Welcome to Riverbend Standing Orders for April 2024
We are delighted to bring to you a great selection of titles.
Kind Regards, Pauline and Trish
Picture Books
Dinosaur in My Pocket – Ashleigh Barton; illus. Blithe Fielden (4+ Australian, themes of dinosaurs, collections, excursions, museums, guilt, honesty, cautionary tale, fixing our mistakes, Teacher’s Notes)
Tearaway Coach – Neridah McMullin, illus. Andrew McLean (4+ Australian, themes of adventure, action, bushrangers, history, horses, Cobb & Co. coaches)
The Independent Pea – Maree Coote (4+ Australian, themes of friendship, community, independence, language puns)
Two Turtles – Kiah Thomas; illus. Jake A. Minton (4+ Australian, themes of humour, competition, rivalry, cooperation, teamwork)
Primary Fiction
Ferris – Kate DiCamillo (9+ themes of siblings, grief, coming of age, growing up, family, community, humour, Teacher’s Notes)
Fledgewitch: A Dragon of Hallow Book – Lian Tanner (8+ Australian, second in series, fantasy, adventure, quest, friendship, magic, secrets)
Tweet – Morris Gleitzman (8+ Australian, family, love, courage, being human, teamwork, social change, our relationship with the natural world, Teacher’s Notes)
Wurtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky – Tylissa Elisara; illus. Dylan Finney (7+ Australian Aboriginal novel, themes of First Nations Culture & Storytelling, wombats, magic, wishes, rite of passage, bravery, facing fears, diversity, friendship, love, science, Teacher’s Notes)
Middle School Fiction
Courage Be My Friend: The Vivian Bullwinkle Story – Jenny Davis (11+ Australian, themes of historical fiction, World War 2, war, courage, survival, prisoners of war, friendship, resilience, references to brutality by soldiers, some outdated slangs and racial slurs relevant to to the historical period but no longer used, Teaching Activity, Teaching Notes)
On Silver Tides – Sylvia Bishop (11+ themes of fantasy, family, beliefs, superstition, adventure, quests, survival, betrayal, danger, nautical, magic systems, Teacher’s Notes)
The Night War – Kimberley Brubaker Bradley (10+ themes of historical fiction, the French Resistance, World War II, religion, courage, trust, magical realism, secrets, choice, identity, bravery, Teaching Notes)
The Witch-Stone Ghosts – Emily Randall-Jones (10+ themes of gothic, adventure, mystery, ability to see ghosts, humour, ghost characters, friendship, family, dementia, hope)
Secondary Fiction
Catch Your Death – Ravena Guron (15+ themes of contemporary, murder mystery, friendships, UKYA, humour, diversity, twisty, family, revenge, privilege, socio-economic inequity, mental health, Teaching Guide)
Deep is the Fen – Lili Wilkinson (15+ Australian, themes of fantasy, magic, witches, dystopia, romance, LGBTQIA+, quest, enemies-to-lovers, sacrifices, secrets, violence and torture, death and dying, family)
The Revenant Games – Margie Fuston (15+ themes of fantasy, witches, vampires, loss, grief, regret, making amends, attraction, secrets, danger, adventure, some references to violence and torture, romance)
Those Girls – Pamela Rushby – (15+ Australian, themes of historical fiction, World War II, Women’s Land Army, women in war, Australian home front, courage & bravery, travel, resilience, adventure, romance, friendships, family, multiple narrators, flashbacks, reference to pregnancy, writing & journalism, reference to the Battle of Brisbane, discrimination)
Adult Fiction
Love, Death & Other Scenes – Nova Weetman
The Work – Bri Lee
Primary Fiction (Boys Only Pack)
Batthew Aromascent and the Missing Corpse Flower (Batthew Aromascent #1) – Ella Vulvey & John Roebuck (8+ Australian, themes of magic, adventure, fantasy, 1st in series, mystery, family, frienship, perseverance, humour)
The Whisperwicks: The Labyrinth of Lost and Found – Jordan Lees (8+ themes of fantasy, adventure, parallel worlds, magic, science, labyrinth world, home)
Tweet – Morris Gleitzman (8+ Australian, family, love, courage, being human, teamwork, social change, our relationship with the natural world, Teacher’s Notes)
Wurtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky – Tylissa Elisara; illus. Dylan Finney (7+ Australian Aboriginal novel, themes of First Nations Culture & Storytelling, wombats, magic, wishes, rite of passage, bravery, facing fears, diversity, friendship, love, science, Teacher’s Notes)
Middle School Fiction (Boys Only Pack)
On Silver Tides – Sylvia Bishop (11+ themes of fantasy, family, beliefs, superstition, adventure, quests, survival, betrayal, danger, nautical, magic systems, Teacher’s Notes)
Rare Birds – Jeff Miller (11+ themes of contemporary, family, friendships, identity, moving around, sick parent, birding, adventure)
Sunny (#3 Track) – Jason Reynolds (11+ themes of contemporary, book in a series, track and field, friendships, family, absent mother, homeschooling, identity, dancing, growing up, diary format)
To and Fro – Anton Clifford-Motopi – (11+ Australian, themes of humour, contemporary, growing up, identity, biracial, families, both separated and blended, friendships, discrimination, performing, Teacher notes)
Secondary School Fiction (Boys Only Pack)
Catch Your Death – Ravena Guron (15+ themes of contemporary, murder mystery, friendships, UKYA, humour, diversity, twisty, family, revenge, privilege, socio-economic inequity, mental health, Teaching Guide)
Deep is the Fen – Lili Wilkinson (15+ Australian, themes of fantasy, magic, witches, dystopia, romance, LGBTQIA+, quest, enemies-to-lovers, sacrifices, secrets, violence and torture, death and dying, family)
Gus and the Missing Boy – Troy Hunter (15+ Austrlalian, themes of contemporary, family, friendships, mystery, identity, LGBTQIA+, mental health, reference to self-harm, self-confidence, carers and caring, danger and survival)
The Revenant Games – Margie Fuston (15+ themes of fantasy, witches, vampires, loss, grief, regret, making amends, attraction, secrets, danger, adventure, some references to violence and torture, romance)
Riverbend Standing Orders 