Beyond the Grave - The 39 Clues #4 (Jude Watson)

Beyond the Grave - The 39 Clues #4

Jude Watson

Blurb: Message from the Dead.

Betrayed by their cousins, abandoned by their uncle, and with only the slimmest hint to guide them, fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, rush off to Egypt on the hunt for the 39 Clues that lead to a source of an unimaginable power. But when they arrive, Amy and Dan get something completely unexpected - a message from their dead grandmother, Grace. Did Grace set out to help the two orphans... or are Amy and Dan heading for the most devastating betrayal of them all?

ISBN: 9780545152907 (Hardback)

Year: 2009

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 190 (Fiction)

Links

1. Official site of the series

2. Buy from Amazon

3. Wikipedia page for the book

4. Author profile on Goodreads

5. Scholastic page for teachers on the book

How to Draw Goosebumps (Steve Scott)

How to Draw Goosebumps

Steve Scott

Blurb: The creatures of Goosebumps have a history of terrifying everyone around them. Now you can draw all of your favourites including Slappy, the Haunted Mask, the Werewolf of Fever Swamp and Vampire Breath. Beward - these characters are known for jumping off the pages!

ISBN: 9780545248952 (Paperback)

Year: 2010

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 32 (Fiction)

Links

1. Official Goosebumps page

2. Buy at Amazon

3. Google books page

4. Youtube clip looking at the book

5. Forum page on the book

Lights, Camera, Action Hero! - Star League #1 (H.J. Harper)

Lights, Camera, Action Hero! - Star League #1

H.J. Harper

Blurb: Secret File 1: Lights, Camera, Action Hero!

When Jay is invited to audition for his favourite movie director, he is thrilled. But things are not as they seem. Could Ben Beaumont really be asking Jay to lead a team of kids in a battle against evil?

When someone close to him is kidnapped, Jay knows he has no choice. He must step up to head the Star League team.

A movie star, werewolf, ninja, robot, zombie and animancer join forces to become the crime-fighting Star League!

ISBN: 9781864718669 (Paperback)

Year: 2011

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 87 (Fiction)

Links

1. Google books page

2. Publisher's page for the book

3. Blog on the book

4. Another blog on the book

5. Author's Twitter page

Cars 2: Mater to the Rescue (Serene Conneeley)

Cars 2: Mater to the Rescue

Serene Conneeley

Blurb: Mater and Lightning McQueen head to Japan. What sort of trouble can they get themselves into?

ISBN: 9313006020905 (Paperback)

Year: 2011

Publisher: ACP

Pages: 32 (Fiction)

Links

1. ACP Books

2. Disney Cars Page

3. Online game of the same name

4. Cars Toy Fansite

5. Wikipedia page for Cars 2

The Streets of Panic Park - Goosebumps HorrorLand 12 (R.L. Stine)

The Streets of Panic Park - Goosebumps HorrorLand #12

R.L. Stine

Blurb: Face off! Luke and Lizzie think they'll be safe in Panic Park. But they're wrong. Because Panic Park is home to The Menace, a two-faced villain with a twisted plan to trap them forever.

So long, sucker! Then they learn they've been sharing secrets with a traitor, who's been tricking them all along! To beat The Menace and his rotten crew, Luke and Lizzie must team up with an old foe. But will they be double-crossed again?

ISBN: 9780439918800 (Paperback)

Year: 2009

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 137 (Fiction)

Links

1. Official site of the series

2. Goosebumps wiki page

3. Review of the book

4. Buy from Books Direct

5. Buy from Amazon

The Orca's Song - The Astral Legacies #1 (Gordon Volke)

The Orca's Song - The Astral Legacies #1

Gordon Volke

Blurb: Aliens are watching Earth and they will exterminate the human race unless the seven artefacts that make up the Astral Legacies are returned. Now the world's only hope lies with seven chosen children who must find the missing items. If they fail, humankind will be destroyed!

Marshall is one of the chosen children. Guided by orcas, he must risk everything to find the first Astral Legacy in North America.

ISBN: 9781742118413 (Paperback)

Year: 2009

Publisher: The Five Mile Press

Pages: 144 (Fiction)

Links

1. Official Website for the series

2. Publisher's Site

3. Five Mile Press Page

4. Other books by Gordon Volke

5. Buy from Amazon

Shaq Attaq! (Shaquille O'Neal & Jack McCallum)

Shaq Attaq!

Shaquille O'Neal & Jack McCallum

Blurb: Shaquille O'Neal is the hottest player to hit the NBA in years, with his combination of incredible talent, versatility, maturity, and charisma.

Scoring a high of 46 points in one game, and already in the record books for scoring and rebounding, Shaquille truly is a star - and it comes as no surprise that he was voted Rookie of the Year.

Now Shaquille opens up to his fans in an unprecedented, no-hold-barred account, to let them know what it's really like to be the new 7-foot, 300-pound kid on the block.

What's it like to be compared at age 21 to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others?

Shaq discusses with complete honesty his fears and apprehensions; what makes him happy (including rappin' with favourite group Fu Schnickens); what makes him sad; what makes him blow his stack - including what really happened on court with Alvin Robertson, and being suspended from the Southeastern Conference Tournament for throwing a punch.

He discusses the influence of his father and mother, and how he needed discipline to avoid becoming a 'juvenile delinquent' when moving from one army base to another while growing up.

A fascinating and candid account by the biggest and brightest star of the NBA, including 8 pages of never-before-seen photos, Shaq Attaq! is the perfect book for all of Shaquille's fans.

Jack McCallum is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, and is author of a previous book, Unfinished Business: On and Off the Court with the 1991-2 Boston Celtics.

ISBN: 1863501665 (Paperback)

Year: 1993

Publisher: Wilkinson Books

Pages: 202 (Non-Fiction)

Links

1. Shaq Attaq Fansite

2. Buy from Amazon

3. Good reads page

4. Shaq's Wikipedia page

5. Shaq's Twitter Page

Specky Magee: Ready to Make His Mark (Felice Arena & Garry Lyon)

Specky Magee: Ready to Make His Mark

Felice Arena & Garry Lyon

Blurb: Simon 'Specky' Magee is twelve years old and mad about Australian Rules football. He's such a talented player, he's got a nickname - 'Specky' - for taking 'spec-tacular' marks. Not that anyone in his family would know, or care, about his ability.

When Specky finds a baby photo of himself dressed up in footy gear he is completely confused. Why would his parents have done this when they hate footy so much? Who dressed him in those clothes, and why won't his parents give him a straight answer when he asks them about it?

Determined to find out the truth, Specky embarks on a quest that uncovers more than he ever bargained for.

Co-written by highly acclaimed author Felice Arena and AFL legend Garry Lyon, bestselling Specky Magree has won a number of Children's Choice Awards.

ISBN: 9780732289027 (Paperback)

Year: 2002

Publisher: Angus & Robertson

Pages: 180 (Fiction)

Links

1. Google books page

2. Buy from Angus & Robertson

3. Specky Magee Official Site

4. Felice Arena's Official Site

5. Garry Lyon's Wikipedia page

Disney's Add a Little Magic: Words of Inspiration

Disney's Add a Little Magic: Words of Inspiration

Various

Blurb: Magic is everywhere if you know where to look...

but if you're only watching for a Genie in a lamp or a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand, you're probably missing a whole lot of magic. Just ask you favourite Disney characters. They know that there's more to magic than a sprinkle of pixie dust or a "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo." There's a special kind of magic in living your life the very best way you can - staying true to yourself, being good to others, and simply enjoying the world around you. If you don't believe it, read on as Simba, Snow White, Pocahontas, Jiminy Cricket, Mulan, and many more of your favourite characters share what they know with you in their own words. And if you decide to follow their advice, don't be surprised if you start to notice more magic in your life!

ISBN: 0786832452 (Hardback)

Year: 1999

Publisher: Disney Press

Pages: 174 (Fiction)

Links

1. Buy at Amazon

2. Good reads page

3. Official Disney page

4. Disney Press Wikipedia page

5. Contact details for Disney Press

All Right, Vegemite! (June Factor and Peter Viska)

All Right, Vegemite!

Written by June Factor and Illustrated by Peter Viska

Blurb: Here we go again...

All Right, Vegemite! is the second book in the fabulous Far Out! collection of Australian children's rhymes, chants and jokes. Chant your way through these fun, crazy rhymes and verses, and share them with all your friends.

ISBN: 9781741833072 (Paperback)

Year: 1985

Publisher: Brolly Books

Pages: 112 (Fiction)

Links

1. Buy from the Australian online bookshop

2. Information on the sound recording of the book

3. Goodreads page

4. Vegemite official page

5. Vegemite wikipedia page

Mr. Men: The Night Before Christmas (Roger Hargreaves)

Mr. Men: The Night Before Christmas

Roger and Adam Hargreaves

Blurb: It's the night before Christmas and all your favourite Mr. Men characters are preparing for Christmas!

ISBN: 9781846466441 (Paperback)

Year: 2008

Publisher: Penguin Group

Pages: 32 (Fiction)

Links

1. Buy at Amazon

2. Buy at the ABC Shop

3. Good reads page

4. Official Mr. Men site

5. Mr. Men Wikipedia page

Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro)

Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro

Blurb: Driving around the country now, I still see things that will remind me of Hailsham...

As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them.

Never Let Me Go is an unforgettable story of love, friendship and the fragility of life.

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

ISBN: 9780571272129 (Paperback)

Year: 2005

Publisher: Faber and Faber

Pages: 282 (Fiction)

Links

1. Wikipedia page

2. Goodreads page

3. Film adaption page at IMDB

4. Author's page at Wikipedia

5. Review of the film

MS Readathon

If you love reading and want to help others, join the MS Readathon.

http://thenovelchallenge.org.au/

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove (Lauren Kate)

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove

Lauren Kate

Blurb: All it takes is one fatal mistake...

High school beauty Natalie Hargrove has spent years plotting to become prom queen. She's got just what it takes: popularity, glamour and ruthless ambition. When someone threatens to overturn her perfect plan, Natalie needs to take control. But a critical error plunges her into a sea of secrets, shame and scandal. Because it turns out there's one thing even Natalie Hargrove can't command - and that's fate.

ISBN: 9780552563727 (Paperback)

Year: 2009

Publisher: Corgi Books

Pages: 281 (Fiction)

Links

1. Buy at Amazon

2. Review from the Guardian

3. Fantasy Fiction page

4. Chicklish Review

5. Author's page

Bungawitta (Emily Rodda)

Bungawitta

Emily Rodda

Blurb: It's crunch time in Bungawitta. The land's as dry as a dead galah. There's no rain in sight, and only twelve people left in the town. Little Glory-Alice blames it all on the TV weatherman. Jay knows better. Nobody can make it rain. But a shower of money would help keep Bungawitta alive. And a festival would attract city tourists with money to spend, Jay's sure of it. But can twelve people, two dogs and a shetland pony put on a proper festival? Only time, and the ABC, will tell.

ISBN: 9781862918337 (Paperback)

Year: 2011

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 122 (Fiction)

Links

1. Review of the book

2. Buy the book online

3. Download teacher's notes for the book

4. Emily Rodda's Official Website

5. Google Books page

Freezer Burn (D.H. Dublin)

Freezer Burn - A C.S.U. Investigation

D.H. Dublin

Blurb: It's hot in Philly - but murder has a way of giving you the chills.

Crime Scene Investigation: The scientific examination of the physical evidence at a crime scene, including, but not limited to, evidence photography and collection, fingerprint processing, blood and fluid-splatter interpretation, and forensic pathology.

Crime Scene Unit (C.S.U.): A group of forensic investigators who use cutting-edge technology to carry out crime scene investigations, helping to bring killers to justice.

A trash bag full of hacked-off body parts. A dead man thrown from a moving car. A young gang member, brutally tortured and killed. And a yellow, shrivelled corpse oozing something other than blood.

The cases seem to have nothing to do with one another, but together they point to a plot more elaborate - and more sinister - than anything C.S.U. rookie Madison Cross has ever seen. To investigate, she'll have to descend into Philly's seedy underworld of gang brutality and then rise to the highest echelons of organised crime - though there are members of both worlds who hope to see her eliminated, once and for all...

ISBN: 9780425221945 (Paperback)

Year: 2008

Publisher: Berkley Books

Pages: 300 (Fiction)

Links

1. By at Amazon

2. Myspace page for the book

3. Review of the book

4. Reviews at goodreads

5. Author's website

Shaolin Burning (Ant Sang)

Shaolin Burning

Ant Sang

Blurb: Old China like you've never seen before, Shaolin Burning, is an exciting, modern take on Kung Fu mythology; a fusion of punked-up street culture and Chinese tradition.

When the Shaolin Temple is destroyed by the Emperor's army, only five monks manage to escape alive. Or so the legend goes.

But few know the story of the sixth, Monk Who Doubts, who turns his back on the Buddhist path and embarks on a bloody trail of revenge, culminating in a devastating showdown with the Emperor's forces.

Fewer still know the story of Deadly Plum Blossom. Unwanted at birth, she is rescued and raised by a Shaolin nun. Trained all her life in a new fighting story, she is determined to prove herself, and sets off to challenge the most dangerous man in China.

Shaolin Burning is a masterful interweaving of kung fu legends, Chinese history and stories of those lost to the past. It is a story of breathtaking beauty and no-holds-barred action sequences and is, at its heart, a meditation on the dangers of pursing one's talents.

ISBN: 9781869508135 (Paperback)

Year: 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 192 (Fiction)

Links

1. Official Harper Collins page

2. Kung Fu Magazine look at the book

3. Facebook page

4. Goodreads page

5. First look blog

Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Thomas Keneally)

Abraham Lincoln: A Life

Thomas Keneally

Blurb: A master storyteller reveals Lincoln as he truly lived. Author of the award-winning novel that inspired the film Schindler's List and acclaimed for his recent Civil War biography, American Scoundrel, Thomas Keneally delves with relish - and a keen, fresh eye - into Abraham Lincoln's complicated persona. Abraham Lincoln depicts all the amazing man's triumphs, insecurities, and crushing defeats with the uncanny insight: his early poverty and the ambition that propelled him out of it; shaping of the man and his political philosophy by youthful exposure to Christianity, slavery, and business; his tempestuous marriage and his fatherly love. Abraham Lincoln is an incisive study of a turning point in our history and a revealing portrait of its pivotal figure, his greatness etched even more clearly in this very touching human story.

ISBN: 9780143114758 (Paperback)

Year: 2003

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 183 (Non-Fiction)

Links

1. Buy the ebook

2. Blog review

3. Blogcritics review

4. Google books page

5. White House page on Abe

Across the Universe (Beth Revis)

Across the Universe

Beth Revis

Blurb: Amy has left the life she loves for a world 300 years away.

Trapped in space and frozen in time, Amy is bound for a new planet. But fifty years before she's due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder. Now Amy's lost on board and nothing makes sense - she's never felt so alone.

Yet someone is waiting for her. He wants to protect her - and more if she'll let him.

But who can she trust amidst the secrets and lies? A killer is out there - and Amy has nowhere to hide...

ISBN: 9780141333663 (Paperback)

Year: 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 398 (Fiction)

Links

1. Book at Goodreads

2. Author's official site

3. Official website of the book

4. Buy at Amazon

5. Interview with the author

A Clubbable Woman (Reginald Hill)

A Clubbable Woman (A Dalziel & Pascoe Novel)

Reginald Hill

Blurb: It isn't much of a homecoming for Sam Connon: his wife comatose in front of the television. But it is about to get worse. Sometime in the night, Mrs Connon is murdered.

The killing becomes the talk of Connon's Rugby Club, already a hotbed of gossip and intrigue that only a seasoned observer could understand. Luckily, DS Andrew Dalziel is just such a man. The only thing he's not sure about is his new Sergeant, Peter Pascoe, an up-and-coming graduate policeman with his own funny ways.

Pascoe insists on going by the book, while Dalziel has his own creed. He's on home ground and thinks he knows the field, but there are some shocks in store for both of them...

ISBN: 9780007313020 (Paperback)

Year: 1970

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 313 (Fiction)

Links

1. Buy at Amazon

2. Wikipedia page for the book

3. Google books page

4. IMDB page for the TV adaption

5. Facebook page