Thin books

Cooper, Susan: A Magician’s Boy
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2005

A Boy works hard for a Magician. He polishes the magic wands and feeds the white rabbits but he isn’t happy at all. More than anything the Boy wants to learn magic but the Magician won’t teach him. Not yet, because the time isn’t right. A part of the Magician’s performance is a puppet theatre and the Boy gets to operate the puppets.  The play is Saint George and the Dragon. One day the puppet of Saint George is missing and it is the Boy’s duty to search it through the Land of Story.

Dougherty, John: Niteracy Hour
Random, 2005

“Eeeeugh” is one of the worst noises human children make according to Jim. He is a head-louse, newly-hatched from a nit on Gregory’s head. At school Jim enjoys the teacher’s story-readings and he especially likes a book called Treasure Island. On the other hand Jim doesn’t like the school bully Duncan, who doesn’t like almost anyone. Duncan threatens to stick Gregory’s head down the toilet, which really worries Jim, after all he is living on his head. Because Jim is such a special louse with his talking ability, he soon makes friends with Gregory and his friends. Can Jim help Gregory put an end to Duncan’s nastiness?

Dunmore, Helen: Tara’s Tree House
Egmont, 2004

Tara is staying at her Nan’s flat for six weeks, because her Mum is in the hospital and her Dad is working on an oil rig. Nan’s neighbour Mr. Barenstein is old and tired to look after his garden, so he lets his neighbours to do that instead. Tara climbs the trees and Nan wants to to find a place to grow vegetables like she used to when she was young. Nan tells Tara about the war and how she was sent away to a farm, because of bombing. Nan had to stay in the country for five years until it was safe to come back to London. You can learn interesting facts about World War Two with Tara and her Nan.

Heimann, Rolf: Life’s Like a Crocodile
Little Hare books, 2004

This collection of 18 short stories is hilarious. You’ll get to know Kevin, who wants to be in the Guinness book of Records one way or the other. How about the leader of the blood thirstiest bandits, who turns mushy every time the moon is full? What happens when two bored meteors think about crashing into Earth and making a big splash? You’ll understand the title of this book after reading the story. You may even find this book very useful.

Jungman, Ann: There’s a Troll at the Bottom of my Garden
Puffin Books, 1993

Patrick, Darren and Selima are really fed up. Their parents have told them not to play in the street, because the Sebastopol Avenue is too filthy and disgusting for children to play. One day the children are playing in the garden and they hear someone singing quietly. The sound comes from the shed at the bottom of the garden. They find a hungry troll who doesn’t like to eat people anymore. He craves ice-cream instead. The troll has moved to the shed from under the rickedy, rackedy bridge, which has been pulled down. Patrick, Darren and Selima decide to help the troll but then their parents find it out….

Madonna: The English Roses
Callaway Editions, 2003

The English Roses are four little girls named Nicole, Amy, Charlotte and Grace and they are so good friends that they are practically glued to each other at the hip. They have one really nasty feature in common. They are all jealous of Binah, who is the nicest and most beautiful girl in the neighbourhood. Binah is very lonely but the English Roses have decided to hate her anyway. One night the girls are having a sleepover party at Nicole’s house and they end up having the same dream. A fairy godmother  suggests they should trade places with Binah and find out what’s it like to walk in her shoes for a while.

Peters, Stephanie: Rock on
Little, Brown and Company, 2004

Xavier McSweeney, X to his friends and family is an excellent snowboarder. One day X and his friend Mark confront Frank and his friends. Frank dares X to race him down the hill. X wants to refuse but his friend Jonas praises him so gushily that he has to say yes. Later on X’s friends find out there is a new rock-climbing wall at the mall and they all want to sign up for the trip to go there. X hesitates. He does almost all the extreme sports there are but he is secretly afraid of heights. How can he get through rock-climbing?

Sachar, Louis: Marvin Redpost, Class President
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2004

It’s a ”hole” day at school and everyone has to wear  clothes with holes. Even the teacher and the principal are wearing their very worst clothes. But a surprise visitor is on his way: the President of the United States himself! There is no time to get changed. The teacher tells Marvin and his classmates to write down some questions they would like to ask the president. Marvin thinks he has to ask something important. Suddenly the class room is full of cameras and tv-people and Marvin is asked to the board to solve a biggest math problem ever. Then the door opens and in walks the president…

Umansky, Kaye: The Night I Was Chased by a Vampire and Other Stories
Orion Children's Books, 2004

Read about an empty suit of armour who frightens everyone on its nightly rounds. What is it looking for anyway? Can you guess what the spooks from the ghost train do after the fairground is closed? They will paint the fairground red trying every ride and eating mountains of candy floss and ice-cream! What happens when a nice Bogey family gets new neighbours from a Troll family? In the end you’ll get a fright of your life like a boy who stays the night at a tumbledown castle. These scary stories are written in verse.

Wallace, Karen: Rollerblading Royals
Hodder Children's Books, 1998

King Clements hates the fancy palace he lives in and the Queen Clementina is always bored. When the circus comes to town they both decide to visit the circus in disguise. Meanwhile at the circus Kevin, King of Clowns is not happy. He is so tired of the hard work at the circus. And so is his wife Ricky, Rollerblading Queen. They wish they could taste the life of the royals for a change. When King Clements and Queen Clementina come to the circus they all decide to swap places.