Cora Seen and Heard (Zanni Louise, Walker)

When Cora’s family moves to Tasmania to renovate a decrepit theatre, Cora, 12, is thrilled at the opportunity to reinvent herself as Cora 2.0: more confident, admired, and interesting. But her insecurities have accompanied her interstate, along with some brewing tension between her parents, and her new life feels just as hard as her old one. Cue a tentatively blossoming friendship with Elle at school, and an unexpected role on the community service council, and Cora starts to find her place. When her secret diary (in the form of pseudonymous letters to the town’s beloved but mysteriously vanished jazz legend Clair de Lune) somehow makes its way into print in the local newspaper, Cora is horrified at the exposure of her deepest fears and feelings, yet it seems the town can’t get enough of the honesty, insights and universal experiences of ‘Bug’. The letters are catalysts for deeper connections and, ultimately, for truths to emerge, and they symbolise the values Cora Seen and Heard celebrates: honesty and being yourself, community and deep connection, and growth and looking beyond the surface. The latest middle grade novel from Zanni Louise (Monsties #1: The Lost Bunny) for readers aged 10+ has many strengths, including the subtle developments and journeys for even secondary characters, who are all lovingly constructed and believable; the protagonist’s authenticity and heart; compelling relationships (such as between Cora and her older sister); and the elements of intrigue associated with Clair.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, an editor and writer, is a bookseller at The Hobart Bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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