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
Go Home, Cat!
Written by Sonya Hartnett Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author Sonya Hartnett is a writer of fiction for children, YA, and adults. In 2008 she was the winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, which is one of the
Under the Moonlight
Written and illustrated by Susannah Crispe Reviewed by Margarite Igras This gentle and heart-warming picture book is a wonderfully endearing story about an unusual friendship, that provides comfort when afraid, and shows that strength is not dependent on size. Moose has been foraging
Floof
Written and illustrated by Heidi McKinnon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Heidi is the creator of There's No Such Thing, Baz and Benz, It's a Long Way to Shop and I Just Ate My Friend which was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of
Rodney Forgets It
Written by Michael Gerard Bauer Illustrated by Chrissie Krebs Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Michael Gerard Bauer is the multi-award-winning author of The Running Man and Don’t Call Me Ishmael . His debut picture book Rodney Loses It! won the 2018 CBCA Book of the
Tangki Tjuta – Donkeys
Story and sculptures by] Tjanpi Desert Weavers ; Pitjantjatjara text by Tjunkaya Tapaya and Imuna Kenta ; based on stories by Akitiya Angkuna Tjitayi, Imuna Kenta and Anne Karatjari Ward ; English translation by Linda Rive Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Long, long
Celebrating NAIDOC Week with books for children
To celebrate NAIDOC Week Readings Bookshop has published an excellent list of First Nations books for Teens. We would also like to remind you of our list prepared by Dajo Finlayson called Aboriginal Peoples' Stories and our list Indigenous Picture Books. To
Meet the Book Links 2022 Children’s Historical Fiction Award Short List: #2 Lorraine Marwood
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. Lorraine Marwood is the author of Footprints on the
Group Hug!: A Collective Noun Safari
By Andy Fackrell Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Have you heard of a flamboyance of flamingos? Perhaps a bloat of hippos or even an implausibility of gnus? Wilbur is on a journey through his local zoo, visiting his favourite animals and discovering the wonderful
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
Meet the Book Links 2022 Children’s Historical Fiction Award Short List: #1 Mirranda Burton
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. Mirranda
Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters: The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm
By Karen Foxlee and illustrated by Freda Chiu Reviewed by Sarah Custance Award-winning Australian author Karen Foxlee is the writer behind Dragon Skin, Lenny’s Book of Everything, A Most Magical Girl, and Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy. The Wrath of the Woolington
Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables: Join Forces
By Tim Harris and illustrated by James Hart Reviewed by Sarah Custance Tim Harris is the much beloved author of the Exploding Endings series as well as the Toffle Towers and Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables series’ of books. Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables: Join Forces
Cranky Chicken: Party Animals
By Katherine Battersby Reviewed by Sarah Custance Katherine Battersby is an Australian author/illustrator now living in Canada with her family. Before heading into the world of children’s literature she worked as a paediatric occupational therapist, to date she has written over a
Song of the White Ibis
By Phillip Gwynne and illustrated by Liz Anelli Reviewed by Sarah Custance Phillip Gwynne is an Australian author with over 20 books to his name, spanning from picture books to YA. Song of the White Ibis is an interesting picture book as it
Cop and Robber
by Tristan Bancks Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Tristan Bancks has written books for children and teens which include the thrillers Two Wolves, The Fall and Detention. He has won many awards and is the writer-ambassador for Room to Read. He has a
How to make a clay tablet with ancient Greek writing
Shared by author of Cuckoo's Flight, Wendy Orr A fabulous resource here for anyone studying Dragonfly Song, Swallow's Dance or Cuckoo's Flight (Minoan Wings series). Or anyone just interested in ancient history or who wants to have some fun! A video
The World’s Worst Pets
by David Walliams Illustrated by Adam Stower Reviewed by Mia Macrossan David Walliams needs no introduction as he has been a popular fixture in the children's book world for many years. His 'World's Worst' series has featured children, parents and teachers and now
The Callers
By Kiah Thomas Reviewed by Mia Macrossan There are so many middle grade stories where the protagonist has a special power that sets him/her apart from the rest of his family and community. The Callers has an interesting beginning because Quin who
The Imagineer
By Christopher Cheng Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Christopher Cheng has written more than 40 books for children. The recently released - Wombat, Bear and Rat, and The Imagineer have been listed in the Children's Book Council of Australia 2022 Notable
A is for Activism Bibliography
We are delighted to announce that the Bibliography discussed by Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright in the Book Links Narelle Oliver Lecture in Children's Literature is now available and free for you to download. It is an extensive list 14 pages long covering
A Best Friend for Bear
by Petr Horàcek Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Black Bear is feeling lonely, so he decides to look for a friend. Luckily, he meets Brown Bear, who is in the same situation! The bears decide to search for a friend together. They search
The Champ!
By Anh Do Illustrated by David Atze Reviewed by Sarah Custance Vietnamese-Australian author Anh Do has written some of the bestselling children’s book series over the last decade and created a devoted fan base of readers. For younger readers he has written the
The Mysterious Rainbow Thief MerTales #4
Written and illustrated by Rebecca Timmis Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Squibbering squids! The bright colours of the coral reef and creatures are disappearing from Cockleshell Cove! Sandy Starfish and her secret crew from F.I.N.S (Fish In Need Society) will have to catch and
A Feather on a Wing
Written and illustrated by Maria Speyer Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “Are you there? It’s so lonely in the dark!” The lights are off, it’s bedtime and a little girl calls to her sister, who shares her room. Sensing her fear, the older sibling
Built by Animals
Meet the Creatures Who Inspire Our Homes and Cities Written by Christiane Dorion Illustrated by Yeji Yun Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Humans think they can build anything, but the fact is, they have a thing or two to learn from Nature. Following on from Invented
Remarkably Ruby
By Terri Libenson Reviewed by Sarah Custance Terri Libenson is an American graphic novelist; Remarkably Ruby is the 6th book (7th if you count a journal with some short stories mixed in) in the Emmie & Friends series. The first book was
Great Big Softie
By Kaye Baillie and illustrated by Shane McG Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author Kaye Baillie is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction picture books, one of her books, When the Waterhole Dries Up, has been shortlisted by the Children’s Book
The ABC Kids Guide to Loving the Planet
Written by Jaclyn Crupi Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini Reviewed by Margarite Igras This delightful and informative picture book is aimed at young children and packed with ideas and activities on how to care for our planet. The book is child focused with adult
