Her Hidden Fire
By Cliodhna O’Sullivan Penguin 2026 Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey From the opening page, Her Hidden Fire draws you into the secrecy and clandestine nature of the world of Eadha (Eh-ya),…
Old Bertie
By Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn Fremantle Press 2026 Teaching Notes Reviewed by Sue Wright Old Bertie by debut authors Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn is ridiculous fun. An absurd tale…
Book Links June 2026 Newsletter
Attention all lovers of KidLit. Here is the Book Links June 2026 Newsletter compiled by the indefatigable Jenny Stubbs, containing all the news and events for this month. Enjoy. …
Bitsa 1
By Andrew Daddo Illustrated by Stephen Michael King Penguin 2026 Reviewed by Mia Macrossan, Andrew Daddo is a well know television personality and writer of children’s stories including Atticus Van…
The Farmer’s Pyjamas
By Ruth Paul Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Before the farmer’s day is done, she does her chores, one by one. She milks the cow, counts the sheep, sings the piglets…
Ruby’s Web
By Ellen van Neerven Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Ellen van Neerven is a writer of Mununjali and Dutch heritage living on Yagera and Turrbal land. They have had multiple collections…
Time To Go To The Park
By Emma Bowd & Leila Rudge Reviewed by Margarite Igras. Emma Bowd is not only an Australian award-winning author who is passionate about writing inclusive picture books, but with a…
Don’t Let Them Leave
By Mike Lucas Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Mike Lucas is a British-Australian author of picture books and young adult suspense. His latest young adult novel, Don’t Let Them Leave, starts…
Forever & Ever
By Allanah Hunt Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Allanah Hunt is a Barkindji and Malyangapa woman and the first recipient of the inaugural Boundless Indigenous Writer’s Mentorship. The Brisbane-based writer also…
Through the Darkening Sea*
By Claire Saxby & Peter Cheong Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Claire Saxby is the master of lyrical non-fiction picture books. She has published many, including Emu, Koala, Kookaburra, Secrets of…
The Boy and the Shark
By Cate James Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Cate James is a Sydney-based illustrator and printmaker who has published more than 50 picture books with some of Australia’s biggest publishers. Her…
The World From Here
By Cassy Polimeni & Mel Armstrong Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Cassy has written both fiction and non-fiction picture books including Ella and the Sleepover Safari and The Garden at the End of…
Home
By Rory H Mather & Matt Shanks Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Rory writes very accessible picture books for young children such as Otto’s INK-redible First Day of School and Vlad’s Bad…
The Escape Game
By Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss Reviewed by Zewlan Moor This book is unputdownable! From the very first page it features the entertaining, high energy voice of clever teens with…
Drawing Nudes While Making Oher Plans
By Zoe Gaetjens Review by Lucille Rose Drawing Nudes While Making Other Plans is an interesting, aptly named book, though its title is only the beginning of the attention-grabbing aspects…
Duck Look Who’s Talking! (Duck, #1)
By Matt Stanton Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran Matt Stanton is the award-winning author and illustrator of multiple best-selling book series for children including Funny Kid, The Odds, Bored and Fluff,…
Somewhere You Can Dream
By Janeen Brian & Hilary Jean Tapper Reviewed by Margarite Igras Janeen Brian is a prolific award-winning Australian author and former teacher. Her works include poetry, picture books, junior fiction…
Meet the Shortlist! 2026 Book Links Children’s Historical Fiction Award
The waiting is over, here is the 2026 Book Links Children’s Historical Fiction award shortlist – three very different but very exciting and engrossing reads. …
Meet the Author of Kid: Peter Carnavas
By Mia Macrossan Peter Carnavas writes and illustrates wonderful stories for children. He has created over twenty books, many of which have been shortlisted or won prestigious awards, including My…
Hafsa’s Way
By Aisha Saeed Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Hafsa’s Way is the third of a loose trilogy of contemporary realist middle grade novels by Pakistani-American author, Aisha Saeed. The firs two,…
Cities Going Wild – To Save the Planet
By Catherine Barr and Christiane Engel Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Catherine Barr is a prolific author of non-fiction picture books. Based in Hay-on-Wye, the Welsh ‘town of books’, she has…
The Very Fine Clock
By Muriel Spark and Edward Gorey Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray The Very Fine Clock is a new edition of a whimsical fable first published in 1968. It’s written by…
In Ecstasy
By Kate McCaffrey Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey Sophie and Mia have been best friends since they started kindergarten, but by the time they get to the party that kicks off…
Annie and Maeve Are Definitely Not Friends
By Olivia Muscat Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury Olivia Muscat is a Melbourne-based writer, performer, and disability rights advocate, and this is her debut middle grade novel. Muscat wanted to portray…
Archie Can’t Sit Still
By Davilyn Lynch, Dani Vee & James Layton. Reviewed by Margarite Igras This fun, yet serious book, was written by two authors who were diagnosed with ADHD as adults. They…
Girls Like
By Katrina Germein & Deb Hudson Reviewed by Dimity Powell Girls. Creatures unto themselves, unique, uncompromising, spirited. Well that’s exactly what they can and should be so depicted in this…
Green Cities
How Green Infrastructure Helps Heal the Planet By Sheila Boudreau and Katy Dockrill Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Sheila Boudreau is a landscape architect, urban planner and university lecturer specialising in…
A Lemon for Safiya
By Jemima Shafei-Ongu & Nisaluk Chantanakom Reviewed by Margarite Igras Jemima Shafei-Ongu is a Sydney based writer, teacher, and psychologist. She loves picture books claiming they nurture a special connection…
Oceanforged 2: The Silent Island
By Amelia Mellor Reviewed by Helen Gearing Amelia Mellor, whose debut upper middle grade series ‘Grandest Bookshop’ was highly awarded by critics, readers, and booksellers alike has crafted another edge-of-your-seat…
My Wonderful Disgrace
By Angourie Rice and Kate Rice Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey The school ball is the ultimate dream for many high schoolers – fancy clothes, the date they’ve always dreamed of,…
