Years 7 to 12 Easter Holiday Reading

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FANTASY

House of Hollow
By Krystal Sutherland
Iris Hollow and her two older sisters are unquestionably strange. Ever since they disappeared on a suburban street in Scotland as children only to return a month a later with no memory of what happened to them, odd, eerie occurrences seem to follow in their wake. And they’re changing. People find them disturbingly intoxicating, unbearably beautiful and inexplicably dangerous. But now, ten years later, seventeen year old Iris Hollow is doing all she can to fit in and graduate high school on time something her two famously glamorous globe trotting older sisters, Grey and Vivi, never managed to do. (Publisher)
The Prison Healer
By Lynette Noni

From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling YA fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir. (Goodreads)
Dark Rise
By C.S.Pacat

C.S. Pacat is the USA-Today best-selling author of Dark Rise, the Captive Prince trilogy, and the GLAAD-nominated graphic novels Fence. Born in Australia and educated at the University of Melbourne, C.S. Pacat has lived in a number of cities, including Tokyo and Perugia, and currently resides and writes in Melbourne. (Goodreads)
Terciel & Elinor
By Garth Nix
Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Terciel and Elinor, and the charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series. (Goodreads)
The Midnight Girls
By Alicia Jasinska

The Wicked Deep meets House of Salt and Sorrows in this new standalone YA fantasy set in a snow-cloaked kingdom where witches are burned, and two enchantresses secretly compete for the heart of a prince, only to discover that they might be falling for each other. (Goodreads)
White Smoke
By Tiffany D Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson! (Goodreads)

DRAMA

Stars in Their Eyes
By Jessica Walton
Maisie has always dreamed of meeting her hero, Kara Bufano, an amputee actor who plays a kick-arse amputee character in her favourite show. Fancon is big and exciting and exhausting. Then she meets Ollie, a cute volunteer who she has a lot in common with. Could this be the start of something, or will her mum, who doesn’t seem to know what boundaries are, embarrass her before she and Ollie have a chance? (Goodreads)
Sugar Town Girls
By Malla Nunn

From LA Times Book Prize Award Winner and Edgar Award Nominee Malla Nunn comes a stunning portrait of a family divided and the bonds that knit our communities.
(Goodreads)
The Boy from the Mish
By Gary Lonesborough

A funny and heart-warming queer Indigenous YA novel, set in a rural Australian community, about seventeen-year-old Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is, even if it scares him. (Goodreads)
Girls in Boys’ Cars
By Felicity Castagna

A page-turning novel about a complicated friendship; a road trip through NSW in a stolen car; the stories that define us; and two funny, sharp, adventurous young women who refuse to be held back any longer. (Publisher)
Henry Hamlet’s Heart
By Rhiannon Wilde

A sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking journey to love. (Publisher)
How to Repaint a Life
By Steven Herrick

Isaac is running from his old life when he steps off the bus in a small town. He doesn’t plan on sticking around and has nowhere to stay, but a local café owner’s kindness offers him a chance to change his story. Then Isaac meets Sophie and learns he’s not the only one wanting to repaint his life. (Goodreads)
Social Queue
By Kay Kerr

Kay Kerr is an autistic freelance writer and YA author from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Her first book ‘Please don’t hug me’ was listed as a CBCA 2021 notable book for older readers. Social Queue is a YA romance novel with an autistic girl at the centre.
The Gaps
By Leanne Hall

A tribute to friendship in all its guises, The Gaps is a moving examination of vulnerability and strength, safety and danger, and the particular uncertainty of being a young woman in the world. (Goodreads)
A Pho Love Story
By Loan Le

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants. (Publisher)
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Benjamin Alire Saenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. (Publisher)
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling By Wai Chim
Anna Chiu has her hands pretty full looking after her brother and sister and helping out at her dad’s restaurant, all while her mum stays in bed. Dad’s new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren’t right at home, she’s starting to feel like she could just be a normal teen. But when Mum finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as Mum’s condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other. (Publisher)
Rainfish
By Andrew Paterson

Rainfish is a delightful middle-grade novel exploring childhood innocence—a warm and humorous portrayal of a young boy trying to undo an impulsive mistake. (Publisher)

SERIES

Enola Holmes Mystery Series
By Nancy Springer  

YA fiction series of detective novels by American author Nancy Springer, starring Enola Holmes as the 14-year-old sister of an already-famous Sherlock Holmes, twenty years her senior. (Publisher)
The Folk of the Air Series
By Holly Black


Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brim-full of magic and romance.  (Book Depository)
Robin Hood Series
By Robert Muchamore


#1 Hacking, Heists and flaming arrows
#2 Piracy, paintballs and zebras
#3 Jetskis, swamps and smugglers
#4 Drones, dams and destruction (muchamore.com)

graphic Novels

Drama
By Raina Telgemeier

Following the success of SMILE, Raina Telgemeier brings us another graphic novel featuring a diverse set of characters that humorously explores friendship, crushes, and all-around drama! (Publisher)
The Crossover
By Kwame Alexander
“With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. ’Cuz tonight I’m delivering,” raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood—he’s got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it’s all on the line. (Goodreads)
Stormbreaker
By Anthony Horowitz

Art & adaptation by Antony Johnston and Kanako Damerum
Now is your chance to see this book visualized in a brand-new format, with bold, edgy, manga-like illustrations that bring Alex Rider to life in a way not seen before. (Goodreads)
Twilight
By Stephenie Meyer

Art & adaptation by Young Kim
To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee

Art & adaptation by Fred Fordham
Exo Dimensions
By Seraphina Newberry and Justin Randall

Mutants, cyborgs, failed clones and emotional wounds. This book is a ride into central Australian Indigenous creation stories, woven through family relationships, honour and sheer adventure. This story unsettles linear time as the past catches up with the future and vice versa, while the present reveals itself in intimate moments of connections, losses and mayhem.

NON FICTION

Double Take is a fact-packed look at how science is tackling stereotypes. In the intermediate grades, students are likely to encounter and recognize all kinds of stereotypes. Our brains constantly use categories to sort and label the things (and people) around us — both with good results and frightening ones. This book explores how we all use stereotypes and how science can help us to build more equal societies, where fewer stereotypes exist and minorities don’t need to fight for equal rights. It offers plenty of hope for future equality and inclusion for all – and explains the surprising ways that science is helping us to get there. (Publisher)
Author Trent Dalton spent two months in Brisbane city centre asking passers-by to tell him their love stories. This is his account of that experience and his retelling of some of the stories he collected. (Publisher)
Growing up with a speech impediment and an auditory processing disorder, Amanda had hills to climb. Through poetry she found her voice, and became America’s first Youth Poet Laureate. After reciting a poem at President Biden’s inauguration, the audience was moved by Amanda’s unifying words, and she became a shining light for the whole world. This inspiring story of the poet’s life features a fact and photo section at the back. (Publisher)

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