Our latest reviews

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (50th anniversary edition) by Richard Scarry

Reviewed by Elke Power

It’s the 50th anniversary of Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go this year and, like all the books in the Busytown series, it has lost none of its charm and appeal. It’s impossible to resist Scarry’s appropriately…

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Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (50th anniversary edition) by Richard Scarry

Reviewed by Elke Power

It’s the 50th anniversary of Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go this year and, like all the books in the Busytown series, it has lost none of its charm and appeal. It’s impossible to resist Scarry’s appropriately…

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Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness & Tim Miller (illus.)

Reviewed by Joe Murray

Great News! Zeke and his best friends Daniel and Alicia have been given the very noble task of being school hall monitors! Sure, they’re also the only monitor lizards at their school, but according to Principal Wombat, that’s definitely just…

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How to Free a Jinn by Raidah Shah Idil

Reviewed by Kim Gruschow

Insyirah moves from Sydney to live with her nenek (grandmother) in Malaysia. Although she is nervous about such a big change, Insyirah quickly finds friends at her new school. Over delicious canteen food, her new pals share stories of strange…

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Six Summers of Tash and Leopold by Danielle Binks

Reviewed by Celeste Perry

Twelve-year-olds Leopold and Alytash were once best friends, but they haven’t spoken in years. Despite being next-door neighbours, they could not feel more isolated as they navigate their lives independently. But due to some mysterious happenings in their small suburban…

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Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria (Bravepaw, Book 1) by L.M. Wilkinson & Lavanya Naidu (illus.)

Reviewed by Angela Crocombe

I love a hero’s journey for young readers and this story is a thrilling addition to the genre. In the land of Alluria, Titch is a very ordinary mooseling who dreams of having swordfights and exciting adventures. When Prince Vetier…

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The Glass Horse of Venice by Arnold Zable & Anita Lester (illus.)

Reviewed by Claire Atherfold

Arnold Zable, the author of the Australian classic Café Scheherazade, has teamed up with talented Melbourne illustrator Anita Lester to create his first, magical picture book.

It’s set in Venice, on the ethereal waters surrounded by the wonder of…

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South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin

Reviewed by Alexa Dretzke

In 1959, a young British naturalist is one of four young women who are permitted to join a research expedition to Macquarie Island – the first women scientists to do so. Situated near Antarctica, Macquarie Island is a dream come…

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We Live in a Bus by Dave Petzold

Reviewed by Lili Reus-Smit

Dave Petzold’s latest picture book, We Live in a Bus, reminds me of my treasured copies of Alison Lester’s Are We There Yet?, an Australian modern classic. Sharing the story of a family on a roadtrip in Australia…

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Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood

Reviewed by Aurelia Orr

When you think of ‘Love’ as a person, forget the cute, winged Cupid with a bow and arrow. In Ancient Greece, Eros, the god of desire, was born out of the primordial chaos of the world. Love was seen as…

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