Renowned author and conservationist Tim Winton has written his second picture book in more than 20 years and it is a magnificent non-fiction text which will have universal appeal to both children and adults alike. Ningaloo: Australia's Wild Wonder is a visual treasure with illustrator Cindy Lane completing over thirty-one impressive spreads containing hundreds of detailed hand painted animals and birds that exist in the three vital ecosystems that make up this stunning region.
Called Nyinggulu by the First Peoples of the region; the Baiyungu, West Thalanji and Yinigurtura peoples, Ningaloo Reef is located off the coast in the north of Western Australia. It consists of three interconnected ecosystems: the Ningaloo Reef, the Cape Range and the Exmouth Gulf. Because of the unique weather system there is a diverse range of plants and animals that call this place home, and allow this remarkable environment to be recognised as one of the last wild places on Earth.
Each double page spread is rich in information accessibly placed amongst glorious landscapes and detailed illustrations to engage the reader with quick pops of information and ‘Did You Know? facts. Important habitats or communities that exist in the three ecosystems include the mangrove community at high and low tide, the karst community, seagrass community, intertidal community and the fossil reef community. All are vital to the interconnectedness of this exceptional environment. The marine life and land animals that frequent and exist in each of the habitats are beautifully illustrated and accompanied by clearly labelled information boxes.
The final pages share the story of the First Peoples and their interaction with the area as well as the devastating effects of colonisation. There is vital information about the protection of Ningaloo and how readers can take further action. Set out in a traditional non-fiction manner with a contents page at the beginning and glossary and index at the end, this magnificent hardcover 72 page publication is deserving of a place in all home, school and public libraries.
For your own personal interest, Episode 223 of Your Kids Next Read Podcast with Allison Tait and Megan Daley - Your Kid's Next Read Podcast features an excellent interview with Tim Winton talking about the story behind Ningaloo: Australia's Wild Wonder, how the book came about and his hope for the new generation of children who will learn to protect this wondrous site.
Themes Marine Habitats, Conservation, First Nation Peoples, Marine Life, History, Biodiversity, Ecosystems, World Heritage Sites, National parks.
Kathryn Beilby
Guinness World Records 2026
Guinness World Records, 2025. ISBN: 9781913484835. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
The 2026 Guinness World Record Book is a celebration of the cheeriest colour - yellow. The cover is all yellow and the endpapers feature all shades of yellow in record-breaking achievements: human, non-human, living and non-living. In fact, the largest bath toy is a yellow rubber duck that stands at 32m tall and 40m long made by a Dutch artist. This rubber duck holds pride of place on the first page of this 2026 edition with page 4 & 5 highlighting other favourite yellow record breakers including the largest gold sculpture, the Golden Buddha made from 5.5tonnes of solid gold and the most mustard eaten from a tube in 30 seconds recorded by Andre Ortloff (DEU) who drank 416g.
In this year’s edition are 2,987 records from 40,842 applications. On the Editor’s letter page is the amazing achievement of Australian swimmer Alexa Leary who broke her own 100m freestyle swim (S9 Female) winning her race in a time of 59.22 at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Alexa’s story is incredible and she deserves this wonderful recognition. Other icons in this edition include Dolly Parton, Usain Bolt and the Hempleman-Adams family who have adventured all over the world in exploits such as air ballooning, mountaineering and polar exploration.
The contents page lists nine different sections comprising of Arts & Crafts, Kids Zone, Screen Time, Human Beings, Science & Engineering, Fantastic Facts, Society, Sports and Extreme Nature. Under each section are numerous headings with the Extreme Nature section broken up into the following: largest, smallest, fastest, oldest, deadliest, toughest, most and round up. The visual images of all manner of animals in this section are quite stunning.
Every year the Guinness World Record book continues to provide readers with a treasure trove of records to learn about and ponder over.
Themes Worldwide Record-breaking Achievements.
Kathryn Beilby
There's a Prawn in Parliament House by Annabel Crabb. Illus. by First Dog on the Moon
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781760637750. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
Annabel Crabb, well-known political writer and commentator has cleverly created an all-in-one book for school aged readers to learn about democracy in Australia, its history, elections, and the day-to-day workings of the Federal Government and Parliament House. What can often be a ‘dry’ and challenging topic of learning for upper primary and lower secondary students, this handy go-to read narrated by Shawn the Prawn, a 350 million-year-old tiny coral fossil found in the floor of the grand Marble Foyer, will provide a humorous and enlightening look our system of democracy.
The Contents pages clearly set out each of the seven chapters with the following headings:
1. Welcome to Parliament House 2. How Did We Get Here? 3. The Constitution 4. Why do We Vote? 5. Ministers and Departments 6. The Press and Parliament House 7. Making Laws
Each chapter has a wealth of accessible information and the use of bold font to empathise points, highlighted text, segment blocks, creative images by cartoonist First Dog on the Moon, maps, tables and the use of humour allow the reader to engage with the information.
The witty opening Introduction by Shawn the Prawn sets the tone for the book perfectly and will hopefully provide the hook for readers to engage with the wealth of information. In the final pages are a number of valuable sections including a final word from Shawn, Glossary, What to Spot in Parliament House, Timeline of Australian Prime Ministers, Sources, Further Reading, Acknowledgements, About the Creators and a very detailed index.
The more I delved deeper into this book, the more I realised as an adult my knowledge of all things democracy related is rather sparse! As well as students, this is also a valuable book for adults. The detailed teacher notes provided by A&U are an excellent resource to support students and their learning.
If you love getting lost in a book, then this is a book you will love! In this, the second book in The 113th Assistant Librarian series, Oliver Wormwood must again use all of his librarian talents to fend off invading crab attacks, and the infiltration of warped versions of donated books. It is the formidable local politician though that presents the biggest risk as her onslaught might even lead to war! An almost magical tome that enables the handler to literally get lost in its pages provides opportunity to bypass her attack, but it comes with great risk to Oliver and the winsome Agatha (his library friend and colleague). Can they survive long enough to protect their community from the danger of lies and error? Librarians are good at finding truth and directing away from ‘wrong books’, but Oliver is still very young … can he solve a mystery that puts lives at risk?
This is a mystery adventure full of whimsy and risky moments. Young readers aged 9-14 will find joy in being lost in its pages. It does assume a reasonable reading skill and enjoyment of fantasy and references to library organisation and some historical, geographical or scientific detail may stretch some younger readers, but will thrill adept readers. This is the kind of book that is unique in its setting and yet has the hallmarks of a Harry Potter-style story where magic and reality coalesce and collide and create intriguing scenarios where young characters must perform tasks that put them outside their comfort zone, but in doing so discover new strengths. I loved the first book in this series, and the second is equally enthralling.
Themes Libraries, fantasy, conflict, adventure.
Carolyn Hull
I'm Very Busy: A (Nearly Forgotten) Birthday Book by Oliver Jeffers
Fans of Oliver Jeffers many books will be delighted with another picture book that will have readers rejoicing in the way that friends are able to fix their mistakes. It is Bridget’s birthday and she thought that it would be a lovely day to spend with friends, but when she approached Royal, he said he had ‘people to see and places to be.’ Rodney had ‘to see a man about a dog’, while Regis was washing his hair. Penelope was up to her eyes digging a hole and Pearl had ’a list of things to write and then cross off!’ But Penelope heard Bridget when she said she would have to blow out her birthday candles by herself and gradually each of her friends realise that they had forgotten her birthday and come together to give her a party.
Jeffers’ illustrations are wonderful. Each of the children are tinted in individual colours ranging from green, pink, blue, lilac, green and orange and each have individual hairstyles and expressions. There are lots of little humorous details, like Regis who said he was going to wash his hair but is bald and Rodney who is walking an invisible dog. These will have the reader smiling and the party at the end is a joyous way for the friends to cover up their forgetfulness and make Bridget very happy by showing how they care.
This is a lovely story of friendship and second chances and would be well worth giving as a gift or having in a library collection.
Themes Birthdays, Friendship, Second chances.
Pat Pledger
Millie Mak makes her mark by Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781460767009. (Age:10-12)
Millie Mak makes her mark is the final title in the series about Millie Mak a pre-teenager and a clever maker and problem-solver. This final book is divided into two stories. Each story is followed by step-by step instructions for making the crafty projects that Millie and her friends made in the previous story. The central female protagonist Millie Mak is an overall wonderful girl who not only creates useful, environmentally friendly things by redesigning, reusing and recycling but who also is a very good and wise friend.
Alice Pung (OAM)an award winning Melbourne-based author has in Millie Mak makes her mark (as in her other works) written a story which is sensitive and inclusive about race, culture, various family structures and financial struggle. The characters in the series are representative of a variety of situations especially the experience of the new arrival to Australia. Friendship and group endeavour seems to be the solution to many a social problem and there is much wisdom displayed especially from Ahma (grandma) who notably was very plain speaking when Veesa complained about having to work for her mother (who was a low paid, fast-fashion seamstress). "Girls like you do not have the luxury of protest," Ahma stated. "Not if you want to be educated...how many millions of girls in the world would love even just a week of that Swedish girl's (Greta Thunberg) education?" The friendships created amongst families of disparate backgrounds through the girls' efforts is heart-warming.
Millie Mak makes her mark, like the rest of the series, is really a compilation of small adventures rather than a rich narrative. Reminiscent of the Milly Molly Mandy series (Joyce Lankester Brisley), Millie Mak is like an older Milly Molly Mandy. Millie Mak herself is inspired by the adventures of Enid Blyton's The Famous Five and The Secret Seven and the Narnia children. The chapters are episodic rather than following the structural narrative of a novel. Little stories like the development of a small project for dying old material to make a quilt for Grandad who has had a stroke are procedural and written using simple every day retrievable vocabulary. After the girls have produced a project and solved a few social problems along the way the text is followed by procedures for activities including making dye, learning how to sew using different stitches and making salt-dough ornaments and hand-towel teddies.
Mille Mak and her friends help each other throughout with social and emotional problems and even with worrying menstruation issues. This is all very useful for the pre-teenage cohort of readers. Quite obviously the Millie Mak series is for girls. While seemingly a simple story about girls working together and starting a business, there are many underlying themes. Reducing our environmental footprint, especially in terms of the fashion industry is paramount. Of importance too is being proactive, working cooperatively in a team, taking responsibility and thinking of the other. Pung encourages thinking about what causes people to behave in particular ways and not taking people at face value but rather knowing that each person carries a backstory.
Millie Mak makes her mark is published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia and New Zealand in textured hardback form with a delightful softly shaded cover and matching patchwork end papers. The cover artist is Sher Rill Ng a Melbourne-based illustrator. Children would be familiar with Ng's style through some of her middle grade bookcovers including The Rogues by Lian Tanner.
Millie Mak makes her mark will be well-received by Primary Years to younger Middle Years readers, especially those who love the idea of forming clubs and those who are interested in creative activities and opportunities to start little businesses like stalls to run at places including markets, school fairs and church fetes. Children who thrive on organising and entrepreneurial ventures will find inspiration in Millie Mak.
Themes Fast-fashion environmental sustainability, Friendship, Intercultural understanding, Making and creating, Responsibility, Project-based learning.
Wendy Jeffrey
Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly spooky stories by Jeff Kinney
Jeff Kinney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a wimpy kid series and the Awesome friendly kid series and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, needs no introduction to children. His books are well thumbed and borrowed heavily in school libraries and frequently make the best-seller lists. Children really get a laugh out of them. They are thoroughly enjoyed. And why? Because Jeff Kinney's main characters are wimpy and gawky and gormless, sometimes the butt of jokes and targets for bullies but always cheerful and full of ideas. Do those ideas always work? No! Often these characters (Greg Heffley in Diary of a wimpy kid and Rowley Jefferson in Awesome friendly kid) make terrible plans and decisions which lead them into terrible trouble and really tricky situations where decisions have to be made and problems have to be solved. One way or the other, solutions are found, lessons are learnt and doing the right thing over the wrong wins out in the end. The bite-sized stories are full of adventure and action packed. Children are held in thrall as Greg and Rowley face huge problems (sometimes caused by themselves) and as they try to find solutions. Most of the time these situations are laugh-out-loud funny and place the boys into moral dilemmas. These books are great teaching tools and loved especially by boys.
The Awesome friendly kid series (of which Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly spooky stories is a special edition) is loved because of the story lines but also because of the format. These books are hybrid combinations of continuous text and graphic novel. Told in the first narrative voice of Rowley the stories have an immediacy. Writing on lined paper is a particular characteristic and gives the reader the feeling that Rowley is writing directly into his school exercise book speaking to the reader. Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly spooky stories, being a special edition, has a host of special features. The cover features orange foil details (very halloween appropriate) and the edge pages are zombie themed with black, orange and white stencilled edges. This adds reading interest because the pictures develop as you read (something akin to a flipbook). Jeff Kinney also designed the book. At the start the 14 spooky stories and their page numbers are listed so the reader can dive in and choose whatever story they want. There's a "READERS BEWARE!" page at the start and to bookend a "WELL I WARNED YOU". The text, which is in a big font that looks like a child's printing, is interspersed and broken up regularly (almost every paragraph) and randomly with many, many cartoon style pictures (at least one per page). This means that the text is given immediate visual support.
The clue to the stories is found in the title. Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly spooky stories are awesome, friendly and spooky. There are many ghoulish characters who mess up the whole community and Rowley. The stories are funny, terrifying and twisted and all come from Rowley Jefferson's imagination. Out ready for Halloween, this book is a lot of fun.
Though enjoyed by all, these book series by Jeff Kinney are also wonderful stepping stones/bridging novels for reluctant Primary Years readers and for those entering the Middle Years of schooling. Contemporary issues for pre-teens and teens are dealt with with a sure and steady guiding hand and the book design makes the stories retrievable whilst not dumbing down either the text or the message behind it. Smart and hilarious!
Martha Mumford and Cherie Zamazing, authors of We’re going to a birthday party,We’re going on a sleigh ride, and We’re looking for the perfect hug return with another romp that is perfect for Halloween. In a lift-the-flap board book five bunnies, all dressed ready for Halloween with hats, cloaks, pumpkins and treats, set out to find the ghosts and invite the reader to join the fun hunt.
We’re going on a ghost hunt Come and join the fun! Can you find them all? Yes! Run, run, run!
Then the reader can lift the flaps and find what is underneath. Is there a ghost or a little animal? As the four rabbits run through the night they encounter little bats, (Swoosh, dive, EEP!), snowy owls, (Don’t get a fright!(, warty toads, (Ribbet, ribbet, leap!), a witch’s cat and the little mouse and finally they run home after getting a fright in the witch’s house. The story flows beautifully with lots of repetition, which adds to the fun of the story as readers can repeat the refrains. Beginner readers will have fun predicting what comes next and working out the new vocabulary.
The cute illustrations give the reader the feeling of the mysterious night that the little rabbits are running through but are not too frightening for the younger reader. I loved the little mouse that often appeared and enjoyed looking for it on the different pages, also smiling at the humorous activities that the rabbits got up to. And the drawings of the ghosts are a treat, especially on the final page where they are happily gathered around a cauldron filled with toffee apples.
A great read-aloud, packed with fun for Halloween, this is certain to be a book that young children will ask to be read again and again.
Themes Halloween, Ghosts.
Pat Pledger
Bear to the Rescue by Romane Cristescu & Nic Gill. Illus. by Sylvia Morris
Bear is a rambunctious and energetic pet. Once full grown, he does not settle in the average family home as an obedient and calm pet and is moved from place to place. Bear though is destined for a more challenging and rewarding life. He is chosen to become a conservation rescue detection dog and undergoes intensive training in becoming familiar with koala smells. When devastating bushfires roar through an area where koalas were inhabiting, Bear is called in to help locate them. Wearing special foot pads to protect his paws, Bear is instrumental in saving many of the local koala species and receives many awards in recognition of his great service.
Bear’s story is based on the true story of Bear, an Australian Koolie, which is a working dog breed. Once these dogs move on from the cute puppy stage they might not always be a good fit as a family pet. Fortunately for Bear, he was chosen to be a koala-dog trainee and excelled at locating koalas. His skills in finding many distressed, burnt and undernourished koalas in the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 saved many from perishing.
Author Romane Cristescu worked with Bear and has told his unique story in an appealing and beautifully illustrated picture book. The colourful and engaging full page illustrations and the perfectly positioned text allow readers to relate to the story and appreciate how Bear became a hero. A very entertaining read with more about the ‘real’ Bear, a table of comparisons and some Did You Know? facts in the final pages.
Although I hadn’t read any of the books in the Jimmy Perez series for many years, I decided to pick up The killing stones after watching Shetland the TV series and thoroughly enjoying books in Cleeve’s other series (Two Rivers and Vera Stanhope Jimmy has moved away from Shetland and is living in Orkney with his partner Willow Reeves and son James. When his close friend Archie Stout is reported missing on the island of Westray, Perez goes in search of him and discovers his body on an archaeological dig with the weapon, a Neolithic stone, lying beside him. Jimmy and Willow are quickly drawn into the investigation, with Willow taking the lead as Jimmy is close to the family. Rumours are rife with tales of Archie’s relationship with an artist on the island and his preoccupation with a personal worry. The ancient murder weapon also raises questions about a professor who has built his reputation around the archaeology of the islands and a schoolteacher who is writing a book for children about Orkney. As Jimmy and Willow delve into the mystery there are many threads to follow and more murders to solve.
The book opens with a map of Westray and one of the Orkney Islands which give the reader a grasp of the stunning location of the Orkney islands, the main towns and the likely ferry routes. These add an understanding of the setting which Cleeves is so good at describing, including the wonderful standing stones, the Neolithic stones with the runes inscribed on them, the cold water of the seas surrounding the islands and the life of the islanders.
I found that it was easy to relate to the characters in The killing stones. Although I was unaware of the background to Willow and Jimmy’s relationship and may go back to some of the earlier novels to find out about it, I was able to read The killing stones as a stand-alone, relating to their committed working and personal relationship.
The killing stones was a gripping mystery, with many suspects and twisty leads, and kept me reading to the end, not knowing who committed the murders. I look forward to more books starring Jimmy and Willow.
Inverness- based author Barbara Henderson is a winning author of the Historical Association's Young Quills Award for the best children's historical fiction. Rivet Boy (first published {in Australia} by Affirm Press, 2025) follows in this pattern of excellent historical fiction for children. Rivet Boy blends fact and fiction to tell the story of a very likeable and courageous 12-year-old boy called John Nicol who finds himself breadwinner of his family (on the death of his father who was struck by a rivet) and who therefore has to find dangerous employment on the Forth Bridge construction site. In the Author's Note we find that John Nicol did truly exist and that he did survive a fall from the bridge. Of the men and boys who died constructing this bridge 57 were officially recorded but later research has identified at least 73. Some fell; some may have been pushed. Work safety practices in the 1880s were basic. John had to conquer his fear of heights and bullying, bad men (especially his boss, Cain Murdoch and his henchmen sons) to work at a job as a rivet boy handling the over six million boiling hot metal rivets required to hold the structure together.
John makes two new friends- a girl called Cora and a squirrel that he names Rusty. Their faithfulness, help and friendship provide a softness that counterbalances the privations, danger and terror that is John's lot. There are cliff hangers that lead to the turning point that will make the reader gasp..." I glance up at the bridge and bite my lip."There's an ill wind blowing..." " And this is where I made my mistake..."
In the manner of all good historical fiction, Henderson has woven real historical characters into an historical event - the building and opening of the Forth Bridge - the historic cantilever bridge in Scotland that spans the Firth of Forth. Cleverly Henderson uses the device of the newly invented autograph book for John to collect the names of important people of the times to weave them into the storyline. Indeed as Henderson found in her research, famous people did visit the site including the Crown Prince and Lady Moir, founder of the Society of Women Engineers. Mr Peebles, a kindly and instrumental guide and friend to John was indeed the real librarian at the newly opened Carnegie Library.
The Scottish language permeates the story filling it with wise sayings that bolster John in times of trouble. Each chapter heading reveals the character, ethics and strength of the Scottish thinking of the time. These include:"Beggars cannae be choosers, Luck favours the brave, Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Luck is loaned, not owned, Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Time and tide will tarry for no man etal..." There is so much quiet wisdom in this book.
Young readers will be inspired by a story that is steeped in historical research that can show them something of the hardship, courage and resilience required of children of the same age as them living in Victorian Scotland where there was no social security net for struggling families, where children had to work and the right to schooling was not assumed.
For children studying Design and Technology at school, bridge building and engineering history is an interesting topic. Rivet Boy with its blending of plot with detailed descriptions of the process and construction of the bridge (especially the cantilever style) and the use of rivets is a fascinating and applicable, real-life read that would provoke interest in this area of the curriculum perhaps in children who wouldn't previously have shown any interest in STEM subjects such as engineering, design or technology.
Rivet Boy is an engaging, warm, historical adventure rooted in real events that brings us a character from history (John Nicol) who is an inspiring role model. This book, through its insights into Victorian child labour, engineering history and the societal shifts of the era, is of useful educational value for young readers.
The fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club mystery series is another riveting story that thrills with the return of the group, this time meeting at the wedding of Joyce’s daughter Joanna. Joyce is thrilled with Paul her new son-in-law, Ron is faced with family problems and Ibrahim is giving Connie therapy. Meanwhile Elizabeth is grieving but when told by Nick, the best man at the wedding, that a bomb had been planted under his car, she can’t resist investigating. With murder, kidnapping, and a code to crack to find a Bitcoin fortune, the gang are faced with plenty of problems to solve.
I love this feel-good series. Osman’s clever humour softens some of the darker themes that provide a background to the story. Ron’s daughter Suzi is trying to leave a violent husband who may try to murder her, while Ibrahim attempts to rehabilitate Connie, a habitual criminal. Elizabeth is gradually gaining some of her energy as her intelligence is challenged by the puzzles surrounding the murder and the missing best man, while Joyce, who often relates the story, is the one who recognises loneliness and does something about it.
It is easy to become fully involved in the lives of the Thursday Murder Club gang as they struggle with personal issues as well as solve another crime. As always, Osman brings depth to his characters and their feelings, each one memorable and different.
I read this in a couple of sittings and eagerly look forward to more in the series.
All of us who read this book become witnesses. This is the plea from Dr Samah Jabr, a Palestinian psychiatrist, who has gathered together her many essays on injustice in Palestine. It is shocking to read the dates of some of the essays: ‘The Palestinian resistance: its legitimate right and the moral duty’ (2003), ‘Case report: Imprisonment and torture-triggered psychopathology’ (2008), and many more, continuing until present day. Gaza has been under siege for more than 20 years. Samah Jabr continues to write about the psychological consequences of the Israeli occupation in Palestine. The essays are short; you can pick up the book and read from any of the sections about Gaza, or family in Palestine, or mental health under occupation, or resistance and resilience, or solidarity. The writing is succinct, powerful, and unforgettable.
While the psychiatric assessment of people she sees in her clinic might initially be labelled Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, this Western framework focussed on the individual is insufficient to deal with the complexity of continuous collective trauma living under relentless threat and systemic violence; a trauma that goes beyond personal dysfunction, and cannot be remedied by any individual change. It is a world of disaster that continues, and from which there is no escape.
There is an acronym WCNSF ‘Wounded Child, No Surviving Family’, unique to the Gaza Strip, and used only too frequently. There are dogs eating the bodies of killed Gazans, ‘a Palestinian’s body dragged by a rope attached to an Israeli military vehicle . . , forced nudity and torture’. Writing in 2023, Jabr describes collective punishment: no food, fuel, electricity, water or medical supplies, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians; the direct killing through bombardment, and the indirect killing through starvation and destruction of the health system. How does a psychiatrist deal with the impact of genocide? The need is huge, the resources minimal.
Jabr explains the Arabic concept of sumud: more than resilience, it the idea of perseverance and steadfastness. A symbol of sumud is an old olive tree deeply rooted in the land. The Palestinian people continue to endure and resist. Sumud is also the banner of the global freedom flotilla, the international civilian-led convoy of ships that is currently seeking to break the Israeli blockade and bring urgent humanitarian aid to Palestine.
Rallies around the world sending messages of support are important to overcome the Palestinian people’s sense of abandonment and betrayal. Rallies for solidarity provide an uplifting image of essential human compassion and kindness. Samah Jabr calls for positive change, ‘a future where the radiance of resilience and solidarity prevails over the shadows of the past and its pain’.
I found each of the essays in this collection easy to understand, and at the same time incredibly moving, but readers who would not normally select non-fiction, but would like to better understand the Arab perspective on the Palestine-Israeli conflict, might like to explore Ibtisam Azem’s fictional The book of disappearance which reveals the ghosts of the past city Jaffa beneath the greater Tel Aviv, or alternatively Rock flight by Hasib Hourani, a free-form poem starkly revealing the ongoing suffering of the people of Palestine.
During the late 19th century a strong nationalistic sentiment developed in Australia particularly as the moves towards uniting the six British colonies into one nation grew and the value of the wool industry to the economy was recognised. One of the outcomes was the growth on what became known as the Heidelberg School - a group of artists which included Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin, and Charles Conder who chose to capture iconic Australian outdoor scenes that focused on the unique light and colours of the landscape and the lives lived within them.
One of the most prominent paintings to emerge was Shearing the Rams created by Tom Roberts during a visit to Brocklesby Station, Corowa, New South Wales, in the late spring of 1888 and which was eventually completed after subsequent visits in 1890.
But this wasn't just a painting of a group of men shearing sheep in a scene that could be found in any shearing shed across the country at the time - it had a unique element embedded in it. For the only person with their face completely visible is in fact, a girl, distinctive because, at the time, girls and women were not found in such sheds. The cry of "ducks on the pond" was (and remains) an indication that a female is approaching and language and behaviour needs to be appropriate. In this intriguing and enlightening story both author and artist in a perfect marriage of text and illustration, explore how this young girl came to be such an unexpected inclusion.
It is the true story of Susie Bourne, shy and all but invisible on the family farm, overshadowed by her rowdy brothers and sister, despite undertaking many of the chores that children were expected to do at the time. Like Roberts, White and Anthony have brought her to life telling a story not just of Susie (who went on to live to almost 99) but one that could lead to a comparison between the lives of children, particularly girls, in the 1890s and those in the 2020s, perhaps even sparking an investigation into not only how they have changed but why, and who was responsible.
Through narrative non fiction like this, the hidden stories of history are uncovered and shared with a new, modern audience, breathing life into little-known, sometimes long-forgotten back stories that are not only fascinating in themselves but offer insights that spark interest and inspiration decades, if not centuries, on. Who knew that a little girl who was paid sixpence by the artist to kick up dust so he could capture just the right light and atmosphere, could lead this reviewer down so many rabbit-holes?
Themes Tom Roberts, Country life, Artists.
Barbara Braxton
Maisy Hayes is not for sale by Allayne L. Webster
Text Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781923058545. (Age:14+) Recommended.
Maisy Hayes is not for sale by Allayne L. Webster serves up to the reader an unflinching spotlight on the effects of poverty on a teenage girl and her family. Adelaide- based Webster grew up in rural South Australia and her books including Sensitive (an IBBY Outstanding book for Young people with Disabilities) and the CBCA notable novels Paper Planes and A cardboard palace) depict with a knowing voice, the real feelings and issues that young people have but don't talk about - not even with their closest friends. Webster goes for the nitty-gritty, raw details - for situations that are excruciating and mortifying. Young people reading her books would surely find comfort as Webster writes about what most embarrasses and humiliates. She does not shy away from the cover-ups and other efforts that people without money must go to to hide the fact that they cannot afford things that others take for granted.
Maisy Hayes cannot afford tampons. There is nothing in the fridge at home. She endlessly makes excuses for events and gatherings that she cannot attend because she does not have the money. Most of her energy is used up manufacturing a false identity, thinking of ways to climb out of poverty and above all pretending to be someone other than herself. The narrative from the first person point of view of Maisy begins in a dress shop where Maisy spots a girl..."lithe frame, dry-cleaned uniform, polished Mary Janes...teeth - neat - straight and white...skin flawless..." Maisy thinks she could be an Amelia... an Isabella. She turns out to be an Arabella... "Of course." Arabella is a prefect, she wears a private school blazer, she pouts, she eats at fancy restaurants, she can buy what she wants. Maisy wants to be an Arabella. Maisy's life is very difficult. Her mother is divorced and they live in a down and out housing trust house. Maisy has a sister with a heart condition and a younger brother. She resents her mother's slack behaviour and idolises her father who left the family a long time ago. Maisy and her sister are invited to stay with her father in his mansion in Toorak. They see how the other half live and are dazzled. But is all as it seems?
Through some shocking and confronting events, Maisy comes to reevaluate what wealth really means, to take control and responsibility over her life and to make the most of opportunities. The narrative follows a satisfying full circle.
Maisy Hayes is not for sale is a book for the contemporary teenager. It will be reassuring for readers to find that others have the same fears and worries as themselves. Webster opens the eyes of readers to the poverty hiding in plain sight in classrooms and amongst peers. There are underlying, intertwined themes including sexual abuse, stalking and prostitution in the book. The important message above all else is that all may not be as it seems and that the most important thing is to be true to yourself.
Maisy Hayes is not for sale is a very true-to-life depiction of contemporary teenage school and home life in that it reveals common and everyday concerns of teenagers. It shines a light on students experiencing poverty, on broken families and other societal issues that also impact many students' lives. While Maisy's story is particular but not exclusive to her with poverty a growing problem in Australia, other issues that she deals with are universal.
Maisy Hayes is not for sale is a compelling and thought-provoking story.
Themes Identity, Poverty, Being true to yourself, Shame, Coming of age, Sexuality, Family breakdown, Serious illness.
