Fiction > Developing Readers > Aussie Nibbles

The narrator loves to stay with her grandmother in her house on Huffingup Hill. Most of all she loves Grandma's stories about Tansy Magill, a little red-haired girl who once also lived in this house. But who is Tansy Magill, really?

Sandy loves being at the beach, and plays happily with her older brother Marcus and Aunty Missy, both of whom are enthusiastic surfers. All is well until one day, while swimming with her mum, Sandy is dumped by a big wave. It's a frightening experience. She loses all her confidence in the water. How will she ever go back in?

Sasha is a strange little monster. She doesn't howl and roar like the other Grotty Hollow monsters, and she'd rather play her flute than help prepare for the noisy Blue Moon celebrations. But when she goes to Billowy Bog to practise her music, she is surprised by a swamp goblin. He tricks her and steals her precious flute...

Things don't go as expected when Mia goes to a party at the fairy shop. Where is the Pink Fairy Queen? How did Ben get tied to the maypole? and where did those ants come from?

Behind Marco's house there is a paddock. Behind Nam's house there is a paddock, too and behind Steffi's and Carlo's and Mitch's houses. And in this huge paddock, just about every day, the friends play soccer for the World Cup. All the kids are Australian - but they play for the country they came from. Ages 6+. (SA: Reception - Year 2)

Nicholas Nosh is preparing for the Pirate Games when his aunt, uncle and cousin arrive. His outspoken little cousin, Primrose, is rude to Nicholas about his short stature, and mocks him until he is determined to show her that he may be small, but he's a real pirate.

Jerry is an old white horse who lives in a field in Martha's town. Martha and her mother often stop on the way to school to give him something to eat. Jerry puts his head over the fence and accepts the food, but he doesn't like to be stroked. Ages 6-8.

Princess Althea doesn't like being a princess. She wants to have fun!

When Sam Sullivan is given his scooter, he can't wait to ride it. But one thing still isn't quite finished: the handlebars are hollow, and Mum can't find any corks to plug them with. Ever curious, Sam wonders what it would be like to stick his fingers in the handlebars. Despite Mum's dire warnings, he can't resist..

Timmy's friend and neighbour Mr Conroy is looking after a very small horse called Percy. Percy has come to the city because the drought means there's not much grass for him to eat on the farm. But keeping a horse in Neat Street is against the law and Percy is in danger of being locked up! Ages 6+.

Joe loves everything about the old house by the sea and from the moment he sees Great-Uncle Alan's little yellow boat, all Joe wants to do is go fishing.

Nicholas Nosh, the littlest pirate in the world, is counting the gold in the family treasure house and wondering sadly why he has no treasure of his own, when he comes upon a piece of old brown parchment - a treasure map. At last! It's time for him to set sail again in the Golden Pudding, this time bound for Cracked Skull Island!

Sally's much-loved puppy, Sunday, is young and bouncy and still needs some training. One day, when Sally's family is driving home from the beach, Sunday escapes from the car. Will anybody find her? Sally can't sleep for worrying. And then the phone rings...

A little girl named Holly takes a baby squid from the sea. She calls him Mr Googly, and is fascinated by his speediness and his ability to change colour. As she wanders along the beach, showing her prize catch to beachgoers, she becomes lost. Her parents are worried and begin to look for her. Meanwhile, the parents of the little squid also worry about their missing baby. Holly's parents find her, and before she goes home she returns Mr Googly to his home too - to the sea, where he is at last reunited with his parents.

Sasha is a strange little monster. She doesn't like roaring and rumbling like her parents and her sisters, Hissy and Grissy. She'd much rather play the flute with her granddad. But when they come face to face with the creature most feared by monsters, a mountain troll, Sasha has her flute with her, and she finds that trolls have a gentle side too!

Rosie would love to have a red feather from one of the red-capped robins that live along Ghost Gum Creek, down by Nellie McGinty's place. She tells her friend Ned that they'll go there in her billy fire engine. Ned isn't so sure that's a good idea. All the kids say that Nellie McGInty is a witch, and she keeps frogs in a creepy cave by the creek, and she does her creepy spells there! Rosie convinces Ned, and off they go. Just as Rosie finds her red feather, a sudden summer thunderstorm forces them to shelter in the cave. A rock fal... read more

Becky has reached the point in her swimming lessons when she has stopped being a Frog and has moved up to be a Platypus. She has to go into the deep end, and she's not at all sure that she's ready for it. She wishes she could be a Frog for just a little while longer.

Evie and Matthew are being looked after by their grandmother while their mum and dad are away. They call her Fast Grandma because everything she does, from shopping to skateboarding, is so fast that the children can hardly keep up with her. Fast Grandma says she is quick and busy because she eats red and green vegetables. When she tells people her dietary secret, the kids find it very embarrassing – but the day Grandma speedily nabs a thief, they are very proud of their unconventional relati

Pippa is so excited - she's going to be the flowergirl at her aunt's wedding. And she wants everything to be perfectly perfect!

Christina Miesen grew up in Melbourne Australia, the 4th of 5 children, with parents who migrated from Cologne in Germany. As a child, she had dreams of becoming a nurse (which never happened), spent 8 years playing the violin (and never knew how to tune it), and became fluent in Ginglish (German and English mixed together). She finally studied Graphic design and went on to become an illustrator. Christina has illustrated numerous titles for the educational market and several picture books, including Magic Mummy (by Carolin... read more