Text Publishing, 2026. ISBN: 9781923058729. (Age:8-11) Recommended.
Quinn is not happy with the news that there will be a new baby in her family. The disruption will mean she will have to share a room … and what will happen to her precious lop-eared rabbit who currently lives with her in her space? Quinn is not prepared for the change in her family dynamics at all, and feels the sense of loss of her security. She can throw herself into story writing and cuddles with her rabbit, but she is not really happy. The new baby, Otto, arrives far too early and his life is held by a thread in the hospital NICU, and Quinn and her parents must live with the topsy-turvy uncertainty of the neo-natal life. Will Quinn ever be ready or even able to welcome her brother home and has the tiny baby managed to wrap his finger around her heart?
This story has the lived-experience heart of the author’s own grief and loss, and anyone who has travelled the route of a premature birth in their family will instantly feel the struggle of this story. Written from the perspective of a child, it carries a naive winsome quality that recognises a child’s emotional responses to a significant family change. There is grief as part of the story, so some children reading this may struggle if they do not have the emotional capacity to deal with the big issues of beginnings and endings in life. The story is moving and my own memories of watching my niece struggle after her very premature arrival were instantly at the forefront for me. Make sure that a young reader in the 8-11 age group has sufficient support if they have their own grief to bear or even if a new baby is expected in their family, but it is a beautiful story with a resonance of love that is quite profound. This is written for young readers, and it raises big issues - but books are sometimes the best places to help children see that the world is not always ‘rainbows and rabbits’ and stories do not always have a happy ending.
Themes Grief and loss, Premature birth, Siblings, Emotional growth, Rabbits.
I love mystery stories and eagerly picked up The escape game, intrigued by its unique premise – a murder of a young woman, Alicia Angelos, on the set of an escape-room themed reality game show. A new season is set to go with contestants excited awaiting the beginning of the show. There is Carter, whose online name is Kick it Carter, a math whiz, Beck who designs his own escape rooms, Adi who is great at cryptography and Sierra Angelos, the sister of the murdered girl and who everyone believes is her murderer. As the show progresses it is obvious that someone is behind the scenes manipulating clues and keeping Sierra’s team guessing about what happened to her sister.
Marissa Meyer is the successful author of many novels including The Lunar Chronicles, while Tamara Moss has written adult mysteries under the name of Tamara Moss Bailey, and their collaboration results in a thrilling read, where the reader is taken from one escape room to another. Sierra, Adi, Carter and Beck must use their unique skills to escape the rooms and learn to trust each other, while all having different agendas and needs as contestants. As well as the challenge of unpicking clues, deciphering codes and escaping locked rooms, they face danger as it becomes increasingly clear that someone is out to get them. They are locked in a freezer, Carter’s drink is spiked and Adi must face the machinations of his manipulative mother. And will Sierra find out who murdered her sister?
It is told from multiple viewpoints, with flashbacks to the previous season when Alicia was murdered. The reality show hosts, contestants and behind the scenes workers are vividly described as the reader gets to know the inner thoughts and dreams of the contestants.
The Escape Game is a gripping thriller and the tension is kept up to the stunning conclusion. And there is a sequel to follow with more adventures for the team! Fans of The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes are sure to love this.
The flower garden - A Changi secret by Claire Saxby. Illus. by Lucia Masciullo
Walker Books, 2026. ISBN: 9781760657352. (Age:7+)
I have a secret – we have a secret – in this place where secrets are not allowed.
Imagine you're a child with all the natural curiosity, imagination, energy and exuberance that goes with childhood. But instead of being able wander and explore the world around you, that wall is bounded by high walls and barbed wire, patrolled and guarded by brutal soldiers who did not hesitate to impose their power - even on little children. Such was the life of many children and their mothers who were long-time residents of Malaya and Singapore but who, with the fall of both countries to the Japanese in February 1942, were herded like animals into the notorious Changi Prison, and treated as such. Days were spent tending the gardens to grow food for their captors in the morning and then on rows of hard benches learning "numbers, words and formulas" and secret songs under the watchful eyes and ears of gun-carrying soldiers in the afternoons. Not until dusk fell was their time their own.
But in that time, the women tried to make life a little more normal for the children, and one in particular, Mrs Elizabeth Ennis, an army nursing sister began a secret Girl Guides group and taught them how to take their minds, if not their bodies, far beyond the prison walls. So as her birthday approaches, it is time to make a special present, and in this sensitive, softly illustrated story, Saxby and Masciullo not only divulge what that gift will be but expose the lives of those who made it and the risks they took to do so.
The horrors of Changi have been on my radar since my own childhood because even though my dad was a POW in Germany and eventually force-marched across Poland as part of the Germans' human shield, even in those days long before television, let alone the internet, the atrocities and barbarities of Changi were known, and the brutality of the captors was being revealed by those like my future father-in-law who miraculously survived the men's camp, as well as in stories like Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice, and movies like The Bridge on the River Kwai(where my f-i-l ended up). Yet from the depths of the darkest despair, the human spirit soared and stories like the making of this precious gift have emerged.
As I read this book, including the author's note that offers a short background history of the time, I wanted to know more and a simple search brought many links including stories of those who helped make it, a history of the quilt itself, including close-up photos of it in the Imperial War Museum, as well as information about the other quilts that were made, including the Australian quilt.
In this latest adventure, Billie meets Otto, an adorable foster dog that everyone in her neighborhood loves but no one can adopt. Billie is upset that no one can give Otto a forever home even though they all want to. This book looks at the solution and shows that sometimes using your imagination can help you tackle a new challenge and find a solution that is a little out of the ordinary.
I have always enjoyed reading the Billie B Brown books and I really liked this story for the problem solving that Billie does and the way that the neighborhood works together to find a solution that works for all of them but especially Otto.
Billie B Brown books are the perfect first chapter books for newly independent readers and are wonderful as a read aloud too as they are short but still have a great story that encourages discussion. The illustrations really help to engage the reader as does the fact that each book has familiar characters throughout, including Billie’s best friend Jack.
A dog to keep also introduces the idea of foster dogs and adopting rescue dogs. The language is child friendly, and the story is engaging and shows that sometimes thinking outside the square can help to find the perfect solution. I really enjoyed this book and think it is one of my favourite Billie B Brown books.
Having read the brilliant novel The signal line (2022) about a ghost train arriving in Hobart (there are no trains in Hobart), I was hardly surprised to discover that Colley’s second book is about a father abducted by aliens. The book cover image shows a figure being uplifted by a beam of light. Noah, the son, has grown up with regular ‘prepping’, sitting watching the sky in a state of readiness for the next thing. He writes poetry in obsessive preparedness to also visit another world – and the reader suspects it’s probably the reason his wife Sarah has just left him. He is alone living in the childhood home he has bought, ever a skywatcher, along with his neighbour Malcolm, and other curious people, waiting for the flying saucer lights to descend again.
In the Endnotes to the novel, Colley writes that there’s a ‘steep history of UFO sightings in Tasmania’; he references the sightings reported in documents of the Tasmanian Unidentified Flying Objects Investigation Centre across six decades. It was during one of those visitations that Noah’s father Warwick left his family. But with his departure from Earth, each of the family members seems to be touched with a special gift; for Noah it is an obsession with poetry writing, his mother Patricia sees the spirits of dead people and his sister Martha communicates with dogs.
Noah’s family has all split up; his wife has left him, and he is alone in an empty house with only his neighbour Malcolm interested in also sitting and watching the skies for alien visitors. It is a time of loneliness, but gradually the family reassembles, and with hope comes a feeling of home. It is a bizarre but touching story of humans slowly reconnecting and respecting each other.
If you are interested in reading something out of this world, with a gentle touch of humour, this book is for you.
I was thrilled to read that Patrick Ness had a new book, Piper at the gates of dusk, the first in the New World trilogy, set in the world of the series Chaos Walking, which was a memorable read for me. It is twenty years after the devastating events that Todd and Viola had experienced and they have settled on a quiet farm with their sons, Ben and Max. Ben is looking forward to continuing his studies at a higher level, while Max loves being on the farm where the chooks love him, chasing after him as if he were a deity, saying ‘Max, Max, Max’. A cure has been found for the Noise that had originally affected the men, but it had left Ben mute, having to use a communicator to converse.
Ness immediately drags the reader in with his first page, written in many typefaces: 'everyone thinks you’re a freak. You’re nothing’ and other negative thoughts that the Noise brings into the waking world. Then the reader follows Ben as a god comes screaming out of the woods, a giant alight with flames, burning everything around it and then plunging into the lake and disappearing. Is this apparition linked to the horrible nightmares that Max and other young people are having? An uneasy peace has settled between the Land the original inhabitants of the planet and the settlers, but racism is still an issue and some people find it very easy to blame the Land for bringing in this new threat.
Told in the voices of Ben and Max, short chapters often end on a cliff-hanger, leaving the reader breathless and wanting to continue reading, although at the same time needing to spend time thinking about the words of wisdom that Todd gives Max about being brave and doing the right thing and the problems that can arise in family relationships.
In his letter to readers at the front of the book Ness beautifully summarises the themes of this fabulous read. Piper at the Gates of Dusk is 'a story about storytelling, a story about feeling different and left out, a story about how we are reflected in our parents but how we have to find our own way. A story about brothers.' It is not to be missed.
Simon & Schuster, 2026. ISBN: 9781761633324. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
In a world of cavernous sinkholes opening in the ground, swallowing people and buildings, and water sloshing everywhere, two unlikely friends are thrown together: the cantankerous old recently widowed, Pam, and the curious spark of a ten year-old girl, Charlotte. When Charlotte’s home disappears, Pam has no option but to care for Charlotte, finding food, and protecting her from marauding looters.
But gradually the roles are reversed as Pam's mind starts to drift, and Charlotte, eager to find friendship and safety, has to overcome the fears of the old woman and find her own solutions. It is a beautiful story of love and kindness in a chaotic dystopian world.
Sarah Walker says that she likes writing about ‘anxiety, intimacy and absurdity’. Her debut novel is both menacing thriller and tender story of friendship. It’s one of those books that will stay with you long afterwards.
Themes Dystopia, Human nature, Ageing, Youth, Optimism, Caring.
Helen Eddy
Young queens collection: The glimmering ghost by Megan Hess
Coco Blair lives in an enchanted castle with her fluffy white cat, surrounded by beautiful rose gardens. She dreams of having a friend and being able to fly as no one in the castle seems to notice her.
Then the King and his children arrive, and chaos ensures as the children are rude, the father is grumpy and a ghost is wreaking havoc throughout the castle. Coco is trying to help when she discovers a royal secret and decides to solve the mystery.
This delightful picture book is perfect for young readers with its gentle adventure, heart-warming friendship, and a little bit of mystery as well.
The rhyming text helps to make this a terrific book to read aloud and share with younger readers. The illustrations are charming and life at the castle is easy to imagine. The colour palette is very pink which got a bit overwhelming at times, but the story is such that readers will enjoy the illustrations as a reflection of the action.
I really enjoyed reading this book and know it would make a fabulous read aloud in a class or home setting. I liked that the rhymes followed a cadence that made it flow which helps when reading aloud.
The Glimmering Ghost is written by the author of Claris and is the fourth book in her Young Queens Collection.
In plenty of time for Easter, this charming new picture book by award-winning South Australian children’s author Janeen Brian, is a perfect read-aloud for young children. Full of clever and creative rhyme sharing interesting facts about bilbies, this engaging tale will be enjoyed by both young and old.
I have a whiskery sniffer-snout. It pokes out from my face. I search in scrub for seeds and grubs, or insects about the place.
There is also a simple but important environmental message coming through the narrative for young readers which may encourage further discussion.
The holes I dig for burrows in land where hot winds blow, let in the air and help prepare, so seeds that fall can grow.
The vibrant, full-page illustrations by Lucinda Gifford enrich the narrative and vividly evoke the colourful Australian ecosystem that bilbies call home. Some inquisitive birds pop up throughout the story adding warmth and gentle humour to each scene.
Are you the Easter Bunny? will be a wonderful addition to a home, school or public library. If you purchase one Easter picture book this year, I highly recommend this one. It is just delightful.
Themes Bilbies, Easter, Rhyme, Facts, Australian Environment.
It's Easter morning and the three little bunnies are awake early, for today promises to be lots of fun. No snuggling in for an extra five minutes - there is an important job to do. So they spring out of bed, and head outside because THIS is the morning of the Easter egg hunt. And what better way to round off the fun than with a picnic, a special story and a snuggle and cuddle with Mummy and daddy Bunny?
With its soft watercolour illustrations and two word captions, this is one that little readers will not only resonate with as they recognise all the fun of their own egg hunts, but will also be able to read to themselves.
Part of a trilogy that includesDaddy Cuddle and MummyCuddle, older siblings who may still have them on their bookshelf will delight in seeing old favourites again and sharing them perhaps creating special moments and memories together.
Perfect for popping in the Easter basket of the little ones in your life.
Themes Easter, Rabbits.
Barbara Braxton
The kids who rescued Easter by Jackie Hosking. Illus. by Nathaniel Eckstrom
There were whispers in the garden for the word had got around that Easter Bunny's eggs had rolled away.
He was on his way to hide them, when he dropped them on the ground and now he has no eggs for Easter Day...
But all the tried and trusty neighbours from the houses near and far had gathered in the garden, keen to find the eggs and help Easter Bunny. All the children had bikes, skateboards, trikes and there was even a little redhead on his homemade scooter, and they were keen to join the search, although there was doubt whether the scooter would make it until Nancy vouched for its durability. So off up the hills they went in search of the eggs - but were they really doing Easter Bunny a favour?
This delightful story from she who gave us When Santa Got Stuck in a Gum Tree, should come with a WARNING sticker, because if you are familiar with A. B. Paterson's The Man from Snowy River and, in particular the version by Wallis and Matilda then you are going to have an earworm for the rest of the day. This is a clever take on this iconic poem, both in theme and rhythm providing a uniquely Australian tale about this time of the year that every child will love to hear, regardless of their age.
Superb. Definitely one for your personal collection to share and share and share.
(And just in case you haven't discovered Wallis and Matilda's musical renditions of Paterson's poems because you're not old enough, here's my Easter gift to you...)
Pink Easter by Tanya Hennessy. Illus. by Sophie Kent
Albert Street, 2026. ISBN: 9781761181153. (Age:3+)
'Twas the night before Easter, the workshop was busy! There were baskets to fill and eggs to make pretty.
There was so much to do for the big Easter quest. And the Bunny herself? She was, honestly, stressed.
But when Winnie the Easter duck suggested sharing the workload with her friends, Easter Bunny declines the offer declaring the work is her mission. She must do it herself because it's Easter tradition. But Winnie is not deterred and unveils the Easter Eggmaster, an invention she has been working on to automatically colour the Easter eggs, summoning the friends to get the eggs sorted while Bunny is busy elsewhere.
But when she turns it on, disaster strikes.... Or does it?
This is the equally-delightful companion to Pink Santa told in the same catchy rhyme and rhythm of Clement C. Moore's original A Visit from St Nicholas with the conversations between the characters continued in speech bubbles so the plot continues without interrupting the flow of the narrative. And like Pink Santa which explores whether Christmas will still be Christmas if Santa's suit is pink, this one examines whether Easter will still be Easter even if Easter Bunny does delegate the tasks, helping little ones understand that it is okay to seek help and take it when it's offered, and so much better than getting frustrated and cranky and discarding the task altogether.
As the supermarket shelves fill with Easter eggs of all shapes, sizes and colours and hot cross buns are popped into shopping trolleys, our youngest readers are very aware of the upcoming celebration and so this is the perfect book to share at this time. Even as it rollicks along, that important message of sharing, co-operating and collaborating with those around us oozes like runny chocolate, offering even our littlest readers the opportunity to think how they might be able to help their friends and family at such a busy time. Just as Easter Bunny has to learn to ask for help - and accept it when it's offered - they too can tune in to what's going on around them and offer to help, just like Winnie did. They are not powerless and perhaps something as simple as picking up their toys or helping with the dishes can be an enormous contribution, Even for those for whom Easter is not a family celebration, this is one with a universal message of being part of a family and a community that will have wide appeal and application.
Just in time for Easter 2026, to be processed and placed on library shelves and in the hands of families and children is The first Easter, a companion book to The first Christmas by Melbourne-based author and illustrator. Fresh updates to the collections held in school and local libraries of books on Christianity are overdue and therefore Jess's book is a welcome addition to the number of books published recently on alternate world religions for the consumption of children. Having previously worked in publishing and having children of her own, it is likely that Jess saw this gap in the market. Balance and education is of importance in order to address the lack of knowledge of Australian children about Christianity.
Jess Racklyeft has been awarded for a number of CBCA Picture Books of the Year. The books, well known to schools, are the delightful, Smile cry written by Tania McCartney, Welcome baby written and illustrated by Racklyeft (2020) and Iceberg (2022) written by Claire Saxby and winning Picture book of the year. Iceberg is noted for its "detailed artwork that portrays...3D structure of icebergs." These books need to be sought out if only for their stunning illustrations. The first Easter is illustrated primarily in soft, muted watercolour. The characters appear happy and kind and the backgrounds that they move through are gently whimsical and detailed. Jess has dedicated this book to peace and kindness and she has achieved a peaceful and kind tone. Birds, animals, people and shared food are the subject of the delightful illustrations.
Jess tells the story of Easter in a simple, reliable and accessible way. She explains what Easter means to people and what ceremonies and rituals people have to celebrate it. She begins the narrative with, " A long time ago, in a country far away, a man called Jesus travelled to the big city." Perhaps she thinks that saying Jerusalem would be too much information for young children. Jess narrates the storyline chronologically beginning with Palm Sunday, The Last Supper (using the term "friends" rather than "disciples"), Jesus's crucifixion (just showing images of the crown of thorns and the Cross) and his resurrection on the third day. Jess concludes with the eggs being a symbol of new life..."And that is the story of the first Easter."
This reader agrees with other reviewers that The first Easter is perfect for families, godparents and grandparents wanting a thoughtful introductory book to faith for toddlers and young school age children. It is a good choice for church communities, schools and homes - one that can be reread seasonally. A note in the endpapers informs readers that Easter has been celebrated for over 2000 years all around the world, with slightly different rituals and symbols in different cultures. It also states that Easter celebrations have become part of secular gatherings as people come together to celebrate new life, hope and new beginnings.
The first Easter is a beautiful book with deep meaning written by a well- known, award winning illustrator and emerging young writer. It is recommended as a companion read with The first Christmas.
Themes Easter.
Wendy Jeffrey
Lottie Brooks VS the ultra mean girls by Katie Kirby
This is book 8 of the Lottie Brooks series. I have not read any of the others, so this was my first introduction to the group of friends and others. I feel that reading the books in order would help you to understand some of the backstories and references but even without this I really enjoyed the story.
Lottie is a funny and loyal character who experiences similar friendship issues to the reader. Lottie is in Year 8, and her friendship group is in turmoil as her best friend has joined the “mean girls” group and Lottie and her other friends are feeling the betrayal fiercely, but they have a plan to get Amber back before it is too late. Lottie is also facing some other issues with her family, and this contributes to the realness of the story, with readers either remembering or experiencing the angst of teenage life that is impacted by puberty, friendship issues and the expectation of responsibility.
The language used is reflective of current teenage language and this adds to the diary feel of the book, as do the illustrations and cartoons that fill the pages along with the main story.
Lottie Brooks diary series is an excellent way for readers to see that their experiences are normal and that their struggles are often felt by other tween/teenagers who are dealing with similar issues. I really enjoyed the relatability of the story and the diary style of the writing and would recommend this to any tween/teen readers who are looking for something to make them laugh while still supporting them to see they are not alone. I loved that Lottie is naïve and loyal to her friends and tries to always be true to herself even when she is making mistakes and getting it all wrong. A fabulous book and a series that I would recommend investing in.
Themes Family, Friendship, Bullying, Growing-up.
Mhairi Alcorn
Come home, Bibibila by Corey Tutt & Irma Gold. Illus. by Jessica Tedim
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761181863. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Subtitled, ‘A story of an echidna finding its way back to Country’ will excite younger readers, knowing that the will be learning a lot about echidnas and where they live.
The Gamillaraay word for echidna is Bigibila and Corey Tutt is a Gamilaraay man who has written his first picture book about his totem.
Beautifully illustrated, the story of the lost echidna will enthral younger readers following Bigibila, as he ignores his mother’s command to stay put. They will bring to mind times when they have gone against an elder's wishes, and wonder about how Bigibila will survive.
The red earth speaks to Bigibila of her Country and when she wanders off and loses her way, she finds she must return home to her own place. When Mum goes off to find termites, Bigibila scrambles out of the burrow to see what she can see. But she encounters Maliyan, the wedge tail eagle, and as he swoops to grab his dinner, a ranger steps in and takes the little echidna back to her sanctuary. Here she is sheltered and fed safe from the predators, but she yearns for her Country. So she digs her way out of the enclosure, and walks and walks until the earth beneath her feet feels right, she feels safe, there are lots of termites to eat and the air tastes right. And there is Mum waiting for her. She is home.
An engaging reminder that we all have a place where everything feels right, our home, and a fitting lesson for younger readers to take notice of their elders.
Illustrator, Jessica Tedim has included animals, birds and insects setting the scene in the red earth country that is home for the echidna. Children will love looking for these as they turn the pages. The sweeps of red earth across the pages will draw readers’ eyes to the plight of the little animal.
At the end of the book are pages devoted to the Gamilaraay words used for the Dark Emu in the night sky, the eagle that nearly ends Bigibila’s exploring, the ranger who saves her as well as the echidna. There are also several pages with information about the echidna, what it eats in captivity and a plea to keep these animals wild, ending with outlines of the authors and illustrator on the endpapers.
