Great reads and great series

• Boys that bite by Mari Mancusi
  Bitten by a vampire after being mistaken for her Goth twin sister, Rayne, sixteen-year-old Sunny is in a race against time as she tried to prevent herself from becoming a vampire permanently. 
• Branded by Robert Swindells
  Dale’s older brother has been convicted for killing women.  His family are forced to change their name, move away and start new lives.  But Dale is also afraid that he is turning out like his brother, and might be a monster too.  A tabloid journalist gets on the trail, and suddenly all Dale’s fears are put to the test.  A hard-hitting thriller. 
• Destroying Avalon by Kate McCaffrey
  14 year-old Avalon, who becomes the victim of a brutal campaign of cyber-bullying when she transfers to a new school.  Miserable and isolated, she relies on a small group of new friends.  But, as the threats escalate with murderous results, is anyone safe? Who can she trust? 
• Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
  Riley Rose is big, beautiful, brash and bad.  She eats to feel better about herself;  and she is not happy about being sent to a Christian camp in the Little Desert near Nhill, Victoria.   She is planning her escape when she meets Dylan who is dark, angry and vulnerable after becoming a paraplegic.  Together they turn the camp upside in this great and funny book about love, belief and faith. 
• Gravity by Scot Gardner
  Adam is 'wedged into a family that is eating him alive'  and when faced with a drink-driving charge he runs away to Melbourne - like his mother before him.  But he must still face his family - mother, father and disabled brother - and the secrets of their pasts.  It is a journey of discovery for Adam and the reader.  Funny, touching and optimistic.  
• In Ecstasy by Kate McCaffrey
  Mia and Sophie have been best friends forever - but that's all about to change. Experimenting with alcohol, flirting with boys and dabbling in drugs, things quickly spiral out of control. Sophie, after a particularly nasty experience, reigns herself in, but Mia seems bent on self-destruction. Rejecting her old life, she embraces the new and exciting world that opens up for her with drugs. Almost lost, Mia finally claws her way back with the help of her family, and, finally, her renewed friendship with Sophie.  
• Money Run by Jack Heath Ashley Arthur is a teenage thief - the best there is.  Nothing is so safe that she cannot find it.  But when she tries to rob a billionaire of $200 million she collides with an assassin.  Suddenly Ash and Benjamin are fighting for their own lives.  Australia's answer to Horowitz.   
• Marty's Shadow by John Heffernan
  Marty's dreams are haunting him with something from the past.   He lives in a small town and tries to protect a school friend from racist taunts.  Since his mother left he is trying to bring up his brother, but his father, a shooter, is always tormenting him.  A great story of fighting against the odds.  
• My Brother's Keeper by Patricia McCormick
  Toby adores his brother Jake; but with the death of their father, things seem to go off balance.  Jake is becoming more secretive and distant.  Only Toby knows why: he is slipping into drug use.  Toby tries to cover up for him, but it all backfires and adds to the growing tension between the two brothers. 
• Message in a Bottle by Valerie Zanetti When teen Tal Levine witnesses a bombing in Tel Aviv, she becomes despondent. Like so many people, she wants Israel and Palestine to live in peace.  One day she puts a letter in a bottle, which is released in the Red Sea.  A young man in Gaza finds it, and responds.  He is critical and angry at first, but eventually they both participate in a friendship that ultimately opens their eyes. 
• Our Little Secret by Allayne Webster A remarkable story of romantic dreams, guilt and fear set in a small Australian town.  Edwina must keep her secret from everyone, as it will hurt everyone. Predators some in all shapes and forms - even a family friend.  We don't realise until too late that we have let a predator in.  
• Other People's Country by Lee Fox
  Lola's mum has taken a job at Wandana, a remote Aboriginal community, and for Lola and her brother it's a complete culture shock.  As soon as they arrive they witness strong racism, different social expectations and an acceptance of violence they have never encountered before.  They are so upset they are about to leave.  But even in the harshest of places, kind hands reach out to the newcomers.  Lola and her family gradually begin to understand the complexities of life in Wandana.  This is an excellent insight into cultural misunderstandings of an Australia that few of us know. 
• Sold by Patricia McCormick
  Born into a life of grinding poverty and female subservience in a remote village in Nepal, Lakshmi's horizons are limited.  To help pay debts, she is sold and forced into prostitution in India.   This is a brave account written after personal research.  The barbarism of this story is difficult to confront; however, it is through such exposure that the author hopes to generate anger which will change social attitudes. 
• Scatterheart by Lili Wilkinson
  Hannah's privileged life is turned upside down when her father runs away to escape the police.  She is thrown into prison and then sentenced to transportation to Australia.  She is a dreamy, yet tough, convict girl on a desperate voyage from the old world to the new.  A great story of courage. 
• Screw Loose by Chris Wheat
  The laugh-out loud, chaotic tale of Australian teenagers in their final year of school.    Dolls, Dogs, Football, Baklava, First Love and one helluva party.  People are never quite who they seem.  Not to be missed.  The characters first appeared in Year 10 in 'Loose Lips' which is another fun book. 
• The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
  Fanboy, (loves comics),  is a self-confessed Geek who is even writing his own graphic novel.  Goth Girl is also an outsider.  She wants to be more than just a body for boys to leer at, and like Fanboy, lacks friends.  Kyra sees Fanboy being bullied in the gym and takes photos.  She send them to Fanboy online and they strike up a friendship. 
• The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  The story of a young Indian teenager who chooses to leave the reservation and attend white school 20 miles away.  Junior love basketball and drawing, and hates living in a place where people die randomly and too easily. This is a great read for boys who want humour, action and sport .  And who don't mind thinking every now and then. 
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
  Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pyjamas who lives behind a wire fence.  While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.  Written as a fable, this books tells us the terror that fences can create.
• The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin Matthew needs to make sense of what has happened in the family by writing about it; and he develops rules for survival as it is the survivor who gets to tell the story. 
• Teresa Moran: Soldier by Ken Catran
  Teresa is now a soldier trying to follow in the steps of her father and grandfather.  As Teresa struggles to gain the acceptance of her male comrades in Iraq, she learns to become violent and make difficult decisions that could cost lives.  After witnessing the death of her friend, she begins to question if war is the right answer, especially after seeing the torture Iraqs were put through. 
• The Not Quite Perfect Boyfriend by Lili Wilkinson
  Madge has never had a boyfriend - so she makes one up.  Soon the white lie gets out of control - she meets her imaginary boyfriend in the school corridor.  When he kisses her, he seems the answer to all her prayers.  but is he the perfect boyfriend? 
• The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn
  Lord Otori Takeo and his consort Kaede have ruled for over 16 years.  The Three Countries are rich, peaceful and prosperous.   Yet their success has attracted the attention of the distant Emporer and his general, the warlord Saga Hideki, who covet all the wealth of the Three Countries and, especially Takeo’s heir, his eldest daughter who is now of marriageable age.  The Tribe is also seeking the death of Takeo, but the prophecy states that he can only die at the hands of his son.  From further afar, foreigners with strange beliefs and religions are appearing in the country.  A wonderful and gripping conclusion to the Otori saga.  
• Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison goodman
  Set in China, the main character, Eon, is a potential Dragoneye, who is able to manipulate wind and water to nurture and protect the land.  But Eon also has a dark secret.  He is really Eona, found by a power-hungry master of the Dragon Magic in a search for the new Dragoneye.  Because females are forbidden to practise the Art, Eona endures years of study concealed as a boy.  But her amazing skills place her at the centre of a power struggle between the Emporer and his brother, and in great danger.  Great read for older girls who like fantasy and strong heroines. 
• Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah
  This is a moving and topical story about the Palestinian experience from a teenager’s perspective. Thirteen year old Hayaat and her family deal with many obstacles in their daily lives. There are curfews and checkpoints, travel restrictions and dangerous public protests. With her grandmother dying, Hayaat decides it is important for her to once again touch some soil from her beloved Jerusalem. So she sets out on a curfew free day with her best friend Samy, who loves football and X factor. Although they are only venturing a few kilometres for this handful of dirt it is a long and dangerous journey as they pass through numerous checkpoints without correct travel permits.  
• What Does Blue Feel Like? by Jessica Davidson
  Seventeen-year-old Char falls into a year of inexplicable and deep depression being unable to sleep, eat or connect to reality which leads to self-destructive behaviour.  Interspersed with moments of humour, the story weaves through Char's see-sawing emotions.  It is a well-told story (in verse) as we share Char's bad year while she gradually works through her problems towards a more stable and hopeful future. 
• Wheels by Delwyne Stephens
  Fifteen year old Shane Jamieson is put to the ultimate test when he loses the use of his legs in a motocross accident. He soon learns that many aspects of his life are surprisingly shallow; his girlfriend, his father's obsession with winning and his own insecurity.   Delwyne Stephens tells an amazing story about Shane as she sits us in his wheelchair and shows us that frailty and strength are not the opposites that they may first appear to be.  'Wheels' is a courageous story that leaves the reader feeling blessed no matter what their life circumstances.  It is about faith and hope but mostly Wheels is about life and not being afraid to live it authentically with dignity and with grace.  

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