The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat
By Charlie Archbold Reviewed by Sarah Custance Charlie Archbold received much critical acclaim for her first book Mallee Boys which became a CBCA honour book for older readers. The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat is her first middle-grade novel and was
This Summers Secrets
This Summers Secrets Review by Junior Reviewer Lucille, Year 8 A London evacuee. A poor girl with crushed dreams. A scared teenager who can see auras. This Summer’s Secrets by Emily Barr follows a mystery through the eyes of four characters
Scar Town
By Tristan Bancks Reviewed by Sophia Evans Tristan is the acclaimed author of Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, Cop & Robber, Nit Boy and Ginger Meggs. His books for upper middle grade and young adults are fast-paced mystery thrillers with carefully considered serious
Monster Island
By George Ivanoff Reviewed by Sarah Custance George Ivanoff is the author of over 100 books, both fact and fiction. Monster Island is Ivanoff’s latest fiction novel about a young boy who ends up on an island filled with dinosaurs. When his mum
Tumble Glass
By Kate Constable Reviewed by Sarah Custance Kate Constable has written almost a dozen books for middle-grade and YA audiences, including the CBCA award-winning book Crow Country. Tumble Glass is her newest novel about a girl who can slip through time. Thirteen-year-old Rowan
The Hats of Marvello
By Amanda Graham Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu Reviewed by Sarah Custance The Hats of Marvello is Australian author Amanda Graham’s latest middle-grade novel about magic, the environment, friendships, secrets, and lots and lots of rabbits! Olivia loves her life on her family’s farm in
The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan
By Felice Arena Reviewed by Sarah Custance Felice Arena is the Australian award-winning author of books such as The Boy and the Spy, Fearless Frederic, and A Great Escape, along with the Specky Magee series. An avid football fan and a keen
Bored: Evie Dreams Big
By Matt Stanton Reviewed by Sarah Custance Matt Stanton has written and co-authored over 35 books for children, including the very popular Funny Kid series and the graphic novel series The Odds. Evie Dreams Big is the 3rd instalment in Stanton’s middle-grade
The Colourful World of Poppy Starr Olsen
By Poppy Starr Olsen and Jess Black Illustrations by Poppy Starr Olsen Reviewed by Sarah Custance Poppy Starr Olsen is an Australian Olympic skateboarding champion. She was under 14s world champion and the first Australian woman to compete at the Summer X Games.
Dusty in the Outwilds
By Rhiannon Williams Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author Rhiannon Williams is the mind behind the award winning Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt Trilogy. Since the first book’s original publication in 2018, the trilogy has also been released in Dutch and
Frankie Best Hates Quests
By Chris Smith and illustrated by Kenneth Anderson Reviewed by Sarah Custance UK author Chris Smith is best known for the Kid Normal series that he co-wrote with Greg James, the duo has also written The Great Dream Robbery. Frankie Best Hates
The Goodbye Year
By Emily Gale Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian writer Emily Gale is the author of the very well received books, The Other Side of Summer, We Are Out With Lanterns, the Eliza Bloom Diaries, Steal My Sunshine, and Girl, Aloud. She also
Seven Days
By Fleur Ferris Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury Seven Days is Fleur Ferris’s second middle grade novel and an enjoyable thriller for the target age group. When Ben Parker, the only son of divorced parents, is forced to spend a week of his school
Whalesong
By Kate Gordon Reviewed by Sarah Custance Kate Gordon is the Australian award-winning author of middle-grade novels, The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn, and Aster’s Good Right Things, along with YA novel Girl Running, Boy Falling which were all either a Notable or
Waiting for the Storks
By Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Martina Heiduczek Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This is a companion volume to the award winning We Are Wolves and Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief which are also set during World War II and present challenging events from that time
The Offline Diaries
By Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene Reviewed by Sarah Custance Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene, the award-winning duo behind the critically acclaimed Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible, are now back with The Offline Diaries: As Told by Ade and
The Last Firefox
By Lee Newbery Illustrations by Laura Catalan Reviewed by Sarah Custance Lee Newbery is a Welsh author, The Last Firefox is his debut novel that focuses on the importance of friendship, family, and what it truly means to be brave. 11-year-old Charlie lives in
All Four Quarters of the Moon
By Shirley Marr Reviewed by Sarah Custance Shirley Marr is a Chinese-Australian author currently living in WA, she writes for both YA and middle-grade fiction. Her book A Glasshouse of Stars was the 2022 CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) Book of
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
Dead Good Detectives
By Jenny McLachlan Reviewed by Sarah Custance Jenny McLachlan is a UK author of over 12 books for children and young adults. Her most well-known series is The Land of Roar trilogy packed with dragons and epic adventures. Dead Good Detectives is
Runt
By Craig Silvey Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Craig Silvey is an author and screenwriter from Fremantle, Western Australia. His award winning and best selling titles include Jasper Jones and Honeybee, both aimed at an older audience than readers of Runt. This is a
Be Careful, Xiao Xin!
Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng Reviewed by Sandhya Parappukkaran From award winning author Alice Pung and renowned illustrator Sher Rill Ng, here is a gem of a book. Be Careful Xiao Xin is a powerful story about love and conquering fears.
Growing Up in Flames
By Zach Jones Reviewed by Caeleigh Hancock Growing up in Flames is the debut novel of Zach Jones. It is an insightful exploration of intergenerational trauma and grief set in a rural town in Australia focusing on four people. After her mother Ava dies
The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods
By Emily Barr Reviewed by Jane Swinton From the opening page, The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods by Emily Barr is a nail biting, page turner. Set in the deep forest of India, the story is the journey of an extraordinary
Zadie Ma and the Dog who Chased the Moon
By Gabrielle Wang Reviewed by Sarah Custance Gabrielle Wang is an Australian author who has written over 20 books for middle-grade audiences. She is the current Australian Children’s Laureate (2022 – 2023) and Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon
The Travelling Bookshop: Mim and the Anxious Artist
By Katrina Nannestad Illustrated by Cheryl Orsini Reviewed by Sarah Custance Award winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad has been making waves with two of her most recent works We Are Wolves and Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief. Her other works also include series
Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens
By Allison Rushby & Bronte Rose Marando Reviewed by Barbara Braxton 1872. Miss Strickland’s School for Girls of an Enquiring Mind and Penny Pickering's mind is wandering, as it often does, in Miss Pugh's lessons. She's sketching ideas about what might happen
Scram! (Clarice Bean)
The True Story of How We Got Our Dog Written and illustrated by Lauren Child Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Who doesn't love Clarice Bean? Lauren Child started writing this hugely successful series way back in 1999. The first was the picture book Clarice
Solomon Macaroni and the Cousin Catastrophe
Written by Ashleigh Barton Illustrated by Sarah Davis Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Ashleigh is the author of picture book What Do You Call Your Grandma? which has been shortlisted in the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards and this charming story about
Remarkably Ruby
By Terri Libenson Reviewed by Sarah Custance Terri Libenson is an American graphic novelist; Remarkably Ruby is the 6th book (7th if you count a journal with some short stories mixed in) in the Emmie & Friends series. The first book was
