Hatzopoulou’s romantic fantasy is a very timely novel, with its strong arguments for peace and kindness instead of war. The world is threatened by strange Dark creatures emerging from underground through sewer manholes and cracks in the Earth, but for Sascia, a girl who has always been fascinated by the Dark, this inspires an insatiable curiosity, not fear. She and her cousin Danny nurture the Darkmoths and Darkplants they discover, and work for the Umbra program for Young Researchers similarly exploring the mysteries of the Darkworld. But for most people, the Dark presents a threat, and the government rushes to develop stronger weapons to defeat their perceived enemy.
Moth dark is an unusual mix of myth and time travel. Sascia is like an Ariadne of Greek myth determined to find a way through a labyrinth of danger and confusion, whilst Nugau the princet, the gender fluid being she falls in love with, appears sometimes from the future, sometimes from the past, their two interweaving timelines knotted together as ‘ymneen’. It’s a story of crossing timelines rather than time travel as such, but the novel retains the emotional flavour of Niffenegger’s The time traveler’s wife.
Sascia’s close friendship with her ever loyal and supportive wheelchair bound cousin Danny and the loving embrace of her hardworking Greek family provides a grounding element to an otherwise fantastical story; a brush of realism over a magical tale, adding warmth and humour.
The pages turn quickly as Hatzopoulou keeps the tension level high. I’m sure YA readers will be easily drawn into this latest romantasy with its determined and fearless female protagonist and the strong moral messages of kindness and caring for others different from ourselves.
Themes Romantasy, Myth, LGBTQIA+, Diversity, War.
Helen Eddy
Before you close your eyes by Scott Stuart & Jess Racklyeft
This gorgeous picture book is filled with easily accessible snippets of wisdom for readers of all ages. With each page containing two pairs of rhyming couplets, accompanied by delightful and detailed pastel illustrations, this title holds a lot of appeal and interest for even the youngest of children.
Important advice is offered on each page…
Learn from your mistakes, but let them go Celebrate the positives Show gratitude for nature, friends and people who help Be resilient when things are hard or don’t go your way Expect to experience a range of emotions Dream and be ready for new adventures Rest and know you are loved
The blurb accurately describes this book as follows “With its gentle lullaby-like text and warm, comforting art, Before You Close Your Eyes encourages children to reflect on their day, be proud of what they’ve achieved and let go of things they can’t control as they head off to sleep. From bestselling author Scott Stuart and award-winning illustrator Jess Racklyeft comes your family’s new bedtime ritual.”
Parents or caregivers who choose to follow this advice, helping children reflect on the day’s experiences using these prompts, will most likely assist children to be at peace with themselves each night, better prepared to face the joys and challenges of the coming day.
Themes Bedtime.
Jo Schenkel
The Whisperwicks: The impossible trials by Jordan Lees
Penguin Random House, 2025. ISBN: 9780241625101. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
From the opening pages, bearing snippets from “The Book of Barely Believable Stories”, one is drawn into another world where the celebration of the Midsommer festival is underway. Claris meets a young boy who knows her name but not his own, thereby setting the scene for mystery and adventure.
Meanwhile, the mundane Wyvern-on-the-Water is far less interesting, until Benjemiah Creek finds a piece of witchstone, and reconnects with the magic he has previously experienced. His joy grows as his doll is restored to life and he is able to hug his ‘poppet’. Soon, the pair is transported back to Wreathenwold where problems await.
Quickly, Benjemiah reconnects with his friend Elizabella Cotton whom he had met on his first visit to Wreathenwold, and they are joined by new friends Mea and Silas the mapmaker. As a team, they work together to save the missing children of Wreathenwold. Will Mildred Fogge’s ‘wisdom’ help them to fix everything before Midsommer ends or not?
Friendship, loyalty, problem solving and acceptance of others are key themes of the story, as differences are embraced and new connections are made. As the story concludes, Benjemiah’s mother describes him as being “incomprehensibly reckless and stupid, but brave nontheless…” and the importance of family, security, affection and honesty shine through.
The good news for the reader is that it’s clear Benjemiah’s adventures in Wreathenwold are not over yet.
Not having read the first book in the series before reading this title, I’ll be keen to read it now and will eagerly look forward to the third installment.
This is another tale of bizarre and ridiculous adventure involving Skulduggery Pleasant, the skeletal super-charged problem solver in the world of impossibility. With his faithful side-kick Valkyrie Cain they have regularly ‘saved the world’ and in this mystery-detective-adventure they become homicide investigators and responsible for unraveling a future that could be apocalyptic. And all of this is liberally coated with a thick layer of sarcasm.
This is the kind of ridiculous adventure that only fans of Skulduggery Pleasant could love. It entangles the skeletal wonder worker and his assistant into a series of deaths (including one with a beheading) that take place within the Department of Prophecies. The result is exceptionally eccentric and twisted and there are characters that are chronically lacking in intelligence or fortitude. Sidebar conversations are often dripping with a viscous sarcasm that takes attention from any plot progress but adds a humorous quality to the story dealing with prophetic, magical or evil intentions. I am not sure that this will immediately appeal to those with a gentle nature or a preference for realism in fiction, but readers aged 11-14, who have previously discovered the unconventional realm of Skulduggery Pleasant and who are impressed by the sarcastic tone scattered through the book, will pick up this latest Derek Landy offering with a measure of pleasure. Skulduggery is not my favourite ‘hero’ and I do not particularly love the weirdness of this plot or the ‘evil’ characters that drop in to create a twist or two, but there are moments of lightness that overcome my reticence.
Four statues in a museum decide that it is time to return home. A Neptune like man with a trident, a Venus like female Greek statue, a bust that looks like Julius Caesar and a statue of a thinker, all decide that they need to be home. They raid the lost and found collection, clothing themselves in outfits that might help them fit in. They say goodbye to their friends then find their way to the sea, catching a ship to Italy. They feel immediately that they have found home but what to do next. They find Julius Caesar at the Colosseum and he uses words that are strange to them, telling them to get out of his spotlight.
They explore the city, deciding that things have changed so much that there is no longer a place for them.
Finding themselves in a forest, they take shelter, even suggesting they return to the museum. But Elvira greets then and asks them to go to her house. Here she feeds them, even though they cannot eat, and gives them a bath, their first in two thousand years, before they are tucked into bed to sleep. They find a life for themselves in Elvira’s garden, the most beautiful backyard in the village.
They are home.
Distinctive illustrations support the story as the four statues search for their home.
Using only a few colours, the wonderful characters are brought to life as they don modern clothes and search for that part of the ancient world they came form.
Kids will enjoy recognising the places they go to, and the places they were from. The ideas promoted by the story will encourage readers to think about some major issues felt by museums and countries today. Just where do the statues belong? How did they get from their countries of origin to a museum far away? The title, The Returnus, is a humorous nod to the idea of returning cultural artefacts to the country of origin. This is called Repatriation and is an idea being discussed widely.
The illustrations evoke details of some places the statues would have known during their lifetimes two thousand years before, and will encourage readers to find out what they are and where to see them.
Themes Humour, Rome, Statues, Museums, Repatriation, Cultural icons.
Fran Knight
The future book by Mac Barnett. Illus. by Shawn Harris
Simon & Schuster, 2026. ISBN: 9781761639302. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
In the future the sun is called moon, the moon is called sun. It is a place where bananas are called apples and apples … well, apples no longer exist. Readers will dive head long into this book of topsy turvy, of things being differently named in the future. And stretch their imaginations.
If you sneeze, you say, ‘Forgive me, Susan’, while to say thank you means a fish is placed on one’s head. All deliciously silly and nonsensical, ensuring kids will be rolling around helplessly laughing as the book is read aloud. And spare a thought for the person reading, tears rolling down their faces as they turn the page to see an array of people all called by the same name, Charlie Cheese Face, or stumble over the cat being called a Meowing life form, and the dog, well, he is called dog.
I love the way the text has the reader thinking ahead, but then something quite different from what is envisaged, occurs. It keeps the readers on their toes.
Noses are not called noses in the future, but mushrooms, so a plate of mushrooms for breakfast in the future, could look less inviting than expected.
Each page offers a different meaning for words well known, and offers a different slant on the use of that word. Kids will be enraptured thinking of wider implications, or sharing sentences with the new words replacing the old.
Bolly Molly hoo hoo is the name of a supermarket in the future, and a short story uses all the words from the book, about a trip to the bolly bolly hoo hoo to buy some fruit.
Lots of sentences will be constructed using the new words, and suggestions for other words, while kids get their tongues around the ones offered.
The illustrations reflect the fun of the text, making sure readers understand the text in all of its silliness. Ink and gouache illustrations fill each page, offering an image of the word under discussion. On the cover a man with incredible futuristic sunglasses sits quietly with a fish on his head. Questions will immediately spring to readers’minds as they open the book, anticipating … well, just anticipating.
This wonderfully involving nonsensical story will captivate kids with its delicious humour and equally enthralling illustrations. The idea of looking back from the future will provoke kids into thinking about the changes that will occur, and what it will mean for them. And will entertain, provoke and cause lots of laughter. And the Simon and Schuster website tells us that two more books in the series will be published. What larks.
Football/Soccer unites the sporting world and the World Cup is certainly one of the most watched events in modern history whether on a digital device, television screen or in attendance at a stadium.
Greatest Stars of the World Cup is a glossy eye-catching magazine-style nonfiction book that contains facts about soccer players, both male and female, who have made the most of their sport and become iconic legends. Included in the list of 50 most spectacular match players are the famous Lionel Messi, Pele, Mbappe, Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, Michelle Akers, alongside many other players who have made their mark on the sport.
The book begins with a Contents page divided into chapters with player positions as headings: Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders, Goalkeepers and Next Generation. In each chapter every player mentioned has a two page spread featuring bold colour photos, a data fact file listing their home country, date of birth and memorable World Cup moments. There are highlighted key tabs showcasing Top Skills and Star Turns. The information, presentation and striking visuals are accessible for all readers and will be perfect for browsing or quick research.
A popular addition to a home, school or public library.
Themes Football, Soccer, Star Players, Statistics.
So intriguing! Johansson’s latest book is described as a ‘surreal thriller’; I would add an extra adjective, ‘surreal psychological thriller’. It explores themes of surveillance, stalking, voyeurism, memory and dreams, and references neo-noir films such as Michael Haneke’s Cache or Hidden (2005), David Lynch’s mystery Mulholland Drive (2001), and of course, Brian de Palma’s erotic thriller Body Double (1984), all films with endings that are ‘open to interpretation’. Even the writing style often seems like the directions in a film script “I take the metro … I stamp my ticket … I stand in the clattering train, I listen to the chiming of the doors. I hold on to a leather strap.” The two protagonists, Naomi and Laura, even talk about the kind of film that interests them, films about ‘paranoid women’, "Women who live alone. Women who are stalked. Women who are driven mad. And women who are murdered". Reading this in the first chapter, the reader has intimations about the direction of the novel.
The first time the women meet is in a department store café, after Naomi discovers she has accidently taken someone else’s coat, a coat very similar to her own. When she goes back to return it, she is struck by Laura’s appearance: her vague look, her unnaturally pale eyes and brown lipsticked lips. But Naomi is drawn to her nonetheless and further coincidental meetings lead to Laura moving into Naomi’s place. Then Naomi goes to work each day while Laura waits for her at home.
Another strand of the novel is the first-person narration of a woman transcribing tapes for a ghostwriter: the recollections of various women wanting their lives to be recorded and made into books. She listens and records their every word, their silences, their tears, no matter how convoluted the accounts, everything is taken down, for the ghostwriter to craft into a ‘story of a life’. Snippets from the recordings are included in the text; they may be random memories or something more significant. The unnamed person is so absorbed in listening and transcribing that she feels like she is disappearing; she can’t remember her own life. The reader becomes aware that those transcribed records are important, little threads are picked up and woven into something else.
Johansson’s novel is such an intriguing and clever piece of work, building an atmosphere of discomfort and creepiness, exploring ideas of self, identity, doppelgangers, and body doubles. The threads come together in an increasingly disturbing way. The final unravelling, like the arthouse films it references, with its lingering last image, is ‘open to interpretation’.
Hanna Johansson has been awarded two prestigious literary distinctions in Sweden for Body Double: the Albert Bonnier Scholarship 2025, and a Samfundet De Nio prize. We are fortunate that Scribe’s publication of Kira Josefsson’s translation now makes this strange and compelling thriller available to a wider audience.
Which Way to the Future, the third and final instalment in the imaginative Which Way to Anywhere series, by Cressida Cowell, brings readers back into a world of magic, adventure and family teamwork. This fast-paced novel continues the extraordinary journey of the O’Hero-Smith children, as they travel through magical passageways, and it is certainly a winner for its fans.
The novel launches straight into the action, and I highly recommend that readers begin with the previous books in the series before diving into this one. Major events and discoveries from previous stories shape this adventure, and without that background it can be a little tricky to immediately understand all the characters, relationships, magical developments and scenarios.
In this novel, Izzabird is desperate to uncover her own magical gift, especially as everyone else continues to grow more confident in using their own powers. Banned from using their magic for the weekend, due to a visit by a non magical family member, the children feel they have no other choice but to jump into action when they receive a message for help from Horrizabel.
The O’Hero-Smith children once again find themselves on a dangerous mission; but unbeknownst to them, their beloved little sister, Annipeck, is also in grave danger of disappearing from their lives forever. Can the siblings work together as they face terrifying beasts, tricky obstacles and dangerous enemies and will Izzabird finally discover her magical powers and be able to put them to use?
Drawn into another thrilling journey through the Which Way, encountering bounty hunters, magical creatures and time-twisting adventures around every corner, the fast-paced tension is enthralling. With black-and-white illustrations to add extra energy and engagement to the story, loyal readers who have followed the O’Hero-Smith family adventures will be page turning till the very end.
With its exciting blend of magic, time travel, danger and heart, Which Way to the Future delivers a thrilling conclusion to the trilogy. Fans of the series will find plenty to enjoy, and this magical finale is a huge success.
Themes Magic, Time travel, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Problem Solving, Collaboration.
Michelle O'Connell
The Phoenix Five by Sandi Phoenix, Christopher Phoenix & Monica Millgate. Illus. by Katherine Appleby
Little Steps, 2025. ISBN: 9781922833457. (Age:0+) Recommended for educators and children from 3+.
Down by the coast, where the river meets the sea, there’s a secret meeting place beneath an old gum tree Join the Phoenix Five as they discover the power of friendship, the joy of accomplishment, and the beauty of dreaming together.
On first read, this was just another cute Australian rhyming story, with a positive message about working together. The illustrations are appealing and engaging with lots of white backgrounds to draw the eye to the characters, and the rhyming text is easy to comprehend. Each of the five characters is introduced individually, along with a list of their strengths. It is apparent that they are close friends despite (or maybe because of) their differences. Younger children would enjoy the story as well as the search for the sixth character, a tiny frog, on every page.
On reaching the end of the story, discovering the Educator Notes, and realising the connection to my tertiary studies in sociology…Maslow’s hierarchy of needs…the book seemed to develop a greater depth. With emotional literacy having become part of the curriculum, rather than merely something teachers may include incidentally, this book can take its place as a vital resource. As stated in the notes, it can be used as “a tool for teaching children about their needs through an idea called ‘Needs Literacy’.”
In my previous role as teacher librarian, this is a title I would certainly have purchased for my collection, knowing it has a place in multiple curriculum areas.
In the vein of the Ollie and Bea and Narwhal and Jelly series, Super Friends is the second in this junior graphic novel series that explores friendships in a fun, environmental and approachable way. Lots of humorous puns, full-colour graphics and a story told entirely in short bursts of simple dialogue make these perfect for newly independent readers who are still attached to illustration-heavy chapter books. Queenie is 'almost a queen bee' and Kenneth is a bumblebee, meaning they have different ideas on pollination techniques.
This title consists of three short connected stories, although the chapter breaks are hard to discern and separated with short interlude pieces titled The Delicate Art of Pollination, which could leave the reader confused, as these are better signposted than the stories themselves. The characters, including some other minor friends, are individual and lovable and there is lots of funny banter and humorous illustrations.
While this will draw children's attention to the natural world and some bee information is woven throughout the story, this is mainly a fun story, rather than being educational. Even 'The Art of Pollination' interludes between the chapters are jokey, rather than factual.
Murder on North Terrace, the second in The Petticoat Police Mystery series, following The death of Dora Black is another engrossing mystery set in Adelaide in 1917. Miss Kate Cocks and Ethel Bromley are again embroiled in a murder, this time the death of a board governor of the Art Gallery, whose body has been found under a controversial painting. Ethel, with her strong ties to Adelaide’s elite society, is seconded to the Detective Branch, where her knowledge of the key suspects is useful. Meanwhile Kate is left pounding the beat, following up on a terrible assault on a young girl, who was found unconscious in the parklands.
The historical background was what made this book stand out for me. Kate Cocks is a real character and it is fascinating following her as she pursues her goal of looking after women and children in Adelaide. Through her eyes the reader becomes aware of all the work that women do for the wartime effort, the maimed returned soldiers and their drinking, and Anderson even incorporates some real events that Cocks was involved in, noting these in her afterword. She uses the fictional Ethel’s life and connections to highlight the difference in the classes, the power that the wealthy Adelaide leaders have, while the poor struggle to feed themselves.
Anderson leads the reader through the steps of the two investigations, showing society’s different attitudes to the murder of a prominent member of society, which attracts media attention and multiple police resources to solve it, while the rape of a young, poor girl is left to Kate Cocks alone to follow the clues, while facing danger on the dark streets of Adelaide. Kate and Ethel are triumphant in their investigations and justice is obtained in a surprising conclusion.
Murder on North Terrace can be read as a stand-alone and is sure to be enjoyed by readers who want a well-researched historical novel, with the added benefit of two mysteries to solve.
Themes Murder, Police, Adelaide - History.
Pat Pledger
The firefly crown by Yxavel Magno Diño
Bloomsbury, 2026. ISBN: 9781547615162.
The firefly crown, in a nutshell, is a story about a small girl who learns to control an unusual power and after many challenges and life-threatening trials, wins a comfortable living for her poor, hard-working parents whilst simultaneously finding the ability to follow her dream in life. This narrative is a blend of several overlapping tropes: the wonder child, the fool's journey (the underestimated child), the zero-to-hero underdog and the prodigal hero (returning home with newfound wealth). Whenever a small, unassuming, central protagonist has to battle great odds to come through in the end, we all love to identify and cheer them on. Yumi (our central character), belonging in this category, incrementally discovers extraordinary powers, navigates different worlds, battles frightening physical and social situations but never loses sight of her humble beginnings and the love of her parents.
Yumi must learn to wield her insect power. She struggles to harness the power of the cricket. The empire is attacked by a swarm of undead bugs which turn everything they touch into decay. Only the firefly crown can save it but when that is stolen the hordes threaten. All of the sorcerers (who are insects of some kind) are called to the coronation of the princess. Yumi is blamed for the loss of the crown. At great peril and with the help of friends she attempts to save the empire.
The firefly crown is action packed. This reader senses that The firefly crown lends itself more to the manga /graphic novel style rather than continuous prose. The prose, at times, is slightly clunky with some mismatched action/word timing. This means that occasionally passages have to be reread for sense. A graphic novel version would improve reading flow and ease of understanding by adding visual support to the text in a style that could be very closely associated with manga.
Nevertheless, Yumi is an engaging heroine. Her friendship group works as they collaborate to defeat evil. The play with anthropomorphism with spider soldiers being half human/half spider and other insects exhibiting dual behaviours and emotions is interesting. Imagine riding on a spider and running up walls and upside down across ceilings. This is the kind of action that occurs.
Author Yxavel Magno Dino is of Filipino heritage and... "writes stories about her Filipino heritage and its fantastical folklore." The firefly crown certainly fits this description and as suggested by Booklist, The firefly crown is "...reminiscent of the darker-themed Miyazaki films..." certainly not as sweet as My neighbour Totoro - perhaps more like Princess Mononoke in that there is intense action and some violence. The trope of the small and unassuming character coming into their own, protecting family and realms and helping good win over evil comes through. This idea supports children to realise that they can have agency too and that there are other children out there who can sometimes feel undervalued but can and might do very surprising things (for the universal good) when they come of age.
Themes Family, Friendship, Courage, Filipino mythology, Adventure/fantasy, Insectoids, The underdog.
Hagtale is described as a ‘Macbeth origin story’, but the reference only gradually becomes apparent. O’Reilly weaves together two stories, one set in 1354, about a monk on a quest to retrieve the records of Scottish royal lineage from a distant ruined abbey, and the other of a strange wolf-girl Wulva, raised by witches 300 years earlier. The separate stories are told in alternating chapters until the connection is revealed at the end.
In essence the book is about human induced climate change. The three witches mould the feral child to become accepted in the human realm; she will charm the fierce Lord Macbeth and foster his ambition to become king. Their motive is to bring about war and the destruction of the human race, allowing the natural world to rise up again.
But not all humans are evil. The parallel story of the monk Rowan shows him to be a gentle thoughtful man in tune with the natural world in direct contrast to the rigidly pious and inconsiderate Brother Kenneth who unfortunately is his appointed travel companion. Having survived the plague, Rowan enjoys anew the peaceful rambles alongside his mare Hestia, contemplating the wondrous world God has created.
O’Reilly’s rich descriptive writing brings to life all the sights and sounds of nature, the tranquil countryside, the sparkling river waters, the night sounds, the forest spreading its roots. As a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, she challenges writers to engage in eco-aware writing, and to explore different kinds of narrative techniques or strategies to contribute to ‘a shift in consciousness’ and encourage a more sustainable way of living. Her website includes videos about fiction and climate writing, offering prompts to budding writers to build writing skills and contribute to making a difference.
Thus her book Hagtale is an unusual mix of genres. It is presented partly as historical fiction, partly fantasy. Drawing on the Shakespearen tale, it includes the three witches and their bubbling pot, and adds ‘something other’, a feral wolf-child, and a yew-tree forest that moves. The two time-separated storylines of Wulva and Brother Rowan run alongside each other with short chapters that keep the reader engaged. The title ‘Hagtale’ with its permutations of dark fable and oral storytelling is perfect. This is a book that should appeal to a variety of readers.
This 15th hardcover edition of the award-winning book in the Light series, Lighthouse Girl, is based on the true story of Fay Howe and shares fascinating archival material throughout. In this engaging narrative nonfiction text, Fay plays a small but important role in early days of Australia’s involvement in World War One.
Fay is a young girl living on Breaksea Island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. The Australian troops entering the war for the first time in mass numbers stop in Albany to take on water and coal before heading overseas. Fay watches from a distance as the troop ships pass by and connects with some young soldiers by using Semaphore Flags. She records the messages the soldiers have for their families and sends them off by telegraph. She also writes to some of the boys overseas and from letters and postcards sent to her, she learns about the brutal war taking place in a world away from her.
Through Fay’s journal writing we read her personal thoughts, about her daily life and how they survive on the island. Life is tough for Fay and as she grows older, her loneliness comes through with the letters from overseas, especially from her friend Charlie, providing a lifeline for her.
The inclusion of factual documents such as notes, postcards, newspaper articles, sepia photographs, and Brian Simmonds’ striking charcoal illustrations enriches the narrative, allowing the book to convey an important chapter of Australian history in a format that is both visually engaging and textually varied.
Lighthouse Girl would be a wonderful addition to a primary classroom or school library war genre collection. It is not a difficult read and the interesting articles/photos will provide a depth of factual background information for studies on WW1.
