For twelve-year-old Diego, home is a prison in Cochabamba. His parents are locked up, but he is free to come and go: to school, to the market and to work as a ‘taxi’ running errands for other prisoners. But when his little sister runs away and his mother receives a heavy fine, Diego has to make money, fast.
Recommended age: 12+
Diego, Run! – Deborah Ellis
October 31, 2010 — DebraSlam – Nick Hornby
October 31, 2010 — Debra
Just when everything is coming together for Sam, his recently ex-girlfriend Alicia drops a bombshell. She’s pregnant. Sam does not want to be a teenage dad. He doesn’t want to be like his mum who regretted having him at sixteen. There’s only one person Sam can turn to – his hero, skating legend Tony Hawk. Searching for answers in Hawk’s autobiography, Sam finds himself whizzed into the future, for a quick glimpse of what will be . . . or what could be. This is a funny and heartbreaking story about mistakes and choices.
Marley and me: Life and love with the world’s worst dog – John Grogan
October 31, 2010 — Debra
When John and Jenny brought Marley home as a puppy, their life changed forever. A Labrador Retriever who made a mess of everything, Marley was untrainable – he was expelled from Obedience school. But despite his tendency to destroy things his devotion and loyalty to his owners were boundless. This is the heartwarming and unforgettable story of the impact a dog can have on a family.
City of bones (Mortal Instruments: 1) – Cassandra Clare
October 30, 2010 — Debra
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray goes to a nightclub in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder. Much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings. This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons-and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line. It’s also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary? And how did she suddenly get the sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .
Liar – Justine Larbalestier
October 30, 2010 — Debra
Micah is a compulsive liar. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah secretly dating Zach? Did she see him the night he died? And is she really hiding a family secret? Where does the actual truth lie?
This thriller, as much a jigsaw puzzle as a novel, will leave you wondering.
Mahtab’s story – Libby Gleeson
October 26, 2010 — Debra
The vivid and compelling story of Mahtab, a young girl fleeing Afghanistan with her family, and their journey to Australia. Inspired by a true story.
Recommended age: 12+
Furnace: Lockdown – Alexander Gordon Smith
October 24, 2010 — Debra
Framed for murder, thirteen-year-old Alex is sent to Furnace Prison – the toughest prison in the world for young offenders. Buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface there is only one way in and no way out. Alex soon discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil with sadistic guards and bloodthirsty gangs. Alex realizes he must break out before they turn him into a monster. As he plans the prison break to end all prison breaks Alex uncovers the horrifying truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose.
With many twists and turns this is the first terrifying book in a series about Furnace. Beneath heaven is hell. Beneath hell is Furnace.
Twisted Symmetry – Benjamin J Myers
October 24, 2010 — Debra
Chess Tuesday and her brothers, Box and Splinter, are street rats; outcast children who live on the fringes of society. They know nothing of their past but now they are being tracked by two powerful, rival sides – the Twisted Symmetry and the Committee. They don’t know why – but it soon becomes clear that they possess a terrifying legacy for their future.
This exciting fantasy story is the first book in the Bad Tuesdays series.
Kissed by an angel – Elizabeth Chandler
October 24, 2010 — Debra
Ivy and Tristan are meant to be together, they think their love and happiness will last forever. When a terrible car accident shatters their world, killing Tristan and injuring Ivy, she must face life alone – or so she thinks. However, Tristan is watching over her as her guardian angel – so close she can feel his touch and hear his voice. And no one needs a guardian angel more than Ivy, because someone is trying to kill her. But if Tristan saves Ivy, his mission on earth will be finished, and he’ll have to leave her behind. Will saving Ivy mean losing her forever?
The serpents of Arakesh (The Karazan Quartet: 1) – V. M. Jones
October 23, 2010 — Debra
Twelve-year-old orphan Adam Equinox is an unlikely hero – a lonely, misunderstood underachiever who gets into fights. Adam’s life changes when he enters a competition to work with the reclusive computer game developer, Quentin Quested. Adam enters a world he never dreamed existed, in which the boundaries between fantasy and reality start to become blurred. Only when Adam and his companions begin the gaming workshop does Quentin Quested reveal their real-life quest into the parallel world of Karazan, where the Serpents of Arakesh stand guard over the most precious prize of all.
Penelope – Marilyn Kaye
October 23, 2010 — Debra
Although Penelope’s family is wealthy, it is a cursed family and Penelope is burdened with an unfortunate face. To break the curse Penelope must marry and her family are desperately trying to find her a husband. Max is hired by a newspaper to pose as a prospective suitor in order to get a photo of the mysterious girl. But when Max finds himself truly drawn to Penelope, he can’t bring himself to expose her, so he just disappears. With this latest betrayal, Penelope decides to break free from her family and go out into the world in search of adventure. Hiding her true identity with a scarf, Penelope discovers happiness in the most unexpected places. A modern-day fairytale.
A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway
October 23, 2010 — Debra
This is the story of Lieutenant Henry, an American ambulance driver on the Italian front in World War 1, and his passion for a beautiful English nurse, Catherine Barkley. It is a story of love and pain, of loyalty and desertion in a time of war. Mirroring many of the war time experiences of novelist, Ernest Hemingway, this story remorsely forces us to consider the impacts of war on individuals, relationships and social structures.
The old man and the sea – Ernest Hemingway
October 23, 2010 — Debra
This is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal — a relentless, agonizing battle of wills with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.
Charlie’s Monsters (Nightmare Academy: 1) – Dean Lorey
October 18, 2010 — Debra
When Charlie Benjamin sleeps, monsters wake up. Luckily there’s a place for Charlie — the Nightmare Academy – where people are trained to fight monsters. But Charlie is far more powerful than anyone ever imagined, and his entrance exam opens a portal straight to the heart of the Netherworld, where ultimate evil plots Earth’s destruction. He’ll need all his cleverness—and the help of his new friends—to save himself and his family and to put these bad boys to bed once and for all.
Time riders – Alex Scarrow
October 14, 2010 — Debra
Liam O’Connor should have died at sea in 1912. Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. But all three have been given a second chance – to work for an agency that no-one knows exists. Its purpose – to prevent time travel destroying history . . . The team’s first mission is to stop a brilliant physicist from the future altering the past and leading Nazi Germany to victory over the allies
GemX – Nicky Singer
October 14, 2010 — Debra
Maxo Strang is GemX, the most perfect human ever made. Top in social class, in looks, in intelligence . . . until the day he discovers a crack in his face. Terrified, Maxo begins a search for a cure. It is a search that takes him into the Dreggies’ world, where the unenhanced ‘naturals’ live amidst violence, poverty and ugliness. There, Maxo meets Gala and Stretch, and becomes caught up in the search for their father who ‘disappeared’ while volunteering for scientific research in the city. What none of them realises is that they are all pawns in a bigger game. The city’s Supreme Leader has plans – plans that will leave their lives hanging in the balance . . .
This intriguing vision of a dystopian future where genetic modifications are commonplace, questions what it is to be human.
Vulture’s gate – Kirsty Murray
October 14, 2010 — Debra
One Girl – Could she be the last girl alive?
One Boy – Kidnapped by ruthless men.
When Bo rescues Callum from death in the burning desert, she is forced to leave her underground home. In search of Callum’s fathers, they journey across a dangerous continent, escaping outstationers, street gangs and terrorists, but nothing can prepare them for the world that awaits in Vulture’s Gate.
An action-packed adventure with a chilling twist
Feed – M. T. Anderson
October 14, 2010 — Debra
In this future world people have ‘feeds’, transmitters implanted in their brains through which they are bombarded by a constant stream of advertising telling them where to shop, what to eat, what to wear. Titus and his friends never question their world as the “feed” tells them everything they need to know. But when they travel to the moon for a holiday, a hacker damages their Feeds and Titus meets Violet, who does think for herself and has decided to fight the feed.
A chilling and disturbing view of a consumer society gone mad.
Exodus – Julie Bertagna
October 14, 2010 — Debra
It is 2099 and the world is gradually drowning, as the Arctic ice caps melt, the seas rise, and land disappears forever beneath storm-tossed waves. For 15-year-old Mara, her family and community, huddled on the fast-disappearing island of Wing, the search for a future is a terrifying fight for survival. Only Mara has the vision and the will to lead her people in search of a new beginning in the harsh, unfamiliar world. A compelling and powerful story
Nightpeople – Anthony Eaton
October 14, 2010 — Debra
When you have nowhere left to run, the only place is the sky…
Saria is the last of her kind, the final child of the Darklands, a quarantined expanse of outback desert, contaminated hundreds of years earlier by the remote and mysterious Nightpeople. Spirited away at her birth before the Nightpeople could remove her, Saria, now in her early teens discovers the story of her past, and the nightmare truth of her people’s future. In a dying world, she is the last ray of hope. Saria determines to take the only course available to her, whatever the cost.
Nightpeople, the first book of the Darklands trilogy, explores a society turned in on itself and a future which readers will find both alien and disturbingly familiar.
The road – Cormac McCarthy
October 14, 2010 — Debra
Cities have been destroyed, plants and animals have died, and few humans survive in a post-apocalyptic America. A grey ash covers the earth where cannibals stalk and where starvation is just a breath away. With the onset of winter a man and his young son journey through the desolate landscape on the road to the coast, hoping to find warmth and other “good people”. They have nothing except the clothes they are wearing, a pistol and what will fit into a shopping trolley—and each other. This novel presents a bleak and haunting picture of a dying world.
The house of the scorpion – Nancy Farmer
October 14, 2010 — Debra
Matteo Alacrán was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patrón, a powerful drug lord in the land of Opium. Most people see Matt as a monster rather than a boy — except for El Patrón – who sees Matt as his guarantee of eternal life. When El Patrón dies at the age of 146, 14-year-old Matt escapes Opium with the help of two loyal servants.
Juno of Taris – Fleur Beale
October 14, 2010 — Debra
The Taris Project was the brainchild of a desperate twenty-first-century world, a community designed to survive even if the rest of humanity perished. An isolated island in the Southern Ocean was given a protective dome and its own balmy climate. And now Juno is one of 500 people who live there – but what has happened to the outside world in the years since Taris was established? Juno has questions about life Outside, but in a society where rules govern every aspect of life, questions are not welcome and can bring danger and death as some of those in power fight for control.
The Cure – Michael Coleman
October 14, 2010 — Debra
In this science fiction story set on a future earth, the government has outlawed all forms of religious belief – except for a belief in science, based on evolution and Darwinism. The population is indoctrinated from a young age, and children who show signs of independent thought are “treated” by healers. Raul and his half sister Arym fall into this category and are sent to an isolated island to have their doubts educated out of them (or if that fails, stronger measures can be applied). This compelling and thought-provoking story about the price of freedom to believe what you want and the pressure to conform, is also an emotionally moving story.
The Luxe – Anna Godbersen
October 3, 2010 — Debra
A story of romance and intrigue set in the glittering world of New York’s high society in 1899. Elizabeth and Diana Holland are daughters of one of New York’s oldest and most respected families. But when their life of luxury is threatened by the death of their father, Elizabeth must accept a marriage of convenience to save her family from financial ruin. Beneath the surface of polite and proper behaviour, where pretty girls in beautiful dresses dance with dashing young men at extravagant parties, lies a scandalous world of secrets, betrayal and forbidden love.
Balwyn Best Books 
