War Girls
By Tochi Onyebuchi Reviewed by Caeleigh Hancock War Girls is the third book published by Tochi Onyebuchi. It is a futurist sci-fi set in Africa, largely Nigeria, in the 2100s.…
2022 Judges’ Comments
In The Mystery of the Lynne Grove House Dyuthi Alla has cleverly taken a real life setting, and recreated it in the historic past while also creating a credible story…
Snuggled Away
Written by Cate Storey Illustrated by Sarah Matsuda Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Good night little one, snuggle down tight. The animals are just beginning their night. The night sky is…
Egg
Written by Clare Atkins Illustrated by Harrison Vial Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Out in the vast blue ocean, something bobs in the waves. Alone. A strange egg has washed up…
Kind
Written and illustrated by Jess McGeachin Reviewed by Margarite Igras This beautifully illustrated picture book has a surprisingly loaded title. Yes, it is about the different kinds of creatures that…
How to Be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five
By Carla Fitzgerald Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Carla Fitzgerald is a Sydney-based author who has previously published the picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds. How to Be Prime Minister…
This Little Joey
Created by Renee Treml Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Since moving to Australia from the US in 2007 Renee has been inspired by the diversity of our wildlife and has produced…
Sunny the Shark: Surviving the Wild 3
Created by Remy Lai Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Remy is a Brisbane author who has successfully built up a large audience for her cheerful but heartfelt graphic novels. This is…
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…
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…
Wild Australian Life
Written by Leonard Cronin Illustrated by Chris Nixon Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Leonard Cronin trained as a biologist and is a prolific writer of books and articles about the Australian…
Amazing Animals: 100+ Creatures That Will Boggle Your Mind
By Sabrina Weiss and Paul Daviz Reviewed by Sarah Custance Amazing Animals is the fourth book in the Amazing series, following on from Amazing Islands, Amazing Rivers, and Amazing Treasures.…
Spotlight on 2022 Short Story Shortlist: Marian McGuinness
Here is the second of our Spotlights on shortlisted writers. Marian McGuinness has been shortlisted for her story Queenie’s jiggly-Jolly Holiday – Queen Clarabelle enjoys being alone at the Get…
Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
Their Colours and Patterns Explained By Greer Stothers Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is an unusual and exciting book about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, written by Canadian evolutionary biologist,…
Rainbow the Koala: Surviving the Wild 1
By Remy Lai Reviewed by Sarah Custance Remy Lai is the award winning author of the middle-grade novels Pie in the Sky, Fly on the Wall, and her first graphic…
Backyard Beasties
By Helen Milroy Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Born and educated in Perth, Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She is…
Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing
By Andy Jones & Olaf Falafel Reviewed by Barbara Braxton Over my 50+ years working with children, and particularly following my passion for developing their literacy skills, I have been…
Tala The Bengal Tiger
By Beverly Jatwani Illustrated by Sunita Chawdhary Reviewed by Margarite Igras This is the second book in the Together we can change the world series. Beverly Jutwani has woven her…
Poetry Books for Children of all Ages – A Sampler
A new resource list compiled by Mia Macrossan It is in poetry that the child discovers the possibilities of language – its range, its flexibility, its infinite variety, and these…
Maree Coote talks about writing historical fiction
‘Historical fiction can also be the telling of a true story—based on real events—that is lifted it out of its time to reset the story as a universal tale. Born…
Julia and the Shark
by Kiran Millwood Hargrave Illustrated by Tom de Freston Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Kiran’s books include The Girl of Ink & Stars, which was the winner of the Waterstones Children’s…
When Rain Turns to Snow
By Jane Godwin A BOOK HOOK from the Ipswich District Teacher-Librarian Network Making friends and more importantly, keeping them, is a big part of any 13-year-old’s life. Lissa’s school and home environments…
The Wolf’s Howl: A Maven & Reeve Mystery Book 2
By A. L. Tait Reviewed by Sandy Driessens The Wolf’s Howl is, what the Glawn Castle locals call, the biting, freezing gale that rages around the mountains, in the valleys…
The Bark Book
By Victoria Mackinlay Illustrated by Beth Harvey Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “Dog bark. Tree bark. Let’s go see bark.” You can feel the joy and excitement when you first see…
The Song of Lewis Carmichael
By Sofie Laguna Illustrated by Marc McBride Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sofie Laguna has won numerous awards for her children’s fiction and the 2015 Miles Franklin award for her adult…
Devils in Danger
By Samantha Wheeler Reviewed by Sarah Custance Samantha Wheeler is the bestselling Australian author of Smooch & Rose, Spud & Charli, Everything I’ve Never Said, and her wildlife focused books…
Yellow Truck Road Train
by Mandy Tootell reviewed by Mia Macrossan Mandy Tootell lives in Katherine in the Northern Territory with her husband, a road train driver, and her two sons. Although Mandy is…
This One is Ours
By Kate O’Donnell Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Kate O’Donnell is the award-winning author of Untidy Towns, and This One Is Ours is her second novel. In a coming-of age tale,…
The Tale of the Whale
by Karen Swann Reviewed by Jillian Custance This is the first picture book written by UK author Karen Swann. Padmacandra, a Scottish author and illustrator of a number of books…
Funny Kid Prank Aliens (Funny Kid, #9)
By Matt Stanton Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Prolific Australian author-illustrator Matt Stanton returns with the ninth book in his popular ‘Funny Kid’ series. Young readers will enjoy the main character’s…
