Birdbrain
By Kelli Anne Hawkins Reviewed by Sarah Custance Birdbrain is the second middle-grade novel by Australian author Kelli Anne Hawkins, who’s first book was The School for Talking Pets. 11-year-old Hadley Boggs lives a simple but happy life with her father and Mr
The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin
By Paula Hayes Reviewed by Sarah Custance Paula Hayes is an Australian writer of magical realism for middle-grade audiences. Her first book Lily in the Mirror was a Notable book for the 2017 CBCA awards. The Vexatious Haunting of Lily Griffin is
Round the Twist
By Paul Jennings Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Round the Twist, a collection of stories famous for their surprising endings, burst upon an unsuspecting reading public in 1990 and became an instant success. This new edition published to coincide with the TV series
Nelson – Broccoli and Spies
By Andrew Levins Illustrated by Katie Kear Reviewed by Sarah Custance Andrew Levins is a well known Australian DJ and food writer. Broccoli and Spies is the second book in the Nelson series all about a young boy who discovers that he has
Vlad’s Bad Breath
By Rory H. Mather Illustrated by Jesus Lopez Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zahri Vlad is a pint-sized vampire who doesn't want to brush his teeth. After stinking out close family members in delicious rhyme, he gets help from his other ghoulish friends and
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
By Garth Nix Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Garth has been a hugely successful writer for many years and his YA books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic,
Books for Children by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Introducing a Unique, Comprehensive and Free Resource of Books for Children by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature has produced a new Resource that celebrates children’s books by and about Australia’s Aboriginal
Little Bilby’s Aussie Easter Egg Hunt
by Yvonne Mes illustrated by Jody Pratt reviewed by Mia Macrossan This charming board book contains a lot in a small package. It is the perfect way to introduce your child to the joy and fun of Easter egg hunting in an Australian context.
Kensy and Max 5: Freefall
by Jacqueline Harvey reviewed by Sarah Custance Jacqueline Harvey is a successful Australian children’s author best known for her ‘Alice-Miranda’ series (now at 18 books) and the ‘Clementine Rose’ series (now at 15 books). Kensy and Max is a relatively new series
Atticus Van Tasticus 2: The Map of Half Maps
by Andrew Daddo illustrated by Stephen Michael King reviewed by Sarah Custance Andrew Daddo is a versatile man with a career in TV shows, podcasts, and writing. His latest endeavor has been writing middle-grade fiction starting with ‘Atticus Van Tasticus’ and now here
Leaping Lola
by Tracey Hawkins illustrated by Anil Tortop reviewed by Sandy Driessens How lovely is this image of a cow leaping in the moonlight and the black and white cow hide print on the end papers. But what is the story behind it? With clip-clopping
Moonwalkers
by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Terry Denton reviewed by Kerry Neary Fifty years ago the world was held spellbound by grainy images of a man stepping from a ladder onto the surface of our nearest neighbour in space. A thrill of anticipation reverberated around
The Bogan Mondrian
by Steven Herrick reviewed by Dajo Finlayson From the very outset this book had me captivated. The vibrantly coloured front and back covers caught my attention as I’ve always been a fan of the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian’s work. His wonderfully abstract,
Mr Walker Series
Mr Walker and the Dessert Delight Mr Walker Gets the Inside Scoop written by Jess Black illustrated by Sara Acton reviewed by Leslee Anne Hewson These two new hardcover books in the series by Jess Black were published this year. Both are written in an
One Tree
Written by Christopher Cheng Illustrated by Bruce Whatley Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri One Tree is a tender narrative about the changes through generations, seen from the eyes of a little boy. Although he has been told that his grandfather was once a
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery
Written and illustrated by Renee Treml Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Renee Treml is the author and illustrator of several successful picture books for very young readers, including: Once I Heard a Little Wombat, Ten Little Owls and Wombat Big, Puggle Small. She also has a
Holly the Honeybee Dancing Star
Written by Gordon Winch Illustrated by Stephen Pym Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri Holly the Honeybee Dancing Star, a picture book which highlights a particularly clever trait of the honeybee is the third from duo Gordon Winch and Stephen Pym, who both have
Squish Rabbit’s Pet
by Katherine Battersby reviewed by Mia Macrossan This story starts at the endpapers as all good picture books should with Squish Rabbit peeking out from behind a large egg. The opening sentence defines the scope of this story with an impressive statement:
Mummy Cuddle
by Kate Mayes Illustrated by Sara Acton reviewed by Kerry Neary Cute may be as cute may look but there’s more to this delightful creation than shallow, sweet appeal. It’s a companion to Daddy cuddle by the same partnership, released in hardcover in
Squish Rabbit’s Pet
by Katherine Battersby reviewed by Kerry Neary You can’t take the cute out of books for early childhood readers. Where would iconic characters like Miffy and Spot be if they weren’t cute, as well as having their magical adventures. One of own
A Quiet Girl
by Peter Carnavas reviewed by Yvonne Mes Mary’s quiet conversations and ponderings are drowned out by the noise of tools, technology and toys used by her busy mother, brother and father. Mary is mostly content to be by herself surrounded by the
The House on the Mountain
Written by Ella Holcombe Illustrated by David Cox Reviewed by Kerry Neary Australia suffers a lot from natural disasters; some are happening right now. A new release adds to the list of picture books about these disasters. The house on the mountain, ,
Yahoo Creek An Australian Mystery
Written and illustrated by Tohby Riddle Reviewed by Kerry Neary Yahoo Creek: an Australian Mystery is one of those books that are better shared between adult and child because of its sophisticated presentation. It has been written and illustrated by extraordinary picture
Sweet Adversity
by Sheryl Gwyther Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Sweet Adversity is a historical fiction novel for children aged 10+. It is refreshing to see a story set in Depression-era Australia that centres around a strong-willed protagonist reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables. Not
