (ill)
Ted Hughes
Thames & Hudson, HB, 9780500514962
$9.05 exGST $9.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
The tale behind Timmy the Tug is as delightful as the story itself. Originally illustrated by designer Jim Downer in post-war Britain, the words – penned by his housemate and poet laureate-to-be Ted Hughes – were not discovered until 52 years later, in the Hughes archive. As to the story itself: Timmy escapes to adventure the high seas, at first struggling, but soon saving a ship and restoring his pride. 4+
Today We Have No Plans
Anna Walker (ill)
Jane Godwin
Penguin, HB, 9780670075201
$22.72 exGST $24.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Another sublime and whimsical read from the creators of All Through the Year (Viking. HB. $24.95), this gorgeous picture book takes us through the busy week to a luxuriously lazy Sunday. It will strike a chord with all the busy Australian families out there who long for the simplicity of a day with no plans. 5+
Topsy-Turvy World
Kirsty Murray
National Library of Australia, HB, 9780642277497
$27.23 exGST $29.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
In a land that was utterly foreign, European explorers and settlers thought Australia’s animals amongst the strangest things they encountered. This richly illustrated book, which draws on treasures from the National Library, describes Europeans’ fi rst encounters with 15 different native creatures, explains early misconceptions, and counters these with more accurate information. Koalas, kangaroos and emus look particularly hilarious as European artists tried to capture these confounding beasts. 8+
Under Wildwood
Carson Ellis (ill)
Colin Meloy
Viking, HB, 9780670075164
$18.17 exGST $19.99 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Ever since Prue McKeel returned home from the Impassable Wilderness after rescuing her brother from the malevolent Dowager Governess, life has been pretty dull. But soon, she and Curtis must embarkon an adventure as epic and exciting as the one that intrigued the many readers of Wildwood (Viking. PB. $17.99). 10+
SPECIAL PRICE Originally $19.95
What Bumosaur is That?
Terry Denton (ill)
Andy Griffiths
Macmillan, HB, 9781405038393
$9.05 exGST $9.95 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Why was the Tyrannosore-arse Rex so angry? Where did Bogasauruses live? Was the Bumheaded idiotasaurus the most stupid bumosaur? Find the answers to these and many other questions in this fully illustrated guide to prehistoric bumosaur life, as created by Australia’s most hilarious children’s publishing partnership.
Where My Wellies Take Me
Lomenech Gill (ill)
Clare and Michael Morpurgo
Templar, HB, 9781848775442
$22.73 exGST $25.00 incGST ADD TO TROLLEY
Aunt Peggy gave Pippa a love of poems, and Pippa introduces them to us as she tramps through the countryside. A wealth of poems from the likes of Ted Hughes, Rudyard Kipling, Edward Lear and Christina Rossetti are set against a mixed-media backdrop full of hidden panels, pop-up postcards and fold-out maps. 8+ Also available: Not Bad for a Bad Lad (text Michael Morpurgo, illus. Michael Foreman, Templar, PB, $11.99), a moving story about a boy and horses. 9+