The House Guest by Eleanor Nilsson

This book has been rated as a top read for boys and girls would love it too. It's another Australian gem I couldn't put down. Gunno and his gang regularly skip school and raid houses for fun, stealing cash only. When Gunno and the gang break into The Big House, he finds that his life changes as this house in the valley is different and it holds some fascination for him. He is continually drawn back to it. and starts visiting regularly thinking of it as his house; he loves the little dog there and day by day is learning about the lives of the owners. And there's also Hugh's room, but where is Hugh?His bedroom is musty and his books and belongings are all covered in dust. Eleanor Nilsson first thought of the story of Gunno and Hugh after she saw an old rambling house near Adelaide. The house seemed welcoming yet elusive and mysterious. This is the house in The House Guest. The dog in the story was inspired by Lochie, Eleanor's own Shetland Sheepdog.

I Hate Fridays by Rachel Flynn

Well I must admit I love Fridays, because the weekend is just around the corner. This is a book of diary entries written by the students at Kola Hill Primary. Read it to find out just why they hate Fridays. The first character introduced in the book. Is Peter Karlos. He is shown to be completely arrogant and holds a very high opinion of himself, believing himself to be more intelligent than all of his peers in the 4th grade. Kathryn is the second character introduced in the book. She is a smart girl but also holds an extraordinarily high opinion of herself (much like Peter) and is incredibly pretentious. Joan Smith is Kathryn's best friend at the beginning of the series, although as the series progresses she becomes more of an independent character in her own right. Sam Lancer is portrayed as a typical immature grade school boy who revels in many gross and puerile things and loves being able to constantly humiliate and tease the girls. David Pierce is a relatively normal boy and best friends with Thadeus after having to sit next to him in 4th grade. He is also the object of many different girls' affections.

A Bone From a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson

This book could make you want to become an archaeologist! It is two stories which run along side by side. In one, a young female member of a prehistoric tribe becomes instrumental in advancing her people, whilst in the other a present-day girl visits her paleontologist father on a dig in Africa where they discover important fossil remains. This is probably aimed at a much older audience than upper primary school children but it is within the reach of some of Bay students. It is a bit like science fiction in some ways but speculating on a past life rather than a futuristic one. It focuses on an ape-human society about 4 million years ago, when human intelligence is only emerging.

Mind Master by Clive Gifford

Clive Gifford is an award-winning author of more than fifty books on the subjects of sports and soccer. In this novel the main character, Peter, is hooked on arcade games, so when a new game appears, he can't wait to try it. Little does he realise that it will trap him endlessly in time, locked in the game to which there is only one right answer. A great novel for 9-12 year olds. The books is part of the Usborne Spinechillers Series if you are after more scary reading. To find out more about this author, click on the following link:

http://www.clivegifford.co.uk/