Lottie Perkins, Book 1 and Book 2
Written by Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Makoto Koji Reviewed by Danielle Freeland Katrina Nannestad has delivered a heartwarming series of first chapter books for beginner readers. An experienced author herself, Katrina has launched the series with two titles and a further two due
The Land of Neverendings
Written by Kate Saunders Kate Saunders is a full-time author and journalist in London who writes for children and adults. She won the Costa Children’s Book Award for Five Children on the Western Front. Reviewed by Renee Hills Imagination makes the world go
The Best Medicine
Written by Christine Hamill Reviewed by Lyn Halliday In her first book for children, Christine Hamill demonstrates her exceptional skill at handling delicate subject matter in the most hilarious way — one that will appeal to any middle-grade audience. The Best Medicine won
The Vampire Knife #1 The Witching Hours
Written by Jack Henseleit Illustrated by Ryan Andrews Reviewed by Sandy Driessens WARNING: DO NOT look for fairies. You will not find them. And if you do. YOU WILL REGRET IT. With a warning like this on the cover, this thrilling novel has
The Extremely Weird Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls
by Adam Cece illustrated by Andrew Weldon reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Adam Cece, winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, has written a humorous and wacky junior fiction book. The Extremely Weird Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls follows the trio
Stephanie Chiocci and the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Chase
written by Matt Porter reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton This is the first book in the Footy Stars series and features AFLW Stephanie Chiocci, who captains and plays for the Collingwood women’s team. It is great to see a female sporting hero children
Bravelands#1 Broken Pride
written by Erin Hunter reviewed by Lucy McGinley Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster as you are immersed into the world of wild animals. Bravelands: Broken Pride, will have you crouching in the savannah grasses like a lion cub, pounding your
The Legends series
by Michael Panckridge reviewed by Lucy McGinley You can tell Michael Panckridge, the author of The Legend Series, enjoys sport. He has packed these books with action, sporting challenges and quizzes galore. Right from the start, when you flick past the updated
Brotherband #7 The Caldera
by John Flanagan reviewed by Maria Parenti-Baldey Brotherband, The Caldera, 7, starts with the annual Maktig contest. Stig’s father, Olaf, arrives to ask Hal and his Heron brotherband fighters to save a 14-year-old emperor kidnapped by the pirate Myrgos. The action, tension
Sage Cookson’s Literary Launch
by Sally Murphy illustrated by Celeste Hulme reviewed by Danielle Freeland Literary Launch is the fifth book in the Sage Cookson series by Sally Murphy. The daughter of television chefs, ten-year-old, Sage, shares her parents’ passion for travel and love of food. When
Looking Up
By Sally Murphy Illustrated by Aśka Superska Reviewed by Lyn Halliday As an author of over 40 children’s books, Sally Murphy demonstrates just why she is so successful in this heart-warming story about a boy’s quest to understand and heal a broken relationship. At
Dungzilla
by James Foley reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Two scientist/engineering girls accidentally resize a dung beetle so their whole town is threatened by a massive dung ball – who wouldn’t want to read it? Especially told comic book style through the attractive illustrations
All of Us Together
by Bill Condon illustrated by Dale Newman reviewed by Lyn Halliday If you fancy a visit to 1930s Australia, Bill Condon’s junior fiction novel All of Us Together is sure to transport you there instantly.Imagine facing the prospect of having to kill
Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Fight Back
by Tim Harris, illustrated by James Hart reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Fight Back is the second book in this series following on from the popular Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables published last year. Book Three, Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Go Wild is
Mummy Fairy and Me
by Sophie Kinsella Puffin February 2018 176 pages paperback $11.75 ISBN 9780141377896 Reviewed by Zoe Collins Mummy Fairy and Me is narrated by a young girl called Ella: a fairy-in-waiting and the daughter of a hapless (possibly hopeless) Mummy Fairy. Mummy fairy - it must be
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12 The Getaway
by Jeff Kinney Penguin 2017 224 pages paperback $14.99 ISBN 9780143782797 Reviewed by Lucy McGinley Since there are already twelve books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series it is established that Jeff Kinney has found his market. The handwritten font, bold
The Grand Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler
By Lisa Shanahan Allen & Unwin 2017 216 pp paperback $14.99 ISBN: 9781760293017 Reviewed by Zewlan Moor As summer comes to an end, I’d like to draw your attention to a quiet middle-grade book that seems to have escaped much hype, despite being
Little Witch #1 Secrets and Spells
by Aleesah Darlison Big Sky Publishing 2017 176 pages Paperback $14.99 ISBN: 9781925520101 Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla Aleesah Darlison is an award-winning Queensland author of picture books, chapter books and junior fiction novels. This is the first book in the “Little Witch” series,
Sage Cookson’s Singapore Sensation #4 Sage Cookson
written by Sally Murphy illustrated by Celeste Hulme New Frontier Publishing 2017 paperback $9.99 ISBN 9781925059560 Singapore Sensation is book four in the Sage Cookson series. Sage Cookson is the 10-year-old daughter of TV chefs, Ginger and Basil Cookson and accompanies her parents
All of us Together
by Bill Condon About Kids Books 2017 paperback 160 pp $14.99 ISBN 9780994642806 If you fancy a visit to 1930s Australia, Bill Condon’s junior fiction novel All of Us Together is sure to transport you there instantly. Imagine facing the prospect of
A Galaxy of Her Own: Amazing Stories of Women in Space
by Libby Jackson illustrated by students of the London College of Communication Century/Penguin Books Australia 2017 144 pp hardback $32.99 ISBN 9781780898360 Written by British author and Aerospace scientist Libby Jackson, and illustrated by the students of the London College of Communication,
The Book of Dust: Volume One – La Belle Sauvage
by Philip Pullman David Fickling Books 2017 paperback 448 pp $32.99 ISBN 9780857561084 If, like me, you’ve ever logged on to J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore site to check out what animal your patronus would be, my guess is that you’d love the world
