At the Swamp's Edge by Jo Fisher

Cover illustration by Roger Boreham

First published in 1993, the book hasn't really dated as it is set in 1937, painting a picture of the pre-war years and the hardships associated with farming. Annie Miller's family have moved from Sydney to the country, to a small town called Walchep where they are running a dairy farm. But it hasn't quite worked out how it was planned, Mum's cranky most of the time and Annie feels heavily criticized in all that she attempts around the house. Her dad is exhausted  despite the help given by Annie's older brother Ted. It's a high maintenance farm with a run-down house and everything constantly breaking down around the farm. Things aren't much better at school with Annie and her two brothers finding the lessons a walk over. But, there was the swamp, a great place to explore and forget about the hardships of home. It was a time when all clothes were darned and not thrown away, cow pats were used as a mosquito repellent and the house is heated by a fuel stove. The novel is an interesting step back in time, a taste of family life in the Australian country in the 1930's.

The Wishing Tree by Ruth Crew

If you like the land of Narnia from C.S Lewis , then maybe you will like this little book. However, bear in mind that it is a much more simplistic read... but still enjoyable nevertheless. It is all about Brian and Peggy (brother and sister) and a tag-along cat who find a magical tree in a park near their home. The tree enables them to enter another land. Pure fantasy. Author, Ruth Crew, sadly passed away last year (2010) but she lives on in over thirty books, mostly juvenile fantasy. Want a bit of magic in your life? Then give this book a go. It is now out of print.

The Darkroom by Gerard Ross and Steven Woolman

If you like the Goosebumps series then this book will most likely appeal to you.The Darkroom could be classified as light horror. The reader can see that something threatening is coming through the whole story, but is surprised by what. The central character is thirteen year old Annie and we follow her as she gradually discovers the secret of her dead father's camera. He had told her, before he died, that a good photographer and a good camera could look into people's souls. Annie gradually unravels the hidden secret of his old camera and discovers how caught up in the mystery she is. The ending certainly leaves the reader thinking.This book could easily be read in one sitting and is appropriate for 12-14 year olds