Ten year old Abel Jackson and his mother, Dora, live by the sea at Longboat Bay on land that has been in their family for generations. Abel's father died when Abel was two - he disappeared while pearl diving and his body was never found. They live off the land and the sea, without any modern amenities. Abel is a dreamy boy, and his mind wanders - he thinks about the huge groper who lives in the sea where he and his mother dive. Blueback, the groper, has become his playmate and Abel desperately wants to know what the fish has seen, and what he thinks. Abel dreams of studying fish when he grows up.Whenever Abel needs to leave Longboat Bay to study, he misses his mother, the life and the sea, and swimming with Blueback. Dora is alone, handling all the dramas that arise with greedy fishermen, and businessmen who have no respect for the beautiful and precious environment.
When Abel leaves school, he goes to university and becomes a marine biologist so he can 'figure out the sea'.
Without giving away spoilers, I will just say that the story has a happy conclusion, and Abel realises that he didn't need to leave home to 'figure out the sea' - that his mother had it all figured out all along.
This book is beautifully written, with lovely descriptions of the land and the sea. In some ways it sounds like a dream life, but you can't forget that it is hard work, and sometimes lonely. The themes are of the love and respect between a mother and her son, and of protecting the environment, particularly the sea and sea life. I think it is engrossing realistic fiction and it's something different for children from 9 years. The chapters are short and manageable, and I think it will inspire a child to imagine a different type of life.
Title: Blueback
Author: Tim Winton
ISBN: 9780143202837
Published: 2009
Publisher: Penguin Group
If you are looking for a really special picture book to read
to your preschool children, I can strongly recommend Debi Gliori’s No Matter What. The
book is about a little fox who is having a grumpy and anxious day, feeling very
unloved. His mother notices his unhappy mood and responds by giving him lots of
attention, reassuring him that she will always love him, ‘no matter what’. Not
convinced, the little fox gives her lots of ‘what ifs?’ and the large fox
cuddles her little cub while she answers his questions and quells his anxiety,
making him feel loved and secure. 
Hazel Grace is aged 16 and she has terminal cancer. When she reluctantly attends a Cancer Kid support group she meets Augustus Waters, a young man in recovery from cancer. They fall in love and take their 'trip of their lifetime' together, to meet a famous author. This book has been phenomenally popular with teen readers, both boys and girls, and has been made into a hit movie.
The Newtown Tigers are a football team who haven't won a game all season. They just seem to have an awful lot of bad luck. When their coach can't make it to the game, his five year old daughter fills in and makes some changes.
Johanna Spyri's classic story is now retold in a beautiful picture book by Susanna Davidson, illustrated by Alan Marks. Little Heidi is sent to live with her grandfather in the Swiss mountains. She loves her life with her grandfather, her friend Peter, and the goats. When she is sent to the city, she dreams of returning to the mountains. An absolute favourite of mine - I was thrilled to find it in picture book form, and done so beautifully.
WHOOSH! It's a gusty day and a hat is blowing in the air, but whose hat is it? All the animals think the hat looks good on them, but who is the real owner? This simple story is very repetitive and it's a great one to read to children in a group with a few simple props (particularly a straw hat). The storyteller can encourage the children to help with the animal sounds and to make the Whooshing sound of the wind as it picks up the hat. It is a wonderful book for story time.
Here is an exciting and funny story, all told in rhyme. Our generous (and not too frightening) witch, shares her broom with her animal friends, until it breaks with the extra load. When the witch finds herself in a tricky spot with a scary dragon who plans to eat her, the animal friends save her. It's about ingenuity and teamwork, and fun! Enjoy the humorous and colourful illustrations, especially the last one of "the latest in broom design"!