Twice Upon a Time by John Pinkney

Sara and her sister Ella have been  full time boarders at St Ann's College ever since their parents died in a car crash and their grandmother had become too frail to adequately care for them. Ella is a sad little girl who is finding school difficult and who is about to be moved to the new junior campus. Sara has been sleepwalking and is also very concerned for the welfare of her younger sibling, and is desperately trying to shield her from the unorthodox disciplinary measures of the junior headmistress, Miss Sharp. One day Sara discovers a strange wooden door  beneath the school at the end of a maze of tunnels. This door offers Sara some optimism for the future, but that which is on the other side is not always the happy life Sara discovered the first time she passed through it. The book looks at the possibility of parallel universes and is a hard book to put down. 

Gilbert's Ghost Train by David Metzenthen

This book moves swiftly from the present into the past as Martin Dean explains that his younger brother Dally (Dally) is dead, and then moves on to narrate the series of events preceding his death. The two boys live near the country town of Triggerton and they spend a lot of time hanging out at the old railway station and enjoy the joys of country life, like lighting campfires, riding motorbikes and exploring the old gold mines in the hills. Then Dally's illness gets worse and Martin spends more time outside exploring alone and is having a great deal of trouble coming to terms with the inevitability that his brother is going to die. One day, whilst walking his dog Carl along the tracks of the old station, he meets Gilbert (Gil) a friendship instantly forms. But there are a lot of strange things about Gil, the way he speaks about the past, his clothes, especially the old army slouch hat withe hole in the side. This is an extremely sad book but it helps you get in the mind of a brother and appreciate the complexities of the impending death of a loved one.

Old Coyote by Nancy Wood

With its evocative cover, its beautiful starred-filled end papers, its touching text, and warm yellows and golds throughout the entire publication, this book about an aged coyote would capture anyone's heart. A lone coyote reminisces as he wanders through his habitat, bidding goodbye to his friends and giving thanks to all the elements of nature before he finally ventures forward into a new world. Illustrator Max Grafe's double page spread as coyote contemplates the end of his journey is simple stunning and no text is necessary to convey the poignant sentiment. The back cover suggests this is a book to be enjoyed by 5-8 year olds, but I beg to differ. There are not many books which deal with death as well as this one does. Adults, older readers and the very young can all benefit greatly from this story which very simply and gently portrays death as a natural part of life whether animal or man.

Old coyote went up to the top of the tunnel and looked out. It was a clear night, with millions of stars shining overhead. He knew them all by heart. Little bats flew past. And nighthawks. A full moon shone. "Sister Moon," he said, "light the path I have to take." And sister Moon did just that.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr

Considering that Japanese is the LOTE at Blackmans Bay Primary, this would be an enlightening read for most upper primary students. It is not overly taxing and tells the story of an exuberant young Japanese girl called Sadako who was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6th, 1945. Sadako loves to run and in general loves life. Suddenly, she is laid low with the dreaded disease leukaemia, which was a disease caused by the radiation from the bomb which affected many people even long after it had been dropped. One day her friend, Chizucho, visits her in hospital with a golden paper crane and tells her that anyone who folds a thousand cranes will be granted a wish by the gods. So Sadako begins her quest to fold cranes...

Pictured above is the memorial statue of Sadako in Hiroshima Peace Park.

If you want to make some paper cranes, click on the link below the book cover and follow the instructions on this video. Paper squares are available in the classroom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSijU52XJ7w

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/

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

The Body in the Basement by Norah McClintock

This Canadian author was a huge fan of Nancy Drew as I was in my early teens. McClintock writes primarily for 16 year olds . This is is the first book of hers that I have read and I found it very riveting. It was the winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. It is all about a 15 year old girl called Tash who is about to lose all she loves. After a fire, a body is discovered underneath the cafe which Tasha's parents used to own and the police start looking for the murderer. The body turns out to be her mother whom she thought had abandoned her and soon the investigation leads them straight to Tasha's dad. She is devastated but she is sure her dad didn't do it. She tries to find out who did it but it seems everyone seems to have so many secrets to hide. Click on the link under the novel to find out more about the author.

http://www.scholastic.ca/titles/norahmcclintock/aboutnorah.htm

A Different Sort of Real by Kerry Greenwood

As the horrors of the First World War are drawing to a close, a danger has arisen that will kill more people around the world than the Great War itself-an influenza pandemic. This historical novel written in the style of a young girl's diary features teenager Charlotte McKenzie as the protagonist who shares her experiences of this influenza pandemic. She provides the reader with an insight into the post World War I period especially the daily goings-on in a working class Australian suburb. Charlotte assists the doctor next door and finds herself experiencing at close hand the effects of this devastating disease. When it finally attacks her own family, how can Charlotte cope? The book is written as a diary and I read it in one night. I couldn't believe the responsibilities this young girl had.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Maxwell Kane is a lumbering grade eight student who describes himself as a "butthead goon," has lived with grandparents Grim and Gram ever since his father was imprisoned for murdering his mother. He is bullied at school despite his size and has been kept back due to poor grades. He meets Kevin, aka Freak, when he is receiving tutoring with his reading. Keith is a genius with a serious birth defect which has left him in braces and using crutches. Max is uplifted by Freak's imagination and booming confidence, while Freak gets a literal boost hoisted onto Max's shoulders, he shares Max's mobility. Together they become Freak the Mighty, an invincible duo. I have the DVD which students can borrow when they have read the novel. It seems popular with the grade 6 boys. Simon found the sequel called Max the Mighty at the local library.

Here is a clip from the movie entitled The Mighty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-kadY3vHrI

Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn

Following the death of her mother Lara is reunited with the father she hasn't seen since she was a toddler. He is kind and understanding but lives in the Australian Outback with his second wife and their four children He often has to spend long times away from home to earn a living. Not only does Lara's stepmother make it clear she is not welcome, but there is barely room for her (she sleeps on the verandah), and money is very tight. Even though there is some acceptance from her new siblings she has a difficult time at school where a cruel boy torments her on a  daily basis, trying to force her to give him the cherished coin collection she had shared with her mother. Lara's only confidantes are an elderly Aboriginal storyteller and a beautiful dog, Thunderwith, the latter with whom she meets regularly on the hill near her house, and who seems to appear whenever she needs comfort. I would recommend this book to upper primary girls. There is a sequel to this book called Chrysalis which I have not read as yet. I must track it down. There is a movie about the book called Echo of Thunder. Here is a clip with Libby talking about her books.

http://www.libbyhathorn.com/biography/video.html

Zizzy Zing by Ursula Dubosarsky

The author's name is a real mouthful but she writes amazing and often complex books. This is her third novel. Phyllis, the main character in the book, discovers a shocking secret from the past. Whilst staying at an old convent school in the Blue Mountains, a mysterious letter arrives. It leads her on a funny and frightening journey by train to Katoomba where she meets Elizabeth who is wearing strange attire. The nun who is accompanying Phyllis, Sister Monica, suddenly disappears and then she finds herself in Elizabeth's house staring at the body of a dead child. This book has a sinister tone to it and probably would appeal to girls 11-14 years old. The title of the novel comes from an Italian street song called" Naughty Marietta" which Elizabeth plays on an old record player. Read the lyrics to the song on the following web page:

http://www.rhapsody.com/jeanette-macdonald/san-francisco-other-favorites/italian-street-song-from-naughty-marietta/lyrics.html

Or listen to it at this website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UElHgLigwyI

I feel sorry for Phyllis having to listen to this song!

This hardback edition is now classified as "hard to find."

Camp Fear by Carol Ellis

Published in 1993 this book is very American and could classified as a thriller or even horror. It is probably best for a mature reader but is not too over the top as far as the action goes. The prologue begins with the discovery of a body at Camp Silverlake. Then it moves forward in time when eight new counsellors begin preparations for the arrival of the children. Some of the counsellors had actually attended this camp years ago when they were younger. Now seven years on something is haunting them and turning each of their fears into reality. Turns out that the past can't hurt you but it could kill you. The plot is a little predictable but it moves along at a speedy pace. Below is a link to a list of all her other publications:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/e/carol-ellis/