Short List announced for StoryLinks Short Story Competition
There were many outstanding entries out of which the judges chose these three as the 2018 Short List: Buried by Louise Harrison Scary Sky by Karen Hendriks Tuck Shop Takeover…
The Story of Eva Carmichael: The Wreck of the Loch Ard
by Gary Crew illustrated by Paul O’Sullivan reviewed by Lucy McGinley I was captivated by the tumultuous true story of Eva Carmichael, as retold by Gary Crew. This historical illustrated…
Amal Unbound
by Aisha Saeed reviewed by Lucy McGinley This moving story centres on a brave young Indian girl who dreams of becoming a teacher. One day her bravery brings her to…
Lenny’s Book of Everything
by Karen Foxlee reviewed by Mia Macrossan Karen Foxlee says that story writing is about creating a world, breathing characters to life and enticing readers on a journey’. In LENNY’S…
Impostors
by Scott Westerfeld reviewed by Dajo Finlayson Set in a post- apocalyptic world full of advanced military technology, power struggles, dictatorships, and the ever-present threat of treachery, this novel is…
World War One 1914-1918 resource list – NEW
Just in time for Remembrance Day we have compiled a list of fiction and non-fiction reading about World War One. It comprises picture books, some material for middle grade and…
Zenobia
written by Morten Dűrr illustrated by Lars Horneman reviewed by Mia Macrossan This stunning graphic novel is remarkable for its cinematic treatment of a sensitive topic. It tells the story of…
At The End of Holyrood Lane
By Dimity Powell Illustrated by Nicky Johnston Reviewed by Maria Parenti-Baldey At The End of Holyrood Lane is more than a picture book about a young girl being frightened of storms.…
The Mulberry Tree
by Allison Rushby reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton This fantastic middle grade novel will appeal to many 8 – 12 year old readers. A mulberry tree haunts a tiny English village…
The Pyramid Puzzle Starring Olive Black
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…
Beware the Deep Dark Forest
by Sue Whiting illustrated by Annie White reviewed by Peter Taylor The warmth of Annie White’s delicious artwork and the unusual hand-drawn font used on the cover of Beware the…
Environmental Reading List now available
Check out all the fabulous titles in our new Environmental Fiction list, a selection for readers in years 5 – 9, prepared by teacher librarian Dajo Finlayson. There are many…
Amelia Fang and the Unicorn Lords #2 Amelia Fang series
Written and illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Meet Amelia Fang, a sparky little vampire in a dark and gloomy world … or is it? With a…
Reading about Body Image
Children and young adults continue to be concerned about body image and there are many fiction and non-fiction titles written with this audience in mind. StoryLinks has created a list…
Mr Pegg’s Post
Written and illustrated by Elena Topouzoglou Reviewed by Luise Manning Anna is an only child who lives with her parents in a lighthouse on a tiny island off the Mediterranean…
Amelia Westlake
written by Erin Gough reviewed by Tyrion Perkins One of the best books I’ve read this year. I jumped at the chance to review Erin Gough’s second novel after enjoying…
Brindabella
Written by Ursula Dubosarsky Illustrated by Andrew Joyner Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Brindabella is a gentle story about friendship, death, loneliness and the harsh realities of the bush. It is…
StoryLinks interviews Kerry Neary
Kerry Neary is a retired teacher librarian with 35 years’ teaching experience, 19 of which were spent as a teacher librarian in Queensland Government secondary schools. He is a life…
Animal Rights Reading List
Animal rights is a perennial topic studied in schools throughout Australia. Teacher Librarian Dajo Finlayson has prepared a reading list of novels that will provide a sound basis for developing…
At the End of Holyrood Lane
Written by Dimity Powell Illustrated by Nicky Johnston Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This quietly powerful story is an extended metaphor about domestic violence in a child’s life. Flick’s life is…
Funny Kid #3 Prank Wars
Written and illustrated by Matt Stanton Reviewed by Lyn Halliday Stanton’s third book in the Funny Kid series grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go, taking you…
Fart Monster and Me #1 & #2
By Tim Miller and Matt Stanton Reviewed by Lyn Halliday Just when you thought there was no more room in the bookstores for another fart book…. There’s another fart book.…
Lucia and Lawrence
written and illustrated by Joanna Francis Reviewed by Justine Lawson This is an accomplished debut picture book for Joanna Francis, an artist and art teacher who lives in New South…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
