Our latest reviews
Somebody Down There Likes Me by Robert Lukins
Honey and Fax Gulch, billionaire owners of the Gulch empire, summon their adult children to their Connecticut mansion to announce that their empire is coming to an end. Within the week, the FBI will raid their properties, seize their assets…
The Knowing by Madeleine Ryan
Madeleine Ryan’s The Knowing is a seemingly simple story about a woman who leaves her phone charging at home and must then survive the train ride to work alone with her own thoughts. Yet, in a genius way, it is…
The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel & Danny Snell (illus.)
The first time I read this picture book, I read it out loud to my cat. She has never been in a truck, and she slept through the whole thing, but I could tell she appreciated the wonderful cadence of…
We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord by Garth Nix
I first read a Garth Nix book when I was in primary school. It was one from The Keys to the Kingdom series and I was assigned it as English homework. One evening, with an hour before dinner and nothing…
All the Beautiful Things by Katrina Nannestad
Katrina Nannestad’s fourth Second World War story focuses on Hitler’s purges of those who were disabled, Jewish or in any way considered different. Seven-year-old Eva has a wondrous view of the world and finds everything ‘beautiful’. This story is told…
Thunderhead by Sophie Beer
Written in diary format, this debut novel is a funny, powerful story about a teen music fan. Thunderhead is utterly music-obsessed but also going deaf. She has two tumours in her eardrums that need to be operated on and she…
Hazel’s Treehouse by Zanni Louise & Judy Watson (illus.)
Reminiscent of enchanting childhood tales like Winnie-the-Pooh, Blinky Bill or Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Hazel’s Treehouse by bestselling author Zanni Louise is a future classic for your bookshelf.
Hazel lives in a treehouse in the Australian bush with her…
Dog Beach by Julie Murphy & Annie White (illus.)
As a dog lover, this picture book quite simply brought a smile to my face. Featuring dogs of all shapes and sizes, from little Chihuahuas to big Great Danes, there isn’t a dog you won’t find in Julie Murphy and…
Australia’s Baby Animals by Jess Racklyeft
Melbourne illustrator Jess Racklyeft has created a beautiful book that showcases an array of Australia’s animals which is not only magnificent but also extraordinarily cute. The spreads in this book display the various habitats of Australia in gorgeous watercolour and…
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
There is a great pleasure in re-reading the classics with a child. While my child is not yet a young adult, he was very keen to read The Hobbit. So, as a dutiful mother, I dusted off a copy…
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