FICTION for years 7-9 RESOURCES
Always by Morris Gleitzman
It’s fifteen years since readers were first introduced to Felix in Once and across six celebrated books, our brave young hero has survived many unforgettable and emotional journeys. Now comes the seventh and final part of Felix’s story, bringing to a powerful climax a series that countless young readers around the world will remember.
The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting
Chance is a black-and-white thinker until she realises that sometimes there are shades of grey.
Chance is in Year 7 and thinks she has it all - a loving mother, dog Tiges, best friend and almost-sister next door. But when a reality TV team makes over her house, she discovers newspaper cuttings from the past that cause her to question the world as she knows it and everyone in it. Then she finds herself caught between two realities, identities and worlds. Face-to-face with the truth, Chance has a very difficult decision to make, which almost splits her in two.
This powerful story explores what is true and what is fake in today's world. And while Chance is all about the truth, she ponders whether "Maybe being truthful was really just a big lie."
The Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman
Clem Timmins can’t wait to see her best friends after being apart all summer holidays. But when they get back together, things have changed. Bridge is boy-crazy and acting like a different person. Ellie is wearing a bra and having a real-life romance. Clem feels left behind. When she makes friends with Tom, suddenly everyone’s gossiping about whether they’re going to be a couple. Clem’s got no interest in having a boyfriend. Or does she?
At school camp, Bridge crosses the line and Clem has to make a decision. Can she keep growing up with her friends when they’re growing apart?
This story of fitting in and falling out perfectly captures how it feels to balance on the edge of who you are and who you want to be.
Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks
Tuesday and her dog Baxterr are swept up into the magical land of story, where they must sail a runaway boat, battle fearsome pirates, and find their way out of the Swamp of Doubt, all in the search for Tuesday's missing mother.
Tuesday McGillycuddy loves stories - and her mother is a writer. A very famous writer, who has locked herself away in her writing room to finish the final book in her best-selling series for children. But when Tuesday knocks on her door, she discovers her mother is missing!
In search of Serendipity, Tuesday and her faithful dog Baxterr soon find themselves on a very dangerous mission. They enter the magical world where stories come from, a mysterious and unpredictable world, full of real danger and heart-stopping adventure.
With the help of pint-sized heroine Vivienne Small, Tuesday will need all her wit, courage, perseverance and imagination in order to get to The End and be reunited with the people she loves.
Through My Eyes: Hotaka by John Heffernan
When the tsunami strikes the Japanese coastal town of Omori-wan, the effects are utterly devastating. Three years later, much of what happened on that day is still a mystery. As Hotaka sets about convincing local performers to appear at the town's upcoming Memorial Concert, he finds himself increasingly haunted by memories of his best friend Takeshi. When strong willed Sakura initiates a controversial anti-seawall movement, there is danger at every turn for Hotaka and his friends. As the town and its people struggle to rebuild their lives, can Hotaka help Omori-wan look to the future - and let go of his past?
The Secrets We Share by Nova Weetman
You’ve probably figured out by now that I love this tree. I love it because it’s no longer beautiful, no longer a tree that would stop a tourist, begging to be photographed. And I love it because it reminds me of my mum.
Clem is slowly rebuilding her life after a house fire destroyed everything. She’s about to start high school with her best friends, Bridge and Ellie, and she’s happy living with her dad in their tiny flat. So when her mum unexpectedly moves back in, Clem feels like there’s no space for her anymore.
But then she meets Matt, a funny and rebellious fourteen-year-old who has family troubles of his own. Clem feels like she can tell him anything … all except her deepest fear. When everything starts to unravel, Clem must decide which secrets to keep and which to share.
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the biggest party in their Kingdom's history to welcome him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Kingdoms and Empires, Esther Mettlestone-Staranise is looking forward to another year at Katherine Valley Boarding School. But she arrives to find a number of strange and unsettling changes. For one, her new teacher is rumoured to be an Ogre. Two mysterious students have joined the school, and one of Esther's classmates is an undercover Spellbinder. Most disturbingly, the mountains surrounding the school - usually a delight of glaciers, teashops, lakes and Faeries - are now crowded with wicked Shadow Mages.
As secrets and dangers escalate, Esther must find the answers to several puzzles. Why is her teacher behaving so oddly? Which of Esther's classmates is the Spellbinder, and can they really protect the school from gathering hordes of Shadow Mages? Could the Stolen Prince of Cloudburst be connected?
How can Esther - who is not talented like her sisters, nor an adventurer like her cousin, but just Esther - save her family, her school and possibly her entire world?
Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood
ADY - not the confident A-Lister she appears to be.
KATE - brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
CLEM - disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.
All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda's antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try - but sometimes all it takes is three girls.
Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging. Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny.
The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor
Pearl and Vally Cole live in a bookshop. And not just any bookshop. In 1893, Cole’s Book Arcade in Melbourne is the grandest bookshop in the world, brimming with every curiosity imaginable. Each day brings fresh delights for the siblings: voice-changing sweets, talking parrots, a new story written just for them by their eccentric father.
When Pearl and Vally learn that Pa has risked the Arcade – and himself – in a shocking deal with the mysterious Obscurosmith, the siblings hatch a plan. Soon they are swept into a dangerous game with impossibly high stakes: defeat seven challenges by the stroke of midnight and both the Arcade and their father will be restored. But if they fail Pearl and Vally won’t just lose Pa – they’ll forget that he and the Arcade ever existed.
We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad
When the Russian Army marches into East Prussia at the end of the war, the Wolf family must flee. Liesl, Otto and their baby sister Mia find themselves lost and alone, in a blizzard, in the middle of a war zone. Liesl has promised Mama that she will keep her brother and sister safe.
But sometimes, to survive, you have to do bad things. Dangerous things. Wild things.
Sometimes to survive, you must become a wolf.