Lintang and the Pirate Queen (Tamara Moss, Random House)
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Lintang lives in a world where creatures known as ‘mythies’ cause mayhem. Her home, the island of Desa, is protected by a sea monster, and Lintang yearns to travel out...
Patty Hits the Court: Game Day Book One (Patty Mills & Jared Thomas, illus by Nahum Ziersch)
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Patty Hits the Court, the first instalment in the ‘Game Day’ series, is the latest in a tradition of sports stars writing for the junior crowd—this time it’s San Antonio...
Sarah and the Steep Slope (Danny Parker, illus by Matt Ottley, Little Hare)
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Sarah and the Steep Slope is a new picture book from the creative duo behind Tree and Parachute. Sarah wakes up one day to find a slope trapping her in...
Fluke (Lesley Gibbes, illus by Michelle Dawson, Working Title Press)
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
This new picture book by Lesley Gibbes, author of CBCA Honour Book Scary Night, is based on the true story of a southern right whale who gave birth to her...
Heavyweight division: Peter Carnavas on ‘The Elephant’
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Best known for his picture books, Peter Carnavas’ junior fiction novel The Elephant (UQP, July) ‘paints a portrait of a small family coming to terms with a tragedy through love,...
Crime teen investigation: Tristan Bancks on ‘The Fall’
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
In Tristan Bancks’ middle-grade novel The Fall, 12-year-old Sam Garner finds himself investigating a crime after witnessing a body falling from his apartment building. Bancks spoke to reviewer Braiden Asciak....
One Thousand Trees (Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Fremantle Press)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
A beautiful, dreamy contemplation, Kyle Hughes-Odgers’ One Thousand Trees merges a sparse narrative with illustrations that are tender, controlled and poignant. There is more the hint of a story than...
Peas and Quiet (Gabrielle Tozer, illus by Sue deGennaro, HarperCollins)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Best known for her YA writing, Gabrielle Tozer’s first picture book tells the story of two peas called Pip and Pop, who live together in a pod. But all is...
The Sloth Who Came to Stay (Margaret Wild, illus by Vivienne To, A&U)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Certain animals, such as lions and elephants, are ubiquitous in picture books—but there are hardly any with sloths in them. Perhaps Margaret Wild’s latest effort might start a new trend....
Cyclones and Shadows (Pat Dudgeon, Laura Dudgeon, Sabrina Dudgeon & Darlene Oxenham, Fremantle Press)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
This sweet collection of stories from Fremantle Press’ ‘Waarda’ series will appeal to teachers, librarians and parents who want to talk with kids about the different experiences of people around...
The Elephant (Peter Carnavas, UQP)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
The Elephant is the first junior-fiction novel from Peter Carnavas, who is well known for his gentle, heartfelt picture books. Olive lives with her Grandad, her Dad, and—even if no-one...
The Fall (Tristan Bancks, Random House)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Following an operation to ease his scoliosis, 12-year-old Sam Garner secures the chance to stay with his father Harry (never ‘Dad’) in the city, to better understand and get to...
Marsh and Me (Martine Murray, Text)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Joey Green is a nice, sensitive boy. He’s a bit of a loner, lacking in confidence and trying to find a way to fit in at school. One day, he...
My Lovely Frankie (Judith Clarke, A&U)
Wednesday, 3 May 2017
Tom has never forgotten his friend Frankie—even though he hasn’t seen him for over half a century. In 1950, when Tom is just 16, he thinks he feels the hand...
Get cultured: Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost on ‘Do Not Lick This Book’
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Writer Idan Ben-Barak and illustrator Julian Frost’s guide to microbes is a ‘fun, beautifully designed and repulsive [picture] book’ that will have kids ‘[delighting] in the gross elements’, writes reviewer...
Psynode (Marlee Jane Ward, Seizure)
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Marlee Jane Ward impressed with her YA debut Welcome to Orphancorp in 2015, winning Seizure’s Viva La Novella Prize as well as the YA category of the Victorian Premier’s Literary...
Living on Hope Street (Demet Divaroren, A&U)
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Demet Divaroren’s YA novel Living on Hope St does not shirk from tackling the big issues that concern society today. Refugees, domestic abuse, racism, grief and bullying all feature in...
Do Not Lick This Book (Idan Ben-Barak, illus by Julian Frost, A&U)
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
What a fun, beautifully designed and repulsive book! Its premise is humble: let’s meet some microbes. It sits between educational text and narrative picture book, following Min the microbe on...
Ollie’s Treasure (Lynn Jenkins, illus by Kirrili Lonergan, EK Books)
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Here’s a picture book that unpacks mindfulness and the awareness of transient moments in time. Ollie’s grandma knows he loves treasure hunts so she sends him a map. He enthusiastically...
Storm Whale (Sarah Brennan, illus by Jane Tanner, A&U)
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Jane Tanner’s rich, textured, gorgeous illustrations work in parallel with Sarah Brennan’s equally complex and affecting language in this verse-narrative of three young girls who find a beached whale. Their...
The Great Zoo Hullabaloo! (Mark Carthew, illus by Anil Tortop, New Frontier)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
This is Mark Carthew and Anil Tortop’s first collaboration, though both bring extensive backlists in their respective areas. The Great Zoo Hullabaloo! is an energetic account of missing animals who,...
Ready, Steady, Hatch (Ben Long, illus by David Cornish, Ford Street)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Ready, Steady, Hatch has to be read aloud. That’s where the magic is, in the rhythm and cadence of this amusing tale. The story of a lost newborn chick unfolds...
Archie and the Bear (Zanni Louise, illus by David Mackintosh, Little Hare)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Archie and the Bear is the whimsical first collaboration between author Zanni Louise and illustrator David Mackintosh. It’s the story of a boy who is sure he’s a bear, and...
Boy (Phil Cummings, illus by Shane Devries, Scholastic)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Veteran children’s author Phil Cummings has produced over 60 books for young readers so he knows how to tell a simple story. The nameless titular character lives in a small...
Great Goal! Marvellous Mark! (Katrina Germein, illus by Janine Dawson, Ford Street)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Great Goal! Marvellous Mark! is a lively alphabet book for budding AFL champions. The story of a junior football game is woven into the alphabet book structure, capturing the joy...
A Cardboard Palace (Allayne L Webster, MidnightSun)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
A Cardboard Palace is the Dickensian story of 11-year-old Jorge, a Romanian boy brought to Paris to be part of a gang of child thieves. Jorge is a sweet, kind...
To the Lighthouse (Cristy Burne, Fremantle Press)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Isaac has finally talked his mum into a proper holiday—a trip to Rottnest Island, where he’s hoping for a proper adventure instead of a holiday care program. But he’ll still...
The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster: Polly and Buster Book One (Sally Rippin, HGE)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Polly is an unusual witch—she can’t read spells because the letters get jumbled and so she makes mistakes. Buster is an unusual monster—emotions make him shrink and swell. They are...
Finding Nevo (Nevo Zisin, Black Dog Books)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
As a young child, Nevo Zisin knew they were a boy—the only problem was they were born a girl. They were bullied for being a tomboy at their Jewish primary...
Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology (ed by Danielle Binks, HarperCollins)
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Begin, End, Begin traverses the rough terrain of adolescence, pausing to wonder at some of the many beginnings and endings that young adults will encounter during their high-school years. This...
