Philip Pullman, The Secret Commonwealth (Book of Dust, #2), David Fickling Books, October 2019, 784 pp., RRP $32,99 (pbk), ISBN 978024137334 This book looks intimidating. At over 780 pages, The Secret Commonwealth might seem difficult to get through, but it’s not. Anyone familiar with Pullman’s style (and let’s face it, no one would be reading this if they weren’t) will know that reading his words is effortless and immersive. But writing a review of it? That’s hard. It is important not to give out too many spoilers, so this will be vague and focus on themes rather than plot. For…
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Phillip Gwynne, The Lords of Melody, Puffin Books, 272 pp., September 2019, RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143796459 Suzi and her older sister Janet live with their parents, ex-rock and roll stars Katy and Strum, in the worst house on a pretty posh street. Janet won a scholarship to a private school and is embarrassed by her family situation while Suzi is pretty happy-go-lucky and takes everything in her stride – including discovering that Katy’s dead brother, Pigpen, can talk to her through her Android tablet. Wanting to keep up with her rich friends, Janet dreams of going on the school…
Peter Millett (text) and Myles Lawford (illustrator), Power Up! (The Invincibles #1), Scholastic New Zealand Ltd, 144 pp., July 2019, RRP $12.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781775435990 The Invincibles is the first in a new series featuring five young footy players who get struck by lightning and develop superpowers. Muzza, Andrea, Scotty, Tana and Zinnia meet at try-outs, and find themselves forming a team of an unexpected kind when lightning hits the footy field. They discover their new-found abilities when nearby sheep take to the air, and are quick to test out the limits of what they can do. But they discover…
Mary Murphy (text) and Zhu Cheng-Liang (illustrator), What I Like Most, Walker Books Ltd, 32 pp., November 2019, RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406369045 What I Like Most is a heart-warming story by Mary Murphy. Told from the perspective of a young girl, who begins by telling the reader that what she likes most in the world is her window. Describing what she can see through her window she quickly moves to reflecting on how what she sees will change over time, ‘My window won’t change, but the things outside will.’ Her window is what she likes most in the world,…
Kerry Edward, author and illustrator of My Busy Day, answers some questions about his book. We thank Kerry for this interview. As an author/illustrator creating a book for the first time, what was your inspiration for writing My Busy Day? I think like most first-time authors, the inspiration came from what I am most familiar with. For this book, everything is based on my daughter. She was 8 when I started making the book. At the time I realised that time has passed by so quickly. She was busy with school and doing her own things. As she gets older, our…
Kerry Edward, My Busy Day, self-published, October 2019, 28 pp., RRP $28.00 (hbk), ISBN 9780646805313 My Busy Day by Kerry Edward is a delightfully illustrated picture book about a young girl who tries to help with everyday activities like waking her parents up early, feeding her pets, cooking dinner and looking after her friends. The young girl seems to be around four years old and so her attempts at “helping” can also be seen from a different and amusing perspective. This is a debut self-published novel for author/illustrator Kerry Edward. Edward is a user-interface designer based in Melbourne and has…
Andrew Daddo (text) and Stephen Michael King (illustrator), Atticus Van Tasticus, Puffin Books, 240 pp., September 2019, RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143796541 In the first book in a new junior fiction series, Atticus Van Tasticus turns ten and, due to an old family tradition, has to make a choice that will set the path of his life forever. Exploring the treasure trove belonging to his fabulously wealthy Grandnan, he must decide between what his head (and parents) is telling him and what his heart longs for. Opting to follow his heart, he forgoes treasure for a full-size pirate ship, and…
R. J. Palacio, White Bird, Penguin Books Ltd, 224 pp., October 2019, RRP $39.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780241397244 White Bird is R.J. Palacio’s latest follow-up to Wonder — her runaway hit about a boy called Auggie who deals with prejudice and bullying because of his facial differences. Each of the Wonder books (which are not a series, but rather a family of complementary stories featuring characters from the original book) has been beautiful — and White Bird is no exception. This gorgeous graphic novel will no doubt sate fans’ desire for more, but it is also a terrific text in its…
Jess Racklyeft (illustrator), The First Christmas, Puffin Books, 32 pp., October 2019, RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780143796909 This re-telling of the Christmas story for small children uses easily accessible language, the language of the everyday, to make the story easily understood. The illustrations also emphasise the notion of family. The shepherds, who ‘were keeping their sheep safe at night’ are depicted as a family – mother, father, son and daughter. It is, however, only the father, son and daughter who travel to Bethlehem – presumably mother is at home keeping things going there. The stable where they find the Holy…
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, A Strange Kind of Brave, Orion Children’s Books, August 2019, 240 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781510104129 A Strange Kind of Brave is a thrilling and powerful story, the latest from Irish author Sarah Moore Fitzgerald. A Strange Kind of Brave is set in the drab village of Clanfedden which is falling into crumbling obscurity and economic ruin. Clanfedden’s community spirit is being stifled by a business bully, the elusive but ever-present hulk of Jake McCormack. Luca is fourteen and he and his mother are new arrivals in town with the ambition to start a new business…