My Country
Written by Ezekiel KwaymullinaSally Morgan Fremantle Press 2026 (Available as hardback and board book) Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Ezekiel, author of Colour Me, says, ‘My Country was inspired by my Nana and Gran, who passed on their love of country to me.’ Here is
Colour Me
By Ezekiel Kwaymullina & Moira Court Fremantle Press 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Ezekiel is a Palyku person whose family comes from the northwest of Western Australia. He is the son of acclaimed author Sally Morgan, and has collaborated with her and his
Finding Winnie: The Story of the Real Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh
By Lindsay Mattick & Sophie Blackall Orchard Books Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Lindsay Mattick is the great-great-granddaughter of Harry Colebourn, a Canadian vet who, in 1914, was conscripted to join the war effort to look after the soldiers’ horses. On his way to the
Oceanforged Book 3: The Sinking Ruins
By Amelia Mellor Affirm Kids 2026 Reviewed by Helen Gearing Multi award-winning children’s author Amelia Mellor (best known for her ‘Grandest Bookshop in the World’ series) delivers another high-action, immersive story in the third installment of Oceanforged. With echoes of George Orwell’s ‘1984’,
Deathly Fates
By Tesia Tsai Electric Monkey GB 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Kang Siying is a ganshi priestess, reanimating and guiding the dead home to their families and their final resting place. Taught by her father, she has taken over since he fell ill.
Natural Selection
By Clare Edge Bloomsbury YA 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Back in 2024, there was a question posed to women that became a clip that turned into a trend that went viral. And it changed conversations around assault, women and feminism, hopefully forever.
Humpty’s Big Book of Nursery Rhymes
By Play School Illustrated by Beck Feiner ABC Books AU 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Humpty Dumpty had a big book, Of nursery rhymes come take a good look, All the great stories and all the fun times, It's Humpty's big book of nursery rhymes. You really can't
The Witches of Winderry Spires
By Karen Foxlee A & U Children 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan I always drop everything when a new Karen Foxlee book lands on the review pile. She never disappoints, always writing something fresh and new. Yes, this fantasy contains dragons and witches
The Little Kiwi Builder
By Tim Saunders & Minky Stapleton A&U Children's NZ 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Tim is a New Zealand writer of adult and children's books including the very amusing The Sheep That Stole the Farmer’s Hat. Here he has teamed up with Minky Stapleton,
Yalla! Let’s Go!
Written by Peter Bol and Jennifer Castles Illustrated by Louie Joyce A & U Children 2026 Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Nagmeldin Bol, aka Peter Bol, a Sudanese-Australian Olympian and silver medallist, has an inspiring life story to tell. Yalla! Let’s Go! is the bright
The Rebound
By Fiona Harris A & U Children 2026 Review by Alison McCaffrey Fourteen-year-old Harry loves basketball. Watching games with his dad, playing with his best friend, training with them both. Everything has been building to making the Grover Secondary Under 16s Firsts team,
Hometown*
By Shaun Tan A & U Children 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Shaun Tan describes himself as ' primarily a writer of illustrated books for no particular audience', and it's true, both adults and children enjoy his work. He has won many awards
The 113th Assistant Librarian 3: Forbidden Pages
By Stuart Wilson Penguin 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Stuart is the author of the amazingly fun, creepy, weird and macabre middle grade series set in Prometheus High, How to Make a Monster and its sequel The Books of the Dead. Forbidden Pages
The White Ravens: A Selection of International Children’s and Youth Literature
Congratulations to the creators of the four Australian titles selected for inclusion in the prestigious 2026 White Ravens catalogue, featuring brief annotations of more than 200 notable new children’s and young adult books from about 50 countries and regions and
How to Get Rid of a Princess*
By Alison McLennan & Mel Pearce Hardie Grant Children's Publishing 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Alison McLennan is an Australian professional voiceover artist and actor as well as a writer of children's books which include Birdie Lights up the World, Great and Small and
Meet the Author: Maryam Master
Lightness and humour are what keep me going. In life and in my writing Dimity Powell talks to Maryam Masters about writing, books, and her latest novel My Tiny Universe. Why do you write for children? They’re the most important people in
Meena’s Moving Day
By Brenton Cullen & Jennifer Horn Rhiza Press 2026 Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Brenton Cullen is a Queensland children’s author, children’s literature enthusiast and a bookseller. His debut middle grade novel, The Prime Minister Problem, was shortlisted in the 2026 Speech Pathology Book of
Bah Humbug!
By Andy Geppert A & U Children 2026 Reviewed by Zewlan Moor The latest Christmas picture book is by Andy Geppert, the author-illustrator of the popular Australian Backyard Buddies and Meep. This book is about a bug’s perspective on Christmas. Specifically, a cranky humbug.
The Between-Worlds B&B
By Amy Mae Baxter Harper Fire GB 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Margo is a little bit bored, a little bit lonely, and a little bit disorganised. With summer stretching ahead and nothing to look forward to, the last year of high school
Dobby
By J K Rowling Illustrated by Helen Brady Bloomsbury Children's Books 2026 Pocket Potters – Little Guides to the Harry Potter Stories Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Dobby the ever helpful house-elf is a standout character in J K Rowlings Harry Potter series and here he
Hagrid
By J K Rowling Illustrated by Olia Muza Bloomsbury Childrens Books 2026 Pocket Potters – Little Guides to the Harry Potter Stories Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Hagrid has to be one of J. K Rowling's most popular creations and this book, devoted solely to him
Come Home, Bigibila
By Corey Tutt and Irma Gold Illustrated by Jessica Tedim Allen & Unwin 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Corey is Kamilaroi man and Bigibila is his totem animal so this story about a lost echidna is rather special. This is his first collaboration with
Worl Barna: Sky Creatures
By Jayden Boundry & Tyrown Waigana Fremantle Press 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jayden Boundry is Wadjak Balardong Noongar and Badimaya Yamatji and a Noongar language teacher who has teamed up with Tyrown Waigana, a Wardandi Noongar and Ait Koedhal multidisciplinary artist and graphic
Meet the author of The Lost Island: Samantha Wheeler
By Mia Macrossan Samantha Wheeler talks in depth about her latest book The Lost Island, a book that provides plenty of 'brain food' for its readers. Animals and the outdoors are my safe space, my brain food – there’s so much to see
Rewind To Us
By Molly Morris\ Harper Fire 2025 Reviewed by Lucille Rose This contemporary romance stars Dixie Mulligan, a cinephile 17-year-old with bad hair-dye and one big secret… fine, two big secrets. Her family, the Mulligans, have the ability to rewind time to whatever moment
AI for Beginners
By Rachel Firth and Rose Hall Illustrated by Hylton Warburton Usborne GB 2025 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan AI has become an integral part of our lives even though many people are not sure what it is, how it works exactly, and are concerned about
The Seventeenth Quest*
By Elizabeth Kamakawiwoole Illustrated by Elise Hurst Puffin March 2027 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here is an impressive debut by Eliazabeth Kamakawiwoole, who when not writing children's books, manages a theatre company. Maybe it is this experience that has given her her skill with
50 Ways to Die in the Ocean
By Eileen O’Hely Illustrated by Nico O’Sullivan Hawkeye Publishing 2026 Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Eileen O’Hely is a science communicator who has published a variety of children’s books since the release of her first junior fiction title, Penny the Pencil, in 2005. More recently,
Thornbird
By E Kennedy Farshore 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Stepping away from her usual spice and seduction, Thornbird is a new direction for E. Kennedy (a.k.a. Elle Kennedy), author of the now-infamous Off-Campus book series. Focused on a younger audience, with higher stakes
