Main Abija – My Grandad
By Karen Rogers Reviewed by Sue Wright There are books that fictionalise events in history to make history accessible, and then there are books which play an important role in recovering history and connections that have been lost. Main Abija – My Grandad by
Underground
Marsupial Outlaws and Other Rebels of Australia’s War in Vietnam A graphic novel by Mirranda Burton Reviewed by Sue Wright War, civil conflict, racism and division are part of the long legacy of colonialism. When colonial France withdrew from Vietnam, division split the
Meredith Downes wins 2022 Short Story Competition
Congratulations to Meredith Downes who won the 2022 StoryLinks Short Story competition for adults aged 18+. Here is our spotlight interview with Meredith (before she was announced the winner). The judges declared her story, The Pop Girls, the winner at this
The Ghost Locket
By Allison Rushby Reviewed by Sarah Custance Brisbane author Alison Rushby is quickly making a name for herself in spooky middle-grade mystery novels. With the success of her previous novels, The Mulberry Tree, The Turnkey series, and When This Bell Rings, there
Spotlight Please… it’s Stevie Louise
By Tanya Hennessy with illustrations from Leigh Hedstrom Reviewed by Sarah Custance Tanya Hennessy is a Jill of all trades with careers as a TV presenter, comedian, radio announcer, podcaster, and author. Spotlight Please is the second book after Drum Roll Please
Wombat Can’t Sing
By Katie Stewart Reviewed by Sarah Custance Author/illustrator Katie Stewart was born in the UK and moved to Australia when she was 9. Having lived on a farm for a great deal of her life, Stewart’s picture books are all about Aussie
The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Case of Misfortune
By Sophie Cleverly Reviewed by Sarah Custance UK author Sophie Cleverly is best known for her middle-grade series Scarlet and Ivy, which is comprised of 6 books. The Violet Veil Mysteries is Cleverly’s newest mystery series with A Case of Misfortune being
Whisper on the Wind
By Claire Saxby and illustrated by Jess Racklyeft Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author Claire Saxby has almost 30 books to her name, ranging from non-fiction to picture books and novels. Whisper on the Wind is one of her latest picture books
Wild Australian Life
Written by Leonard Cronin Illustrated by Chris Nixon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Leonard Cronin trained as a biologist and is a prolific writer of books and articles about the Australian flora, fauna and environment, bringing his own fascination with the natural world to
Gus and the Starlight
By Victoria Carless Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Victoria is a Brisbane based writer who has previously published the YA coming-of-age novel The Dream Walker. Gus and the Starlight is a touching story about a family trying to establish itself in a new place
Eyes That Speak To The Stars
Written by Joanna Ho Illustrated by Dung Ho Reviewed by Margarite Igras This poignant picture book is a companion to Eyes That Kiss In The Corners . Eyes That Speak To The Stars is about accepting who you are, your heritage and your
The Love That Grew
By Sarah Ayoub Illustrated by Mimi Purnell Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is Sarah Ayoub's first picture book, her previous titles, Hate is Such a Strong Word, The Yearbook Committee and The Cult of Romance are all for YA readers. It is also
Wild Life: The Extraordinary Adventures of Sir David Attenborough
By Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Helen Shoesmith Reviewed by Sarah Custance Leisa Stewart-Sharpe is an Aussie born author who now resides in the UK, she mostly writes non-fiction as well as regular picture books, and sometimes combines the two together as you will
The Green Planet
By Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Illustrated by Kim Smith Reviewed by Sarah Custance Leisa Stewart-Sharpe is an Australian born author who currently lives in the UK. She specialises in writing non-fiction books along with picture books. The Green Planet is one of two
Amazing Animals: 100+ Creatures That Will Boggle Your Mind
By Sabrina Weiss and Paul Daviz Reviewed by Sarah Custance Amazing Animals is the fourth book in the Amazing series, following on from Amazing Islands, Amazing Rivers, and Amazing Treasures. In this book we explore some of the world’s weirdest and most wonderful
Miimi Marraal: Mother Earth
Written and illustrated by Melissa Greenwood Reviewed by Des. Crump Melissa Greenwood is a Gumbaynggirr artist who shares a warm story of the connections between mothers, babies and Mother Earth. The text is rich in imagery and cultural knowledge while the beautiful illustrations
The Encyclopedia of STEM Words
An Illustrated A to Z of 100 Terms for Kids to Know By Jenny Jacoby Illustrated by Vicky Barker Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Not so long ago, the word 'stem' referred to the major vertical shoot of a plant that bears buds and shoots with leaves and
A Blue Kind of Day
By Rachel Tomlinson Illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey Reviewed by Margarite Igras A caring, family orientated picture book, written by psychologist Rachel Tomlinson with amazingly expressive illustrations by Indigenous Australian Tori-Jay Mordey. It is aimed at young readers and presents the challenging subject of
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes
By Mary Lee Donovan Illustrated by Lian Cho Reviewed by Margarite Igras This verse story is a global journey celebrating the rituals and cultures associated with welcoming family, friends, and strangers into our home. It is laden with information about hospitality, from the
Spotlight on 2022 Short Story Shortlist: Marian McGuinness
Here is the second of our Spotlights on shortlisted writers. Marian McGuinness has been shortlisted for her story Queenie's jiggly-Jolly Holiday - Queen Clarabelle enjoys being alone at the Get Lost Caravan Park but then makes some new friends. Marian is
Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
Their Colours and Patterns Explained By Greer Stothers Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is an unusual and exciting book about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, written by Canadian evolutionary biologist, Greer Stothers. It not only informs us about dinosaurs but draws upon new
Spotlight on 2022 Short Story Shortlist: Meredith Downes
Here is the first of our spotlights on our shortlisted writers. Meredith Downes has been shortlisted for her short story 'The Pop Girls', a subtle story about a girl immersed in swimming but who still observes what happens around her
The Way of Dog
By Zana Fraillon Illustrated by Sean Buckingham Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Verse novels are becoming increasingly popular and more and more are being published. Their way of telling narrative is intense and focused, using poetic techniques such as metaphor, simile, repetition, imagery and
2022 Book Links Annual Lecture in Children’s Literature
This lecture by Dr Robyn Sheahan - Bright will survey a range of contemporary responses to social issues in children’s literature, and how social activism is reflected in texts by both Australian and international authors. It will canvas the concerns
May Book Links News
Read all about what is happening in the world of children's literature this month in the Book Links Newsletter out now May looks to be a very busy month, with Brisbane Writers Festival this week, Book Links Romancing the Stars at Coomera Anglican College on
2022 Long list Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction
Book Links is proud to announce the 2022 Shortlist for the annual Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction. Eight stories from Australia have been chosen from more than thirty entries for the award. Entries included picture books, middle grade
Dungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed!
By Madeleine Roux and illustrated by Tim Probert Reviewed by Sarah Custance The roleplaying tabletop game ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ has been seen monumental success since it’s release in 1974. It has recently gained a new fanbase in younger audiences with schools now
The Smart Cookie
By Jory John and Pete Oswald Reviewed by Sarah Custance Picture Book writing team Jory John and Pete Oswald are at it again in their new book The Smart Cookie. This is part of their series of books which include, The Bad
My First Book of Aussie Animals
By Gordon Winch and Stephen Pym Reviewed by Sarah Custance My First Book of Aussie Animals is the newest addition to the series of My First Book of’s by Gordon Winch and illustrated by Stephen Pym, which follows on from My First
Shortlist for 2022 Short Story Competition for writers 18+
The art of the short story is alive and well. We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for this year's short story competition for writers aged 18+. This year we had a record 43 entries from which the judges chose
