School Library Association of Victoria Book Lists

Guest Speaker Sandy Bigna : novels in verse (Wednesday December 3rd)

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:55:08 GMT

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and pay respect to elders past and present. I would also like to recognise the importance of story and culture to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the way that they nurtured and taught their children with story passed from generation to generation.

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday December 3^rd 2025 to listen to author Sandy Bigna’s presentation about her verse novel ‘Little Bones’.

Disclaimer: The lists generated as a result of Book Club discussions are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of all titles or authors for each genre/category discussed. Nor will all titles be suitable for all libraries. We advise staff discretion when referencing these lists, to properly confirm individual title suitability for individual libraries, school and student’s needs. These are suggested titles only, shared by our members and inclusion on, or exclusion from, a list does not suggest SLAV endorsement or rejection of a title.

Verse novels are accessible for reluctant/challenged readers but encourages strong readers to read differently.

Recommendations for verse novels from Sandy and attendees.

Birdy by Sharon Kernot

Bindi by Kirili Saunders

The Way of the Dog by Zana Fraillon

Songs of a thousand Seas by Zana Fraillon

Hannah Backwards by Kim Rackham

The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn

What Snail Knows by Kathryn Apel

The Kindness Project by Deborah Abela

Grace Notes by Karen Comer

Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer

Only Branch of the Family Tree by Sherryl Clark

Queen Narelle by Sally Murphy

Worse Things by Sally Murphy

The Little Wave by Pip Harry

Drift by Pip Harry

Are you there, Buddha by Pip Harry

Books by Steven Herrick

After Dark : Horror/Thrillers/Spooky (Wednesday October 23rd)

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:09:02 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday October 23rd, 2025, to discuss the topic: After Dark - Horror/Thrillers/Spooky

Thanks to Mia from The Sun Bookshop for her list of books on this topic, including new and upcoming releases.

Our next Online Book Club meeting is on Thursday December 3rd and the topic of conversation is 'Literary Fiction' with special guest Sandy Bigna, author of Little Bones.

Picture Books

Creepy Sheepy by Lucy Ruth Cummins

The house on Pleasant Street by Sofie Laguna & Marc McBride

Too scared to sleep by Shaun Micallfe

Pig the monster by Aaron Blabey

Wild about Halloween by Sarah Speedie

Middle Grade Books

The Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine

Colaline by Neil Gaiman

A monster calls Patrick Ness

The ghost locket by Allison Rushby

Zombie season by Justin Weinberger

The stars did wander darkling by Colin Meloy

No Place for Monsters series by Kory Merritt

Read at your own risk by Remi Lai

The glow by Sofie Laguna & Marc McBride

The Horror Heights series by Bec Hill

The Zom-B series by Darren Shan

Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jess Kinney

The Ghoulia series by Barbara Cantini

Fear Files : Hide & Seek by Christopher Edge

Spooked : The theatre ghosts by Stephen Butler

Gloam series by Jack Mackay

Run by Sarah Armstrong

Campfire stories by Kelly Anne McLellan

Little bones by Sandy Bigna

Hush a bye by Jody Lee Mott

Hide & seeker by Daka Hermon

Marianne dreams by Catherine Storr

Small spaces by Katherine Arden

Magrit by Lee Battersby

The Twits by Roald Dahl

YA Books

Highway bodies by Alison Evans

Hometown haunts : #loveozya Horror tales edited by Poppy Nwosu

When ghosts call us home by Katya de Becerra

They watch from below by Katya de Becerra

What the woods keep by Katya de Becerra

Oasis by Katya de Becerra

None shall sleep series by Ellie Marney

Pride & Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Stephen King books

Archives of Despair by Caleb Finn

Horror in Pleasantville : Welcome to the neighbourhood by Caleb Finn

The Fear Street series by R. L. Stine

The Enemy series by Charlie Higson

Five nights at Freddie’s series by Scott Crawthon

House of Hollow Krystal Sutherland

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

Sunny at the end of the world by Steph Bowe

The Lockwood & Co series by Jonathan Stroud

The Passage series by Cronin

The dead girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

The whispering dark by Kelly Andrew

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Borderland by Graham Akhurst

The Red Eye series by Alex Bell

Anna dressed in blood series by Kendare Blake

Wicked little deeds by Kat Ellis

The devouring light by Kat Ellis

Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis

Wilder girls by Rory Power

Channel fear by Lisa Richardson

Tales of terror from the Tunnel’s mouth by Chris Priestley

Slasher girls & monster boys stories selected by April Genevieve Tucholke

The spider and her demons by Sydney Khoo

Small spaces by Sarah Epstein

If you tell anyone you’re next by Jack Heath

What we all saw by Mike Lucas

Unholy terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

The stone road by Trent Jamieson

Slender man

Danger Road by A. L. Tait

Don’t let the forest in by C. G. Drews

Oxford blood by Rachael Davis Featherstone (dark academia)

What have they done to Liza McLean? by Amy Doak (dark academia)

Family of liars by e. lockhart

The thrashers by Julie Soto

Unhallow Halls Lili Wilkinson

Not quite dead yet by Holly Jackson (older YA)

The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

The call by Peadar O’Guillin

Don’t turn out the lights by Jonathan Maberry

Anthony Horowitz books

Lovecraft country by Matt Ruff (older readers)

Graphic Novels

Ghost Book by Remi Lai

Garlic & the witch by Bree Paulsen

Garlic & the vampire by Bree Paulsen

The night librarian by Christopher Lincoln

The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn

The Unexplained : UFO’s by Adam Allsuch Boardman

Gothic Horror Books

Dracula by Bram Stocker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Withering heights by Emily Bronte

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Castle of Othanto by Hugh Walpole

General New Releases from Mia

Picture Books

The Peach King by Inga Simpson

Mullets by Nick Sharratt

Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski

The thing about Christmas by Jo Dabrowski

To activate space portal lift here by Antoinette Portis

Dropbear by Philip bunting

Non-Fiction

Everything under the sun : a question for every day of the year by Molly Oldfield

Our wonderous planet by Amandine Thomas

Weirdosaurous by Phiip Bunting

Encyclopaedia of fast and slow animals by Sami Bayly

When dinosaurs roamed Australia by Sarah Jane Lightfoot

There’s a Prawn in Parliament House : the kids’ guide to Australia’s amazing democracy by Annabel Crabb

Minecraft atlas of the world

Middle Grade

Mega rich guinea pigs by Kate and Jol Temple

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

Impossible Creatures : The Poisoned King by Katherine Randell

The Wonderous Tale of Lavender Wolfe by Karen Foxlee

The Book of Dust : The Rose Field by Philip Pullman

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

Graphic Novels

Monkey King and the world of myths by Maple Lam

Banned Books (Wednesday September 3rd)

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 04:42:33 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday September 3rd, 2025, to discuss the topic: Banned Books

Thanks to Mia from The Sun Bookshop for her list of books on this topic, including new and upcoming releases.

Our next Online Book Club meeting is on Thursday October 23rd and the topic of conversation is ‘After Dark’.

Some Regularly Banned/Challenged Books

To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee

1984 by George Orwell

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Black Boy by Richard Wright

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Gender Queer : a Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Harry Potter series is often not included in the Collections of some Christian schools

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is also often challenged (and it’s authenticity questioned)

The Heartstopper series of books face challenges, particularly volumes 4 & 5.

The group had a discussion around some controversial books for school library collections:

Colleen Hoover books – some schools have them but keep them in the office and students need to request them. Students need to be in years 9 and up to have them loaned to them.

There is a poem in ‘The Sound of the Thing’ by Maxine Benebe Clarke that is good for banned book week.

Mia from Sun Bookshop supplied the following titles that are often banned or challenged:

Love makes a Family by Sophie Beer has been banned in the USA

Rainbow Street by RWR McDonald & Kelly Canby is a new picture book that celebrates diversity

The Style Secrets of Gareth McGeen by Kelly Brodie-Brown & Natasha Carty is also a new picture book that would be controversial in the USA

The Hate U Give and On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

The Hate Race by Maxine Beneba Clarke

The Welcome to .... books by Melissa Kang & Yumi Stymes

New Picture Books from Mia:

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall

Hello Cocky : a Stickybeak at the cockatoo by Hilary Bell & Antonia Presenti

Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski & Cate James

New Graphic Novels from Mia:

Monkey king and the World of Myths : The Battle of the Beasts by Maple Lam

The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip by Mac Barnett & Shawn Harris

New Middle Grade books from Mia:

You & Me and the Peanut butter Beast by Andy Griffiths

Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney ( a Wimpy Kid spin off but more of a novel format)

Football School Facts : a Fact for Every Day of the Year by Alex Bellos & Ben Lyttleton

Skandar and the Spirit War by A.F. Steaman

The Making of Martha Mayfield by Jo Dabrowski

Childish by Morris Gleitzman

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey

Millie Mak Makes Her Mark by Alice Pung

Run by Sarah Armstrong

Good Bits : Bits of Stories, Endless Fun by Kes Gray

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd

New YA books from Mia:

This Season’s Draft by Jason Gent (verse novel)

The Locked Room by Adam Cece

What Have They Done to Liza McLean by Amy Doak

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter (clean YA romance)

The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe by Karen Foxlee

A Guide to Falling Off the Map by Zanni L. Arnot

Oxford blood by Rachel Davis Featherstone (has caused some controversy overseas)

Weaving Us Together by Lay Maloney

Catch by Sarah Brill

Road Trips (Tuesday July 22nd)

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 23:34:06 GMT

^{I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and pay respect to elders past and present. I would also like to recognise the importance of story and culture to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the way that they nurtured and taught their children with story passed from generation to generation.}

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Tuesday July 22nd, 2025, to discuss the topic: Road Trips

As usual, we finished out session with attendees sharing what they have been reading lately.

Thanks to Mia from The Sun Bookshop for her list of books on this topic, including new and upcoming releases.

Our next Online Book Club meeting is on Wednesday September 3rd and the topic of conversation is ‘Banned Books’.

What is a road trip?

My understanding of the theme Road Trips (helped by Copilot) is a journey “that invites us to wander across pages where maps are optional and courage is essential. Whether we're trekking through mythical landscapes, crossing continents in search of identity, or leaping into the unknown with a backpack of dreams, our chosen stories all share one heartbeat: the thrill of the journey.” Thanks to Copilot for assistance with this introduction.

I think that we could take the theme “road trips” to mean journeys.

Journeys by car, train, boat, ship, plane, helicopter, magic, the mythical, time-travel etc. Do you have others? Perhaps you could add them to the chat.

My first question is “What elements or motifs do we need in this fiction?” Can you write some of them in the chat.

E.g. Maps, landscapes, treks, courage, obstacles, great complications, …….

My next question is ‘What are the genres of books that share this theme?’

I think that we could include adventure, fantasy, mystery and suspense, real life, classics, ……………

What do we mean by adventure?

Adventure books pull us from our comfort zones, challenges our perspectives, and offers a passport to places both real and imagined. Journeys—physical, emotional, or spiritual—drive characters to evolve, and us, as readers as we empathise, to reflect on our own paths.

I have a few more questions to get us thinking about this topic.

· What makes a reading journey transformative? Do you have an example?

· How does fictional adventure shape character?

Picture Books:

Ella and the Ocean by Lian Tanner & Jonathan Bentley

Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester

The Summer Holiday Den by Twinkl Originals

Mr Chicken All Over Australia by Leigh

Walking in Gagudju by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler & Emma Long

A River by Marc Martin

Everything & Everywhere by Marc Martin

Cooee Mittigar: A Story of Darug Songlines by Jasmine Seymour & Leanne Mulgo Watson

The Boy Who Biked the World (Part 3: Riding Home Through Asia) by Alistair Humphreys

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

The Top End: Our Trip Across Australia by Roland Harvey

Mr Chicken Goes To Paris by Leigh Hobbs

Tiwi in Paris by Glen Farmer Illortaminni

Pip's Trip Around The World by Fanny Joly

We Live In A Bus by Dave Petzold

Your Holiday Was The Best! by Maggie Hutchings

An Amazing Australian Road Trip by Jackie Hosking

Middle Grade:

Runt by Craig Silvey

The Land of Lost Things by Andy Griffiths & Bill Hope

Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French

Mim and the Baffling Bully (The Travelling Bookshop series) by Katrina Nannestad

Found in Melbourne by Joanne O'Callaghan & Kori Song

Once series by Morris Glietzman

Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale & Nova Weetman

Graphic Novels

Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment

Ghost Book by Remy Lai

Hairy Holes by Brenton McKenna

Leaf-Light by Trace Balla

The Odds: The Power of Being Odd by Matt Stanton

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner

Scout and the rescue dogs by Dianne Wolfer

Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo

The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

We are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

The War that saved my life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Louisiana's Way Home - Kate DiCamillo (book 2 of a trilogy - the other two are Raymie Nightingale and Beverley, Right Here)

Westfallen by Ann Brashares & Ben Brashares

You & Me and the Peanut Butter Beast by Andy Griffiths

Tiwi Girl Hunters by Tiwi College

Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop by Martin Seneviratne

Oceanforged: The Wicked Ship by Amelia Mellor

The Keeper of the Octopus by Neridah McMullin

Run by Sarah Armstrong

Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria by L.M. Wilkinson

Wylah the Koorie Warrior by Jordan Gould & Richard Pritchard

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Wurrtoo by Tylissa Elisara & Dylan Finney

Young Adult:

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

A Wreck of Seabirds by Karleah Olson

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

Four for the Road by K. J. Reilly

Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth

Changing Gear by Scot Gardiner

Road tripping with Pearl Nash by Poppy Nwosu

An abundance of Katherines by John Green

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Two sparrowhawks lonely sky by Rebecca Lim

Swerve by Phillip Gwynne

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody

Sunny At The End Of The World by Steph Bowe

Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni

Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue

Weaving Us Together by Lay Maloney

A Guide to Falling Off the Map by Zanni L. Arnot

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Pull of the Moon by Pip Smith

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight

Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Anne Liang

Senior Fiction:

Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

What Have We Been Reading?

Three Boys Gone by Mark Smith

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin

The Secret Year of Zara Holt by Freeman

Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

The Covenant of Water

loved Eleanor Jones is playing with fire by Amy Doak (YA)

Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin (adult)

Sonny & Tess by Nova Weetman (MG)

We saw what you started by Carla Salmon (YA)

I am listening to Terciel & Elinor, Book 6 in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series.

Little Bones by Sandy Bigna

Six summers of Tash & Leopold by Danielle Binks

Speak to me of home by Jeanine Cummins

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Always Home always homesick by Hannah Kent

The Glassmaker by Tracey Chevalier

Road trip by Beth O'Leary

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

The Postcard by Anne Berest

Long Island by Colm Toibin

Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan

Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge

Hannah Kent - Awards - Burial Rites

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith

South Asian Fiction (Wednesday May 28th)

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 02:17:22 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday May 28th, 2025, to discuss the topic: South Asian Fiction

Many thanks to Mia from the Sun Bookshop for attending and providing recommendations and information on some new and upcoming release books.

We asked our members to share their favourite books South Asian Fiction reads.

As usual, we finished out session with attendees sharing what they have been reading lately.

Our next Online Book Club meeting is on June 26^th and the topic of conversation is ‘Reading for Wellbeing’.

Book Suggestions By Country

China

Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim

I Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang (YA)

Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky by Rebecca Lim (YA)

Taiwan

The Loveboat, Taipei series by Abigail Hing Wen

Korea

The last tiger by Julie Riew (YA) (Release date July 29^th)

Can’t I Go Instead by Lee Geum-Yi (Adult)

India

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (YA)

There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon (YA)

From Twinkle with Love by Sandhya Menon (YA)

St Rosetta Academy series by Sandhya Menon (YA)

Nush and the Stolen Emerald by Jasbinder Bilan (MG)

Ajay and the Jaipur Moon series by Varsha Shah (MG)

Afganistan

The Parvanna series by Deborah Ellis (YA)

Philippines

The Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay (YA)

Marikit and the Ocean of Stars by Caris Avendano Cruz (MG)

Malaysia

Two can play this game by Leanne Yong (YA)

Refugee/Immigrant Stories

The colours of home by Sally Soweol Han (PB)

Stay for Dinner by Sandhya Parappukaran & Michelle Pereira (PB)

The Boy Who Tried To Shrink His Name by Sandhya Parappukaran & Michelle Pereira (PB)

Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street - Felicita Sala (PB)

Grandmother from the East, Grandmother from the West - Jacinta Liu & Freda Chis (PB)

My strange shrinking parents by Zeno Sworder (PB)

Detention by Tristian Bancks (MG)

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks (MG)

The surprising power of a good dumpling by Wai Chim (YA)

The Pull of the Moon by Pip Smith (MG)

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (YA GN)

My Mother’s Tongues : A Weaving of Languages by Uma Menon & Rahele Jomepour Bell (PB)

Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang & Hyewon Yum (PB)

Growing up Asian in Australia by Alice Pung

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Laiu (YA Verse novel)

Graphic novels by Remy Lai

Our Family Dragon : a Lunar New Year Story by Rebecca Lim (PB)

Millie Mak Maker series by Alice Pung & Sher Rill Ng (MG)

Asian Inspired Fantasy

The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow (YA)

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang (YA)

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (YA)

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen (YA)

How To Free a Jinn by Raidah Shah Idil (MG)

The Rebel Skies Trilogy by Ann Sei Lin (MG)

The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim (YA)

Strike the Zither by Joan He (YA)

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (YA)

Nura and the Immortal Palace by M. T. Khan (MG)

Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton (YA)

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (YA)

The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae (YA)

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim (YA)

Six Crimson Cranes series by Elizabeth Lim (YA)

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan (YA/Adult)

Upcoming Books Spotlight from Mia

Aster’s next good thing by Kate Gordan (Release date June 4^th)

Chronicles of a lizard nobody by Patrick Ness (Release date June 4^th)

The foal in the wire by Robbie Coburn - verse novel

A Loo of One's Own: A Mostly True Tale of Australia's First Female Parliamentarians by Eleri Harris (Release date June 3^rd)

The edge of everything by Miranda Luby

Drift by Pip Harry - verse novel (Release date July 30^th)

Music camp by Penny Tangey (Release date June 3^rd)

Everglade : Rise of the witch Book 1 by Kitty Black

Detective Beans series by Li Chen (MG GN)

Books We Are Currently Reading

The Butterfly Women by Madeleine Cleary

The Women by Kristen Hannah

Better Days Claire Zorn

Wandering Wild - Lynette Noni

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Stinkbug by Sinead Stubbins

The Only Branch on the Family Tree by Sheryl Clark

The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwan

Comes the night by Isabelle carmody

Birdy by Sharon Kernot

Enemies to Lovers (Tuesday April 29th)

Sun, 04 May 2025 22:55:23 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Tuesday April 29th, 2025, to discuss the topic: Enemies to Lovers

Many thanks to Mia from the Sun Bookshop for attending and providing recommendations and information on some new and upcoming release books.

We asked our members to share their favourite books that are set in Melbourne.

As usual, we finished out session with attendees sharing what they have been reading lately.

Our next Online Book Club meeting is on Wednesday May 28^th and the topic of conversation is ‘South Asian Fiction’.

Middle Grade:

The Nevermoor Series by Jessica Townsend

Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail (love triangle)

The Flipside by Shawn Johnson

Keep It Together, Keiko Carter by Debbie Michiko Florence

Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai by Debbie Michiko Florence

Choose Your Own Happily Ever After series

Show Us Who You Are by Elle Nicoll

Young Adult:

Stuck up & Stupid by Angourie and Kate Rice (a modern re-working of Pride & Prejudice)

Better than the movies by Lynne Painter

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

The Powerless Trilogy by Lauren Roberts

The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black

Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo

The Maven and Reeve series by A. L. Tait

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang

A Way Home by Emily Bewin (more a friendship than a romance)

Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufmann & Meagan Spooner

The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

This Dream Will Devour Us by Emma Clancey

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

Fallen Academy by Leia Stone

Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni

The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Nightweaver by R.M. Gray

Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark

The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae

Legend by Marie Lu

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Senior Fiction:

One Day in December by Josie Silver

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Love On The Air by Ash London

Other Books Discussed

Only Branch of the Family Tree Sherryl Clark

Stuff I'm Not Sorry For by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Music Camp by Penny Tangey

How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

The Surface Trials by H.M. Waugh

The Pull of the Moon by Pip Smith

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

Classic romance authors

Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey

Charlotte Bronte – Jane Eyre

Emily Bronte – Wuthering Heights

Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet

Elizabeth Gaskell – North and South

E.M. Forster – A room with a view

Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca

YA romance fiction

Unnecessary Drama – Nina Kenwood

Between Us – Clare Atkins – (refugees)

Cloudwish, Wildlife, Six Impossible things – Fiona Wood

Looking for Alibrandi – Melina Marchetta

Authors of romance

The Fault in our stars by John Green

Jenny Han – challenged / banned

Collen Hoover – challenged / banned from many school collections

Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

CBCA Shortlisted books

Some of the shortlisted books from 2024 come to mind as being in this category. Particularly Grace Notes by Karen Comer and Inkflower by Suzy Zail. There are challenging relationships and family dynamics, misunderstandings, despair, and finding peace / love/ and resolution. Maybe you can think of other award winning titles – long list or short list.

“I’m not really here” by Gary Lonesborourgh.

Books Set In Melbourne (Thursday March 20th)

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 03:29:15 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday March 20th, 2025, to discuss the topic: Books Set In Melbourne

We asked our members to share their favourite books that are set in Melbourne.

We also held a discussion about how we are dealing with students requesting school libraries to purchase books that may contain content that is not suitable for all readers, particularly books popular on Book Tok.

As usual, we finished out session with attendees sharing what they have been reading lately.

Our next Online Book Club meeting is on Tuesday April 29th and the topic of conversation is ‘Enemies to Lovers’.

Strategies for dealing with requests for Book Tok/Controversial Books:

Have the book but look at where it is located
Put in senior fiction – staff reading
A yr 9 – yr 12 section
Have alerts in the catalog for certain books
Use commonsense media and other sites to check out appropriateness of student requests
Maybe put trigger warnings on the inside the front cover
Put a MA sticker on the bac of the book and in the catalog keep it for year 10 and above.
Keep most in a senior reads section
Read the book first if unsure
Biographies can often by quite explicit – how to handle?
Have senior reads instead of senior fiction
Call them real life stories with an MA sticker
The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs – good for teens wanting non-romantasy

Books Set In Melbourne

Picture Books:

Queenie -picture book – Melbourne zoo - Corine Fenton
Middle Grade:
Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer
How To Bee by bren mcdribble
My Australian story - Archer’s Melbourne Cup – Vashti farrer
The Lost Sapphire by Belinda Murrel
Six Summers of Tash and Leopold by Danielle Binks
The Riding Gallery by Sally Murphy

Young Adult:

Words in deep blue by Cath Crowley
Gap year in ghost town by Michael Pryor
Grace Notes by Karen Comer
Graffiti moon Cath Crowley
The runner by Robert Newton
Future Girl by Ashphyxia
Everything is changed by Nova Weetman
Take three girls by Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood & Simmone Howell
Inkflower by Suzie Zail
Fleur Ferris – Risk, Wreck
Beatle meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams
The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex by Gabrielle Williams
One Hundred Days by Alice Pung

Senior Fiction:

The lost bookshop by Evie Woods
Bearbrass : Imaging Early Melbourne by Robyn Annear
The Corners of Melbourne Robyn Annear
Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
The Season by Helen Garner
The Oslo by Oslao Davis (?)
The Convent by Maureen McCarthy
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
The Mix Up by Kylie Ladd
A Routine Infidelity & A Dance With Murder by Elizabeth Coleman
Tuesday Evenings With The Copeton Craft Resistance by Kate Solly
The Paradise Heights Craft Story Stitch-Up by Kate Solly
Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne
Joy Moody Is Out Of Time by Kerryn Mayne
The Hitwoman's Guide to Reducing Household Debt by Mark Mupotsa-Russell
The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt
The Hummingbird Effect by Kate Mildenhall
The Jack Irish series by Peter Temple
The Miss Phyrne Fisher Mysteries by Kerry Greenwood
Monkey Grip by Helen Garner
The Glad Shout by Alice Robinson
The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham
Cairo by Chris Womersley
Unbury the Dead by Fiona Hardy
Three Boys Gone by Mark Smith

What has everyone been reading?

Reader Come Home by Maryanne Wolf
Tussock by Elizabeth Pulford
The Season Helen Garner
The Thrill Of It by Mandy Beaumont
Three Boys Gone by Mark Smith
Five Seasons in Seoul by Christine Nwell
Laughter is the best ending by Maryam Master
The glass girl by Kathryn Glasgow
Creating a reading culture by Margaret Merga
Thunderhead by Sophie Beer
The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
The Dictionary of Lost Words & The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

Reads for Non-Readers (Wednesday February 19th 2025)

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 02:56:06 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday February 19th, 2025, to discuss the topic: Reads For Non-Readers

We asked our members to share their favourite reading ideas for Non-Readers, as well as general tips & tricks for encouraging Non-Readers to try a book.

This was particularly topical as the Australia Reads research report, Understanding Australian Readers : Behavioural Insights Into Recreational Reading has just been released, with lots of research backed ideas about helping different categories of readers overcome barriers to reading.

Strategies for Engaging Non-Readers

Have a ‘just for fun” shelf near some comfortable seating options. Suggested books for this shelf would include Guiness Book of Records, books of short facts, quick sports reads, Where’s Wally books.

Posters or bookmarks such as ‘If you liked this book…. Try this one too’

Read the first chapters of books to students to hook them into the story

Students like to read books that are recommended to them by their peers or buddy’s

Ask the students for their recommendations for books to add to the Collection

Read with a Mate (like having a gym buddy) – students choose books for each other and then read to each other before they then read independently. This way they keep each other accountable for their reading. Give students questions or interview students to help develop a book list of books they may be interested in. Then, based on the answers to the questions, give the students a limited list of books they can choose to read. Based on a program at Brisbane Grammar School,

Make reading a social experience.

Run competitions.

Have a Borrowing Loyalty Card – similar to a café coffee card. When a student borrows enough books to complete a card they get a small prize, such as a sticker. Could also link to House points if this is a thing at your school.

Give out bookmarks to use as reading trackers

Started Year 10 cohort with a focus on rediscovering the will, skill, and thrill of reading. These are particularly sporty students.

Encourage students to listen to audiobooks

Suggest the graphic novel version of a popular book or of books their friends are reading.

When speaking to students ask them what they like about their favourite characters to help with book recommendations.

Older teens often prefer adult books – Year 10 and up enjoy books by Liane Moriarty, Jane Harper etc

Encourage teachers to also read when their class has reading time to model reading behaviour.

Look at ways to encourage parents to model reading at home.

Suggest non-readers try verse novels. They are quick to read, fast-paced and include lots of white space.

Hold a parent information evening about the benefits of reading, a wide reading program, and emphasise reading for fun.

Graphic novels and Manga are a great way to encourage reluctant readers.

Try suggesting Choose your own Adventure books

Develop a ‘Grab, Sit, Read’ Collection next to comfortable seating options

Sports books – Fiction, Biographies, graphic novels, non-fiction

Try shelving Fiction and Non-Fiction books of particular interest together – for instance, I have all my Sporting books shelved together – Non-Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Biographies. I also have my Law and True Crime Non-Fiction books shelved with my Mystery & Suspense Fiction books. Has proven very popular with students and increased the borrowing of these areas.

Book Series Suggestions

The ‘My Story’ series of books

The ‘Australian Girl’ series of books

The ‘Royal Diaries’ series of books

The ‘I Survived’ series of graphic novels

The ‘Wings of Fire’ series of graphic novels

The Illuminae series by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufmann

The ‘Minutes of Danger’ series Jack Heath

The ‘Maze Runner’ series by James Dashner

The ‘Hunger Games’ series Suzanne Collins

The ‘Divergent’ series by Veronica Roth

The ’Once’ series by Morris Gleitzman

The ‘Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling

The ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ series by Holly Jackson

The ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ series by Gerard Bauer

James Patterson Bookshot books – short books under 150 pages

The ‘Can you survive?’ series

The ‘You Choose Monster Hunt’ series

Anthony Horowitz Legends series

The ‘Heidi’ series by Johanna Spyri

The ‘Where’s Wally?’ series

Hi Lo Graphic Novels by Judd Winick

Author Suggestions

Tristan Bancks

Jack Heath

Garth Nix

John Green

Jacqueline Wilson

Stephen King

Felice Arena

Non-Fiction Suggestions

The Guiness Books of Records books

DK non-fiction books – have great illustrations and small, digestible chunks of text

Wednesday Warriors : Doing it for the jumper (the St Pat’s Ballarat tradition) by James Gilchrist

Fatal Faults - Challenger explosion by Erin Braun

Individual Book Suggestions

The Summer I turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Mike by Andrew Norris

The Face On The Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill (younger readers graphic novel, with cute dragons)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Billy Lemonade by Sarah J. Maxwell (short and emotional)

What We Are Reading!

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

Cold Truth by Ashley Kalagain Blunt

The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden

James by Percival Everett

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Playground by Richard Powers

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

The Wolves of Greycoat Hall series by Lucinda Gifford

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The 113^th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson

Books by Anne Tyler

Desert Island Reads (November 14th, 2024)

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:31:42 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday October 14th, 2024, to discuss the topic: Desert Island Reads.

We asked our members to share their favorite Desert Island Reads. Contributed titles are split into Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, and Adult Fiction.

Many thanks to Deb at The Younger Sun who is an invaluable resource, providing many recommendations. The staff at The Younger Sun are incredibly knowledgeable, and would be happy to help you with any book-buying needs!

Picture Books

Animalia – Graeme Base

Middle Grade Books

The Midwatch – Judith Rossell
Landovel series – Emily Rodda
The 113th Assistant Librarian – Stuart Wilson
When we were very young – A A Milne

Young Adult Books

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy – Laini Taylor
Any book by Terri Terry

Adult Books

Juice – Tim Winton
The Season – Helen Garner
The Burrow – Melanie Cheng
Spark of the Everflame – Penn Cole
The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey
I Am Scrooge : A Zombie Story for Christmas – Adam Roberts
Playground – Richard Powers

The Red Tent – Anita Diamant
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Dune series – Frank Herbet
The Lord of the Rings Series – J R R Tolkien
Remembrance of things past – Marcel Proust
Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
Books by Edward Rutherfurd

Non-Fiction Books

The Australia Survival Guide – George Ivanoff
Strife – Mia Freeman (previously published a Work Strife Balance)
Australian Gospel – Lech Blaine
Car Crash – Lech Blaine
A Place For Everything : The Curious History of Alphabetic Order – Judith Flanders
An Atlas
The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J Jacobs
The Dreaming Path: Indigenous Thinking to Change Your Life – Paul Callaghan

Historical Fiction (October 10th 2024)

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:19:56 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday October 10th, 2024, to discuss the topic: Historical Fiction.

We asked our members to share their favorite Historical Fiction books. Contributed titles are split into Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, and Adult Fiction.

Picture Books

Shearer by Neridah McMullin, Michael Tomkins.
Alfred’s War by Rachel Bin Salleh
Freedom Day : Vincent Lingiari and the story of he Wave Hill walk-off by Rosie Smiler, Thomas Mayor, Samantha Campbell.
Eat My Dust! By Neridah McMullin, Lucia Masciullo
Drover by Neriday McMullin, Sarah Anthony
Tearaway Coach by Neriday McMullin, Andrew McLean

The Hidden Hat by Phil Cummings, Jennifer Goldsmith
Votes for women! : The story of Nelly, Rose and Mary by Mark Wilson
Home by Karen Hendriks, Alisa Knatko
One Minute’s Silence by David Metzenthen, Michael Camilleri

Middle Grade

The Midwatch by Judith Rossell
11 Ruby Road : 1900 by Charlotte Barkla
11 Ruby Road : 1925 by Charlotte Barkla
Wolf Road by Alice Roberts
We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad
Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad
The Houdini Inheritance by Emma Carroll
Marion and the forty thieves by Sarah Luke
Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
When the war came home by Lesley Parr
The key to Rome by Sophie Masson
Yoko’s Diary edited by Paul Ham
The boy who stepped through time by Anna Ciddor
The great escape by Felice Arena
Our castle by the sea by Lucy Strange
Showerland series by Nat Amoore
Freedom Finders series by Emily Conolan (choose your own destiny books)
Runner by Robert Newton
Forgotten Pearl by Belinda Murrell
The I Survived graphic novel series
The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan by Felice Arena (plus other Felice Arena books)

The Wearing of the Green by Claire Saxby
Jackie French books
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Our Australian Girls series
Do You Dare series
My Australian Stories series
My Story series
My Royal Story series
The Royal Diaries series
Princess series
Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman
Elsewhere Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman
The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson
Deadly Waters by Helen Chapman
Escape from East Berlin by Andy Marino
The Mud Puddlers by Pamela Rushby
Pony by R.J. Palacio
Until the Road Ends by Phil Earle
Michael Morpurgo books
Miss Penny Dreadful series by Allison Rushby
Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens
Father of the Lost Boys – Young Readers Edition by Yuot A. Alaak

Young Adult

Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad
Waiting for the storks by Katrina Nannestad
All the beautiful things by Katrina Nannestad
I must betray you by Ruta Sepetys
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr
Levithian trilogy by Scott Westerfield
Westfallen by Ann Brashares
The Breadwinner series by Deborah Ellis
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The War I finally won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee
Ground Zero by Allan Gratz
Grenade by Allan Gratz
Refugee by Allan Gratz
Hero by Allan Gratz
Prisoner B-3087 by Allan Gratz
Allies by Allan Gratz
Code of Honour by Allan Gratz
Tattooist of Auschwitz (YA Edition) by Heather Morris
The Pagan Chronicles series by Catherine Jinks
The Once series by Morris Gleitzman
Suzy Zail books
Ruta Sepetys books

When we flew away by Alice Hoffman
Two sparrowhawks in a lonely sky by Rebecca Lim
Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
1914 by Sophie Masson
52 Mondays by Anna Ciddor
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet
The Divine Wind by Garry Disher
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Freedom ride by Sue Lawson
Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim
Haywire by Claire Saxby
Interned by Pamela Rushby
Those Girls by Pamela Rushby
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen
Our race for Reconciliation by Anita Heiss
Through My Eyes – Natural Disaster Zones series
Through My Eyes – Australian Disaster Zones series
One by One They Disappear by Mike Lucas
A Cruel Twist of Fate by H. F. Askwith
The Lady Helen series by Alison Goodman

Senior Fiction

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Juice by Tim Winton
The island of missing trees by Elif Shafak
There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak
The Prophet song by Paul Lynch
The one hundred year old man who climbed out of the window by Jonas Jonasson
Our London Lives by Christine Dwyer Hickey
The Narrow Land by Christine Dwyer Hickey
There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
At the foot of the cherry tree by Allie Parker

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran
The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley
Books by Kristin Hannah
Books by Fiona McIntosh
James by Percival Everett
Rapture by Emily Maguire
Cafe Scheherazade by Arnold Zable
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Dirrayawadha: Rise Up by Anita Heiss
Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams by Anita Heiss
Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms by Anita Heiss
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

Bookshops and Libraries (August 7th, 2024)

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:03:44 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday August 7th, 2024, to discuss the topic: Bookshops and Libraries. This is a topic close to every reader’s heart, so we were eager to dive into everyone’s recommendations.

We asked our members to share their favorite Fiction and Non-Fiction titles to do with bookstores and libraries. Contributed titles are split into Adult, Books for Students (covering Middle Grade and Young Adult, with additional info provided) and Picture Books.

Penguin Books supported this session! They sent three new books (in this meeting’s theme) to one lucky school who participated in the event. A massive thanks to everyone at Penguin Books for helping us encourage reading!

New Titles shared by Deb from the Younger Sun

Adult

The Yield – Tara June Winch
Possession – A S Byatt.
The Little Paris Bookshop – Nina George
The Library Book – Susan Orleans
The Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes
The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians – James Patterson
Cloud Cuckoo Land – Anthony Doer
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop – Bo-reum Hwang
The Secret, Book and Scone Society – Ellery Adams
The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell
Dictionary of Lost Words – Pip Williams
The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
The Cracked Spine – Paige Shelton
The Librarianist – Patrick deWitt
The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell
The Book of Form and Emptiness – Ruth Ozeki
The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde
Dewey – Vicki Myron
That Librarian – Amanda Jones
The Library Book – Susan Orlean
The Librarian: a Memoir – Allie Morgan.

Books for Students

What You are Looking For is in the Library – Michiko Aoyama (Year 9 up)
113th Assistant Librarian – Stuart Wilson (Coming out in November!)
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares – Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Young Adult)
The Lost Book of Magic – Amelia Mellor (Coming out in October!)
Land of L – Emily Rodda
The Book that Wouldn’t Burn – Mark Lawrence (Year 10 upwards)
The Book that No One Wanted to Read – Richard O (Middle Fiction)
The Library Fish – Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Junior)
The Evil Librarian – Michelle Knudsen
Lirael – Garth Nix (Young Adult)
The Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster
The Littlest Library – Poppy Alexander
Hooray, Hooray it’s Library Day – Julie Grasso
The Little Street Library – Amy Adeny
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf – Grant Snider (Graphic Novel)
Left Handed Booksellers of London – Garth Nix (Young Adult)
Mr Lemoncello’s Library series – Chris Grabenstein
Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian – Jessica Spanyol
Library Mouse – Daniel Kirk
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians – Brandon Sanderson
Rondo – Emily Rodda
Pages and Co – Anna James
The Lost Library – Rebecca Stead
The Secret Library of Hummingbird House – Julianne Negri
The Medoran Chronicles – Lynette Noni
Words in Deep Blue – Cath Crowley
A Library of Lemons – Jo Cotterill
The Bookshop Girl – Sylvia Bishop
The Moonlight Dreamers – Siobhan Curham (Young Adult)
Strange the dreamer by Lani Taylor (Young Adult)
Luna Loves Library Day – Joseph Coelho
Ink and Bone – Roxanne Conrad (Young Adult)
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Young Adult)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Librarian of Auschwitz – Antoni Hurbe (Young Adult)
Suggested Reading – Dave Connis (Young Adult)
The Travelling Bookshop – Katrina Nannestad
Fairy Tale Fan Club – Richard Ayoade (New)
Whisperwicks – Jordan Lee (New)

Picture Books

The Dictionary Story – Oliver Jeffers (New!)
Books Make Good Friends – Jane Mount
Parsely Rabbit – Frances Watts and David Legge
The Little Street Library – Amy Adeney
Dewey – Vicki Myron
The Librarian of Basra – Antonio Iturbe
Librarian – Busy People series – Ando Twin and Lucy M George
The Librarian’s Stories – Lucy Falcone and Anna Wilson
It’s A Book – Lane Smith
Help Wanted Must Love Books – Janet Sumner Johnson and Courtney Dawson
The Lost Library – Jess McGeachin
Midnight at the Library – Ursula Dubosarsky and Ron Brooks
Our Library – Donna Rawlins

Thanks again to everybody who joined and gave us so many great recommendations.

STEM (June 20th, 2024)

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:19:49 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday June 20th, 2024, to discuss the topic: STEM. We often view STEM and reading as separate disciplines, but how, where and why do they cross over?

We asked our members to share their favorite Fiction and Non-Fiction titles that relate to STEM topics. As always, you had so many wonderful contributions to share with us and we had a great deal of fun! We anticipated a bit of a struggle for people to find interesting STEM-related books, but fortunately we were completely mistaken and we ended up with a very long list! We also had quite a few recommendations that involved quite complex language or explored difficult concepts, so we have split the Young Adult section into two: VCE and above, and 12+, for more clarity around suiting titles to the appropriate students!

New Titles shared by Deb from the Younger Sun

VCE and above

White Holes – Carlo Rovelli
The Housekeeper and the Professor – Yoko Ogawa
Parable of the Sower – Octavia Butler
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
Sea of Tranquility – Emily St. John Mandel
Galileo’s Daughter; Longitude – Dava Sobel
Radium Girls – Kate Moore
Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi

12+

The Wild Robot – Peter Brown
Inside out and Outside In – Maria Snyder
Lifel1k3 – Jay Kristoff
Footprints on the Moon – Lorraine Marwood
Lance Balchin – Botanica and Aquatica
Catch a Falling Star – Meg McKinlay
Two Can Play That Game – Leanne Yong
The Lab – Jack Heath
Moondust – Gemma Fowler
Money run – Jack Heath

Middle Grade

George’s Secret Key to the Universe – Lucy and Steven Hawking
Mysterious Benedict Society – Trenton Lee Stewart
Dragon Pearl – Yoon Ha Lee
Wednesday Weeks – Cristy Burne
Axel and Beast – Adrian Bott
Mortal Engines – Philip Reeve
The Achemist War – John Seven
The Balloon girls – Darrell Pitt
Counting by Sevens – Holly Goldberg Stone
How to Bee – Bren MacDibble
Hi From Outer Space – Fiona Katauskas
The Raven’s Song – Bren McDibble and Zana Fraillon
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World – Rachel Ignotofsky

Junior

The Rosie Revere series
The Wonder of Winsome – Kat Murdoch
Life On Us – Emma & Tim Flannery
Professor Branestawm – Norman Hunter

Picture Books

How to Measure the Ocean – Inda Ahmad Zahri
Tree – Claire Saxby
The Beehive – Megan Daley
Seed to Sky: Life in the Daintree – Pamela Freeman

Pets and Animals (May 15th, 2024)

Sat, 18 May 2024 00:27:23 GMT

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday May 15th, 2024, to discuss the topic: Pets and Animals. There are so many iconic books featuring animals that we were absolutely inundated with book recommendations from many attendees, which is always a good sign! We had everything from pet dogs, to horses and wolves, to dingoes and whales, and pirate’s parrots. We even had some pets join our session; two cats and four dogs.

Our lovely members really brought their all with a flood of recommendations, with many new texts suggested alongside some classics and little-known titles. It was so lovely to hear the experiences shared between members who’d read the same books.

We absolutely encourage you to reach out to the wonderful Deb at The Younger Sunas an invaluable resource, for further information and recommendations. The staff at The Younger Sun are incredibly knowledgeable!

Picture Books

Tough Boris – Mem Fox
Junior Fiction/Middle Grade:
Redwall – Brian Jacques
Toby Alone – Timothee de Fombelle
Grimmelings – Rachael King
Wolves of Greycoat Hall – Lucinda Gifford
Tweet – Morris Gleitzman
Tyger – S.F. Said’
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief – A. F. Steadman
Kip of the Mountain – Emma Gourlay
I Am Rebel – Ross Montgomery
Tiny Dogs – Rose Lihou
Love That Dog – Sharon Creech
The Way of Dog – Zana Fraillon
October October – Katya Balen
Silver Brumby – Elyne Mitchell
Call of the Wild – Jack London
White Fang – Jack London
Runt – Craig Silvey
Charlotte’s Web – E. B. White
One and Only Ivan – K.A. Applegate
Grace and Mr Milligan
Marley and Me – John Grogan
A Dog’s Purpose – W. Bruce Cameron
Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo
Finding Bear – Hannah Gold
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
Paws by Kate Foster
Peggy and Molly – Juliette Wells
Pawcasso – Remi Lai
Honey and the Valley of Horses – Wendy Orr
Funny Folktales
Unlikely Friendships – Jennifer S. Holland
Penguin Bloom – Cameron Bloom
Until the Road Ends – Phil Earle
Bad Guys – Aaron Blabey
Real Pigeons – Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood
Deborah Abela – The Kindness Project
Cora Seen and Heard – Zanni Louise
The Apprentice Witnesser – Bren Macdibble
A Small Collection of Happinesses – Zana Fraillon
Blueback – Tim Winton

“Cozy Reading Dogs” by Enokson is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Award Winners (March 20th, 2024)

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 02:45:46 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Wednesday March 20th, 2024, to discuss the topic: Award winners. We all purchase award winners for libraries but what are the titles that really work with young people?

We asked our members to share relevant Award Listings they have found to be successful in helping them choose titles for their libraries. As always, you had so many wonderful contributions to share with us and we had a great deal of fun!

This was our second book club meeting for 2024, and we want to say a very special thank you to all who attend and contribute to these informal and informative meetings. It was also the final book club meeting for our wonderful outgoing Executive Officer – Dr. Susan La Marca. We thank Dr. La Marca for her wonderful and tireless contributions to making our SLAV online book club such a valuable resource for our members. We also welcomed our new incoming Executive Offficer – Pam Saunders. We very much look forward to Pams future book club topics and meetings. Find details about our next meeting HERE.

Padlet with Links to Awards discussed can be found HERE.

New Titles shared by Deb from the Younger Sun

YA

One by One They Disappear Mike Lucas
I hope this does Not Find You Ann Liang
Birdy Sharon Kernot
Wombats go to Wizards Wharf Maddie Frost
Lily Halfmoon Xavier Bonet
My Aunt is a Monster Reimena Yee
Australian Middle Years
To and Fro Anton Clifford Motopi
Losing the Plot annaleise Byrd
Cora seen and heard Zanni Louise’
Leo and Ralph Peter Carnavas
Andromache Between the Worlds Gabriel Bergmoser
Overseas Middle Years
Whisperwicks Jordan Lees
The Swifts Beth Lincoln
Ferris Kate Di Camillo

Books Worthy of Reconsideration (February 15th, 2024)

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 02:37:00 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday February 15th, 2024, to discuss the topic: Books Worthy of Reconsideration. We asked members to share with us titles we may have forgotten or overlooked and as always, our members had so many wonderful contributions to share with us and we had a great deal of fun!

This was our first book club meeting for 2024, and we want to say a very special thank you to all who attend and contribute to these informal and informative meetings. We cannot wait to see you all at our next meeting, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Find details about our next meeting HERE.

Titles Discussed:

The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Story Of Tom Brennan by J.C. Burke
Five Parts Dead by Tim Peglar
Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursulas Le Guin
Anne of Green Gables by Anne Montgomery
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
A Simple Gift by Steven Herrick
All the Green Year by Don Charlwood
Ash Road by Alan Marshall
Zeroes by Scot Westerfeld
Warhorse by Michael Morpurgo
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo
The Bogan Mondrian by Steven Herrick
Simone Howells novels
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood
Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
One by Sarah Crossan
Robert Muchamore’s Cherub Series
Screaming Staircase by Jonathon Stroud
Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
Cath Crowley’s novels
Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo
Rick Riordan’s Various Series
Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman
Sally Lockhart Trilogy
Mr Monday Series by Garth Nix
Tamora Peirce’s novels
The Rangers Apprentice Series by John Flannagan
Spooks Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Drac and the Gremlin by Alan Baille
Kate DiCamillo’s novels
The Famous Five and Secret Seven Series by Enid Blyton
I Am David by Ann Holm
The Long Walk by Kerry Greenwood
When We Were Two by Robert Newton
Twopence to Cross the Mersey by Helen Forrester
The Silver Sword by Ian Serailler
The Black Dog Gang by Robert Newton
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis
Slightly True Story of Cedar B Hartley by Martine Murray
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near
Books Shared by Deb from The Younger Sun
Outlaw Girls by Nova Weetman and Emily Gale
Lani and the Universe by Victoria Careless
Smoke and Mirrors by Barry Jonsberg
Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr
Eleanor Jones is not a Murderer by Amy Doak
Into the Mouth of a Wolf by Erin Gough
A Small Collection of Happiness by Zana Fraillon
Children’s and Young Adult Titles read over the break
Dana Swartz – Anatomy: A Love Story
Travellers Along the Way: a Robin Hood remix by Aminah Mae Safi
Rebels of Mt Buffalo by Helen Edwards
The Frugal Wizards Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms (graphic novel)
Vanessa Len -Never A Hero
Holly by Stephen King

Adult Titles discussed

What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
(Bronwen Ch’Ng)
Holly by Stephen King
Madukka the River Serpent by Julie Janson
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt,
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
The Vanishing of Margaret Small by Neil Alexander
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doeer
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Gender Queer: A Memoir A graphic Novel about the complexities of gender identity
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Benevolent Society of Ill-mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Lisa Evans The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer
Helen Dunmore Zennor in Darkness
Philippa Gregory Normal Women
Barbara Kinsolver Demon Copperhead
Paul McCartney Lyrics.
Gunflower by Laura Jean McKay
We Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
Vital Organs by Suzie Edge

Short Stories and Short Books (November 12th, 2023)

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 06:24:51 GMT

Our thanks to those who were able to join us for our SLAV online Book Club on Thursday November 12th, 2023, to discuss the topic: Short Stories and Short Books. We asked members to share short story collections or short books that work well with their students. As always, our members had so many wonderful contributions to share with us and we had a great deal of fun!

This was our final book club meeting for 2023, and we want to say a very special thank you to all who have attended and contributed to these informal and informative meetings. We cannot wait to see you all next year, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

We absolutely encourage you to reach out to the wonderful Jenny at The Younger Sun as an invaluable resource, for further information and recommendations. The staff at The Younger Sun are incredibly knowledgeable!

Titles Discussed

The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick
The Little Wave by Pip Harry
Life on the Refrigerator Door: a Novel in Notes by Alice Kuipers
Foster by Claire Keegan
Alice Oseman’s Novellas
Minutes Of Series by Jack Heath
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link
M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock.
Only the Animals by Ceridwen Dovey
I Am the Mau and Other Stories by Chemutai Glashee
Dust Makers – edited by Penny Jaye and R.A. Stephens
Off the Map by Scott Gardner
Things a Map Won’t Show You and Where the Shoreline Used to Be Edited by Susan La Marca and Pam McIntyre
Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher”
Astonishingly Good Stories by R.A. Spratt
YOLO Juliet by Brett Wright and William Shakespeare
Darcy Swipes Left by Courtney Carbone and Jane Austen
OMG classics
All in an Hour by Kate Chopin.
The Pink Bow Tie by Paul Jennings
The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury
The Butler by Roald Dahl
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Bulletcatcher series by Chris Bradford the Mission Alert series by Benjamin Hulme-Cross
The Defenders series by Tom Palmer (sport)
Needle by Patrice Lawrence (realistic fiction)
Firebird by Elizabeth Wein (war)
Conkers series by Tom Palmer (war)

Aussie Nibbles of course for primary…have been re-issued as they were so successful. One title that was a bestseller for some reason, was “No Cat and that’s that” by Bruce Dawe illustrated by Andrew McLean.

The Saturday Portraits – Maxine Beneba Clarke
Tim Harris’ Exploding Endings have been amazing hook books for upper primary at my school.
Smart Ovens for Lonely People – Elizabeth Tan
The Mist by Stephen king
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Unbreakable, Women share stories of resilience and Hope. Edited by Jane Caro.
The Big Issue Presents Letter to my Younger self by Jane Graham
Jon Scieszka – https://jonscieszka.com › guys-read – Commissioned and edited by real-life literature legend Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: True Stories is a brain-bending collection of essays, biographies, how-to guides …
Other Short Collections – Growing up Wiradjuri / ed. by Anita Heiss.
- Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia
- Growing Up Muslim in Australia
- Growing Up Disabled in Australia
- Growing Up African in Australia
- Growing Up Queer in Australia

Quick Adult/YA Reads for Secondary Students

Disclaimer – some of the books on this list contain complex adult themes, we trust you to use your discretion when stocking these titles in your library, as you know your students and your school community best.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Sula by Toni Morrison
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide, Eric Selland
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Crudo by Olivia Laing
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Ginny Tapley Takemori
Crimson by Niviaq Korneliussen, Anna Halager
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon
Indelicacy by Amina Cain
Dolores by Lauren Aimee Curtis
Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride
Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami, Louise Heal Kawai, Jo Walker
The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker
The Death of Francis Bacon by Max Porter
Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier
The Union of Synchronised Swimmers by Cristina Sandu
Night Blue by Angela O’Keeffe
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A Dream Life by Claire Messud
People From My Neighbourhood by Hiromi Kawakami (Y), Ted Goossen
The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-Eun, Lizzie Buehler
Heatwave by Victor Jestin
A Girl Returned by Donatella Di Pietrantonio, Ann Goldstein
Nostalgia Has Ruined My Life by Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle
Winter In Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami, Sam Bett, David Boyd
My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley
Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
Burntcoat by Sarah Hall
A Slipping Down Life by Anne Tyler
Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner (Y)
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Napoleon’s Beekeeper by José Luis de Juan, Elizabeth Bryer
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

ADULT – What We Have Been Reading

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Women and Children by Tony Birch
Question 7 by Richard Flanagan
The Empty Honour Board by Martin Flanagan
Exiles by Jane Harper
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
So Late in the Day: Stories of Men and Women – Clare Keegan
All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
‘The Inaugural meeting of the Fairvale book club’ – Sophie Green.
Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton
The Librarianist by Patrick Dewitt
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
All the Light we cannot See by Anthony Doer
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang