Booklists

RULE NUMBER ONE: I will not turn out like my mother. Mim wants to be anywhere but home -- in a dead suburb and with a mother who won't get off the couch. She's set herself rules to live by, but she's starting to break them. In nine days she'll turn seventeen. What she doesn't know is that her life is about to change forever. And when it does, the same things will look entirely different. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Grace is a risk taker and never one to say no to a dare. So when she is challenged to walk "the pipe" at a local disused quarry, she accepts the challenge. But partway along the pipe, she has a supernatural experience she just can't explain. No one believes she has been hearing the voice of Hannah since walking the pipe, because Hannah is dead. As Grace sinks deeper into a decades-old local mystery, she herself starts to fear she is becoming a Mad Girl. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Sixteen-year-old Nate McKee is doing his best to be invisible. He's worried about a lot of things: how his dad treats Nance and his twin half-brothers; the hydro crop in his bedroom; his reckless friend, Merrick. Nate hangs out at the local youth centre and fills his notebooks with things he can't say. But when some of his pages are stolen, and his words are graffitied at the centre, Nate realises he has allies. He might be able to make a difference, change his life, and claim his future. Or can he? This is How We Change the Ending is raw and real, funny and heartbreaking - a story about what it takes to fight back when you're not a hero. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Stan Walker is one of Aotearoa's most famous singers. But nothing ever came easy for Stan. What were the chances of success for a kid whose parents had both been in jail? Whose world had been filled with drugs and violence and things no kid should even know about? In this young readers' edition of his bestselling autobiography, follow Stan's journey of overcoming impossible odds to achieve his dreams and make peace with his past. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, and above.

In Melbourne, in 1943, Mirabel is seventeen. She's leaving school, designing drsses and falling in love. Then, fate intervenes, her forbidden affair is discovered and JJ is posted back to China where a civil war is raging. Despite all warnings, Mirabel sets off for Shanghai and travels through great danger to find her true love. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above.

Set in Chile, this political thriller takes the reader on a physical and emotional journey into a military coup. A powerful and disturbing novel about one boy's attempt to reveal the abuse of power and torture used by the state. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Eva is far from home when everything goes wrong. And then it gets even worse. Her evacuation bus leaves her behind, stranded with classmates she barely knows. The chase is on. But South America is big, and the old rules are changing quickly. This is the road trip Eva never knew she needed. This is the race for the last flight home. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Set in Victorian London, a former Special Constable who loves science and inventions must solve a case for her Majesty's government. Mystery, conspiracy and even a touch of the supernatural. Blasphemous language may offend some readers. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Frankie and Joely are best friends. It's summer and they escape the city and their mums for a country holiday. But, when Joely introduces Frankie to Thommo and Mack, her country cousins, it's soon clear that more than the heat is getting under their skins. Simmering jealousies and festering secrets test their friendship. Local boy Rory stirs things up even more and secrets start to blister. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Darcy, a budding author, arrives in New York City, to live her dream life as a published author of a novel, 'Afterworlds'. Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld', a place between the living and the dead, to survive a terrorist attack. The stories intertwine and one reality becomes the other. A challenging read; usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

A few years after rebel Tally Youngblood takes down the Specials regime, a cultural renaissance sweeps the world. Tech-heads flaunt their latest gadgets, kickers spread gossip and trends, and surge monkeys are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. Popularity rules, and everyone craves fame. Fifteen-year-old Aya Fuse is no exception. But Aya's face rank is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. Her only chance at stardom is to kick a wild and unexpected story. Then she stumbles upon a big secret. Aya knows she is on the cusp of celebrity. But the information she is about to disclose will change both her fate - and that of the brave new world. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Frey was raised to take a bullet. She's the body double for her twin sister Rafia - the precious heir of the first family of Shreve - and her existence is a closely guarded secret. So while Rafi was schooled in poise and diplomacy, Frey was drilled in weapons and combat. Her purpose: to protect her sister from their tyrannical father's many enemies. When Frey is sent in Rafi's place as collateral in a precarious business deal, she becomes the perfect impostor - as elegant and charming as her sister. But Col Palafox, the son of a rival leader, is getting close enough to spot the killer inside her. As layers of deceit peel away, can Frey become her own person, and risk everything in a rebellion? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold. Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 & above.

Rafi's engagement party is the talk of the feeds. Her dress is spectacular and her fiance, Col Palafox, is charming. But Rafi and Col are both prisoners - with bomb collars around their necks. Surveillance dust records their every move, tracks every glance. And there will be deadly consequences if Rafi's father realises that it's Frey who stayed behind in Shreve, while Rafi escaped with the rebels. With help from the rebels, Frey and Col must try to reach the neighbouring city of Paz, where they hope to be safe. But Frey and Rafi's father has destructive plans even for the City of Peace. When the dust settles after the disaster he initiates, will Frey be able to find a way to survive? Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

"Special Circumstances": The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary. And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more. Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world-- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever... Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Two strangers with new powers take to the dance floor at the Zeroes' underground nightclub. The Zeroes pursue them, only to discover that they're fleeing an even more sinister power-wielder, Swarm. If they are to stay safe, the Zeroes must learn all they can about this dangerous new player. But, each of the Zeroes has their own issues to deal with. It's up to Flicker to pick up the reins and lead the Zeroes into a terrifying showdown. Sequel to Zeroes. Mature themes. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 or above.

Six teens have powers that set them apart. Ethan has a voice inside him that'll say what you want to hear, true or not. This is handy, except when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. To help Sam, the group's leader pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But, the rescue goes wrong and they must deal with dangerous criminals. In the chaos, they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it, or let it loose as she pleases. Mature themes. Usually read by Years 9, 10 or above.

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. The Darwinists will need it now they are at war with the Austrian Clanker powers. Alek, heir to the Austrian throne, is posing as a commoner while Deryn Sharp, a girl, is posing as a boy in the British Air Service. Despite their different philosophies, the pair unite aboard the airship Leviathan, hoping to end the war. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek's throne as Prince of Austria and, finally, fall in love. But, their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war and the crown. And, a potential relationship would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl, and if they weren't technically enemies. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

On the cusp of World War 1, Prince Aleksandar flees Austria in a Cyklop Stormwalker, a war machine that walks on two legs. In Britain, Deryn Sharp is training to be an airman, hoping no-one will discover she's a girl. She serves on the Leviathan, a massive biological airship, functioning as a self-contained ecosystem. When the two teens cross paths, the line between enemy and ally is no longer clear. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Eighteen-year-old Julianne De Marchi is different. As in - she has an electrical undercurrent beneath her skin that stings and surges like a live wire. She can use it-to spark a fire, maybe even end a life - but she doesn't understand what it is. And she can barely control it, especially when she's anxious. Ryan Walsh was on track for a stellar football career when his knee blew out. Now he's a soldier - part of an experimental privatised military unit that has identified Jules De Marchi as a threat. Is it because of the weird undercurrent she's tried so hard to hide? Or because of her mother Angie's history as an activist against bio-engineering and big business? It's no coincidence that Ryan and Jules are in the same place at the same time - he's under orders to follow her, after all. But then an explosive attack on a city building by an unknown enemy throws them together in the most violent and unexpected way. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Peta Lyre is far from typical. The world she lives in isn't designed for the way her mind works, but when she follows her therapist's rules for 'normal' behaviour, she can almost fit in without attracting attention. When a new girl, Sam, starts at school, Peta's carefully structured routines start to crack. But on the school ski trip, with romance blooming and a newfound confidence, she starts to wonder if maybe she can have a normal life after all. When things fall apart, Peta must decide whether all the old rules still matter. Does she want a life less ordinary, or should she keep her rating normal? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Moa has spent his life toiling on the Frontier sugar cane plantation fearing the vicious whips the overseers. When he hears of an uprising, he is ready to be a cane warrior and fight to free his people. He is still only a boy and will have to confront terrifying tasks to survive and succeed. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

For McKay, living on the South Crongton council estate has become even tougher since his mum died. His dad is working all hours, his brother rides the streets at night, tempting trouble. And, after an heroic but misguided mission to help a girl, McKay is facing a crazy ex-boyfriend, power-tripping hood-rats and a violent gangster. He never asked for trouble. During one mad night of adventure and danger, McKay will find out who his true friends are and what it means to stick with family. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Venetia King is the coolest girl at school. Too bad Lemar is the second shortest guy in his year. Everyone calls him Liccle Bit. Things aren't much better at home. His mum is permanently hassled, his sister a frustrated single mum and his dad moved out years ago. Liccle Bit wishes he could do something to make life better. Even a new phone would be good. When a gang war breaks out, Liccle Bit somehow finds himself running errands for Crongton's notorious gang leader. But, when he hears about a killing on the estate, Liccle is forced to question his choices. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Two tales twist together at 203 Liberty Street, Newtown. In 1985, sixteen year old Evie and her family move into a new home, which appears to be haunted. Evie dreams of running footsteps, shouting voices and loud banging. Fifty years previously, during the Great Depression, Lizzie and her family live at number 203. Her family faces eviction and the local communist movement barricades the house. The final chapters reveal the connections between the past and the present. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

It's Matt's fifteenth birthday and he receives a card from his mother, whom he grew up believing to be dead. Feeling betrayed by both his parents, he begins writing letters to Leonardo da Vinci to help sort out the mess in his head. Through the connections he makes between his own life and that of Leonardo, Matt unravels the mystery and discovers his mother's secrets. Includes complex issues about mental health. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Following the death of her father, Bayley's family is not coping, with her sister's rebellious behaviour and her brother feeling guilt about his role in the accident. Bayley is trying to keep things together for everyone. Mum decides a move to an old family home in the country is best, where there is the 40 year old unsolved disappearance of Bayley's cousin, who is using Bayley to seek revenge. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

BLAKWORK is a powerful collection of memoir, reportage, fiction, satire and critique through which the themes of great loss and the desire for a different future, emerge. Through her innovative and powerful poetic voice, Whittaker merges her own personal experiences with her research into Australian history and political decisions, to create a fearless and unsparing portrayal of the Australia presented through other interpretations; a portrayal that challenges the readers' understanding and invites them to rethink the identity and place projected onto the traditional custodians of the land. Usually read by students in year 9, 10 and above.

Arrow is haunted by a childhood tragedy. Marika is caught in a nightmare from which there is no escape. They are both looking for answers and when they come across a magician, they are tempted by a possibility of a way out. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

The first shots were fired at eleven am on 19 July 1916. The Battle of Fromelles lasted less than twenty-four hours and, when it was over, more than five thousand Australian soldiers had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner. More soldiers died at Fromelles than in the Boer, Korean and Vietnam wars combined. Almost a century later, the attention of the world has once again turned to Fromelles. Usually read by students in Years 9,10 or above.

What happens when the lights go off after what might truly be an end-of-the-world event? How do you stay alive? Who do you trust? How much do you have to sacrifice? Seventeen-year-old Pru Palmer lives with her twin sisters, Grace and Blythe, and their father, Rick, on the outskirts of an isolated mining community. The Palmers are doomsday preppers. They have a bunker filled with non-perishable food and a year's worth of water. One day while Rick is at the mine, the power goes out. At the Palmers' house, and in the town. All communication is cut. No one knows why. It doesn't take long for everything to unravel. In town, supplies run out and people get desperate. The sisters decide to keep their bunker a secret. The world is different; the rules are different. Survival is everything, and family comes first. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Ruby's younger brother has died and her family is torn apart. Ruby feels his death so personally that she has shut herself off from her usual world. When she meets Fox, an idiosyncratic but gentle loner, Ruby is drawn into his special, little community. Fox seems to understand what she's going through and offers her a chance to find peace. But, Ruby discovers that he lives in a terrifying, secretive cult community that is far from the ideal world she expected. Gripping, confronting read. Usually read by Years 9, 10 or above.

A girl wakes up on a bus, but has no memory of how she got there and what she's doing there. There are other passengers too and it soon becomes obvious that they don't have any memories either. Then begins a series of tests where the passengers decide the outcome. At first the tests seem harmless enough but soon it becomes obvious the passengers are doing more than making judgements on imagined scenarios - in fact the tests become a case of life or death. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10, or above.

Astrid is popular, clever and an environmental activist. Hiro is rude, resentful, and doesn't see the point of school. When they meet, Hiro's wrangling shopping trolleys and doesn't recognise Astrid, who's wearing a lobster suit to highlight a threatened species. She wants to change the world, he wants to survive it. But, ultimately, both believe that the world needs to be saved from itself. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above.

A warrior princess risking her throne to end a lifelong war. A young enemy soldier questioning his role in a game of life and death. If they join forces under the shadow of a new threat, will they survive to lead the resistance? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Beatle normally doesn't go out on Friday the thirteenth but this is an exception. And, then, there's the attractive girl wearing sunglasses and reading a book. Not only is her name Destiny but her surname is McCartney, and since his real name is John Lennon, and for a whole lot of other spooky reasons, it seems destined that they will be together. But Beatle already has a girlfriend. Some language in context. Usually read by student in Years 9,10 or above.

What's a girl to do when her parents have split up; her dad has a new girlfriend, her mum is internet dating and one of her best friends has decided not to invite her to the biggest party of the year (which she then has to watch the party unfold on everyone's else's social media!). If you're a girl called MC, you get mad as hell, that's what you do. But what begins as one girl's private no-holds-barred rant soon snowballs in the most public way possible. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Simon's life revolves around his love of music. He listens to it, he plays it, he writes it, and performs it. When he wakes up one morning completely deaf after a ministroke, his world nearly falls apart. Angry and confused, he refuses help, refuses to learn to sign, and tries desperately to hold on to music. It is only when he meets G, a girl his own age suffering from a different form of deafness caused by severe tinnitus, that he begins to seriously consider a full life, even a life with music. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Pearl and Jodie, boy-mad sisters and best friends, are full of teen and pre-teen angst. Mum just can't cope with little girls who don't do as they're told, especially precocious Jodie whom, in her frustation, she often lashes out at physically. Pearl can't believe that Jodie would ever choose to leave her but perhaps her story won't have a happy ending. Coarse language used in context. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

In Germany, in World War II, Jenny's father is taken prisoner by the Americans and her brother is killed. When the mother of her Jewish friend, Rafael, is taken by the Gestapo Jenny's family hides him. The story traces the dangers facing Jenny and Rafael, and their eventual escape. Adult themes, violence, coarse language. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above.

Jack and Hoshi are soldiers on opposite sides who meet on the Kokoda Track during World War Two. Graphic illustrations enrich this sensitive, realistic and harrowing story of the personal tragedy of two soldiers and their loved ones at home. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above.

Crow was just a baby when she was tied into a boat and pushed out to sea. When she washes up onto a tiny island, there are just 3 clues to her origin; a birthmark in the shape of a feather, a ruby ring and a sea-soaked letter with just a few cryptic words remaining. 12 years later, when a mysterious fire appears across the ocean, Crow starts to wonder who she is and where she came from. Crow will set out on a remarkable treasure hunt, and discover what it truly means to be a family. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Join Eddie Woo, award winning teacher and star of the Woo-tube channel) as he tells us how he came to love maths. Eddie mingles anecdotes with facts to bring the world of maths to life and make it fun, even for the most sceptical maths student. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Boarding in the wilderness, sixteen year old Sibylla expects the gruesome outdoor program but not friendship and love complications. New girl, Lou, who is grieving and fragile, must consider her self-imposed detachment as she becomes intrigued by an unfolding drama involving Sibylla. As Sibylla confronts a tangle of betrayal, she needs to renegotiate everything. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

During the Plague in London in 1665, Rachel fears for her life and that of her missing cousin when, one day, he fails to return. Robert's side of the story is also told. Contains violence and gruesome facts in context. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Two young friends are on opposite sides of a violent struggle between the workers at the mill, who have been driven to desperation by deprivation, and the owners of the mills trying to build successful businesses using modern technology. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Ruth Rose, wild stepdaughter of the local preacher, believes he caused the disappearance of Jim Hawkin's father. Investigating the mystery puts both teenagers in mortal danger. A harrowing story with strong language in context. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.