Leave Taking
by Lorraine Marwood illustrated by Peter Carnavas reviewed by Danielle Freeland Lorraine Marwood has delivered something very special in this verse novel. When Toby’s parents decide to pack up and leave their family’s farm to start again after the death of their only daughter,
Fairytales for Feisty Girls
by Susannah McFarlane featuring artwork from four Australian illustrators: Beth Norling, Claire Robertson, Lucinda Gifford and Sher Rill Ng reviewed by Sue Wright The success of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Cavallari and Favilli triggered a welcome focus on stories which increase the visibility
I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree
A nature poem for every day of the year Poems selected by Fiona Waters Illustrations by Frann Preston-Gannon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Every now and then a book comes along that takes your breath away because it is so gorgeous, that makes you thrill
Fairy Tales Retold Reading Lists – New!
Two new lists of recommended reading for young people have been added to the StoryLinks Resources page - Fairy Tales Retold: Selected titles for Older Readers - mainly suitable for readers in Years 10, 11 and 12 and Fairy Tales Retold for
The Silver Hand
Written by Terry Deary Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson It's 1918 and the Great War is finally coming to a close. This novel, told through the eyes of Aimee Fletcher, a young girl living in the village of Bray-on-Somme in northern France when the
Sue Wright to judge StoryLinks Short Story Competition
We are thrilled to announce that Sue Wright, the owner and publisher of Tiny Owl Workshop, has agreed to be one of the judges of this year's StoryLinks Short Story competition. Sue runs Tiny Owl Workshop, an award winning micro-publisher based
Children of Blood and Bone
Written by Tomi Adeyemi Reviewed by Renee Hills This YA fantasy tells the story of Zelie’s quest to retrieve magic for her people and to rid them of the king’s ruthless and implacable dominion over the Maji or as they are contemptuously
The Pyramid Puzzle Starring Olive Black
Written by Alex Miles Illustrated by Maude Guesne Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins When I first picked up this book with its yellow picture of camels, pyramids and girl in Cleopatra style costume, I thought it was going to be a mystery set in ancient
Sonam and the Silence
Written by Eddie Ayres Illustrated by Ronak Taher Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri Sonam and the Silence is not an easy or carefree children’s book. It has not come from a place of lightness, but it does bring with it an important message of
Lottie Perkins, Book 1 and Book 2
Written by Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Makoto Koji Reviewed by Danielle Freeland Katrina Nannestad has delivered a heartwarming series of first chapter books for beginner readers. An experienced author herself, Katrina has launched the series with two titles and a further two due
How Did I Get Here?
Written and illustrated by Philip Bunting Reviewed by Lucy McGinley If your child is asking big questions such as, ‘How did I get here?’ then Philip Bunting’s book of the same name, is what you need. This humorous picture book goes a
StoryLinks Short Story Competition!
StoryLinks 2018 Short Story Competition To all children's authors You are invited to enter the StoryLinks 2018 Short Story Competition The short story (maximum of 1000 words) must be for children but written by someone over 18 years old. Due date for entries is
The Land of Neverendings
Written by Kate Saunders Kate Saunders is a full-time author and journalist in London who writes for children and adults. She won the Costa Children’s Book Award for Five Children on the Western Front. Reviewed by Renee Hills Imagination makes the world go
StoryLinks Interviews Cherri Ryan
by Mia Macrossan Cherri Ryan's first picture book Spirit was published recently. Magnificently illustrated by Christina Booth it is the story of a little girl who builds a sail boat and calls it Spirit. She takes it for a trial in
The Dream Bird
Written by Aleesah Darlison Illustrated by Emma Middleton Reviewed by Sandy Driessens George is a little boy who plays all day but at night, struggles to go to sleep. Though the other members of his family make helpful suggestions, it is Gran
The Best Medicine
Written by Christine Hamill Reviewed by Lyn Halliday In her first book for children, Christine Hamill demonstrates her exceptional skill at handling delicate subject matter in the most hilarious way — one that will appeal to any middle-grade audience. The Best Medicine won
Talk Under Water
Written by Kathryn Lomer Reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Kathryn Lomer’s third young adult novel, Talk Under Water is a stunning coming-of-age story with a unique twist. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Tasmania, the story is told in dual narratives of Will Lane
Rainbow Pups!
Written and illustrated by Sophie Beer Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri Rainbow Pups! is a board book aimed at infants and toddlers learning their colours. It features attractive digital illustrations of how three puppies meet and play together, accompanied by colour strip
The Boundless Sublime
Written by Lili Wilkinson Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla One part heart-breaking, one part intriguing and one part horrifying, this compelling tale demonstrates how a rational person could be indoctrinated into a violent cult and willingly deprived of their basic human rights. When
The Belles
Written by Dhonielle Clayton Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins In the fantasy world of Orléans people are born with grey skin and red eyes, so the Belles are highly prized, not for the good looks they inherited from the Goddess of Beauty, but
The Hole
Written by Kerry Brown, Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson If you were walking through the woods and a hole you came upon, would you stop and take a look? Or simply carry on? One by one, several animals come upon a strange black
Cloud Conductor
Written by Kelly Byrnes Illustrated by Anne-Marie Finn Reviewed by Danielle Freeland Debut children’s author, Kellie Byrnes, and well-published illustrator, Ann-Marie Finn, have come together to deliver the delightful and thought-provoking story of Frankie, a sometimes bed-ridden child, who sees possibilities in
The Vampire Knife #1 The Witching Hours
Written by Jack Henseleit Illustrated by Ryan Andrews Reviewed by Sandy Driessens WARNING: DO NOT look for fairies. You will not find them. And if you do. YOU WILL REGRET IT. With a warning like this on the cover, this thrilling novel has
Marvellous Mummy
Written by Katie Poli Illustrated by Giuseppe Poli Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Marvellous Mummy is a simple, sweet picture book for early childhood. The rhythm is established on the first page. First a statement and then evocative words that children will enjoy
Once Upon an ABC
Written by Sophie Masson Illustrated by Chris Nielsen Reviewed by Danielle Freeland Sophie Masson is a prolific writer who has written many books for children, many of which have been shortlisted or received awards. Illustrator, Christopher Nielsen, is a relative newcomer by
Baby Band
Written by Diane Jackson Hill Illustrated by Giuseppe Poli Reviewed by Lucy McGinley When I picked this up my first thought was that I’d read it before. There have been a few books written about the noises babies make and how this
Is It The Way You Giggle?
Written by Nicola Connelly Illustrated by Annie White Reviewed by Luise Manning Soft water colours make this 32-page picture book an adorable read. The end papers made me think of a birthday party but as the story unfolds it implies that we
Reading about Refugees
A new annotated list of resources has been added to our Recommended Reading Lists - Reading About Refugees. It features well known authors such as Nina Bawden, Benjamin Zephaniah and Deborah Ellis as well as picture book creators such as
StoryLinks Interviews JAMES MOLONEY
by Mia Macrossan James took time recently to chat to StoryLinks about his latest book The Young Vikings, an exciting adventure story for younger readers. James Moloney hardly needs an introduction but here goes. He is an award-winning Queensland author who has
The Extremely Weird Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls
by Adam Cece illustrated by Andrew Weldon reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Adam Cece, winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, has written a humorous and wacky junior fiction book. The Extremely Weird Thing That Happened in Huggabie Falls follows the trio