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Ages 12–13

New books for ages 12–13

Scar Town

A missing father. A drowned town. A buried secret. Three friends on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth.

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Being Jimmy Baxter

A gently funny yet powerful coming-of-age middle grade novel about surviving the odds, unlikely friendships and the magical music of Elvis.

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This Time It's Real

Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.

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Features

Activity
DIY Ranger's Apprentice cloak

How to make your own Ranger's Apprentice Cloak for book week and beyond!

Extract
What We All Saw

Nineteen seventy-six was the year we covered up the death of a twelve-year-old boy, hiding his body from his family and the world forever.

Book clubs
Cop and Robber Reading Group Questions

If your mum was a cop and your dad was a criminal who needed your help to commit a crime, would you do it to save him?

Extract
Prometheus High 1: How to Make a Monster

Lightning flashed, and Athena Strange began counting.

Extract
A Glasshouse of Stars

You have arrived for a better life at the New House in the New Land.

Video
The Boy, the Wolf and the Stars by Shivaun Plozza | Book Trailer

Buy now: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-boy-the-wolf-and-the-stars-9781760893453 Every night Ulv is cloaked in total Darkness.

Article
Meet Friday Barnes

Girl detective extraordinaire!

Book clubs
Listen, Layla Book Club Notes

Reading group discussion questions for ages 12+.

Article
Read the book, then stream these movies and shows

‘Which is better – the book or the movie?’ is an age-old question that we’re just not prepared to answer (although I’m sure you can guess where our bias may lie).

Article
Stories matter, so we better make them good

Lisa Nicol shares the experience of writing what she describes as her most special book, and pays tribute to her friend and co-creator.

Article
Australia’s top 10 kids’ books of 2020

Here are some of the best selling books of the year.

Article
Australia’s top 12 kids books for Christmas 2020

Twelve predictions of Christmas-time bestsellers for preschoolers, juniors and teens.

Extract
The Tell

Seen from any angle, the Coffin is one seriously ugly pile of stones.

Activity
At home lesson: story structure with Two Wolves

What is it that makes a book gripping? We investigate story structure with Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks.