by Allison Tait | Nov 20, 2024 | My books, Reading, Writing, Your Kid's Next Read
It’s that time of year when our minds turn to books as gifts!
If you’re looking for Christmas, end-of-year, graduation, festive season or holiday gifts I’m here to help, with signed copies of any or all A.L. Tait novels awaiting your order!
That’s right. Signed copies, personally dedicated if you so wish, of the following (click the title to read more about each book):
•The First Summer of Callie McGee
•The Fire Star (Maven & Reeve Mysteries #1)
•The Wolf’s Howl (Maven & Reeve Mysteries #2)
•Race To The End Of The World (The Mapmaker Chronicles #1)
•Prisoner Of The Black Hawk (The Mapmaker Chronicles #2)
•Breath Of The Dragon (The Mapmaker Chronicles #3)
•Beyond The Edge Of The Map (The Mapmaker Chronicles #4)
•The Book Of Secrets (Ateban Cipher #1)
•The Book Of Answers (Ateban Cipher #2)
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS AND TO ORDER SECURELY
Some fine print
Books are available to order only in Australia (sorry) and only until 13 December, 2024.
Each book costs $25 (including postage within Australia), and I’m happy to sign them personally to the recipient.
I’ve also got options for you to order all four books in The Mapmaker Chronicles series, both Ateban Cipher novels, and both Maven & Reeve Mysteries in different bundles.
If you’d like to bundle a different way – The First Summer of Callie McGee + The Fire Star, for instance – email me via my contact page and we can sort it out.
Posting from the south coast of NSW, so allow up to five working days for delivery. Last orders 13 December at 5pm.
Thank you!
ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPIES NOW
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | Nov 15, 2024 | Blog, Books, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
The Your Kid’s Next Read community now comprises 36,000+ members – and it’s growing every day! Each year, we ask the group to share their young readers’ favourite reads of the previous 12 months.
As is the case each year, some of these books were published in 2024, some were not. There are always new books that bubble to the top straight away, and there are always older books that rediscovered by a new group of readers every year.
Once again, I’ve broken the lists into categories: picture books, early chapter books (5-7), junior fiction (6-9), middle grade (9-13) and young adult (14+). (NB: There is always crossover, particularly across ages 7-10, as readers develop at their own pace and to their own level of interest, but I’ve done my best to place the books according to expected independent reading age.)
Stand by also for Team YKNR’s favourite reads in 2024, coming soon.
These lists are great starting points when you’re looking for the next great read for your kid/s. Click the title to find out more about each book*.
Your Kid’s Favourite Read 2024: Middle Grade
As nominated by the members of the Your Kid’s Next Read community.
Most nominated
‘The Midwatch’ by Judith Rossell
‘The Wild Robot’ (series) by Peter Brown
‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell
‘We Are Wolves’ by Katrina Nannestad
‘Friday Barnes’ (series) by R. A. Spratt (A huge hit with my 11 yo this year. – Mary)
‘The Book Of Wondrous Possibilities’ by Deborah Abela (We did this as an audiobook and loved this creative and beautiful story about friendship, adventure, bravery and the power of stories to inspire bravery… – Darren)
‘The One and Only Ivan’ by Katherine Applegate
‘The Lost Library’ by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
‘Zadie Ma And The Dog Who Chased The Moon’ by Gabrielle Wang (It was my favourite and my kids loved it too. It’s such a special book, which stays with you long after you finish reading it. – Alison)
‘Wonder’ by R. J. Palacio
‘The Year The Maps Changed’ by Danielle Binks
‘Silver Linings’ by Katrina Nannestad
‘The Mapmaker Chronicles’ (series) by A. L. Tait (Was enjoyed for its smart protagonist and interesting ‘almost earth’ history/geography – Sabine)
‘Arkanae’ (Medoran Chronicles #1) by Lynette Noni
‘The Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger’ (series) by John Flanagan
‘Keeper of the Lost Cities’ (series) by Shannon Messenger
‘Impossible Creatures’ by Katherine Rundell (
Her first fantasy novel and the start of a series has a dazzling array of fantastic creatures and characters, an epic quest and has left readers in great suspense for the next book.
– Sarah)
‘Wings of Fire’ (series) by Tui T. Sutherland
‘Wishtree’ by Katherine Applegate
‘Percy Jackson’ (series) by Rick Riordan
‘Elsewhere Girls’ by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman (A fun, insightful timeslip, body swap story with two interesting and relatable female characters, one based on the first female Australian swimmer in the Olympics. Both characters gain greater clarity about what’s important to them. – Katja)
‘Rooftoppers’ by Katherine Rundell
‘Lightfall’ (series) by Tim Probert
‘Nevermoor’ (series) by Jessica Townsend (So imaginative. Daughter loved it and will re-read it when she gets her hands on the next instalment. – Sarah)
‘Kensy & Max’ (series) by Jacqueline Harvey
‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell
‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’ by Brian Selznick
‘Thunderhead’ by Sophie Beer (My 11yo fell hard and fast for this. She says she loves the main character, the sense of humor and the music (amazing playlist accompanies on Spotify). – Cristin)
‘The Last Bear’ by Hannah Gold
‘Turtle Moon’ by Hannah Gold
‘The Sugarcane Kids and The Red-bottomed Boat’ by Charlie Archbold
‘Nanny Piggins and The Origin Story’ by R. A. Spratt
‘Landovel’ by Emily Rodda (It’s been published as three books but really it’s one story in three parts. It’s very well written and a unique story with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Note: I feel it’s aimed at an older audience than her other books – it’s gritty and a bit dark. I would say 12+. – Leah)
‘Robin Hood’ (series) by Robert Muchamore
‘The Daugher of Auschwitz: The Girl Who Lived To Tell Her Story’ by Tova Friedman (My son could not put this down and said it was one of the best books he has ever read. Definitely for the older end of this age bracket but it lead to so many good conversations. – Louise)
‘Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief’ by Katrina Nannestad
‘Pages and Co’ by Anna James
‘Crookhaven’ (series) by J. J. Arcanjo
‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ by William Kamkwamba (An oldie but a goody, Mr 12 says best read of the year, he was so inspired by the story of William going from dire poverty to teaching himself how to bring electricity to his family farm. – Claire)
‘Skyborn’ (series) by Jessica Khoury
‘Adventures Of A Girl Called Bicycle’ by Christina Uss
‘When This Bell Rings’ by Allison Rushby
‘The Glimme’ by Emily Rodda
‘The Song Walker’ by Zillah Bethell
‘Waiting For The Storks’ by Katrina Nannestad
‘Skandar and The Chaos Trials’ (Skandar #3) by A. F. Steadman
‘Spies in the Sky’ by Beverly McWilliams
‘The Mona Lisa Vanishes’ by Nicholas Day
‘Grace The Amazing’ by Aleesah Darlison
‘Andromache Between Worlds’ by Gabriel Bergmoser
‘Cora Seen and Heard’ by Zanni Louise
‘Starling and the Cavern of Light’ (Fireborn #3) by Aisling Fowler (The whole trilogy is a fave (for my 11 year old), all the action, intensity and magic this age group loves, and the books don’t shy away from putting leading characters through really tough times. There were tears when she finished reading, both because it’s over but also for some tragic character arcs. – Amy)
‘Two Wolves’ by Tristan Bancks
‘Amari and The Night Brothers’ (series) by B. B. Alston
‘The Dangerous Business Of Being Trilby Moffat’ by Kate Temple
‘The Midnight Children’ by Dan Gemeinhart
‘Stand on the Sky’ by Erin Bow
‘The First Summer Of Callie McGee’ by A. L. Tait
‘A Small Collection of Happiness’ by Zana Fraillon. illustrated by Stephen Michael King
‘The Mapmakers’ Race’ by Eirlys Hunter
‘A Rover’s Story’ by Jasmine Warga
‘Mars Awakens’ by H. M. Waugh
‘Mars Underground’ by H. M. Waugh
‘Eragon’ (series) by Christopher Paolini
‘Scar Town’ by Tristan Bancks
‘The Bone Sparrow’ by Zana Fraillon
‘The Grandest Bookshop In The World’ by Amelia Mellor
‘The School Master’s Daughter’ by Jackie French
‘Where The Mountain Meets The Moon’ by Grace Lin
You might also like
Your Kid’s Next Read Favourites 2024: Junior Fiction
60+ Short Middle-Grade Novels Kids Will Love
What 13 year olds are reading right now (and why)
The best children’s book series you’ve never read
*This post contains affiliate links. See contact page for details
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | Oct 14, 2024 | Blog, Books, My books, Reading, Writing, Your Kid's Next Read
The first book in The Mapmaker Chronicles series turns 10 today. Double figures. A Big Kid by anyone’s standards.
Ten years ago today, Race To The End Of The World was published – my first experience of the joy and confounding ambivalence of publication day as a children’s author.
Sending your debut novel out into the world is simultaneously thrilling, terrifying and – incredibly uneventful. I expected parades and instead dropped my two boys at school, picked them up and (probably) had spag bol for dinner.
But, as I prepare for the publication of my tenth middle-grade novel in 2025, I can honestly say that the many hours I put into dreaming up and writing Race To The End Of The World were some of the best hours of my life.
The product of one million words
Before I wrote my first children’s novel, I had written three full adult novels of 90,000+ words each. I had been lucky enough to have two non-fiction books published, along with three ghost-written books. I had completed thousands and thousands of articles for magazines and newspapers, along with everything from advertising campaigns and annual reports.
Conservatively, I had written one million words.
I knew that I knew how to write sentences – sentences that were funny, compelling, engaging and beautiful, all at different times, sometimes at the same time.
What Quinn, Ash, Zain and the other characters in Race To The End Of The World taught me was how to write a story.
The first book I’d ever written for children and the first book I’d ever written that had me so absorbed in what happened next that I forgot to overthink, forgot to be a perfectionist, forgot to try to be a Writer, and instead just wrote down the story.
A story that filled every nook and cranny of my brain for six weeks (except for the bits required to keep the family alive). Where the actual writing mostly took place between 10pm and midnight.
Six weeks. That’s how long the first draft took me.
Then, of course, the editing began.
It took almost a year from the day that Suzanne O’Sullivan at Hachette Australia said ‘yes’ to publishing the book for it to appear on shelves. By then, I’d written Prisoner of The Black Hawk and drafted Breath Of The Dragon as well.
(I needed the full first trilogy written before I went out to talk about Race To The End Of The World – when you write like I do, it’s essential.)
It takes a village (or two) to keep a book in print
My oldest son was nine years old when we first had the two conversations that inspired this epic fantasy adventure story. (You can see my first ever video interview about the series here, where I talk about those conversations and what happened after that.)
I am enormously proud of the fact that The Mapmaker Chronicles is still available today, and published in several territories. I still get regular emails from readers who have discovered the series and want to tell me how much they love it (and asking where book 5 is, but that’s a different story…).
Thank you to everyone who has read the books and shared it with others. If you haven’t read them yet, there’s more information here.
Books do not last ten years without a lot of help and I cherish the support of readers and my various communities, from The Pink Fibro (IYKYK) to Your Kid’s Next Read, who have been with me on this mighty journey and helped me navigate my career as a children’s author.
I think Quinn would be very proud.
Find out more
The Mapmaker Chronicles series
How To Be A Children’s Author
How to write a series
Why I love reluctant heroes
The original book announcement post
Curriculum information about the book
Teachers’ Notes
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | May 15, 2024 | Blog, Books, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
I’ve been busy.
Noticing a trend in the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook (YKNR) community of members looking for ‘short middle-grade novels’, I set out to write an article for the YKNR newsletter about what might be driving the interest, some bookseller recommendations and some insights from writers about the joys and challenges of writing ‘short’.
You can read it here
But, of course, I also asked the wonderful YKNR community for its recommendations – specifically for middle-grade novels that are 240 pages or under – and, of course, our members delivered!
I’ve compiled a list below of those recommendations, indicating page numbers where available. Click the title to see more about the book or to purchase.*
Hope you find a great new book for your young reader here! Let me know if you do!
60+ Short Middle-Grade Novels (240 pages or under)
Middle-grade novels up to 150 pages
Miss Penny Dreadful (series) by Allison Rushby (144 pages)
Frindle by Andrew Clements (128 pages)
Kingdom of Silk (series) by Glenda Millard (96 pages) “Such beautiful books that treat difficult subjects so gently. The vocabulary, the descriptions make me stop reading to just appreciate them.” – Amanda
Annabel Again by Meg McKinlay (144 pages)
How to be the New Person by Anna Branford (128 pages)
Sea Glass by Rebecca Fraser (112 pages) “For 7-12 year olds. We loved it! (Was shortlisted in Readings Children’s Prize last year.” – Danielle
Uncle Xbox by Jared Thomas (64 pages)
Birrung The Secret Friend by Jackie French (144 pages)
Losing The Plot by Annaleise Byrd (144 pages)
Swimming on the Lawn by Yasmin Hamid (144 pages)
Barney and the Secret of the Whales by Jackie French (144 pages)
Rowan of Rin (series) by Emily Rodda (138 pages) “Emily Rodda is the master of a whole story in a small novel.” – Gillian
Middle-grade novels 151-180 pages
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (162 pages)
Answers in the Pages by David Levithan (176 pages)
The Elephant by Peter Carnavas (180 pages)
Songbird by Ingrid Laguna (176 pages)
Blueback by Tim Winton (168 pages)
Rocket by Dave Lowe (180 pages)
The Dragon Defenders (series) by James Russell (180 pages)
Middle-grade novels 181-200 pages
Warhorse by Michael Morpurgo (192 pages)
The Barrumbi Kids (series) by Leonie Norrington (196 pp) “Actually my kids didn’t read this, but I did and loved it.” – Suzy
Aster’s Good Right Things by Kate Gordon (196 pages)
Ella At Eden (series) by Laura Sieveking (192 pages)
Michaela Mason’s Big List Of Worries (series) by Alexa Moses (192 pages)
Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman (192 pages)
The Lorikeet Tree by Paul Jennings (192 pages)
The Reindeer and the Submarine by Beverley McWilliams (200 pages)
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (192 pages)
The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett (192 pages)
The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan by Felice Arena (192 pages)
Middle-grade novels 201-239 pages
My Brother Ben by Peter Carnavas (208 pages)
The Unlikely Heroes Club by Kate Foster (208 pages)
The First Summer of Callie McGee by A. L. Tait (208 pages)
Who Am I? by Anita Heiss (208 pages)
Huda and Me by H Hayek (208 pages)
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll, illustrated by Kay Wilson (208 pages)
When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park (208 pages)
Exit Through The Gift Shop by Maryam Masters (216 pages)
The Lost Library by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead (224 pages)
The Callers by Kiah Thomas (224 pages)
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (224 pages)
Surface Tension by Meg McKinlay (224 pages)
Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim (224 pages)
Berani by Michelle Kadarusman (224 pages)
How to Bee by Bren MacDibble (224 pages)
Cog by Greg van Eekhout, illustrated by Beatrice Blue (224 pages) “Has been popular in my school library with y7/8s.” – Amy
Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson (224 pages)
The Mud Puddlers by Pamela Rushby (224 pages)
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (224 pages)
Middle-grade novels 240 pages
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (240 pages)
Ban this Book by Alan Gratz (240 pages),
Haywire: The Dunera Boys by Claire Saxby (240 pages)
Queenie In Seven Moves by Zanni Louise (240 pages)
Pippa’s Island (series) by Belinda Murrell (240 pages)
Liars (series) by Jack Heath (240 pages)
The Bravest Word by Kate Foster (240 pages)
Hamlet Is Not OK by R. A. Spratt (240 pages)
The Letterbox Tree by Rebecca Lim and Kate Gordon (240 pages)
Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender (240 pages)
Crookhaven (series) by J. J. Arcanjo (240 pages)
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
*This post contains affiliate links. See contacts page for details
by Allison Tait | Mar 19, 2024 | Blog, Books, Life
I’m excited to announce that I’ve signed a contract with Scholastic Australia for a new A. L. Tait novel, to be published in 2025.
I can’t wait to work once again with publisher Laura Sieveking and the rest of the Scholastic team – the same team who fell in love with Callie McGee and brought her so successfully into the world in 2023!
It’s my 10th contract and just as thrilling to me as the first one I signed all those years ago – though, these days everything is done digitally, meaning I have to get more creative with my photos…
I’ll share more details when I can!
In the meantime, if you haven’t read THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE, have a look!
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
