READING GUIDE 2025 2025
Dear Students and Families,
As we approach Winter school holidays in Melbourne, there's no better time to curl up with a captivating book The holiday offers the perfect opportunity to escape into new worlds, delve into fascinating stories, and expand our horizons from the comfort of our homes
We're delighted to share our Winter Reading Guide, a curated selection of books we think you'll love during these cooler months This guide features a diverse range of genres, and the year level guides are indicative of where we think they are best suited.
We hope this guide inspires your winter reading adventures Please come into the library before the holidays and collect your holiday reading. Whether you're looking for an immersive escape, a stimulating challenge, or simply a good story to keep you company, we believe you'll find something to enjoy within these pages
Stay warm and happy reading!
Sincerely,
Mrs.J.Pietralla
Mrs Janine Pietralla Teacher Librarian
How to use this Guide
We’ve added a coloured letter next to each book to tell you what genre or genres they might be - that’s the themes of the story
Here is a full list of tags so you can decode them:
About Weickhardt Library
The Weickhardt Library is open for all staff and students from Grade 6 to Year 12.
We can help you with:
Research - finding reliable information, referencing, search strategies
Reading recommendations - what to read next, what's new, what's good
Borrowing and returning
Printing
Scan this QR Code or click here to visit the Weickhardt Library DEEDS
Non-Fiction
CloudspottingforBeginners
Clouds come in all manner of shapes and sizes, from low-lying Stratus to high-flying Cirrus via roll clouds, banner clouds and tornados This beautifully illustrated guide reveals the facts, secrets and stories of all the major cloud types, and how they shape the weather around them
Olivetti
Being a typewriter is not as easy as it looks Surrounded by books (notorious attention hogs) and recently replaced by a computer,,
Olivetti has been forgotten by the Brindle family the family he’s lived with for years The Brindles are busy humans, apart from 12-year-old Ernest, who would rather be left alone with his collection of Oxford English Dictionaries The least they could do was remember Olivetti once in a while
Landovel
Derry knows no other life than that of a captive on Cram's Rock, shunned by the other young prisoners for being Cram's poison taster Until the day everything changes, when a traveller arrives, on the run from the sinister El executioners She leaves Derry with a magical notebook full of secrets, secrets that might hold the key to Derry's destiny – and his past
TheTenthMistakeof HankHooperman TheFairyTaleFanClub
When eleven-year-old Hank’s Mum doesn’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does But it’s been a
week now They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact.
The fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious and opinionated fans! So if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius (and less-than-clothed) emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away
TheManyMasksofAndyZhao
Andy Zhou is used to being what people need him to the good kid for his parents and now grandparents visiting from Shanghai, or the helpful sidekick to his best friend Cindy’s rebellious plans and schemes So when Cindy decides they should try out for Movement at school on the first day of sixth grade, how can Andy say no? But between feeling out of place with the dancers, being hassled by his new science partner Jameel, and sensing tension between his dad and grandfather, Andy feels all kinds of weird
AlltheBeautifulThings
Anna's little sister, Eva, is frail and needs time to learn new things She has a huge heart and a gift for loving, but Hitler doesn't value such riches. And so she's hidden away. Safe for now, but with the threat of discovery always near Anna does her best to bring joy and light to Eva's small life. But soon, more children need hiding
Isurvivedthedestructionof Pompeii,AD79
No one in the bustling city of Pompeii worries when the ground trembles beneath their feet The beast under the mountain
Vesuvius, high above the city, wakes up angry sometimes - and always goes back to sleep Marcus is afraid He knows something is terribly wrong - and his father, who trusts science more than mythical beasts, agrees When Vesuvius explodes into a cloud of fiery ash, will they have time to escape?
SimonSortofSays
Simon O’Keeffe’s biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he’d do anything to forget: the story in which he’s the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting
TheBoywiththe ButterflyMind
Jamie Lee just wants to be normal but his ADHD isn't making it easy If only he could control his butterfly mind Elin Watts just
wants to be perfect If she could be the best student and daughter possible, then maybe her dad would leave his new family and come back to live with Elin and her mum. As their lives spiral out of control, Jamie and Elin discover that they're actually more alike than they'd admit. Maybe there's no such thing as normal, or perfect.
TheSadGhostClub:AHopefulGuide toGettingThroughBadDays
We can all feel anxious and alone sometimes Like you're almost
invisible But at the Sad Ghost Club, you can find your kindred spirits and know you're not alone. The Sad Ghost Club's has rules for taking things one day at a time. With heartwarming and very relatable comic illustrations, discover how to make it through the day, grow through the hard stuff and look out for your fellow ghosties.
Jamie
Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all
TheWrongShoes
Will has the wrong shoes – he's always known it but doesn't know how to change it Navigating the difficulties of home and school when you feel you stick out is tough, but finding confidence with the help and empathy of friends can be all you need to see the way
Cobweb
Britain. 1815. After years of loss and sacrifice, the end of the war with Napoleon is approaching Cobweb knows nothing of the war
– he loves being a young puppy and playing with his owner, Bethan, exploring the countryside and chasing rabbits But when he is taken away from Bethan, Cobweb must learn to become a Drover’s Dog Then Cobweb meets an unexpected stranger with an incredible tale to tell on his journey home
MidAir
It’s the summer before high school and Isaiah feels lost He thought this summer was going to be just him and his homies Drew and Darius, hangin’ out, doing wheelies, and watching martial arts movies a lot of chillin’ before high school and the Future But more and more, Drew will barely talk to him barely even look at him and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows it’s because of Darius, because Darius is gone
TheBletchleyRiddle
Summer, 1940 Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles And now
they’re living inside of one The siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the disappearance of their mother
TheWrongWayHome
Fern’s lived at the Ranch, an off-the-grid community in New York, since she was six The work is hard, but Fern admires the Ranch's leader, Dr Ben So when Fern’s mother sneaks them away in the middle of the night and says Dr Ben is dangerous, Fern doesn't believe it She wants desperately to go back, but her mom just keeps driving As time goes on, Fern realises there are things she learned at the Ranch that are just not true
AllBetterNow
A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening But not everyone People in power know this new state of being is bad for business Without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous The race to find a vaccine begins Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plan ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world
Communications coach and bestselling author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, Carmine Gallo has broken down the top TED talks and interviewed the most popular TED presenters as well as the top researchers in the fields of psychology communications to get their cutting-edge insights and to reveal the 9 secrets of all successful TED presentations
TalklikeTed Gather
Ian Gray isn’t supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn’t happen end up happening anyway And Gather, Ian’
adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to?
LouderthanHunger
Jake volunteers at a nursing home because he likes helping people He likes skating, singing, playing Bingo and Name That Tune, and reading mysteries and comics aloud to his teachers He also likes avoiding people his own age and mirrors and food But the less he eats, the bigger he feels How long can Jake punish himself before he truly disappears?
AisleNine
Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten
worse and worse Jasper works as a checkout clerk at the Here For You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on, who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can't remember or understand
WhenweFlewAway
With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne
is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is.
AWayHome
Sixteen-year-old Grace lives under a bridge in Melbourne’s CBD It’s cold and wet, but hidden Safe, at least, until she can go home When winter drives her to the City Library one morning, Grace meets Louie, a weird kid with his own problems, and discovers a community piano The piano reminds Grace of her mum, a celebrated pianist whose mental illness makes life a rollercoaster When Grace comes up with a plan to find the help she and Mum need, life begins to look up But things don’t work out as Grace imagines and suddenly her world’s turned upside down again, and maybe for good this time
TheEnigmaGirls
In the spring of 1941, hundreds of young women from across the British Isles were instructed to report to Bletchley Park. Amidst brilliant cryptographers and absent-minded professors, it was the teenaged girls who ran the unwieldy bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. Courageous women played a vital role in turning the tides of World War II for the Allies and these are their stories
Meet Jason Chaser, hover car racer. He's won himself a place at the International Race School, where racers either make it on to the Pro
Pro Circuit - or they crash and burn But he's an outsider He's younger than the other racers His car, the Argonaut, is older And on top of that, someone doesn't want him to succeed at the School and will do anything to stop him
The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks is a fascinating tale of the humble plastic brick that is known and beloved by the world Detailing the history of the bricks from their inception, and pulling in marketing images, patent designs and quotes from the Lego team, this book is a comprehensive guide to the little plastic bricks and the designers behind them
Will lives with his father in a future domed Canberra where citizens are safe from extreme weather events, dangerous solar
radiation and civil unrest He does not question his carefully controlled existence until the recurrence of an old nightmare propels him on a dangerous quest When he discovers his dreams hold clues that lead him into a shadowy alternate dimension, he must grapple with dark forces that operate in both worlds
Tegan Masters is dead She’s sixteen and she’s dead and she’s standing in the parking lot of the Marybelle Motor Lodge, the single most depressing motel in all of New Jersey and the place where Tegan spent what she remembers as the worst weekend of her life She meets Zelda, a girl Tegan’s age who is, in fact, an angel (wings and all) According to Zelda, Tegan is officially in heaven, where every person inhabits an exact replica of their
happiest memory
UndertheSameStars
1940s Germany: Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis 1980s West Germany: American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany Spring 2020: New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe receive an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago
ALanguageofDragons
Welcome to Bletchley Park with dragons London, 1923 Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.
ThunderCity
Tamzin Pook is a fighter in the Amusement Arcade And what she does best is killing Revenants All she knows is survival, having
arrived in the Arcade as a small child She emerges into the arena to battle the Revenants - dead brains nestled in armoured engine bodies She doesn't dare to hope or wish for anything more than to survive another day Meanwhile, the wheeled city of Motoropolis has been taken over by a rebel faction Its only hope is to find the Mayor's son and force him to take back what's rightfully his
TheBurrow
Amy, Jin and Lucie are leading isolated lives in their partially renovated, inner city home They are not happy, but they are also terrified of change When they buy a pet rabbit for Lucie, and then Amy’s mother, Pauline, comes to stay, the family is forced to confront long-buried secrets Will opening their hearts to the rabbit help them to heal or only invite further tragedy?
Y e a r 1 0 a n d B e y o n d
Drew's mother says it more often than good morning Heidi Hill has been juggling shady side hustles for all of Drew's 17 years, and
Drew knows that "one thing" really means all the necessary things her mother thinks are boring, including taking care of her 15-year-old sister and 8-year-old brother When their mother disappears and her schemes start unraveling, Drew is faced with a choice
The origin story of one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age
Source Code is not about Microsoft or the Gates Foundation or the future of technology. It’s the human, personal story of how Bill Gates became who he is today: his childhood, his early passions and pursuits.
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge But are her secret abilities a match for the darkhaired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
Non-Fiction
TheElementsofMarieCurie
For decades Marie Curie was the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings, and despite constant illness she travelled far and wide to share the secrets of radioactivity, a term she coined She is still the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields
TheKillFactor
Non-Fiction
A brand-new game show that offers young criminals the chance en greenlit Little do they know, winning is their only chance at survival
ntal and physical challenges One winner To lose means prison But to win is to be free
ProbablyOverthinkingIt
The human mind has both an innate ability to understand statistics and to be fooled by them Statistically speaking, you will be less popular than your friends, arrive at a train station during a gap in service, and fail to find a running mate in a race But more than surprising us, errors in statistical thinking, Downey shows, can have a huge impact
SixofCrows
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price
vanished and young Bel was the only witness Rachel is gone, presumed dead The case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal But then Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again
TheChampions
It was the deaths of five cheerleaders that made the town of Sunnybrook infamous Eleven years later, the girls' killer has been brought to justice The Tigers are Sunnybrook’s homegrown heroes Sunnybrook's golden boys have secrets, and after a second player is mysteriously killed, Hadley’s beginning to suspect that someone wants the team to pay
for their sins Or does this new target on the football team have something to do with what happened to the cheerleaders all those years ago?
JupiterRising
When Jack's P E coach pairs him up with Jay Perkins for the cross-country team, neither of them is happy about it Jack is grieving the loss of Joseph, his foster brother, and adjusting to his role as big brother to Jupiter, Joseph’s orphaned daughter Jay Perkins who'd once ganged up with his buddies to jump Joseph in the locker room is the last thing he wants to do But Jay is grieving too the loss of his cousin Maddie, Jupiter’s mom As Jack's relationships with both Jay and Jupiter grow and his running improves, he starts to feel more like himself Until his past and present smash together
eBooks and Audiobooks through BorrowBox
You don’t have to be at school to read these books!
Use your school account to login to our digital platform to read or listen to these books on your phone, computer, or tablet.
Scan this QR Code or click here to visit the Weickhardt Library DEEDS page on using BorrowBox
You can still enter to read Mr Jeacocke’s height!
Use the QR code above to see the rules on the Weickhardt Library DEEDS page and entry form!
MakerSpace magnet racing
Weickhardt Library
Monday to Friday - 8.00am to 5.00pm