The Amazing True Story of How Babies are Made
By Fiona Katauskas Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is such a valuable book. It is a practical, accurate no nonsense explanation of how babies are made with appropriate illustraions, now celebrating ten years in print . There is a charming sense of
Crunch! Kaboom! Mighty Mining Machines
By Conor Mills and Clodagh Starr Illustrated by Alison Mutton Reviewed by Mia Macrossan What a wonderful book! Conor Mills, a mining consultant has teamed up with his sister Clodagh Starr to create an exciting, always interesting account of how iron ore is
Summer, In Between
By Holly Cardamone Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey The debut YA novel from 2024 Hawkeye Prize Winner Holly Cardamone is an emotional rollercoaster through the summer between years 11 and 12 for Cat, a girl with a plan that’s about to be derailed. Cat
Frog, Log and Dave A Brush with Evil
By Trent Jamieson & Brent Wilson Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran When inimitable duo Trent Jamieson and Brent Wilson come together to create books you get memorable characters, maximum hilarity and a feast for the senses where the story seems to move across
Aster’s Next, Good Thing
Written by Kate Gordon Reviewed by Jenny Ruge Aster’s Next, Good Thing is the last in Kate Gordon’s award winning series of books that introduced us to Aster and her friends Xavier, Indigo and Esme. The first, Aster’s Good, Right Things, won
Rainbow Street
By R W R McDonald & Kelly Canby Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The title is an indication of what is inside - a melange of familial relationships all living harmoniously on the one street and all getting together to celebrate Cherry's grandma's
Meet the Author: Zana Fraillon
By Mia Macrossan Zana Fraillon, award winner writer of The Bone Sparrow, The Lost Soul Atlas, The Ones That Disappeared, Etta and the Octopus, The Gargoyle, The Curiosities and more and has broken new ground again with a powerful and emotive
Caring for Country: First Knowledges for younger readers
Bruce Pascoe and Bill Gammage. Adapted by Jasmin McGaughey with illustrations by Savi Ross. Reviewed by Helen Gearing Since Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu hit the shelves in 2014, the groundbreaking re-examination of the colonial account of Aboriginal people as hunter-gatherers has been
Tiny Dancer
By Patrick Guest & Mateja Jager Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Tiny Dancer is a heart-capturing picture book written by acclaimed picture book author Patrick Guest and illustrated by the amazing artist Mateja Jager. In the author notes Guest writes how his words for
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t)
By Briony Stewart Reviewed by Margarite Igras Award winning Australian writer and illustrator Briony Stewart has created an amazingly comprehensive story about a subject close to every 5- to eight-year-old child. Every single minute of every single day, a child somewhere loses
The Peach King
By Inga Simpson and Tannya Harricks Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Inga Simpson’s website refers to her as a ‘nature writer’ and she’s best known to readers as a literary novelist. With The Peach King, Simpson turns her skills towards the picture
Meet the Author: Zanni L Arnot (aka Zanni Louise)
Alison McCaffrey talks to author Zanni L Arnot about her debut YA novel. Zanni is a multi-award-winning author, who has published more than 40 books for children over the past 10 years, spanning the gamut of ages from picture books for
A New World Rises: Tales of a LEGO® Future
By Cristy Burne, Jackson Harvey, & Alex Towler Reviewed by Mia Macrossan THE YEAR IS 2130 Humanity’s reign has ended but the world is slowly recovering and showing signs of new life – one brick at a time. LEGO minifigures have risen from the
Dear Broccoli
By Jo Dabrowski & Cate James Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jo Dabrowski started in advertising but quickly realised she preferred writing books, particularly ones where she can see a tiny bit of herself in one of the characters. Her titles include The
A Guide to Falling Off the Map
By Zanni L Arnot Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Vinnie has life after high school all mapped out, while her best friend Roo is just trying to get through another day working his secret job. But when all sides of her map seem
2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize –Children & Young Adult Longlist
The eight talented authors, and their outstanding novels, selected in the Longlist for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize –Children & Young Adult Category are: Moonboy by Anna Ciddor (Allen & Unwin) On Gallant Wings by Helen Edwards (Riveted Press) The Year We Escaped by Suzanne Leal (HarperCollins Publishers) Our
The Only Branch on the Family Tree
By Sherryl Clark Guest Review by Kirsten Ealand I love verse novels. There’s something so lovely about a slim book with lots of white space – so approachable and undaunting - yet with all the emotional punch, lyrical language and not-following-the-rules playful
Laughter is the Best Ending
By Maryam Master Illustrated by Astred Hicks Reviewed by Jenny Ruge Maryam Master is a screenwriter, playwright and author whose first two novels, Exit Through the Gift Shop and No Words were winners or shortlisted for numerous awards. Her latest, Laughter is the
Animals on Country
By Victor Steffensen & Sandra Steffensen Reviewed by Barbara Braxton 'For thousands of years, Aboriginal people looked after the land to keep it healthy, so there was plenty of food for the animals to eat. But today, the animals are wondering what has
Wish in a Tree
By Lynda Mullaly Hunt & Nancy Carpenter Reviewed by Mia Macrossan In 2015 Lynda wrote Fish in a Tree, a middle grade novel about how even if you struggle in school, you can still be quite smart and that intelligence is measured
Song of a Thousand Seas
By Zana Frallon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Zana is the much awarded writer of picture books including The Gargoyle and The Curiosities and books for older readers such The Lost Soul Atlas and The Way of Dog, both reviewed in StoryLinks. She says the idea for this book came
When We Were Monsters
Written by Jennifer Niven Reviewed by Sandy Driessens The day before we kill Meredith Graffam is calm and blue opens Jennifer Niven’s latest YA thriller. Eight of the brightest, most visionary senior students, from the prestigious Brighton and Hove Academy are selected to
Trapped! The Entombed Miner of Bonnie Vale
By Julia Lawrinson Reviewed by Helen Gearing Lawrinson is a prolific and well respected children’s author, publishing 17 books since winning the 2001 Western Australian Premier’s Award for her debut young adult novel Obsession. Her latest work, Trapped, is a gripping middle
How Big is the Sky?
By Kimberley Brown Reviewed by Margarite Igras Kimberly Brown has used her skills as an illustrator to craft her first picture book about the various instruments we use to measure the world around us. It is a fascinating yet complex introduction to
Lucky’s star : the story of a meteorite
By Mark Greenwood Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Mia Macrossan It's 1969 in the sleepy country town of Murchison when, while Lucky is milking the cows, a meteorite hurls across the sky and lands, making houses shake, windows rattle and spooking the
Rakali of the Riverbank
By Stephanie Owen Reeder & Rachel Gregg Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Stephanie Owen Reeder is the author of over 20 historical and environmental books for children, including Trouble in the Surf. She has won both the CBCA Book of the Year Award
Everglade 1: Rise of the Witch
By Kitty Black Illustrated by Rebecca Crane Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is Australian author Kitty Black's debut middle grade novel. She is best known to date for her many picture books which include If I Were a Lion, Mr Bat Wants a
Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!
By Pamela Allen Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Pamela Allen is in her 90th year and still creating marvellous picture books. Since her first publication in 1980, her picture books have enchanted generations of children around the world, and have garnered a glittering array
Alexander’s Outing
By Pamela Allen Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Since her first publication in 1980, New Zealander Pamela Allen's picture books have enchanted generations of children around the world, and have garnered a glittering array of awards and commendations including six Children’s Book Council
The Bin Monster
By Annabelle Hale Reviewed by Margarite Igras Annabelle Hale has written and illustrated a fun picture book about a well-known Australian topic that we all have experienced. Those pesky birds that that raid our bins, spreading rubbish and food scraps everywhere. This
