The Silent Invasion (James Bradley, Pan)
Monday, 27 February 2017
Callie was six when the Change came to earth. She’s 14 now, and the world’s a different place. The Change, a mysterious illness spread by alien seedpods, has thrown humanity...
Frogkisser! (Garth Nix, A&U)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Princess Anya, second in line to the throne, lives with her childish, spoilt older sister Princess Morven, her stepmother and her step-stepfather, Evil Socrerer Duke Rikard (it’s far less complicated...
The Eleventh Hour: Agent Nomad Book One (Skye Melki-Wegner, Random House)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
The Eleventh Hour kicks off the ‘Agent Nomad’ series by Skye Melki-Wegner, author of ‘Chasing the Valley’. It follows 15-year-old protagonist Natalie Palladino as she discovers a world she thought...
Harry Kruize, Born to Lose (Paul Collins, Ford Street)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Harry feels like a born loser: his dad walked out of his life and never looked back, the school bully has Harry squarely in his sights, and his sessions with...
Shearing Time (Allison Paterson, illus by Shane McGrath, Big Sky Publishing)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Though shearing is engrained in Australian mythology, chances are that most children aren’t familiar with the practice of removing a woolly coat from its owner. Allison Paterson’s book tries, with...
Mopoke (Philip Bunting, Scholastic)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
‘This is a mopoke’ is the opening line of a new picture book that stars the Bookbook Owl. Extremely common around Australia, this quiet bird keeps to itself. Or at...
The Fantastic Recipe Machine (Chihiro Takeuchi, Berbay Publishing)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Chihiro Takeuchi is a paper-cut artist and the intricate pictures in this picture book are a startling sample of her craft. The Fantastic Recipe Machine is a testament to the...
Florette (Anna Walker, Viking)
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Anna Walker’s picture book Mr Huff was awarded the 2016 CBCA Book of the Year in the Early Childhood category, so more picture books from her are eagerly awaited. Florette...
One Little Goat (Ursula Dubosarsky, illus by Andrew Joyner, Little Hare)
Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Goats are the new ducks, it would seem, as the successful team of Ursula Dubosarsky and Andrew Joyner (The Terrible Plop, Too Many Elephants) reunite for another round of inventive...
The Thank You Dish (Trace Balla, A&U)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Thank You Dish is a whimsical picture book from Trace Balla, author and illustrator of Rivertime and Rockhopping. The book centres on Grace and Mama, who are thanking the people,...
Under the Love Umbrella (Davina Bell, illus by Allison Colpoys, Scribble)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys’ previous collaboration was the superb, award-winning The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade, and their follow-up, Under the Love Umbrella, has a similar charm—if not quite the same...
Ballad for a Mad Girl (Vikki Wakefield, Text)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Grace is the prankster in her group of friends, the odd one of the odd ones out. She’s always been known for taking a joke further, and for being the...
The Turnkey (Allison Rushby, Walker Books)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Witnessing the turbulence and devastation of World War II during the London Blitz would prove challenging for any 12-year-old girl, but Flossie Birdwhistle is no ordinary girl—she is a ghost....
Mr Romanov’s Garden in the Sky (Robert Newton, Puffin)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Thirteen-year-old Lexie lives in a grey housing commission flat in Melbourne and dreams of starting a new life on the Sunshine Coast. She’s struggling to deal with her junkie mum,...
A Walk in the Bush (Gwyn Perkins, Affirm Press)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Iggy has to be coaxed out of his various hidey holes to visit the great outdoors. With his keen guardian (possibly a grandfather), Iggy is taken to the bush and...
1, 2 Pirate Stew (Kylie Howarth, Five Mile Press)
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
This book is all about the joy of playing in a cardboard box, which seems to have been largely replaced these days by more complicated activities, but is still a...
Gus Dog Goes to Work (Rachel Flynn, illus by Craig Smith, Working Title)
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Gus Dog Goes to Work chronicles all the tremendously exciting things a well-meaning sheepdog could possibly get involved with when (inexplicably) his owner doesn’t follow the usual routine of taking...
Our Dog Benji (Pete Carter & James Henderson, EK Books)
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Many kids are fussy eaters; many dogs are not. With this simple premise Pete Carter sets up his picture book, ably supported by illustrator James Henderson. Benji, the little boy’s...
Lisette’s Paris Notebook (Catherine Bateson, A&U)
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
When Lisette arrives in Paris for the summer, she thinks she’s prepared. She has a great wardrobe, she’s staying with her mother’s psychic, and surely before long she’ll be checking...
Valentine (Jodi McAlister, Penguin)
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
A strange, black-as-midnight horse appears during a party. Frustratingly good-looking Finn throws a horseshoe at it, scaring it off before Marie can pat it and adding to the list of...
Everything is Changed (Nova Weetman, UQP)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Nova Weetman established her ability to portray complex friendships with Frankie and Joely, and with Everything is Changed, she takes it to the next level. The story follows the devastating...
The Sisters Saint-Claire (Carlie Gibson, illus by Tamsin Ainslie, A&U)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
The Sisters Saint-Claire by Carlie Gibson is a delightful story, enchantingly illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie. The whole production—from the neat little hardback to the detailed illustrations—is reminiscent of the popular...
All I Want for Christmas is Rain (Cori Brooke, illus by Megan Forward, New Frontier)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
All I Want for Christmas is Rain is the first collaboration between author Cori Brooke and illustrator Megan Forward, though each have several previous picture-book credits. There are plenty of...
Battle Royale: The Selwood Boys Book One (Tony Wilson, ABC Books)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Footy fans will love ‘The Selwood Boys’. The series kicks off with great characters and fast-paced game-play, making it the perfect suggestion for readers of Specky Magee and Crawf’s Kick...
Pocket Rocket: Ellyse Perry Book One, (Sherryl Clark & Ellyse Perry, Random House)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Not content with being one of the youngest sports stars to have represented Australia in cricket and soccer, Ellyse Perry can now add author to her impressive CV. In Pocket...
Girl Stuff 8-12 (Kaz Cooke, Viking)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Girl Stuff 8-12 is a spin-off from Kaz Cooke’s 2007 book Girl Stuff, which was written for teenagers. It’s a different beast to the original: Cooke has written new material...
Mrs Maver’s Magic Cat (Jacqueline Harris & Richard Ghent, illus by Don Ezard, Woodslane)
Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Cats are vain, self-centred creatures. Anyone who’s ever owned one knows that they all think they are magical, that doors open for them and food appears when they need it....
Agatha and the Dark (Anna Pignataro, The Five Mile Press)
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
Agatha is a cute half-pig, half-bear hybrid who likes wearing a red, hooded coat—just like Little Red Riding Hood, although Agatha is not happy with the bit in the story...
The Gobbledygook and the Scribbledynoodle (Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting, illus by Tom Jellett, Viking)
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
Small children clamour for repeat reads of their favourite books, and authors Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting will have some very relieved parents on their hands with the release of...
If I Was a Banana (Alexandra Tylee & Kieran Rynhart, Gecko Press)
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
Oh, how I wish to be ‘yellow and fat and full of banana’! At least, that’s how I feel after diving into the world of an inquisitive young boy in...
