Our thanks to those of you able to join us for our recent book club meeting to discuss titles that you believe every library must have. As always, so many of you had so many wonderful contributions to share with us, and it is very appreciated. Sadly, we only had an hour, so there are many, many titles missing, but we believe the list below is great start.
This was our last book club meeting for 2021, but we look forwarding to welcoming you all back next year! Watch this space for a new list of topics and a link to register.
Disclaimer: The lists generated as a result of Book Club discussions are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of all titles or authors for each genre/category discussed. Nor will all titles be suitable for all libraries. We advise staff discretion when referencing these lists, to properly confirm individual title suitability for individual libraries, school and students needs. These are suggested titles only, shared by our members and inclusion on, or exclusion from, a list does not suggest SLAV endorsement or rejection of a title.
Books that every school library should have
What books do you think are essential for a school library? Popular or important, award winners or timeless but maybe not a classic? There are various criteria one could use – what are your must haves?
We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad
The Yield by Tara June Winch
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
His Dark Materials Series by Philip Pullman
Once Series by Morris Gleitzman
Earthsea Series by Ursula Le Guin
Anything by Rebecca Stead – Liar & Spy and When You Reach Me
Billie B Brown, Hey Jack and Polly and Buster Series by Sally Rippin
Cherub Series by Robert Muchamore
All books by Stephen King
All books by Matthew Reilly
Tomorrow When the War Began Series by John Marsden
The Wonder Books by R.J. Palacio
Mortal Engines Series by Phillip Reeves
Angel Creek by Sally Rippin
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Papertowns by John Green
Wandi by Favel Parrett
Things a Map Wont Show You Anthology Edited by dr. Susan La Marca and Pam McIntyre
The First Third by Will Kostakis
Holes by Louis Sachar
Red Dirt Diary by Katrina Nannestad
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Obernewtyn Series by Isobelle Carmody
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Mapmaker Chronicles by Alison Tait
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks
Mr Romanovs Garden in the Sky by Robert Newton
Charlotte’s Web by E B White
Pony by RJ Palacio
Laurinda by Alice Pung
Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan
Alex Rider by Anthony Hoowitz
Sister Heart by Sally Morgan
Rich and Rare short story collection
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
Of a Boy by Sonya Hartnett
Scythe Trilogy by Neil Shusterman
Unwind by Neil Shusterman
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah
The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Peacock Detectives by Carly Nugent
New Kid by Jerry Craft GN
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer
The Left Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Detention by Tristan Bancks
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson GN
All books by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Future Girl by Asphyxia
Girls in Boys Cars by Felicity Castagna
Changing Gear by Scott Gardner
The Philip Bunting fiction and non-fiction books
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
All books by Poppy Nwosu, Sara Epstein, Kay Kerr, Anna Whateley
Diary of a Minecraft Zombie Series
Invisible Boys by Holden Shepperd
Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough
Crow Country by Kate Constable
The interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Breath by Tim Winton
Non-fiction – National Geographic Kids
Daisy Meadows Rainbow Fairies Series
Horrible Histories – Murderous Maths etc.
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton – The Treehouse Series
Bren MacDibble – The Dog Runner, Across the Risen Sea and How to Bee
Are you there Buddha? by Pip Harry
The Spellslinger Series by Sebastian deCastel
Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett
Real Pigeons Fight Crime Series by Andrew MacDonald and Ben Wood
The Bad Guys Series by Aaron Blabey
Where We Begin by Christie Nieman
Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief by Katrina Nannestad
Tokyo Ghoul and Promised Neverland for the manga fans
Kingdom of Silk series by Glenda Millard’s
Between Us by Clare Atkins
In The Dark Spaces by Cally Black
Number the stars by Lois Lowry
Silver Sword by Ian Seraillier
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
I Am David by Anne Holm
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
The Librarian of Auschwitz – Antonio Iturbe
The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
The Road to Winter Trilogy by Mark Smith
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Adult – What We Are Reading
Devotion by Hannah Kent
Bruny by Heather Rose
Louise Penny books
Liane Moriarity – has some great reads
The Nowhere Child by Christian White
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
New Anthony Horowitz – A Line to Kill
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
Are you smarter than a chimpanzee – test yourself against the amazing minds of animals by Ben Ambridge
99 other bad arguments by Julian Baggini
Girt, True Girt & Girt Nation by David Hunt
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge Stephenson
The Wattle Island Book Club
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Peter May novels
Barbara Vine novels
Love stories by Trent Dalton
Rewilding the Urban Soul by Claire Dunn
Helen Garner How to End A Story
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy