Nicki Greenberg’s The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel is set during the golden age of ocean liner travel. It is 1920 and all Pepper Stark wants is to travel with her father – the Captain of the RMS Aquitania. He is a distant parent who is away more than he is at home and Pepper is keen to make their relationship more loving and family-like. Her mother died when Pepper was very young and so there is just the two of them. Her stern governess is no fun and Pepper is pretty desperate for a bit of adventure.

Circumstances change and her steely father allows Pepper and Miss Quacken to join him on a trip to New York. The vast ocean liner is the epitome of glamour and is absolutely jam packed with exciting characters. The most famous passenger is the actress, Perdita West, accompanied by her pet leopard Muffy, and wearing the famous Saffron Diamond.

When the diamond goes missing, the search is on for the stone and the culprit who stole it in front of everyone’s eyes. Pepper and friends she has made on board, race to find the thief and the incredibly rare and expensive diamond. Her father’s reputation is at stake so Pepper must work quickly before the ship docks in New York city.

This novel is perfect for 8-12 year-olds. The detailed descriptions of the food served in first class and the fabulous décor give the reader an insight into this era between the wars. Her cast of suspects and the characters that make up the passengers, are also a nod to the times. Dancing, singing identical twins, a contortionist, a famous jockey and slimy journalist make the perfect elements for Pepper’s detective work.

For Ages: 8 - 12 years

Number of Pages: 310

Published: February 2021

Publisher: Affirm

Themes: Family and Trust

Interned follows the story of 13-year-olds Greta and Tilly during World War I. Both girls come from German backgrounds. Greta and her parents lived a life of privilege in Singapore while Tilly’s father was a baker in a suburb of Brisbane. When WWI breaks out, Germans from surrounding areas and within Australia are taken from their quiet lives and imprisoned as enemy aliens.

Greta dreamt of returning to Germany to study music and continue her violin lessons. When her family arrive at the internment camp she discovers her precious violin has been stolen which compounds her anger and feelings of alienation. Tilly’s father is interned and her mother insists the family follow and join him. Her mother’s fragile mental state crumbles further and Tilly and her younger brother Franz, must always look after her.

The girls and other detainees are not welcome in the small country town they have been taken to and must suffer insults and hardships because of the war being fought thousands of kilometres away.

Pamela Rushby’s middle grade novel fictionalises a part of Australia’s history that is not commonly explored. Seeing the families’ experiences from the German perspective gives readers an insight into the cruelty of war and how blind prejudice can be so harmful. Government bureaucracies do not seem to recognise individual circumstances and so many people were treated in confusingly, illogical ways. There are many parallels to our world today, including the worldwide spread of the deadly Spanish Flu.

The themes of tolerance, racism, fortitude and isolation run through this compelling novel. Interned would be a useful tool for students studying WWI and political conflict and its effect on non-combatant civilians.

For Ages: 11 - 13 years

Number of Pages: 256

Publisher: Walker Books Australia

Published: March 2022 Penguin Random House

Themes: Racism, Family, and Isolation

Eliza Vanda’s Button Box is a middle grade novel full of wonderful characters who inhabit both our world and another that only some know how to get to.

Milly Dynes lives with her artist father in Tidgy Bay where they have a holiday cabin business. They are busy preparing for Milly’s step-mother to come home from hospital with her baby sister. Milly is feeling unsettled with the changes happening around her but doesn’t want to bother her father with her worries.

One day, Eliza Vanda appears and rents one of the ramshackle cabins so she can work undisturbed on a dressmaking project. There is something engaging about Eliza, and Milly is drawn to her and her topsy-turvy cabin. There she sees that Eliza is making an elaborate wedding gown and that she also has a small mouse called Victor as an assistant. She is asked to help Eliza with an errand and is slightly taken aback when it seems to involve sewing buttons inside a coat pocket and taking the mouse along to help. Surely Eliza is just playing a game?

Emily Rodda creates a world full of characters and settings that evoke memories of old fashioned fairy tales where troubles are overcome and dreams realised. Folk who carry their emotions in tiny cages on their heads intermingle with a wicked witch, a frog prince and unicorns. Fears and worries are put in perspective and Milly’s mind is finally put to rest. Her descriptions of the inhabitants of story are colourful and even though they are imaginary, they are very believable and lovable. Jessica Cruckshank’s cover illustration and internal graphics capture the essence of the story perfectly.

The themes of accepting change, confronting the unknown and believing in oneself are neatly folded into the narrative and middle grade readers will enjoy being drawn into this adventure.

For Ages:  8 -12 years

Number of Pages: 288

Published: May 2021

Themes: Change, acceptance and self-belief

Marion Roberts’ new novel follows keen boogie-boarder Alberta Bracken through a summer holidays that are not going to plan. Her mother is the author of the best seller “Tammy Bracken’s Guide to Modern Manners” and the pressure of success and a looming Ted Talk gig make things in the Bracken household even more tense than usual. Alberta’s summer gets worse when she breaks her arm after a nasty encounter with the local bully. Add to this the fact that her friends seem to have abandoned her and then the final blow comes with her parents splitting up.

Alberta however, is saved from an awful summer by Mikki Watanabe whose passion for filming nature becomes a welcome escape. Alberta learns about “Shinrin-yoku” or Forest Bathing from Mikki and together they explore the nearby National Forest and create their own YouTube channel, Mikki and Me and the Memory Tree. When they discover a grove of pine trees are about to be destroyed they take action.

Marion Roberts’ middle grade novel is a wonderful mixture of pathos and joy. The descriptions of how to communicate with nature and talk with trees are like a slow meditation coming to life. The themes of friendship, family relationships, forgiveness and environmental issues are all beautifully crafted into this exciting narrative. Her characters are real and Alberta’s ‘voice’ is engaging and authentic. As she deals with all that’s going on around her, we see Alberta grow in confidence and her convictions. Her little sister Clementine has a natural comic relief element to her which helps lead the story line to its conclusion. Marion Roberts has created a story that deals with the issues middle grade readers are interested in and tucked them neatly into an enjoyable experience.

For Ages: 9 - 13 years

Number of Pages: 320

Published: April 2022

Themes: Family, friends, environmental issues and resilience.

 Rating 4/5

Huda and Me, is a story about family. Huda’s parents have had to fly back to Beirut to look after her mum’s very sick mother and because they have no family in Australia, the children are left with “Aunt” Amel. Trouble starts the minute her parents leave for the airport. Aunt Amel is crazy and sets them tasks that keep the siblings so busy they are exhausted all the time. The situation becomes so fraught that Huda decides her parents must be told. Contact via the phone is impossible, so Huda steals Aunt Amel’s credit card and buys tickets to Lebanon. She enlists the help of her favourite brother Akeal.

The story is told in the present and in the recent past, painting a picture of what has led the children to this desperate plan. Hayek’s descriptions of Huda, her siblings and crazy Aunt Amel create an atmosphere that is filled with emotion and at times is both funny and heat-warming. The tension builds through the book as we travel with Huda and Akeal and watch them grapple with the obstacles thrown in their way. The bond between Huda and Akeal is strong and a beautiful thing to witness. Themes of family, adversity, courage and culture run throughout this great modern-day adventure story. Middle grade readers will enjoy this story of taking hold of your life and running with it.

 For Ages: 9 – 13 years

Number of Pages: 142

Published: March 2021

Themes: Family, culture and courage

Mim and the Woeful Wedding is the second in Katrina Nannestad’s wonderful Travelling Bookshop Junior Fiction series. Mim Cohen, along with her younger brother Nat and their Dad, Zedekiah (commonly known as Zeddy), travel from place to place in their wagon full of books. Flossy the Clydesdale horse takes them wherever she knows a special book is needed. Along with the family menagerie, Daisy the sheep and Coco the cockatoo, they have arrived on a small Greek island.

There they are welcomed by friendly families and soon learn of a wedding that is about to take place. Anjelica is marrying Stavros but when Mim meets them, she feels there is something not quite right. Are they really in love? Is Anjelica being forced into a marriage by their two families who want to join businesses? Mim is concerned that Anjelica is happier being alone designing tiny houses than she will be when she’s married.

Katrina Nannestad’s characters are beautifully portrayed. Mim’s small family is filled with optimism and a love of adventure. The reader is introduced to a number of characters who are all searching for something, and when visiting the bookshop, leave with the thing they actually need. The theme of staying true to your heart runs throughout the narrative and is aided by a delightful collection of quirky creatures. Mim’s little brother Nat is a particularly unconventional child who follows whatever his interests are without any negative parental judgement. Accepting what life throws at you seems to be the guiding rule of the Cohen family and because of that, their lives and the help they give to others, creates a world of easy going cheerfulness.

Cheryl Orsini teams up with Nannestad again for this adventure, just as she did with The Girl and the Dog series. Her illustrations are delightful and capture the joy and sense of wonder for all the magical encounters the characters experience.

Young readers will adore this story and the others in the series. It’s a beautiful thing to find a book that is so happy.

 For Ages: 6-9 years

Number of Pages: 240.

Published: March 2022

Themes: Family, being yourself and following your dreams.

 Rating 4/5

A Glasshouse of Stars is a book about starting life again, adversity, friendship and believing in someone, no matter what.

The story follows newly arrived in Australia, Meixing Lim and her parents. They have inherited a house from an uncle and hope to create a better life in their “New Land”. The house, for Meixing, takes on a personality of its own, with a winking front window and shaggy fur inside. She names it “Scary House” as it talks to her without words and seems to change its size depending on what’s happening around it. There is a resident black and white cat that, soon after she arrives, invites Meixing to explore the broken-down glasshouse in the garden. The inside of the glasshouse is very different to the outside and only some people can see its two sides. Meixing finds solace here and a peace that is hard to come by in the world outside.

Tragedy strikes Meixing’s family soon after they arrive and her already unfamiliar life becomes even harder. Meixing must struggle with learning a new language, a new school, bullies, racists and a very pregnant mother who seems to be avoiding the outside world as much as possible.

Shirley Marr, a first-generation Chinese- Australian, captures the feelings of her child hero beautifully. Told in second person, we follow Meixing through one of the most difficult times in her life. Her thoughts, fears and determination make the reader want to take her hand and help her along — not that she isn’t capable of looking after herself, but because you feel for her so strongly. The themes of racism, self-belief, family and friendship run strongly through this story and readers will gain an insight into just how hard it can be to start a new life in a new land. Is it possible to carry the burden of expectations from a culture that has been ripped from its natural place and transplanted to a new one?

For Ages: 9 - 12 years

Number of Pages: 288

Published: May 2021 Penguin Random House

Themes: Racism, Family, self-belief

Ming and Flo Fight for the Future is the first in a new series called Girls Who Changed the World, by award winning author Jackie French. The story opens with Ming Qong sitting in a history lesson wondering if there had ever been a girl who changed the world. There were plenty of stories about men, but she couldn’t think of a girl who played an important role at any time.

When the class quietens Ming realises there is someone else in the room. A woman in purple with a mauve umbrella is sitting on the windowsill. She is “Herstory” the sister of “History” and she is there to help Ming travel into the past to witness a girl changing the world. Ming argues that she wants to be a girl in the past and steals more “time drops” before Herstory can stop her.

Ming is drawn into Australia in 1898. She becomes Florence, the daughter of a Chinese woman and an absent, drunken, British shearer. Her circumstances become dire and she is rescued by an aunt who lives in Sydney. There, Ming becomes part of the movement to petition for another referendum that will unite all the colonies and create the Australia we know it today. She also meets Henry Lawson’s mother who played a huge role in the Suffragette Movement.

Jackie French’s novel delves into Australia’s past. It highlights the poverty and hardship suffered by rural communities and the inequality of life in the city, particularly for women and children. The descriptions of places and different lifestyles from this Victorian era are fascinating and detailed. We see all this through Ming’s eyes and readers will be able to join her in this adventure. The idea of making a difference no matter how small is seems, is an underlying theme. Small acts can have huge consequences as Ming finds out. Readers are left with a surprising cliff-hanger at the end of the story and will definitely want to read the next instalment.

For Ages: 10+ years

Number of Pages: 269

Published: March 2022

Themes: resilience, fighting for beliefs and how a small act may change the world.

 Rating 4/5

Year 6 Nell lives with her mum in Melbourne and she is a catastrophe expert. She has a catastrophe folder where she keeps all kinds of helpful information about potential hazards and how to avoid them. She and her best friend Cecily, are part of the OC class and enjoy the spelling bee competition — they are brainy nerds that aren’t all that nerdy.

However, things are changing for Nell, things she used to enjoy, like the spelling bee, no longer hold her attention. In fact, she has much more important things to worry about. Her mum has just told her that they are going to move in with her boyfriend Ted and his 7-year-old daughter Amelia.

Nell is also distracted by the arrival of a new girl in their class, Plum. She has amazing fashion sense and lives on the darker side of good behaviour. Nell is intrigued and decides she should try and befriend the new girl.

From that moment on Nell’s life turns into a bumpy ride through friendship, blended families, destabilising moving to Ted’s plots and the confusion Plum brings into Nell’s world.

While she is dealing with one crisis after another, she must also write a very persuasive argument for Year 6 joining the huge School Strike 4 Climate Change rally. Her class is depending on her to succeed. Plum is pushing her to do join her in questionable adventures, Cecily is hurt about their dwindling friendship and Nell is finding it hard to find a valid argument for NOT moving in with Ted. All of a sudden Nell seems to be stumbling whereas before, all she could see was a clear path. Not even her catastrophe folder has a section on friends and family. It’ll be up to Nell to figure it all out.

Fiona Wood’s Middle Grade novel is a tale of friendship, blended families, growing up and Climate Change. These important themes are explored through humour and Nell’s questioning personality. The first person, chatty nature of the narrative, interspaced with helpful tips and “Friday note from under the doona” entries, carry the reader along with Nell on this complicated journey. It is thoroughly worth a read.

For Ages: 9 - 12 years

Number of Pages: 320

Published: April 2022 Pan Macmillan

Themes: Family, friendship and Climate Change

Athena Strange is intrigued by the idea of reanimation. And that’s where this great adventure begins. After trying to bring a neighbourhood cat back to life and nearly burning down her home in the process, Athena is offered a place at an exclusive school. Prometheus High is housed on a crumbling ocean liner, the SS Unbound. As she has always had trouble fitting in, Athena worries that this school will be no different. But at least she’ll be learning all the things that really interest her – reanimation, robotics and magic.

Teachers like Dr Singh (robotics), Mx Hollybow (earth magic) and Monsiuer Renaitre (reanimation), along with some helpful drones, a golem and a living marble statue, all create a vibrant if somewhat chaotic learning atmosphere. Athena, however is falling back into her old habits, and believing herself more advanced than her fellow students, starts working secretly on her own project. While navigating her way through school relationships she and her fellow students, experience an increasing number of unexplained mishaps. Can Athena survive her first semester at Prometheus High? Can any of them?

Stuart Wilson’s debut middle grade novel is so much fun. The SS Unbound is practically a character in its own right. Inhabited by a rich assortment of quirky characters, the narrative barrels along at a great pace. Wilson’s world building and those who inhabit it, make the reader want to jump aboard and join the fun. Working throughout the novel are the themes of co-operation, teamwork and friendship. Readers will enjoy this high-seas adventure and begin a relationship with this offbeat cast.

 For Ages: 12-14 years

Number of Pages: 288

Published: March 2022 Puffin

Themes: Friendship, teamwork, co-operation

The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow is the prequel to Kate Gordon’s two other books set in Direleafe Hall — The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn and the Ballard of Melodie Rose. Jack Hollow is orphaned as a baby when his parents were killed by a lightning strike and he is taken in by Mrs Beekman, the current head mistress of Direleafe Hall.

Jack doesn’t mind being the only boy in an all-girl school. Mrs Beekman loves and provides for him and Angharad, an apprentice cook at the hall, is his friend who tries to teach him how to cook pies.

But Jack is not happy, he believes it’s his fault his parents died and he can’t understand how he survived. He feels as though he should do something special with his life to justify his existence. He needs to find a “calling”. Something that he can do that will make a difference.

Jack thinks long and hard but comes up blank. This is when the three resident ghosts, Florence, Lucy and Nell, urge Jack to help a girl called Angeline. Jack is not sure if a girl is a “calling”. Angeline is a maid at a grand house not far away and is severely treated by the housekeeper. Angeline practises handstands, somersaults and all things acrobatic in the moonlight so that one day she can escape to the circus. Jack sees his chance and decides saving a girl could be his calling. But will this wild girl allow him?

Kate Gordon has given readers another wonderful story about finding your place in the world, the folly of measuring your self-worth and how sometimes a calling can be something not large at all. One of the things I enjoy so much about Kate Gordon’s Direleafe Hall stories is the rich language she uses. Her turns of phrase are all poetic and conjure up all sorts of pictures that encourage the reader to dwell just a little longer within the covers of her books.

For Ages: 9 - 12 years

Number of Pages: 208

Published: March 2022 University of Queensland Press

Themes: Belonging, self-belief and letting go.

17-year-old Phoebe is trying to fit into her new life. Her parents have divorced and she has moved to a quite village to live with her dad and his yoga-loving girlfriend. Although her best friends, Katie and Jane are not too far away, Phoebe is having trouble navigating her way through the ups and downs of trying to keep everyone happy. Her new school is full of hippies and there isn’t a school basketball team. Phoebe wonders how she will cope with this and the all-white school environment, as being part aboriginal makes her stand out.

In amongst these problems is another far greater one. One that effects everything. Her mother’s drinking is ruining Phoebe’s life. As her mum becomes more and more unreliable, Phoebe worries that her dad will be furious if he finds out. She is having a hard time juggling these stresses as well as having to deal with quiet but blatant racism from one of her classmates.

Phoebe manages to get a place on the local basketball team and still enjoys time with her old friends as well as a few new ones, but her mum’s drinking is getting out of control. She feels she can’t share her mother’s problem with anyone and the pressure is breaking her heart.

Jared Thomas’ YA novel delves into the world of a complicated teenage life. The pressures from friends, family and oneself are explored in a carefully crafted and, ultimately accepting narrative.

For Ages: 12+ years

Number of Pages: 384

Published: May 2022 Allen & Unwin

Themes: Alcoholism, divorce, relocating and being let down by parents

The Bravest Word by Kate Foster

The Bravest Word follows the story of Matty, a nearly 12-year-old Year 7 student. Matty is having problems, his internal thoughts are so different from those he had in Year 6. Before, everything was easy, now absolutely everything is bad. He can’t concentrate in class, doesn’t hand in his homework, is teary and angry and confused. So many emotions clamour inside him that he’s exhausted all the time. It’s crazy, why is this happening to him?

Matty is struggling to keep it together and when he starts to really dread his once-loved footy games, his world crumbles around him.

On a bush walk one day with his sympathetic dad, Matty tries to keep it together under the concerned gaze of his father. They hear something whimpering in the bushes and discover an abandoned dog. It has been very cruelly treated and they take it to a vet. Matty is deeply upset about the small dog he has called Cliff. He is determined to save him and nurture him back to health. He prays that his no-nonsense mum will let him keep Cliff, but the wait and the pressure get to him, and he falls ill. He believes he is letting down his best friends, his footy team and his parents. Self-doubt and his painful thoughts are dragging him closer to the edge. No one would understand him if he could even put into words what was going on inside him.

Will Cliff be allowed to come home with him? And will Matty be able to keep him safe and protected? How will Matty deal with what is going on, and is there any way he can fix it?

Kate Foster’s novel is a roller coaster ride through the strong emotions that tumble around her protagonist’s mind. Depression and anxiety are scary and exhausting things, and her descriptions of what Matty is experiencing are a great insight into this insidious condition. The themes of mental health, love, friendship, bravery and family run throughout this remarkable novel. It is a great introduction to inside the mind of someone who is suffering depression. Middle Grade readers will enjoy this story, because, although it deals with a frightening and sometimes crippling condition, it is ultimately also about deep love and caring.

P.S. You will need a box of tissues beside you.

For Ages: 9 - 12 years

Number of Pages: 240

Published: May 2022 Walker Books

Themes: Depression, Anxiety, Family, self-belief.

This is a gentle tale about brothers and growing up. Ben and Luke live with their mother in a quiet town on Cabbage Tree Creek. The summer holidays are filled with swimming, hanging out and dreaming about the day they might own a boat.

The brothers are very different but their bond is strong. Ben is fearless while Luke is reserved. Since the boys’ father left, Ben has looked out for his younger brother and when Luke finds an injured young Magpie, they nurse her back to health. Maggie becomes one of the family and because of that, Luke develops an interest in birds. He becomes an expert on all the birds in their area and can recognise their calls.

One day the boys find an ad for a competition with first prize being a boat. They are excited and plan an entry that will surely win. When school starts again the boys are separated because Ben has gone into High School. Luke begins to feel abandoned especially when Ben seems to prefer the company of his new friend Frankie.

Luke becomes worried. Will their entry for the competition be good enough? What is Ben up to when he sneaks out of the house at night?

Peter Carnavas’ novel is a wonderful depiction of brothers. Their adventures and humour help them through difficult times. The themes of belonging, trust and growing up are beautifully evoked throughout the narrative. Dotted through the novel are graceful sketches of all the birds mentioned and this little touch adds to the feel of the novel. Readers of all ages will enjoy this quiet adventure.

For Ages: 8 – 12 years

Number of Pages: 180 in paperback.

Published: September 2021

Themes: Belonging, family, trust and acceptance.

Rating: 4/5

Julia and the Shark is a book about family love and loyalty, and finding your place within it. Julia, with her mum and dad travel from their home in Cornwall to a place called Unst, a small island in the Shetlands, right at the other end of the country. Julia’s dad has a job fixing a lighthouse there and making it work online. Her mum is a marine biologist who hopes to find a rare and elusive creature called a Greenland Shark. Julia, along with the family cat, Noodle, must endure eight weeks away from friends and home.

Julia has always been fascinated by the stories and facts her mother tells her about life under the sea. They are close and Julia knows she can always rely on what her mother tells her. The first night they are in the lighthouse Julia explores the view from the top of the building. She meets a boy looking at the stars but he runs away before she can talk to him. She meets him the next day in the village and finds that Kin is a stargazer who doesn’t fit in at school. He is being bullied by a boy called Adrian and is frightened to be by himself.  Together they form a rocky friendship as things at the lighthouse begin to unravel. Julia’s mum is obsessed with finding the Greenland Shark and is becoming more and more unpredictable.

Julia dreams the shark is coming to get her and her parents and her holiday in the Shetland Islands begins to sour. Could it be her fault that her mum is unwell? Julia has to navigate her way through the complexities of the adult world and tries to interpret what is happening between her parents. Her life is turned up-side-down by her mother’s sudden illness and she believes she must try and make amends.

Hargrave’s novel confronts the themes of family, finding yourself and mental illness. Bundled together with insights into the natural world and humankind’s impact on its future, it creates a wonderful novel of self-awareness and strength. Illustrations by Tom de Freston are so beautifully intermingled throughout the novel that just looking at them draws the reader further into the narrative. Julia and the Shark is a remarkable story that will be enjoyed by many in the years to come.

 For Ages: 9-13 years

Number of Pages: 244 Hardback

Published: September 2021

Themes: Family, mental illness and finding your place in the world.

Rating: 4.5/5

Katrina Nannestad’s second novel set in World War II follows 6-year-old Sasha, a boy orphaned by the cruelty of the conflict. Her 2020 novel, We Are Wolves, shows the German perspective, this time we see the war through the eyes of another child, this time Russian.

The books opens with Sasha in a Berlin hospital shortly after the end of the war. He has been silent and wary since he woke, only taking time to steal objects that for some reason, he knows he desperately needs. As he is encouraged by the hospital staff and his fellow patients, Sasha recalls his past with the help of the stolen objects.

This beautifully crafted book sweeps between Sasha’s present and his past. Each story he tells paints a picture of what he has endured. Young Sasha’s personality shines throughout the tale. His kindness, love and optimistic outlook earn him many friends and protectors. As he travels across Russia’s vast countryside with the Red Army and its group of extremely loveable characters, he encounters hardships, skirmishes and moments of pure joy.

Katrina Nannestad’s novel again shows the reader that the world is multifaceted and that sometimes seeing it through the perspective of the young, can make it a better place. It’s not only a place that is torn apart by hatred and greed and contains only fear and tragedy, it can be a place where the flowers that grow on the wasteland are sometimes the best thing in the world. Based on the real story of a young boy called Sergey Aleshkov, Nannestad brings to life another side of war. Themes of family, loyalty belonging and the power of love run seamlessly through this fabulous novel. Any reader, young or old, will be enthralled by this tale of bravery and love.

For Ages: 10 - 14 years

Number of Pages: 320 Hardback

Published: October 2021

Themes: Family, love, fear and belonging.

Rating: 4.5/5

What do you do when your entire life is put on YouTube, even the really embarrassing bits, and you’ve had enough? Eva Andersen is in Year 8 and that is hard enough. Even when she asks her parents to stop Vlogging and Instagraming they don’t get the message.

Eva’s life is a mess of filming, wearing and using products supplied to her brand. Her bedroom and wardrobe and what she eats are all curated by her parents and every day they think up more things to post. They are getting more intrusive and more embarrassing by the day. At school Eva’s grades are suffering as well as her friendship with Hallie who now prefers to sit with Gabi. The only friend who sticks by her is Spud, the science geek from next door.

When a new girl, Carys, joins her class, Eva volunteers to buddy her. Carys has been excluded from her last school for some unspecified cybercrime and Eva finds in her,  a friend who understands her problems.

Together they come up with a plan to show Eva’s parents that she’s not happy. Can they get away with infiltrating the family Vlog site? Will it be enough?

Tamsin Winter’s novel is a wonderful modern-day tale. It sheds light on how the internet and the glamour of fame are not all they claim to be. The insights into the damage caused by a life exposed on the worldwide stage are humourously told and give the reader another angle to see the consequences of constant exposure. Winter’s characters are real and Eva’s best friends, endearing. The themes of friendship, Internet obsession, finding oneself are all interwoven through this light but heart-felt novel.

For Ages: 11 - 14 years

Number of Pages: 352

Published: July 2021

Themes: Friendships, obsession and finding yourself.

Rating: 3.5/5

We are Wolves is set during the last months of World War II in what was then East Prussia. The Wolf family must flee the Russian Army as it pushes across Europe against the German forces.

Leisel, Otto and baby Mia escape their village with their mother and grandparents. As winter sets in they struggle with thousands of others across the countryside. As conditions worsen, they must leave Oma and Opa behind. Then, when they try to cross a frozen lake with their mother the Russians bomb the area with deadly consequences. The children are separated from their beloved Mama and must now fend for themselves.

At first Liesel, Otto and Mia try only to survive against the cold and lack of food, knowing their mother will soon find them. But as days roll by they must keep moving to find food and to keep ahead of the terrifying Russian invaders. They learn that if they can get to Lithuania they will be safe.

The children realise that life for them and many others has been reduced to just surviving. As they journey through the seasons and landscapes decimated by war, they encounter many different people. They feel themselves changing and becoming harder, losing their previous selves. Many of them are children like them, lost or orphaned.

Katrina Nannestad’s novel is based on historical sources and shines a light on the other casualties of war. Abandonment, grief, identity, charity and understanding are just some of the themes running through this wonderful novel. Readers will come to love these brave children as they battle to survive. The descriptions of the conditions and the daily dangers they lived through, give a sense of just how tragic the lives of those who survived the war was and how a legacy of troubles is always left behind.

For Ages: 10 +years

Number of Pages: 320 in hardcover.

Published: October 2020

Themes: Grief, abandonment and identity.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Ballard of Melonie Rose follows on from the Heartsong of Wonder Quinn and we are back at Direleaf Hall. Melodie has been left on the doorstep of the school and is welcomed by Ms Gallow, the headmistress and her grandmother. Melodie has been abandoned by her mother after her father’s death, and is not sure if she is alive or a ghost. Her life as she knew it has gone and the joy of singing has abandoned her too. Her parents always loved her songs and now all she can do is hum. She feels invisible.

Melodie meets three real ghosts who befriend her. Together with Florence, Lucy and Nell she needs to formulate a plan to save Direleaf Hall. A mysterious Lady in White has been visiting Ms Gallow and pressuring her into selling. Poor Ms Gallow is weakening as the burden of looking after the school and the few remaining students is taking its toll.

Melodie with the help of bad-tempered crow, Hollowbeak, tries to figure out who the Lady in White is, and why she wants to destroy Direleaf Hall. The little band of girls try various ways of getting the evil woman to change her mind but so far, they have not succeeded.

Melodie enlists the help of the school bully Ines Amontillado who seems to be the only other person who can actually see her.

Melodie and her friends plot and plan but can they really save Direleaf Hall and all who find sanctuary within its walls? Each of them has a personal reason for keeping the Hall safe from destruction. The three ghost girls are tied to the school until they find the reason they need to leave. Hollowbeak is there to help Melodie, just as he was for Wonder Quinn. Ines feels safe here even if it means being mean. Nothing at her home is warm or loving and it is only here she can see a glimmer of belonging. And Melodie? She has to figure out whether she is s a ghost or a girl and believe that her mother will return for her one day.

Kate Gordon’s second novel set in the wonderful Direleaf Hall examines the themes of loss, belonging and abandonment. Also running through the novel, is the notion of stardust. Belonging to a greater entity or larger whole, a thoughtful question for some readers to ponder.

 For Ages: 10 + years

Number of Pages: 244 in paperback form.

Published: June 2021

Themes: Belonging, being seen and abandonment

Rating: 3.5/5                                    

Worse Things is a story about perspective. Three students, Joelene, Blake and Amir all have something to worry about. Joelene is an ace hockey player who is struggling under her mother’s relentless ambitions for her. Blake is an avid footy player who is shut out from the major part of his identity when he breaks his arm. Amir is a recent refugee who has seen the awful things that can happen in war and is trying to settle into his new life with his aunt. He is also the one who sees things that Joelene and Blake don’t see about themselves.

How can Joelene tell her mother she doesn’t want to play hockey and that she misses her dad who is a doctor overseas helping people in dire situations?

Blake is stuck on the sidelines of the footy field and his life. Football has defined him as a person and now he has lost this, he doesn’t know what to do.

Amir dreams of acceptance and family as he watches fellow pupils engage in school life. No one seems to know how to help him. His teacher can’t even pronounce his name.

 Sarah Davis’ illustrations, especially the front cover, give the novel a dynamic, contemporary feel that hits the target audience just perfectly.

Sally Murphy’s verse novel is an exploration of self, belonging and fortitude. The easy to read stanzas hold a depth that readers will find engaging and thought provoking.

 For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 208 paperback.

Published: May 2020

Themes: Belonging, self, acceptance and inner strength.

Rating: 3.5/5