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Treasure in the Lake (Jason Pamment, A&U)
Released September 2021
Friendship, hidden cities and all-round adventure lie at the heart of Jason Pamment’s immersive graphic novel Treasure in the Lake. Sam and Iris have been best friends since they were little, but as the two... Read more
Let’s Eat Weeds! (Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam Grubb, illus by Evie Barrow, Scribble)
Released September 2021
I can’t think of anything more anxiety-provoking than helping children decide which weeds are safe to eat. But Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland tackle the task with humour, zeal and... Read more
Maxine (Bob Graham, Walker Books)
Released September 2021
A ‘companion book’ for Bob Graham’s beloved Max (which was 20 years old in 2020!), Maxine does stand alone but is not as rich if you haven’t first read Max, as it... Read more
Anything But Fine (Tobias Madden, Penguin)
Released September 2021
Anything But Fine is the young adult debut of Tobias Madden, who works in publishing and is part of the #LoveOzYA community. Like his main character, Luca, Madden grew up... Read more
Road Tripping with Pearl Nash (Poppy Nwosu, Wakefield)
Released September 2021
Since her 2018 debut Making Friends with Alice Dyson, shortlisted for the Adelaide Festival Unpublished Manuscript Award and the Readings Young Adult Book Prize, Poppy Nwosu has been creating protagonists that are a... Read more
The Song of Lewis Carmichael (Sofie Laguna, illus by Marc McBride, A&U)
Released September 2021
Lyrical, mesmerising and full of heart, The Song of Lewis Carmichael by Sofie Laguna, complemented by the soft, detailed pencil drawings of Marc McBride, is a beautiful middle-grade adventure story... Read more
A Trip to the Hospital (Freda Chiu, A&U Children)
Released September 2021
Freda Chiu’s first picture book, aimed at children aged three to seven, provides a friendly introduction to the idea of hospitals and what might happen in them. Largely informational rather... Read more
The School for Talking Pets (Kelli Anne Hawkins, illus by Beth Harvey, HarperCollins)
Released September 2021
With her debut middle grade novel, The School for Talking Pets, Kelli Anne Hawkins brings us a delightful tale that is reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Mysterious Benedict Society. Rusty Mulligan is... Read more
Half My Luck (Samera Kamaleddine, HarperCollins)
Released August 2021
The first winner of HarperCollins’ Matilda Children’s Literature Prize is a warm-hearted and authentic coming-of-age story about the impact of race and place on our sense of self and belonging.... Read more
Grandma’s Prickly Secret (Trudie Trewin, illus by Nelli Suneli, Larrikin House)
Released August 2021
When the child in this picture book barges in on their grandma in the bathroom attempting to pluck out two prominent chin hairs, they proceed to list all the ways... Read more
