Neeka and the Storm is the second book in the refreshing and entertaining Wilder Zoo series. This engaging story begins with eleven year old Year 5 student Neeka riding her bike around the zoo feeding some of the animals including the Galapagos tortoise, penguins, Tasmanian devils and the African elephants. She is though increasingly aware of the impending storm and the need to start her last book for the school’s Reading Challenge with a looming deadline.
The relentless rain and Neeka’s need to finish ‘The Secret Garden’ for the challenge is causing great conflict with her desire to be out in the Zoo helping the staff look after the animals. As the heavy rain intensifies problems begin to arise for the zoo such as flash flooding affecting the relocation of the endangered Javan green magpies, a power blackout in the animal food preparation area and maintenance shed, a huge 100 year old fallen tree, missing zookeepers, flooding, unsettled animals and an animal nursery in Neela’s bedroom. All these events make for an exciting action packed story where Neeka, her friends, and a skeleton zoo staff work together to help maintain the zoo and the animals.
Added to the mix, is the need for Neeka to finish reading her book. Her school is scheduled for a day at the waterpark and will receive new sports equipment but it is entirely dependent on every student completing their sheet with five books read and signed off. Will Neeka be able to finish the challenge after her busy and exhausting weekend, and unexpectedly losing her book in the creek?
For those children who love animal stories set in zoos, this will be an enjoyable read. It is full of challenges and an array of likable characters including some very special non-human ones!
Themes Zoos, Animals, Storms, Reading Challenge, Family, Problem solving, Working together, Friends, Schools.
Everglade: Rise of the witch is a delightful story about a funny and likeable little twelve-year-old girl called Wren who is slowly coming to understand and accept herself as being a witch in a world that actively rejects witches and magic of any kind. Despite the action which involves the dreaded and revolting Eater and many scary moments, it's a gentle and warm story involving friendly and "can-do" characters who work together to fight evil. And its a book about finding your true home and overcoming being different and an outsider. In the beginning, Wren is a real outsider, hiding her identity and living with a horrible aunt because her mother has been killed.
Rise of the witch is the first book in Everglade - a fantasy trilogy by Perth-based children's author Kitty Black who has a background in psychology and education and an interest in incorporating neurodiversity into the characters. This incorporation is very natural and unforced. The characters may have unusual reactions and thoughts when faced with situations and these thoughts and reactions can be funny and in their unexpectedness, throw the villains right off course. In her effort to escape from Everglade, Wren has to cross to another world. Black's world building is not too complicated which makes this series a great introduction to the world of fantasy novels. A simple map in the front pages shows the places she must traverse to reach her goal. She has to travel through the Deadwood with its inherent dangers (like any fairy tale wood) to reach Meadowcourt. Her two travel companions are slightly off-centre too but staunch and loyal supporters each bringing their particular skills to help in dangerous situations.
The jaunty third person narration keeps the reader abreast of the thoughts, feelings and actions of the characters as well as the banter between them. The banter is unfailingly funny throughout. Open at any page and the offbeat, witty, dead-pan conversations and thoughts can be found. The delightful cover and full page illustrations are by Rebecca Crane who is well known for her illustrations in the Pearly and Pig books by Sue Whiting and other titles. Her illustrations are of dynamic characters who appear full of energy and new ideas- so suited to the characters in Rise of the witch.
Whilst combating the evil Eater and his minions, Wren has to overcome and understand the death of her mother, the fact that she too is a witch who has to discover her power and try to save magic from being sucked right out of the world to be replaced by a particular kind of ordered nastiness. Can she do it?
Similar to Fledgewitch by Lian Tanner but simpler in terms of the fantasy world built, Rise of the witch is recommended reading for middle grade students who enjoy reading about feisty little witches (practically a genre in itself). The next two books in the trilogy will be something to look forward to.
Anyone looking for a book set in a picture-perfect seaside town with a wonderful bookshop and a budding romance is sure to enjoy The Wildest Dreams Bookshop. 17-year-old Anna has just finished her exams and is certain that she has failed them. To make matters worse, her boyfriend Max has dumped her, saying he wants to find himself on a trip to Paris. Her friends all have summer jobs so when her aunt invites her to help in her bookshop, she travels to Cornwall, not expecting to enjoy herself. But there is handsome Jacob, a local surfer and handyman, who she keeps seeing around. Then her aunt breaks her leg, and Anna is forced to take over the bookshop, trying desperately to save it from financial ruin.
I rushed through The Wildest Dreams Bookshop loving the characters and the setting. Anna’s growth from an unhappy young woman who wears London clothes and straightens her hair, to one who lets her hair go curly is engrossing. She uses all her skills and spreadsheets to help pull her aunt’s bookshop out of financial trouble, organising the shop and inviting a celebrity author to launch her new book there. She is ably assisted by Raye and Jacob, although labelled a bad boy, shows his true colours by helping to renovate and coming up with ideas when disaster strikes. Meanwhile she begins to appreciate the town and its inhabitants when they rally round to save the shop.
Lovers of romance will enjoy the gradual development of feelings between Anna and Jacob. And of course anyone who loves books and bookshops will delight in The Wildest Dreams Bookshop and will be happy to while away a few hours escaping into its shelves and travelling around the beautiful Fox Bay.
Themes Romance, Books and bookshops, Coming of age.
Pat Pledger
Old Days, Imanka nurna laakinha nitjaarta by Marjorie Nunga Williams
Author/illustrator Marjorie ‘Nunga’ Williams was born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1953. Old Days, Imanka nurna laakinha nitjaarta is an engaging picture book telling short stories of Nunga’s early years in Central Australia. Written in both English and Western Arrarnta, this bilingual book shares warm memories of time spent on Country with family and the community during Nunga’s childhood.
Each double page spread shares a memory with a vividly illustrated and colourful picture complementing the text. The striking and detailed style of figurative landscape painting beautifully reflects the memory and is further enhanced by a simple question to encourage readers to look deeply into the illustration. Throughout the book are opportunities for readers to learn more about First Nations culture with mention of humpies, cutting roots to carve coolamons and other items, digging for witchetty grubs and the importance of waterholes for plants and animals.
The appealing cover and detailed endpapers offer yet another glimpse of Nunga’s skilful artistic ability. The addition of a Western Arrarnta Pronunciation guide is a welcome resource to encourage children to learn a new language skill. This book would be a wonderful addition to a home, school or public library.
I have been duped! As I look out my window and see a dozen little brown fairy wrens pecking amongst the dry winter grass for morsels, I thought that some male was going to have a great choice for a harem because I'd learned that that's what they have - although said male was nowhere in sight. But I may have been mistaken because I have just discovered that most of the year, the males look like females in their nondescript brown plumage and only change into their stunning bright blue dress when they are ready to breed! Given it's been such a cold mountain winter this year, that time is obviously not yet. And all those that I thought were females, might have disguised identities.
And that information is just on the title page of this amazing book - along with the author's own observation of how he watch a pair trick a metre-long tiger snake up a tree - so I was eager to discover what other secrets might lie within. Mollard himself is an avid birdwatcher - aka a "twitcher" to some - and in this stunning release, his focus is not the spectacular birds of prey or those that roam the rural and remote regions of our country, but those that frequent city backyards - the "adaptive, resourceful and ingenious creatures [that} have not only become used to humans and human environments, but are positively thriving...[using] our buildings to rest and roost, [foraging] for grubs and worms, spiders and insects in our veggie patches, [bathing] in our water buckets, gutters, fishponds and birdbaths".
Unsurprisingly, in a land as vast and diverse as Australia, even though the big cities might look the same, there are different climates, vegetation, landscapes and landshapes that determine what non-human life dwells there so the book is organised according to states and territories with catchy titles like "Common Street Thugs" offering intriguing information alongside Mollard's distinctive detailed illustrations. With so much interest in Satin Bowerbirds since Aura Parker's Bowerbird Blues was the NSS title for 2024 (and sequels Bowerbird Brood and Bowerbird Bloom) it was fascinating to discover that these are not unusual in shady Canberra gardens - perhaps in more established, affluent suburbs than those I lived in - although many of those identified in the "parliament of birds" illustration are very familiar. With over 150 species that are commonly found in local parks and gardens across the nation, there are bound to be some that students will recognise and be eager to find out more. Teaching notes will help guide their investigations, as well as encourage them to probe further including discussing Einstein's belief that 'Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty' by identifying what the threats to local populations are and what can be done to help species and attract them to the urban environment.
With endpapers that identify the various regions, migratory paths, and other significant material, this is yet another of Mollard's masterpieces that have intrigued me with their attention to detail that is so accessible to its intended audience of younger, independent readers who have an interest that has the potential to be more.
A CBCA Notable for the Eve Pownall Award in 2024, this book may well be in your collection, but perhaps it is time to be the central focus for the upcoming annual Aussie Bird Count or any other citizen science project happening in your location.
Themes Birds.
Barbara Braxton
Luna Roo: the Kangaroo Baller by Adam Jackson & Adrian Lloyd, Ill. Jake A Minton
Little Book Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781923141315. (Age:5-9) Recommended.
For younger readers who enjoy the thrill of a great game of soccer, this busy and entertaining picture book will provide them with all the thrills and spills of a highly competitive match. When Luna Roo is chosen to be captain of the FC Outback team many of the animals do not think she has the experience or age to defeat the favourites Bush United. But Luna is out to prove them all wrong. After a slow and nervous start in the first half, Luna pulls herself together and the team shows that they have the ability to play well together and be competitive.
The bold and vivid illustrations are full of movement and offer great visual appeal. The expressions on the faces of the players show their passion and drive to win. This is a highly emotionally charged soccer match with much at stake and Luna’s outstanding contribution to the final result allows her to become the hero of the day. The rhyming text is full of action, excitement, bolded key words and exclamation marks! An exciting read that soccer-mad children will enjoy.
Themes Soccer, Australian Animals, Competition, Humour, Rhyme, Sport.
Kathryn Beilby
Libby's footy adventures by Libby Birch. Illus. by Robin Tatlow-Lord
Libby Birch is a well-known Australian Rules footballer and her book, “Libby’s Footy Adventures, was a chance for Birch to fill the gap she saw in the market for representation of young girls playing footy.” AFLW News. And wow! She does this very successfully. Illustrated with engaging pictures by Robin Tatlow-Lord, Birch tells an absorbing story about a young Libby who played almost every sport, but liked team sports best. When her friend Mia tells her that some AFLW players are coming to run a training session she is uncertain about going as she has only ever kicked a footy with her brother in the backyard. But Mia reassures her, lends her some clothes to wear as well as a pair of orange footy boots. She learns a lot from the training session, and so will any reader: how to hold, bounce and kick the ball and use her eyes to find teammates. Georgie Prespakis and Courtney Hodder are there to train them and Tatlow-Lord’s drawings show an eager and determined Libby learning and really having fun. Her friends Mia and Daniel encourage her to join Auskick at their footy club and with her parents' help she joins a team and puts her skills into helping her team win a game.
The narrative flows along smoothly with the illustrations complementing the text, making it a great read aloud at home or in the classroom. The story cleverly blends the fun of playing footy, the joy of being part of a team and the way that friends can encourage others to join in and enjoy themselves. Readers who are familiar with AFLW will recognise the names of Georgie Prespakis and Courtney Hodder and both children and adults will recognise the importance of mentoring young players and helping them to learn new skills.
Libby says in her introduction, “Sport is for everyone, and footy is for everyone...Remember, it's not all about winning or being the best." Highly recommended, Libby’s Footy Adventures will be a very welcome addition to other books about sport.
Written for those of her students who thought more about their formals than graduating, R. A. Stephen’s book title No dress, no idea says it all. Twelve months out from the end of year school formal, Tarni is totally obsessed with finding the perfect dress for the big event. She has a checklist of everything she will need: dress, shoes, make-up, jewellery; and her casual work earnings are dedicated to her budget. Then things start to go wrong: the perfect dress she sets her sights on is incredibly expensive, and other expenses start to intrude, such as her school jersey, driving lessons and licence fee. And she has no idea about what she wants to do after graduation.
This book is one in the Rhiza Shorts series of teen fiction with ‘minimal words, maximum impact’. It’s a short easy read, the language uncomplicated, and the themes including friendships and problem solving, all up-beat and relevant to its target audience, teenagers who find it hard to read anything much longer than their phone texts. The themes of friendships, study stress, budgeting and careers are aimed at 18 year olds, but the light tone and easy format is also suitable for younger readers. This makes it an excellent choice for struggling or reluctant readers. It would be worth checking out others in the series.
Themes School formal, Budgets, Friendship, Graduation, Careers.
Helen Eddy
Happy Birthday, Little Wombat by Charles Fuge
Walker Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781760655341.
It's Little Wombat's birthday and it is going to be a great day. Koala gives him an explorer's stick "for bashing through the undergrowth" and Bilby has made him his very own flag to "stick in the ground when you discover somewhere new."
And that's just what they did as they made their way to the river where Mum has made a special surprise picnic. But not only did Little Wombat discover his other friends waiting for him, but also an even better use for his new presents!!
Little Wombat and his friends are fast becoming a preschool favourite series as not only are the creatures familiar and seemingly the same age as they are, they do the sorts of things that little ones do while there is always a subtle message to gently absorb as they read - this one about being safe when messing about on boats. But even if they haven't spent a birthday on a boat, nevertheless young readers will have plenty of stories to share about their own birthday celebrations and wishes while there is also the opportunity to learn about calendars, months and making a graph of who celebrates when with each creating a candle or a cupcake to add to the relevant column.
Themes Birthdays, Wombats.
Barbara Braxton
Golden by Jade Timms
Text Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781923058354. (Age:16-18) Recommended.
Eddie (Edwina) was the last person to see her brother-in-law Jackson alive. The trauma lingers and has damaged her connection to her grieving sister, Viv, and her parents; her twin brother, Pat, is now mostly ignored; her friendship group are now almost distant memories; and her hold on life is fraught. It is her work at the Juice Bar that gives her structure, but everything else is a mess. She lives in a coastal area where surfing and the ocean are important, but Eddie can barely consider heading back to the water, and it takes all her emotional strength to start training for the iconic Mud Run instead. The arrival of the new guy in town restores a ‘heart beat’ to Eddie’s life, but her heart-ease is far from secure and she is brittle often. Can Eddie recover or has distress become her only existence? Where is the hope she needs?
This is a teen drama with a liberal serve of emotional angst, grief and psychological distress, with a side salad of veganism, family quirkiness, teen partying and friendship, and all served with blended smoothies. There is a seriousness to Eddie’s struggles that means the reader feels her pain from almost the first page. To be estranged from your own twin, to have lost almost every friend because of your own attitudes - these are deeply troubling examples of her psychological distress. Consequently, readers should be mature enough to cope with the mental trauma and grief experienced by many in the story. Teen friendship is shown with a sense of fun (and occasional risk-taking) and sometimes same-sex attraction. Although there is a sense of hope at the end of the book, there are many dark periods with a forlorn central character. Written for a teen audience 16-18, this is a character-driven walk through grief and trauma and so readers must be prepared for the seriousness of this life journey. Mental health is a victim following a traumatic grief, so those already battling their own issues may find this difficult to read.
One koala one hundred trees by Leesa Allinson & Heather Potter & Mark Jackson
Wild Dog Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781742036854. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Finding an injured koala on their farm, Dad and his daughter get in touch with the local wildlife rescue team. The woman who comes to collect the animal, tells them there is a joey in her pouch and not to be too optimistic about the animals’ survival. Dad armed with the fact sheet given them by the rescuer, decides to plant more trees as a habitat for the koalas they sometimes see on their property.
But it is a bigger project than theycan achieve alone. Posters are placed around the town, asking for supporters. 10 trees are enough for one koala she says, and asks people to come and help. Her posters attract the interest of a journalist and the story is told in the local paper. On the designated day Dad and his daughter are pleased to see so many people come to help. They allocate different jobs to the helpers, gratified to see the results of their efforts at the end of the day. They are on the way to build a koala corridor so that the animals can move from one lot of forest to another.
A charming story embedded with lots of facts about koalas and their habitat, along with fact sheets and information about what can be done is offered in this beautifully crafted book.The illustrations are wonderful, reflecting life on the farm and in a small community, while showing how koalas live in the little bush that is left. The images reinforce the text showing what a dedicated and informed community can do to alleviate the problem of the decline of the koala.
Married couple Jackson and Potter have been recognised for their illustrative techniques, having a number of exhibitions, designings tamps, illustrating books awardedby the CBCA, including Little Lon and Waves. More information about theirwork can be found here.
Themes Koalas, Endangered species, Community action, Australian flora.
Two-time Caldecott Medallist, Sophie Blackall (Finding Winnie and for Hello lighthouse) returns with a follow-up to her bestselling If I Was a Horse with If we were dogs. Two friends are hiding under a table when one of them talks about how they love dogs and wants to know what kind they would be if they were dogs.
If we were dogs, I'd be a big dog! And you'd be a little dog. Woof!
The big dog is a large, exuberant golden retriever like animal, sporting a cone-like party hat, while the little dog is greyish with black ears and black patches over its eyes. The big dog is full of ideas – they would wag their tails and drink from bowls, fetch big sticks and dig deep holes. The big dog happily goes ahead with its ideas, dragging a reluctant looking little dog along as each is tried out. The expressions on the faces of the dogs are priceless. The big dog is happy, its tongue protruding out of a grinning mouth, while the little dog can be seen rolling its eyes at the antics that the big dog delights in. The little dog is not impressed when the big dog scales a tall fence to go to the park, while it must crawl through a little hole. The idea of playing with millions of dogs does not tempt the little dog even though the big dog say he is still ‘The best! The scruffiest! The fluffy-wuffiest!’ Finally the little dog confesses that he would prefer to be …
The illustrations are fantastic and enhance the narrative that is great to read aloud. I loved the colour and movement of the two dogs, each having a very different personality. The constantly wagging tail of the big dog is an expression of its high spirits, while the little dog makes its feelings come alive with a flick of an ear or a look in its eye. The endpapers are a wonderful bonus, the ones at the front showing all types of dog breeds that the young reader could try and identify, while those at the end give readers an opportunity to find an animal that they might like to imitate.
This is a joyful book that has important underlying themes of friendship and difference. It is likely to become a firm favourite with young children, and one that adults may want to keep for the next generation. Highly recommended.
Effie lives and works in Scotland. She has tried to leave her traumatic childhood behind, but one phone call from her old friend Lewis has her uprooting her life to return to a community near the isolated place in New Zealand where she grew up. A small scruffy child has turned up in the town who reminds everyone of Effie, and Effie fears for her family members who she left behind in isolated wilderness in New Zealand. Lewis was Effie’s trusted friend and is now a police officer, but she left him and her past life behind. But now they both are afraid of what they might find back in the place that Effie had to leave. Effie is not willing to leave the young child without security and must face the past. Trauma is dripping from the child’s silence, something Effie remembers too well, but there are others to be considered. Can she face the darkness again and uncover painful secrets?
This is a multi-generational tale of abuse, distressing beyond measure, and it is heart-breaking. The complication of a warped religious sect and a twisted family structure have wreaked havoc on the lives of the young children living in desperate circumstances in the dense wilderness in New Zealand. Effie’s current situation, as a carer for her niece, is woven with her own childhood history and occasionally with her father’s story. In all the generations there is a discomfiting heaviness, so this book is not for the faint-hearted and perhaps is not for anyone who has lived through abuse. Despite that, there is a rediscovery of love, some wonderfulfriends, and a possible restoration for Effie and Lewis that lifts the book from its tension and the pall of fear that readers will encounter on almost every page. I loved the atmospheric grip of this story; at every turn of the page I hoped for a better outcome for the characters, but first there was the agonising tension and hopelessness and neglect to endure. This is definitely a book for mature readers as the violence, abuse and psychological trauma do not sit comfortably, but the book will trap you and make you want to read more.
Themes Isolation, abuse, sects, deprivation of liberty, family, romance, trust.
Carolyn Hull
The set-up girl by Sasha Vey
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181542. (Age:14-18) Highly recommended.
What a tangled romantic web Sasha Vey weaves! Amalia is trying to set up her best friend Mae with popular heart-throb Kasun, a boy Amalia herself secretly has a crush on, yet at the same time she finds herself captivated by the beautiful Leili . . . and then there is also the enigmatic Jake who strangely causes her heart to flutter.
Vey convincingly portrays the uncertainties and insecurities of the teenage years. Her characters are in their final year of school, but both Amalia and Mae have grown up in the Slovenian community under strict parenting rules: no dating, no drinking, no partying, just focus on study. But the girls are ready to covertly rebel and explore the dating world, including misadventures with alcohol, and much confusion about relationships.
Threaded throughout is an account of Amalia’s experience with her extended family book club. Perhaps the books they read have some pertinence to her life: the blinkered obsession of Moby Dick, match-making Emma, Agatha Christie’s mystery, the passion of Wuthering Heights, and the journey of The Odyssey. The book club episodes add to the whole comedy of errors.
There is so much to enjoy in this book. It’s an honest account of the kinds of mistakes and misunderstandings we’ve all experienced, told with warm-hearted humour. The cover images perfectly capture the romantic scenarios. This debut novel is a delight; hopefully there will be more in this vein from Sasha Vey.
As a nominee for fantasy in the Goodreads Choice Award 2024, I knew that The tainted cup would be an interesting read and when I realised that it was also a murder mystery, I couldn’t wait to read it. An Imperial officer has been killed when a tree spontaneously erupts from his body, an impossible death. Ana Dolabra, an eccentric investigator is called to probe into the murder. She is accompanied by Dinios Kol, an engraver who has been altered by magic, giving him a perfect memory to record and observe events. With the brilliant Ana always wearing a blindfold, his memory is essential to solving the case. As danger approaches with Leviathans invading the shores, the pair must match wits with unknown killers and stop a scheme that threatens the Empire.
Bennett effortless brings the reader into a fantasy world that is vivid and unique. The descriptions the opulence of the mansions of the wealthy, contrasting with the lives of the ordinary soldiers, the corruption of power and the use of magic to give humans extraordinary powers provide a wonderful background to the story.
His characters are strange and have secrets but lovers of mysteries will enjoy the Holmes – Watson aspect of their investigation and are likely to enjoy trying to unravel the mystery of the deaths and how people can be killed with strange poisons and trees erupting from their bodies.
This is a fascinating combination of fantasy and mystery and the first book that I have read by Bennett. It will not be the last as I am sure to pick up A drop of corruption also starring Ana and Dinios.
