#LoveOzLit - Books Gift-Guide for Christmas!

Hello Darling Readers!

It’s November – which means Christmas is *just* around the corner. I decided to put this post together for anyone who is like me, and prefers to be super-prepared for Chrissie, rather than set foot in a shopping centre at any point during December.

Well, it was that, but also – I really wanted to put together a Books Gift-Guide for Christmas, that celebrates some of the amazing Australian Youth Literature titles we had come out in 2017. And encouraging everyone to not only buy books as gifts, but AUSTRALIAN books – because we have some serious fabulousness!

I know lots of people think that books are too personal a gift to give; because it’s all about individual likes, and dislikes (also trying to guess what’s already on someone's shelves!) but I’m with the Icelanders on this one, who – and I quote! – “have a beautiful tradition of giving books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading.” How gorgeous does that sound?!

So, consider this your Aussie version of a Bokatidindi Books Gift-Guide! For all the young people in your life, who you’d like to gift some #LoveOzLit this Christmas!

I have restricted it to books released in 2017, and no sequels for that reason too (sorry!) And of course - this is a purely subjective list based entirely on my personal picks - though I have tried to cover a range of genres, etc. 

And – full disclosure of nepotism – the #LoveOzYA Anthology does indeed feature … but – c’mon! – it’s a book celebrating our national youth literature, with a smorgasbord of genre (so if you don’t know what the teen in your life is into it’s PERFECT!) – AND, it’s short-stories for the time-poor teen (also because short stories are freakin’ marvellous and they’ll appreciate it as something other than the Edgar Allen Poe examples they had to study/suffer in school. Sorry, Poe!)

Ummmm ... speaking of the #LoveOzYA Anthology - it's one of the books you can vote for in ABC's The Book Club 'Five of the Best' of 2017 and if you could please vote for it I would be endlessly grateful! (honestly, this is such a long-shot but if the lead-up to Christmas isn't the time to hope, then I don't know when is!) 

Without further ado – 

Happy #LoveOzLit!

  

Picture Books:

·      That Christmas Feeling by Lili Wilkinson, illustrated by Amanda Francey

·      Hello, Melbourne! by Megan McKean

·      Peas and Quiet by Gabrielle Tozer, illustrated by Sue DeGennaro

·      Yakanarra Songbook: About Our Place in Walmajarri and English by Jessie Wamarla Moora

·      I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon

·      Under the Love Umbrella by Davina Francesca Bell, illustrated by Allison Colpoys

·      Boy by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Shane Devries
·          At the Beach I See by Kamsani Bin Salleh
·          Storm Pearl by Kerry Anne Jordinson
·          Koala Bare by Jackie French, illustrated by Matt Shanks
·          Ten Pound Pom written by Carole Wilkinson, illustrated by Liz Anelli

 

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Junior Fiction:

·      Super Moopers series 

·      Pip and Houdini by J.C. Jones

·      Patty Hits the Court: Game Day! #1 by Patty (Patrick) Mills, Jared Thomas

·     Grover, Stretch and the Broken Leg 'Grover McBane Rescue Dog Book #5' by Claire Garth, illustrated by Johannes Leak

·      To the Lighthouse by Cristy Burne

·      The Beast of Hushing Wood by Gabrielle Wang

·      Party Time 'Hot Dog, Book #2' by Anh Do, illustrated by Dan McGuiness

·      Jehan and the Quest of the Lost Dog by Rosanne Hawke

·      Tashi Storybook: Special Edition by Anna Fienberg, illustrated by Kim Gamble

·      The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster: Polly and Buster Book #1 by Sally Rippin

  

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 Middle Grade: 8-12 year-olds

·      Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

·      Accidental Heroes: The Rogues #1 by Lian Tanner

·      Marsh and Me by Martine Murray

·      The Vampire Knife 'The Witching Hours Book 1' by Jack Henseleit

·      The Fall by Tristan Bancks

·      Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

·      My Australian Story: Our Race for Reconciliation by Anita Heiss

·      How to Bee by Bren MacDibble

·      The Shop at Hoopers Bend by Emily Rodda

·      The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby

   

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Young Adult: 14+

·     Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology edited by Danielle Binks and featuring short-stories by Amie Kaufman Melissa Keil Will Kostakis Ellie Marney Jaclyn Moriarty Michael Pryor Alice Pung Gabrielle Tozer Lili Wilkinson

·     Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell, and Fiona Wood

·      Beautiful Mess by Claire Christian

·      No Limits by Ellie Marney

·      The Undercurrent by Paula Weston

·      In The Dark Spaces by Cally Black

·      Living on Hope Street by Demet Divaroren

·      Because of You by Pip Harry

·      The Dream Walker by Victoria Carless

·      Night Swimming by Steph Bowe

·      Ballad For a Mad Girl by Vikki Wakefield 

·      Frogkisser! by Garth Nix

·      Remind Me How This Ends by Gabrielle Tozer

·      Gap Year in Ghost Town by Michael Pryor

·      Untidy Towns by Kate O'Donnell

·      The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil

·      A Shadow’s Breath by Nicole Hayes

·      Trust by Kylie Scott

  

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P.S. – I’m also a big fan of Read Local, Buy Local – so if you’re looking to purchase books this Christmas, please do so from an Australian-retailer and support local businesses! Find your nearest independent bookshop via this website; http://www.indies.com.au/

And if you really want to buy books online – Dymocks and Booktopia are *great* options (who won’t hit you up with $$$ shipping fees!)

P.P.S. – if you do get books as pressies this year (YAY!) but need to clear some room from your choc-a-block shelves … or – heck! – even if you’re a Book Blogger/Vlogger who needs to do a Bookish Spring-Clean, may I please suggest you donate any unwanted (but great condition!) books to either Brotherhood Books or The Footpath Library?! Two wonderful organisations who do a lot of good in our community! Thanks :-)

Aaaaaaaaand once more, with feeling - please vote for Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology as one of the 'Five of the Best' books of 2017!