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Children's and YA book reviews and interviews

Lee Battersby

Spiral of absurdity: Lee Battersby on ‘Magrit’

Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters: Squishy Taylor Book One
Ailsa Wild, illus by Ben Wood, Hardie Grant Egmont, February 2016, reviewed by Angela Crocombe

Picture books

Archie: No Ordinary Sloth
Heath McKenzie, Five Mile Press, March 2016, reviewed by Thuy On

The word ‘sloth’ is unlikely to be paired with the adjective ‘energetic’, but that’s exactly what author—illustrator Heath McKenzie does in his latest picture book. McKenzie, who’s had success with... Read more

Dance, Bilby, Dance
Tricia Oktober, Ford Street, March 2016, reviewed by Romi Sharp

Dance, Bilby, Dance by author-illustrator and environmentalist Tricia Oktober is an energetic tale for pre-schoolers about a resourceful bilby who is determined to find his groove. At first a stumbling... Read more

Something Wonderful
Raewyn Caisley & Karen Blair, Viking, March 2016, reviewed by Suzanne Garcia

Raewyn Caisley’s first book with illustrator Karen Blair, Hello from Nowhere, took readers to the Australian Nullarbor to reveal the benefits of living in the middle of a desert. In... Read more

Younger readers

Magrit
Lee Battersby, Walker Books, March 2016, reviewed by Tehani Wessely

Magrit is nearly 10 and lives in an abandoned cemetery with her skeletal mentor Master Puppet. One day her simple life is disrupted forever by the arrival of a tiny... Read more

William Bligh: A Stormy Story of Tempestuous Times
Michael Sedunary, illus by Bern Emmerichs, Berbay, February 2016, reviewed by Louise Pfanner

Both author and illustrator have brought the tempestuous story of William Bligh to life in this superb history book, which informs, intrigues and involves the reader by asking questions and... Read more

Young adult

Bro
Helen Chebatte, Hardie Grant Egmont, February 2016, reviewed by Bec Kavanagh

Romeo Makhlouf knows he should be playing by the rules but the problem is the rules of being a bro aren’t the same as the rules laid down by his... Read more

The Way We Roll
Scot Gardner, A&U, March 2016, reviewed by Heath Graham

Will has a new job collecting trolleys at a dingy suburban shopping centre. His work partner, rough, tattooed Westie Julian, realises something is up: Will says he lives in a... Read more

The Yearbook Committee
Sarah Ayoub, HarperCollins, March 2016, reviewed by Jarrah Moore

Five very different Year 12 students find themselves on the Yearbook Committee for their prestigious private school. Some are loners and some are popular, but all are facing their own... Read more

Yellow
Megan Jacobson, Penguin, February 2016, reviewed by Susan La Marca

Yellow is a surprising and engaging story from debut author Megan Jacobsen. Fourteen-year-old Kirra has a rocky home life: her father has left the family for another woman and her... Read more

On tour

Lucy Cousins

On tour: Lucy Cousins

Katherine Rundell

On tour: Katherine Rundell