Author: Admin

Edwina Wyatt (text) and Lucia Masciullo (illustrator), Olive, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishers, February 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760504083 One day Lilah comes home from school to find that the unthinkable has happened: Olive, her beloved cat, has died. An olive tree is planted in remembrance, but Lilah is too grief-stricken to appreciate the gesture. Seasons pass and the olive tree grows but Lilah still shuns its existence, lost in a confusing matrix of emotion. Through all Lilah’s frustrations and sorrow the tree remains, steadfast and enduring. Then one day, Lilah chases a strange cat up into the…

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Scott Stuart, How to be a Real Man, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishers, January 2021, 24 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760507848 In How to be a Real Man, Scott Stuart turns the old-world conservative view of masculinity upside down using rhyme and vibrant engaging illustrations. The story starts with wild men—Vikings, Pirates, the Spartans of Ancient Greece—to remind us of the fearful fighting men from the past; men who were always strong and powerful but not exactly a man you may wish to befriend or spend time with. So, it’s time for a change. Instead of fighting with might, Stuart…

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Justyn Edwards, The Great Fox Illusion, Walker Books Australia, August 2022, 288 pp., RRP $24.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781529501940 Many recent middle-grade books have included elements of fantasy and magic, though not all have been successful. The Great Fox Illusion by Justyn Edwards is a refreshing change from the ordinary “magical” formula simply because it is magical in an entirely different way. That’s right; step right up, readers young and young of heart, to see the greatest magical illusion the world has ever seen! The Great Fox Illusion is written as one grand magic trick – we know this because it’s right there in the…

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Joseph Elliott, The Burning Swift (Shadow Skye #3), Walker Books, January 2022, 400 pp., RRP $18.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780645248821 As old enemies unite, only the most powerful will survive…  News has reached Skye of a vast army approaching from the south, intent on the annihilation of every Scotian. As Jaime risks his life on an ancient and forbidden blood magic, Sigrid returns to the wilds of Ingland in the hope of an alliance. Meanwhile, Agatha is forced on a journey to the very heart of the enemy. With the army marching ever closer, Jaime, Agatha and Sigrid will need all…

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Michael Rosen (text) and Robert Starling (illustrator), I Am Hungry, Walker Books, January 2022, 32pp, RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406396669 Michael Rosen and Robert Starling have done it again! Fresh on the heels of I Am Angry, comes I Am Hungry, a fun romp about an often-challenging mood (especially for toddlers) … hunger! You know when you’re so hungry that you imagine you could eat just about anything? That’s how the red squirrel, I Am Hungry’s adorable lead character, feels. Cleverly exploring the interplay of thoughts and feelings, this easy-to-read story looks at things to munch, from the real to…

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Gregory Maguire (text) and David Litchfield (illustrator), Cress Watercress, Candlewick Press, March 2022, 224 pp., RRP $37.40 (hbk), ISBN 9781536211009 Cress Watercress takes its title from the name of its protagonist, an anthropomorphised young rabbit. It’s the story of her endeavours to settle into her new home in the hollow of a tree called the Broken Arms. There she gets to know the local woodlands animals – some friendly and some dangerous – as she faces new life challenges. The book is written by Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked on which the popular musical is based. His expertise as a…

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Leslie Vedder, The Bone Spindle, Hachette Australia, January 2022, 352 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781444966145 Here is another Sleeping Beauty revamp with more twisted thorns, switched gender roles and even more adventures. Briar Rose is a descendent of a strong line of royalty, however, on his 16th birthday, he pricks his finger on a spindle and falls into a deep sleep as per the trope goes. After being forgotten along with his kingdom for a century, the one destined to save him – Filore (Fi) is his least expected saviour. Fi is a clever treasure hunter, together with her…

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Amy Sparkes, The Tower at the End of Time, Walker Books, January 2022, 272 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781406395327 A hiccupping House, a Hopscotch Championship, a skeleton in the closet and a sword-wielding Spoon… The sequel to The House at the Edge of Magic has landed, and readers will enjoy this fast-paced romp through the House and the worlds it inhabits. But first, Nine and her companions need to find a cure for the House’s explosive case of the hiccups! The novel is Howl’s Moving Castle meets Harry Potter, meets Oliver Twist; readers will fall in love with Nine…

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Fifi Box (text) and Freda Chu (illustrator), Minty Mae Gray and the Strangely Good Day, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishers, October 2021, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760508722 Minty Mae Gray and the Strangely Good Day is radio and TV Fifi Box’s debut picture book. While Box holds Australian celebrity status as station radio show Fox FM host (part of the Fifi, Fev and Nick team), she is also a strong advocate for challenging society’s beauty standards and encouraging women to embrace their own natural beauty. Hence, her debut picture book channels body positivity for children. What’s not to love…

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Enid Blyton (text) and Béja and Nataël (illustrators), Five on a Treasure Island (Famous Five Graphic Novel, #1), Hachette, February 2022, 64 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781444963670 Enid Blyton (text) and Béja and Nataël (illustrators), Five Go Adventuring Again (Famous Five Graphic Novel, #2), Hachette, February 2022, 64 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781444963687 I was quite excited when these two books arrived as I avidly read all the narrative versions as a child and have good memories of the stories, despite the negative press that Blyton has received over the last…

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