Spring Holiday Reading
Year 7 & 8 - 2024
Spring Break Reading Tips
With the beautiful weather and blossoming scenery, there are countless enjoyable ways to fit in a bit of reading these school holidays!
- Imagine sitting in your garden, soaking up the sun while getting lost in a good book
- Or perhaps you could unwind by the river, with the gentle sounds of nature as your backdrop
- For a fun and social twist, organise a book picnic in the park with family or friends, where everyone brings their favorite read to enjoy together
These simple activities make it easy to incorporate reading into your spring break routine and truly savour the season.
New Fiction
Sweep
For nearly a century, Victorian London relied on “climbing boys”—orphans owned by chimney sweeps—to clean flues and protect homes from fire. The work was hard, thankless, and brutally dangerous. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best climber who ever lived—and a girl. With her wits and will, she’s managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature—a golem—made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire.
Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life—saving one another in the process. By one of today’s most powerful storytellers, Sweep is a heartrending adventure about the everlasting gifts of friendship and hope.
The House at the End of the Sea
Saffi doesn't want her new life, living with her dad, little brother and old-fashioned grandparents in their B&B by the sea. She is grieving for her mum and longs for things to go back to normal.
But this new home is anything but normal: the walls change colour, a face appears in the mirror, and the pantry is suddenly filled with fancy food. When a party of extraordinary visitors arrive at midnight, Saffi begins to realise that her family has a dark, magical secret. It will take all her bravery to discover the truth and find a way into another world ...
The Raven's Eye Runaways
A gripping, beautifully-told fantasy quest set in a parallel medieval world.
Three friends and a one-eyed raven find themselves up against the rulers who restrict the gifts of writing and reading to an elite few.
They must go on a wild and unpredictable rescue mission. Who and what will they meet along their way? And what is the terrible truth behind everything they think they know about their world?
Choose Your Own Adventure with the New Twisted Trails Series
How will the story end? Well, that's entirely up to you!
"Spook-tastic! The narrator creates an intimate reading experience, as she escorts the reader every step of the way through a myriad of twists and turns, allowing the reader to become the protagonist and drive the story in their chosen direction. I had so much fun!'
Louder than Hunger
Jake feels alone at school and alone at home. Some days it feels like the only people who understand him is the poet Emily Dickinson – and Jake's beloved grandma. But there is also the Voice inside him, louder than any other, who professes to know him best of all.
The one that says "You have me."
The Voice is loud enough to drown out everything else, even the hunger Jake feels, until his mom intervenes and sends him to Whispering Pines.
Here Jake will learn how to confront the loneliness inside him, and find out who he is and what he has to live for. That is, if he can quiet the Voice...
Future Girl
Piper's mum wants her to be 'normal', to pass as hearing and get a good job. But when peak oil hits and Melbourne lurches towards environmental catastrophe, Piper has more important things to worry about, such as how to get food. When she meets Marley, a CODA (child of Deaf adult), a door opens into a new world - where Deafness is something to celebrate rather than hide, and where resilience is created through growing your own food rather than it being delivered on a truck. As she dives into learning Auslan, sign language that is exquisitely beautiful and expressive, Piper finds herself falling hard for Marley. But Marley, who has grown up in the Deaf community yet is not Deaf, is struggling to find his place in the hearing world. How can they be together?
Laughter is the Best Ending
Zee is a loner. She likes to read Oscar Wilde and watch documentaries all day which, according to her parents, is not normal for 13 year olds. So they decide to send her on a five-day holiday camp, hoping she'll make 'at least one friend'.
Now, Zee would rather take a bath in Tabasco sauce than attend a camp called Youth Fusion. But with influencer Tiffanee and super-nerds Jonah and Moses, she soon finds herself in the middle of a hair-rising mystery, hurling her into some fierce detective work and bringing her face to face with the notorious Old Bat Viv.
New Graphic Novels and eComics
Read at Your Own Risk
Once upon a time, I skipped assembly, snuck into the attic, awakened an evil and now I'm h(a)unted.
When Hannah and her friends play the game Spirit of the Coin, they don't really expect to unleash something evil. But now Hannah is experiencing unfortunate 'accidents' and her journal is talking to her. Is there any way to escape the curse?
Timid
When Cecil and his family move from Florida to Massachusetts, his world suddenly becomes a little scary. Cecil is anxious because all the other kids are already in friendship groups at his new school, and he doesn’t know where he’ll fit in. And to complicate things even more, his older sister tells him he should make friends with other Black kids. Cecil has always wanted to be known for his comic book-making talent and tries to use that to make new friends. But he’s torn when he realises that the kids who are impressed with his comics aren’t always nice to him. And when one of his drawings is misused and gets him into serious trouble, can Cecil stand up for himself and figure out who his real friends are?
Monster Crush
A whirlwind adventure exploring love, gender, and big emotions, Monster Crush is the perfect read for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider. Since her parents split up, Ruby Reid has been having a tough time at Crestwood High. But everything changes the day Ella Mooney moves to town. Ella isn't like most teens: she's never been on a Ferris wheel, never had an ice cream cone, and sometimes she grows fangs and a tail! It's not just Ruby who takes an interest in the new girl, and the pair find themselves on the run from a mysterious group that wants to capture Ella and her whole family!
Scrapper
Scrapper is a good dog, adopted by good people. Sure, he spends his nights patrolling his post-apocalyptic metropolis with his buddy Tank, protecting its citizens from the city's totalitarian overlords, but everyone needs a hobby, right? When a catastrophe sends Scrapper's world spiraling out of control, he will need to rally the city's critters—strays and undesirables—to save both themselves and the humans all around them.
eBooks and Audiobooks
The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane
For fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Blackthorn Key series comes an award-winning boarding school mystery about twelve year old Emmy, who's shipped off to a prestigious British school. But her new home is hiding a secret society … and it may be the answer to Emmy's questions about her missing father. With a dad who disappeared years ago and a mother who's a bit too busy to parent, Emmy is shipped off to Wellsworth, a prestigious boarding school in England, where she's sure she won't fit in. But then she finds a box of mysterious medallions in the attic of her home with a note reading: These belonged to your father. When she arrives at school, she finds the strange symbols from the medallions etched into walls and books, which leads Emmy and her new friends, Jack and Lola, to Wellsworth's secret society: The Order of Black Hollow Lane. Emmy can't help but think that the society had something to do with her dad's disappearance, and that there may be more than just dark secrets in the halls of Wellsworth…
When the Lyrebird Calls
When Madeleine is shipped off to stay with her eccentric grandmother for the holidays, she expects the usual: politics, early-morning yoga, extreme health food, and lots of hard work. Instead, Madeleine tumbles back in time to 1900, where the wealthy Williamson family takes her into their home, Lyrebird Muse. At a time when young girls have no power and no voice, set against a backdrop of the struggles for emancipation, federation and Aboriginal rights, Madeleine must find a way to fit in with the Williamson family's four sisters - beautiful, cold Bea; clever, awkward Gert; adventurous, rebellious Charlie; and darling baby Imo - as she searches desperately for a way home. Meanwhile, the Williamson girls' enchanting German cousin, Elfriede, arrives on the scene on a heavenly wave of smoke and cinnamon, and threatens to shatter everything...
Girl Geeks: Game On!
Skateboarding and videogames are the best things in the world according to Niki. So when the biggest esports tournament announces they will hold a junior comp in her town, Niki is the first to enter. It’s not an easy road and Niki is thrown a challenge, but with her girl gang by her side – it’s game on!
The Princess Diaries
She's just a New York City girl living with her artist mom...
News flash: Dad is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo always meets her at the airport!)
Downer: Dad can't have any more kids. (So no heir to the throne.)
Shock of the century: Like it or not, Mia is prime princess material.
The worst part: Princess lessons from her dreaded grandmere, the dowager princess of Genovia, who thinks Mia has a thing or two to learn before she steps up to the throne. Well, her father can lecture her until he's royal-blue in the face about her princessly duty no— way is she moving to Genovia and leaving Manhattan behind. But what's a girl to do when her name is PRINCESS AMELIA MIGNONETTE GRIMALDI THERMOPOLIS RENALDO?
School Holiday Activities
Brisbane City Council Library Activities
Creative Teens: Badge Making
Unleash your inner artist and explore the world of collage as you create these works of wearable art. Ideal for those aged 12-17 years.
Mon 23 Sep 2024, 1pm
Indooroopilly Library, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Level 4, 322 Moggill Road, Indooroopilly
Games on the Terrace
Drop in and challenge your friends to board games at the Wynnum Library. Ideal for teens aged 13-17 years.
Mon 23 Sep 2024, 3pm
Wynnum Library, 145 Florence Street, Wynnum
Make & Create: Bookmark Reviews
Design and create your own bookmarks and book reviews! Completed bookmarks can be displayed in the library space for others to read and enjoy! All materials supplied. Ideal for those aged 12-17 years.
Tue 24 Sep 2024, 2pm
Toowong Library, Toowong Village Shopping Centre, 9 Sherwood Road, Toowong
YA Book Chat: Manga Meetup
This event will give you the chance to discuss and learn about the fantastic and diverse world of manga, anime and graphic novels. Meet other people, share your favourite series, and test your knowledge with manga trivia. Ideal for those aged 12 years and older.
Tue 24 Sep 2024, 2pm
Mt Gravatt Library, 8 Creek Road, Mt Gravatt
Last Wednesday Club
Bring along your friends or meet new ones at this monthly gathering. Hangout and enjoy activities featuring your favourite YA reads, comics and manga, craft, games and pop culture. Ideal for those aged 12-17 years.
Wed 25 Sep 2024, 4pm
Wynnum Library, 145 Florence Street, Wynnum
Flower Pressing
Coming Up in CRE8 Lab in Term 4
References
Images for books are sourced either from the author's websites or are book and film covers, used as permitted under copyright for promotion. Other images were created by the author using Canva.
Flower pressing instructions from: Better Homes & Gardens
References
About AHS Library
Blog: All Hallows' School Library (allhallowsschoollibrary.com)
Instagram: @ahsbrisbanelibrary
Email: Library@ahs.qld.edu.au
Website: https://allhallows.libguides.com/home
Location: 547 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QLD, Australia
Phone: 32309531