Books

	Muffin Magic Mark makes muffins to sell at school so he can earn money to get to a rock-climbing competition in Sydney but someone keeps trying to sabotage his plans. This is a slightly mysterious story with a touch of magic, and a raspberry and chocolate muffin recipe for you to try - in the Kiwi Bites series for younger readers.
	A Hairy Tale School reporter, Vince has to find a way to get an interview with the gorgeous hair model Ramona Punzel, even though she lives in the tallest hotel building in Auckland, and the only way in is by helicopter. This is a twisted modern fairy tale – in the Kiwi Bites series for younger readers.
	Alex & Josie Alex is on a plane trip to visit her father when her pet mouse Josie escapes. It's a madcap race against time as Alex tries to find and rescue Josie before the plane lands … or before someone steps on her. This is an adventure story - in the Just Kids series for younger readers.
	Problem Cat PC, the cat, really plays up when Andrew's dad goes overseas. Andrew and his mother aren't sure what to do until Andrew realises something important about his pet. This is a story about the special relationships we have with our pets - in the Just Kids series for younger readers.
	Dolphins This short book looks at all of the things a young reader wants to know about dolphins, what makes them special and some of the things that threaten their survival. It's full of fact boxes, diagrams, full-colour photos, and illustrations - in the PM Non-Fiction series.
	Dancing to the Beat Explores dance through time and culture, and looks at the experience of a student and choreographer, a male dance troupe rehearsing for a sports game, and a young boy learning a basic step in flamenco. It's easy-to-read non-fiction with full colour-photos and illustrations - in the PM Non-Fiction series.
	Music Technology Young readers learn how people across time and culture have used technology to create and transmit music. It includes a comic strip showing an early radio transmission, an invention timeline, different types of instruments, and a young DJ demonstrating a 'scratching' technique – in the PM Non-Fiction series.
	Animal Heroes Read out about animals that find, rescue, lead, befriend and protect other humans and animals. Some perform this job regularly, whereas others have performed heroic feats at times of disaster. The book has full-colour photos and questions that aid comprehension – in the Connectors series for younger readers.
	Wildlife on Film Find out about the dramas that documentary-makers encounter when filming wild animals and the technology they use to overcome them. Learn how small - and large-budget film-makers plan, budget, script, film and edit their footage, in order to show the world something that educates and inspires - in the Connectors series for younger readers.
	Brilliant Blunders Find out how ordinary mistakes led to the invention of some of our favourite products such as Velcro, Post-It notes, and Silly Putty - in the Connectors series for younger readers.
	Little Green Riding Hood Animal-rights defender Little Green Riding Hood is on her way to visit her rabbit-hunting granny who lives in the woods. Meanwhile, Mr. Wolf, who recently became a vegetarian, is on a mission to expose the contents of a mysterious sack - a multi-levelled reader's theatre script for younger readers.
	The South Pacific An introduction to the geography, economy, people and culture of the different islands in the South Pacific – in the Chatterbox series for younger readers.
	Birkenhead: The Way We Were Birkenhead on the North Shore of Auckland was once full of strawberry fields and orchards, muddy roads and horses and carts. This local history book tells stories and shows old photos of the things that kids want to know about their town over the last 100 years - like the clothes that people wore and the jobs they did, how they travelled, their shops, theatres, schools and toys.

Cane Toads and Underpants: A Pocket Guide to Writing for Boys

When I was a children's librarian, parents often told me it's hard to get boys to read. But it's not that they don't want to read. The trick is finding books that they like. Boys are picky and won't tolerate something that doesn't grab them within the first few minutes. I was lucky to know boys who would tell me about their latest favourites like Zac Power, Freak Street (stories about the Humansons, Wizardsons and Aliensons), How to Train Your Dragon and How to Speak Dragonese by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (both of which are hilarious) and the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore.

It's fun seeing what gets boys excited in a literary sense. I gave a speech about how to write a book for boys when I was in Iowa City on the International Writing Program. Read the speech Cane Toads and Underpants and then read the first page of Bumface by Morris Gleitzman to see a good demonstration of what I'm talking about all, all wrapped up with a good dose of boy-twisted humour. Fabulous stuff.

>	Hiccup: How To Train Your Dragon
>	How To Speak Dragonese (Hiccup)
>	Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
>	Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree Book 7
>	Freak Street 1-4
>	The First Captain Underpants Collection
>	The Kane Chronicles Book One: Red Pyramid
>	Zac Power - Fossil Fury (Zac Power)
>	Halt's Peril (Ranger's Apprentice S.)
>	Brigands M. C. (CHERUB S.)
>	Rogue (H.I.V.E)
>	Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
>	Brainjack