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Young couple with masks on park bench could feature in kids historical fiction.

5 Reasons Why Historical Fiction Books are Good for Kids

Leave a Comment / ages 8 to 10 years, american history, australian history, books for boys, books for tweens, graphic novels, historical fiction, middle-grade readers, series books /

Historical fiction has a number of benefits for children, from early readers through to young adults. Stories set against past events and time periods open up reading enjoyment, contextual learning and intergenerational connections – not to mention, learning about history itself! Kids historical fiction provides readers with all of the following: Creates a context for current […]

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Scattered Christmas bubbles in crimson, gold and white

Kara’s Holiday Reading Guide

Leave a Comment / 2014 series, books for ages 5 to 15, good reading, great children's gifts, great holiday reading, series books, summer reading, years 5 to 15, young adult /

In the southern hemisphere, summer is warming up! Attack your growing pile of ‘been meaning to read’ books, or embark on one of the new children and teen series out this year—Kara’s made it easy for you with her favourites list from 2014. Long, leisurely days stretch out before you like the golden sand on

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Fairy Tales Reconstructed—Past, Present and Future

Leave a Comment / books for tweens, books in series, books with magic, fairy tale series, fairy tales, great children's books, great series for teens, reluctant readers, series books, YA romance, young adult /

Once upon a time, long, long ago…long before there were books written for reluctant readers, books about social issues, or distinct markets such as ‘tween’ or ‘young adult’…long ago, there were just fairy tales. Stories within stories; stories originally told as a way of socialising children, warning them of the perils of  trusting strangers,  the

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I and Love and You – Colleen Hoover’s ‘Slammed’ Series

1 Comment / american authors, avett brothers, books in series, Colleen Hoover, family, great series for teens, poetry, popular reading, romance, series books, slam poetry, YA, YA romance, young adult /

Colleen Hoover blends music and poetry, humour and heartache, in her beguiling and romantic ‘Slammed’ series. It’s the story of Layken and Will, mature beyond their years due to the challenges they’ve separately faced, but optimistic when they meet that life is finally giving them a break and a much-needed fresh start. Anxious not to

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Pull on a Halloween Costume and Slip into Another Skin…

Leave a Comment / books in series, good reading, great children's books, halloween, halloween reading, imagination, magic, series books /

Halloween was one of the two cultural events I missed most after living in the US (the other being Thanksgiving). It’s not that I enjoy horror or the macabre; in fact, I’ve never seen a horror movie and have a remarkably low threshold for blood and gore. You might wonder then—if you’re not American—how Halloween

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“There is no hook turn at Brunswick Road…”!

Leave a Comment / Australian teen fiction, books in series, great series for teens, series books, YA, YA crime stories, YA romance, YA thriller, young adult /

Friday night was the Castlemaine book launch party for Ellie Marney’s first young adult novel, Every Breath (Allen and Unwin). The official launch was at Readings in Carlton the week before, but this was an opportunity for Ellie to celebrate with family and friends in the close-knit community and to acknowledge the support they’d given

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Dystopian Fiction – A Perfect Fit for Young Adults

Leave a Comment / books in series, dystopia, dystopian fiction, series books, YA, young adult /

Dystopian fiction is a compelling genre which has grown considerably in popularity with young adult series writers and readers. Prime examples include The Hunger Games, Chaos Walking, Divergent and Delirium. The strong and imaginative writing in this genre is not the only reason for the success of these novels: the themes of the dystopian world

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