Nelly the Monster Sitter series by Kes Cray and the Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon
When Petronella puts an ad in a local paper for baby sitting ‘monsters’, little does she realise that she will be in huge demand for… well, monster babies. A series of funny, mischievous books that will delight boys and girls alike. Similarly, the ‘Horrid Henry’ series will appeal to both genders. Children love them, even if...
The Butterfly Lion by Michael Murpurgo
Unhappy at boarding school, a young boy called Bertie runs away and is rescued by an old lady who tells him the tale of another boy called Bertie who saved an orphaned white lion cub in Africa. The tale of Bertie and the lion cub is set long before and ultimately is a story of...
Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
Different views from people in the park… First a woman takes her child and her dog out for a walk and treats her child like her dog but is bothered, however, when another dog comes up and sniffs her dog’s bottom. As soon as her child goes off to play, his mother does not appreciate...
The Tower to the Sun by Colin Thompson
A rich, elderly man has a dream to show his grandson the sun, which is hidden above the polluted sky. When his grandchild requests to build a tower to the sun, the old man agrees. Will they ever see the sun? Along with Colin Thompson’s other books, The Tower to the Sun has beautiful illustrations....
The Wolves in the Wall written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean
An ordinary family discover they have something unusual in the walls of their old house; however, if these creatures come out, it’s all over… How will they fix the mess that they’re in? Lucy, a young girl, begins hearing strange noises in her house. She insists that its wolves in the walls but her family...
The Paradise Garden by Colin Thompson
This mysterious book is about a boy, called Peter, who ran away from home… yet told his mum a different story. With noise going off around the clock, Peter had decided to leave. Trading his home for happiness, he travelled to a place which was like a paradise to him. Even his mother wouldn’t miss...
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
The recent film ‘Hugo’ is based upon this tale of a lonely boy who develops a friendship with a young girl and how, together, they discover the mystery of a strange key in Paris in the 1930s. It is a beautifully illustrated book, with parts of the story told through picture and part through text....
Just a Dream by Chris van Allsburg
If you like books that give you a bit of mystery, you should read this book. It is about a boy named Walter who doesn’t care about the world around him. All Walter dreams about is to live in the future. His bed makes him travel to the times yet to come but it is not...
Freefall by David Wiesner
This book, by David Wiesner, is a gripping story of a boy who has a dream when he falls asleep with a book at his side. He dreams of a magical world where chess pieces are homes and knights guard the castles. One minute it’s laughter and fun, but then the woods can be seen....