This Old Thing
By Cassandra Webb Illustrated by Tony Flowers Reviewed by Sarah Custance Australian author Cassandra Webb has teamed up with the wonderful illustrator Tony Flowers to create This Old Thing, a poignant historical picture book. We follow a young boy as he searches his house
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 Hotel Witch
By Jessica Miller Reviewed by Sarah Custance Jessica Miller is the Australian born, and UK based, author of the award winning books Elizabeth and Zenobia and The Republic of Birds. The Hotel Witch is her third middle-grade novel. 11-year-old Sibyl is an avid
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
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
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
Main Abija – My Grandad
By Karen Rogers Reviewed by Sue Wright There are books that fictionalise events in history to make history accessible, and then there are books which play an important role in recovering history and connections that have been lost. Main Abija – My Grandad by
