Anna Morgan, Before the Beginning, Lothian Children’s Books, September 2020, 240 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780734419651 Before the Beginning uses a very familiar coming of age trope employing the backdrop of ‘schoolies week’, however, it also adds several fresh layers that result in an unsettling, mercurial read for teenagers. Instead of one protagonist, we have four narrative voices, sometimes contradicting, sometimes affirming the other points of view, while simultaneously reflecting on their own interior selves. This is a particularly effective framing device, since Grace, brother Casper, and his best friends Elsie and Noah believe they know at least one…
Author: Admin
Jackie Merchant, The Pony Question, Walker Books Australia, July 2020, 256 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760651640 Essie and her mum live on the edge of a small country town, where her mum runs a small business restoring and selling old furniture. They moved from Sydney when her parents divorced – her father stayed in the city and has since remarried. Essie used to ride horses and compete, but after an incident involving her very competitive father, she sold her pony and hung up her riding boots. However, at an estate sale she and her mother accidentally buy a neglected,…
Australian Geographic, Australia’s amazing sharks, Australian Geographic, September 2020, 32 pp., RRP $19.25 (hbk), ISBN 9781925847802 This large (30.5cm w x 23.7 cm h) picture book will attract any young reader fascinated by sharks. With its attention-grabbing cover prominently featuring a great white shark centre-stage, each double-page spread focuses on a particular category of shark or individual species. The book is like a field guide to or identification manual of sharks. More than 45 found in Australian waters are profiled, ranging from the world’s largest shark (the whale shark) to one of the smallest (the pigmy shark). Each species is given its common name, scientific name, length, and status with an…
Chloe Jasmine Harris, Henry Turnip, Walker Books Australia, June 2020, 32 pp., RRP $25.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760651114 Henry is a young, introverted child (represented as an anthropomorphised panda) who likes order, predictability and routine. It makes him feel safer when things are quiet and controlled. This is fine at home, but his kindergarten class can be very loud and chaotic! There are lots of other, messy kids who like to run around and play noisily. In the playground Henry sits by himself, even though he would like to join in. Then one day Rueben Moon arrives – he is outgoing,…
Will Kostakis, Rebel Gods (Monuments, #2), Lothian Children’s Books, August 2020, 256 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780734419262 Rebel Gods moves at a brisk pace, with only two very early pages starkly summing up Monuments, confidently expecting readers to be on board and up to date. Connor, Sally and Locky are aware of what’s at stake and no time is wasted. Initially the heroes continue their quest to find more information to help them defeat their foes, but when Locky draws their attention by performing ‘a miracle’, the stage is set for a tense game of cat and mouse. Who…
Claire Saxby (text) and Tannya Harricks (illustrator), Kookaburra, August 2020, 32 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760651060 Kookaburra is an exciting new addition to the narrative nonfiction ‘Nature Storybooks’ series and the second collaboration between Claire Saxby and Tannya Harricks. The award-winning duo’s picture book Dingo was joint winner of the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature; it won the Zoological Society of NSW’s Whitley Award; was shortlisted in 2019 for the CBCA New Illustrators Award, and Best Picture Book in the Educational Publishing Awards. In the crinkled shadowsNight-dwellers yawn,day- creatures stretchand Kookaburra laughs.In a line on a limb…
Jane Godwin, When Rain Turns to Snow, Hachette Australia, 30 June 2020, 273 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780734420053 Lissa is in Year 8. She lives with her mum and brother Harry who is in Year 11. Their Dad has moved overseas and is starting a new family. Her best friend has moved away and is losing interest in replying to text messages. Lissa is struggling to find a group of friends at school in which she fits. As the story develops, some of her so-called friends would appear to not be real friends at all. Despite all these complications, Lissa is…
Jane Lyons, 100% Wolf, Penguin Random House Australia, July 2020, 240 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761040207 This second publication of Jane Lyons’ book, 100% Wolf follows its May release (albeit Internet only) of the movie in Australia. 100% Wolf is a fun and fast paced read following the numerous adventures of the central character 10-year-old Freddy Lupin. Freddy is no ordinary boy though; he belongs to the Lupin pack of Farfang castle, and on a full moon of his tenth birthday he will turn into a werewolf for the first time. Things don’t quite go to plan though. The front cover picture…
Hiro Kamigaki and IC4DESIGN, Pierre Maze Detective: The Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky, Laurence King Publishing, 24 August 2020, 36 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781786277244 Pierre the Maze Detective: the curious case of the castle in the sky is another puzzle book in the Pierre the Maze detective series. Pierre and his friend Carmen must navigate their way through a series of mazes to ensure that the precious Maze Egg is restored to its position atop the pedestal in the Castle in the Sky. There are also additional objects to find and challenges to solve along the way.…
In July 2020, the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature (NCACL) quietly launched its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resource, a database by, and about Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Peoples one that is unique, more importantly free and a project I have happily been involved with for the last 12 months. It was exciting to experience the quantity and quality of the material selected for the database. One surprise was just how much Indigenous material NCACL has in its collection. A search of a shelf for one title always seem to reveal two or three others. We did not limit the database to the books NCACL held, but searched other…