Full marks

My library has an ongoing trivia competition, with new questions twice a week. Kids answer what they can by popping their answers into a box and it's one of the favourite parts of my day to collect them and see what is in there. Kids being kids, I get my fair share of donkey vote style entries - blank papers, fake names, the odd rendering of genitalia now and then. But today I got quite the nice one.

I can give them full marks for this, yes?

Holiday Reading

With the holidays soon upon us (can you here the faint cheering? It's very real.) I'm doing all I can to encourage kids to pick up a book or two to take home with them for the holidays. So far I've managed to slip a few kids a book I think they'll love and I've sent off a teacher with a lovely pile to keep her going on a family vacation on the Ghan. But now I have to sneak up on them and hook them against their will. And how will I do that? By making it too hard to miss.

I've setup a display right by the door to our library, where everyone must pass and the light is catching it. It's drawn a few kids so far so I'm hoping to reel a few in who wouldn't normally pick something up. Wish me luck!

Thanks for the love

My work computer gained a little (self-directed) heartfelt decoration this week from two of my students.

I'm fairly certain they placed it there as a reminder so I let them carry on with their antics instead of studying, but it was much appreciated all the same!

Adventures in Librarianing

At the beginning of this year I was fortunate enough to be employed as a full-time librarian at a local high school – my dream job. Since then I’ve been learning the ropes, getting to know the kids and the collection. Basically having a lovely time in which my job is hardly work.

Since then I’ve been meaning to come along and repurpose this blog a little, incorporate some of my library fun, rework how I review (especially since I’m reading a higher number of books, including ones I wouldn’t normally have read), and generally just give it new life.

For anyone who has stuck with me through my sporadic postings since the earlier days of reviewing just when I felt like it, there will be three main ways in which you will see a change here:

1. Cosmetic – The blog has a new name and address to reflect its repurposing. ‘Just One More Page’ has become ‘Adventures in Librarianing’ (yes I know that’s not a word, leave me to my fun). The layout has also been refreshed.
2. Structurally – Reviews have been shifted to include more specific notes on audience (age groups, specific interest groups, content warnings etc)
3. Content – Hopefully more consistent reviewing, but also an inclusion of library happenings and thoughts: displays and projects my students and I are working on here at school – hopefully these will help fellow librarians with their plans (I’ve certainly been inspired by the ideas of other librarian bloggers!) or maybe you have a great suggestion to help me out, that’s always appreciated!

So yes, I hope to see you all around on the blog, maybe jump in and give me a comment now and then to keep me on the right track, that would be fantastic!

Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy

Title: Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Published: 2014
Pages: 233
First Line: In the end the Queen was nothing like she was in the stories the Marvellous Boy had been told, first as a child beside the hearth and later by the wizards.

"She was running out of the room as fast as she could, with the sword raised before her. She called back to her father. "I'll be back soon. I've just got to save the world."

Ophelia’s father is the world’s leading expert on swords, which is why she, and her sister Alice are staying in a fancy museum while her father curates a much-awaited exhibit. Alice, fourteen and distant since the death of their mother, has little time for Ophelia, preferring instead to enjoy the privileges and treats laid out before her by the cold and aloof museum director, Ms. Kaminski. With her sister and father busy, this leaves Ophelia to explore the museum largely unchaperoned – except for the guards knitting in the corners, that is (I would love to be a knitting guard, by the way).

I’m not entirely sure what kind of museum this is (it’s either unclear or I completely missed it) but it is housed within a palace and has pretty much everything you could imagine – dinosaurs, armour, doll houses, clothes, paintings, everything. While wondering, Ophelia comes across a room with beautiful mosaics set into the floor and walls, mosaics and sea creatures, and a boy her age, a boy holding a sword and referred to as “The Marvellous Boy”. It is while admiring these that she hears a voice, a call for help.

“And you might think a name is just a name, nothing but a word, but that is not the case. Your name is tacked to you. Where it has joined you, it has seeped into your skin and into your essence and into your soul. So when they plucked my name from me with their spell, it was as heavy as a rock in their hands but as invisible as the wind, and it wasn't just the memory of my name, but me myself. A tiny part of me that they took and stored away.” 

Locked in a bare room is the Marvellous Boy himself. He has been imprisoned by the Snow Queen and has mere days remaining to claim his freedom, find “The Other One” who will recover his lost sword, and help him defeat the Snow Queen. Unfortunately, he has enlisted the help of a rather scientifically-minded young girl. She has no time for his talk of wizards, magic, swords, and evil queens. She is going to stay out of trouble and go ice-skating with her sister, not go on a crazy hunt for keys, dodging man-eating misery birds. Right? Of course not.

I really wanted to love Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, going in I felt the story had the right level of simple magic and straight forward quest to really hit the nail on the head for a quick younger read. Unfortunately, I felt it dragged a bit, to the point where I even considered putting it down (very unlike me). It had a lot of promising elements – I loved the idea of the wizards taking away the boy’s name to keep it safe, and I would have liked to have explored the museum a little more, because it’s range of exhibits fascinated me, but ultimately these elements did not outweigh the holes in the plot (more information on the Snow Queen’s motivations, what happened to the King?) and the repetition (go here and find a key, then go there and find another key, oh but then the key you really need…). The novel had its charms, but not enough to make me love it. 3/5

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Gentleman Jim

Title: Gentleman Jim
Author: Raymond Briggs
Published: 1980
Pages: 32
First Line: I must break out...

Ever read a book that makes you want to smile, cry, yell, and hug the main character all at the same time? This was the case for me while reading Gentleman Jim. Like most people, I know Raymond Briggs, for his work as a children's book writer and illustrator (The Snowman being the book that comes immediately to mind), so I was a little surprised to read this short graphic novel that is so clearly intended for an adult audience. It retained the sweetness and charm of his picture book illustrations, but it's characters were painfully real and dealing with some harsh realities of society.

Jim is an older gentleman who supports himself and his wife Hilda by cleaning toilets. The story begins with him contemplating this job, which he has been doing for thirty odd years and gets little satisfaction from. Surely there is something more he can do. Hitting up the wanted adds he considers some of the options before him... and it is here hat the reader starts to gain an understanding of his struggles. Jim is not simply under-qualified for this positions, he is intellectually, developmentally, unsuited to them.

As the story progresses, Jim's childlike enthusiasm and direction leads him to consider a career as a cowboy and then, upon finding that too expensive a career to set himself up in, a highway man. Jim must navigate the social and legal pitfalls of pursuing such a career, with very little actual understanding of the legal ramifications that are befalling him.

I truly just wanted to swoop in and rescue poor Jim. He was a kind-hearted soul with no ill-will intended to anyone (highway man aspirations notwithstanding) and he just could not seem to understand what all these problems were and how to make all these people (his neighbours, the police, the RSPCA, the council...) happy. In Jim, Briggs created an honest and touching representation of developmental delay in adulthood, which is so frequently under or poorly represented.

Briggs merges reality and fantasy beautifully in his illustrations to fully capture the way Jim's mind works and how he sees the world. The text and storyline is charmingly endearing, finding the perfect level of textually representing Jim's difficulties with language. You will read this book with newfound empathy.

Rating: 4/5

Other Reviews Have you written a review for this book? I would love to include it, comment below and I'll add your link!

We Were Liars

Title: We are Liars

Author: E. Lockhart
Published: 2014
Pages: 227
First Line: "Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family."


I spun violently into the sky raging and banging stars from their moorings.


I picked up 'We are Liars' as one of the books I'd seen floating around as popular but that, in actuality, I knew nothing about. As such, reading it was quite the pleasant surprise.

The book revolves around three cousins, Cadence, Johnny, and Mirren (privileged children from a wealthy renowned family) and their friend Gat (a highly idealistic young man from a significantly different background). The four spend their summers together on the family island (yes, they're that wealthy). Summer is their time - to be together, to live carefree in the sun, to read, play, and explore first loves. These four are everything to each other. They know more about each other than they know about themselves - or do they?

One summer, summer fifteen, their idyll is shattered. Something happens to bring their world down around them. Something Cadence cannot remember. And now she has returned to the island and is looking for answers. If only someone - anyone - was prepared to provide them.

I'm finding this book a little hard to review, only because of not wanting to give too much away. I enjoyed reading 'We are Liars' a great deal. I enjoyed piecing together events alongside Cadence, never entirely sure if we were on the right track or not. I enjoyed the family dynamics and intrigues, even if they were are a little overly dramatic at times. Cadence's mental state and slippery grasp on reality were integrated into the story in interesting ways.

At times, I found the characters a little unrelatable - the wealthy family just a little too elite, the 'poor' friend just a little too dogmatic in his beliefs - but none of this enough to draw me out of the story. It's a book that has made it onto my recommendation list for some of my older readers at school - two of which have already devoured it.

This was the first E. Lockhart read for me, but I shall be seeking out some more. 



Rating: 4.5/5



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PICTURE THIS!

There’s something so very special about getting a parcel in the mail – and something else special again when you know it contains books. My library got a lovely little package of books today and I was very tempted just to sit it on the circulation desk and gaze at it adoringly all day long. However (and even better!) both the library assistant and I knew it was full of picture books and neither of us could resist ripping into it and seeing what had been picked out for us.

And, honestly, who can resist reading their way through a stack of shiny new picture books? If you’re able to resist that you’re a stronger-willed person than I, that’s for sure. They were an eclectic collection today, and there were definitely some I enjoyed more than others, but there were one or two that I thoroughly loved and have already recommended to (read: pushed into the hands of) some students.

Title: Me and Moo

Author: P. Crumble and Nathaniel Eckstrom

Published: 2015

Pages: 23

This book has everything that makes for a winning picture book - adorable illustrations, an endearing narrator, and a simple, yet engaging storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Moo, chuckling along at the small jokes and absolutely fawning over the pictures. A quick read, even for a picture book, I encourage everyone to go and learn about the heart warming relationship between Moo and 'me'. 5/5

Title: Those Pesky Rabbits

Author: Ciara Flood

Published: 2015

Pages: 40

Another example of illustrations that had me delighted - I loved the huge roundness of Mr. Bear, but those little bunnies? So cute. I tried to feel sad for Mr. Bear, being swarmed by these 'pesky' new neighbours of his, but, truly, I knew where the story was going to end up and I was eagerly awaiting his happy new outlook on life. I wasn't disappointed. Charming story, adorable illustrations, beautiful all around. 5/5

Title: The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade

Author: Davina Bell

Published: 2015

Pages: 32

Normally with picture books, it's the illustrations that really draw me in. I, naturally, always love a good story, but usually it's the wanna-be-illustrator in me that's picking up the book in the first place. This is one instance where, despite enjoying the illustrations, it was actually the story itself that I found myself loving. The central character of The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade, Alfie, is a young boy with a rather nervous disposition. He's all set to play Captain Starfish in the school play, but at the last minute finds himself unable to go through with it. Alfie is blessed, however, with wonderfully supportive parents, who provide him with the love and wisdom needed for him to make his own progress. I don't know whether it was my own identification with Alfie's fear and anxiety, or whether it was just the virtue of the story itself, but I adored this one and am already looking forward to reading it again. 5/5

Title: Ride, Ricardo, Ride!

Author: Phil Cummings and Shane Devries

Published: 2015

Pages: 32

You never really have to go searching too far for a war-themed picture book. There are some truly fantastic ones out there, as well as plenty of mediocre ones, but I often feel that the sheer number of them out there makes it hard for any new ones to impress. I can't say that Ride, Ricardo, Ride will make it to the top of my go-to list for this theme, but it did have some interesting features of note. I particularly enjoyed that the soldiers themselves are never seen, nor even referred to as soldiers, but simply 'shadows'. I enjoyed the art work, though found the contrast between the highly saturated, almost oil-painting like main pages and the simpler, vintage-looking (think Blyton) line illustrations to be an interesting choice. 4/5

Title: This is Captain Cook

Author: Tania McCartney and Christina Booth

Published: 2015

Pages: 40

I can't quite decide if I liked this book or not, which is an uncomfortable place to be writing a review from. I thought the way in which the story was told (through the format of a school play) was quite interesting and something I'd never come across before. I really liked the quite realistic portrayal of the families, among whose silhouettes the reader is watching the play from, but the story and the play itself was quite dry and not necessarily an interesting read. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it managed three stars from me on the basis of it's structure. 3/5

Title: Green Tree Frogs

Author: Sandra Kendell

Published: 2015

Pages: 32

Unfortunately this was another example of a book that didn't quite hit the mark. It was an excellent example of alliteration and onomatopoeia if you're looking for something for your classroom, but the story itself fell short - both as an example of a text explaining the development of frogs from tadpoles, and as one relating the beauty of growing up in a nature rich environment. Again, a book I wanted to like more than I did. 2/3

Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor and Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 2013
Pages: 325
First Line: XTC was no good for drowning out the morons at the back of the bus.

Holding Eleanor's hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.

I try to keep up with the popular books of the moment - particularly those that are being read by my students. As such, when one of the senior girls from school asked me to read Eleanor and Park, a book that was already on my radar, I immediately went searching for it. I was delighted to find that both of my public libraries held a copy, but, sadly, both copies were unavailable. And so they remained. Not being a fan of the way my libraries organise their holding system, I often just try to luck it out and get it on or near the return date, but this book eluded me for over two months. Not to worry, however, for surely this just meant it was being well loved and it would be worth the wait.

Thankfully it really was. A quick stationary dart into town for work bought me right next to the library so I was able to duck in and pick it up. Then I made my mistake, I stupidly read a chapter while waiting in line at the circulation desk. Oh no. I was hooked pretty much off the bat. However was I to go back to work and actually work with this book sitting on my desk? Somehow I managed it with only a few distracting moments, but as soon as I got home it was time for the lounge and blankets and tea until that last page was read. I haven't read a book in one sitting like that for a long time, so that should be high praise in and of itself. But! Onto the book itself!

I wasn't too aware of the plot line of Eleanor and Park before I picked it up. I knew it was about first love, I knew there was talk of an upcoming movie, and I knew it was big with the Nerdfighter crowd (who have never steered me wrong before), but as for the actual details, I had none.

The me that's me right now is yours. Always.

Eleanor Douglas and Park Sheridan the protagonists of this novel, are both social misfits to varying degrees - Eleanor because she simply can't fit it, and Park in spite of it. Meeting on the bus on Eleanor's first day, the pair, despite the eternal and unwavering politics of a school bus, move from a place of isolation to true friendship and, ultimately, into the sweet clutches of first love.

More than the sweet simplicity of schoolyard romance, however, Eleanor and Park's relationship finds itself strained, and threatened, by Eleanor's home life - which is, by all accounts, far from ideal. With Eleanor struggling to stay afloat in a situation no sixteen year old should have to deal with, Park stands as a terrifying yet stable beacon of hope.

I've heard the book marketed as a read for any adult who wishes to remember the joys of first loves, and Rowell certainly delivers on this promise. She manages to deliver all the innocent joy of discovery and the bitter strains of heartache without falling into the saccharine or clichéd. She employees an uneven distribution of perspective, switching between Eleanor and Park even within chapters, but instead of being distracting or disjointed it only serves to further the sense of anticipation and joy between them. I feel as though using format to reflect emotion is often a difficult feat to pull off naturally, but Rowell champions it here.

I really felt myself getting swept away in the emotions of this book. Often when I read a romance between teen characters I can enjoy the plot, or appreciate the characters, but I often find the romantic development simplistic to the point of disbelief. The romance between Eleanor and Park develops just as quickly, to be sure, but I felt a truth to their emotions, and an authenticity to Rowell's words that completely won me over.

I would definitely recommend this to any YA lover! Particularly any John Green fans. 5/5

Read if you enjoyed:

• Looking for Alaska - John Green
• Paper Towns - John Green
• Life in Outer Space - Melissa Keil

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Sensitive Creatures - Mandy Ord

Sometimes I’m a little slow to see the huge benefits of any given situation, but when I get there I sure do enjoy it. I started my new job as a Teacher Librarian (finally, yay!) at the beginning of the school year and, until now, have been so busy trying to get my feet under me and figure things out that it wasn’t until today, five weeks in, that it clicked to me that hey, it’s Friday, and grabbing a nice little pile of books on the way out the door for some weekend reading is pretty much going to be a standing arrangement. So yes. Bring on the good times.

Title: Sensitive Creatures

Author: Mandy Ord

Published: 2011

Pages: 296

It’s nice when a randomly selected book turns out to be a pleasant read. I grabbed this one off the shelf as I left work today and spent quite the pleasant afternoon flicking through it on the lounge.

Australian artist, Mandy Ord, uses her quirky artistic style to paint a portrait of the everyday. With no over-arching plot, Sensitive Creatures is a collection of comics that celebrate life’s daily minutia – walking the dog, people who drive too fast, weird smells. Peppered throughout, however, is a sense of anxiety and the ways in which it can permeate a life. While far from the key theme of the collection, it was true and honest and, for me, was what made the novel.

I found Ord’s art interestingly unlike any other graphic novel I’ve ever read. I’m not sure if it’s actually lino-print or just highly reminiscent of them, but it added a strange grittiness that added to the everyday feel of the collection. It was a quick read, but an enjoyable one and I’d recommend it for anyone who’d like a gentle meander through some relatable moments. 5/5

Other Reviews 
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Books read in 2015

Total Books: 365

Fiction

• Abdel-Fattah, Randa - Noah's Law
• Asher, Jay - Thirteen Reasons Why
• Barr, Lollie - The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog Blindfold
• Barrie, J.M. - Peter Pan
• Brayden, Melissa - Waiting in the Wings
• Carroll, Emily - Through the Woods
• Choldenko, Gennifer - Al Capone Does My Shirts
• Colfer, Eoin - Artemis Fowl
• Collins, Suzanne - Catching Fire
• Collins, Suzanne - The Hunger Games
• Collins, Suzanne - Mockingjay
• Condon, Bill - The Simple Things
• Cooper, Susan - King of Shadows
• Cowell, Cressida - How to Train Your Dragon
• Crossan, Sarah - Apple and Rain
• Draper, Sharon M. - Out of My Mind
• Essex, Bridget - A Knight to Remember
• Forman, Gayle - If I Stay
• Foxlee, Karen - Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy
• Gabaldon, Diana - Outlander
• Gaiman, Neil - The Ocean at the End of the Lane
• Genova, Lisa - Still Alice
• Gleeson, Libby and Freya Blackwood - The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present
• Grant, Michael - Gone
• Green, John - Paper Towns
• Gruen, Sara - Water for Elephants
• Groth, Darren - Are You Seeing Me?
• Hand, Cynthia - The Last Time We Say Goodbye
• Hawke, Rosanne - Kelsey and the Quest for the Porcelain Doll
• Janu, Tamsin - Figgy in the World 
• Jonsberg, Barry - My Life as an Alphabet
• Keil, Melissa - The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
• King, A.S. - Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
• King, A.S. - Please Ignore Vera Dietz
• Lee, Harper - Go Set a Watchman
• Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
• Levithan, David - Every Day
• Levithan, David - How They Met, and Other Stories
• Levithan, David, and Rachel Cohn - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
• Lint, Charles de - A Circle of Cats
• Lockhart E. - We Were Liars
• Martin, Anne M. - Rain Reign
• Martin, George R.R. - A Song of Fire and Ice
• Morgan, Sally - Going Bush with Grandpa
• Morpurgo, Michael - War Horse
• Murphy, Sally - Roses are Blue
• Niffenegger, Audrey - The Time Traveler's Wife
• Niven, Jennifer - All the Bright Places
• Norton, Catherine - Crossing
• Orwell, George - Animal Farm
• Pitcher, Annabel - My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
• Pullman, Philip - His Dark Materials #1: Northern Lights
• Riordan, Rick - The Heroes of Olympus #1: The Lost Hero
• Riordan, Rick - The Heroes of Olympus #2: The Son of Neptune
• Riordan, Rick - The Heroes of Olympus #3: The Mark of Athena
• Riordan, Rick - The Heroes of Olympus #4: The House of Hades
• Sachar, Louis - Someday Angeline
• Selznick, Brian - Wonderstruck
• Sloan, Robin - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
• Spinelli, Jerry - Stargirl
• Spinelli, Jerry - Love, Stargirl
• Stead, Rebecca - When You Reach Me
• Stork, Francisco X. - Marcelo in the Real World
• Sweeney, Diana - The Minnow
• Tan, Shaun - Tales from Outer Suburbia
• Toten, Teresa - The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
• Valente, Catherynne M. - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
• Walton, Leslye - The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
• Zevin, Gabrielle - Elsewhere
• Zorn, Claire - The Protected

Poetry

• Eckermann, Ali Cobby - Ruby Moonlight
• Ginsberg, Allen - Howl and Other Poems

Drama

• Maggs, Dirk, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman - Good Omens: The BBC Radio 4 Dramatisation
• Maggs, Dirk and Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere: The BBC Radio 4 Dramatisation
• Rose, Reginald and E.G. Marshall - Twelve Angry Men
• Williams, Tennessee - A Streetcar Named Desire

Non-Fiction (excl. NF picture books and graphic novels)

• Barrymore, Drew - Wildflower
• Dawson, James - This Book is Gay
• Day, Felicia - You're Never Weird on the Internet
• Fitzgerald, Isaac and Wendy MacNaughton - Pen and Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them
• Freeman, Pamela - Mary's Australia: How Mary MacKillop Changed Australia
• Giramonti, Lisa Borgnes - Novel Interiors: Living in Enchanted Rooms Inspired by Literature
• Hart, Miranda - Is It Just Me?
• Lear, Edward - Bosh and Nonsense
• Lodge, Yvette and M. Swan - How Was I Made? A First Book About Sex
• Martin, William Patrick - A Lifetime of Fiction: The 500 Most Recommended Reads for Ages 2 to 102
• McCuin, Judith MacKenzie - The Intentional Spinner
• Miller, Alice - The Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self
• Miller, Donlyn - The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child
• Mulgrew, Kate - Born With Teeth
• Oakley, Tyler - Binge
• Poehler, Amy - Yes, Please
• Pyle, Nathan W. - NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette
• Queensland Art Gallery - Portrait of Spain for Kids
• Reeves, Richard, Harvey Sawler, and Cecil Stoughton - Portrait of Camelot: A Thousand Days in the Kennedy White House
• Rubin, Gretch - The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
• Simpson, Alyson - Reading Under the Covers: Helping Children to Choose Books
• Strayed, Cheryl - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
• T2 - What is Tea?
• Tan, Shaun - The Bird King and Other Sketches

Graphic Novels

• Backderf, Deri - My Friend Dahmer
• Bechdel, Alison - Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama
• Bertozzi, Nick - Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey
• Briggs, Raymond - Ethel and Ernest
• Briggs, Raymond - Gentleman Jim
• Briggs, Raymond - When the Wind Blows
• Butler, Nancy - Sense & Sensibility
• Caldwell, Ben and L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (All Action Classics)
• Carey, Mike, Marc Hempel, and Sonny Liew - Re-Gifters
• Castellucci, Cecil and Jim Rugg - Janes, Vol. 1: The Plain Janes
• Chauvel, David, Enrique Fernandez, and L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• Collins, Stephen - The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
• Corsetto, Danielle - Girls With Slingshots, Vol. 8
• Davis, Eleanor - How to Be Happy
• Davis, Rob - The Motherless Oven
• DeFillippis, Nunzio, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Christina Weir, and Kevin Cornell - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Graphic Novel
• Deustch, Barry - Hereville, Vol. 1: How Mirka Got Her Sword
• Deustch, Barry - Hereville, Vol. 2: How Mirka Met a Meteorite
• Doctorow, Cory - In Real Life
• Fairfield, Lesley - Tyranny
• Fransman, Karrie - Death of the Artist
• Gaiman, Neil and Dave McKean - MirrorMask
• Gaiman, Neil and Dave McKean - The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch
• Gaiman, Neil, John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, Paul Johnson, and Roger Zelazny - The Books of Magic
• Gerrold, David - Tales from the Crypt #9: Wickeder
• Gownley, Jimmy - The Dumbest Idea Ever!
• Harris, Charlaine and Christopher Golden - The Cemetery Girl, Vol. 1: The Pretenders
• Kick, Russ (ed.) - Children's Literature: The World's Greatest Kids' Lit as Comics and Visuals (The Graphic Canon)
• Layman, John - Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice
• McClaren, Meredith - Hinges, Vol. 1: Clockwork City
• Millar, Mark, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, and Morry Hollowell - Civil War
• Monster, Sfe R. - Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi and Fantasy Comic Anthology
• Muldow, Diana - Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Little Golden Book
• Novgorodoff, Danica - The Undertaking of Lily Chen
• Obata, Fumio - Just So Happens
• Ord, Mandy - Sensitive Creatures
• Riordan, Rick, Robert Venditti, José Villarrubia, and Attila Futaki - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Vol. 1: The Lightning Thief (The Graphic Novel)
• Riordan, Rick, Robert Venditti, Attila Futaki, and Tamas Gaspar - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Vol. 2: The Sea of Monsters (The Graphic Novel)
• Selznick, Brian - The Marvels
• Shen, Prudence - Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
• Shiga, Jason - Empire State: A Love Story (or Not)
• Small, David - Stitches
• Stevenson, Noelle - Nimona
• Stevenson, Noelle, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen, and Maarta Laiho - Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
• Stevenson, Noelle, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke Allen, and Maarta Laiho - Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max
• Sugg, Joe - Username: Evie
• Talbot, Mary M. and Bryan Talbot - The Dotter of Her Father's Eyes
• Tan, Shaun - The Singing Bones
• Tamaki, Mariko and Jillian Tamaki - This One Summer
• Telgemeier, Raina - Drama
• Telgemeier, Raina - Smile, Vol. 1: Smile
• Telgemeier, Raina - Smile, Vol. 2: Sisters
• TenNapel, Doug - Ghostopolis
• Than, Gavin Aung - Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes from Inspirational Folks
• Tobin, Paul and Benjamin Dewey - I Was the Cat
• Tomine, Adrian - Scenes from an Impending Marriage
• Torseter, Øyvind - The Hole
• Vaughan, Brian K. and Fiona Sharples - Saga, Vol. 1
• Vaughan, Brian K. and Fiona Sharples - Saga, Vol. 2
• Vaughan, Brian K. and Fiona Sharples - Saga, Vol. 3
• Vaughan, Brian K. and Fiona Sharples - Saga, Vol. 4
• Vaughan, Brian K. and Fiona Sharples - Saga, Vol. 5
• Watson, Andi - Gum Girl, Vol. 1: Catastrophe Calling
• Weing, Drew - Set to Sea
• Willingham, Bill, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, Craig Hamilton, and James Jean - Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha - Fables, Vol. 2: Animal Farm
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha - Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Craig Hamilton, Steve Leialoha, and P. Craig Russell - Fables, Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Tony Akins, and Jimmy Palmiotti - Fables, Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, David Hahn, and Steve Leialoha - Fables, Vol. 6: Homelands
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Jim Fern, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Andrew Pepoy - Fables, Vol. 7: Arabian Nights
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Shawn McManus, and Andrew Pepoy - Fables, Vol. 8: Wolves
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy, Gene Ha, Joshua Middleton, Inaki Miranda and Mike Allred - Fables, Vol. 9: Sons of the Empire
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, and Andrew Pepoy - Fables, Vol. 10: The Good Prince
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, and Andrew Pepoy - Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces
• Willingham, Bill, Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Andrew Pepoy, Mike Allred, and David Hahn - Fables, Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
• Willingham, Bill, Matthew Sturges, Russ Braun, José Marzán Jr., Mark Buckingham, and Andrew Pepoy - Fables, Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover
• Wilson, G. Willow and Adrian Alphona - Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
• Wilson, G. Willow, Adrian Alphona, and Jacob Wyatt - Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why
• Wilson, G. Willow, Mark Waid, Takeshi Miyazawa, Elmo Bondoc, and Humberto Ramos - Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed

Picture Books

• Acton, Sarah - As Big As You
• Acton, Sarah - Hold on Tight
• Aliki - Mariathe's Story: Painted Words and Spoken Memories
• Allen, Emma and Freya Blackwood - The Terrible Suitcase
• Archer, Peter and L. Frank Baum - The Road to Oz
• Balla, Trace - Rivertime
• Balla, Trace - Shine: A Story About Saying Goodbye
• Bancroft, Jack Manning and Bronwyn Bancroft - The Eagle Inside
• Base, Graeme - Eye to Eye
• Bedford, David - Ed's Egg
• Bell, Davina - The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade
• Bentley, Peter and Daniel Howarth - Top Place Percy
• Bentley, Peter and Helen Oxenbury - King Jack and the Dragon
• Bentley, Peter and Russell Ayto - Dustbin Dad
• Blabey, Aaron - The Brothers Quibble
• Blabey, Aaron - Noah Dreary
• Blabey, Aaron - Thelma the Unicorn
• Blackwood, Freya - Ivy Loves to Give
• Blair, Karen - Baby Beats
• Bland, Nick - King Pig
• Bland, Nick - Monster Chef
• Brian, Janeen and Ann James - I'm a Dirty Dinosaur
• Britt, Fanny - Jane, the Fox, and Me
• Brown, Susie, Margaret Warner, Sebastian Ciaffaglione - Lone Pine
• Caisley, Raewyn and Karen Blair - Hello From Nowhere
• Carmody, Isobelle and Anne Spudvilas - Night School
• Champion, Tom Niland, Kilmeny Niland and Deborah Niland - The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies
• Chandler, Susan - The Greedy Rainbow
• Clement, Rod - Top Dog
• Cole, Babette - Princess Smartypants
• Connelly, Nicola and Anne White - My Dad is a Bear
• Crew, Gary and Craig Smith - Troy Thompson's Excellent Poetry Book
• Crew, Gary and Jeremy Geddes - Eilean Mor
• Crew, Gary and Shaun Tan - Memorial
• Crumble, P. and Chris Kennett - If You're Happy and You Know It!
• Crumble, P.and Nathanial Eckstrom - Me and Moo
• Cummings, Phil - Anzac Biscuits
• Cummings, Phil - Newspaper Hats
• Cummings, Phil - Ride Ricardo, Ride!
• Cummings, Phil and Sara Acton - Bridie's Boots
• Cunxin, Li and Anne Spudvilas - The Peasant Prince
• Davies, Luke - Magpie
• Dennis, C.J. and Dee Huxley - A Bush Christmas
• Dickson, John - Have You Met Scribble?
• Doyle, Roddy and Freya Blackwood - Her Mother's Face
• Dubosarsky, Ursula and Andrew Joyner - There Are Too Many Elephants in This House
• Dubosarsky, Ursula and Andrew Joyner - Tim and Ed
• Dumbleton, Mike - Meet Douglas Mawson
• Ellis, Carson - Home
• Emmett, Jonathan - Here Be Monsters
• Estella, Lucy and Matt Ottley - Suri's Wall
• Faille, Chris and Danny Snell - Jeremy
• Fenton, Corinne and Andrew McLean - Bob the Railway Dog
• Fenton, Corinne and Robin Cowcher - Little Dog and the Christmas Wish
• Ferrell, Sean and Charles Santoso - I Don't Like Koala
• Flood, Ciara - Those Pesky Rabbits
• Fox, Mem and Emma Quay - Baby Bedtime
• French, Jackie and Bruce Whatley - Fire
• French, Jackie and Bruce Whatley - Queen Victoria's Underpants
• French, Jackie and Bruce Whatley - Wombat Wins
• Fussell, Sandy and Tull Suwannakit - Sad, the Dog
• Germein, Katrina and Judy Watson - Thunderstorm Dancing
• Gibbes, Lesley and Stephen Michael King - Scary Night
• Gibbes, Lesley and Sue deGennaro - Bring a Duck
• Gleeson, Libby and Freya Blackwood - Banjo and Ruby Red
• Gleeson, Libby and Freya Blackwood - Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House
• Gleeson, Libby and Freya Blackwood - Go to Sleep, Jessie!
• Gleeson, Libby and Freya Blackwood - Look, a Book!
• Godwin, Jane and Anna Walker - Today We Have No Plans
• Godwin, Jane and Andrew Joyner - How Big is Too Small?
• Goess, Carol and Tasmin Ainslie - Can We Lick the Spoon Now?
• Gouldthorpe, Peter - Ice, Wind, Rock: Douglas Mawson in the Antarctic
• Graham, Bob - Silver Buttons
• Gravett, Emily - Dogs
• Gravett, Emily - Wolves
• Greder, Armin - The Island
• Greenberg, Nicki - Monkey Red Monkey Blue
• Greenwood, Mark and Frané Lessac - Midnight: A True Story of Loyalty in World War I
• Greenwood, Mark and Terry Denton - Jandamarra
• Guest, Patrick and Daniella Germain - That's What Wings Are For
• Graham, Bob - How the Sun Got to Coco's House
• Graham, Bob - Vanilla Ice Cream
• Hamilton, Margaret and Anna Pignataro - B is for Bedtime
• Hartnett, Sonya and Lucia Masciullo - The Wild One
• Hathorn, Libby and Heath McKenzie - I Love You Book
• Hathorn, Libby and Roitva Voutila - Outside
• Heffernan, John and Freya Blackwood - Two Summers
• Hughes, Jenny and Jonathan Bentley - A House of Her Own
• Hurst, Elise - Adelaide's Secret World
• Hurst, Elise - Imagine a City
• Jolly, Jane and Robert Ingoen - Tea and Sugar Christmas
• Jorgensen, Norman and James Foley - The Last Viking
• Jorgensen, Norman and James Foley - The Last Viking Returns
• Kane, Kim and Sara Acton - Esther's Rainbow
• Kendell, Sandra - Green Tree Frogs
• Killen, Nicola - I Got a Crocodile
• King, Stephen Michael - Snail and Turtle are Friends
• Knight, Paula and Daniel Howarth - The Lion Who Lost His Roar, But Learned to Draw
• Kobald, Irena and Freya Blackwood - My Two Blankets
• Kwaymullina, Amberlin and Leanne Tobin - The Lost Girl
• Lahn, Dean - Bad Ned
• Lester, Alison - Kissed by the Moon
• Lester, Alison - My Dog Bigsy
• Lester, Alison - Noni the Pony Goes to the Beach
• Lester, Alison - Sophie Scott Goes South
• Lester, Alison, Elizabeth Honey, and the Children of Gununa - Our Island
• MacLeod, Doug and Craig Smith - The Windy Farm
• Matthews, Cecily and Freya Blackwood - Emily's Rapunzel Hair
• Martin, Carol Ann and Ben Wood - Underneath a Cow
• Martin, Marc - A River
• Martin, Marc - Max
• Mathews, Penny and Stephen Michael King - One Night
• McCartney, Tania and Christina Booth - This is Captain Cook
• McCleary, Stacey and Sue DeGennaro - One Funky Monkey
• McKenna, Martin - The Crocodolly
• McKimmie, Chris - Lara of Newtown
• McKimmie, Chris - Scarlett and the Scratchy Moon
• Metzenthen, David and Michael Camilleri - One Minute's Silence
• Mewburn, Kyle and Freya Blackwood - No Room for a Mouse
• Millard, Glenda and Annie White - Mbobo Tree
• Millard, Glenda and Phil Lesnie - Once a Shepherd
• Morgan, Sally and Bronwyn Bancroft - The Amazing A to Z Thing
• Morgan, Sally, Ezekiel Kwaymullina, and Dub Leffler - Frog Finds a Place
• Murdie, Rae and Chris Nixon - Meet Captain Cook
• Murphy, Sally and Janine Dawson - Fly-In Fly-Out Dad
• Newman, Lesléa and Amy June Bates - Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed
• O'Hagan, Jack and Andrew McLean - Along the Road to Gundagai
• Ohmura, Tomoko - Line Up, Please
• Palmer, Tony and Jane Tanner - The Soldier's Gift
• Parker, Danny and Freya Blackwood - Perfect
• Parker, Danny and Matt Ottley - Parachute
• Pitcher, Caroline and Jenny Arthur - Home, Sweet Home
• Pym, Tasha and Joel Stewart - Have You Ever Seen a Sneep?
• Quay, Emma - Scarlett Starlet
• Quay, Emma - Shrieking Violet
• Quinn, David and Devon Devereaux - The Littlest Bitch
• Roe, Katrina and Leigh Hedstrom - Emily Eases her Wheezes
• Rudge, Leila - A Perfect Place for Ted
• Russell, Paula and Gaye Chapman - My Sister, Olive
• Saxby, Claire and Graham Byrne - Big Red Kangaroo
• Saxby, Claire and Graham Byrne - Emu
• Saxby, Claire and Lizzy Newcomb - My Name is Lizzy Flynn: A Story of the Rajah Quilt
• Sedan, Paul and Karen Briggs - Kick with My Left Foot
• Shanahan, Lisa and Gus Gordon - Big Pet Day
• Shannon, David - Too Many Toys
• Smallman, Steve - Batmouse
• Smallman, Steve - Daisy Dinosaur Gets Lost
• Smallman, Steve and Rebecca Elliott - Storytime: The Wishing Stone
• Smith, Craig - Remarkable Rexy
• Snell, Danny - Seagull
• Stark, Ulf and Eva Eriksson - When Dad Showed Me the Universe
• Starke, Ruth and Greg Holfield - An ANZAC Tale
• Tanner, Jane - Love from Grandma
• Toft, Kim Michelle and Arthur Hamilton - I Can Swim a Rainbow
• Toms, Kate - There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
• Usher, Sam - Snow Day
• Walker, Anna - I Don't Believe in Dragons
• Walker, Anna - Mr. Huff
• Watts, Frances and David Legge - The Fearsome, Frightening, Ferocious Box
• Westaway, Kyle - Whale in the Bathtub
• Whatley, Bruce - Hunting for Dragons
• Wheatley, Nadia - Flight
• Whiten, Jan - Chooky-Doode-Doo
• Wiesner, David - Flotsam
• Wild, Margaret and Andrew Yeo - Vampyre
• Wild, Margaret and Deborah Niland - This Little Piggy Went Singing
• Wild, Margaret and Freya Blackwood - Harry & Hopper
• Wild, Margaret and Freya Blackwood - The Treasure Book
• Wild, Margaret and Judith Rossell - Bogtrotter
• Wild, Margaret and Julie Vivas - Davy and the Ducklings
• Wild, Margaret and Roitva Voutila - The Stone Lion
• Wild, Margaret and Ron Brooks - On the Day You Were Born
• Wild, Margaret and Ron Brooks - The Dream of the Thylacine
• Wild, Margaret and Terry Denton - Leo the Littlest Seahorse
• Wild, Margaret and Vivienne Goodman - Tanglewood
• Wilson, Mark L. - Angel of Kokoda
• Wilson, Tony and Laura Wood - The Cow Tripped Over the Moon
• Wolfer, Dianne and Karen Blair - Granny Grommet and Me
• Wyatt, Edwina and Gaye Chapman - In the Evening
• Young, Rebecca and Matt Ottley - Teacup