Kids
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 Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
I can’t remember when I first read this wonderful historical adventure set in Roman Britain, but it must have been six or seven years after it was published in 1954; I would have been 10 or 11. You all know…
Cloud Atlas: Everything You Need to Know About Clouds by Sarah Zambello & Susy Zanella (illus.)
This award-winning guide to the fluffy inhabitants of the skies will educate and delight as it unlocks the mysteries of clouds: why they form, what effect they have, and their place in our cultural history.
With evocative language that builds…
The Midwatch by Judith Rossell
Orphans are not uncommon in children’s literature. The absence of parents allows freedom from restrictions and watchful eyes; adventures and misdemeanours can blossom unrestrained. Midwatch is an institution where the most wayward young female orphans are sent. Maggie Fishbone is…
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