The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet
A Kingdoms and Empires Book By Jaclyn Moriarty Illustrated by Kelly Canby Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jaclyn Moriarty is the award winning author of novels for children, young adults and sometimes slightly older adults, including the Kingdoms and Empires series starting with The Extremely
The Lost Library
By Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Rebecca Stead has written the award winning When You Reach Me, Liar & Spy and The List of Things That Will Not Change and more. Wendy Mass has written more than thirty
Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation
By Ashleigh Barton Illustrations by Sarah Davis Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Here is the second adventure of the well mannered vegetarian young vampire, Solomon Macaroni, the first in the series being Solomon Macaroni and the Cousin Catastrophe,also reviewed in StoryLinks. Solomon is still staying with
Fluff, Bullies Beware! (Fluff, #1)
By Matt Stanton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Matt Stanton is the bestselling author of the Funny Kid series along with dozens of others, ranging from picture books to middle-grade novels with graphic novels in between. Fluff, Bullies Beware! is the first in what will
Starfell: Willow Moss and the Magic Thief
By Dominique Valente Illustrated by Sarah Warburton Reviewed by Sarah Custance Willow Moss and the Magic Thief is the 4th and newest installment of these fun, magical, adventurous middle-grade books in the Starfell series, with the talented Sarah Warburton returning to add delightful
Copycat
By Kelli Anne Hawkins Reviewed by Sophia Evans Copycat is the third children’s book by Australian author Kelli Anne Hawkins. Her previous books include The School for Talking Pets (2021) and Birdbrain (2022). Copycat begins with Chapter One titled - THE END which
Silver Linings
By Katrina Nannestad Reviewed by Helen Gearing Katrina Nannestad, beloved best-selling author of twenty-three novels for children, brings early 1950s regional New South Wales (with its hopes for a brighter postwar future embodied in Queen Elizabeth’s upcoming coronation) to life in her
Kip of the Mountain
By Emma Gourlay Illustrated by Kate Moon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Like Kip, debut author Emma Gourlay grew up with a black dad and a white mum. She now lives in Melbourne and I hope she is writing a sequel to this entertaining
Sea Glass
By Rebecca Fraser Reviewed by Sarah Custance Rebecca Fraser is a Melbourne based author and editor who has written three middle-grade novels, a speculative short story collection, as well as over sixty poems, articles, and short stories. Her latest middle-grade novel Sea
Millie Mak the Maker
by Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla Millie Mak is a creative and industrious nine-year-old who turns everyday objects into something new. Through her ingenuity, she navigates difficult friendships, family relationships and school. Millie Mak the Maker is
The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright
By Reece Carter Reviewed by Helen Gearing Nutritionist-turned-children’s-author Reece Carter burst onto the Australian kidlit scene in 2022 with his debut novel, A Girl Called Corpse, also reviewed in StoryLinks, which snaffled a bunch of award shortlistings, including Australian Book Industry Association’s
Rocket
Written by Dave Lowe Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Dave Lowe is a British-born, Brisbane-based author whose previous works include the My Hamster Is a Genius series, The Incredible Dadventure series, the ‘Cafe’ episode of Bluey, and several plays and musicals performed at
Game On! 2: Glitched
Written and illustrated by Emily Snape Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Emily Snape is a London-based author and illustrator whose many previous titles include the Motor Mix series, The Little Monster’s Guide to Positivity and Fergus the Furball. Glitched is the second book in
This Camp is Doomed: A Dennith Grange Misadventure
By Anna Zobel Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Melbourne based Anna Zobel is making a name for herself for writing quirky entertaining mysteries within an original fantasy framework. Her previous work include the Little Gem series also reviewed in StoryLinks. This Camp is
Penny Draws a School Play
By Sara Shepard Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla Oh, how I wish Penny Draws a School Play was around when I was a kid. Penny Lowry is in 5th grade and has a lot of changes in her life. Baby twin siblings on the
Ruby and the Pen
By David Lawrence. Illustrated by Cherie Dignam Reviewed by Helen Gearing Short chapters, lots of dialogue, larger-than-life characters, cartoon-style illustrations and a wallop of fun make David Lawrence’s latest middle-grade novel a solid choice for readers aged 8-11 who need some encouragement
Ash Barty Champion
By Ash Barty Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is the Younger Reader edition of Ash Barty's official autobiography. She says It's a tennis story. It's a family story. It's a teamwork story. It's the story of how I got to where and who
Being Jimmy Baxter
By Fiona Lloyd Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Jimmy Baxter starts the story as Jimmy Branthwaite, a boy in Year 6. He and his mother are being driven to a safe house out of town for a “holiday.” It isn’t until his violent
Guardians: Wylah The Koorie Warrior 1 and Custodians: Wylah The Koorie Warrior 2
By Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard Reviewed by Sophia Evans Guardians: Wylah The Koorie Warrior 1 is a fantasy-adventure story inspired by First Nations history. It is a bit hard to classify as it attempts to merge fantasy, adventure, action, alternate history, and
The Wish Sisters: The Running Wish; The Pet Wish
By Allison Rushby Illustrated by Karen Blair Reviewed by Helen Gearing A baby sister who can make wishes come true. A mischievous imp who likes to twist wishes and make them go wrong. A nosy neighbour. A very public sports carnival and fundraiser.
Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt
By R A Spratt Reviewed by Mia Macrossan R A Spratt is the hugely popular author of the Friday Barnes series, The Peski Kids and the hilarious Nanny Piggins series. Quite a few of the stories in this collection are retellings of
Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth
By Anna Fienberg Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Anna Fienberg has written more than forty well-loved books for children and young adults and has won many awards including the Children's Book Council of Australia award for The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels, the Victorian
Ming and Hilde Lead a Revolution #3 The Girls Who Changed the World
By Jackie French Reviewed by Helen Gearing Good historical fiction helps readers answer questions they didn’t know they had, and in her latest middle-grade novel, Ming and Hilde Lead a Revolution, Australian storytelling great Jackie French AM turns her attention to how
Pepper Masalah and the Temple of Cats
By Rosanne Hawke Illustrated by Jasmine Berry Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Rosanne Hawke is a prolific author of children’s books, many of which explore cultural and social issues. Notable titles include Shahana: Through My Eyes and Taj and the Great Camel Trek. This sequel to Pepper Masalah
Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose: Enola Holmes 9
By Nancy Springer Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Nancy Springer is the author of the popular Enola Holmes novels as well as more than 50 other books for children and adults. Several of the Enola Holmes stories have been made into popular films
Willa and Woof Series: #4 Wedding Rescue & #5 Let the Games Begin
By Jacqueline Harvey Reviewed by Liane McDermott Wedding Rescue and Let the Games Begin are Jacqueline Harvey’s latest books in the Willa and Woof series, which follows the adventures of eight-year-old Willa and her best four-legged friend, Woof. In Wedding Rescue, the story
The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat
By Charlie Archbold Reviewed by Sarah Custance Charlie Archbold received much critical acclaim for her first book Mallee Boys which became a CBCA honour book for older readers. The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat is her first middle-grade novel and was
The Secret Science Society In Space
By Kathy Hoopmann & Josie Montano Illustrated by Ann-Marie Finn Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is a follow-up book to The Secret Science Society’s Spectacular Experiment based around four very different children forced to work together in a science club. Kathy is renowned
Honey and the Valley of Horses
By Wendy Orr Reviewed by Helen Gearing Honey and the Valley of Horses is a beautiful, outdoorsy adventure for middle grade readers by the multi-award winning author of Nim’s Island and Dragonfly Song. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, it is
The Fortune Maker
By Catherine Norton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Norton made her debut in children's fiction writing the acclaimed Crossing which was joint winner of the Patricia Wrightson's prize in the 2015 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. In The Fortune Maker she has written a taut
