Bronte Coates

Bronte Coates is the former digital content manager and Readings prize manager.

Blog post — 26 Feb 2017

Loving picture books for children who worry

Here are some of our best picture book suggestions for sensitive young children.

Books to be read with a hug…

Jez Alborough’s Hug is a very cute board book for…

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Review — 23 Jun 2015

Life Moves Pretty Fast by Hadley Freeman

If you’re looking for something fun and frothy to read as you snuggle under the doona this winter, Life Moves Pretty Fast would be an ideal pick. Hadley Freeman’s personalised…

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Review — 26 Feb 2017

They Cannot Take the Sky by Behind the Wire

Australia’s immigration policy for asylum seekers is frequently debated in our media and homes, and yet, something crucial is too often passed over during these discussions. In his foreword to…

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Review — 26 Jun 2016

Negroland by Margo Jefferson

In this crisp, elegant memoir, Margo Jefferson recounts her experiences growing up within Chicago’s black elite. The memoir takes its title from the name she uses to refer to herself…

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Blog post — 5 Dec 2016

Recommended classic picture books for Christmas

Digital content coordinator Bronte Coates recommends five of her favourite classic picture books for Christmas.

You can find more Christmas-themed picture books in the full collection here. We’ve also…

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Review — 29 Jan 2017

You Too Can Have A Body Like Mine by Alexandra Kleeman

Alexandra Kleeman’s haunting debut novel is reminiscent of the works of authors such as Douglas Coupland, Don DeLillo and David Foster Wallace – though with a decidedly feminist viewpoint. A…

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Blog post — 26 Oct 2016

Sex in young adult literature

Digital content coordinator Bronte Coates reflects on why sex in YA books matters, and shares some recommendations for books that handle the topic thoughtfully and honestly.

The first time I…

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Review — 25 Sep 2016

The Dragon Behind the Glass by Emily Voigt

Journalist Emily Voigt’s first book is a thrilling deep dive into the strange and dangerous world of the Asian arowana or ‘dragon fish’. Inspired by a meeting with a pet…

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Review — 20 Aug 2015

The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante

If you’re already reading Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels, you know why this author is considered a literary sensation by readers worldwide. Her books are shattering and enthralling, intimate and vicious…

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Blog post — 8 Sep 2016

Awesomely gross and rude books that kids will love

Digital content coordinator Bronte Coates shares some of our best picks for the grossest, the rudest and the silliest children’s books.

Let’s admit it: kids are gross and they love…

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