Latest Review 
Nov 15 2018
The traitor's game by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742997643
(Ages 12 +) Recommended. Fantasy. After being in hiding for
several years from her father and the cruel king of Antora, Kestra
Dallistor is forced to decide whether to betray her father or lose
loved ones.
The story is set in medieval times and follows two main characters,
Kestra Dallistor and Simon Hatch. Both are stubborn, brave and
loyal, but have come from different backgrounds and are forced to
form an alliance. Kestra is kidnapped by the Coracks who plan to
kill the king with the Olden Blade and overtake the kingdom. Much of
the story is set within castles and forests. The king's soldiers
have hearts with iron in them. The Coracks are able to detect when
the soldiers are coming because they can detect the iron in their
hearts and this gives them an advantage when they go in to battle.
The king's army comes and tries to kill the Coracks and Kestra after
they get the Olden Blade back but the suspense does not stop there,
as the magic of the Olden Blade is quite complicated. Only certain
people can touch the blade including 'The Banished', and if anyone
else touches it their hands become seriously burnt.
Neilsen cleverly illustrates the many twists and turns in the
traitor's game, leaving the reader guessing and intrigued to find
out what will happen next.
This book is recommended for 12+ and people who love to read
fantasy.
Lara F., Student, Year 7
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Nov 15 2018
Lenny's book of everything by Karen Foxlee
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760528706
(Age: 10 - Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Brothers and sisters.
Physical impairments. Books and reading. Lenny's book of
everything is a powerful, emotional and warm-hearted story
seen through third-grader Lenny's eyes. She narrates in... more
Nov 15 2018
Elizabella meets her match by Zoe Norton Lodge and Georgia Norton Lodge
Walker Books Australia, 2018. ISBN 9781760650544
(Age: 8+) Recommended. 'Elizabella - ten and a quarter - is a Poet,
Fixer of Fairytales and the biggest prankster in the history of
Bilby Creek Primary. And when her plans involve making a swimming
pool in the playground without consulting... more
Nov 15 2018
The Sisters Saint-Claire and the Royal Mouse Ball by Carlie Gibson
Ill. by Tamsin Ainslie. Allen & Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523640
(Ages: 5-8) Themes: Appearances. Clothing. Fashion. Friendship.
Rhyming stories. This is a beautifully illustrated follow-up to The
Sisters... more
Nov 15 2018
The football book: The teams, the rules, the leagues, the tactics by David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton
David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton
Ill. by Phil Gamble, Mike Garland, and Mark Walker. Dorling
Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 9780241332856
(Age: 8+) Recommended for sports fans. Subjects: Soccer. Team
sports. Football. The football book, published by DK, is a
comprehensive compendium... more
Nov 15 2018
The legend lurking in your lunchbox by Yves Stening
Ill. by Nigel Buchanan. Dinner Detectives series.
Publish-Creative Books, 2018. ISBN 9780648008729
(Age: 4+) Themes: Lunch. Food. Humour. The third outing in the
series, Dinner Detectives, promotes the theme of healthy
eating, while contemplating some of the things which... more
Nov 15 2018
Tiny Timmy: On holiday by Tim Cahill
Tiny Timmy series, book 8. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN
9781742997650
Fun for all ages, especially 7-9 year-olds. Recommended. Easy to
read. The Tiny Timmy series is a light fun-filled series
with plenty of heart. Written by Australian Soccer champion Tim
Cahill, this is a... more
Nov 15 2018
Snow Penguin by Tony Mitton
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408862964
(Age: All) Recommended. This little penguin can never stay
still.
He's always in search of excitement and thrill.
In the frozen Antarctic one curious little penguin decides to
explore the ice and the snow and the sea. On his travels... more
Nov 14 2018
Ho! Ho! Ho! There's a hippopotamus on our roof eating Christmas cake by Hazel Edwards
Ill. by Deborah Niland. Penguin Random House, 2018. ISBN
9780143790679
(Age: 3-6) Recommended Themes: Christmas. There are quite a few
Hippopotamus books in this series now and this latest one follows
the same signature style that has made the books so popular over
many years. Short... more
Nov 14 2018
We're going on an elf chase by Martha Mumford
Ill. by Laura Hughes. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408872413
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Christmas, Elves, Hunt, Lift the flap
book, Verse. Fingers will just love lifting the flaps in this book
as the reader is asked to work with the bunnies on their wintry
quest to find the elves. Four... more
Nov 14 2018
Santa Claus vs the Easter Bunny by Fred Blunt
Ill. by David Cornish. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760634698
(Age: 5-10) Humorous Stories. 'Santa Claus and Easter Bunny live
next door to each other. Santa was a jolly fellow. Bunny was not.'
Bunny's bad attitude to life is because he has to make the
chocolate, turn it into eggs,... more
Nov 14 2018
Santa Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Bruce book 4. Disney-Hyperion, 2018. ISBN 9781484782903(Age: 7+) Recommended for its humour. Themes: Christmas, Santa Claus, Humour. Santa Bruce is the fourth in a series about Bruce, a very grumpy bear, who is often the victim of mistaken identity, in this case Santa Claus....
moreNov 14 2018
Princess Snowbelle and the Snow Games by Libby Frost
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408896853
(Age: 3+) Recommended for its themes of cooperation, sharing,
teamwork and being a good sport. Following Princess
Snowbelle and the snowstorm this very cute picture book
features... more
Nov 14 2018
Feminists don't wear pink and other lies by Scarlett Curtis
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780241364451
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Scarlett Curtis assembles a
magnificent 'guide book' for the Girl-Up movement, with this
anthology of short essays, blogs, narratives, lists, poems, diaries,
interviews, anecdotes - including an Alphabet. The Girl-Up... more
Nov 14 2018
Bad Mermaids: On the rocks by Sibeal Pounder
Ill. by Jason Cockcroft. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408877142
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Another hilarious, laugh out loud book
about mermaids, evil mothers, talking seahorses, fish, crocodiles
and more. Featuring magical mysteries and fabulous fashions, this
adventure brings a whole new... more
Nov 14 2018
Weirdo 11: Splashy Weird by Anh Do
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742993751
Recommended. More funny adventures with Weir and his friends, this
time at the school swimming sports where Weir learns that
participation and having fun is even more important than winning.
Weir is dreading his school's swimming carnival. After... more
Nov 13 2018
Kin, an extraordinary Australian filmmaking family edited by Amanda Duthie
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743056028
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. This book is a tribute
to the amazing Australian family pioneering Indigenous radio, cinema
and television - Freda Glynn, and her children Warwick Thornton and
Erica Glynn, and the next generation,... more
Nov 13 2018
Up the mountain by Marianne Dubuc
Book Island, 2018. ISBN 9781911496090
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Friendship. Generosity. Outdoors.
Life skills. Mrs Badger lives at the bottom of a mountain and each
Sunday she takes a walk up the path to the top. She knows all the
creatures who live along the way, stopping to talk... more
Nov 13 2018
Sage Cookson's stormy weather by Sally Murphy
New Frontier, 2018. ISBN 9781925594263
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Themes: Cooking. Cyclones. Courage. Family
life. Ten-year-old Sage Cookson travels with her famous TV chef
parents Ginger and Basil all over Australia and the world. In each
new destination, the crew film her parents tasting... more
Nov 13 2018
Woo's wonderful world of Maths by Eddie Woo
Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781760554217
Themes: Mathematics. This is not a conventional book about Maths
which would normally have more numbers than letters. In fact, there
aren't a lot of numbers in this book. Rather, it is a collection of
essays which explain the way Maths is used in... more
Nov 13 2018
Girltopia by Hilary Rogers
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742994581
Recommended. Themes: Coming-of-age. Set in Melbourne, a virus wreaks
havoc on the men and boys within the city. Clara is front and centre
to the information as her Mum is a lead Doctor on solving the
problem. Not keen on waiting for her Mum and the... more
Nov 12 2018
Midnight at the library by Ursula Dubosarsky
Ill. by Ron Brooks. NLA Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780642279316
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Themes: Libraries, Books, History of
books, Reading, Illustrative technique. This sumptuously created
book, published to celebrate 50 years of the building of the
National Library of Australia in... more
Nov 12 2018
POWman: Unleash the Hero Within by Dave Tabain and Nadia Worland
Ill. by Shane Ogilvie. POWman book 1. Harbour Publishing, 2018, ISBN
9781925796018
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Subjects: Bullying, Resilience. Dave POW
Tabain is a motivational speaker and fitness challenge master who
has made it his mission to help people become their best selves.... more
Nov 12 2018
The Word by William Lane
Transit Lounge, 2018. ISBN 9781925760088
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) As its title suggests, this novel is
centred on the human construction of language, specifically
reflecting on the way in which words form our thoughts and our
speech, thus affecting our consciousness in terms of... more
Nov 12 2018
The Lost Magician by Piers Torday
Quercus, 2018. ISBN 9781786540515
(Age: 9-12) Themes: Good and Evil, Fantasy. The year is 1945 and
Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry have survived the London Blitz and
experienced the destructive effects of the bombings on their schools
and housing. They are sent off to the countryside... more
Nov 12 2018
Competing for the Cup by Bobbi JG Weiss
Ride series, Book 2. Candlewick Entertainment, 2018. ISBN
9780763698553
(Age: Teenagers+) Recommended. Competing for the Cup is the
second book in the Ride series, and is based on a TV show
aired on Nickelodeon. Competing for the Cup follows Kit
Bridges after... more
Nov 12 2018
Living and loving in diversity edited by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055953
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Non-fiction. Subtitled An anthology of
Australian multicultural queer adventures, this book brings
together the memories and personal stories of many LGBTIQ people,
some of whom are well-known names many Australians... more
Nov 09 2018
Preservation by Jock Serong
Text Publishing Company, 2018. ISBN 9781925773125
(Adult - Senior Secondary) Recommended. Themes: Sydney Cove (Ship),
Shipwrecks, Sydney (N.S.W.) - History - 1851-1901. It was hard to
put down this epic tale of survival, based on a true story, which
began as a sail journey by an illicit... more
Nov 09 2018
Seeker of the Crown by Ruth Lauren
Prisoner of Ice and Snow Book 2. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN
9781681191331
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Valor risks everything to protect her
friends in this second book in a thrilling fantasy series that's Percy
Jackson meets Frozen.
'One month has passed... more
Nov 09 2018
A monster in my house by The Umbilical Brothers
Ill. by Johan Potema. Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143791706
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Monsters, Humour. A story in verse
full of fun and anticipation will enthral younger children as they
scan the sumptuous illustrations with glee. From the first verse
telling the audience about... more
Nov 09 2018
Athena the story of a Goddess by Imogen and Isobel Greenberg
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408892497
(Age: 8+) Greek myths, Athena, Gods and goddesses, Women. Athena the
story of a Goddess, is a collaboration between the Greenberg
sisters, with Imogen retelling the story and Isabel providing the
arresting images. The tale of the goddess Athena is... more
Nov 09 2018
White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378177
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This book is brilliant, gripping and horrifying - all at
once! Right from the start we are gripped by the anxiety of the
narrator, and this does not let up at all. We are positioned to
wonder whom we can trust? Told... more
Nov 08 2018
Everything I've never said by Samantha Wheeler
UQP, 2018. ISBN 9780702260278
(Age: 10-15) Highly recommended. This is a powerful book that gives
a voice to a protagonist who cannot speak. Ava has Rett Syndrome,
therefore she can't talk or use her body in any way to communicate.
At times she cannot control her loud outbursts and her... more
Nov 08 2018
Bonnie and Ben rhyme again by Mem Fox
Ill. by Judy Horacek. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742996240
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Nursery rhymes. Rhyme. Bonnie
and Ben go for a walk with their friend, Skinny Doug. As they walk
they see various things: a hill, a sheep, a plum tree, rose bushes
and a spider. Each sighting elicits... more
Nov 08 2018
Under the Southern Cross by Frane Lessac
WalkerBooks, 2018. ISBN 9781925381016
(age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Australia. Southern Cross. Astronomy.
Award-winning Lessac's latest picture book for older readers takes
us on a journey around Australia, following the activities people
are involved with when the Southern Cross can be... more
Nov 08 2018
The adventures of Catvinkle by Elliot Perlman
Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143786368
(Age: 8-11) Catvinkle is a self-confident white cat who lives in
Amsterdam with her beloved owner, Mr Sabatini. Her pampered life is
wonderful but when a stray Dalmatian dog, Ula, is brought back to
their home her life changes forever.
At... more
Nov 08 2018
Good Rosie by Kate DiCamillo
Ill. by Harry Bliss. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406383577
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dogs. Responsibility. Family.
Companionship. Divided into nine chapters, this comic styled story
tells of Rosie the dog who lives with George. Each morning, George
cooks himself two eggs and... more
Nov 02 2018
Noni the pony rescues a joey by Alison Lester
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293123
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horses, Australian animals,
Environment, Habitat. Noni the pony rescues a joey will
captivate its audience, already thrilled at the first book about Noni
the pony (2010) and Noni the pony... more
Nov 01 2018
Doctor Who: Twelve angels weeping: Twelve stories of the villains from Doctor Who by Dave Rudden
Ill. by Alexis Snell. BBC Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781405938273
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction. Doctor Who. Time
travel. Monsters. Aliens. Robots. Villains. Life on other planets.
Twelve short stories featuring the villains from the Doctor Who
series will enthral... more
Oct 26 2018
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, retold by Tony Mitton
Ill. by Mike Redman. Orchard Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408351673
Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas; Charles Dickens; Generosity;
Poetry; Rhyme. This is wonderful poetic rendering of the classic
story from Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Mitton has
told this story of... more
Oct 12 2018
The Christmas tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
Ill. by Eleanor Taylor. Frederick Warne, 2018. ISBN
9780241352885
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Christmas, Poultry. Emma Thompson,
the renowned actress, has written another tale about Peter Rabbit in
this board book, beautifully illustrated by Eleanor Taylor. Peter is
very excited... more