Mountain climbing adventures, secret tree forts and ballet school – here’s our pick of the best children’s books April has to offer.

READINGS CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE SHORTLIST 2016

We couldn’t be more excited about our Readings Children’s Book Prize shortlist! Now in its third year, the prize celebrates the best in new and upcoming Australian children’s authors, and this year’s shortlist has something for everyone.

Here’s the six shortlisted books:

• The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
• Samurai vs Ninja: The Battle for the Golden Egg by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers
• Run, Pip, Run by J.C. Jones
• 88 Lime Street by Denise Kirby
• The Cat with the Coloured Tail by Gillian Mears and Dinalie Dabarera
• Mister Cassowary by Samantha Wheeler

You can find out more about each of the titles here. And if you can’t make up your mind about which one you’d like to read most, the entire shortlist is available here in a specially priced pack.

KIDS’ BOOK OF THE MONTH

Trace Balla won the Readings Children’s Book Prize in 2015 for her previous book, Rivertime, the tale of Clancy and his Uncle Egg as they journey up the Glenelg River. Now with Rockhopping, Clancy and Uncle Egg are back and this time they’re taking on Gariwerd – also known as the Grampians.

In Rivertime, Clancy started out as a reluctant explorer, but now he’s been well and truly bitten by the adventure bug. Together he and his uncle set out on a five-day hike through the wilderness to find the source of the Glenelg River, and along the way they discover all kinds of native flora and fauna. But it wouldn’t be a trip with Clancy and Uncle Egg without a few unexpected surprises thrown in.

With its exquisite artwork, endearing characters and gentle yet engaging narrative, it’s easy to see why Rockhopping has earned such glowing praise from our Carlton kids’ buyer, Angela. She says: “This beautiful graphic novel is an extraordinary achievement and will win a whole new legion of fans to Trace Balla, as well as give much joy to current fans.” Read her full review here.

NEW PICTURE BOOKS

April is packed with so many excellent picture books that the only problem will be figuring out where to fit them all on your shelves.

• I am Doodle Cat by Kat Patrick and Lauren Marriott – Doodle Cat is a cherry red cat who loves a lot of things: maths, baths, lentils, to name a few. (We’re super excited that the author will be joining us for an extra special story time on 22 April!)
  
  
• Secret Tree Fort by Brianne Farley – after her sister refuses to pay her any attention, a young girl invents the most amazing tree fort complete with trapdoors, a crow’s nest, a water balloon launcher, and… well, the rest is secret.
  
  
• The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski – an exquisitely illustrated tale about storytelling guaranteed to inspire young readers to make up their own stories.
  
  
• Can I Build Another Me? by Shinsuke Yoshitake – humans are complicated things, and when a boy decides to build another version of himself, he learns just how complicated we are. Funny, charming, and a great book to get your kids talking.
  
  
• Tidy by Emily Gravett – Pete the Badger likes things neat, and what starts as a little leaf tidying quickly spirals out of control. Another hilarious tale from the author of Meerkat Mail

NEW READS FOR AGES 7+

From heartfelt journeys to laugh-out-loud silliness, here are some brilliant books for independent readers aged 7+.

• What Dog Knows by Sylvia Vanden Heede and Marije Tolman – a unique tale full of trivia about everything from mummies and skeletons to rockets and the moon. Age 7+
  
  
• The Treehouse Fun Book by Andy Griffiths, Jill Griffiths and Terry Denton – from the brilliant team behind The 13 Storey Treehouse series comes an activity book packed full of puzzles, trivia and plenty of laughs. Age 7+
  
  
• Crazy Weird by Ahn Do – The sixth book in the hilarious Weirdo series by comedian Ahn Do. Age 7+
  
  
• Turning Pointes by Emma Freedman – a young girl struggles with mean girls and high expectations at ballet school. Age 9+
  
  
• Demigods & Magicians by Rick Riordan – a collection of three stories set in the worlds of Riordan’s Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles series. Age 9+
  
  
• Secrets We Keep by Nova Weetman – after losing everything in a house fire, a young girl must face a new school and new friendships. Age 10+

BOOKS FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day is fast approaching (it’s on Sunday 8 May, in case you were wondering). If you’re looking for gift ideas, we’ve got a great range of picture books to celebrate the mums in our lives.

Please note, our shipping deadline for online orders is 5pm Thursday 28 April. This applies to in-stock items only.

Holly Harper