Brain Freeze by Oliver Phommavanh

Brain Freeze is a wonderful collection of twelve funny stories for middle grade kids. Readers follow Joel, whose parents can’t choose one name for him and stick to it. Or the Luong family who go in search for an authentic Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe. Amirul takes on a dare that changes his life and Thao who goes on a crusade to buy his mum some chocolates. My favourite among this great collection is Double Bed Dreams. Abigail wants a double bed for her birthday even though she’d only young. Her single bed is too small to hold all her dreams. Her Unicorncob (a unicorn with a cob of corn instead of a horn) and her rainbow cats are all vying for space along with a man made from drinking straws — it’s all getting a little out of control in her dream-land and so a bigger bed should sort it all out.

Oliver Phommavanh’s stories tell of everyday events from the kid’s perspective. Their thoughts and how they interact with their world and the people around them, give insights that some readers may not have experienced. His books explore diversity in such a way that readers can’t help but laugh out loud. We’ve all had embarrassing parents, bullies at school and wanting to do the right thing but being frustrated by circumstances beyond our control. His short stories are great read for bedtime or even conversation starters around the dinner table.

For Ages: 9-11 years

Number of Pages: 215

Published: September 2020

Themes: Family, friendships and diversity

Rating: 3.5/5                                    

I wish: I could remember all my dreams just like Abigail.

The Grandest Bookshop in the World is a whirlwind adventure. Amelia Mellor has created a marvellous story that is loosely based on historical fact. The Cole family live above the most famous bookshop in Australia. It is the late 1890s and magic is everywhere. Pearl and her brother Vally (Valentine) live with their siblings and parents in a wondrous arcade that has fabulous shops, talking birds and a very unusual sweet shop. Even though their lives are mingled with magic and endless entertaining characters, the family is sad. Ruby, one of the Cole’s children has died and they all miss her dreadfully. Mr Cole is especially heartbroken and makes a deal with an ominous character, Mr Obsucrosmith, who gives “Astonishing Deals at Incredible Prices.”

Their world begins to unravel once the deal is made. Pa becomes ill and with each passing day the famous Cole rainbow that hangs over the arcade is fading, and with it their world. Pearl and Vally must try and fix the dangerous situation their father has placed them in. Mr Obscurosmith proposes a challenge, and even though he is not to be trusted, they can’t see another way out of their dilemma. From the moment they accept the deal their lives are thrown into chaos. They are set seven challenges and must solve them by midnight or they lose everything — the arcade, their families and their memories. We follow them while the work their way through increasingly difficult tests, each one more complex than the last. Will they manage to work together and solve the riddles? Can they dodge the dangers and make it to the end before their family is lost forever?

Amelia Mellor’s middle grade magical reality novel is certainly a page-turner. She paints amazing pictures with words. The horrors of the challenges and the effects on the family are fabulous and terrifying at the same time. Pearl and Vally are beautifully portrayed and the themes of family and problem-solving run throughout the novel. The added bonus is the fact that it is all based on an actual family and place. Edward Cole was an entrepreneur who lived in Melbourne at the end of the 19th century. His progressive ideas on everything from the White Australia policy, religion and education were all formed by his amazing early years in England, the Victorian gold fields and his incredibly open mind. I highly recommend that readers investigate him further and even read his famous publication – Cole’s Funny Picture Book.

For Ages: 9-12 years

Number of Pages: 304

Published: September 2020

Themes: Family, problem solving and deception

Rating: 4/5

I wish: I had a sister like Pearl.

This is a magical tale that winds its way through scary forests, mountain tunnels and dangerous rivers. It starts during the summer school holidays in Sydney with Lara joining her mum on her cleaning job. Lara has always wanted to be a dog and that day on the ferry crossing the harbour, she meets a mysterious dog who then reappears in the park that leads to the house they are going to. The house is empty and uninviting and boring, so Lara goes off to explore. In an upper room, she finds a young boy about her age called Pierre who is all alone as his entire family has been eaten by wolves. He asks her to help him find his grandmother. He doesn’t know exactly where she lives apart from remembering someone mentioning that she lives on the other side of a river.

Pierre has a wonderful puppet theatre and a suitcase full of characters and this will be the way they find his lost relative. Lara digs into the suitcase to choose a character and out comes the puppet of a dog. When they go backstage to start the show, something strange happens and Lara becomes a dog with four paws, long ears and sharp teeth. She is just a little bit scary and Pierre asks her many times if she is sure she’s not a wolf. After easing his mind, they set off through a strange land where they meet some not so friendly people and a very helpful old horse who becomes an ally.

Wherever they go Lara is questioned about whether she is a wolf or not – everyone is terribly afraid of wolves. The three friends must endure plenty of tricky situations, but will they ever find Pierre’s grandmother?

Illustrated by the wonderful images drawn by Christopher Nielsen, the story comes alive with dark creepy forests and a set of characters that are both frightening and charming.

Ursula Dubosarsky’s middle grade book is a mixture of contemporary life and magical reality. It starts off as a novel, turns into a play and back into a novel again. The author has always been fascinated by puppets and puppet shows and this story is a delightful exploration into one of her favourite things, and we, her audience, are lucky enough to get to explore it with her. Readers will love the fairy-tale scenes, the stout loyalty of friendship and the strength of having trust in another being – whether they are a girl, a dog or even a wolf.

For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 191 in paperback form.

Published: November 2020

Themes: Trust, identity and friendship

Rating: 4.5/5                                    

I wish: I could have a magical dog friend

The Little Wave is the story of three kids, two from the beachside suburbs of Manly, Lottie and Noah, and one from the country, Jack. The school in the city is organising a trip for the country kids to come and visit the beach. Everyone is very excited and Lottie and Noah are thrown together to come up with a fund-raising idea.

Lottie is interested in studying insects and wants to be an entomologist. She lives with her dad who hasn’t been himself since her mum died. Their house is packed full of things he thinks are important and daily the junk takes up more and more room. It’s so bad that the neighbours yell at them. Noah is a fantastic surfer who is fearless when it comes to catching huge waves, but he has another side – his friend Harley bullies him and he can’t figure out why he doesn’t have the courage to confront him. Jack lives in a town that is far away from the coast and he has never seen the sea. He loves cricket and would rather skip school and hit a few balls with his cousin Alby. He does try to get to school, but something always comes up to distract him. Life is complicated at his place and his mum finds it hard to manage at home. Jack has to look after his little sister Kirra while he tries to do homework and is often left to cope alone.

Each of the children have problems they think are insurmountable. How will Lottie ever get her dad to stop hoarding? She misses her mum too and dearly wants things to go back to some kind of normal. Noah has to try and navigate his way in a friendship that has turned into the opposite. How can he stop Harley from being so mean all the time? Jack wants his family to be together and happy again but things keep on getting in the way. How can his mum get herself together and how can he help?

The teachers arrange for the kids to write to each other and introduce themselves. As time passes and the date gets nearer, they can’t wait to meet each other. Somehow talking about your problems in letters is so much easier than in person and the three new friends find that sometimes a problem shared can make it easier to solve.

Pip Harry’s book is written in verse form and each chapter is taken from the perspective of one of the characters. The language is free form and readers are pulled into their lives in a way that is somehow more empathetic. This is a great book about problems that children face every day, sometimes in silence. It will give the reader an insight into how others think and respond to their circumstances and let them know that they are not alone.

For Ages: 7-12 years

Number of Pages: 234 in paperback form.

Published: May 2019

Themes: Family, coping with adversity and friendships

Rating: 3.5/5                                    

I wish: that I could surf like Noah

Hattie is having a bad time. Things at home aren’t so good as her parents have split up and now she and her little sister Ivy must live one week with their mum and one week with their dad. All she longs for is for things to get back to how they were. Even one of her favourite places is going to change. Family picnics in the garden of Hummingbird House and climbing her beloved Mulberry tree are going to end because the house is being demolished and an apartment block built.

One night, when Hattie can’t sleep, she visits the house and somehow slips back in time. The house is freshly painted and the garden not overgrown. Someone is living in the house and Hattie makes a new friend. Hypatia’s family story is complicated and filled with sorrow. She lives with her aunt and longs to go back to Lebanon and her memories. She has found a hidden library and a wonderful book called Glossographia of Lost Words and as a consequence has an absolutely amazing vocabulary.

Together they decide to find a book called the Complete Compendium of Hummingbird House which may hold the secret to where a treasure is hidden. If they can find out the secret behind the house and its inhabitants perhaps both Hypatia and Hattie can solve their problems.

Hattie and her mum’s campaign to save Hummingbird House ramps up and so do their emotions when they discover that her dad is helping the developer. Hattie can’t believe he would betray her in such a way. She enlists the help of her best friend Patrick but he has problems too. Hattie needs to help so many people and time is running out. Can she solve the mystery behind the old house? Can she stop the development? Will her family ever be the same?

Julianne Negri’s novel is filled with wondrous words. Hypatia’s language is magical in itself and makes you want to live with a dictionary by your side. The themes of family and friendship run through the narrative and Hattie’s family, although very normal, is also delightfully quirky. Negri has created a magical combination of time travel and mystery that any reader who enjoys words will love.

For Ages: 10-13 years

Number of Pages: 296

Published: June 2020

Themes: Family, friendship and activism

Rating: 3.5/5

I wish: I knew so many wonderful words

Murphy Parker is a quiet person and as a consequence doesn’t say much. Her other Grade 6 classmates generally ignore her which suits her just fine. Her passion is music and composing songs on her old keyboard. She rarely plays any of her songs out loud – she doesn’t want others to hear her work, there are only a few she trusts to listen.

Murphy lives with her aunt and uncle and cousins Junie and Axel. Her dad Sam, visits most days and they hang out together at music stores or kid-friendly gigs. Sam suffers from depression and so sometimes he can’t manage everyday things, but that’s okay because his family looks out for him.

One day during music, one of Murphy’s songs is heard by the class and she is amazed that they really like it. She’s also not sure she likes the attention it brings. But overnight everything changes, someone else is playing her song on YouTube and saying it’s theirs. Now her class thinks she’s a liar and a cheat and Murphy can’t think how to make them believe her. The music thief must be discovered and a couple of kids, Zara and Avery, come to the rescue. Can they find the person responsible for stealing Murphy’s music? And how can they convince everyone that Murphy Parker is no cheat?

This is Fiona Hardy’s second novel after How to Make a Movie in 12 Days. She has written a wonderful picture of school life with characters every reader can identify with. Murphy the shy composer, Zara the radical political activist and a host of others. And just a heads up - the chapters are named after music tracks and refer to what is going on in the story which I find fabulous. Also, at the end of the book Murphy’s class has to choose a song that is important to their family. It gives a great insight into how complex people’s lives can be and that perhaps we shouldn’t judge others so quickly. This story is about trust, friendship and acceptance and will engage any reader right from the start.

For Ages: 10 + years

Number of Pages: 272

Published: August 2020

Themes: Family, acceptance, friendship and mental health

Rating: 4.5/5

I wish: I’ve downloaded the soundtrack of the chapter headings.      

This is an enchanting old-fashioned adventure story. Orphan Hattie Lambton, (her real name is Hatshepsut as her parents were Egyptologists) has been sent to live with her great aunt Iphigenia and great uncle Sisyphus Lambton in their tumbling down Castle in the English countryside. It is a vast but collapsing building that is cared for by a magical cat called Sekhmet and a number of charming kittens. Also in the household, are Iphigenia’s assistants Edgar and Edwina Raven though they are nowhere near as charming as the cats, plus there is something about the two that leaves Hattie feeling troubled.

The tale takes place in the year 1873 when things were very different in the world and when the idea of having Mummy Unwrapping Parties was exotic and exciting. Great aunt Iphigenia and the Ravens, travel to London regularly to present to wondrous groups of society folk the curious and slightly scary experience.

Hattie’s aunt must perform these parties as Crumblin Castle is always in need of repair and great uncle Sisyphus’ work translating hieroglyphs doesn’t bring in much money.

Hattie is initially happy to be included in this eccentric family as she dislikes boarding school and boring lessons. She joins her great aunt in her mummy unwrapping parties but becomes more and more unsettled as she learns about how Ancient Egyptians viewed their Afterlife.

When the law changes and it becomes impossible to source mummies for the parties, the group decide to travel to Egypt to find their own. Will they be able to sneak the mummies out illegally or will they get caught? What is it exactly that the Ravens are up to and why are they so keen for Hattie to not meddle in their affairs?

Pamela Rushby is the author of over 200 children’s books and the combination of facts and mysterious fiction in this novel are beautifully blended here. The numerous illustrations by Nellé May Pierce also help bring the characters alive. The story is on one hand an adventure and on the other, an entertaining way to learn about the Ancient Egyptians.

For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 336

Published: July 2020

Themes: honesty, spirituality and family

Rating: 3.5/5

I wish: I could travel back in time to Ancient Egypt   

Ingrid Laguna’s Junior Fiction novel is a wonderful study of the complexities of friendship and loyalty. It follows on from her first book Songbird where we were introduced to Jamila and her journey into her new life. Here, in Sunflower, Jamila has settled well into her school and things have become more comfortable and familiar. She and her best friend Eva’s favourite things to do are singing and cooking. Grade 6 is fun and with the choir, Jamila is happy.

When she hears her best friend Mina and her family will be coming from Iraq she is excited to be re-united with her old friend. But when Mina arrives, Jamila sees that she has changed. Her experiences in her war-torn country have left Mina sad and anxious. She struggles to learn English and fit in to her new world just as Jamila did.

Jamila is torn between her loyalty to both her friends and finds it increasingly difficult to gather them all together into the perfect friendship group. Jamila and Mina have both had to adapt to new customs and language. But Eva too, has had to battle her own feelings after her mother died. The girls must find a way that they can all be together in harmony.

The themes of friendship and loyalty are clearly investigated in this touching novel. The feelings of the girls are laid out in ways that draw the reader into their hearts.

For Ages: 8+ years

Number of Pages: 165 paperback

Published: August 2020

Themes: Friendship, loyalty and trauma

Rating: 3.5/5                                    

This is a wonderfully crafted novel that gives the reader a realistic insight into a life that is being led, in one form or another, in many places across the world.

How we Change the Ending follows 17-year-old Nate who lives with his sadistic father Dec, step-mum Nance and his twin half-brothers Jake and Otis. Otis has an undiagnosed disability which his father refuses to acknowledge. Nate and his best friend Merrick scrape by at school, mainly because it is a safer place to be than at home. In the evenings, they head to the Youth Centre and hang out with other kids. Although it may not be open much longer as violence and lack of funding threaten its closure.

Nate writes his thoughts in note books where he releases all the things he cannot say. It’s hard for him to see a future that doesn’t involve being scared all the time. Grinding poverty and no path out of it seem to force him into a life of hopelessness. His father drinks and gambles all the family money away, grows hydroponic dope in Nate’s bedroom and is a daily time-bomb just waiting for an excuse to beat somebody up – anybody, including family.

Things get progressively worse at home as Dec gets more paranoid and Otis becomes sicker. Nate is running out of options and is torn between staying and trying to deflect his father’s violence from Nance and the twins or getting out while he can.

Vikki Wakefield’s language and Nate’s voice create a vivid picture of poverty and desperation. The fortitude and resilience of so many of the characters gives the reader a glimpse of something stronger than fear. As we get to know Nate while he tries to avoid being beaten up, attempting to connect with his absent mother and through his friendships with others from the Youth Centre, we see someone who is both brave and kind. It is a book of hope and the strength you can gain by gathering around you only those who love you for who you are.

For Ages: 14 + years

Number of Pages: 297 paperback.

Published: September 2019

Themes:

Rating: 4.5/5

The Wolves of Greycoat Hall is an absolutely delightful story full of wonderful characters and old-fashioned mystery. Randall, his wife Leonora and son, Boris Greycoat are wolves who live peaceful lives in the Principality of Morovia. Being a family who enjoy a fun holiday, they decide to head to Scotland where wolves are being reintroduced and co-incidentally where their family ancestors, the McLupus’ originated.

After travelling a long way by train, boat and train again, they arrive at Inverness and are welcomed by Aileen Fordyce from the Scottish Royal Conservation Society. Although Scots are aware that wolves are being reintroduced they are woefully ignorant of their sophistication.

After a minor tussle with an extremely rude man in green tweed the family drive to their hotel and begin to explore the local tourist attractions. Being a very engaging and interested family, they visit many places and are extremely taken with one in particular – Drommuir Castle.

Their stay is overshadowed by a land developer who happens to wear green tweed. Mr Vorslad is determined to develop the castle site as well as its forest and beach surroundings. He is exceedingly unpleasant and especially dislikes wolves. The Greycoats feel drawn to the area, especially the castle and ask if it is possible to buy it. Mr Vorslad unfortunately has offered the Conservation Society a vast amount of money and it seems unlikely that the Greycoats can beat his price. All seems lost and the evil developer looks like he will win the day but young Boris is reading the family history and makes a discovery that could change everything.

Lucinda Gifford both writes and illustrates this Junior Fiction novel. The illustrations and information boxes are funny and helpful to younger readers. Her characterisations are beautifully portrayed and it is difficult to not fall in love with the Greycoats. The family’s need for constant snacks in order to avoid “Undignified Situations and Embarrassing Incidents”, their love of turrets, and polite explanations for human rudeness all combine to make this a story well worth reading. The quiet humour and gentle storytelling are great tools to introduce junior readers to the themes of acceptance, inclusiveness and fighting for what you believe in.

For Ages: 6-9 years

Number of Pages: 221 hardcover.

Published: September 2020

Themes: acceptance, fighting for beliefs and environmental issues

Rating: 4/5

Neoma and her best friend Jag live in a quiet village in a time where the sea has risen so much that communities perch on whatever high ground they can find. Their peaceful lives, filled with fishing, scavenging and trading with nearby settlements is shattered one day when three strangers from The Valley of the Sun arrive and erect some “teknology” that is forced upon them with no explanation.

The visit from the intruders sets off a chain of events that threatens everything Neoma and her fellow villagers have come to value. Their freedom and living “gently” in the world will never be the same. Neoma is forced to travel further than she has ever sailed across the risen sea to search for answers and to free her best friend from a debt he never should have been burdened with. Along the way she meets man eating crocodiles, huge sharks, a ruthless pirate and encounters for the first time the monolithic Valley of the Sun.

Bren MacDibble crates a world into which humankind has managed to adapt. But has human nature changed as much? Fear, greed and power struggles still exist but can there be a new way of dealing with such things? Neoma’s voice and her down-to-earth personality pull you into her world and the reader becomes totally immersed in the struggles she must overcome.

This book sits alongside How to Bee with its energy and unfailing optimism. MacDibble unfailingly creates another possible future for the world we live in and by doing so, makes us realise what we have and should hold onto.

For Ages: 9+ years

Number of Pages: 272 paperback.

Published: August 2020

Themes: Courage, friendship and resilience.

Rating: 4/5

Twelve-year-old Clancy is a wary kind of kid. She’s frightened of talking to people and her fourteen-year-old sister Tash has set the bar high, sister-wise. She is also more than a little worried about starting high school at the end of the summer. It turns out however, that she may not have time to worry about those things so much as the summer is being turned upside down. Her uncle Mark has got himself arrested in New Zealand — his animal activism having landed on the wrong side of the law. Clancy’s mum and dad must go and sort it out. They take her younger brother Bruno but the two sisters must go and stay with their aunt Polly.

Clancy and Tash are asked to pay daily visits to their grandfather at The Elms, a nursing home he doesn’t enjoy at all. Pa is stuck in a wheel chair and has very limited speech after suffering a stroke a few years before.

On the very first day of their parents’ absence events stumble out of control and Clancy and Tash kidnap their Pa away from staff they believe are determined to make his life one big misery.

From this point on, the reader is taken on a exciting road trip. Clancy channels her dead Nan who she believes guides them on their journey. Tash takes charge as usual and while they struggle to look after themselves and their grandfather, Clancy is forced to make decisions and help out in situations she had always avoided. Clancy’s character is beautifully portrayed and as she overcomes her fears and realises she is stronger than she believed, she becomes the guiding voice of the family

Kate Constable paints a wonderful picture of a family that loves each other but has drifted off course. Their grandmother was the glue that held them together and now it’s up to all of them to figure out a new way to live.

For Ages: 9+ 13 years

Number of Pages: 288 in paperback form.

Published: March 2020

Themes: Family and resilience

Rating: 4/5                                    

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead is an endearing story told from the point of view of 12-year-old Beatrice. Her mum and dad are divorced and the story opens with the news her dad is marrying his partner Jesse. Some people might find it confusing she explains, as at the first wedding her dad was marrying her mum but at the second wedding he is going to marry a man.

Bea lives part time with both her parents and the inner turmoil she suffers at the split in their family group is eased by visiting a therapist, Miriam. Bea has a way of looking at the world that is honest and refreshing even if it is confusing for her. She spends time each day seriously contemplating her worries and in the process hopefully banishing them from her mind.

Bea is keen that everyone gets on and that life is fair. She also is working on how to manage her anger and easily hurt feelings. We follow her through her days divided between two households and dreaming of having a sister. This particular dream looks as though it may come true as Jesse has a daughter from his first marriage too. Preparations are made for the wedding day and Bea moves through her busy emotional landscape with feelings that sometimes threaten to overwhelm her.

Rebecca Stead’s novel draws you in. Bea’s way of looking at the world and its nuances, and her invitation to others to take time out to notice them, makes you want to give her a big hug. In fact, reading this book is just like a big, comforting hug with a serving of hot chocolate in the side. The language, and the atmosphere of loving kindness are beautifully portrayed and the budding wisdom of Bea leave the reader feeling better about themselves and the world around them.

For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 216 in paperback.

Published: April 2020

Themes: Family, emotions, resilience and forgiveness.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Year the Maps Changed is a story of acceptance and fitting in. It’s 1999 and Fred lives with her Pops and adoptive father Luca in Sorrento, Victoria. But her world is changing – Luca’s girlfriend Anika moves in with her son Sam and her Pops has had to go to hospital after a fall.

A war is raging in Europe leaving many thousands of people without homes or even a country to call their own. Fred’s town welcomes 400 refugees from war-torn Kosovo and many in her community volunteer their help. The refugees are placed in an old quarantine station and in only a short time the township is divided on whether they should be welcomed permanently.

Fred’s teacher Mr Khouri loves maps and has given Fred an interest in the shape of things and how situations should be looked at from all angles. The lines drawn don’t necessarily tell the whole story as it depends on who is drawing the lines.

Fred’s life and the lines that surround her family and friends are changing too. Her place in the world is shifting. A family tragedy and the increasing tensions due to the refugees makes her have to decide where to draw a line herself. She needs to choose between good intentions and legal boundaries.

Danielle Binks’ novel creates a vision of a quiet seaside town divided by prejudice and unwarranted fear. A political problem is thrust on them and its injustice and the consequences are seen first-hand in the people they were told were welcome.

Fred, her family and friends are beautifully portrayed and lead the reader through their experiences with a steady hand.

For Ages: 10-14 years

Number of Pages: 304 paperback.

Published: April 2020

Themes: fitting in, resilience and acceptance.

Rating: 4/5

Anna Chiu is a Year 11 student in what looks like a typical Chinese/Australian family. She is big sister to Lily – the smart scholarship student and Michael, the gorgeous six-year-old artistic brother. Her father runs a Chinese restaurant in Gosford and she lives with her siblings and mum in Ashfield, an hour and a half away.

To those on the outside, Anna’s life looks normal but for her it is anything but. Her mother often lies in bed for weeks or stays up late into the night cleaning and muttering about angry black dogs or men who have come to steal her children. Anna must look after her siblings while her father works at the restaurant and rarely comes home.

Her life changes when she persuades her father to take on a boy called Rory as a delivery driver. A friendship grows and it is a great escape for Anna from the stress of family life. She learns that Rory has some issues that he is trying to work through and when things come to a head in her own family he is there to help and understand.

Wai Chim creates a wonderful insight into a family in crisis. The quiet fortitude of children who care for ill parents and who just crave a “normal” life. Anna’s character is strong and caring but the weight of responsibility is slowly dragging her down. Her family copes the best it can but seem to be working independently. Each member refusing to look the problem in the eye and call it out into the open. Society’s views on mental health and family values clash to create a situation that ultimately brings their fragile efforts crashing down. It acts as a catalyst and together as a family, they learn what their “normal” is. This is as great story of love, family, understanding and strength.

For Ages: 12 - 16 years

Number of Pages: 392 paperback.

Published: August 2019

Themes: Mental health, family and relationships.

Rating: 4/5

Impossible Music follows the first few months of Simon’s journey after he loses his hearing due to a mini stroke. He is a young musician who lives and breathes music – Simon is a rock god. His world is suddenly switched off and the notes and sounds that have inhabited his life are gone. He is left with nothing – a silent world that is conspiring to drive him crazy.

His mum and sister, Maeve try and support him but he pushes them away. He skips sign language classes and often fails to turn up at his counselling sessions. Early after his diagnosis he meets G. She seems to share his scorn for Auslan and trying to fit into a world that has abandoned them.

Simon is desperate to still try and get into a music composition class at uni and emails the course co-ordinator with project suggestions that will persuade her that being deaf will not hinder him in any way. The project proposals take up most of his time and he becomes obsessed with the possibility of continuing on the path he had planned before his stroke. His relationship with his family and G suffer as a consequence and he must work out his priorities. Both Simon and G must learn how to be, in the changed world that surrounds them. They struggle and at times fail, but together they find a path that might just make their new circumstances more tolerable.

Sean Williams creates two people who are trying to accept and re-invent themselves. Simon’s character is interesting and his take on what exactly music and sound are, is fascinating. G’s character is slightly enigmatic and is not as deeply explored as Simon’s but she still emerges as a strong and deep person. The structure of the novel and how Williams deals with the conversations held by the characters is well done and not overly complicated. It is an insight into the Deaf community and gives the reader a small understanding of what some people experience every day.

For Ages: 14 + years

Number of Pages: 310 paperback.

Published: July 2019

Themes: Resilience, identity and family

Rating: 3/5

Young Dark Emu- A Truer History is a valuable reference book for children that questions a period in Australia’s history. It is a simplified version of Bruce Pascoe’s book Dark Emu which won him the Book of the Year and Indigenous Writer Prize in 2016.

Each chapter introduces the reader to an element of the culture of the Aboriginal people as it existed when the first white settlers arrived. Using quotes and illustrations from the journals of white settlers it explores agriculture, aquaculture, dwellings, food storage, land management and sacred sites.

The Aboriginal people inhabited a landscape that at times could be harsh. They lived in villages, cultivated the land, hunted and had rich spiritual lives. All of this was eroded away or violently destroyed by the arrival of a colonial power that believed it had the right to settle and take over any land it chose. History shows that colonisation was widespread. Many European and Asian countries explored the world and where they were able, took other countries as their own. In the present day, some countries still try to expand into other regions but it is now seen as an unacceptable practice.

The Aboriginal people, their culture and life style were decimated by colonial intervention and like may before them and still to this day, the conqueror is the one that gets to write the loudest history. After the 1860s there was little evidence left of how the Aboriginal people had lived on the land and so it became a widespread belief that they had been a nomadic hunter-gatherer people.

Bruce Pascoe’s Young Dar Emu – A Truer History shows a different way of looking at Australia’s history. It shows the reader how to look deeper and explore further, rather than relying on just one source for information. Recounting history is not just a simple matter of reading the version from one cultural authority, it should involve multiple sources and in that way, a bigger, truer story will emerge.

For Ages: 8-13 years

Number of Pages: 80 Hardback.

Published: June 2019

Rating: 4/5

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood is the winner of the 2018 Text Prize and is her debut novel. It is a gentle and very funny story about love and coping with being a teenager with a highly developed sense of self depreciation. Natalie lives with her parents and Christmas Day this year comes with something extra. Her parents tell her they are divorcing and have known this very important piece of information for over ten months without telling her. Natalie’s dream of a lovely long summer with her best friends Lucy and Zach is quickly slipping through her fingers. They are all waiting to hear if they got into the universities of their choice, but this is coloured by the fact that Lucy and Zach have hooked up and although Natalie is still a huge part of their lives, she feels on the outer edge of the group. Her parents’ break-up and the rapid move to start dating on her mother’s part, leave Natalie with a feeling that nothing will ever be the same again.

Natalie’s internal dialogue with herself and others is wonderful. As the story develops we get an insight into how hard her life was during her recent school years. Her self-esteem is lower than even the most introverted and confidence lacking average teen. She finds herself attracted to Zach’s elder brother, Alex, and from that point on she has to endure all kinds of social situations. She has spent years avoiding things like parties and therefore has absolutely no knowledge about how these things work. It doesn’t matter that she no longer is covered in pimples and the terror of people seeing her in a swimming costume can still throw her into a tail spin faster than toddlers eating red frogs. Her defence mechanisms are putting up a sterling effort at sabotaging both her love life and social life. Natalie must try and negotiate her way through all of this without actually losing the one person she cares about, Alex.

Nina Kenwood captures the angst and self-destructive talk that creates the multiple contradictions within ourselves. A quality so universal that everyone will find something in this book they can relate to. The language used is both hilarious and sensitive and all the characters are portrayed with a depth that flows beautifully amongst Natalie’s inner conversations. I highly recommend this light hearted and eloquent novel.

For Ages: 14+ years

Number of Pages: 292 paperback.

Published: August 2019

Themes: Love, family and self esteem.

Rating: 4/5

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox is short listed for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year 2020. Biz is a 16-year-old girl living with her mum and her siblings, six-year-old twins, Billie and Dart. Biz and her best friend Grace are in Year 11 and have a great “posse” of friends. Their lives are playing out like countless others across the world. The only difference between Biz and everyone else is that she sees and talks to her dead father. He visits and tells her about their life before he died when she was seven.

During a drunken beach party Biz wanders off into the sea. She walks in deeper and deeper thinking that to float away would be preferable to the life she leads now. The voices in her head and that of her father, persuade and suggest and clamour for attention. Biz’s life is not what it seems on the surface. Just when the waves start to drag her further out, she is saved by Jasper, a boy she has seen around her school — a loner who doesn’t mix with others. Biz manages to survive the humiliation of this encounter and moves on with her life. Another Saturday night and more drinking create a catalyst that unravels her life even further. Grace and Biz are blanked and finally, after another disastrous episode, separated.

Biz is left stranded in her own life. It’s a fragile life inhabited by a working mum, busy twins and a more intrusive ghost father. Biz becomes more depressed and isolated and cannot return to school. She is persuaded to take a photography course and there she meets Sylvia, a kind, old widow who befriends her. By pure chance it turns out that Sylvia’s grandson is Jasper and so the two reluctant teens are reunited.

As Biz’s mental health deteriorates, she comes to believe that if she can find her father through visiting his childhood farm and other places he lived, she can save him and herself as well. Jasper and Biz start a journey to discover her father’s roots. It’s a journey that will take unforeseen turns and will push her further into a fog she may not be able to find a way out of.  

Helena Fox has painted an incredibly moving narrative about love and loss. Mental illness and acceptance. Ways to heal and most of all, about forgiveness. The language and imagery used take the reader deep into the mind of the main character and give a glimpse of what it is like to float. To be in a life, to detach to survive — and find your way back.

For Ages: 14 + years

Number of Pages: 372 paperback.

Published: May 2019

Themes: Grief, bullying and mental health.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Thing About Oliver by Deborah Kelly is a Middle Grade story that follows Tilly, her mum and her little brother, Oliver. It was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year, 2020.

Tilly dreams of being a marine biologist and swimming among the amazing creatures that live under the sea. The only trouble is, she lives in a drought stricken country town and there is never enough time or money to even get her swimming lessons. Tilly’s brother Oliver is autistic, and she and her mum spend a lot of time taking him to therapy classes and making sure that as little as possible disruption comes his way.

When her mum loses her job, and decides they will move to Queensland, Tilly has mixed feelings. She’s excited to be moving somewhere closer to water, but what about her friends and school? But, more importantly, how will Oliver take it? He can’t handle any changes in his routine and his melt downs can be loud and distressing to everyone. Tilly knows that Oliver’s needs must come first, but she is tired of coming last and sad to be leaving her old life behind. The move proves to be just as emotional as expected, and when Tilly loses her temper, things quickly get out of control.

Deborah Kelly has created a moving drama of a family who do the best they can with their circumstances. Her depiction of Tilly and the sacrifices she makes for her brother, are both powerful and heartbreaking. This is a wonderful book for children who may have friends with siblings that have autism. It gives an insight into how difficult their lives can be.

For Ages: 8 + 12 years

Number of Pages: 144 in paperback form.

Published: October 2019

Themes: Family, autism and coping with adversity

Rating: 4/5                                       

I wish: that I could remember all the fish’s names like Tilly.