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29 September 2022

Standout Sequels and Standalones: September Highlights at Better Reading Kids

Standout Sequels and Standalones: September Highlights at Better Reading Kids

As September draws to a close we can feel the days lengthen. The extra daylight lifts our spirits.  Family members vie with dogs and cats for the sunny spaces behind the glass where it is possible to curl up and quietly read while warming numb toes.

We kickstarted the month with Indigenous Literacy Day. With the theme for the 2022 event: celebrating Stories, Languages and Cultures, the event has again morphed to include stories from other First Nations organisations, communities, children, authors and individuals. You can read all about it here.

From stunning debut novels to standout sequels, here are the top titles on our reading list. Our highlights are below but we’d love to hear about what you’ve been reading this September.

The Bookseller’s Apprentice by Amelia Mellor

Award-winning author Amelia Mellor delivers another race-against-time adventure in this action-packed prequel to The Grandest Bookshop in the World. Loaded with tricks, riddles, magic and mayhem, The Bookseller’s Apprentice is perfect for Mellor fans and newcomers alike.

Ages 8+

Buy a copy of The Bookseller’s Apprentice here.

A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin

When five teenagers head in to the forest that late afternoon, none of them is aware what the night will bring. Each will have to draw on their particular strengths to survive. Each will have to face the unknown, battling the elements, events beyond their control, and their own demons. It’s a night that will change everything.

Ages 13+

Buy a copy of A Walk in the Dark here.

Chippy Chasers: Chippy Jackpot by Sam Cotton

Who loves a delicious, hot, salty chippy? Seagull mates SteveO, Stanley and Stacey do, but they’re fed up with having to beg for them. And when the best chippy chef in the world moves in, they hatch the ultimate plan to score the chippy feast they’ve always dreamed of.

Ages 6+

Buy Chippy Chasers: Chippy Jackpot here.

Bored #2: Frog’s Mystery Twin by Matt Stanton

My name is Frog and this may have been a very bad idea. I’ve started at this new school and when you’re trying to fit in the best thing you can do is just try something totally crazy! Right? I can get myself in all sorts of trouble when I’m bored. From the million-copy bestselling author of Funny Kid and The Odds, comes another story in this laugh-out-loud new series about the complicated business of being a kid.

Ages 8+

Buy a copy of Bored #2: Frog’s Mystery Twin here.

My Mum is a Spy! by Andy McNab and Jess French

When Lucia and her dad come to stay for half term, Idris can’t believe his bad luck. He had prepared himself to share the TV remote and maybe some of his toys – but he hadn’t prepared himself for Lucia. Lucia LOVES spying. She creeps about, listens through doors, scribbles down anything that might be a clue and – worst of all – she is convinced that Idris’ mum is a spy.

Ages 8+

Buy a copy of My Mum is a Spy! here.

An Anthology of Aquatic Life by Sam Hume

Dive into the wondrous world of water and discover the stories of more than 100 incredible aquatic lifeforms. From the deepest, widest ocean to the tiniest puddle, this beautiful compendium takes young readers on an enthralling journey through the aquatic world, meeting amazing animals, ingenious plants, and much more along the way.

Ages 7+

Buy a copy of An Anthology of Aquatic Life here.

As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors. Soon, she must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are – not a war, but a revolution-and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.

Ages 14+ and YA readers.

Buy a copy of As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow here.

The Bewilderbeast by Josh Pyke and Binny Talib

Deep in the darkest, remote and most loneliest jungle, there lives quite the one and the loneliest. Seen once in the wild, and then never again, all that’s left are notes from a tracker’s own pen. A nonsensical puzzle when seen piece by piece, but when viewed as a whole … Behold! The BEWILDERBEAST!

Ages 5+

Buy a copy of The Bewilderbeast here.

Surviving the Wild #3: Sunny the Shark by Remy Lai

A heartfelt and hopeful early-reader, full-colour graphic novel series, featuring adorable animals surviving in the wilderness despite the perils of climate change. From the multi-award-winning creator of Pawcasso. This inspiring series offers the perfect introduction for young readers to the wonders and perils of the natural world – and how we can all do our part to protect it.

Ages 6+.

Buy a copy of Surviving the Wild #3: Sunny the Shark here.

Be Careful, Xiao Xin! by Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng

From best-selling author Alice Pung and renowned illustrator Sher Rill Ng comes an extraordinarily powerful and moving book about how the past can shape the future. Xiao Xin believes he is a red fire warrior but his family is always telling him to be careful. They believe the world is a dangerous place. Too dangerous for a little boy on his own.

Ages 4+

Buy a copy of Be Careful, Xiao Xin! here.

Which Way to Anywhere by Cressida Cowell

Come with me if you dare, and take the Which Way to Anywhere. Hold on tight for an out-of-this-world new adventure from the Waterstones Children’s Laureate and No.1 bestselling author of How to Train Your Dragon. Now comes an epic new series that will transport you into another world…

Ages 8+

Buy a copy of Which Way to Anywhere here.

Kicking Goals #4: Finals Fever by Sam Kerr, Aki Fukuoka and Fiona Harris

Sam Kerr has only been playing soccer for a few months after switching from AFL and now her team are playing in the finals! Sam can’t believe it! But when her best friend, Dylan, is appointed team captain, Sam is worried that his shyness might get in the way. Together with her other bestie, Indi, they must find a way to help him overcome his nerves.

Ages 7+

Buy a copy of Kicking Goals #4: Finals Fever here.

The Goodbye Year by Emily Gale

It’s the start of 2020 and Harper is filled with anticipation about being in the final year of Riverlark Primary. She wants a leadership role, the comfort of her friendship group, and to fly under the radar of Riverlark’s mean-boy. But one by one things go wrong. The Goodbye Year explores all the trickiness and confusion of the end of primary school and a new stage of life that looms with all its uncertainties and possibilities.

Ages 10+

Buy a copy of The Goodbye Year here.

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