The school year is reaching an end, the holidays are approaching and all parents have one looming question on their mind: “How will I keep my child busy over the summer?” Of course, the summer holidays are a great time for students to see friends, relax, get outdoors, visit family and refresh their tired minds for another year of hard work. But the Christmas holidays are also a great time to get enthusiastic about reading. There is no doubt that students who read for pleasure have a distinct advantage at school; they have larger vocabularies, their comprehension skills are more advanced, they will have a firmer grasp on spelling and grammar and they are more likely to be able to respond to problems in a more creative and original way. If your child is not already an avid reader, then the school holidays are a perfect time to convert them.
If your child is starting high school in the next few years, it is vital that they develop good reading habits. When they get to high school, they will be required to read novels independently and discuss complex ideas in their classes. Unfortunately, students between the ages of 11-15 are often the pickiest when it comes to what they read. The good news is, Australia has countless talented authors who are producing some amazing books for pre-teens and teenagers of all interests. Here is just a small sample of the range of Australian Young Adult novels out there; slip one or two of these in your child’s stocking this Christmas and help them develop good reading habits that will help them throughout their education!
Beautiful Mess by Claire Christian
Since Ava lost Kelly, things haven’t been going so well. Even before she gets thrown out of school for shouting at the principal, there’s the simmering rage and all the weird destructive choices. The only thing going right for Ava is her job at Magic Kebab.
Which is where she meets Gideon. Skinny, shy, anxious Gideon. A mad poet and collector of vinyl records with an aversion to social media. He lives in his head. She lives in her grief. The only people who can help them move on with their lives are each other.
This incredible tale about two boys’ swim from mainland China to Hong Kong in search of freedom from poverty and oppression is inspired by a true story. Ming survived the famine that killed his parents during China’s ‘Great Leap Forward’, and lives a hard but adequate life, working in the fields.
When a group of city boys comes to the village as part of a Communist Party re-education program, Ming and his friends aren’t sure what to make of the new arrivals. They’re not used to hard labour and village life. But despite his reservations, Ming befriends a charming city boy called Li. The two couldn’t be more different, but slowly they form a bond over evening swims and shared dreams. But as the bitterness of life under the Party begins to take its toll on both boys, they begin to imagine the impossible: freedom.
Once I escaped from an orphanage to find my Mum and Dad. Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house. Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh.
My name is Felix.
This is my story.
Everything Is Changed by Nova Weetman
Lifelong friends Jake and Alex are torn apart when they make a terrible split-second decision that ends in tragedy. As guilt closes in on Jake, he becomes increasingly determined to confess to the police. But Alex just wants to move on with life. He’s got a cool new girlfriend, fancy new house and posh new school, and doesn’t want his future to be ruined by a mistake in his past.
Told backwards in alternating viewpoints, this gritty novel takes us through the wreckage of a broken friendship, back to the moment when everything changed.
Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood
Fourteen-year-old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now he’s narrowed it down to just six impossible things…
Tomorrow, When The War Began by John Marsden
Somewhere out there Ellie and her friends are hiding. They’re shocked, they’re frightened, they’re alone. Their world has changed, with the speed of a slamming door. They’ve got no weapons – except courage. They’ve got no help – except themselves. They’ve got nothing – except friendship. How strong can you be, when the world is full of people trying to kill you?
Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first book in the bestselling series that has been translated and published all over the world. It is the book that started the series that became the legend…
Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody
In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. But for Elspeth Gordie, born with enhanced mental abilities that would see her sterilised or burned if discovered, it is also dangerous.
We’d love to hear your experiences of getting children to read. What is your child reading this summer? Is your child an avid reader, or do they have a morbid phobia of books? What genre/style of books does your child find particularly interesting? Can you recommend any authors or titles? Let us know.
