Claire Christian Beautiful Mess, Text Publishing, 28 August 2017, 304pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781925498547 Straight talking Ava is grieving the death of her best friend Kelly. The first chapter, told from Ava’s perspective, shows her dramatic exit from Kelly’s memorial assembly held at their school. This entry into the novel, and Ava’s life, is as straight talking as Ava. Instead of going to the home she shares with her single parent father, she goes to Kelly’s house to see Kelly’s brother, Lincoln. They have started a relationship that threatens to destroy them both. Both are grieving the death of Kelly, as…
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Lauren St John, The Snow Angel, HarperCollins Australia, 20 Nov 2017, 256pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781786695895 There is a small element of fantasy in this novel, as the title would suggest, but the main thrust of the story is a carefully presented look at what can happen to a young girl living in Nairobi who loses her family. Makena is eleven years old, obsessed with climbing, with mountaineering, with Mt Everest and Mt Kenya, none of which is surprising as her father is a mountain guide and has taught her a lot. Her mother is a science teacher and both parents…
Jessica Townsend, Nevermoor: the Trials of Morrigan Crow, Hachette Australia, 10 Oct 2017, 400pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780734418074 This much anticipated debut novel from a young Queensland author doesn’t disappoint. It is an engaging and original fantasy that will delight fans of the Harry Potter stories. The central character is Morrigan Crow, a child who is considered cursed by her society because she was born on an unlucky day and is doomed to die at midnight at Eventide. She is blamed by everyone for all sorts of misfortunes, including the dead kitchen cat, spoiled fish, floods in the north, old Tom’s…
Joachim Gevert (text), Ffranses Ingram (illus.), The Man in the Panama Hat and the Windy, Windy Day, Little Steps Publishing, 1 July 2017, 32pp., $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 978925545418 This is a winner: a delightful story about the eponymous hero whose hat keeps blowing away, illustrated with charming drawings that are full of whimsical detail and capture perfectly the humour of the numerous adventures he shares with the intrepid Mr Black Cat. After various sporting amusements, the dashing duo decide to fly a kite on this still windy day… A well designed and securely bound paperback, this is excellent value and…
Kylie Westaway (text), Tom Jellett (illus.), Why Can’t I be a Dinosaur?, Allen & Unwin, Sept 2017, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781760294724 This is an amusing story about a familiar family drama: Nellie is happy to be a flower girl at her aunt’s wedding but only if she can wear her dinosaur outfit. Her good purple dress is no longer her favourite colour, and she does not mind a bit if she is the only one dressed as a dinosaur. After much persuasion she finally agrees to wear her dress over the green costume complete with scales, claws and tail. The illustrations…
Nicki Greenberg, The Cursed First Term of Zelda Stitch* *Bad Teacher. Worse Witch, Allen and Unwin, Sept 2017, 272pp.,, $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760294908 ‘Zelda rides a broomstick!’ ‘Zelda’s got a bat-friend!’ ‘Zelda smells like toadstools!’ ‘Witch! Witch! Witch!’ It was bad enough when I was eleven years old. But if they sniff me out now, it’ll be a disaster. With the cruel school yard taunts still ringing in her ears, Zelda the reluctant undercover witch must summon all her courage and face her first term as a primary school teacher. Not only does Zelda need to keep her accidental magical urges…
Tim Harris (text), James Hart (illus.), Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables, Penguin Random House Australia, 28th August 2017 , 240pp, $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143785859 ‘I have a dream,’ repeated the teacher… ‘…I have a dream that the children of today should find their true passions and follow them. Too often we teach children to think a certain way, when all along their minds are wired for something completely different.’ There is something truly extraordinary about class 12B’s new teacher! Turning up for his first day on a unicycle, cooking bacon and eggs in class, charming the terrifying Canteen Carol and brewing up…
Gordon Winch (text), Patrick Shirvington (illus.), Can You Find Me?, New Frontier Publishing, 1 Sept 2017, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781925059793 This beautiful picture book explores how Aussie animals use camouflage to hide and survive in the Australian bush. Mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and fish are all represented – some large, some small. Each double page spread focuses on a particular animal. This book has everything you need to captivate children 3-6 at story time: repeating phrases, gorgeous watercolour illustrations of a range of Aussie animals in scenic spreads, and the fun of searching for each animal as it blends…
Owen Davey, Crazy About Cats, Walker Books Australia, 1 Sept 2017, 40pp., $27.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781911171164 Following author/illustrator Owen Davey’s Mad About Monkeys (2015) and Smart About Sharks (2016), this latest non-fiction information book in the series has plenty of fascinating facts about the cat family to interest independent readers from about Year 5 +. Davey’s distinctive retro-feel, stylised illustrations are an attractive addition. For this book, an animal consultant has come on board, and the facts are faultless. They cover the full gamut of the world’s cat species, from the largest tigers to rusty-spotted cats half the size of a…
Salina Yoon, Duck, Duck, Porcupine!, Bloomsbury Australia, 1 Sept 2017, 64pp., $9.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781619637245 Fans of Lucy Cousins’ Maisy books and Brian Patterson’s Zigby series will love this easy reader/junior graphic novel, which introduces some great new characters to delight young readers aged 4-7 years old. Big Duck is the bossy, blabby, know-it-all older sister. (Doesn’t everyone know one of those?) Little Duck is her younger brother who may not be talking yet, but always has the best grasp of every situation. And lastly, Porcupine provides a gentle buffer between the two extremes. Salina Yoon’s full-page illustrations of bright, colourful…