Wolf hour is a satisfying crime thriller on so many levels. It begins with the account of fictional Norwegian author Holger Rudy visiting Minneapolis in order to research his book about a Norwegian American policeman’s investigation of a serial killer. His book will have all the essential elements of the genre, ‘spectacular murders’, ‘air of mystery, unexpected turn of events, villains and heroes on both sides of the law’; all of these, but above all, it will force the reader to ask ‘could that have been me?’ And that is exactly what Nesbo’s novel does.
Nesbo tells sections of the story from the point of view of a highly skilled and ruthless killer setting about his task of killing selected individuals. But we don’t know his motive or who he will target next. Other sections of the book are in third person and present the investigation undertaken by jaded detective Bob Oz, suffering from a traumatic separation from his wife. We don’t know why Bob is so self-destructive, and only discover his history and his motives, as the novel progresses, as we similarly gather clues about the killer. Bizarrely many of the clues are pieced together from conversations with a taxidermist, seemingly a confidante of both men. Nesbo, aka Holger Rudy, asks, is an author like a taxidermist, stuffing things, looking to clothe a character with the right look, the right eyes?
This is such a clever book. It takes all the elements of a crime thriller: murders, violence and guns; and turns it into a confronting debate about guns and gun control. It presents the sympathetic argument for rights to guns with black policewoman Kay Myers’ story of how growing up she felt so much safer when her mother had a gun under her pillow to protect them from an abusive estranged husband. On the other hand, guns in the hands of crazy teenagers wipe out a family, a mother and a child, and a girl in a wheelchair. Detective Bob Oz never carries a gun; only later we learn why.
Bob Oz and the killer each are suffering from a trauma, the loss of a relationship, loss of a family. It is the underlying similarities between their experiences that provides Oz with insight into the motives of the killer. But Oz, though clearly suffering from aggressive angry impulses, remains essentially a policeman with morals, on the right side of the law, whilst the killer is set on murderous revenge. What separates them, and how close does Oz come to going over the edge? Nesbo’s book becomes a book about ‘how good people can become monsters’. But guns are the tool which makes crime, and revenge, so much easier. This book makes the most powerful presentation of arguments for and against gun control, and should fuel healthy informed debate on the topic.
Willow Bright is a country girl to her very core (a cowgirl with skills to match), but now she is reluctantly required to adapt to city existence with its rush and restrictions. And not only that, but she must also live with her Aunt and cousin, far removed from her Dad in his new mining job, and far from her Mum’s gravesite on the country farm she can never return to. A small overgrown garden plot, and its old owner, gives her an opportunity to reconnect with ‘the land’ and to understand her place in her strange new environment in the city. Perhaps she can also unravel a mystery that seems to involve her new school in some strange happenings.
This is a delightful story, combining pathos and growth for the young Willow. It also shows her surviving the difficulties of a new home, new school, new life, witha resilience and determination that is commendable ina 12-year-old. She must cope with her perpetual grief, bullies and finding new friends, and comes up with a ‘plot’ to escape the pressures by helping an elderly isolated man with his garden ‘plot’. The gentle growth in maturity in the face of difficulty makes this a good book for readers aged 10-13.
Themes Moving, family, city life, grief, friendship, bullying, development.
Carolyn Hull
Jo Weston’s Netball Besties 2: Foul Play by Jess Black and Sam Loman
Penguin Random House Australia, 2025. ISBN: 9781761348532. (Age:7+) Highly Recommended.
Foul Play is the second instalment in Jo Weston’s much-loved series, Netball Besties, written by Jess Black and brought to life with illustrations by Sam Loman. Combining the excitement of sport, the warmth of friendship and a touch of mystery, this book is perfect for readers who enjoy real life, relatable stories with plenty of heart.
The story follows Jo, who lives in the Talma Valley and divides her time between playing her beloved netball, helping out on the family farm and spending time with her loyal dog, Billie. Together with her best friend, Ava, Jo begins working on a school project for Harmony Day. Their task is to celebrate cultural diversity, so they decide to interview the workers on Jo’s family farm.
Everyone is super busy preparing the nuts for a big new market that could provide much-needed business. However, disaster strikes when the hulling machine breaks down and it appears the damage may have been done deliberately. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Jo and Ava use their school project to take on a little detective twist, piecing together clues and considering possible motives behind the sabotage.
The book balances this light mystery with themes of teamwork, resilience and curiosity, making it both entertaining and interesting. Jo and Ava’s friendship shines through, as they support one another both on the netball court and in their investigation.
With an easy-to-read font, accessible layout, and occasional black-and-white illustrations, Foul Play is especially well-suited to readers who are moving into longer, independent chapter books. The illustrations add extra attraction and visual interest, breaking up the text and helping to carry the storyline forward.
Overall, Netball Besties: Foul Play is a delightful read that combines sport, friendship and a gentle mystery, with important themes of community, culture and farming. It will appeal to young readers who love netball, farm life, or simply a good story filled with heart and adventure.
Hairbrain saves the ocean by Danny Katz and Mitch Vane
Walker Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781760656515. (Age:6+)
Despite his nickname, Hairbrain is always thinking up new ideas, particularly those that help people live a better life or to save the planet. In fact, he has a file of 10,782 ideas (approximately.) However, when the family goes to the beach and Hairbrain dons his mask, snorkel and fins expecting to be able to see fish, dugongs and other underwater creatures he is very disappointed to discover nothing more than plastic bags, broken bottles and other rubbish left by humans. And so he invents a machine that he is convinced will clean up the ocean - if only he and his little sister can get it there.
This is a new series by the team who devised the Little Lunch series and its release is timely as naturalist David Attenborough celebrates his 99th birthday with the release of Ocean and has declared that "If we save the ocean, we can save the planet." So while its narrative might be light-hearted and its presentation designed to appeal to its intended audience of emerging readers who prefer short and sweet stories, there is a serious underlying message that should provoke thinking not only about what we put into our waterways but what we, as individuals and collectively can do to fix the damage already done. Who doesn't want their grandchildren to see fish and dugongs and whales and the wonders of the underwater world?
Whether this is a standalone or the first in a series is unclear, but it may be the springboard to newly independent readers seeking out the Little Lunch series or maybe the PawPrints series which is described as "A new series for emerging readers, written and illustrated by some of Australia's funniest popular creators." Whichever, they will continue to read and confirm their belief that they can be "real readers".
Derek is Anne Donaldson's first picture book and it's a testament to its quality that it contains illustrations by Matt Shanks (Koala Bare, Rosie the Rhinocerous). The wonderfully sparse illustrations are full of extra inferential information and make brilliant use of perspective and proportion. The front cover foreshadows Derek as a curious, wide-eyed fish in a big world. Observant endpaper readers know from the beginning of the story where Derek is (a pet fish shop) but it is never explicitly said.
Derek is a curious fish; among other things he wants to know why the (his) universe is round and why the (his) earth is pink. Children will enjoy realising that our questions about the world are often limited by the world that is immediately visible to us. The big creatures that Derek sees 'when food rains down' are shown just as a giant hand (as would be seen by Derek) and poor Derek is desperate to know why he is all alone. Adventurous Derek decides to make contact with the big creatures above but try as he might they are never that interested in him. There's a great little goldfish joke here as it is noted 'they must have very short attention spans'. Children will especially love how Derek tries to get their attention by doing the longest poop he could. Eventually giving up on the big creatures, Derek turns to his own sense of independence and works out a plan to see what else is out beyond his world. He ends up finding someone to share all the big questions with.
This is a lovely story with good inferrencing opportunities and discussions about questioning, curiosity and inquiry.
Themes Questioning, Curiosity, Belonging.
Nicole Nelson
Bronte's big business by Liane Young. Illus. by Tamlyn Teow
Bronte is tearing up the sand at the Nippers training session at her local Surf Club, when Jian falls injured rounding a marker in the sand. Lucky lifesavers know what to do! The offending shard of sharp plastic helped Bronte to notice the growing amount of human detritus on her beach, posing such danger and impacting on the environment. She loves the beach but the nasty litter problem really troubles her.
When Annabelle's friends holiday at Bronte’s house, Amy, Matilda, Jasmine and Emily encourage Bronte to use her artistic ability to raise awareness for the littering problem on the local coastline and waterways.
Aided by her new friends and family, she prints her cute environmental artworks and messages onto reusable rubbish bags, water bottles and other personal items. Her Sunday stall outside the Surf Club (the beneficiary) is an instant success but her customised line of products means that she has more drawing work than she can handle – but that’s a good problem, or is it? Doesn't everyone deserve balance in their lives - childhood should be fun. Can she solve this very grown up issue?
For those who love uplifting, entertaining stories based on real Australian kids, this book also contains an important message: everyone can do their bit to care for the environment but shouldn't feel singularly responsible. Liane Young, explores this theme of children feeling guilty or distressed, mistakenly believing that they have personal responsibility to save the planet. At least Bronte is no longer anxious about becoming friends with Annabelle’s friends and they all get along well in the two weeks, uniting as a team to test their theories about art, commerce and community attitudes.
Tamlyn Teow, the illustrator sprinkles cute pencil sketches (Bronte’s own style) throughout the 70 page large-print novella, finishing with a photo and bio of author Liane Young.
NB An Australian Girl Doll website launched 5 dolls based on all of the main characters . The biographies, pets, accessories and a cute carry bag are available for these 50cm companions who are distinctly Australian. Visit www.australiangirldoll.com.au
Starting a small business will appeal to young girls who love to help their community and hang out together. We can’t help but wonder whether any future businesswomen or corporate bosses will acknowledge Bronte’s story as their source of social responsibility.
Themes Environment, conservation, Australiana, friendship, social responsibility.
Nick is a 15-year-old farm boy. His life revolves around home-schooling, farm chores, raising litters of kelpies for cash, swimming in the dam with his younger sister and training for camp drafting competitions. Life is good, but loneliness is sometimes a factor as he has struggled to connect to anyone his own age. With a bit of encouragement he joins the local swim club with his sister and this marks the start of friendship and success.
This is a ‘minimal words, maximum impact’ story for teens. It involves the competitiveness of Camp drafting (a distinctly ‘country’ sport involving horse-riding and steers), and the fierce rivalry of swimming competitions. There is real excitement in both events that will appeal to even reluctant readers. The social drama of the reserved, isolated teen struggling to connect with peers is also handled sensitively. The target audience for this book is teens (but those who perhaps don’t want to read) and this book will keep them reading. It is enjoyable and worth getting into the hands of those who want limited vocabulary, easy-to-read sentences and a comfortable, non-demanding length book.
Highly recommended for reluctant readers aged 12-15.
Dreamteam Laura and Philip Bunting's Ebb & Flo series is a wonderful new addition to the emerging/beginning reader sphere. Similar to the School of Monsters series, Ebb & Flo uses a mixture of short decodable words, high frequency words and tricky words that use non-phonetic spelling (such as sword). Useful for reading to or with emerging readers as well as for newly independent readers to tackle alone or alongside a listener/reading scaffolder, this series is full of potential for many stages of the reading journey.
Released all in 2025, there are now 8 short books in the series. There are no chapters, but the book is small format like a reading practice or chapter book. That's where the similarities end though. Children familiar with favourites like Mopoke or Koala's Don't Eat Icecream will immediately recognise these books as products of the Bunting book team and they won't be disappointed. Laura and Philip have imbued the text and illustrations with their trademark humour and wit. Series such as these are becoming more widely available and they are a wonderful way to inspire our new readers and give them a sense of pleasure AND success for their reading efforts.
Ebb and Flo are monster-like creatures with relatable personalities and friendship dilemmas. In this instalment, there's a new fad going around and while Flo isn't interested she still feels left out.
Clara Capybara by Aleesah Darlison. Illus. by Ruth-Mary Smith
Wombat Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781761111952. (Age:3+)
Clara simply could not say no. Her vocabulary involved many words that mean yes, but none that meant no. All sorts of requests saw her saying yes: tying shoelaces, scratching someone’s back, helping someone who is lost. She helps someone comb their ear hair, does the homework for someone else, cleans up the mess. She blows up the balloons, and feels warm inside. Helping others is what she loves.
Through the book, we see a host of words that mean yes, words that Clara uses. Words like yes, I’d love to, all right, it is my pleasure, okey dokey, sure, of course, I’ll do it right away, I’d be happy to, and so on. Each response is a positive response, all meaning yes.
But Mama notices that Clara is looking very tired. She suggests that Clara should do something for herself, and while she is doing that, to say no to all the requests that she gets. She practices saying no, and finds a time when her friends ask her to join them on hike. She hums and has eventually saying no because she is having a mud bath. The others say ok, another time perhaps. She is amazed, she says no and her friends are very accepting of this.
Ah Tashi! What a beautiful 30th anniversary hardback edition of our beloved Australian best-seller has been published by Allen and Unwin. The Tashi series was written by a team consisting of Anna Fienberg, her "marvellous partner" Kim Gamble and her mother Barbara Fienberg. This thirtieth anniversary edition contains a dedication in memory of Kim (1952-2016) and Barbara (1930-2022) and a letter to the reader from Anna Fienberg explaining how Tashi was created through the collaboration of the three creators and how he inhabits a world of imagination.
Tashi really needs no introduction to Australian children. School and local libraries house well- thumbed Tashi books; each small enough to be read in one sitting before bed-time or during a classroom break. Stories of Tashi's daring adventures, usually beginning with something like..." Well, it was like this.." Tashi is a small elf? goblin?...a delightful and bold little character.
Tashi enters the life of Jack who is a little boy with a big imagination who lives with his loving parents. He may be an imaginary friend. Jack's parents enter actively and good humouredly into the adventures and the imaginative world of Tashi. This book being the first book of Tashi's adventures gives the reader Tashi's backstory: his escape from a war lord in a far away place and his flight to Jack's country (Australia) on the back of a swan. Tashi, in this book, tells Jack how he tricked (with great bravery) the last dragon of all with a very clever ruse. There are two bonus short stories included with the original plus the out-of-print Tashi and the wicked magician.
Included in this anniversary addition are sketches from Kim Gamble's sketchbooks that have never been published before. Sadly, he was too ill to finish illustrating Tashi and the wicked magician but seven rough unfinished pencil drawings are included in this anniversary addition. As Anna Fienberg states, Kim Gamble brings "...luminous magic" to the stories. The whimsical, soft pencil sketches are a perfect match to these whimsical stories.The map on the inside front cover of Tashi's village and surrounds reveals a wonderful, fantastic world sketched from the imagination. Tashi's world, unlike Jack's Australian world is one of castles (Bluebeard's, giant's and the warlord's) the haunted house, the Baron's house, the seaport, cemetery, the temple, fields and mountains, the royal tomb and the emperor's palace - all sites for his various adventures.
There is a lovely play of language in Tashi - an obvious delight in the play of words. This makes reading aloud particularly wonderful. There are layers of meaning and nuance too that can be enjoyed differently by different age groups. This delight in words is evidenced in the names of the cast of characters: Tiki Pu, Long Awaited, General Zeng, Lotus Blossom, Chintu the giant,Wise-as-an-Owl, Much-to Learn, Luk Ahead, Aunty Fullpot and et al.
The gentle, fanciful and playful tone of Tashi is reminiscent of Finnish author Tove Jansson's The Moomins series.
Tashi is an Australian children's classic and deserves a place on every child's bookshelf. Tashi's adventures are a wonderful series of stories crying out to be read at bedtime in episodic form. Every child need to read about little characters being brave and resourceful, acting with integrity and often on behalf of others when faced with danger. The experience allows children to wonder for themselves how they would react given similar difficult situations.
The series is suitable for newly independent readers and also for younger children as read alouds.
Countdown to Christmas by Evie Garland and Rachel Gyan
Albert Street Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181993. (Age:3+)
A colourful board book in the shape of a Christmas Tree will have instant appeal to young readers. The book takes the reader on a countdown from ten to one, as each page shows the tree in an every increasing amount of decoration. On the left hand side of each double page is a view from the window, with some decorations appearing later in the countdown. Children will love picking out the bevy of animals shown as the pages are turned. They will love the increasing number of decorations appearing on the tree and the presents building up at its base.
Under the window on the left hand side are rhyming lines showing the additions to expect when looking at the tree.
Apart from learning the numbers, from ten bobbles down to one star, children will have experience in prediction, observation and reading along with the adult. They will be able to look at the customs of Christmas in Australia, pointing out the range of decorations added to the tree.
And all wrapped in a a strongly produced board book, ready for a large amount of use by little fingers and hands.
Centuries, indeed, millennia, before it became one of Australia's most iconic tourist attractions where people gather to share and tell stories, sing and hear music and stories and enjoy dance, drama and other cultural experiences, it was a place for the Gadi people to do exactly the same sorts of things. Known as Tubowgule - tube-uh-gahlee - which means "where the knowledge waters meet" because the fresh waters of the creeks mixed with the salty waters of the oceans making it a place of rich resources, the Gadi people would congregate to enrich and replenish their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
While millions of Australians and international visitors may only know it for Utzon's creation built from playing with sailboats and orange peels, watching swans and collecting seashells, the Sydney Opera House has a history that disappears into the far distance of time, and which is brought to life in this striking book, the first in a series that explores the indigenous history of some of Australia's iconic landmarks.
Even though British colonisation brought about many changes to the use of the land, all of which are mapped out in double page spreads and a final-page timeline, the presence of the First Nations people continued, explained in sidebars that show how purpose and perspectives changed until they turned full circle, when in 2007 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List and Ben Blakeney, an Aboriginal actor and descendent of Banalung, officially welcomed people to the House.
Described by the National Indigenous Times as "a rich and inclusive exploration of the land beneath one of Australia's most famous landmarks" it offers younger readers an insight not just into the story of the Opera House itself, but helps them understand that, like so many other locations they are familiar with, places have stories to tell that can bring them alive and make them relevant and meaningful. From the front cover and endpapers which provide a poignant sneak peak of what is to follow, there is history immersed in every word and illustration and teachers' notes encourage the exploration of these, particularly for those in the middle to upper primary grades. Even though the building itself might not be something non-Sydney readers are as familiar with, nevertheless there are significant points that are part of the nation's more recent history which can be investigated and perhaps even compared to the history of their own region, while some might like to investigate a local landmark that could be the subject of another in the series.
Another in a growing collection of narrative non fiction works which offer insight and understanding of First Nations Peoples that can only take us forward on the journey together.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of tropical forests, the scent of spices, ‘kingfishers of a violet & orange hue’ , ‘blue, pink, lemon robes in the marketplace’, the melody of the gamelan, the bougainvillea and butterflies. This is Indonesia, land of clove and the black gold nutmeg, prize of the spice trade. But also the land of massacres, palm oil plantations and oceans of plastic; beauty and horror together. Jennifer Mackenzie’s poem The Wallace Line encompasses it all, the lush exoticness, and the despoiled history.
This slim volume with its gorgeous decorative cover is named for the Wallace Line, an imaginary divider that marks the difference between species found in Australia and South East Asia. West of the Wallace Line, according to the guide, are found the tiger, the rhinoceros, the wild bull, the peacock and jungle fowl. Australasian fauna are found to the east.
Most powerful is Mackenzie’s poem ‘When Du Fu visited he was unfazed’, the Chinese poet recognising the screaming children of Syria on the television screen and remembering the valleys full of abandoned corpses of the An Lushan Rebellion many years ago. The violence of history repeats itself, even as the sunset glows spectacularly orange. The eyes of the two poets, past and present, hold tears.
Each reader will find something that resonates for them. There is so much to explore in Jennifer Mackenzie’s deceptively slim book; it is something to pick up, read a little and reflect on, a treasure of history, mythology and art, to savour and enjoy.
Themes Indonesia, Spice trade, Wallace Line, Environment, Tropics, Poetry.
Helen Eddy
Kev and Trev: Snot scary jungle stories by Kylie Howarth
Cockatoo Kev and marine iguana Trev are megafamous after publishing their first book and now are taking their popcorn powered houseboat to the jungle, the setting for their next creation, hoping to find some pugorillas to please their puglisher. When Mr Happy, their grumpy squid editor disappears leaving a note that he has gone on holiday, Cappy the capybara quickly becomes their editor and guide. There are certainly adventures to be had in the jungle and a big hairy spider is the inspiration for their first story but Cappy’s editing is a little imprecise and the title becomes the Pig Fairy Spider, followed by the Poison Fart Frog. The stories are in clear but clever rhyming couplets with simple illustrations introduced to the reader by the main characters. Meanwhile the search for the pugorillas continues with numerous encounters including being bitten by a jaguar and eaten by an anaconda.
The Snot scary jungle stories are fast paced with lots of fun puns and word play while imparting some jungle facts about the inhabitants, like the not crocodile or alligator but cayman they harness to ferry them to their boat. With a colourful, sparkly cover the inside grayscale graphics work well on quality paper and the big cast of expressive animal characters that like to party and tell bum and fart jokes are easy to like, especially the cute pugorillas.
Themes Graphic novel, adventure, cartoon humour.
Sue Speck
Powerful like a dragon by Christopher Cheng & Jacqueline Tam
Christmas Day 1941 at the height of World War II. Japan has bombed Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, bringing the USA into the war, and the governor of the British colony of Hong Kong has just surrendered to the imperialist Japanese army as they continue their seemingly inexorable march south towards Australia. Shu Lok was too young to know there was even a war on until it literally arrived on the doorstep of his village home and he hid behind his Baba as the soldier shouted and poked and spat. And before he knew it, he was put into a large basket with his cousin to be carried with another cousin in another basket for hundreds of miles into China, fleeing the invaders along with many of the villagers, mostly relatives.
However, Shu Lok's parents decided not to leave, and the last words he heard were his father telling him to be "powerful like a dragon".
Thus, hoisted on the end of a pole on his uncle's shoulders, Shu Lok's new life began - a life of being bounced around for endless hours, the occasional opportunity to climb out of the basket to stretch his cramped body and feast on cold bean curd cake, after having had only a few soybeans tied in a bag around his neck to nibble on during the day. As they moved into the mountains and his uncle removed his own shirt to keep Shu Lok a little warmer at night, he learned what the snow-covered mounds at the side of the road meant, and still they travelled on...
But whenever things got tough he remembered his father's words "be powerful like a dragon" and from somewhere deep inside came the strength to take one more step...
This is a story that is just like its title. It's "powerful like a dragon" and not just because it is the retelling of my friend Christopher Cheng's family story told to him decades later by his uncle, the real Shu Lok. It is a story for all ages as Jacqueline Tam's haunting illustrations offer so much more to think about beyond Cheng's masterful words, their almost-monochromatic palette echoing the bleakness and uncertainty of the future, but brightening with images of the dragon when Shu Lok recalls his father's words. No matter the challenge - having to swallow his hunger even through the tantalising smell of the hawker's sweet corn roasting; having to pay precious money to warlords for the right to cross their land; having to bandage his uncle's blistered bare feet because his sandals had long disintegrated - he thought of the power of the dragons to overcome and like the others, kept on and on and on...
As well as being a story of courage, resilience and hope because of the belief in a better future, it is all the more poignant because it is true. And it makes the reader think of how many of our students have had to endure the same sort of hardships as they have been displaced from their homes to flee tyranny, the journeys they've had, the challenges they've overcome and the courage and resilience they have displayed. How have they had to be "powerful like a dragon"? Or perhaps their journey has been one of illness, family breakup or other life-changing circumstance... And while the journey may have been tough, was it worth it? How did it impact the you that you are now?
One might also wonder why Shu Lok's baba meant when he said be "powerful like a dragon'. Why not some other creature like a lion or elephant? Did he mean physically powerful or perhaps mentally powerful - for Shu Lok to face his fears and demons and fight them with his mind rather than his fists? Is it possible to be courageous and brave without being combative, belligerent or aggressive? Does the dragon have a different role or symbolic presences in Eastern cultures compared to Western culture?
In the extensive author's notes, Cheng offers a lot of background information about his uncle's journey, giving it not only authority and authenticity but also opening up the possibility that other families might have similar stories to tell but which have been hidden for decades for one reason or another. I know both my father and father-in-law never talked about their wartime experiences because while both had extraordinary times as prisoners of war of the Germans and Japanese, respectively, their stories pretty much went with them to their graves. Therefore, perhaps this book could be the impetus for older students to probe their family histories before it is too late.
This review and the possibilities that this story opens up only scratch the surface. The more times I read it the more it reveals - as I said, it is "powerful like a dragon'.
While One Childwill always be my favourite title by Chris for a whole lot of reasons, this one is a close second.
Themes Refugees, World War, 1939-1945, Hong Kong - History, Resilience.
