We are creeping up to the middle of July which means there are only two more weeks to order our July book selections. As of the 1st of August, all subscription club books will change. This means a fresh crop of books will be flying off to their new owners (with the help of Australia Post, I haven't worked out magic yet).

 So it is time to let you know what books are in our July club subscriptions so that you don't miss out.

 Lots of noise, drum roll, please ...

Explorer's Club (3- 6 years) 

Book One - The New Release Book

A Pair of Pears and an Orange by Anna McGregor - Hardback

 

I love this sweet little book for our younger club members. This is an adorable story about making new friends and finding creative solutions to playground problems. 

 

A pair of pears rocked on a seesaw.

A pair of pears played ping-pong.

A pair of pears rode their tandem bike. 

Until one day, someone new wanted to join their fun.

 

Big Pear and Little Pear love playing together. But when Orange joins in, their games don't work and Big Pear feels left out. 

 

A relatable, hilarious and kind-hearted tale about navigating friendship when three starts to feel like a crowd. 

Anna McGregor's previous book 'Anemone is not the Enemy' is shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood. 'A Pair of Pears and an Orange' is sure to follow in its footsteps. 

 If you select only one book for the Explorer's Club subscription this is the book you will get. 

 

Book Two 

A Day at the Show by Gwyn Perkins - Hardback

 

'A Day at the Show' is a part of the Iggy and Grandad series. It is a journey through childhood memories and a day spent at the Easter Show. 

Doreen the hen has laid another perfect egg! Little Iggy and Grandad think she deserves a prize. 

What follows is a family trip to the colourful chaos of the show, filled with spinning teacups, dodgem cars, merry-go-rounds, lots of animals and some healthy competition. 

 

Gwyn's previous book in this series 'A Walk in the Bush' won the 2018 Children's Book Council of Australia's Picture Book of the Year Award 

This book is filled with delightful observations and illustrations. It's lots of fun

If you select two books for the Explorer's Club you will receive 'A Day at the Show' and 'A Pair of Pears and an Orange'.

Book Three

Odd Dog Out by Rob Biddulph - Hardback

 

Last but not least, 'Odd Dog Out'. 

One dog doesn't quite fit in. It is lonely being the odd dog out so she sets off to find a place where she can belong. Along the way, she discovers that it is not about being like everyone else. It is about being you and people will love you for that. No matter what you look like. 

This book has vibrant colours and lots of fun, rhyming text. This is one of our favourite books at home and I had to share it with everyone.

You will receive 'Odd Dog Out' if you order the three books in the Explorer's Club subscription. 

 All our subscriptions come gift wrapped with extra goodies in the box. 

 Intrigue Club (6- 8 years)

Book One- New Release Book

Agents of the Wild: Operation Sandwhiskers by Jennifer Bell

I am a big fan of Jennifer Bell's writing and this book doesn't disappoint. Sometimes books in this age category can be a bit light on plot and characters. This is not one of them. This is a fun, entertaining read from start to finish with a strong female protagonist who is out to help the planet. 

Agnes and Attie (a talking shrew) are off to the Sahara Desert on a mission to rescue rare baby animals from illegal wildlife traders. When a lesser flamingo crashes into Agnes’s window-box with an urgent message for SPEARS, Agnes is ready for the call. Three rock hyrax pups have been kidnapped from their burrow in Egypt, and other baby animals are missing across Africa. Soon Agnes and Attie find themselves trapped in an ancient Egyptian tomb at the mercy of animal poachers – can they save the animals and themselves?

If you select only one book for the Intrigue Club subscription this is the book you will get. 

Book Two

Armadillo and Hare and the Very Noisy Bear by Jeremy Strong- Hardback

 

The Armadillo and Hare books are delightful. I see them as a modern-day Wind in the Willows. Each book is broken down into different stories. With quirky illustrations from Rebecca Bagley. 

Armadillo and Hare are the best of friends. They live together in a little house in the Big Forest. It's normally very quiet in the Big Forest. Armadillo likes it when it's quiet. Hare likes music and excitement. Today there's a lot of bashing and crashing going on! Someone is playing the drums. Very loudly. It's a very noisy bear! What will our friends make of the new arrival? Return to the Big Forest for even more fun, friendship - and cheese!

Jeremy Strong is one of the UK's highest-profile authors for young readers and has a gift for humour. He has won many awards including the Red House Children's Book Award. 

If you select two books for the Intrigue Club you will receive 'Agents of the Wild: Operation Sandwhiskers' and 'Armadillo and Hare and the Very Noisy Bear'. 

Book Three

Yours Sincerely, Giraffe By Megumi Iwasa

This international bestseller, tells the endearing story of a very bored Giraffe who decides to write a letter for something to do. To his surprise, Penguin returns his correspondence and they become pen pals. The only problem is Giraffe has no idea what a penguin is. What do they look like? Similarly, Penguin can not understand what a Giraffe looks like. What is a neck? do penguins have a neck? 

 

Yours Sincerely, Giraffe is a funny tale of mistaken assumptions and friendship. 

 

"This is a rare book: Joyful, ingenious, playfully earnest, but without a whiff of studied cuteness."- Kirkus Reviews 

 

Megumi Iwasa is a Japanese author who currently lives in Tokyo.

 

You will receive 'Yours Sincerely, Giraffe' if you order the three books in the Intrigue Club subscription. 

 

Curiosity Club (9-12 years)

Book One - New Release Book

Twitch by M.G. Leonard

I was so excited to get this book for our Curiosity club this month. 

M. G. Leonard is the bestselling writer of children’s books such as Beetle Boy, the Adventures on Trains series and The Twitchers. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and Beetle Boy is currently in development as a live-action series for TV. She has been called "An original new voice in children's literature...' by The Times. Can you tell I am a big fan?

Twitch is a twelve-year-old with three pet chickens, four pigeons, swallows nesting in his bedroom and a passion for bird-spotting. On the first day of the summer holidays, he arrives at his secret bird-watching hide in the local nature reserve to find police everywhere: a convicted bank robber and murderer has broken out of prison and is hiding in Aves Wood. Twitch soon finds himself entangled in the hunt for the dangerous prisoner. Can he turn his talents for bird-spotting to detective skills, and find the missing loot? 

This book deals with issues of friendship, bullying, loneliness and being true to one's belief. It is a beautiful story with strong characters and plot. 

 If you order one book in the Curiosity Club subscription you will get 'Twitch'.

 Book Two 

Owl's Outstanding Donuts by Robin Yardi- Hardback

 

This book will not be a surprise to those of you who have been following along. We revealed this book last week. 

Mattie Waters loses her mother, she goes to live with her aunt, the owner of a roadside donut shop in Big Sur, California. When an owl taps on Mattie's window one night, Mattie looks out to see something suspicious taking place nearby. With help from her friends—and Alfred, a stuffy but good-hearted owl—, she'll set out to find the culprits, facing fears that have followed her since her mother's death.

 For an in-depth review check out this post. 

If you select two books for the Curiosity Club you will get 'Twitch' and 'Owls Outstanding Donuts'.

Book Three 

When This Bell Rings by Allison Rushby 

With a mix of fantasy, history and graphic novel this book has it all. I don't think Allison Rushby has ever written a bad book (I should know I have read most of them). She is one of Australia's great middle-grade writers. 

 In London's Belgravia, Tamsin lives next door to Edie St Clair, famous author of the ‘London of the Bells’ series of graphic novels. With the series’ tenth and final novel overdue, Tamsin offers her idol help and discovers that Edie can literally draw herself into her stories. When Edie goes missing, Tamsin draws herself into the novel and lands in a world of unexpected danger. There, Tamsin discovers that Edie needs her more than she could have realised – only she has the power to write the perfect ending to this story. But the perfect ending will come at a great cost to all.

 You will be kept on the edge of your seat until the very end of this book. It is a great ride that keeps twisting and turning. Lots of fun

You will receive 'When This Bell Rings' when you order three books in the Curiosity Club.

And that is that...

I hope you enjoyed seeing what we have to offer our club readers this month. 

Don't forget all July orders will get a Be Curious Books Library bag plus a few other extra goodies. 

All our orders are specially gift wrapped and each subscription can be purchased as a one-time gift. I will even write a handwritten message for you- just place your message in the Gift Message box at checkout.  

I would love to know what you think so please drop me a message or comment below. 

 Happy reading,

 Anna