Set in the 1970s, Lilly and Jane are two curious, smart young girls, who are devastated by the early death of their inspiring feminist mother. Lily’s grief turns inward, she is thoughtful and quiet, whilst her brilliant mathematically gifted sister Jane seizes every experience, determined to live however she wants. The two sisters are very close, sharing everything, but their lives take very different paths. Lily seeks love and stability while Jane defies all conventions and takes to casual relationships, alcohol and drugs.
For Lily the boy she falls in love with as a teenager seems to be the perfect partner, the person she would marry and spend her life with. They understand the burden of grief each carries: Lily mourns the death of a mother who meant everything to her; the boy feels the loss of a mother who tearfully hugged him as a child then walked away forever. Loss and love unites the two teenagers. He reassuringly tells her ‘We’ll be okay’.
That is the plan, until one terrible night, a horrible event changes everything. The boy’s future, his career aspirations, all his dreams are destroyed, and Lily carries the guilt for what happened.
Curtis’ novel explores various dichotomies: the contention of science and faith, the two sisters’ contrasting reactions to grief, the hopefulness of first love and comfort of later love. She explores the question: can the human heart hold both things at the same time? The two girls have grown up immersed in both scientific thought and Catholicism; Lily and Jane love each other and completely understand each other’s separate choices; Lily yearns for the boy she loves but also loves Marshall, the man she later comes to marry. And then there is also the question of grief and responsibility. How much can one carry responsibility for other people’s actions? Can guilt find a way to forgiveness and redemption?
Despite the fateful events that impact Lily’s life, Curtis’s novel is a romance replete with compassion and kindness. There is sympathy even for the supposed ‘villain’ of the story, and enduring sorrow for the people who die. There is no real cruelty, just the mistakes that people make, and the best thing people can do is forgive and care for one another.
Wow! Dan Brown has written another epic tale that twists mystery, mystical ideas, myths, the CIA and danger, with the scientific investigation of the brain and the nature of consciousness. This is a journey that will have your own brain exploding with the exploration of your own thinking about the nature of life, death, ESP, end-of-life experiences and the power of thought itself. This mind-blowing tale is set in the intriguing environment of Prague’s historical buildings and amongst the quirks of Czech culture (cosplay-like costumes of mythical creatures eg Golem (note - not Tolkien’s iteration) are routinely seen in the streets). Main characters, Dr. Katherine Solomon, an American researcher who investigates human consciousness and Professor Robert Langdon, her academic friend (and possible romantic partner) whose area of interest crosses into religion, mythology, symbolism and metaphysics, together are thrust into an intriguing but dangerous mystery when the impending release of Katherine’s next book somehow creates impossible dilemmas amongst the Intelligence community. The loss of a manuscript is the entry point into a world of scientific investigation and fear about the release of ideas that might impact the equilibrium of the world. Death and disaster follow. Investigation of consciousness seems to be more than just a scientific or philosophical inquiry.
This action-adventure with espionage and embassy officials intertwined with scientific investigation into the ‘impossible’ world of consciousness and thought transfer (and possibly Human-to-Machine - H2M intelligence) is a murky adventure. One character has a unique capacity to think wisely and widely, utilising eidetic memory to remember what few can perceive, and acts more like an uber-intelligent spy than an academic. The dangers everyone faces are the result of a world engaged in fear and the desire to weaponise even the power of thought. At first I found this book uncomfortable and was slow to connect to the strange mix of book thievery and hacking and the ideas of the nature of consciousness, but the pace and intensity of the danger soon created an intensely powerful dramatic pull and interest that was compelling. This is a book for adult readers and thinkers. It is written with intellectual power and appropriate intrigue that will make you consider ideas about the nature of life itself, the soul and identity, the morality of warfare and weaponry, and will probably resonate long after the last page.
Amanda, Lucia (Lu) and Mai have been anticipating the Year Three Class Bake-off as a team. After all they are best friends and co-founders of the Dolphin Club. But Ms Tran has stipulated teams of cooking duos and three is a crowd. Amanda is paired with Eve and urgent club meetings are convened after school to try to persuade Ms Tran to approve a trio.
Using an array of texts and mediums such as math paper, notes, recipes, drawings and signs; our expansive young narrator explores her problem, her conflicting motivations and loyalties, so openly - thanks to her creators, author Carol Vass and illustrator Heidi Cooper Smith.
Will a potentially winning recipe and a seriously competitive partner tempt Amanda to risk friendships or will her decision help the classmates appreciate that new creative teams will never endanger true friendship?
“…As I read the recipe, my heart skipped with excitement. It sounded delicious. And before I knew it, I realised I really wanted to make Orange Dream Bars with Eve.”
Ten chapters punctuate only 62 pages to conform to Vass and Wombat Books’ winning algorithm for the Amanda Commander series. Other titles in the series are: The Purple Initiation, The Pinky Promise, The Yellow Dress, The Blues Day Tuesday and The Green-Eyed Monster.
Lower primary students will keep returning to these easy to read ‘scrapbooks’ by a heroine whose nickname is neurologically satisfying.
Silver Brook: Yumna and the golden horse by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Hodder, 2026. ISBN: 9781444934625. (Age:10+)
Sudanese born and raised in Australia, author and activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has published five books and has an abiding interest in racism. Two novels You must be Layla and Listen Layla appeal to a similar age-group to Silverbrook:Yumna and the golden horse with Listen Layla being longlisted for Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia.
Thirteen year old Yumna is the heroine of Silverbrook: Yumna and the golden horse. She lives in a quiet English town where nothing happens. Her mother has (mysteriously) gone and Yumna lives with her sad father. Yumna has two friends - the "athletic and beautiful Sadeeqa" and the "sassy and charming Nafisa". By contrast, Yumna is described as "small and stocky"...spending "most of her time buried in books and avoiding conversations with strangers". Yumna's friends disappear into the forest without her and when she follows them she discovers that they have magic skills including dealing with the elements and transforming into a mythical beast (golden horse). In addition Sadeeqa's brother Kareem goes missing and a couple called the Maidstones appear in the village seeming to Yumna to be too nice and too helpful to be true. Yumna feels left out and inadequate by comparison. However Yumna's greatest wish is to become a detective and she discovers her own skills as the story progresses.
Silverbrook: Yumna and the golden horse is an interesting book because it depicts life for a thirteen year old girl in a Muslim home, living in a small country town as a new immigrant. Readers see the daily prayer rituals of the father and how the day is punctuated by prayer times. Yumna and her friends wear abayas and sprinklings of common Arabic statements, exclamations, endearments and other speech fragments are scattered throughout the text. Yumna frequently exclaims to herself in Arabic and when in the deepest trouble she prays to Allah for guidance...and receives her answer. The jinn of Arabian and Muslim mythology appear in animal form to possess one of the young people.
Mystery, magic, community, environmental and commercial interests collide in the small town and there is plenty of danger and possibility of destruction. How will it be resolved? Who will understand the whole picture in time with secrets unravelling left, right and centre? Will anybody be able to read the problem and pull the community together? Spoiler - it will not be the adults who save the town...
Yumna and the golden horse is the first in the middle-grade fantasy adventure Silverbrook series. Thus, at the end, Yumna has many questions but the driving question will be the subject of subsequent books. Those who enjoy empowering middle grade fantasy such as Amari and the night brothers by B.B. Alston and the Wings of fire series by Tui Sutherland would enjoy Silverbrook: Yumna and the golden horse as these books offer empowerment and diversity along with magical animal and fantasy elements.
Themes Activism, Muslim home and prayer life, Community, Friendship, Muslim and Arabic mythology.
Wendy Jeffrey
Hello to me! by Janeen Brian. Illus. by Kurt Bosecke and Jake Holmes
In Janeen Brian’s experienced and capable hands the story of Joanna unfolds. Joanna is bright, strong and brave. This book shows a week in her life as she goes about her usual activities, probably different from those undertaken by most readers, but shining a light on the reasons for Joanne having a tent, and sometimes a carer who takes her shopping or helps her learn to swim, or takes her to the playground. Joanna is autistic and cannot communicate using her voice, but can make her feelings known with crying or thrashing about.
Janeen Brian cleverly shows what happens during the week. Each day, students will see what Joanne does, who is with her and how she spends that day. Each day’s activities reflect the limits of her abilities, and how she and the people there to help her, manage her behaviour.
She has a tent in her bedroom, a quiet space which gives her a refuge when things become overwhelming.
Joanne cannot speak and is deaf, although she has special hearing aids. On Monday, she meets her friend, Jude at school. Jude has autism and cannot speak. The teacher uses special signs to ask them to come inside, after they have played together.
On Tuesday, Joanne meets her carer, Amy who takes her on trips on the tram or the playground or an animal farm. Today is important as Amy is teaching her how to ride her scooter.
On Wednesday, Joanne goes to the pool and her friend Seb is teaching her to swim. She has been trying to get her to put her head under water. After a few attempts, ending in tears, she conquers her fear.
On Thursday, Joanne is invited to Juno’s house. Together the girls dance to the music. Juno has limited sight and uses a mobility cane.
Friday is shopping day with Amy, and at the mall, they must be careful of crowds and noise. Joanne can be overwhelmed by the noise and number of people, resulting in tears and thrashing about. Amy knows that she must hold on to Joanne until she calms down.
Each day outlines her activities and shows the procedures in place to help her. On the weekend, she sees many of her friends, goes to the beach while Sunday is spent with her family.
Readers will see from each day’s activities how Joanne spends her days, and so develop an understanding of what autism means for some children. From this understanding will come compassion and friendship.
Bright illustrations support the text, helping the reader understand what the disability means for Joanne and her friends.
Themes Disability, Autism, Carers, School.
Fran Knight
Catalpa: Escape to Freedom by Mike Lefroy and Joy Lefroy
Fremantle Press, 2026. ISBN: 9781760996673. (Age:10+ to adult) Highly recommended.
The Catalpa: Escape to Freedom written by Mike and Joy Lefroy is set to be launched in 2026 as part of the Fremantle Fenians Freedom Group’s 2026 Fenians Festival. This incredible story will astound readers with the sheer audacity of organising and successfully completing such a difficult rescue first devised on another continent.
Meticulous planning, secretive meetings and messages, the involvement of brave and trusted people along with ‘the luck of the Irish’ all contributed to a daring escape from what was deemed as an inescapable prison. Fremantle Prison was where hundreds and hundreds of Irish prisoners were sent in the mid to late 1800’s – firstly for minor crimes and then for political reasons. The imprisoned Fenians – their name taken from the word ‘Fenian’ an ancient Gaelic word meaning a band of Irish warriors - were incarcerated for various uprisings against British rule in Ireland. Their sentences were long and living conditions were appalling.
The inclusion of significant factual documents such as letters, newspaper articles, photographs, as well as maps, and glorious illustrations, allows this engaging nonfiction book to be highly accessible to all readers, both young and old. Added to the story are clearly identifiable text boxes giving further background information to encourage continued research and understanding of this historical event.
The Catalpa: Escape to Freedom would be a valuable addition to both a primary and secondary classroom or school library.
Do you have the heart to read this book? There are sections in the novel where the author speaks directly to the reader and questions whether they have the ‘right heart’ or the ‘good heart’ which he hopes they will bring to this story. It is a story of ‘two skinny, hungry boys living in a squat’, a dirty crumbling shelter, and the last food they had was 48 hours ago at the funeral of their friend. Their welfare payment has been stopped because they didn’t have the two dollars fifty required to log on to the library computer to submit their latest web form to the government ‘job provider’.
Pell and Gark have been brought up with good Christian values so they would not choose to break the law, but when Gark learns who is responsible for the rape and death of Lilly, his rage overtakes him and he wants revenge. In a moment of fury, the boys become the cross thieves, ripping out the cross that commemorates Lilly’s murderer. But it’s an action that leads them to being on the run from relentless drug dealers and violent thugs.
The Pell and Gark storyline takes place over one desperate night. Another storyline introduces Pastor Joshua Chord and the Noble Shepherd Ministry; and then there are also the past letters between the boys’ mother Ellie and her sister Molly. Gradually the pieces come together to fill out a stark picture of poverty, homelessness, organised crime, sexual abuse, violence and vengeance.
The structure of the novel is unusual; it is a chiastic structure or ring composition where themes or narrative segments mirror each other in a symmetrical pattern either side of a central pivotal point. So the chapters are presented as A, B, C, D, E, F, X, F, E, D, C, B, A. My curiosity so got the better of me that when I finished the book, I re-read the chapters as couplets, and it actually works! It’s an amazing feat of ingenuity. Instead of a climactic ending, the events of the middle become the turning point, and the reader realises the caring bond between the two boys, the values they share, and the potential they never had the opportunity to realise.
The cross thieves would be an interesting book to explore with secondary students because of its unusual structure, and because of the comments the author makes about writing and the manipulation of readers, and most of all because of its concern for an underclass suffering food insecurity and homelessness. Fyfe hopes to build the political will to create the needed social solutions.
This is the second book, in a trilogy that began with T, but you do not need to read that one to understand and appreciate The cross thieves. I for one will be eager to see the form that his forthcoming work The nine angles takes.
Themes Homelessness, Poverty, Welfare, Drugs, Religion, Sexual abuse.
Helen Eddy
Discipline by Randa Abdel-Fattah
University of Queensland Press, 2025. ISBN: 9780702271014. (Age:Senior secondary, Adult) Highly recommended.
Randa Abdel-Fattah is the author of the glorious children’s picture book 11 words for love (2022) written in collaboration with Maxine Beneka Clarke. Her other young children’s books highlight friendship in the face of bullying: The friendship matchmaker (2011) and The friendship matchmaker goes undercover (2012). Older students can identify with the exploration of Muslim identity in the Australian community and the sensitive handling of conflicting viewpoints in When Michael met Mina (2016) followed by the collective experience of Arab, Australian, Other edited by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Sara Saleh (2019) and Coming of age in the war on terror by Abdel-Fattah (2021) which documented the the impact of 9/11 on Muslim and non-Muslim youth.
Discipline is the book that Abdel-Fattah began in 2021 following Israel’s 11 day military offensive in Gaza during the month of Ramadan. It is dedicated to ‘all the Palestinian academics and journalists killed in Gaza who would be alive now if academics and journalists in the West had spoken and acted when they had the chance’. It is a book about the ongoing silencing of Palestinians in academia and the media.
Discipline focusses on two primary characters who struggle with different ways of existing in Australian society. Hannah is a journalist who is embraced as the diverse voice for 'The Chronicle' newspaper, sought out for her inside connections with the Muslim community, but whose viewpoint is constantly undermined. There is no respect for the integrity of her work; her stories are massaged, toned down and invalidated. When she reacts she is seen as too emotional and is pointed towards the company’s counselling service.
The academic, Ashraf, on the other hand, has learnt to keep quiet, protect his professional profile, and avoid conflict. This becomes a challenge for him as he supervises PhD candidate Jamal, Hannah’s husband, an ardent campaigner for support for Palestine. Both Jamal and Hannah become increasingly frustrated and angry, acutely aware of the devastation taking place in their home country.
Abdel-Fattah makes the argument that protests against Zionism, a political ideology, and Israel, a settler-colonial state, should not be characterised as anti-Semitic and racially vilifying. Palestinian people are confronting genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation and apartheid. People of both Jewish and Muslim faith feel compelled to stand for human rights.
Whilst Discipline reads as a strong validating voice for Arab and Muslim journalists and academics; for the general audience it provides an illuminating clarification of issues such as anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, and pro-Palestinian protest which are all too readily conflated in the media. In addition, there is the shared communality found in the portrayal of daily worries, the juggle of shared parenting, work conflicts, concern for relatives, all set against the constant trauma of ongoing war and aggression overseas. I particularly liked the author’s depiction of the reassuring sense of calm and peace that Hannah and Jamal draw from their faith, re-centring them both and helping them to go on. They both draw strength from daily prayer and in their hopes for humanity.
That focus on love and caring for humanity brings this reader back full circle to the message of Abdel-Fattah’s memorable picture book 11 words for love (2022). "All the words relate to someone leaving their country for another, forced to flee, but taking memories and a connection with them that will stay forever in their heart." Like all people, Palestinians continue to carry their country in their heart.
Themes Human rights, Integrity, Palestine, Journalism, Academia, Muslims.
Helen Eddy
Forever & ever by Allanah Hunt
Text Publishing, 2026. ISBN: 9781923058798. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Allanah Hunt’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching story of young love and unplanned pregnancy. Each of her two young protagonists are struggling with family pressures: for Talia it is caring for a mother who has lost grip on normalcy, and deflecting an overly critical estranged father; while for Johnny it is the challenge of living up to the expectations of parents who have worked hard so that he can have the future they missed out on. Talia and Johnny are both lonely, needily seeking out comfort in each other. Talia has built a hard shell around herself, her sarcastic repartee hiding her true feelings, whilst Johnny is at a loss to know what he really wants from life. The two find solace in each other.
Talia, from a white family, only gradually begins to become aware of the daily abuses that Johnny, a Barkindji boy, constantly faces, the subtle undercurrents of racism that can occur in everyday conversation. She is unaware of the connotations underlying her father’s questions to Johnny: ‘Oh, you study?’, ‘So, who pays for your education?’, ‘Oh, your parents work?’ This is the kind of racism that isn’t immediately apparent, the stereotypes that Barkindji woman Allanah Hunt seeks to raise awareness about in her work as a cultural sensitivity reader. Her role is to eliminate further perpetuation of harmful misrepresentations in texts that have negatively impacted Indigenous peoples for far too long. Her novel highlights both the obvious situations of blatant racism and bullying, as well as the harmful attitudes that go unremarked.
Issues of mental health are another strong theme, from the delusional escapism of Talia’s mother, to the simple kind heartedness of the intellectually disabled adult-child Vinnie, to the co-dependent neediness of Talia’s relationship with Johnny. Talia and Johnny each have to find their individual inner strength, before they can assume the responsibilities of parenthood.
So whilst Forever and ever may appear at first glance to be another lighthearted teen romance, this is a novel which explores serious issues in a thoughtful way, and raises questions which should provoke reader reflection and intelligent discussion. Teaching notes are available on the publisher's website.
Sight Unseen, is not the novelization of the Canadian television series but a completely unrelated magical “romantasy” novel of nearly 400 beguiling pages of prose, written by the viral sensation Alexis Marie from Georgia, USA.
Hiram Ellis has returned to his small town home where his privileged parents still reside. He has Antaris in tow - his ‘found’ and mute 6yr old son. We learn from Inspector Gabriel that Antaris’ mother had lured her killer away from her house to protect her son, thus his trauma when she never returned. But there have been more kilings.
In this ‘slow burn’ single dad romance is an old combatant, Veda Thorne. Hiram seeks her out to tutor his son. She’s a mage and gardener of souls, who connects with Antaris as if they were already acquainted. Veda is herself dealing with her own fatal curse - the Sanguis Curse, causing fatigue and bruising and a cyst that will prove as fatal to her cursor as herself. She’s thrown all her magical botanticals at it and accepted her fate.
Can combatants become lovers by joining forces as the victims of a predatory serial killer begin to mount up? The twists and turns of their searching fill these pages as do the source of the enchanted spider lilies that outpace their next moves. Could the answers be right under their noses? United in their shared pain, Antaris' affinity with Veda, herbalist and earth mother figure, and his salve. Are Hiram and Veda fated to be together and can they protect Antaris and his extraordinary gifts?
The work of a transportive high fantasy craftsperson - the fusion of mystery, magic and romance is so gripping it suspends the reader’s disbelief.
Themes Romance, Fantasy, Magical, Single parent family.
Life and breath stories are a collection of short stories by renowned and acclaimed Australian author Ursula Dubosarsky. Dubosarsky needs little introduction to teachers and librarians. She was the Australian Children's Laureate from 2020-2021. She has won nine state literary awards and the Children's Book Council Book of the Year (The return of the book spy) as well as being short and long-listed multiple times. Internationally she has been nominated for both the Hans Christian Anderson and the Asrid Lindgren awards. Children know Dubosarsky's writing well through picture books such as The terrible plop and many other titles. Teachers could use The word spy as part of their personal reference libraries. Dubosarsky loves words and she loves language. It is somehow clear as soon as you read any of her work that you are in the hands of an accomplished writer.
Some short stories in the Life and breath stories collection have been chosen from published work in magazines, papers and anthologies. Many of these stories have been published in The School Magazine published by the NSW Dept of Education (Australia's longest running literary magazine for children-1916-2026!) What a pity it is when schools feel that they can't afford the subscription!
The selection is divided into two parts: Old Bones and Young Blood, with the first story 'The little green leaf' being an outlier. At the conclusion Dubosarsky includes some notes on each story: the characters, the plot, the reason for writing the story and the themes. Many of the stories are based on her own life and probably this is what gives them such clear-eyed poignancy and authenticity.
Dubosarsky writes about Sydney gardens, brothers playing with tin soldiers during the war, looking out at the world through the leaves of a lemon tree, neighbourhood children, the old horse in the paddock near the school, being left at an Uncle's house when her mother was having a new baby, being bundled up and taken there by her dad, clear memories of a stuffed bird in a glass jar, of going home with a boy from her class who was a bit of an outsider and finding out how he lived-at the end of the line, the strange story of Percival, whose mother wouldn't let him go out into the world and so much more... The descriptive power and the perspective of the various narrators are crystal clear so that one is seeing it and feeling it all for oneself too.
Short stories must encapsulate much in a bite sized piece of text. They must be succinct and powerful. Often they end with a jolt. Life and breath stories fits the bill. These stories are perfect to pick up and read in one sitting. The impact leaves something to mull over. For teachers, Life and breath stories are ideal to pick up and read before break times or when a break is needed. For a short while, another intense world is visited.
Themes Life, Death, Decisions, Self.
Wendy Jeffrey
The wicked lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni
Electric Monkey, 2025. ISBN: 9780008684174. (Age:14+) Recommended.
Set in Llanadwen, a village in Anglesey Wales (Cymru) in the year of 1842 CE, The wicked lies of Habren Faire, takes the reader to a Welsh world; a world caught between the real life world of a Welsh mining village and a forest containing the world of the tylwyth teg (the fair family). Deeply imaginative and immersed in the world of the faerie folk, anyone who has ever been told to never mess with the fairies at the bottom of the garden as well as anyone who hasn't, will know to tread very carefully after reading this book.
Told in the first person voice of Sabrina Parry (Habren), The wicked lies of Habren Faire is a romantasy about a girl who must strike a bargain with a fae prince. We all know it is not a good idea to bargain with the faerie folk! They are dangerous, complex and otherworldly. Depicting the world of nineteenth century Wales, the age when the Welsh were impoverished and endentured to the English who owned everything including the coalmines in which the Welsh toiled in dangerous conditions, the book reflects a time when Welsh language was banned in schools and the people were weighed down with tax, tolls and famine.
The wicked lies of Habren Faire opens with our heroine Sabrina (Habren), watching her father on trial for a litany of crimes including inciting civil unrest and arson (the burning of the Llanadwen Tollhouse) and being sentenced to transportation to Australia. Habren's father tells her that she is the trunk of the family tree with him being the roots, Gran the branches and Ceridwen (her beautiful but frail sister) the leaves. When the roots are torn away, it is up to Habren to look after the family. All a girl could do in those days was to marry as well as she could or work for the English as a servant in one of their great houses. In the evening after the trial, Habren tells Ceridwen an old Welsh story about royalty, beautiful princesses, duty and marriage. She tells Ceredwin that she may have to marry to save the family as she sees no chance of herself winning any suitors living, as she does, in the shadow of her beautiful sister. "I know how it is to be overlooked. Don't take it to heart," says her Gran. She too had had a sister who outshone her and disappeared. On that very evening Ceridwen disappears from the house...a second disappearance of a woman from the family - a generation apart.
Close to the family house is a forest where no one goes because no one comes back alive. Habren follows her sister into the forest and into the world of the tylwyth teg. Habren's greatest talent is her ability to lie and these lies will take her far. She is a very engaging heroine whose character, with its strengths and flaws, changes, grows and resolves.The reader cannot help but be on her side, heart in the mouth, as she faces horrors and dangers and somehow lies, fabricates and smart mouths her way out of trouble. Intent on the rescue of her sister, she encounters the possibility of her own attractiveness and of love. She learns to use her power to great advantage. Sometimes her choices are heartbreaking but she learns to control her world.
Cardiff based author, Anna Fiteni's language useage is rich, creating a world of emotional depth and vivid, engaging imagery. Open any page and be delighted by the colour, depth and Welsh cultural context where every chapter heading is both Welsh and English and smatterings of Welsh appear throughout the text. This adds to the otherworldliness as the book occupies the Welsh and faerie worlds. Where will Habren finish up? Will she have the power to choose?
For lovers of coming-of-age romantasies, The wicked lies of Habren Faire is a book that immerses the reader in adventure, danger, romance, betrayals and in addition - a world that is part folkloric Welsh and part historical nineteenth century Wales. The coal mining families' lives and real historical disasters are captured and woven into the storyline so that the reader has a sense of blurry lines between historical Welsh collier village life and the faerie world.
What a clever book The wicked lies of Habren Faire is! It is an atmospheric convergence of the mortal and immortal world as well as a cry for Welsh nationhood and cultural reclamation!
Themes Welsh faeries, Legends, Language, Culture and history, Humans vs faeries, Immortality, Romance, Reclamation of Welsh identity.
Wendy Jeffrey
Poo! What? Where? by Mike Rampton. Illus. by Gareth Conway
Children love books about poo and this new release will be a firm favourite. Written with plenty of toilet humour, Poo! What? Where? is a brightly illustrated soft cover book that will provide many moments of engagement for readers of all ages.
The book opens with clear explanations about what poo is and why it is brown, followed by an impressive full spread diagram tracing the journey of a sandwich through the digestive system. Each organ is labelled, and the six stages of digestion are described in simple, accessible language with key vocabulary highlighted for young readers.
The chapter 'Pooing in the Past' offers some unusual historical facts — from Medieval castle toilets that emptied straight down the walls to Ancient Roman communal benches where people sat side by side and reused rinsed sponges. Later, 'The Problem with Poo' introduces readers to the health risks associated with waste, while 'Pooey Places' explores unusual poo related issues around the world, including the surprising problem of human waste on Mt Everest. Animal lovers will gravitate toward 'Poo in the Zoo', which is packed with memorable trivia: baby hippos, koalas, and pandas eat their mothers’ poo to help them grow, and wombats famously produce cube shaped droppings.
Throughout the book are humorous anecdotal sayings, voice bubbles with clever quirky comments, fascinating facts (did you know Tasmania has a Pooseum?) and detailed graphic-style illustrations that will entertain readers. There is even information about pooing in space and pooing in the future. This book is really a one-stop-shop for all things poo related and covers science, history, and some gross facts!
It will be a very popular addition to a school library.
After enjoying A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson and The reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson, I had no hesitation in picking up the Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2025) for Not quite dead yet, Holly Jackson’s debut adult mystery. Jackson introduces Jet Mason, who has been attacked and suffered severe head injuries. She is not expected to live for more than 7 days, and in this time, she is determined to find her murderer, proving to her mother that she can finish one last important job. With her childhood friend Billy by her side, she begins to collect evidence, trying to work out who might hate her enough to kill her. Is it her former best friend, now her sister-in-law, or her ex-boyfriend who wants to re-unite with her? Does her brother hate her because he might not get control of the family construction business? Does the new chief of police really care about finding the killer? As the countdown continues, I held my breath wondering if Jet would solve her own murder.
Although objectively it was hard to imagine a young woman with an impending aneurysm leaving her hospital bed and investigating her own murder, Jackson manages to convince the reader of that happening. The countdown begins with chapter headings naming the day, and the reader becomes increasingly involved in Jet’s search and her character development. Initially not a very pleasant character, Jackson cleverly shows how a person might change when faced with their own death, and become more aware of the people around her and their motivations. Her humorous asides about her condition also provide relief from the tension in the story. Billy her sidekick was sweet and easy to relate to, while her family members were richly drawn with strengths and weaknesses. There are plenty of red herrings and I found the conclusion surprising, even though it made sense when I traced back to the clues that were laid down.
Even though this was written for adults, older teen fans are sure to enjoy it.
Triggers: Swearing, Family disfunction.
Themes Mystery and thriller, Brain damage, Murder.
Pat Pledger
Oh brother: A graphic memoir by Georgina Chadderton
In this graphic memoir Georgina Chadderton introduces her cartoon character self to the reader, explaining that she loves to draw comics and that she grew up with a younger brother, Rob, who has autism and an intellectual disability. She wants to share what it is like to be a sibling of someone with high support needs and the complicated feelings she experienced. Before Gina starts year 8 at a new high school the family moves to a bigger house during the school holidays. She finds the changes difficult but exciting however it also throws up new challenges in managing Rob’s behaviours, like installing locks on cupboards and the fridge because of his tendency to steal snacks or tear up books. Gina loves her brother, who is non-verbal, and can communicate with him through sign language and the sounds he makes, but when Rob gets frustrated, he has meltdowns and can bite and pinch, something the family is prepared for, but still a problem. Mum, who works in disability support, and Dad, a professional doctor and amateur handyman, seem to have things as under control as they can be, but visits to the hairdresser or dentist are a challenge and what will Gina’s new school friends think, if she is lucky enough to find any? At school some of the other girls make fun of Gina’s boyish appearance, and when she starts her period at school she is too shy to get help, but she finds a friend called Callie who loves her cartooning and seems to have the self-confidence Gina lacks. Callie meets Rob at Gina’s house and she seems cool with his condition, they even have a sleep over while he is in respite care, but when a school project becomes a casualty, and Callie seems to be spending more time with her other friends, will their friendship survive?
The colourful cartoon characters are able to graphically communicate emotional turmoil in a unique way, with humour and compassion, particularly the close relationship between Gina and her brother. There are notes at the end with photos of the family and information about their lives since. One of young Gina’s worries was about how she would look after her brother when her parents couldn’t and it was good to see this articulated and to see how adult Rob is thriving in his own space in supported living. A great way to learn more about neurodiversity but also a well-paced entertaining read that deserves a wide audience, especially as the author is South Australian and it has a satisfying local feel.
