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	Broken Soup By Jenny Valentine When the good-looking boy with the American accent presses the dropped negative into Rowan's hand, she's sure it's all a big mistake. But next moment he's gone, lost in the crowd of bustling shoppers. And she can't afford to lose her place in the checkout queue; after all, if she doesn't take the groceries home, nobody else will. Rowan has more responsibilities than most girls her age. These days, she pretty much looks after her little sister single-handedly; which doesn't leave much time for friends or fun. So when she finds out that Bee from school saw the whole thing, it piques her curiosity. Who was the boy? Why was he so insistent that the negative belonged to Rowan? Shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Awards 2008
	Howl’s Moving Castle By Diana Wynne Jones Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl. This book inspired the Studio Ghibli movie, Howl’s Moving Castle. Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Sequel: Castle in the Air.
	Little Brother By Cory Doctorow After being interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, seventeen-year-old Marcus, released into what is now a police state, decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right. Finalist for two awards in 2009 – Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Prometheus Award.
	The Recruit By Robert Muchamore A terrorist doesn't let strangers into her flat because they might be undercover police, but her children bring their mates home. She doesn't know that a kid has bugged her house. The kid works for CHERUB. CHERUB kids slip under adult radar and get information that sends criminals to jail. The first book in the Cherub series. Next book: Class A Winner of numerous awards, including the Kingston Young Readers Award.
	Parvana By Deborah Ellis In Kabul, Afghanistan, Parvana's father is arrested and removed by Taliban solders. Under Taliban law, women and girls are not allowed to leave home without a man, so Parvana, her mother and sisters must stay inside. When their food runs out, they face starvation, so Parvana must pretend to be a boy. Honor book for the CLA Book of the Year Children’s Awards 2003. Sequel: Paravana’s Journey.
	Chinese Cinderella By Adeline Yen Mah The story of a Chinese woman and how she suffered appalling emotional deprivation and rejection by her family as a child growing up in China and Hong Kong. She tells of the consequences in her adult life, above which she rose to make a happy marriage and become a successful doctor in the USA.
	Runaways Vol 1: Pride and Joy By Brian K Vaughan All young people believe their parents are evil ... but what if they really are? Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn. When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy. The Runaways series has won numerous awards, including an Eisner Award. Next book: Runaways Vol 2: Teenage Wasteland
	The 10 PM Question By Kate DeGoldi Twelve-year-old Frankie Parsons has rather large, quirky family. Until now they've been the centre of his universe, but now Frankie's view of his world begins to change. There's a new arrival at school- a dreadlocked girl called Sydney who becomes perplexingly fascinating to him. She even starts to draw him away from his best friend, Gigs. Winner of the Book of the Year award and Young Adult Fiction award – NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2009
	I Am Not Esther By Fleur Beale When Kirby's mother tells her she is going away for two years, and is leaving her with relatives she's never heard of, it is every teenage girl's nightmare. These relatives are members of a closed religious sect. They have no television, radio, newspapers or mirrors and Kirby must wear long, modest clothes and behave in a 'Godly' way, or else. They even give her a new biblical name, Esther. Honour Award – NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 1999
	The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman When a baby escapes a murderer intent on killing the entire family, who would have thought it would find safety and security in the local graveyard? Brought up by the resident ghosts, ghouls and spectres, Bod has an eccentric childhood learning about life from the dead. But for Bod there is also the danger of the murderer still looking for him - after all, he is the last remaining member of the family. A stunningly original novel deftly constructed over eight chapters, featuring every second year of Bod's life, from babyhood to adolescence. Will Bod survive to be a man. Winner of the John Newbery Award 2009.
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