Backyard Beasties
By Helen Milroy Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Born and educated in Perth, Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She is Australia’s first Indigenous doctor of medicine but is also a talented creator
The Boy and the Elephant
By Freya Blackwood Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This sensitive wordless picture book by multi award winning artist and storyteller Freya Blackwood can be enjoyed and shared by all ages. A boy lives in a city where everything is fast and loud but amidst
2022 Short Story Competition for writers 18+ NOW OPEN
All writers of children’s stories aged 18+ are invited to enter the 2022 StoryLinks Short Story competition Entries should be a short story, maximum of 1500 words, suitable for children of any age up to 15 years old. NB this is an increase
Mrs Koala’s Beauty Parlour
By Catherine Jinks and Tania McCartney Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The first book of Catherine Jinks that I read was Pagan's Crusade (1992) which grew out of her love of medieval history. Since then she has written many award winning novels including
Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing
By Andy Jones & Olaf Falafel Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Over my 50+ years working with children, and particularly following my passion for developing their literacy skills, I have been exposed to as many "magic bullet" pedagogies for getting them to write
Blackout
By Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon. Reviewed by Yvonne Mes In this romantic anthology, written by 6 bestselling and award-winning African American YA authors, New York is plunged into a sudden blackout. The
Ena Noël Shortlist announced
The 2022 Shortlist for the IBBY Australia Encouragement Award for a young emerging writer or illustrator has been announced. In 1994, founding president of IBBY Australia, Ena Noël OAM , founded her own biennial prize – the Ena Noël Award
Round the Twist
By Paul Jennings Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Round the Twist, a collection of stories famous for their surprising endings, burst upon an unsuspecting reading public in 1990 and became an instant success. This new edition published to coincide with the TV series
Archie & Reddie
By Candy James Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is a new early reader graphic novel series for children aged 4 to 8. It features two friends, Archie, a fox, and Reddie who is also supposed to be a fox but looks more
Tiny Wonders
By Sally Soweol Han Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian-Korean author and Illustrator Sally Soweol Han, has created this sweet and magical picture book about a little girl who wants to bring some happiness, colour, and wonder to her fast-paced, grey, town. Her
Scaredy Bath
By Zoe Foster Blake & Daniel Gray-Barnett Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian author, Zoë Foster Blake, has written this fun twist on bath time, from surprisingly, the bathtub’s point of view. The main character is Scaredy Bath, who has to learn to
Aussie Baby Animals & Aussie Water Babies
Black and White for Babies #1 & 2 Designed and illustrated by Julia Murray Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Newborns see the world differently, and a high contrast book is perfect for engaging their developing eyesight, stimulating their cognitive abilities and encouraging their gross
Rabunzel
By Gareth P. Jones Illustrated by Loretta Schauer Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Rabunzel has a teeny tufty tail, a twitchy nose and two wide brown eyes. She also has VERY long ears – so long that her mother worries they will make her
The Midnight Girls
By Alicia Jasinska Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jasinska is an Australian fantasy writer whose debut novel The Dark Tide made quite an impression. The Midnight Girls is her second and again borrows a lot from East European folklore. This makes the novel
Holiday Reading for 2022
Happy Holidays everyone :) Here is a mix of titles, old and new guaranteed to enthral middle grade readers. They have been tried and tested by our readers and reviewers and I know you will find something that children of this
The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read
Written by David Sundin Illustrated by Alexis Holmqvist Translated by B.J. Woodstein Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Ah, what a beautiful fabric bound, gold embossed fairy tale story this appears to be. But no! … it’s The Book that Did Not Want to be Read. The
Tala The Bengal Tiger
By Beverly Jatwani Illustrated by Sunita Chawdhary Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is the second book in the Together we can change the world series. Beverly Jutwani has woven her Indian heritage of spices, village life, and the night sound of wild animals,
A Whole Lot of Lemonade Jones
By Davina Bell Illustrated by Karen Blair Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Lemonade Jones likes making life loud and exciting and these three stories do just that. Story One: The First Day Back has Lemonade strutting confidently into Year One, but there could be a
Endgame
By Malorie Blackman Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Noughts and Crosses is Malorie Blackman’s epic six novel series which has been 20 years in the making. Endgame is the final instalment, the others being Noughts and Crosses, Knife Edge, Checkmate, Double Cross, Crossfire. Endgame and draws on
A Tale of Two Dragons
By Geraldine McCaughrean Illustrated by Peter Malone Reviewed by Barbara Braxton The kingdoms of Arbor with its lush forests, and Pomosa rich with farmland, are separated by a high, thorny hedge and they have no love between them. But at night, the children
Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life
By Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan Illustrated by Angela Rizza Reviewed by Mia Macrossan There are many books about dinosaurs published each year but this one is a standout for beauty within and without. I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its
Book #2 The Odds: Run, Odds, Run
By Matt Stanton Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author/illustrator Matt Stanton has written over 30 books, spanning picture books to middle-grade fiction. He is the author of the much-acclaimed Funny Kid series, the Fart Monster and Me series which was co-authored by Tim
Christmas in Australia
By John Williamson Illustrated by Mitch Vane Reviewed by Mia Macrossan John Williamson is a well-known Australian entertainer and here is a popular song of his, Christmas in Australia, available in picture book format. It is charmingly illustrated by Mitch Vane. What little plot
Hello Baby!
By Shelly Unwin Illustrated by Jedda Robaard Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This attractive book is firmly aimed at parents of a new born. It’s the kind of book you give at a birth or naming party, but it is lovely to share with
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Christmas Eve
By Eric Carle Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Eric Carle’s very hungry caterpillar is a children’s classic that’s been around for fifty years. Here is The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Christmas Eve, a lift the flap board book that will delight and engage the
