Standout Children’s Books of 2024
This year we have reviewed so many wonderful books, too numerous to list here. Browsing through StoryLinks we chose 20+ our reviewers consider outstanding. Many thanks to members of WriteLinks and the Last Tuesday Book Club for their recommendations.
Comes the Night
By Isobelle Carmody Reviewed by Jamie Willis Isobelle Carmody is the internationally acclaimed and bestselling Australian fantasy author of The Obernewtyn Chronicles and The Gathering. She has written forty books and won countless awards, including the Children’s Literature Peace Prize, the CBCA Book of the Year
Gentlest of Wild Things
By Sarah Underwood Reviewed by Lucille Rose Gentlest of Wild Things is a fantasy novel set amidst the perils of love, danger and most importantly, Desire. In Ancient Greece, the island of Zakynthos has been overcome with the power of Desire,
The Hunger Games (Illustrated Edition)
By Suzanne Collins Illustrated by Nico Delort Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The Hunger Games, a dystopian novel inspired by reality television, Greek mythology and Roman gladiatorial games, became a worldwide publishing phenomenon when it first appeared in 2008. It is the first in a
The Glass Girl
By Kathleen Glasgow Reviewed by Lucille Rose The Glass Girl is a stark, eye-opening book that leads the reader into the dark world of addiction. This novel follows the twisted life of Bella Leahey, fifteen-year-old alcoholic and designated adult in the Leahey
Aisle Nine
By Ian X. Cho Reviewed by Lucille Rose Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho is a thrilling dystopian sci-fi, following the demonic life of supermarket worker Jasper. Retail is hell. Literally. Between vomit mop-ups and portals to the monster-dimension, Jasper’s workplace doesn’t exactly
The Heart of the World (Isles of the Gods 2)
By Amie Kaufman Reviewed by Jamie Willis Amie Kaufman is the internationally bestselling author of twenty books, including the Illuminae Files and the Aurora Cycle series which she co-authored with Jay Kristoff and the These Broken Stars series which she co-wrote
Lover Birds
By Leanne Egan Reviewed by Lucille Rose Lover Birds is an inclusive teen romance set in the city of Liverpool, England. Eliose ‘Lou’ Byrne is just trying to scrape through sixth form when she finds herself with an unexpected acquaintance. Posh, sharp
My Family and Other Suspects
By Kate Emery Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Kate made her debut with the sparkling The Not So Chosen One, a YA fantasy. She has switched genres with My Family and Other Suspects, a seriously funny mystery story full of red herrings, suspicious
My Brother, Finch
Written by Kate Gordon Reviewed by Jamie Willis Kate Gordon is an award-winning author of children’s and young adult fiction. Her novel Aster’s Good, Right Things won the CBCA Book of the Year for younger readers in 2021, and in 2023, Xavier in
Anomaly
By Emma Lord Reviewed by Lucille Rose This action-filled dystopian thriller follows the story of young Piper Manning, one of the only survivors of the strange infection that swept across the world fifty-two days ago. Isolated on a farm in New South
Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer
By Amy Doak Reviewed by Jamie Willis Amy Doak’s debut young adult novel and CBCA Notable, Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer, hooks the reader from the first line:‘Before I say anything, I’d just like to make one thing perfectly clear: I didn’t
Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret
By Amy Doak Reviewed by Lucille Rose Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret is the sequel to Amy Doak’s Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer. This is the story of sixteen-year-old amateur detective, Eleanor Jones, as she continues to uncover the mysteries
The Unexpected Mess of It All
Written by Gabrielle Tozer Reviewed by Jamie Willis Gabrielle Tozer is the award-winning author of seven books, including Remind Me How This Ends, Can’t Say It Went to Plan and The Intern, and her latest novel, The Unexpected Mess of It All, is a heart-warming coming-of-age YA
Rainbow Volume 1
By Sunny Gloom & Angel Gloomy Reviewed by Lucille Rose Rainbow Volume 1: Sunny and Gloomy is a charming graphic novel that tells the tale of imaginative teenager Boo Meadows. The story follows her as she dances, runs and stumbles her way
Liar’s Test
By Ambelin Kwaymullina Reviewed by Helen Gearing Ambelin Kwaymullina is an award-winning Aboriginal author and illustrator from the Palyku people of Western Australia. Her books for children (ranging from picture books to YA dystopian novels) have won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award,
Inkflower
By Suzy Zail Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Suzy Zail used to be a lawyer but quit to become a writer. Her books include The Tattooed Flower, The Wrong Boy, and Alexander Altman A10567 - all stories based on or inspired by her
Deep is the Fen
By Lili Wilkinson Reviewed by Tehani Croft Wilkinson returns with a new cast and adventure to the world of her CBCA finalist A Hunger of Thorns in this richly drawn exploration of magic and masculinity, but where AHOT dug into themes of
One By One They Disappear
By Mike Lucas Reviewed by Tehani Croft Karla’s life is upended by Hitler’s war on her people, forcing her family into hiding. When bombing destroys her world, an unexpected lifeline appears and she escapes to the mountains. But the idyllic village hides dark secrets,
Where Sleeping Girls Lie
By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Reviewed by Tehani Croft Wealth, privilege, and tragic backstory underpin the characters and events in Where Sleeping Girls Lie, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s second novel. There is a strong sense of purpose at the heart of the novel, but the extreme
Kiss the Girl
By Zoraida Córdova Reviewed by Lucille Rose Kiss The Girl is a young adult romance starring Eric Reyes: the lead guitarist of ‘Star Crossed’ and out-cast son of a Colombian millionaire, and Melody ‘Ariel’ Del Mar: lead singer of pop sensation ‘The
Girls
Written and illustrated by Annet Schaap Translated from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Girls by the Dutch writer and artist Annet Schaap is an original, challenging, maybe even hair raising collection of fairy tales that are not at all
The First Move
By Jenny Ireland Reviewed by Lucille Rose The First Move by Jenny Ireland is a YA romance starring Juliet, a cynical teen with inflammatory arthritis, and Ronan, a brooding bad boy with a secret, who meet disguised as online chess players.
Smoke & Mirrors
By Barry Jonsberg Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Barry Jonsberg is the much awarded author of the 2019 novel, My Life As An Alphabet, which was made into a film. He also wrote A Little Spark, reviewed in StoryLinks. Here he is in familiar
Here and Only Here
By Christelle Dabos Reviewed by Lucille Rose Christelle Dabos is the author of The Mirror Visitor, which won the Gallimard Jeunesse-RTL-Télérama First Novel Competition. Here and Only Here, is an immediately engaging novel depicting the ups, downs and strange in-betweens of high school. Four
Never a Hero: Only a Monster 2
By Vanessa Len Reviewed by Helena Never a Hero, written by Vanessa Len is the second in a three-book series, following Only a Monster. This fantasy-romance, set in England, tells the story of a high school girl named Joan Chang-Hunt, who is a
Murder on a School Night
By Kate Weston Reviewed by Liane McDermott Described by the publisher as Sex Education meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this YA novel for readers 14+ is a fun, feminist murder mystery by author (and ex-stand-up comedian) Kate Weston. Murder on
Only This Beautiful Moment
By Abdi Nazemian Reviewed by Liane McDermott This beautiful and richly layered story unfolds the lives and experiences of three generations of teenage boys from the Jafarzadeh family. Powerful vignettes told from the first-person perspectives of Moud in 2019, his father Saeed
Princess Ever After
By Connie Glynn Reviewed by Lucille Rose Princess Ever After is the fifth and final instalment of the Rosewood Chronicles. It begins with Lottie, who is the princess portman - hired to act as a member of the royal family to protect
Let’s Never Speak of This Again
By Megan Williams Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Megan Williams won the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, 2022, with this emotive, finely written novel, mainly about teenage love and friendship but with family relationships, sport and dementia strongly in the
