Losing the Plot
Losing the Plot by Annaleise Byrd and published by Walker Books is such an inventive, clever, creative and humourous middle grade fantasy story. This fractured fairytale will have readers laughing out loud as they adventure with two polar opposite male protagonists, Basil Beedon and Terry Clegg, into a fairy tale world. Once plunged into this […]
Huda and Me
Huda and Me by H Hayeck and published by Allen and Unwin follows siblings Huda and Akeal on an action-packed adventure as they escape their nefarious, deceitful babysitter, Aunt Amel, in their home in Melbourne to travel to Beirut to reunite with their parents. This story is perfect for upper primary readers and explores identity, […]
Wurrtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky
Title: Wurrtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky Author: Tylissa Elisara Illustrator: Dylan Finney Publisher: Hachette Australia Publication date: March 2024 Themes: First Nations culture and storytelling, wombats, wishes, bravery, diversity, friendship, environment Comprehensive Teachers’ resources are available on the Hachette Australia website here Two new characters that have weaved their way into my […]
Honey and the Valley of Horses
Title: Honey and the Valley of Horses Author: Wendy Orr Publisher: Allen and Unwin Publication date: 1 August 2023 Themes: Adventure, family, grief, healing, horses, fantasy, self-sufficiency, resilience, courage. Teaching resource: Comprehensive teachers’ notes can be downloaded from the Allen and Unwin website When sickness sweeps the world, four-year-old Honey, her baby brother, Rumi, […]
A Message Through Time
Title: A Message Through Time Author: Anna Ciddor Publisher: Allen and Unwin Publication date: 4 April 2023 Themes: Ancient Roman childhood, friendship, family dynamics, adventure, courage, resilience, gender roles, past and present Additional notable information: Extremely comprehensive teachers’ notes can be downloaded from the Allen and Unwin website here. A Message Through Time by Anna Ciddor and […]
Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Savan
Pearly Woe’s tummy bubbles with worries and she grapples with this as an Adventurologist in training. Self-doubt and pestering worries have no place when you are accompanying your experienced Adventurologist parents and grandpa to the fictious Kingdom of Anachak in a mountainous, dense jungle beside the Mekong River to the remote village of Ban Noa […]
Guardians (Wylah the Koorie Warrior, Book 1)
Title: Guardians (Wylah the Koorie Warrior, Book 1) Authors: Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard Illustrator: Richard Pritchard Publisher: Allen & Unwin Publication date: 31 May, 2022 RRP: $15.99 (AUD) A Study Guide can be accessed here Guardians is the first book in the Wylah the Koorie Warrior series co-authored by Jordan Gould an Indigenous Australian […]
Wild Bush Days
Title: Wild Bush Days Author: Penny Harrison Illustrator: Virginia Gray Publisher: MidnightSun Publishing Publication date: August 2022 Wild Bush Days by Penny Harrison and illustrated by Virginia Gray is a picture book about the power of story, imagination and possibilities and how these drive two young girls to set out on a quest to explore […]
A Feather on a Wing
Title: A Feather on a Wing Author and Illustrator: Maria Speyer Publisher: University of Queensland Press – UQP Publication date: 31 May 2022 Themes: Belonging, comfort, adventure, lullabies, bedtime stories Additional notable information: Teachers’ Notes can be downloaded from the UQP website here. A Feather on a Wing choral arrangement can be found here. You can listen to A […]
Our Country : Ancient Wonders
Our Country : Ancient wonders by Mark Greenwood and illustrated by Frané Lessac is a stunning picture book that inspires readers to immerse themselves in the world of a diverse group of curious explorers who travel around Australia to all states and territories and experience the remarkable ancient wonders. This book is the first in […]