Our favourites from 2016

Before 2016 is well and truly behind us and we start looking forward to new releases for 2017, we thought we’d take a moment to reminisce about the books we loved last year.

Here are the staff favourites from 2016:

FAVOURITE PICTURE BOOKS

Fiona: Pandamonia by Chris Owen and Chris Nixon (tied with) Somewhere Else by Gus Gordon

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Anna: Hiding Heidi by Fiona Woodcock

Jodie: Fabulous Friend Machine by Nick Bland, and Pandamonia by Chris Owen and Chris Nixon

Jennifer: Rhymoceros by Janik Coat, They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel, Molly and Mae by Danny Parker & Freya Blackwood

Sally: Don’t Cross the Line! by Bernardo Carvalho

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Genevieve: A Child of Books by Sam Winston and Oliver Jeffers

 

FAVOURITE BOOKS FOR MIDDLE READERS

Fiona: Mrs Whitlam by Bruce Pascoe

Anna: Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee by Deborah Abela

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Jodie: Blueberry Pancakes Forever by Angelica Banks

Genevieve: Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman and illustrated magnificently by Chris Riddell

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FAVOURITE BOOKS FOR TWEEN READERS

Fiona: The War that Saved My Life by Kimberley Bradley Brubaker

Anna: The Turners by Mick Elliott

Jodie: The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

Genevieve: The War that Savevd My Life by Kimberley Bradley Brubaker

 

FAVOURITE YA FICTION

Fiona: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Anna: The Road To Winter by Mark Smith

Jodie: One Would Think the Deep by Claire Zorn, and Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

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Jennifer: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley, and A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (beautiful Special Collector’s Edition with illustrations by Jim Kay and additional material from the film)

Genevieve: The Book of Pearl by Timothee De Fombelle, and Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

 

BEST NEW SERIES OR SERIES FINALE

Fiona: Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey (Pig the Winner and Pig the Elf)

Anna: Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin (sequel to Wolf by Wolf)

Jodie: Ruby Redfort: Blink and You Die by Lauren Child

Sally: Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin and the sequel/finale, Blood by Blood

Genevieve: The Australia trilogy by JP Smythe with Dark Made Dawn being the series finale

 

FAVOURITE NON-FICTION

Fiona: Lots by Marc Martin

Anna: The Book Of Bees by Piotr Socha

Jodie: Speaking Out by Tara Moss

Sally: Illuminature by Rachel Williams and Carnovsky

Genevieve: Botanicum Katy Scott and Kathy Willis

 

FAVOURITE BOOK COVER

Fiona: Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston

Anna: Pax by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen

Jodie: Yellow by Megan Jacobson

Genevieve: Odd and the Frost Giants (can anyone really challenge Chris Riddell?)