Best of 2024: Children's Older Fiction - Christchurch City LibrariesLike this list

58 items

• The House at the End of the Sea

  Adams, Victoria M.

  Add The House at the End of the Sea to your for later shelf

  When a party of extraordinary visitors arrive at midnight, Saffi begins to realise that her family has a dark, magical secret.

• Take Me to Your Leader

  Agnew, Leonie, 1977-

  Add Take Me to Your Leader to your for later shelf

  Can Lucas pull off staging an alien encounter and save his tiny country school from closure? NZ author

• Puppet

  Almond, David, 1951-

  Add Puppet to your for later shelf

  What should a puppet master do when he's old and alone, and all his puppets are gone? Sylvester makes one last puppet. But this one is different. When the old man speaks to him, Puppet speaks back. And then he walks...

• The One and Only Family

  Applegate, Katherine, pseud., 1956-

  Add The One and Only Family to your for later shelf

  Ivan loves being a papa, even though it can be hard sometimes. But as he navigates the joys and challenges of parenthood, he can't help but recall his life before the glass walls of the mall circus, his own childhood in the jungle - and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Koro's Star

  Aramakutu, Claire

  Add Koro's Star to your for later shelf

  Set in the 1960s, Koro's Star is a heart-warming, exciting, adventure story. NZ author

• The Moomins

  the World of Moominvalley

  Ardagh, Philip, 1961-

  Add The Moomins to your for later shelf

  Step into the magical world of Moominvalley with this beautiful book filled with illustrated maps, fun facts and everything you'd love to know about the beloved characters from the original Moomin stories and the world in which they live.

• Brown Bird

  Arthur, Jane (Poet)

  Add Brown Bird to your for later shelf

  Sometimes it can take one special friend to show you what you're capable of, even if does take you a while to believe it. NZ author

• The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie

  Banham, Yvonne

  Add The Haunted Life of Delores Mackenzie to your for later shelf

  As Delores tries save her friends from inquisitors, she attracts the unwelcome attention of a murderous evil spirit, intent on stealing her paranormal gifts. Can she defeat her enemies, and maybe her own family too.

• The Beanstalk Murder

  a Giant Murder Mystery

  Bell, P. G. (Peter Gwilym)

  Add The Beanstalk Murder to your for later shelf

  Trainee meadow witch Anwen is having a bad day - which gets much worse when a dead giant falls from the sky and destroys her village. But when she examines the body she discovers something interesting. This giant was murdered, which means…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Tangled Magic

  Benko, Kamilla

  Add Tangled Magic to your for later shelf

  A new series set in the magical land of Arden, full of unicorns and mystery!

• Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm

  Bond, Ash

  Add Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm to your for later shelf

  Discover the portal to an incredible new world.

• The Night War

  Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker

  Add The Night War to your for later shelf

  A castle, a bridge, and dangerous secrets- in this page-turning story, set in Nazi-occupied France, a 12 year-old Jewish girl must learn who to trust and how to find her courage.

• Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie

  Burne-Field, Shelley

  Add Brave Kāhu and the Pōrangi Magpie to your for later shelf

  An exciting and action-packed animal story featuring two sisters who must save their injured baby brother - before a coming flood destroys their home. NZ author

• The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

  Choldenko, Gennifer, 1957-

  Add The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman to your for later shelf

  A gripping story of a boy struggling to hold his family together when his Mum doesn't come home.

• Ferris

  DiCamillo, Kate, 1964-

  Add Ferris to your for later shelf

  A hilarious and very real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother and growing up.

• Pirates of Darksea

  Doyle, Catherine, 1990-

  Add Pirates of Darksea to your for later shelf

  Deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, where the full moon rests on the horizon, lies a secret kingdom called Darksea. Max needs to navigate many dangers to save the kingdom and also his sick brother.

• Delta and the Lost City

  Fargher, Anna

  Add Delta and the Lost City to your for later shelf

  Follow Delta the wolfdog around Pompeii in 79 AD while the shadow of the great volcano Mount Vesuvius looms.

• Starspill

  Fisher, Catherine, 1957-

  Add Starspill to your for later shelf

  It's been 140 years since the Wolf swallowed the Sun, so why are all the cats in the dark, fog-shrouded town of Starspill bothering Zac about it now?

• Fia and the Last Snow Deer

  Fisher, Eilish

  Add Fia and the Last Snow Deer to your for later shelf

  A truly timeless novel in verse about hope, kindness and the power of friendship.

• Ambush at Sorato

  Flanagan, John (John Anthony)

  Add Ambush at Sorato to your for later shelf

  The seventh instalment of the Royal Ranger series in which Will and Maddie must travel through Toscana and encounter the dangerous Temujai forces.