At the end of Covid, Mia found a new swimsuit, snorkel and flippers on the end of her bed with a note from her parents telling her that they were going to see the biggest fish in the world. The family drove until they reached Exmouth and they boarded a boat to take them to the reef, where Mermaid Mia ready to swim. Magically Mia becomes a mermaid and the illustrations show her swimming with the array of animals and corals under the sea.
Children will love the idea of becoming a Mermaid and swimming with the small reef fish and the larger ones as well, including the magnificent whale shark. Interesting illustrations will attract the attention of all readers as they seek out all the detail shown on each page. At the end of the story are a number of pages of information, giving facts about some of the things Mia can see.
Ningaloo Reef is under stress as a result of climate change and the rise in ocean temperatures, with a corresponding impact on the animals that live there. The Australian Marine Conservation Society has worked for sixty years increasing people’s awareness of the problems faced by Ningaloo Reef. The pages of information will necessitate children working with older children or adults as the six pages of facts are followed by two pages of questions. This is a book which seems to be aimed at older readers or children visiting Ningaloo Reef. It gives lots of factual information and these are supported by detailed illustrations.
The Terrakeet by Jo van der Borgh. Illus. by Jo Beasley
Walker Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781760657673.
In the shade of the gobi trees on the edge of Pincer Sea, live a family of Finlocks as peaceful as can be. They lomf and fish and fish and eat and hope that they will never meet the Frimbulitic Terrakeet!
Described as "Dr Seuss meets The Gruffalo" this is a delightful story in rhyme that tells the story of a family living alone, fending for themselves but constantly in fear of meeting this maniacal monster who will eat them at the first opportunity. But then, when Mother Nature isn't as plentiful as she has been, the youngest decides to look further afield for food but, instead encounters the terrakeet...
On the surface this appears to be one of those stories full of imaginative, made-up words that just roll off the tongue and become etched in the brain. Whether it's Seuss, Lewis Carroll, Spike Milligan or others who have mastered the art of inventing a word to suit the circumstances, children love to listen to the rhyme and rhythm and let their imaginations soar as the nonsense evolves. The soft, gentle watercolour and ink illustrations offer a clue that all might not be as it seems, and there might be a surprise ending.
But this also has a more serious message, one that takes it into the realm of older readers because even though the youngest Finlock has been conditioned since birth to believe that the Terrakeet is a scary, dangerous monster to be avoided, he discovers something quite different. So, just as wolves have been portrayed as fierce, fearsome creatures in stories and we have been encouraged to rethink those beliefs, is it time to re-examine some of our own perceptions and preconceptions to discover the truth? In a world which seems to becoming increasingly black and white (or black versus white), are there any shades of grey? Are strangers in fact friends we have yet to meet? Could this be an opportunity to investigate the role of monsters and other fearsome creatures and outcomes passed on to generations through a culture's myths, legends, fables and folklore?
Themes Monsters, Courage, Mythical creatures.
Barbara Braxton
Ebb & Flo: Party pooper by Laura Bunting & Philip Bunting
Anything written by Laura and Philip Bunting warrants attention from librarians, teachers and parents! Laura is a children's book author and Philip is an author and illustrator. Australian readers are familiar with books such as Liarbird and Mopoke, which along with others have been recognised by the Australian Children's Book Council as notable books. Ebb and Flo: Party pooper is the latest addition to the Ebb and Flo series which is a fun learn to read series based around the idea of "Small words, big feelings!" As Megan Daley, Raising Readers says, "Ebb and Flo are the friends your child needs by their side on their learn-to-read journey!" Even the title reminds the reader of the joyful wordplay that is infused through books written and illustrated by the Buntings.
Ebb and Flo are two delightful little cartoonish characters. Flo is a little yellow ball shaped creature reminiscent (slightly perhaps) of the Mr Men or Little Miss series and Ebb is a purple pear-shaped blob. Pastel colours are used. Ebb and Flo are invited to Zig's party. The two friends are full of different expectations - Flo loves the games and Ebb loves party food. At the party they play traditional party games but to Ebb's increasing horror the prizes are all healthy vegies and there is no sign of sweet party cakes etc. For Ebb a party is not a party unless he has eaten so much that he has vomited. Ebb becomes increasingly upset and rude to his host. He is a real party pooper until Flo reminds him of his own strange habits that Zig in turn might find weird. In the end Ebb apologises and puts on a good face in order to be a proper friend. Ebb experiences a range of feelings including anticipation, disappointment, anger and regret and he learns what he has to do to rebuild a relationship and stop being a horrible party pooper.
The tone of Party pooper is warm and buoyant. Sentences are short and each is illustrated. The font is large and bold. There is a bonus page of fun stickers and also a How to step-by-step procedure on how to draw Zig included in the end pages.
Warm, delightful and instructive, Ebb and Flo: Party pooper is highly recommended - in fact you will want to collect the whole Ebb and Flo series to read together at home and at school! All is well in the world when children have access to books like Ebb and Flo: Party pooper.
Themes Manners as a guest, Respecting difference, Birthday parties, Feelings.
Wendy Jeffrey
Whispers and Roars by Patrick Guest, Ill. Jonathan Bentley
Little Book Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781923141391. (Age:5+) Highly Recommended.
Patrick Guest and Jonathan Bentley who created the beautiful picture book Windows have collaborated once more in this wonderful new release, Whispers and Roars. For many children and adults, the negative ‘inner’ voice they often hear can affect their mental health and overall well-being. In this very telling and thoughtful narrative, a young girl tries to deal with the constant thoughts that plagued her in her daily interactions.
The textured cover with the word Whispers in soft flowing cursive font and the word Roar in a bold oversized font is a powerful introduction to the story. Followed by glorious front endpapers in deep green tones, the story begins with an introduction to the whispers who appear as floating creatures with tales, scales and over exaggerated faces.
There’s a place over the mountain that overlooks my home. It’s a field within a forest, its where the wild whispers roam.
They swirl themselves around you, wanting you to play, hoping you’ll believe in them and hear them every day.
As the young girl goes through her day the colour palette is often darkened and the whispers become bolder and bolder. They follow her and the feeling of aloneness is keenly felt. As she tries to shake the negative thoughts and focus on positive thoughts and feelings from both within herself and the people around her, the colour palette lightens to shades of yellow. Finishing with the back endpapers, a riot of golden colour and a calming visitor.
The clever and perfectly constructed rhyming text is brilliantly complemented by the full page striking illustrations. The visual impact of these illustrations adds a surreal atmosphere and clearly portrays the varying feelings of the young child on her journey. In the final pages is a letter to Parents and Carers from a certified counsellor providing strategies when sharing this book with children.
Whispers and Roars is a must-have for home, school and public libraries. As well as being a visual treat, it has an important message to share.
This delightful smaller picture book for young children is full of vivid colour, joy and imagination. The front cover perfectly captures the vibrancy of the story and the endpapers are a visual treat with the animals hidden amongst the colourful foliage on the front and at the back the same animals appear with some unusual additions.
When the young child begins to hang out the washing, little do they know that the wind will take them and the washing on a marvellous journey to the zoo next door. Here all the animals are overjoyed to find an array of clothing to wear but there are not enough items to share and things become chaotic. It is up to a wise monkey to save the day and with some creative help makes sure the washing arrives home safely.
With the clever rhyme complemented by lively, appealing and detailed digital illustrations, this book is a joy to read aloud.
The animals were chasing one another high and low. There was trouble, there was chaos, there was nowhere safe to go.
The use of alliteration, onomatopoeia and an abundance of verbs showcasing the fast pace of the engaging narrative, will make this book a firm favourite of younger readers.
For lovers of fantasy worlds, Gracie Kim has developed in Dreamslinger, a humdinger of a fantasy world with her creation of The kingdom of Royal Hanguk. UK publishers Piccadilly Press have certainly thrown some talent in with it because, inside the book, readers will find a shiny lift-out inset containing a detailed map illustration of Royal Hanguk by Virginia Allyn. Allyn is a fantasy map illustrator and her hand drawn cartography has illustrated more than 200 maps for novels, helping to establish a rich immersive fantasy world for each novel. Included in this inset is a summary of the 4 seasonal palaces of the Kingdom of Hanguk, a summary of the 4 "Dreampanions" and their "seasonabilities," a map of "The Asleep" and a curious badge token. The cover design by Zareen Johnson beautifully evokes the tone and substance of the story with a dragon appearing with a young girl tossing a glowing orb. As the author writes in the Acknowledgements, "They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I hope readers do judge Dreamslinger by its stunning face."
Graci Kim is the Korean born award-winning author of Gifted Clans, a Korean mythology inspired middle grade series. Dreamslinger is the first book in a new series pitched at the Middle Years cohort of readers. It is refreshing to read a fantasy world that is inspired by Korea. Korean customs, sayings and terminology are scattered throughout the book. We are immersed in a fantasy kingdom but it is definitely through and through Korean infused from the palaces to the hanbok to the food and etc. The kingdom of Royal Hanguk exists within Seoul, something like Bukchon Hanok village or Ikseon-dong Hanok Village (preserved traditional villages with hanoks from the Joseon dynasty) which exists for visitors to see within the busy streets of contemporary Seoul.
Fourteen- year-old Aria Loveridge is the likeable heroine. She lives, separated and exiled from society, in a home for Dreamslingers of which she is one. Dreamslingers have a genetic mutation that allows them to be transported to a magical realm while they sleep and they have powerful magic. Dreamslingers are blamed by the rest of society for an historic event which killed hundreds called The Great Outburst and are therefore distrusted. To keep society safe they must identify, isolate and suppress their power. However, the Kingdom of Hanguk opens Dreamslinger trials to Dreamslingers from around the world and Aria feels that she must go through the trials in order to infiltrate the royal kingdom to take it down. Things do not go as she initially thinks and she begins to question her whole past and identity. Aria forges new and deep friendships and allegiances. The trials are slightly reminiscent of The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and adhere to the satisfactory, tried and tested fairytale formula that dictates that the hero must pass a set of three trials. There are dream slingers, anti-slingers and freedom slingers. There is violence and a battle for power. Sides have to be chosen and Aria chooses. The guiding principle underlying the story is found in the dedication, " To all those who are exceptions to the rule. May you rise to be exceptional." In Aria, readers have a model of a character who is internally strong and ethical, able to stay true to herself and her values and to flourish. There is plenty of fertile ground in Dreamslinger with Aria, its engaging central character, for readers to keenly await subsequent novels in the series.
With its strong Korean influence, the Dreamslinger series will be an excellent vehicle for expanding the reader's world view, knowledge and intercultural understanding whilst at the same time being an original and exciting read.
Dreamslinger is also available as an ebook and in audio.
Themes Friendship, difference, dragons, magic, dreams, Korean culture and life.
Finnegan Quick has recorded in his journal events that will scare and horrify, evidence that nightmare ghosts, monsters and vampires are real, and the twelve-year-old should know because all the bad things in his nightmares don’t stay there. Finn’s worst nightmares feature a woman monster, with blood dripping from its eyes and fingers; it steals away first his dog, then his mother and father, leaving him in the care of his grandmother with no trace of how they all disappeared or ever existed. The nightmares build in intensity, night after night until there is a crisis, like the disappearances, leaving Finnegan afraid to go to sleep. Things that happen in his dreams continue to bleed over into the real world like cuts and bruises, or wetting the bed, but the woman doesn’t come for Gran for years then, when a brave, monster fighting girl appears, taking him on adventures, Finn starts to relax. But when the girl, Cass, appears for real at school things really get weird. Cass is brave and fearless, taking control, training Finn and his best friend Squid how to meet up in dreams. She is big on belief, faith in your own power and conviction that you can control what happens. When a goblin appears sucking the life force from Grandma the trio join forces to expel it and things get more gory, complicated and thrilling with a spooky house, a crypt and portal in a sarcophagus.
The pace is fast and thrilling with climaxes and cliffhangers at every turn leavened with a lot of dark humour, the image of the exploded goblin skull splashing “stuff” on the children is particularly vivid. The characters are all brave in appalling circumstances with talents they are able to combine to outwit the monsters, most of the time. Squid, physically weak, is intellectually strong and courageous, Cass is independent and responsible guiding the others in their self-belief while concealing her own emotional needs and Finn, the fearful superhero has to take Gran’s advice and face his fears. A great middle school read for thrill seekers with just the right amount of horror to keep it exciting.
Themes Paranormal, Horror, Family, Friendships.
Sue Speck
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
Macmillan, 2025. ISBN: 9781035045945. (Age:Adult)
Kristen Hannah is an American writer, publishing works that focus on the lives of women, particularly in challenging times. Her most recent novel The women topped the Sunday Times best-seller list; some others have won fiction awards. One of these was Firefly Lane which was a block-buster Netflix series. The nightingale is soon to become a major movie. Hannah often writes historical fiction but Summer Island is set in contemporary times.
Summer Island is an enjoyable light read- quite riveting and unputdownable but nonetheless predictable. Hannah explores the motherhood/sacrifice theme especially the fraught mother/daughter relationship. She delves into domestic violence and the long inter-generational hangover that can exist because of the responses that are developed in women who have lived through the experience. Thirty-four year old Ruby Bridge is the central character. Plucky and genuinely funny at times, she is also annoyingly good at making wrong choices. As a result of her mother walking out on the family when she was young, Ruby has developed a brittle and aggressive persona - a protective shell around her that does not allow anyone close. She is a failed comedienne. When her mother, Nora, a now famous radio talk show host who gives advice on life matters, is beset with a very public career-destroying scandal from the past, Ruby is offered a large sum of money and ongoing work for telling the story and betraying her mother. This she accepts. Her mother, after a car accident, is recuperating in the old family home on Summer Island and she needs care. Ruby agrees to take on that role with the idea of collecting more information to further tarnish her mother.
Here is where ethical choices and forgiveness begin to butt heads with betrayal, retaliation and revenge. Which will win out? Ruby learns that not all is as she has thought - that a child may gather certain information and being a child remain unaware of other perspectives and truths. She learns that not all is black and white. As in many of her other books, Hannah explores the theme of characters grappling with difficult choices, finding strength and learning to prioritise others' needs above their own. In a way, Summer Island is a "growing up" story; a getting of belated wisdom story. The family relationships are the focus of Summer Island and the issues are familiar and relateable: hope, determination, marriage, infidelity, loss and dealing with consequences.
There is romance too. In finding her true self and reuniting with her first love and his terminally ill brother, Ruby may just be able to redirect the downward spiral of her life.
Although Summer Island follows a predictable plot it is nevertheless an enjoyable, entertaining read.
Themes Mother/daughter relationships, Family breakdown, Forgiveness, Cancer, romance.
Guido is a humanoid robot, the last of his kind, all the others hunted down and destroyed as commanded by supreme ruler Brother John. Verne is a young highly accomplished thief taking on missions for unidentified clients. Although separated by the passing of years, strangely their disparate paths cross after Verne is sent to steal the last remaining laser weapon still kept by the Enforcer tasked with eliminating Guido.
This is a future world, humanoids are wiped out, but there are sophisticated helibirds and trackers to search out fugitives. Verne knows she is in danger and must keep moving, but she doesn’t know why both the Enforcer and Brother John are so determined to retrieve the weapon she stole.
The action is fast-paced, the moves like a chess game, each side trying to outwit the other. At the heart of the story is the question of what makes us human, and when does artificial intelligence cross that line. Can a human and a robot enter a truly caring and trusting relationship? Could we call it friendship, even love?
Young readers will find this story totally gripping. It has the same tension as Kelleher’s acclaimed earlier YA books, the futuristic Wanderer (2022) and The cave (2024) set in the Paleolithic past; all three books share concerns for the natural world, and raise questions about where we are heading. The lastling is another scary adventure story, but also a warm exploration of friendship between very different kinds of beings.
Black Inc Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781760645267. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Giobannoni’s genre-defying book presents a fictional account of an Italian migrant community in rural Victoria, ‘as he remembers it’. At times like a memoir, he tells of the people around him as he grew up at 'Mitrefo' and 'Bafaloriva', but there are also times when we hear the voice of his determined mother Morena, the one who defied her mother-in-law with a broomstick. The Italian migrants came to this ‘English colony’ in the 1960’s from many different parts of Italy, each with their own dialect, to make ‘a better life’, and turned their energy and hard labour to whatever work was required to make money and build their future. For many it was the tobacco growing industry.
But for many it did not eventuate in a ‘better life’. The book is divided into seven parts, and each part prefacing Giovannoni’s childhood memories opens with a ‘grotesque’, an original account of some horrific circumstance that befell others along the way, people who were also a part of the boy’s community. The first is the shocking story of Luigi whose head is blown to pieces when the petrol drum used in the tobacco curing process explodes decapitating Luigi and scalding his coworkers. For others there is violence, murder and necrophilia, suicide, fatal gun accidents, deadly snake bites, and madness. Somehow the narrator’s family survives these challenges in the new country, but is not left unscathed, as the parents separate, leaving the boy wondering what was really happening between them.
The stories are haunting; I’m sure there will be at least one that will resonate long afterwards with each reader. These are real people’s lives that were given in an often hostile country, labouring alongside family, friends and community. Come for a better life, ‘they must die to find peace’. Their stories are glossed over in history books. Giovannoni’s book records what it was like, a truly ‘fabula mirabilis, or, a wonderful story’, one of heart-breaking beauty that can not leave you untouched.
Themes Italian community, Migrant stories, Tobacco industry, Labour, Sacrifice, Hardship.
Helen Eddy
A gift from the birds by Caroline Stills
Text Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781923058453. (Age:8+) Highly Recommended.
A Gift From The Birds is a thoughtful and sensitive debut novel written by Caroline Stills. This story carefully deals with the illness, death and grief that ten-year-old Millie and her father deal with when their much loved mother and wife passes away.
Millie’s tenth birthday appears to be just perfect in every way. With the predominant colours of pink and purple, party games, dancing and best friends, Millie is mostly overjoyed. But there are some niggles for Millie - the way her friends look at her mum and whisper together, the fact that her mum seems to be tired and needs to rest, and the uncomfortable feeling Millie is experiencing that maybe not everything is ok. When her Mum collapses at the end of the party, it is the beginning of a challenging journey of loss, anger and loneliness for Millie.
When Millie finally loses her mum to cancer, the grief she experiences is overwhelming. Her father is also suffering and they both withdraw from each other, their friends, and their life as they once knew it. Millie is drawn to her backyard where two crows appear to connect with her. They will become an important part of her healing and her reconnection to her father. At school Millie is lost and wants to be alone. Twice-weekly lunchtime art activities provide her with the solace she requires but also the opportunity to express her grief and changing feelings.
This is a deeply moving narrative that shares the very personal story of Millie and her journey of grief, but also the power of healing and hope that comes after such a devastating loss.
Wish in a tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Illus. by Nancy Carpenter
Penguin Random House Australia, 2025. ISBN: 9781761354991. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Involved in a show and tell, the reactions of the rest of the class tell the readers how Oliver is seen by others. He tells them about a bolas spider which lassoes its prey in a piece of sticky web, demonstrating the spider’s action. Shay tells the class that this is for show and tell, not just tell, while Albert is excited and wants to know more about the spider. Later at break, Oliver lies down to watch the ants. Some of the class think he is cool, but Shay again is dismissive. During writing, Oliver cannot set his mind to the task, instead thinking about how his pen looks like a shark, while Shay tells him that he is lazy and asks why he cannot be like the rest of the class. Through Shay we hear many of the slights given to those who are different.
At the next break, Oliver sits in the tree, wishing he was like the rest and his brain was not always behaving like a volcano. Albert responds that he wishes his brain was like Oliver’s and asks him to think about the leaves on the tree. Over the seasons the leaves change colour and it is at its most beautiful when the leaves are not all the same. He goes on to ask Oliver to imagine what the world would be like without scientists inventors and painters. Jada joins them and Oliver tells his friends that they are like ants, because ants come to the aid of other ants. And he goes on to say that in an ant colony, everyone is important. Albert tells him that he is astonishing. Oliver is thrilled and gets down from the tree, to be with his colony.
A delightful tale about acceptance, about being different, of the role of friends is told by Oliver as he comes to realise that being different is not something to be wished away, but a part of him that many people admire. In opening up to Albert, he gains a friend, a supportive, interested friend who admires Oliver.
Illustrations by Nancy Carpenter capture the thoughts of the children, from Shay’s dismissiveness to Albert’s support. Her multimedia approach to her work can be seen on her website by clicking the video link. It shows how Carpenter creates her characters. The array of classmates doing what has been asked of them is in stark contrast to the behaviour of Oliver, who is often staring into space, or sharing facts that excite him. Readers will see his differences and applaud those friends who tell him they admire his difference and support him in the times when people like Shay are set to undermine and hurt.
A good read aloud for kids to articulate their responses. Many will know about the subtle and not so subtle bullying that takes place and books such as these will give a platform for kids to talk about how they feel, and come to recognise that we are all different and that difference should be celebrated.
The Library Book by Gabby Dawnay. Illus. by Ian Morris
Thames & Hudson, 2022. ISBN: 9780500660157.
Zach isn't convinced that books are for him - they're too long, they're boring and he would rather watch TV. But thanks to his friend Ro's stubborn efforts, Zach falls for books hook, line and sinker, and loses himself in a world of dinosaurs, princesses, pirates, football and rocket ships - anything and everything the library has to offer.
Using Seuss-like rhyme and vibrant, cartoon-esque illustrations that will appeal to the intended audience, Zach's friend Ro tries to convince him of the value of reading through offering him a diversity of books, both fiction and non fiction. But Zach remains resistant until...
We all know those who are reluctant to read, each having their own reason not to which is often masking their lack of belief in themselves because they didn't master the skill as readily as others when they were younger. So this is another for the armoury that might break through the barriers, particularly if students are sent on a treasure hunt to discover an example of all the genres, plots and subjects that Ro uses to tempt Zach.
Research has shown that one of the most influential factors in a young child learning to read is if they perceive it to be valued by the significant adults in their lives, but sadly, research has also shown that by Year 6, children perceive it as an adult-imposed task designed to achieve an outcome like a better grade, so perhaps the secret lies in seeing that it is something valued by peers and we need to seek out ways to show this. Maybe books like this and the Losing the Plot series will be the key.
Working at Money Mia in Western Australia as a marine biologist and ranger, author Kasey Whitelaw’s passion for wild bottlenose dolphins led her to write and share this delightful story about Flute, a living and breathing real life dolphin.
Flute spends her days playing and travelling with other dolphins and exploring the ocean. She knows how to keep herself safe from predators but one day is distracted by a loud boat and loses touch with her party. Young readers can follow Flute as she encounters various sea creatures, different ocean habitats as well as danger on her journey to search for her family and friends.
The ebb and flow of the words and the thoughtful use of onomatopoeia incorporated with the glorious full page colour illustrations provide so much visual interest for readers, as do the striking endpapers. Throughout the story subtle facts about dolphin behaviour are incorporated and offer educators and students perfect teaching and learning moments. In the final pages are interesting facts and further information about Flute and bottlenose dolphins as well as notes from the author and relevant sources.
This is a highly engaging story that will be a wonderful addition to all libraries: home, school and public.
In another adventure in the Penric and Desdemona series of novellas set in a fantasy world, Learned Penric is told about an ox that his son Wyn thinks might be possessed by a demon. The ox is stabled on his brother-in-law’s bridge-building site and together with his adopted daughter Otta and Rina his daughter he travels to the building site to investigate. He believes that it will be an ideal opportunity to teach Otta who is studying at the Temple to be a sorceress. But events intervene, the ox escapes and Penric and his family face danger in the mountains.
Lois McMaster Bujold packs a fascinating array of themes into 130 pages - adventure, demons, danger and children growing up. The reader gets to know Penric’s family, who usually feature in the background of the novellas. There is 9-year-old Wyn, already working with his uncle on building bridges and allowed to ride by himself to deliver messages. Rina is desperate to become a sorceress and she gradually gets to know what she wants and how she can attempt to attain it. Otta is learning how to manage her demon, Atta, and growing up fast. When Penric faces great danger both Rina and Otta use their skills to face off wolves and scavengers. It is difficult for Penric to see his children moving away from him but he is consoled with a new baby in his household.
This is a feel-good series and The Adventure of the Demonic Ox is highly recommended for fans of the author and series as well as those who enjoy fantasy by Martha Wells and Sharon Shinn.
