Introducing Junior Book Club – A bunch of this month’s brilliant books
Friday, 6 June 2025 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing
Searching for your next great read to share with kids? Our Junior Book Club picks highlight 10 new titles each month that are perfect for classrooms, libraries and family reading time. From fun and imaginative adventures to books that spark curiosity and conversation, these are the latest releases worth adding to your shelves and sharing with young readers of all ages.
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Bear and the Big Surprise Deirdre Brandner and Jennifer Whelan Wilkinson Publishing ISBN 9781922178541 RRP $29.99 Age: 3–9 |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘In Bear and the Big Surprise, life for Bear is about to change. This latest book in the Bear Learns series features an engaging new story with adorable illustrations and evidence-based techniques to help children understand and navigate the emotions of welcoming a new sibling. The book includes Bear’s Toolkit resource with techniques from psychologist and co-author Deirdre Brandner to help parents guide their children through sibling transitions.’ – Michael Wilkinson, Wilkinson Publishing | |
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Filling in the Map Carole Wilkinson Wild Dog ISBN 9781742036557 RRP $24.99 Age: 7–12 Teacher’s notes |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘Filling in the Map is a follow-up to Carole Wilkinson’s Putting Australia on the Map. Upper primary school students will learn how European explorers used maps created when Australia was circumnavigated to venture inland and fill in the details of this enormous country. First Nations people, who had been familiar with the land for around 60,000 years, feature heavily and add another perspective to the filling in of Australia’s map.’ – Lisa Mclellan, Wild Dog | |
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Golden Jade Timms Text ISBN 9781923058354 RRP $22.99 Age: 14+ |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘A life-affirming, upbeat story about friendship, loss, first love, what it is to be an artist, and life in an idyllic Australian beach town. It features a relatable and kind main character who is coaxed back to her friends and family after she’s been keeping her distance from them in response to a traumatic event. Authentic, deeply kind characters, pitch-perfect dialogue, subtle humour and a summery beach setting make this an unputdownable celebration of the Australian teenage experience – the perfect pick for school libraries.’ – Madeleine Gerber, Text | |
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A Guide To Rocks He Taonga Te Toka Sacha Cotter, illus Josh Morgan Huia Publishers ISBN 9781775507192 RRP $25.00 Age: 6–9 |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘This story is a unique exploration of a common theme – how boys and men deal with their feelings – and uses an original metaphor of carrying “rocks” to stand in for confronting feelings. With a light tone, humour and two endearing main characters in Charlie and Dad, this book is particularly relatable for boys and can be used by parents and teachers to explore emotional wellbeing.’ – Trinity Thompson-Browne, Huia Publishers | |
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I Don’t Need a Little Brother Nat Amoore, illus Nathaniel Eckstrom Puffin ISBN 9781761341946 RRP $19.99 Age: 2–7 |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘A funny picture book perfect for a classroom read aloud about siblings. Follow one bewildered big brother who discovers his little brother might actually be the one person he can’t live without. From two award-winning Australian talents, it perfectly captures the essence of sibling relationships – the squabbles, the pranks and, ultimately, the love.’ – Rebecca Bluff, PRH | |
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Lucky’s Star Mark Greenwood, illus Lucia Masciullo CSIRO Publishing ISBN 9781486318070 RRP $26.99 Age: 5–9 Teacher’s notes |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘On a quiet spring morning, Lucky watches as “stars” rain down on the fields and farms around her. She tries her best to return her special find to the sky, but then discovers that her “star” is actually something much more remarkable! Lucky’s Star is a fascinating picture book about the Murchison meteorite, which landed in country Victoria, containing clues to the formation of stars, our solar system, our planet, and the origins of life on Earth. Featuring one of Australia’s most internationally significant scientific events, Lucky’s Star is perfect for schools and libraries looking for accessible, fact-based stories on geology and space, written by an outstanding author with a passion for rocks, fossils and meteorites, and with stunning illustrations.’ – Amelia Rockliff, CSIRO Publishing | |
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Pride Oasis (Kutopia #2) Kasey Rainbow Scholastic ISBN 9781761720192 RRP $19.99 Age: 3+ |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘Following on from her successful Kutopia: Kindness Rocks!, Kasey once again explores complex feelings and emotions through her vibrant collaged characters. Confidence, self-acceptance and authenticity can be difficult concepts to discuss with children, but Kasey’s colourful scenes and rhyming text highlight feelings and behaviours that will be easily recognised by the reader. The story itself offers reassurance that we are never alone in our feelings of not fitting in, offering moments to stop and discuss what it means to be proud of who you are. The notes and activities at the back of the book offer fun yet practical ways to extend discussions around self-confidence and individuality.’ – Sharon Turner, Scholastic | |
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The Pull of the Moon Pip Smith UWA Publishing ISBN 9781760803032 RRP $26.99 Age: 13+ Teacher’s notes |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘A moving story about refugees seeking asylum from the perspective of a 13-year-old Australian girl living on Christmas Island. Australian curriculum teaching notes will be available on publication from UWA Publishing’s website. The Pull of the Moon is a moving YA text that tackles complex social topics, including asylum seeking, detention centres, complex family relationships and grief. This book is a great fit for the classroom.’ – Lauren Pratt, UWA Publishing | |
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Rise of the Witch (Everglade #1) Kitty Black, illus Rebecca Crane Affirm ISBN 9781922848192 RRP $17.99 Age: 9–12 |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘The first book in an epic and funny trilogy, with one book released per year and a fully planned series arc. This book is perfect for a core middle grade reader – a welcome addition for fantasy readers who are not quite ready for the large tomes and scarier themes of much of the books available in the market.’ – Dana Anderson, Affirm | |
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We Saw What You Started Carla Salmon Pan Australia ISBN 9781761566790 RRP $19.99 Age: 11+ |
| Why young readers will love it: ‘The perfect book to engage readers and ignite classroom discussions for upper primary and secondary readers. With narratives from both a boy and a girl, this explores themes of finding your place and “people”, family expectations, sibling relationships, small-town suspicions and an interwoven whodunnit – all of which are backdropped by the quintessentially Australian surf and sea.’ – Grace Carter, Macmillan | |
