CBCA NAN CHAUNCY AWARD Named after the noted Tasmanian author of children’s books, the Nan Chauncy Award has been created to honour individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian children’s literature. The spirit of the Award is to recognize advocacy, mentoring and volunteer work beyond paid roles and professional responsibilities. The Award is presented biennially and is an opportunity to recognize an individual or partnership whose dedicated work in advocacy and promotion of literature and literacy might otherwise not be publicly celebrated. More details, required forms, and timelines can be found at the National website.…
Author: Admin
Dhonielle Clayton, The Marvellers, HarperCollins Publisher, June 2022, 416 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460762882 Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is about to become the first conjuror to enter the Arcanum Training Institute, where she will join Marvellers from all over the world. She is excited to discover what her marvel will be and to which Paragon she will belong. But not everyone welcomes this precedent and Ella will need courage and resilience to prove her magic is pure. She finds friendship with her roommate, Brigit, a rebel who can knit visions, and with Jason, who is kind, supportive and has the knack…
Danny Gunn, The Haunting of Gordon’s Lake, Danny Gunn, November 2022, 220 pp., RRP $20.00 (pbk), ISBN 9780645547146 When 12 year old Brad is told he must stay with his strange extended family at Gordon’s Lake, he isn’t exactly… thrilled. Bribed with the promise of swimming, fishing and mini-golf, Brad reluctantly stays with his Aunt, Uncle and older cousin Jason hoping to make friends and play footy. Brad is soon disappointed when the only friends he manages to make play pranks on him endlessly, led on by Jason through taunts of a creepy, deserted warehouse. However, this isn’t the only…
Rina A Foti (text) & Dave Atze (illustrator), Cat Spies Mouse, Big Sky Publishing, January 2022, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922615213 It’s a tale as old as time. Cat spies mouse. What happens next is almost inevitable. Or is it? In this amusing adventure, we meet a cocky Cat and mature Mouse — up against the stereotypes that have dictated their relationship for centuries. Cat wants to stick with the status quo and… dispose of Mouse. Mouse has other (nicer) ideas. This story has more depth than meets the eye. Mouse asks the big questions with empathy…
Karen Comer, Grace Notes, Lothian’s Children’s Books, February 2023, 320 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk) ISBN 9780734421722 This debut novel captures a specific time and place that affected a lot of people but also is less understood by those of us whose lives were relatively unchanged by the Melbourne lockdowns of 2020. Comer’s verse novel with a dual narrative offers readers a sweet love story between violinist Grace and street artist Crux set during those gruelling months when Melbourne’s strict laws impacted many lives in many various ways. She is able to capture a wide variety of these experiences, including Grace’s…
Katharine Orton, Mountainfell, Walker Books Australia, November 2022, 320 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781529503296 Katharine Orton is a mainstay in British children’s fantasy novels and she continues her stride with Mountainfell, a fantastical fairy tale woven through with glorious historical aspects, making it a whimsical and adventurous read for readers aged 8-12. The story centres on an 11-year old girl named Erskin, living at the base of Mountainfell – a mysterious and ominous place filled with unique and dangerous magic and creatures. When one of the creatures, a Cloud Dragon, steals Erskin’s sister and whisks her far away, Erwin…
Saskia Gwinn (text) and Ana Albero (illustrator). Scientists are saving the world: So who is working on time travel?, Walker Books Australia, November 2022, 32 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781913520540 In this engaging introduction to many fields of science, a little boy asks his Mum, “If all the scientists are saving the world, who is working on time travel?” His mother tells him that there are lots of scientists out there studying all sorts of amazing things. They are digging up dinosaurs; travelling in space; researching the weather; listening to animals; building robots; swimming with sharks; studying seeds, insects…
Sarah Ayoub (text) and Mimi Purnell (Illustrator), Nice & Slow, HarperCollins Publishers, November 2022, 24 pp., RRP $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460761137 The long Melbourne lockdowns were tough for me, I know I felt burned-out and drained of creativity at the end. But the one thing that I look back on with fondness was the unscheduled nature of our afternoons and weekends. No sports training, no appointments, no playdates or parties, no shopping (other than groceries) meant our time was truly our own. Nice & Slow encourages families to recapture some of that on a regular basis. On the first page readers meet…
Chelsea Abdullah, The Stardust Thief, Hachette, May 2022, 480 pp., RRP $32.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780356517445 The presence of ancient and extremely powerful jinn changes the balance of the human world, as they fall under the disguise of normal people and cause chaos. But… is there something more to it? The story follows Loulie al-Nazari, (secretly known as the midnight merchant), who sells extremely rare relics with guidance from her jinn guardian, Qadir. However, after being discovered by the Sultan when she saves his son’s life, Loulie is forced to embark on a quest across the dangerous desert with the High…
Remy Lai, Sunny the Shark (Surviving the Wild #3), Allen & Unwin, August 2022, 112 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761065460 ‘Sunny the Shark’ is the part of the Surviving the Wild series of graphic novels, written and illustrated by award-winning author of ‘Pawcasso’, Remy Lai. We’re introduced to Sunny, an ocean white tip shark, whose shiny sharp teeth keep most creatures at a distance. In the opening spreads, a school of pilot fish ‘latch’ onto Sunny and they form a relationship. This keeps the action and dialogue flowing as Sunny is caught by a research boat, tagged and her…