The Screaming Staircase: Lockwood & Co Book One
By Jonathan Stroud Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Jonathan is has written many original and engaging fantasies such as the The Bartimaeus Quartet for middle grade, Scarlett and Browne for older readers and the Lockwood & Co series for upper middle grade/ young
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
A Girl Called Corpse: An Elston-Fright Tale
By Reece Carter Reviewed by Mia Macrossan I nearly didn’t read this because I got turned off by the title* – I wasn’t sure I wanted to read a book about a girl called Corpse but I’m so glad I did. This
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
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
Honour Among Ghosts
By Sean Williams Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Sean Williams has written over fifty novels including the CBCA Notable Her Perilous Mansions. Here he has created an intriguing fantasy mystery, characterised by the same quirky original magic of the world of Her Perilous Mansions.
The Ghost Locket
By Allison Rushby Reviewed by Sarah Custance Brisbane author Alison Rushby is quickly making a name for herself in spooky middle-grade mystery novels. With the success of her previous novels, The Mulberry Tree, The Turnkey series, and When This Bell Rings, there
The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Case of Misfortune
By Sophie Cleverly Reviewed by Sarah Custance UK author Sophie Cleverly is best known for her middle-grade series Scarlet and Ivy, which is comprised of 6 books. The Violet Veil Mysteries is Cleverly’s newest mystery series with A Case of Misfortune being
Gus and the Starlight
By Victoria Carless Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Victoria is a Brisbane based writer who has previously published the YA coming-of-age novel The Dream Walker. Gus and the Starlight is a touching story about a family trying to establish itself in a new place
Ghosts
By Raina Telgemeier Reviewed by Junior Reviewer Aaron Ding Ghosts is Raina Telgemeier’s 4th award-winning graphic novel, following her acclaimed and award-winning Smile series which quickly gained her a huge number of fans. She is also an illustrator for the graphic adaptation
Pony
by R.J. Palacio Reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes Looking at the attractive cover of this book, one could be forgiven for thinking that Pony, by R.J. Palacio, is a book about a boy and his pony. However, Pony is so much more. The
There’s a Ghost in this House
By Oliver Jeffers Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Oliver Jeffers is a visual artist whose acclaimed picture books have been translated into over fifty languages and his artwork has been exhibited in many prestigious art galleries. I would be beside myself with joy
The Ballad of Melodie Rose
By Kate Gordon Illustrated by Rachel Tribout Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury Kate Gordon returns to middle grade magical realism with The Ballad of Melodie Rose, a companion tale to The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn. When we meet Melodie Rose on the front steps of
The Sad Ghost Club: Volume 1
By Lize Meddings Reviewed by Sarah Custance Lize Meddings is a UK author and keen advocate for raising awareness for mental health. The Sad Ghost Club is her first graphic novel. This is the story of an ordinary day in the life of
The Little Grey Girl (The Wild Magic Trilogy, Book Two)
by Celine Kiernan reviewed by Sarah Custance Celine Kiernan is an Irish author famous for her work The Moorehawke Trilogy. The Wild Magic Trilogy is her first time writing for a middle-grade audience. A quote on the cover describes Kiernan as Ireland’s
