Tag: lightning strikes

Jinxed, by Jill McDougall

Thelma and Louise aren’t anything like I imagined. What do you think of when I say the words Siamese mice? Be honest now. Do you think of long slinky coats and almond-shaped eyes and exotic whiskers?
Wrong, wrong and wrong.
Thelma and Louise have brown fur, long tails and bat ears. They aren’t a bit interested in learning tricks. And they have a major problem with sleeping. For the past week, they’ve spent every entire night scratching and chewing and running on their plastic wheel. Like, haven’t they heard of coffee breaks.

Jinx loves jokes, but sometimes her efforts are unappreciated – and sometimes they land her in trouble. When she accidentally breaks a pet python’s glass box, she has to pay for it –which means she needs money fast.
Dad wants Jinx to come and work in his bakery, but Jinx can’t think of anything worse. She tries everything to make some quick cash. Then when she sees two mice being offered a free home, she sees a money-making opportunity. Can she teach the mice some tricks – or is the joke on her?

Jinxed is a humorous novel for upper primary aged readers, with interest enough to carry through to lower secondary readers. The short length and fast paced action will keep even reluctant readers engaged, and the mix of mice, pythons, jokes and multi-text types including lists, emails and jokes means there is plenty happening.

An excellent read and an attractively packaged book.

Jinxed, by Jill McDougall
Walker Books, 2008

Black Baron, by Robyn Opie

Turning around, Dad glared at me and held up his hand like a policeman stopping traffic. “I’m not sharing my house with a cockroach as if…as if…” He flung his hands in the air, turned around and stormed off.
Black Baron didn’t take up much room, I thought. Besides, no one was using the space under my bed. “He’s not hurting anyone,” I tried again.
“It isn’t natural,” Dad said. “People don’t keep cockroaches as pets.”

Jake’s cockroach, Black Baron, is on a winning streak. In Fact, he’s probably the best racing cockroach ever. But Jake knows that Black Baron wouldn’t be welcome in the house if Mum knew he was there. That’s why Black Baron is kept under the bed, which is a great place until Mum tidies Jake’s bedroom and not only discovers the cockroach but also inadvertently releases it. When Dad calls in the exterminator, Jake thinks he’ll never see Black Baron again.

Black Baron is one title in the new Lightning Strikes series from Walker Books, a series aimed at 9 to 14 year old readers, and likely to engage reluctant readers with its contemporary look and non-threatening length.

Black Baron is humorous, with chaos ensuing as Jake searches for his cockroach and tries to prevent it being exterminated, but also touches on serious issues such as family conflict and financial stress. The friendship Jake shares with his mates is also a very positive element of this story.

A great read for upper primary aged readers.

Black Baron, by Robyn Opie
Walker Books, 2008

The Great Shave, by Clare Scott

It’s the first day back at school and I’m so going to get it from everyone. That means teachers too. Why? Because of my still-green hair, that’s why.
The colour’s maybe gone down a shade or three, but it’s still green as green. The powers-that-be at school will be as understanding as the powers-to-be at home.
Zip!

Stix and his mates think it’s a great idea to temporarily dye their hair green when they go to watch their favourite band, the Screaming Greenie Meanies. But when Stix tries to wash the green out after the concert, he is in for a shock. The green will just not wash out. When school goes back, Stix knows he is in for a hard time, but when the Principal insists the green hair go, Stix discovers there is something worse than green hair – a green, hairless scalp.

The Great Shave is a humorous story for upper primary aged readers, part of the Lightning Strikes series from Walker Books. With action, laughs and an appealing length, it is accessible for reluctant readers, but high enough in interest for readers of all abilities.

As Stix discovers the highs and lows of having a green head, readers will be engaged and entertained.

The Great Shave, by Clare Scott
Walker Books, 2008

Queasy Rider, by James Roy

Pushing our good bikes with one hand and half-wheeling, half-carrying the old junky bike between us with the other, we headed off to my place, which was only a couple of streets away. The whole way Thicky did nothing but talk about the wonderful new thing we’d found. We could do it up and sell it, we could use the bits as spares to make a tandem bike or a fancy trike or a pedal-powered helicopter, and on and on…

When Nobby and Thicky find an old, busted-up bike, Nobby thinks its just rubbish, but Thicky is sure it can be used for something useful. When Shirley sees it, she has an idea – an idea that could make money for the three of them. It’s a plan so crazy it just might work. But then again, it might not.

Queasy Rider is a fast-moving tale of a silly plan to make money using an old bike and a steep hill. Nobby and Thicky’s ingenuity and Shirley’s schemes soon have them setting up business daring people to ride the old bike down the hill without falling off. Any kid who has ever dreamt of making easy money will relate, and the short length of the text will allow even a reluctant reader to finish the story quickly.

Part of the new Lightning Strikes series from Walker Books, Queasy Rider is suited to upper primary aged readers of all abilities.

Queasy Rider, by James Roy
Walker Books, 2008

Going for Broke, by Meg McKinlay

He turns to me. “You sure about this, Nath? It looks – ”
I pick up a tent peg and head for the ramp. “Nah, it’ll be fine.”
Once you’ve come this far, you can’t just turn around and go home. Once you’ve got half a ramp built, you can’t take it apart and pretend you didn’t really care anyway.

Nathan is sick of seeing other kids get awards. He doesn’t want to be the one who gets a dorky piece of cardboard for being ‘nice’. No, Nathan is sure he’s destined for greatness. And now that the holidays are here, he’s going to achieve it – he is going to break a record. He’s just not sure which record.

Going for Broke is a humorous novel for primary aged readers, which shows what happens when one boy (Nathan) tries everything to get his name in the record books. Nathan and his friends Weasel and Ronnie will stop at nothing to break a record – risking life, limb and fresh breath (there’s a record involving onion eating) in an attempt to be the best at something.

Part of Walker Books new Lightning Strikes series, the length of the story makes it accessible to readers of all abilities, with the interest level and humour ensuring it will be popular with primary aged readers, especially boys. From the eye catching cover design, to the sketches and touches of different text types, this is a winner.

Going for Broke, by Meg McKinlay
Walker Books, 2008