Latest Review 
Aug 22 2019
The flowers of Vashnoi by Lois McMaster Bujold
Subterranean, 2019. ISBN 9781596068926. 96pg.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Themes: Science fiction. Lovers of
Bujold's Hugo Award winning Miles Vorkosigan series will
rejoice to discover a short stand-alone novel starring Ekaterin,
Miles' clever wife who is determined to help Vashnoi exclusion zone
that was been devastated by radiation when the Centagandans attacked
the planet. With the help of scientist Enrique Borgos, she has
attempted to use bioengineered insects to regenerate a region but
when checking on the experiment finds that some have been stolen.
Further investigation from the air uncovers the fact that there are
four individuals living in the area. It is up to her to help them
leave Vashnoi for medical treatment.
Ekaterin is clever and empathetic and readers will enjoy getting to
know her character and her abilities in this short work. She emerges
a formidable woman who is equally as compassionate and intelligent
as her husband and is very good at problem solving. The unique
science behind the bioengineered insects is also fascinating.
Fans who want to know more about the planet Barrayar and Miles' wife
will not be disappointed and readers new to Bujold's work will
discover a satisfying short stand-alone read that will have them
searching for the Miles Vorkosigan series.
Pat Pledger
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Aug 22 2019
Every child a song by Nicola Davies
Illus. by Marc Martin. Wren and Rook, 2019. ISBN: 9781526361417.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Universal rights of the child, Human
rights. A unique and moving picture book combines a tender story
with information about the rights that children are entitled to
under the United Nations... more
Aug 22 2019
All aboard! True train tales by Pauline Deeves
National Library of Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9780642279392.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Subjects: Trains - History, Australian
Railway History, Museums, Grandfathers. Eight-year-old Jack's family
are train enthusiasts, his parents work for the railways and his
grandparents worked on trains... more
Aug 22 2019
Ella and Mrs Gooseberry by Vikki Conley and Penelope Pratley
EK Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925335255.
(Age: 4+) Themes: Old age, Friendship, Neighbours, Caring, love,
Family. With one in four Australians living alone, the impetus to
write this book was to remind people about their neighbours and
their need for love and companionship. Ella is aware... more
Aug 21 2019
Inland by Tea Obreht
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780297867074.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Themes: Historical fiction, Survival,
Drought, Cameleers, Ghosts, Trust, Relationships. Set in the harsh
drought ridden country of 1890's southwest America, Obrecht's Inland
tells two stories that gradually draw... more
Aug 21 2019
The secret dragon by Ed Clarke
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241360514. 239p.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy. If life is a paradox,
then The Secret Dragon is duplicitous to its core. Mari
wants to be a palaeontologist like her father, who was tragically
struck by lightning when she was a toddler. Her... more
Aug 21 2019
The fated sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
Lady Astronaut book 2. Tor Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780765398949.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Science
fiction, Women astronauts, Space colonies, Mathematicians, Gender
stereotyping, Racism. Fans of the award winning... more
Aug 20 2019
My dad snores by John Williamson
Illus. by Peter Carnavas. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780143793793.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Snoring, Fathers, Family. From
the pen of well known Australian writer, musician and entertainer,
John Williamson, comes this wonderfully inviting read aloud about
fathers and... more
Aug 20 2019
My dad is a dragon by Damon Young
Illus. by Peter Carnavas. UQP, 2019. ISBN: 9780702260490.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Fathers, Dragons. With a
series of rhyming pairs of lines Young describes an overview of
various fathers and what they do in their families. From dads who
collect cars or stockpile sneakers,... more
Aug 20 2019
Run away by Harlan Coben
Cornerstone, 2019. ISBN: 9781784751173.
(Age: 16+) Recommended for lovers of thrillers. Themes: Mystery,
Drug addiction, Fathers. An exciting stand-alone thriller, Run
away grabs the reader right from the first page and with many
twists and hooks, keeps up the momentum until the... more
Aug 20 2019
Computer coding games for kids by Carol Vorderman
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN: 9780241317747.
(Age: 8-16) Themes: Computer programming, Programming languages,
Computer games - design and construction. Computer coding
projects for kids presents a visually appealing step by step
guide to computer programming for kids, beginning... more
Aug 20 2019
Zanzibar by Catherina Valckx
Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572564. 65p
(Age: 7+) Early Chapter Book. Zanzibar is an ordinary, contented
crow who unfortunately begins to believe that he is lacking in some
way. Achille LeBlab is to blame. As the special correspondent to the
'Voices of the Forest' newspaper, he is... more
Aug 19 2019
Searching for cicadas by Lesley Gibbes and Judy Watson
Nature Storybooks. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781922244420.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cicadas, Environment,
Observation, Grandparents. An older man and his grandson go cicada
watching each summer. The pair pack their sleeping bags and tent and
walk down to the Apex... more
Aug 19 2019
The agony house by Cherie Priest
Illus. by Tara O'Connor. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018. ISBN:
9780545934299.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult
Readers. Themes: Ghosts, Horror. With a clever graphic/novel hybrid
The Agony House provides chills and thrills for the teen
reader.... more
Aug 19 2019
Let's celebrate at Mass today by Danielle Binny
Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925545814.
(Age: 3-6) Danielle Binny provides a simple but complete picture of
the celebration of Mass. A little boy goes to church with his
parents and baby sibling. Starting with a friendly wink on the front
cover, he explains to the reader just what... more
Aug 19 2019
Encyclopedia of grannies by Eric Veille
Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572434.
(Age: 4+) Themes: Humour, Grandmothers, Diversity, Expectations.
With a tongue placed firmly in the cheek, this overview of what to
expect from a grandmother will encourage howls of recognition
alongside surprises for the unwary as a huge array of... more
Aug 19 2019
Castle Hill Rebellion by Chrissie Michaels
My Australian Story. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742991863.
pbk., 236 pgs.
(Age: 10+) Themes: Australian History, convicts, Castle Hill,
Sydney. A little known Australian event comes to life in the latest
My Australian Story series, Castle Hill Rebellion. It
was a... more
Aug 16 2019
Becoming Dinah by Kit de Waal
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781510105706. 243p., pbk.
(Age guide: 13+) Highly recommended. Who doesn't love a road trip
novel? This is not a standard coming of age story but a fresh take
on a much-loved classic. Kit de Waal uses the road trip to chart the
journey from one state... more
Aug 16 2019
The runaways by Ulf Stark
Illus. by Kitty Crowther. Gecko, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572342. 129p
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Kitty Crowther's colour pencil illustrations
create low expectations of an outwardly self-published title, but it
wasn't long before this reader was teary eyed. Indeed, fan's of
Fredrik Backman's A... more
Aug 16 2019
The Pigeon has to go to school by Mo Willems
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406389012.
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Fear, Going to school. Another
wonderful book from Mo Willems will be just right to read to young
children who are off to school or pre-school and are having a few
fearful moments wondering what will happen. Pigeon... more
Aug 15 2019
Songspirals: Sharing women's wisdom of Country through songlines by Gay'wu Group of Women
Allen & Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760633219.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction.
Laklak Burarrwanga and her family produced the beautiful book for
younger readers Welcome
to my... more
Aug 15 2019
Max's dinosaur feet by Lana Spasevski
Illus. by Penelope Pratley. New Frontier, 2019. ISBN :
9781925594638.
(Age: 3-6) Highly recommended. Themes: Humour, Babies, Family. What
a lovely story, loaded with wonderful illustrations and showing the
love and fun in a family where there is a new baby. Max has a pair
of dinosaur... more
Aug 15 2019
Extraordinary birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781526610874
(Ages: 9-12). Recommended. Themes: Foster care, Families, Birds,
Bullying. A truly heart-warming story that gives the reader insight
into the life of a child in foster care. December is eleven and has
been to many foster homes in her... more
Aug 15 2019
Fly by Jess McGeachin
Puffin Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781760892562.
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Themes: Birds - Care and health, Flight,
Inventions, Aeroplanes, Grief, Kindness, STEM. What a lovely
multi-faceted book! Lucy is a little girl who is very good at fixing
things and when she finds a bird with a broken... more
Aug 14 2019
Lapse by Sarah Thornton
Clementine Jones book 1. Text Publishing, 2019. ISBN:
9781925773941.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Mystery, Crime, Football. A debut
mystery from a new Australian author is always good to find and Lapse
is a treat. Clementine Jones had a momentary lapse and ends... more
Aug 14 2019
Wibble Wobble by Jen Storer
Illus. by Lisa Stewart. ABC Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780733339196.
(Age: 0-3) Recommended. Themes: Babies, Mobility. What a joyous,
beautifully illustrated book that parents will enjoy reading to
their very young children! Two little toddlers, just learning to
walk and run wobble across the... more
Aug 14 2019
New Class at Malory Towers by Patrice Lawrence et al.
Hodder, 2019. ISBN: 9781444951004.
(Age: 8-11) Themes: Short stories, Boarding School, Girls. Enid
Blyton's Malory Towers popular boarding school stories were
written in the late 1940s and early 1950s, suited to the children of
post-war Britain. Now, a new generation of writers... more
Aug 14 2019
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Tom Doherty Associates, 2019. ISBN: 9781250229793.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy,
Folklore, Secrecy, Magic, Recluses, Diversity. What an impact for a
slim volume of just 109 pages, which can be read in one sitting!
Tobias is a wild man who lives alone in... more
Aug 13 2019
Miss Franklin: How Miles Franklin's brilliant career began by Libby Hathorn
Illus. by Phil Lesnie. Lothian 2019. ISBN: 9780734417879.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Miles Franklin, Literature,
Australian literature, Governess, Rural life. Sweeping painterly
images draw the eyes across each page as Lesnie presents a young
girl taking up a position as... more
Aug 13 2019
Mother of pearl by Angela Savage
Transit Lounge, 2019. ISBN: 9781925760354.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Themes: Surrogacy, Medical tourism,
In vitro fertilisation, Thailand. Two women's lives become connected
when Meg, an Australian who has suffered many failed IVF attempts,
turns to the option of a commercial... more
Aug 13 2019
Meerkat splash by Aura Parker
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143792895.
(Age:3+) Recommended. Themes: Meerkats, Humour, Bath time, Verse,
Colours. In rhyming pairs of lines the story of a group of
differently coloured meerkats coming down the internal tunnels of a
meerkat burrow to their bath is told. Meerkat black, blue,... more
Aug 13 2019
Incredible journeys: discovery, adventure, danger, endurance by Levison Wood
Illus: by Sam Brewster. Wren and Rook, 2019. ISBN: 9781526360434.
(Age: 8-14) Recommended. Themes: World exploration, World explorers
- Alexander the Great, Vikings, Christopher Columbus, Magellan and
Drake, Captain James Cook, The Silk Road, Amelia Earhart. This book
is a shining light... more
Aug 13 2019
Gym squad tumble by Meredith Costain
Illus. by Danielle McDonald. Ella Diaries book 16.
Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781760662844.
(Age: 6-9) Themes: Gymnastics, Competitions, Djibouti. Ella's
super excited, her school is celebrating International Sports Day.
Each class will choose a country, research and practise the... more
Aug 12 2019
Goat on a boat by Nick Dent
Illus. by Suzanne Houghton. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781760669164.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Goats, Migrants, Asylum
seekers, Refugees. When a goat turns up at the island on a boat, the
response from the sheep who live there is varied. The older gruffer
sheep, Bighorn Bill,... more
Aug 12 2019
When we were warriors by Emma Carroll
Faber and Faber, 2019. ISBN: 9780571350407. pbk., 148 pgs.
(Ages: 7+) Emma Carroll has beautifully written a book which
explores themes of family and friendship with some mystery and
adventure during World War Two. The book consists of three short
stories set along Devon Coast in war... more
Aug 09 2019
Dear Grandpa by Kate Simpson and Ronojoy Ghosh
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760523435.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Grandparents, Separation,
Letter writing, Communication. Henry sees the 2003 kilometres
between him and his beloved Grandpa in terms of blue whales placed
end to end, and goodnight kisses as impossible as... more
Aug 09 2019
A dinosaur ate Dad's hair by Trent Roberts and Chrissie Krebs
Omnibus Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781742762678.
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Fathers, Father's Day, Hair.
A unique and hilarious look at the reasons that one father comes up
with for explaining his hairless head, even though he does have very
hairy legs and a beard. First he says... more
Aug 09 2019
How (not) to annoy Dad by Dave Hughes and Holly Ife
Illus. by Heath McKenzie. Scholastic Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9781760663735.
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Fathers, Father's Day,
Parent and Child. A hilarious take on family life will have readers
chuckling aloud as they follow three children having lots of fun
with Dad.... more
Aug 09 2019
I love my Dad because by Petra James
Illus. by Alissa Dinallo. Macmillan Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9781760784393.
(Age: 3-8 years) Recommended. Themes: Mothers, Father's Day, Family,
Interactive book, Shared reading. What a fun, happy book for a young
child to fill in and give to Dad because he is loved! Following on
from more