One of the most common questions we get asked in the library is "What can you recommend to get my son reading?". Well, there are a couple of great new books in the library for boys in the 8 - 12 age group.
The Dumpster Saga (Craig Harrison) is a humorous Kiwi adventure about 15 year old Ben and his pesky younger brother Chesney. When Chesney appears with a plastic helmet with a propeller on top the weird stuff starts. There are aliens, zombies, costumed bears, runaway budgies, police visits, parents, money to earn, friends and parties. As Ben says "And then the weirdness begins, which is going to throw my life into an unstoppable series of totally insane and idiotic events, like I've been dropped into a tumble dryer set on full spin." This book is a finalist in the 2008 New Zealand Post Book awards.
Another book which will appeal to this age group, but especially the boys, is Why I hate school by Michael Fatarsky (Kris Stanhope). Michael has 243 reasons (and counting) why he hates school, from the flat soccer balls and broken pencil sharpener to the teachers and the girls in his class. Break is too short and lunchtime is too crowded. But slowly he makes a new friend who helps him see some of the good stuff as well. This book won the Tom Fitzgibbon Award for a first childrens fiction book by a New Zealand author recently.
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