Devils in Danger
By Samantha Wheeler Reviewed by Sarah Custance Samantha Wheeler is the bestselling Australian author of Smooch & Rose, Spud & Charli, Everything I’ve Never Said, and her wildlife focused books Mister Cassowary, Wombat Warriors, and Turtle Trackers. Devils in Danger is her
Fil and Harry
By Jenny Blackford Illustrated by Kristin Devine Reviewed by Sarah Custance Jenny Blackford is an Australian author whose previous book The Girl in the Mirror won the 2020 Davitt Award for Best Children’s Crime Novel. Fil and Harry is Jenny’s second middle grade
Skulduggery Pleasant #14 Dead or Alive
By Derek Landy Reviewed by Leonard Cavallaro, aged 12. Leonard is an aspiring author with a love of fantasy. Who is your favourite character? Describe them and tell us why you like them. Arch-Cannon Damocles Creed is the perfect blend of intelligence and evil.
Megamonster
By David Walliams Illustrated by Tony Ross Reviewed by Isabela Newman, age 9 Who is your favourite character? Larker. I like her because she is so brave and always looks at things in a positive way. ( I also like her because she makes
New Historical Fiction
New this month Children’s Historical Fiction List For parents and teachers looking for recent novels to spark a child's interest in humanity's past here is the LONGLIST of the 2021 Book Links Children’s Historical Fiction Awards. All these books, written and published in
When Rain Turns to Snow
by Jane Godwin Reviewed by Sharon Bryan Jane Godwin is an Australian author who has written books for children of all ages. Her picture books, such as Today We Have No Plans (illustrated by Anna Walker) and Hattie Helps Out (with Davina
The Snow Pony
By Alison Lester Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson Originally published in 2001, four years after her other novel for younger readers, The Quicksand Pony, this latest twentieth anniversary release is a childhood favourite of many children and teens. Set on a cattle farm in
The Boy Who Stepped Through Time
By Anna Ciddor Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Anna Ciddor's self-described research 'obsession', her decades-long list of non-fiction titles, and the help of her sister, Tamara Lewit—a researcher and archaeologist specialising in the Roman Empire—make her perfectly placed to pen this richly detailed
Alice-Miranda in Egypt
By Jacqueline Harvey Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Eleven years after the first Alice-Miranda book, bestselling author and former deputy principal Jacqueline Harvey has released the series' twentieth instalment: Alice-Miranda in Egypt. Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones, who was seven and one quarter in the first book,
The Right Way to Rock
By Nat Amoore Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury Nat Amoore returns with her third middle grade book set in the ordinary town of Watterson with the not-so-ordinary children of Watterson Primary School. In The Right Way to Rock we meet Mac Fleetwood Cooper, who
Little Gem and the Mysterious Letters
Written and illustrated by Anna Zobel Reviewed by Sarah Custance Anna Zobel is an Australian author living in Melbourne. Her first novel Little Gem about a clumsy but well-meaning young witch who accidently transports herself 100 years into the future was well
The Ballad of Melodie Rose
By Kate Gordon Illustrated by Rachel Tribout Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury Kate Gordon returns to middle grade magical realism with The Ballad of Melodie Rose, a companion tale to The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn. When we meet Melodie Rose on the front steps of
Across the Sea: Wolf Girl 5
By Anh Do Illustrated by Lachlan Creagh Reviewed by Sarah Custance Anh Do is a well-known Australian personality in comedy, T.V, art, and writing. He is the author of the much-loved children’s series WeirDo, Ninja Kid, and the HotDog books. His newer series,
The Greatest Inventor
By Ben Brooks Illustrated by George Ermos Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Leonard Cavallaro Ben Brooks is the successful author of numerous children’s books, most famously Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different. The Greatest Inventor is an unexpectedly insightful tale of village
Night Ride into Danger
Written by Jackie French. Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Stories that speak to her ancestry and personal history have inspired another engaging historical fiction from the prolific Jackie French. The night run of the Cobb and Co mail coach to Goulburn was a gruelling,
Heroes of the Secret Underground
By Susanne Gervay Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Susanne Gervay, acclaimed Australian author of the I Am Jack series, along with various picture books and standalone novels, has written a powerful and moving middle grade novel inspired by her family's experiences in Nazi-occupied
Elsewhere Girls
By Emily Gale and Nova Weetman Reviewed by Sarah Custance Emily Gale and Nova Weetman are both Melbourne based authors who are much celebrated in their chosen genres. Emily Gale has written many acclaimed YA novels such as the Eliza Boom Diaries,
Michaela Mason’s Big List of 23 Worries
By Alexa Moses Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Australian author and screenwriter Alexa Moses introduces a likeable and nuanced main character in this middle grade novel about moving towns, making friends and facing fears.⠀ Ten-year-old Michaela Mason has a lot of worries. So many,
Eliza Vanda’s Button Box
By Emily Rodda Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here is another original fantasy from one of Australia's best-loved writers for children. Almost every family has a button box filled with odd buttons collected over the years, but Eliza Vanda's button box contains some
Funny Kid Prank Aliens (Funny Kid, #9)
By Matt Stanton Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Prolific Australian author-illustrator Matt Stanton returns with the ninth book in his popular 'Funny Kid' series. Young readers will enjoy the main character's pranks, rants and overblown-confidence-followed-by-public-humiliation routine that are a staple of this series. When
The World Between Blinks
By Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes What do Amelia Earhart, Prime Minister Harold Holt and Queen Nefertiti have in common? Well, they all disappeared without trace and now make an appearance in the World Between Blinks, a world
Hodge Podge: How To Make A Pet Monster #1
By Lili Wilkinson Illustrated by Dustin Spence Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Lili Wilkinson is an award-winning writer of mainly Young Adult novels. Here she has written and amusing and appealing story, the first in a series, for middle grade readers. Artie is an eleven
Sky Dragon #1 Take To The Skies
By Anh Do Illustrated by James Hart Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Leonard Cavallaro Anh Do’s new book is the beginning of a unique and suspenseful series. Anh Do is a skilled author, actor, comedian, and painter, with some of his most famous books
The Schoolmaster’s Daughter
By Jackie French Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Fans of Jackie French will be happy to see another rip-roaring read, once again based on her own family history. The Schoolmaster's Daughter starts with a shipwreck when Hannah Gilbert and her family are sailing to
The Quicksand Pony
By Alison Lester Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This book was published 15 years ago and has now been reissued with a gorgeous new cover. The Quicksand Pony, set on a farm near the rugged Australian coastline is mainly about Biddy, devastated at having
The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle
By Pamela Rushby Illustrated by Nellé May Pierce, Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd With an appealing main character, sinister baddies and a touch of magic, prolific Australian author Pamela Rushby's delightful new middle grade novel is one confident readers can really sink their teeth
The Dog Who Saved the World
By Ross Welford Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Leonard Cavallaro Ross Welford is the English television producer turned children's author of the popular Time Travelling with a Hamster ‘The 1000-year- Old Boy’ and many more. The Dog who saved the World is an inspirational and
52 Mondays
By Anna Ciddor Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Anna Ciddor's previous novel, The Family With Two Front Doors was a CBCA Notable book in 2017. 52 Mondays is a fictionalised account of Anna's own Jewish childhood. . This is a nostalgic look at 1960s Australia,
The Hatmakers
By Tamzin Merchant Illustrated by Paola Escobar Reviewed by Sarah Custance Tamzin Merchant is a British actor best known for playing period roles. The Hatmakers is her first novel and the start of a series with the second book, The Mapmakers, due to
The Golden Tower
By Belinda Murrell Reviewed by Sarah Custance Belinda Murrell is a popular Australian author known for her many middle-grade time-slip novels such as The Ivory Rose, The Ruby Talisman, The Locket of Dreams, The Forgotten Pearl, and many more, as well as
