Originally written for Reading Time Zeek and Arnie are best friends. They do all their favourite things together – gaming, coding, inventing; that’s why they’re the SUPER GEEKS! But when Zeek comes up with a plan to become Supreme Ruler of the world, he puts their friendship to the test. To make his plan work, he’ll …
Billie and the Blue Bike
Ambelin Kwaymullina, Billie and the Blue Bike, Magabala Books, February 2021, 32pp., RRP $24.00 (hbk), ISBN 9781925936124 Billie wants a new bike, but Mum doesn't have any money spare to buy it. Uncle Jack could buy it for her, but he won’t. Instead, he'll give her a job to earn the money to buy it for …
Versailles: The Daily Ceremonies
In the heyday of Versailles' majestic court life, 'ceremonies' were an integral part of life. The ceremonies were rituals that took place every day to showcase the royal family's importance, and the court performed them with earnest sincerity. These ceremonies were for anything, such as the 'debotter' ceremony of removing the king's boots, his waking …
Elizabethan Hair and Makeup
We'll break it down layer by layer, but let's first look at what it meant to be beautiful in the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth was a fashion icon. It's no coincidence that all that was seen as fashionable - fair or strawberry hair, pale skin, bright eyes - were features that came naturally to Queen …
Queen Elizabeth I
Not Just a Girl Princess Elizabeth was born on September 7, 1533. She was the daughter of Henry VIII, the King of England, and his second wife, Queen Anne. For a little back story, Henry's first wife, the dignified Catherine of Aragon, had one living daughter to him. She had born a son, though sadly, …
Doll Bones
They say nobody does spooky like Holly Black. Oh, boy, were they right. In this middle-grade fantasy by Holly Black, Doll Bones delivers a bittersweet combination of friendship, growing up and the price of story weaving. And a ghost. Zach, Poppy and Alice are best friends, a friendship which feeds on the worlds created in …
Shoe Wars
There’s an old saying that goes something like this: You can tell a lot about a person from the shoes they’re wearing. From the bestselling author of Tom Gates comes this brand new hilarious stand-alone novel. We meet Ruby and Bear Foot. They are on a mission to save their inventor dad from his boss, …
The Incredible Runaway Snot
Eric the snot loves his life of peace and quiet, up there in the nose. Eric is clever, he knows exactly how to stay out of nose-picker’s grips. And since so many snots want to know his tricks, Eric starts a snot school! But by teaching snots to avoid their dry, crumbly fate, Eric’s home …
Jasmine Reviews – Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief
The Lightning Thief is the first book in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Percy Jackson is a normal kid until monsters start chasing him. Percy is living in New York City with his mum (Sally) and his really mean stepdad (Gabe). He has a best friend, Grover Underwood, who is living a …
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Chu’s Day
Apparently there's a Neil Gaiman book for every member of my family. Yay! They're never too young to start, and though my 6-month-old son prefers chewing Chu's Day to reading it, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Chu is a panda with, we are told, a very dangerous sneeze. When Chu sneezes, bad things happen. We follow …