Our Reviewers

Jamie Willis writes stories for children and teens. She studied journalism at university, then worked in the web industry, before rediscovering her love of children’s books. Jamie is the social media manager for StoryLinks and spends her spare time with her family, reading five books at a time. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

Helen Gearing is a Logan-based writer who loves flame trees, windy days, and splashing in the pool with her family (minus her cat, who disapproves of such frivolity). Her poetry and short stories have won several awards, including runner-up in the Queensland Young Writers Award, and have been published in literary magazines in Australia and overseas. You can follow her writerly adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Lucille Rose I am your average reading nerd whose love language is books, who’s obsessed with Taylor Swift, and who loves getting to rant about literature. My favorite authors are Jane Austen and Lynette Noni, and the books that made me fall in love with reading are The Medoran Chronicles. Writing is my passion and I hope one day I get to do it full-time.

Liane McDermott is a Brisbane-based children’s writer, editor and academic researcher in the human services field. She enjoys reading and writing all forms of children’s fiction from picture books to YA. Liane is a co-judge for the StoryLinks Adult Short Story competition and Membership Secretary for Book Links Qld.

Charlotte Barkla is a Brisbane-based writer who worked as a civil engineer and physics teacher before rediscovering her love for children’s literature. She now writes picture books, middle-grade fiction and feature articles.

Annaleise Byrd is a Brisbane-based children’s writer. She writes picture books, poetry, short stories and middle grade fiction. Annaleise works part-time in an administrative role for the Ipswich District Teacher-Librarian Network. She has lived in three countries and is particularly fond of lamingtons.

Sarah Custance has worked in primary libraries for many years and is an avid reader of graphic novels and middle grade fiction. She has judged  the Aurealis Awards and the Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction and has reviewed children’s books for 4MBS radio.

Sandy Driessens writes and illustrates picture books.  Her hobbies are travel, music, art, motorcycle and pushbike trials. She also loves reading about and watching mysteries and science fiction.

Sophia Evans is a children’s book author, experienced senior teacher, vivacious reader, enthusiastic gardener, and all round nerd. She has worked internationally and traveled extensively, all of which (she says) makes her a better writer and critic. Sophia is over half way through a Masters in Creative Writing with plans for completing in 2024. She is a reviewer for StoryLinks, and helps run tech support for the Brisbane-based WriteLinks group.

Dajo Finlayson is a retired Secondary Teacher Librarian with more than 40 years experience working primarily in the teaching areas of English and Social Science (HSS). She is passionate about her ‘Reading around Curriculum’ programme which has extensive lists of resources, both fiction and non-fiction, that complement and enrich many curriculum areas. When not reading, she enjoys family, friends and travel.

Lara Cain Gray is a librarian, academic researcher and picture book specialist. She has written for academic and commercial publications for over 20 years, including early reader titles for non-profit publisher Library For All, and her book review blog. Her guide to deep reading of children’s literature, The Grown Up’s Guide To Picture Books, is forthcoming with MidnightSun Publishing.

Margarite Igras has taught English and History in several secondary schools in Australia and is also a teacher librarian of many years experience . She has set up and automated several school libraries, enjoys travel, reading and the harvest from her garden. She gets great pleasure in reviewing books and sharing them with her grandchildren.

Mia Macrossan is an editor, teacher librarian and former CBCA  children’s book of the year judge, an Aurealis judge and a Queensland Literary awards judge.  She is the current chair of the judging panel for the Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction. She founded the Last Tuesday Children’s Book Club for adults who love to read and discuss children’s books and reviews for Magpies, 4MBS Radio and of course, StoryLinks.

Yvonne Mes is a children’s author and illustrator. She has written several picture books including Meet Sidney Nolan , Oliver’s Grumbles , Honey for Bee, and others. Her story A Starry Christmas was animated by Electric Canvas and displayed on the Brisbane City Hall for two weeks in December, 2017.

Zewlan Moor Zewlan (pronounced Shoolen) Moor is an avid reader and member of the Last Tuesday Children’s Book Club. Her day job is as a procedural GP and she combines her love of books and medicine in Byron Bibliotherapy, where she helps people who are at a crossroads or in a reading rut to find the right book at the right time. She was one of the judges of the Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction in 2022. Zewlan also writes, and she received an ASA Highly Commended Mentorship in 2021. Her debut picture books, Nothing Alike (illustrated by Peter Cheong) and The Bill Dup (illustrated by Simon O’Carrigan) are out in August and September 2023. Connect @byronbiblio.

Melissa Salisbury is a Brisbane-based children’s writer. She writes serious papers for politicians at the Queensland Parliament by day, but she much prefers writing heart-warming and funny picture books, short stories and middle grade fiction by night.

Sue Wright is the owner of micro-press Tiny Owl Workshop. She publishes novellas, zines and children’s books and produces multi-media projects through the imprint Curious, with Terry Whidborne.  She has a fondness for tea and a collection of picture books that can be seen from space.

Tehani Croft is a teacher librarian, academic, publisher and literary awards judge. She has reviewed for venues such as Magpies, Books+Publishing, CBCA and more, and is passionate about young adult and speculative fiction, though has been known to read a cereal box when bored.