Frances Bloom (Frances Bloom, #1)
By Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Marina Zlatanova Reviewed by Helen Gearing Katrina Nannestad, best known for her much-awarded WWII middle-grade novels, returns to junior fiction in her latest work, Frances…
Red Star Rebels
By Amie Kaufman Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey The multi-award winning Australian author takes us back to space in this sci-fi-for-everyone, edge of your seat thrill ride. With witty banter, loveable…
Meet the Artist: Monty Lee
Monty Lee is one of this year’s artist exhibiting at the annual Book Links StoryArts Exhibition held every year at the Richard Randal Art Studio, a glorious purpose built art…
The Sheep That Stole the Farmer’s Hat
By Tim Saunders & Carla Martell Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Tim Saunders farms sheep and beef near Palmerston North and is the author of two children’s picture books including this…
Gaslit
By Megan Davidhizar Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Plagued by recent migraines, Ella has to ditch her bestie and their New Year’s Eve plans. When she begins feeling better and her…
All About Antarctica
A Fact Book About the Southernmost Continent By Marc Martin Reviewed by Claire Monsour If you don’t like picture books with busy pages and lots of small text: this book…
The Story Writer’s Handbook
Adventures in Creative Writing By Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini Reviewed by Claire Monsour Nannstad writes in the introduction to this book, “My hope is that the spaces in…
Crossing
By Catherine Norton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Catherine Norton’s first novel, Crossing, was joint winner of the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the 2015 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. It was also…
Book Links March Newsletter
Here is the latest in what’s happening in the KidLit sphere compiled by the indefatigable Jenny Stubbs, essential reading for anyone interested and working in Australian children’s literature. Book Links…
Unfairies
By Huw Aaron Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This rollicking and irreverent graphic novel, the first in a series, by Welsh cartoonist, author and illustrator and now graphic artist, Huw Aaron…
Meet the Artist: Jennifer Horn again!
By Mia Macrossan Jennifer Horn Jennifer Horn is one of this year’s artist exhibiting at the annual Book Links StoryArts Exhibition held every year at the Richard Randal Art Studio,…
The Boy and the Dog Tree
By Fiona Wood Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Fiona is the three time winner of the CBCA Older Reader category. Recently she has started writing for middle grade with How to…
Bun
By Hana Kinoshita Thomson Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Hana is a Japanese-American- Australian illustrator, designer and author and the in-house book designer at Allen & Unwin. Here is her debut…
The Same Backwards as Forwards
By Jennifer Lynn Barnes Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a Professor of Psychology and an American writer known for her extensive YA publications. The most popular of…
For No Mortal Creature
By Keshe Chow Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey The second book for award-winning Melbourne author Keshe Chow, For No Mortal Creature is a dark, lyrical fantasy that wonders how far people…
Phoenix
By Kimberley Brubaker Bradley Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Kimberley is the author of the Newbery Medal winning The War That Saved My Life which is aimed at older middle grade…
Meet the Artist: Jennifer Horn
By Mia Macrossan Jennifer Horn is one of this year’s artist exhibiting at the annual Book Links StoryArts Exhibition held every year at the Richard Randal Art Studio, a glorious…
Milly Meelyu
Written by Holly Bradley & Darryl Fogarty Illustrated by Corinne Fogarty Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This dual language picture book tells the story of a family of Spiny-tailed skinks (Egernia…
Valerie: Australia’s Bravest Sausage Dog
By Lucinda Gifford Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Lucinda, born in Scotland now working in Melbourne has illustrated over 40 books, ten of which she has also written, samples include Too…
Mr McGee
By Pamela Allen Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here is another popular children’s classic picture book made available as a board book. This perennial favourite first appeared in 1989 and has…
Saving Shark Pup
By Sharon Dalgleish & Amandine Thomas Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sharon is the author of over 50 published fiction and nonfiction books for children, as well as numerous textbooks and…
Thorn Season
By Kiera Azar Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Thorn Season, the debut novel from British author Kiera Azar, left me with an emptiness that can only be filled with the next…
Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop
By Gracie Page Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Following on from her debut The Wildest Dreams Bookshop, British author Gracie Page returns to the quirky bookshop in Fox Bay for another…
Neeka and the Storm (Wilder Zoo, #2)
Written by Tina Strachan Illustrated by Max Hamilton Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Tina Strachan is an Australian author who lives on the Gold Coast. After spending twenty years working and…
My Sister, the Todzilla
By Jacinta Froud & Matt Shanks Reviewed by Meg Rowe ‘It’s not long after lunch, I’m alone in my room when all of a sudden I hear a big … BOOM!’…
The Butterfly House
Written and illustrated by Harry Woodgate Reviewed by Margarite Igras Harry Woodgate (they/them) is an award-winning LGBTQ+ author and illustrator, whose debut picture book Grandad’s Camper followed by Grandad’s Pride,…
I Am Not Happy!
By Caroline L Perry & Sydney Hanson Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Quokkas are known to be ‘the happiest animal on earth’, because of their perennially happy face. No matter what…
The Sunbird Younger Readers’ Edition
Written by Sara Haddad Illustrated by Baraa Awoor Reviewed by Zewlan Moor I am old Give me back the stars of childhood That I may chart the homeward quest Back…
Book Links February 2026 NEWSLETTER
Here is the most up to date news of events in the KIDLIT world: find out about the new Children’s Laureate, where and when the latest Romancing the Stars, and also…
Turbo Turtle
By Greg Dreise Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Greg is a descendant of the Goomelroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of SW Queensland and NW New South Wales. He is the author of…
