We Won’t All Survive
By Kate Alice Marshall Reviewed by Sandy Driessens Two years ago, Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a shooting. So, when billionaire turned TV host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to compete on his new survivalist reality show,
Thunder City
By Philip reeve Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Philip's first book was the epic YA steampunk Mortal Engines, 2001, which created a world of 'municipal Darwinism', where rampaging motorised towns and cities are on the move, attacking and eating each other, prowling around
Higher Ground
By Tull Suwannakit Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Tull Suwannakit is best known in the children’s fiction world as an illustrator. His work has always included rich visual storytelling, but he is now emerging as an impressive writer, too. Higher Ground is clearly
Sunny at the End of the World
By Steph Bowe Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Steph Bowe wrote three great YA novels Girl Saves Boy, 2010, All This Could End, longlisted for the 2014 Gold Inky Award, and Night Swimming, a Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Book in
The Lovely and the Lost
By Jennifer Lynn Barnes Reviewed by Lucille Rose This action thriller follows SAR dog trainer Kira bennet and her adoptive family as they begin the hunt for a girl lost in the American wilderness. Kira’s life is split it two, it has
The Cave
By Victor Kelleher Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Victor Kelleher is a standout in the history of Australian children's literature. Born in London in 1939, he moved to South Africa with his parents and then settled in Australia as an adult. He has
The Hunger Games (Illustrated Edition)
By Suzanne Collins Illustrated by Nico Delort Reviewed by Mia Macrossan The Hunger Games, a dystopian novel inspired by reality television, Greek mythology and Roman gladiatorial games, became a worldwide publishing phenomenon when it first appeared in 2008. It is the first in a
Anomaly
By Emma Lord Reviewed by Lucille Rose Winner of the 2024 Victorial Premier’s Literary Award for Young Adults. Winner of 2024 Best Young Adult Novel Aurealis Awards This action-filled dystopian thriller follows the story of young Piper Manning, one of the only survivors of
Deep is the Fen
By Lili Wilkinson Reviewed by Tehani Croft Wilkinson returns with a new cast and adventure to the world of her CBCA finalist A Hunger of Thorns in this richly drawn exploration of magic and masculinity, but where AHOT dug into themes of
Game On! 2: Glitched
Written and illustrated by Emily Snape Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Emily Snape is a London-based author and illustrator whose many previous titles include the Motor Mix series, The Little Monster’s Guide to Positivity and Fergus the Furball. Glitched is the second book in
This Camp is Doomed: A Dennith Grange Misadventure
By Anna Zobel Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Melbourne based Anna Zobel is making a name for herself for writing quirky entertaining mysteries within an original fantasy framework. Her previous work include the Little Gem series also reviewed in StoryLinks. This Camp is
Honey and the Valley of Horses
By Wendy Orr Reviewed by Helen Gearing Honey and the Valley of Horses is a beautiful, outdoorsy adventure for middle grade readers by the multi-award winning author of Nim’s Island and Dragonfly Song. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, it is
Sink or Swim: Wolf Girl 9
By Anh Do Illustrated by Lachlan Creagh Reviewed by Sarah Custance Anh Do is undoubtedly one of Australia’s bestselling children’s authors, celebrated for his many series including WeirDo, Hotdog, Ninja Kid, E-Boy, and Sky Dragon. The Wolf Girl books are easily his most
Fireflies in Flight The Towers #2
By Mette Jakobsen Reviewed by Helen Gearing The second instalment of the urban dystopian series ‘The Towers’, Fireflies in Flight is a YA adventure for readers aged fourteen years and older who are looking for a fast-paced, high-stakes story of teenagers resisting
War Girls
By Tochi Onyebuchi Reviewed by Caeleigh Hancock War Girls is the third book published by Tochi Onyebuchi. It is a futurist sci-fi set in Africa, largely Nigeria, in the 2100s. It creates a glimpse into a future world where climate change and
Star the Elephant: Surviving the Wild 2
By Remi Lai Reviewed by Sarah Custance Brisbane based author/illustrator Remy Lai is well known for her middle grade novels, Pie in the Sky and Fly on the Wall. Star the Elephant is the second instalment of her new graphic novel series,
Ride the Wind: Sky Dragon #3
By Anh Do Illustrated by James Hart Reviewed by Sarah Custance Anh Do is fast becoming one of the most well-known names in Australian children’s literature. His million copy series include: WeirDo, Hotdog!, Ninja Kid, Wolf Girl, E-Boy, Rise of the Mythix, and
Afghanistan Reading Resources
People have been writing fiction and non-fiction about the plight of children living in Afghanistan for many years. Here is a timely collection of reading resources that cover a multitude of subject - the subjugation of women and girls, the
What Beauty There Is
By Cory Anderson Reviewed by Sue Wright Things are dire for 17 year old Jack Dahl and his beloved younger brother Matty. Their mother—no longer able to cope—is dead: Jack buried her himself, and with their violent father still in jail for
Watch Over Me
by Nina Lacour reviewed by Margaret McKay-Lowndes In Watch Over Me, Nina Lacour, award winning author of We Are Okay, pulls the reader into a story of adolescent self-discovery which borders on a psychological thriller. Mila is a vulnerable teen, a victim of
We Are Wolves
by Katrina Nannestadt reviewed by Mia Macrossan This historical novel with a serious underlying theme is based on real events. Apparently thousands of lost, orphaned or abandoned children, called Wolfskinder, wandered alone in East Prussia at the end of World War II. They survived
Wolf Girl 3: The Secret Cave
by Anh Do illustrated by Lachlan Creagh reviewed by Sarah Custance If you have children or work with children in any way, then I have no doubt you now no longer think of Anh Do as a T.V. personality or comedian but rather
Nevertell
by Katharine Orton This debut novel is an interesting and unusual combination of historical novel and fantasy for readers of 8 to 12. Nevertell is set in Siberia in a prison camp during Stalin’s rule of Russia. 12-year-old Lina knows no other
The Dog Runner
by Bren MacDibble reviewed by Mia Macrossan Bren MacDibble burst onto the children's literary world with her award- winning How To Bee, a heartwarming dystopian novel set in a world where bees are extinct. The Dog Runner, an exciting fast -paced thriller,
