Friends Fur-ever: Smarty Pup 1
By Anh Do Illustrated by Anton Emdin Reviewed by Eva B, aged 8 One of the best books I have ever read! Lily's new pup JJ is kind of clumsy, but something about his smiley face makes her really happy inside. So you
Answers in the Pages
By David Levithan Reviewed by Mia Macrossan David Levithan is an award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of young adult books, including 19 Love Songs, Every Day, Boy Meets Boy, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with John Green). David Levithan is a serious
The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin
By Paula Hayes Reviewed by Sarah Custance Paula Hayes is an Australian writer of magical realism for middle-grade audiences. Her first book Lily in the Mirror was a Notable book for the 2017 CBCA awards. The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin is
Dead Good Detectives
By Jenny McLachlan Reviewed by Sarah Custance Jenny McLachlan is a UK author of over 12 books for children and young adults. Her most well-known series is The Land of Roar trilogy packed with dragons and epic adventures. Dead Good Detectives is
Runt
By Craig Silvey Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Craig Silvey is an author and screenwriter from Fremantle, Western Australia. His award winning and best selling titles include Jasper Jones and Honeybee, both aimed at an older audience than readers of Runt. This is a
The School for Good and Evil (7) – The Rise of the School for Good and Evil
By Soman Chainani Reviewed by Jane Swinton This story is the prequel to the immensely popular School for Good and Evil series. This is the first title in the series that I have read. Not having read any previous titles doesn’t hinder
Honour Among Ghosts
By Sean Williams Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sean Williams has written over fifty novels including the CBCA Notable Her Perilous Mansions. Here he has created an intriguing fantasy mystery, characterised by the same quirky original magic of the world of Her Perilous Mansions.
Dirt By Sea
By Michael Wagner Illustrated by Tom Jellett Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Michael Wagner is a children's author, speaker and storyteller. He writes for early childhood and for older children and his recent books include Why I Love Footy also illustrated by Tom Jellett. Tom
A Little Spark
By Barry Jonsberg Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Most of Barry's novels are about complex family relationships negotiated by a teenage protagonist at the centre of the action. Here in his latest, A Bright Spark, he deals with the fallout from divorce. Cate is
The Wintrish Girl: Talismans of Fate #1
By Melanie La'Brooy Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Melanie is a successful Australian writer of adult novels, this is her debut novel for children. A Wintrish Girl just snaps, crackles and pops with action, humour and invention. Set in the Empire of Arylia its
And Everything Will Be Glad To See You
Poems by women and girls Selected by Ella Risbridger Illustrated by Anna Shepeta Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Ella is a food blogger as well as a writer of historical fiction (The Secret Detectives), and has produced various other anthologies. Anna is a remarkable artist known
How to Be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five
By Carla Fitzgerald Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Carla Fitzgerald is a Sydney-based author who has previously published the picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds. How to Be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five is her debut middle grade novel. The book opens
Zadie Ma and the Dog who Chased the Moon
By Gabrielle Wang Reviewed by Sarah Custance Gabrielle Wang is an Australian author who has written over 20 books for middle-grade audiences. She is the current Australian Children’s Laureate (2022 – 2023) and Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon
We Run Tomorrow
By Nat Amoore Illustrated by Mike Barry Reviewed by Sarah Custance Nat Amoore is the author of Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire, The Power of Positive Pranking, and The Right Way to Rock all based around different children in the fictional school of
Gobbolino the Witch’s Cat
By Ursula Moray Williams Reviewed by Sarah Custance UK author Ursula Moray Williams (1911-2006) wrote 68 books for children throughout her lifetime. The two books that she is most well known for are Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse and Gobbolino the
2022 CBCA Winners announced
Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers who won one of the prestigious CBCA awards this year. It is always a suspenseful and eagerly awaited event to see which book will win the coveted gong. Here are the StoryLinks reviews for
The Fowl Twins: Get What They Deserve
By Eoin Colfer Reviewed by Sarah Custance Eoin Colfer is the mastermind behind the bestselling Artemis Fowl series and has now written a spinoff series about Artemis’ younger twin brothers. Get What They Deserve is the third book in The Fowl Twins
A Reluctant Witch’s Guide to Magic
By Shivaun Plozza Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author Shivaun Plozza won multiple awards for her debut novel Frankie and has since gone on to write both YA and middle-grade books such as Tin Heart and The Boy, The Wolf and the
The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Anxious Artist
By Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini Reviewed by Sarah Custance Award winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad has been making waves with two of her most recent works We Are Wolves and Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief. Her other works also include series
Sunny the Shark: Surviving the Wild 3
Created by Remy Lai Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Remy is a Brisbane author who has successfully built up a large audience for her cheerful but heartfelt graphic novels. This is the third in her environmental series for younger readers Surviving the Wild which focus
Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens
By Allison Rushby & Bronte Rose Marando Reviewed by Barbara Braxton 1872. Miss Strickland’s School for Girls of an Enquiring Mind and Penny Pickering's mind is wandering, as it often does, in Miss Pugh's lessons. She's sketching ideas about what might happen
The Detective’s Guide to New York City
By Nicki Greenberg Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd The Detective's Guide to New York City is the sequel to Nicki Greenberg's debut middle grade mystery novel, The Detective's Guide to Ocean Travel. In the first book, we were introduced to thirteen-year-old Pepper Stark and
Prometheus High: How to Make a Monster
By Stuart Wilson Reviewed by Sarah Custance How to Make a Monster is Australian author, Stuart Wilson’s, debut novel and the beginning of a series of books all about Prometheus High. The second book in the series The Books of the Dead
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm
By Laura Ellen Anderson Reviewed by Sarah Custance Laura Ellen Anderson is the bestselling author/illustrator of the Amelia Fang books (of which there are now 8). Eye of the Storm is the second book in Anderson’s latest middle-grade series Rainbow Grey. 10-year-old Ray
Scram! (Clarice Bean)
The True Story of How We Got Our Dog Written and illustrated by Lauren Child Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Who doesn't love Clarice Bean? Lauren Child started writing this hugely successful series way back in 1999. The first was the picture book Clarice
Solomon Macaroni and the Cousin Catastrophe
Written by Ashleigh Barton Illustrated by Sarah Davis Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Ashleigh is the author of picture book What Do You Call Your Grandma? which has been shortlisted in the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards and this charming story about
Meet the Book Links 2022 Children’s Historical Fiction Award Short List #3 Katrina Nannestad
There are four brilliant writers on the Book Links Children’s Historical Fiction Award Shortlist, Mirranda Burton, Lorraine Marwood, Katrina Nannestad and Wendy Orr. Each one has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about writing historical fiction for StoryLinks. Katrina Nannestad is the author of Rabbit, Soldier,
The Lost Ryu
Written by Emi Watanabe Cohen Reviewed by Sarah Custance American/Japanese author Emi Watanabe Cohen blends Japanese, American, and Jewish folktales and languages in her debut middle grade novel to create a marvellous story about friendship, family, and heritage. 10-year-old Kohei lives in Japan
Sherlock Bones: and the Art and Science Alliance
Written and illustrated by Renee Treml Reviewed by Sarah Custance The Art and Science Alliance is the 3rd book in the Sherlock Bones graphic novel series by Renee Treml, an American author/illustrator who now lives in Victoria. Meet Sherlock Bones (a tawny frogmouth
Big Magic
By Sarah Armstrong Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sarah has published several books for adults included the Miles Franklin shortlisted Salt Rain. Big Magic is her first novel for children, with a sequel due in 2023. The 'big' magic in this book is passed
