Catch a Falling Star (Meg McKinlay, Walker Books)
7 February 2019
It’s the late 1970s in rural Western Australia, and 12-year-old Frankie’s life isn’t always easy. Her mother works all the time, so Frankie looks after her very smart but not...
47 Degrees (Justin D’Ath, Puffin)
30 October 2018
Author Justin D’Ath lost his home in Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires, and the story of that harrowing day forms the basis for his new novel, 47 Degrees. The morning of...
Midnight at the Library (Ursula Dubosarsky illus by Ron Brooks, NLA)
4 October 2018
This outstanding book by two acclaimed Australian creators is thought-provoking and informative. Ursula Dubosarsky’s text, combined with Ron Brooks’ illustrations, refers to the fascinating story of books—how they are created, preserved and connected...
Lenny’s Book of Everything (Karen Foxlee, A&U)
24 August 2018
Anticipation for Karen Foxlee’s new novel is sky-high given her recent gem A Most Magical Girl. Rest assured, Lenny’s Book of Everything will exceed all expectations. Lenny’s younger brother Davey...
The Adventures of Catvinkle (Elliot Perlman, Puffin)
2 August 2018
It’s hard to imagine that a book for children by two-time Miles Franklin-shortlisted author Elliot Perlman would be anything less than wonderful. Perlman was apparently inspired by a cat lying...
Catching Teller Crow (Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, A&U)
5 July 2018
Siblings Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina have teamed up again on this distinctly Australian hybrid YA novel that blends thriller, crime and ghost story elements. Set in contemporary times, the book...
A Song Only I Can Hear (Barry Jonsberg, A&U)
31 May 2018
Rob Fitzgerald is 13 years old, painfully shy, prone to panic attacks, and desperately, disgustingly in love for the very first time. Rob begins receiving texts from an unknown phone...
Cicada (Shaun Tan, Lothian)
4 May 2018
Shaun Tan has done it again. Cicada is excellent. Although more distinctly a narrative picture book than some of his others, Cicada’s darkness breeds a rich subtext that will serve...
Lifel1k3 (Jay Kristoff, A&U)
13 April 2018
Set in a savage post-apocalyptic California (or Kalifornya as it’s remembered now), Lifel1k3 (Lifelike) follows 15-year-old Eve, who makes a living building robots out of scraps and using them to...
How to Win a Nobel Prize (Barry Marshall & Lorna Hendry, illus by Bernard Caleo, Piccolo Nero)
1 March 2018
Ten-year-old Mary loves science, and dreams of one day winning a Nobel Prize. When her mother arranges for her to meet the Australian Nobel laureate Barry Marshall, Mary stumbles on...
The Silver Sea (Alison Lester, Jane Godwin and the children at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Affirm Press)
1 February 2018
Since Alison Lester and Jane Godwin are practically Australian-children’s-literature royalty, it was hard to keep my expectations reasonable for The Silver Sea. Luckily, the book fulfils its potential. Visually sumptuous,...
The Feather (Margaret Wild, illus by Freya Blackwood, Little Hare)
23 October 2017
This exquisite and affecting allegory is another masterful Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood collaboration that is greater than the sum of its parts. Similar to the pair’s previous book, The...
Between Us (Clare Atkins, Black Inc.)
4 October 2017
Clare Atkins follows up her award-winning debut novel Nona & Me with this moving tale of two young people in Darwin who make a connection, though one of them lives...
Swan Lake (Anne Spudvilas, A&U)
6 September 2017
In her introduction to this book, which is a retelling of the iconic ballet by Tchaikovsky, illustrator Anne Spudvilas says she wanted to create a version of the ballet in...
Danny Blue’s Really Excellent Dream (Max Landrak, Lothian)
17 July 2017
Max Landrak’s first children’s book is a delight. A fanciful tale of a boy who unexpectedly dreams of ‘not-blue’ in a world that consists only of blue, it functions equally...
Pea Pod Lullaby (Glenda Millard, illus by Stephen Michael King, A&U)
5 July 2017
I had read this text before, when it was included as a double-page spread in The Hush Treasure Book anthology, also illustrated by King. I loved it then and I...
Because of You (Pip Harry, UQP)
31 May 2017
Tiny is homeless. Nola has everything she could ask for. They meet when Nola is forced into volunteer work for the writers’ group at the homeless shelter where Tiny is...
Psynode (Marlee Jane Ward, Seizure)
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...
The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster: Polly and Buster Book One (Sally Rippin, HGE)
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...
Mammoth Mistake: Starring Olive Black Book One (Alex Miles, illus by Maude Guesne, Affirm Press)
27 February 2017
Mammoth Mistake is the first book in a new series by author Alex Miles, who, among other things, has written for the hugely successful ‘Zac Power’ series. Olive Black is...
The Things We Promise (J C Burke, A&U)
8 February 2017
Gemma can’t wait for her brother Billy to return from New York. An up-and-coming hair and make-up artist, Billy has promised to help Gemma get ready for her school formal,...
Diamond Jack: History Mysteries Book One (Mark Greenwood, Puffin)
4 October 2016
Even as World War II rages, Jack Palmer spends his time on his boat wandering up and down the coast of Western Australia. Meanwhile, the Imperial Japanese army are on...
A Most Magical Girl (Karen Foxlee, Piccadilly Books)
31 August 2016
Set in Victorian London, A Most Magical Girl tells the story of prim and proper Annabel Grey. One day Annabel’s mother goes away unexpectedly and leaves Annabel with her aunts,...
There’s Not One (Jennifer Higgie, Scribble)
3 August 2016
This luscious picture book offers such pleasures that small children (and their grown-up read-aloud machines) will be drawn towards it. Its simple story—that while there are billions and zillions of...
Words in Deep Blue (Cath Crowley, Pan)
5 July 2016
Since her brother Cal drowned 10 months ago, Rachel has failed Year 12, lost all her friends and watched her mother become consumed by grief. Desperate to get away, she...
Pandamonia (Chris Owen, illus by Chris Nixon, Fremantle Press)
10 May 2016
Pandas are adorable creatures right? So soft and furry and on-trend with their black and white colours. They also don’t do very much except laze around and chew on bamboo...
Forgetting Foster (Dianne Touchell, A&U)
5 May 2016
Brutally honest and unflinching in its examination of the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on an entire family, Forgetting Foster is a beautiful, heart-wrenching book that will stay with you. Seven-year-old...
Introducing Teddy (Jessica Walton, illus by Dougal MacPherson, Bloomsbury)
6 April 2016
Introducing Teddy is a charming picture book about a young boy and his transgender teddy bear. First-time author Jessica Walton has teamed up with illustrator Dougal MacPherson on the book,...
Dreaming the Enemy (David Metzenthen, A&U)
3 March 2016
Governments randomly selecting young people, training them to fight and then sending them off to kill is an age-old YA trope. So when the protagonist in David Metzenthen’s novel, Johnny...
Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters: Squishy Taylor Book One (Ailsa Wild, illus by Ben Wood, Hardie Grant Egmont)
2 February 2016
The first book in this new series by Ailsa Wood throws you straight into the action, when Squishy (real name Sita) discovers a boy hiding out in the carpark of...
