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, […]

Queenie in Seven Moves

Queenie in Seven Moves by Zanni Louise is a  beautiful middle grade novel that highlights the unexpected gifts that come from stepping out of your comfort zone, such as the opportunities to grow, realise your full potential, meet new people and embrace new experiences, follows twelve year old Queenie and her Mum, Clare, as they […]

Meet Me at the Moon Tree

Title: Meet Me at the Moon Tree Author: Shivaun Plozza Publisher: University of Queensland Press – (UQP) Publication date: July 4, 2023 Themes: Love, grief, acceptance, hope, courage, science, trees and magic Additional notable information: Comprehensive teachers’ notes can be downloaded from the UQP website here. Love and loss, family dynamics and how grief can impact these, intergenerational […]

Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolfer with illustrations by Tony Flowers is oozing with community spirit in the face of adversity, layered, authentic and endearing characters, a glimpse into the world of community outreach by truckies and gorgeous dogs needing to find their forever homes. This story seamlessly weaves together in a riveting […]

Mizuto and the Wind

Title: Mizuto and the Wind Author: Kaye Baillie Illustrator: Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki Publisher: MidnightSun Publishing Publication date: June 2023 Mizuto and the Wind by Kaye Baillie, illustrated by Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki and published by MidnightSun Publishing is a moving and powerful story that tenderly explores the forces of nature, family connection, the power of imagination and glimmers of hope that […]

Sunshine on Vinegar Street

Title: Sunshine on Vinegar Street Author: Karen Comer Publisher: Allen and Unwin Publication date: 30 May 2023 Additional notable information: A comprehensive teacher resource can be downloaded from the Allen and Unwin website here. Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer and published by Allen and Unwin is a gripping and stirring verse novel set in Melbourne and imbued […]

Sea Glass

Sea Glass by Rebecca Fraser and published by Wombat Books is a contemporary Australian story full of heart, with authentic, nuanced, relatable characters who navigate seeming irreconcilable differences and show that possibilities, treasure and joy can experienced with an open mind and heart. Eleven-year-old Cailin lives with her Mum in Melbourne. They are moving to […]

Sonam and the Silence

Title: Sonam and the Silence Author: Eddie Ayres Illustrator: Ronak Taher Publisher: Allen and Unwin   Publication date: Paperback edition published in 2023 Additional notable information: A comprehensive teacher resource can be downloaded from the Allen and Unwin website here. Sonam and the Silence written by Eddie Ayres, illustrated by Ronak Taher and published by Allen and Unwin tells […]

My Strange Shrinking Parents

My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder, which has recently been announced for the 2023 CBCA Shortlist in the Picture Book of the Year category, is a stunning, reflective, artful narrative imbued with symbolism and inspired by the creators childhood as a young boy who hails from immigrant parents. This is a story about the […]

Waiting for the Storks

Waiting for the Storks by master storyteller Katrina Nannestad with Illustrations by Martina Heiduczekis and published by HarperCollins is Katrina’s third historical fiction title which is inspired by an event during World War 2 and sensitively, yet powerfully, explores this from a child’s perspective. This book, recommended for readers 12+ is inspired by real people […]