Recommended kids books, news & resources for September
This month in kids books we have wolves and weddings, a musical mystery, a jetsetting adventure, a reassuring book about bushfires, an Australian classic adapted for younger readers and a spooky friendship.
Find our September picks for YA books here.
KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH
How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy
Murphy Parker is going to be a songwriter. If she can summon up the nerve to play in front of anyone other than her dad, that is. When an unplanned keyboard performance at school goes well, Murphy wonders if maybe her dreams have a chance after all. Until her entire grade accuses her of plagiarism. Desperate to clear her name and reclaim her music, Murphy makes an unlikely alliance with two of her classmates. Turns out, friendship might be even more complicated than tracking down a song thief…
Our reviewer Alexa loved this funny and moving mystery, describing it as ‘an uplifting story of activism and friendships, with all their thorny compromises and revelations.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 9 and up.
SIX KIDS BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
Howl by Kat Patrick & Evie Barrow
Maggie has had a very bad day. First of all, the sun was the wrong shape, in a sky that was too blue. The spaghetti was too long, and her pyjamas were the wrong kind of pyjama. Then Maggie begins to have wolfish thoughts… In their new wolfish forms, Maggie and her mother are able to express their feelings in imaginative ways. Howl is a masterfully told and exquisitely drawn story of a young girl’s way of expressing and resolving big feelings.
Our reviewer Angela described this charming picture book as ‘a joyous celebration of what it means to be alive.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 2 and up.
Aunty’s Wedding by Miranda Tapsell, Joshua Tyler & Samantha Fry
A Tiwi-Island girl prepares for Aunty’s wedding with help from her maningawu (grandmother) in this warm family story that lets kids in on some of the special rituals involved in this exciting day. Featuring Tiwi customs and language, this sweet picture book is written by the team that brought us the hit Australian film Top End Wedding – actor, activist and writer Miranda Tapsell, and co-writer Joshua Tyler. The gorgeous celebratory illustrations are by Samantha Fry, who did the artwork for another favourite picture book, Alfred’s War.
For ages 2 and up.
The Bushfire Book by Polly Marsden & Chris Nixon
Australia is a big country with all sorts of weather. And sometimes extreme weather that causes bushfires. Bushfires can make a real mess of things. But we don’t need to be scared. We just need to know some smart facts about bushfires and prepare for them. This colourfully illustrated picture book will help kids understand what causes bushfires, introduce all the clever people (meteorologists, firefighters, rangers) who are keeping an eye on them, and give some tips on how to be prepared and not scared.
Our reviewer Claire highly recommends this ‘practical and reassuring guide that also includes helpful hints on how to build your own bushfire plan, with websites and resources you can research for more details.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 5 and up.
The Wolves of Greycoat Hall by Lucinda Gifford
Boris Greycoat is a friendly young wolf who likes meeting people and trying new foods. His father Randall is becoming an expert in speaking French and playing table tennis. Boris’s mother, Leonora, likes to practise her warm, reassuring smiles. Excited to hear the news that wolves are to be reintroduced to Scotland, Boris and his parents embark on a journey back to their ancestral lands. However, it’s more difficult for wolves to travel than one might think, and it seems that Scotland may not be prepared for sophisticated wolves like the Greycoats.
Our reviewer Mike loved how this quirkily illustrated junior fiction ‘swings with a breezy, impish humour.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 7 and up.
The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn by Kate Gordon
Wonder Quinn is a lonely orphan who lives in the attic of Direleafe Hall with only a gloomy crow, Hollowbeak, for company. Every year she watches the other girls return to school, hoping to finally make a friend. And every year her heart breaks when she doesn’t. So when she meets outspoken new student Mabel Clattersham, Wonder’s dreams seem to be coming true. But as the girls grow closer, Wonder discovers her friend has a list of strange wishes and a big secret.
This is an enchanting and dreamy story about love, friendship and bravery that our reviewer Athina recommends for ‘the thoughtful, serious but confident reader … who enjoys big themes with a touch of the spirit world.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 8 and up.
Fly On the Wall by Remy Lai
We were thrilled to get our hands on this second graphic novel from Pie In the Sky author Remy Lai. Twelve-year-old Henry Khoo’s family treats him like a baby – his life is full of restrictions, rules and chaperoning. But after his family’s annual trip to visit his father in Singapore is cancelled, Henry decides to fly the coop on his own. It isn’t just his overbearing family, things are bad with his best friend and he’s on the verge of being caught as the creator of an anonymous gossip cartoon. Henry embarks on a risky adventure and records it in his top-secret notebook, with diary entries, poems, recipes, comics and more.
Our reviewer Kim loved the playful approach of this graphic novel, and said that ‘there are a lot of sweet and funny moments.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 8 and up.
KIDS CLASSIC OF THE MONTH
My Place (Younger Readers) by Sally Morgan
A bestseller in the late 1980s and never out of print since, My Place was one of the first books of memoir and family history by an Aboriginal author to reach such a wide audience. Morgan’s classic work comprises the voices and memories of three generations of Morgan’s family, Baligu people from the Pilbara region, living in suburban Perth in the 1950s, and this is an abridged edition that retains all the charm and power of the original.
Our reviewer Georgia said: ‘ My Place is a coming-of-age story about family, love and survival that you can immediately empathise with, and I think young people now will be better equipped to understand and act on its message than many readers were in 1987.’ You can read our full review here.
For ages 10 and up.
WIN A PRIZE PACK FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS
To celebrate the release of Fiona Hardy’s How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life, we’re pleased to be partnering with publisher Affirm Press to offer Readings customers the chance to win an ultra-special music-making prize pack, including a CASIO keyboard, keyboard stand and Bluetooth headphones!
The competition will run to 30 September 2020, and you can find all the details here.
NEWS, RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS
One of our resident picture book lovers Bronte shared four of her favourite recent releases that explore difficult feelings for small people, and how they can learn to manage them.
We also interviewed Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, the winner of the Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award and the wonderful artist who movingly illustrated Bruce Pascoe’s recent picture book, Found.
Be sure to check out the new and exciting Netflix show for kids – Bookmarks. Each episode features celebrity readers sharing children’s books by Black authors to spark kid-friendly conversations about empathy, equality, self-love and antiracism. The show is hosted by inspiring young activist Marley Dias, of #1000BlackGirlBooks. You can watch the trailer here.
Podcast fans and fellow bookworms, you’ll love a new six-part podcast series, A Conversation on Diversity in Children’s Books, brought to you by Better Reading. Episodes feature far-ranging conversations with Dr Randa Abdel Fattah, Will Kostakis, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Laura Bloom, Deborah Abela, and Rachel Bin Salleh about their experiences in publishing.
And I think we all need something to look forward to at the moment, right? Well, put this in your diary – on Tuesday 20 October, we will be hosting an online question time with Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton. Andy and Terry will be celebrating the release of The 130-Storey Treehouse by taking questions from you, the audience. Find all the details – including how to submit your own question – here.
