Review search
Lady’s Knight (Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, A&U Children’s)
Released June 2025
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s latest novel, Lady’s Knight, is a tantalising forbidden love story for the ages. Gwen has spent years manning the village blacksmith under the guise of... Read more
Wait Here (Lucy Nelson, S&S)
Released June 2025
Lucy Nelson’s debut short story collection, Wait Here, is a striking reflection on women’s lives in all their beautiful complexity. Through narratives of varying lengths, Nelson deftly incorporates many perspectives... Read more
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane (Mike Lucas, illus Sofya Karmazina, Little Hare)
Released June 2025
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane by Mike Lucas (What We All Saw, Let’s Build a Backyard) is a charming story about the comfort of familiar places and the emotions... Read more
An Academic Affair (Jodi McAlister, S&S)
Released June 2025
Jodi McAlister, who has previously written for young adults, made her adult rom-com debut with the Marry Me, Juliet trilogy. Continuing in this genre, An Academic Affair introduces us to... Read more
A Beautiful Family (Jennifer Trevelyan, A&U)
Released June 2025
The narrator of Jennifer Trevelyan’s debut, A Beautiful Family, is 10-year-old Alix, a likeable and perceptive child. When her family arrive at their summer holiday house, she and her new friend Kahu... Read more
The Secret Year of Zara Holt (Kimberley Freeman, Hachette)
Released June 2025
The Secret Year of Zara Holt is a compelling novel inspired by the real-life story of Dame Zara Bate, wife of former Australian prime minister Harold Holt. While many know... Read more
Foreign Country (Marija Peričić, Ultimo)
Released June 2025
In Marija Peričić’s lyrical and haunting third novel, the foreign country is the site of dislocation and alienation wrought by migration, grief and trauma. Croatian-Australian nurse Eva, who resides in... Read more
Gone (Michel Streich, T&H)
Released June 2025
Writer and illustrator Michel Streich tackles the sensitive subject of loss and the mysteries surrounding death in his accessible and poignant picture book, Gone. The story centres on a child who... Read more
Golden (Jade Timms, Text)
Released June 2025
Jade Timms’s affecting debut novel, Golden, shortlisted for the 2023 Text Prize, is a charming book about friendship, first love, and reclaiming happiness after a devastating trauma. Seventeen-year-old Eddie’s cheerful... Read more
The Pull of the Moon (Pip Smith, UWAP)
Released June 2025
In this bold, brave and boundary-pushing young adult novel, author Pip Smith (Half Wild) draws on her experience teaching asylum seekers and years of research to explore complex social themes.... Read more
The Girl in the Painting (Dee White, illus Sarah Anthony, Walker)
Released June 2025
The Girl in the Painting is a beautifully told narrative nonfiction picture book that gives voice to a quiet figure in one of Australia’s most iconic artworks. Based on the... Read more
Our New Gods (Thomas Vowles, UQP)
Released June 2025
Twisty and menacing, the new psychological literary thriller Our New Gods – set in Melbourne’s queer scene – is unsettling and memorable. Debut author Thomas Vowles hooks the reader early,... Read more
Music Camp (Penny Tangey, UQP)
Released June 2025
Penny Tangey (Granbad, As Fast As I Can) returns to middle grade with Music Camp, a story set during a selective five-day interschool music camp. Miley lives with her mum... Read more
Terraglossia (Debra Dank, Echo)
Released June 2025
Debra Dank, a Gudanji/Wakaja and Kalkadoon woman from the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory and critically acclaimed author of We Come with This Place, returns with her powerful new... Read more
The Brownout Murders (Luke C Jackson & Kelly Jackson, illus Maya Graham, Scribe)
Released June 2025
The year is 1942, and Melbourne is a city consumed with fear in The Brownout Murders, a gripping historical graphic novel. With the threat of a Japanese attack looming, the... Read more
My Name Is Jemima (Olivia Muscat, illus by Allison Colpoys, Scribble)
Released June 2025
My Name Is Jemima is a heartwarming and informative picture book that introduces young readers to the life and work of guide dogs and teaches children about disability, independence and... Read more
Rise of the Witch (Everglade #1) (Kitty Black, illus Rebecca Crane, Affirm)
Released June 2025
Take one part Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood, add a sprinkle of Diana Wynne Jones and a dash of Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a... Read more
The Name of the Sister (Gail Jones, Text)
Released June 2025
The latest novel from award-winning author Gail Jones, The Name of the Sister, is a literary whodunnit set in a small mining town. The book begins with a woman stumbling onto... Read more
Lucky’s Star: The Story of a Meteorite (Mark Greenwood, illus by Lucia Masciullo, CSIRO Publishing)
Released June 2025
Children are naturally fascinated by the night sky, and Lucky’s Star will surely delight primary-aged students with its clever combination of storytelling and facts. Based on the real-life 1969 Murchison... Read more
King of Dirt (Holden Sheppard, Pantera)
Released June 2025
Holden Sheppard hits again with the blunt edge of Australian queerness in his latest novel, King of Dirt. Continuing his work in the gay coming-of-age genre (Sheppard’s 2019 debut Invisible... Read more
