The Gizmo Again by Paul Jennings

Not really into big novels that take a while to read? This small novel which deals with bullying and bystanders and is a quick and enjoyable read. Jack is being bullied, and relentlessly, so he decided it is time he joined Gutsit's gang, at least that way may they might leave him alone. However, he finds himself caught up in their disgusting acts and doing things he doesn't really like. Then out of the blue Mr Whippy gives him a gizmo, and now he has even more to worry about. Whilst this books deals with the complexities of bullying, it also has many light-hearted moments that will have you very amused. It could be read in a couple of hours and might just make you a fan of Paul Jennings who has a lot to offer upper primary students. We have two copies in our little library so you could read it with a friend.

The Bad Book by Andy Griffith & Terry Denton

Just ask James in my class if this book is worth reading and he will give you a resounding YES. I must agree they are pretty funny and definitely a little off beat, and sometimes, somewhat foul. Take this little one about grannies; totally politically correct, of course...NOT:

The Bad Granny

Once upon a time there was a bad granny.

She was bad

and evil

and mean

In fact she was so bad and evil and mean that they put her in a truck with all the other bad grannies and took her to the Granny Smith Apple Factory.

The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Poo is quite a take on the traditional old lady who simply swallowed a spider!

Terry Denton's ink drawings add greatly to the humour of the poems and riddles. So if you are feeling a bit sad or slightly depressed this book will bring you some cheer.

Lockie Leonard Scumbuster by Tim Winton

There are two copies of this in our little library. A beaut Australian novel through and through which is all about the trials and tribulations of teenage "surfrat" Lockie Leonard who lives in Angelus and who likes to surf the Sound. Lockie befriends Geoff, known as Egg, who is a Metal Head and together they embark on an ecological crusade to save their harbour from industrial vandals whose nose and ear-rotting goo they spew into the waterways (indeed Lockie has the inopportune moment to spew it right back). Throw in a complicated relationship with Dot, another young surfer who has the looks of a model and whose mother is a well-known ecological activist, and you have a book you won't be able to put down. This is the second in a series of three books by Tim Winton. It was preceded by Lockie Leonard, the Human Torpedo and followed by Lockie Leonard, Legend. These books were adapted for the 26 part television series which was filmed in Albury, Western Australia and first screened in 2007. This series was then followed by a second series in 2010. The appeal of the books is universal but I believe teenage boys would particularly enjoy them. This second novel is humorous, moves along well, and has lots of Australian slang: "His hair was black too, and cut in a stiff dunny brush do." - "Snagged the wedding tackle, eh?." - "Neil Young's a bit of a drip." - "...the rest of the year had been a bit of a hoot." - "His Mambo tee-shirt and Rusty boardshorts would identify him as a true grommet." There are also many references to Australian towns and famous Australian personalities, and whilst this book would not be so accessible to non-Australians, it is nevertheless enjoyable and gettable! I guess it is like when I read Scottish writer Stuart MacBride and he constantly refers to all things Scottish, totally alien to an Aussie reader, like butties and shoogeling. Still I am intrigued and I keep reading his books. Tim Winton is one of Australia's best!

Speedy by Colin Thiele

Set in South Australia, this little novel is a snapshot of a few years in the lives of a fishing family. Ben and his father Mike spend a lot of time in their boat Swordfish out fishing in the Gulf and enjoying the freedom of the sea. They have formed a very special relationship with a dolphin whom they named Speedy after he saved Mike's life when Mike was just five years old. Enter taciturn Boris Butler, who believes dolphins are stealing all his fish, and who wants to win the annual fishing boat race at the Pebble Bay Fish Festival at all costs. Life in the bay becomes even more complicated when big game fishermen, Darcy Drake and Wolf Haast, enter the scene and rumours abound that sea lions and dolphins are being used as bait. This book is only 80 pages long and makes for enjoyable reading. The accompanying ink illustrations are done by Tasmanian illustrator Coral Tulloch. News of the passing of this great Australian writer in 2006 was minimal as he died on the same day as media personality, Steve Irwin.

What a Joke: The Puffin Book of Kids' Jokes by Phillip Adams and Patrice Newell

This really is a book of kids' jokes. Hundreds of children across Australia contributed to this collection. Teachers asked children to write down their favourite jokes and the best were compiled into this book. The jokes, riddles, knock knocks and cartoons are organised into the following chapters:

Animal Antics

School Daze

Farmyard Funnies

Ghoulish Gags

Ridiculous Riddles

Heffalumps

Knock Knock

Jungle Madness

Sick, Sick, Sick

Grub's Up

Crazy Families

Bush Giggles

Totally Dumb Jokes

A couple of my favourites are:

"I just ran into a great big bear!"

"Did you let him have both barrels?"

"Heavens no, I let him have the whole gun."

What do you get if you sit under a cow?

A pat on the head.

This is probably one of the funniest joke books on our shelves in The Little Library of Rescued Books and it is well worth picking up. Terry Denton fans will be pleased to know he did the illustrations for this book and they are up to their usual quirky standard.

The Fairground Ghost by Felicity Everett

This book is probably the easiest read on the bookshelves. Evicted from the ghost train by the Ghost Inspector, because of his low score on the scare-o-metre, the little ghost finds himself alone and out of a job. Then he meets young Jake who knows exactly what to do. The text is accompanied by soft watercolour with ink overlay illustrations and is organised into short chapters. This could be read in one Silent Reading session.

101 Pet Jokes by Phil and Hope Hirsch

Here is another joke book for the shelves. I wouldn't say they were "purrfectly hilarious" but some of the riddles are quite clever. They are mainly about cats and dogs.

What do you call it when our feline friends show good manners?

Eti-cat, or course!

There are also pet proverbs such as:

No mews is good mews.

Mice guys finish last.

And there are Pet Puns:

What kind of dog does Count Dracula prefer?

Any bloodhound

What dog stands the best chance of winning the heavy weight title?

A boxer, of course!

The detailed ink illustrations are appealing and it's a light-hearted read.