Pandora is the ‘beautiful evil’ sent by the gods to unleash misery on mankind. Most would know the story of Pandora, the foolish woman overcome by curiosity to open the forbidden box, and who releases all the evils to befall the world, with only ‘hope’ the last good thing that might offer some relief. Bea Fitzgerald takes this tale and turns it on its head. What if this is just the story that has been passed down the generations, always blaming the woman? Perhaps there is another side to it. Just as she wrote in The end crowns all, history is the story of the victors; there may be a different story that has been conveniently dropped from memory. Pandora may be a scapegoat for the gods’ malevolence and man’s weakness.
In Fitzgerald’s story, Pandora has the intelligence to question her purpose and fight her destiny. She understands that she has been created as the first human woman, to be beautiful and desired by Epimatheos, but the curiosity she has been endowed with leads her to ponder why Zeus has ordered her creation, and why he wants her to captivate the brother of Prometheus, the man he perpetually tortures. She continually questions the reasons she is both ‘all-gifted’ and ‘all giving’, and turns over every impulse in her mind. How much of her nature is preordained, and how much is something of ‘herself’, if there is such a thing.
In Fitzgerald’s story curiosity is not a bad thing, it’s a kind of intelligence, that continually explores the meaning of things, and how everything works. Pandora endeavours to understand herself and outwit the gods. It’s an intelligence that wins the respect and adoration of her husband Epimatheos, just as much as her shapely beauty.
For romance lovers, this novel has it all, the barbed wit of their prickly conversations, to the passion of their all-consuming physical attraction. It is a positive that Epimatheos loves Pandora for all her qualities, despite their bickering quarrels, and comes to appreciate and trust her intelligence above all. And for readers of Greek mythology, Bea Fitzgerald offers a very different and truly fascinating interpretation of an old story, one that even includes an authentic depiction of neurodivergence as well as non-binary gender.
“Four girls share a cabin on their school retreat – in an abandoned town where the ghost of Smiling Jack is known to haunt the isolated campers.”
Set in the 1990s, the story features 3 characters, Mack, Raffi, and Priya who head off to the Year 11 school camp, looking forward to a taste of freedom, time with friends, boys, and time away from families. The inclusion of Shelley, the odd new girl, to their cabin doesn’t fill them with excitement though, especially when she has immediately become the target of some of the boys.
When Raffi insists they all take part in a séance, things begin to get out of hand and the story quickly develops a sense of tension and eeriness. Assumptions are made by the characters about the issues that arise, and the reader is swept along as events unfold, the ghost story becoming intertwined with current day experiences.
Although I love mysteries and thrillers, I’ve never personally been a great fan of horror films or novels. Because I have frequently had middle school students (mainly female) begging me to purchase more of this genre, I was keen to read this. After reading the first couple of chapters, this story had me on the edge of my seat, completely engaged. I powered through the pages, trying to work out how the book would be resolved.
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of the four different characters, gradually revealing the secret thoughts, fears, and prior experiences of each. Despite their differences, a bond is formed, supporting one another becomes paramount and “the sisterhood” reigns supreme.
I’d certainly recommend this title to teenage readers who love the horror genre, but would point out that both violence and sexual assault are part of the story.
Themes Teen Relationships, Violence, Sexual Assault, Feminism.
Jo Schenkel
Boy vs Beast: Lava Beast by Mac Park
Larrikin House, 2025. ISBN: 9781922804969. (Age:5+) Recommended for emergent readers.
“Kai Masters is a Border Guard. He must battle beasts to keep Earth safe. Things have changed in Beastium. There are new beasts. Combo beasts. Will Kai and his Jet-Drill be able to stop the lava beast?”
Behaving like an ordinary kid, Kai plays soccer and joins the team for a BBQ party after the game. He has a far more important role, however. His dog, BC3, has a laser light tail, supersonic hearing, retractable fur, and a human chat button. They live in an old lighthouse with hidden rooms and labs with incredible computers. Together, in their new adventure, the two discover that the earth is under attack by a lava beast. Immediately, they don new fighting apparel, collect upgrades to weapons and a vehicle, and head off to fight the beast. Along the way, they meet different foes, battling them with their chosen tools. Will they manage to defeat the beast and get home safely?
Writing under several different pen names, Louise Park has written multiple series which appeal particularly to emergent readers. Each title in the Boy vs Beast series is action packed, written in a large font, interspersed with numerous illustrations and diagrams. In Lava Beast, several pages use the graphic novel format. Lovers of computer games will see connections between this story and screen games with strength, attack power and speed listed on cards as the story progresses.
The action is easy to read and comprehend, particularly with the assistance of the accompanying illustrations. A bite sized, action packed adventure, this title and series hold immense appeal to emergent readers.
Themes Adventure, Action.
Jo Schenkel
Pablo and Splash: Roman holiday by Sheena Dempsey
Bloomsbury, 2025. ISBN: 9781526662859. (Age:5+)
At home in Antarctica, penguins Pablo and Splash are learning about ancient Rome from their teacher, Mr. Beluga. Splash has not really been concentrating and during an oxygen break on the surface she persuades her more sensible friend Pablo that the way to really learn would be to use Professor O’Brain’s TimeBender machine to visit ancient Rome. Splash should have listened closer to the lessons because she thinks she will be visiting the scene of the 1950’s classic movie "Roman Holiday" and instead of sunglasses and gelato she finds togas and enslavement. It seems the Emperor’s wife collects rare birds and they find themselves captured, awaiting their turn as entertainment in the Colosseum, fighting two experienced gladiators as part of a public spectacle.
This is the third graphic novel adventure for the time travelling penguins, this time combining real information about ancient Rome, like gladiators fighting in the Colosseum (and the use of a sponge on a stick for wiping bums in the public toilets) and cute penguins having exciting adventures. There are lots of puns and catchphrases and a side-trip to New Zealand, keeping the pace fast and engaging. I wasn’t really keen on the friends’ stereotypical relationship, with the fun, naughty impulsive one controlling the adventure while the sensible, more careful one solves the resulting problems, but it is a fast, fun read with colourful characters which will appeal to young readers. At the end of the book is information on the Colosseum, volcanoes and other ‘fact or fiction’ questions as well as how to draw a gladiator. It will appeal to readers of Patrick Green's Investigators series.
Themes Graphic novel, Ancient Rome, Friends, Time travelling.
Sue Speck
The drought kangaroo by Jackie French. Illus. by Danny Snell
The third in the series about animals coping through extreme weather events, this book bristles with endeavour as the kangaroo can smell water far away and knows he must find it to survive.
The strong young kangaroo, Joseph knows his mob is in danger. They are all listless, nibbling at ever shrinking grass, no joeys being born. But Big Roo the leader of the mob is just as listless, and Joseph knows he must search for better feed and water. No one takes any notice as he leaves. He travels at nights, resting during the heat of the day. He sees other distressed animals , parched of water.
One night, he comes across two lights and tries to jump between them, falling to the ground, bouncing off the car. But he keeps going, he can smell the water close by.
When he finds it he munches the grass and drinks large amounts of water, when he notices a mob watching him. The leader of the mob comes over and after a few sorties, leaves him to drink. A grey kangaroo joins him, and later, when it rains he takes over as the leader, and he joins the mob, contented.
Snell’s wonderful images show the kangaroos and their body shapes throughout the story. Decidedly skinny and undernourished, Joseph must leave his mob to look for food. The readers will recognise the flora and fauna seen along his journey, and be concerned for him when confronted by the leader of the new mob. The Australian bush is shown in its changeability, from parched desert to flooding rain. The powerful image of the car which Joseph tries to leap over, becomes clear to the readers when they read Jackie French’s notes at the end, while the illustration recalls all those animals seen as road kill. I loved Snell’s images of Joseph across the top of several pages, giving movement and a sense of purpose to the journey. And the episode with the car in the half light at night is full of anticipation for the readers wondering whether Joseph will be able to avoid the car and survive.
Based on a true story of a lone kangaroo which came to Jackie’s property, the story of survival in our desperate times of drought is uplifting. A teacher's guide is available.
Themes Drought, Kangaroos, Survival.
Fran Knight
When the mountain wakes by Matt Shanks
Affirm Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781923419056. (Age:6+)
This large format picture book is deceptively sophisticated in its message. With very few words the graphic novel leans on the images to tell a story from the beginnings of time through to a future of hope. It follows a mountain which slumbers as various forms of life and civilizations come and go in a cycle of creation and destruction until a silence in the world wakes it and loneliness sends the mountain searching “for a song”. The thousands of years the mountain spends searching fruitlessly, shifts our perspective from our own brief timelines to consider more long-term thinking, that just when we think there is no hope, life will surprise us. The lovely illustrations carry the story of the cycle of life, not dwelling unduly on destruction and a young reader will take away positive feelings about the resilience of nature. At a time when anxiety about climate change and destructive events can overwhelm us it is good to see books like this and Tull Suwannakit's Higher Ground expressing hope for the future. Best read by or with an adult to guide and explain the many geological and historical references and to guide a discussion, it can stand alone as a picture book, and the mountain is a very appealing character.
Themes Nature, Environment, Resilience..
Sue Speck
We fell apart by E. Lockhart
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761182426. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Lockhart’s latest book We fell apart returns to a setting closely related to that of her famous We were liars but with a different cast of characters. Not having read her earlier books, I was completely comfortable with her advice that this is a stand-alone story to be understood on its own. There are some spoilers though for readers of the two Liars novels. Her fans are sure to enjoy her unique writing style that almost twists into poetry in places. And she is master at portraying the inner world of Matilda, the uncertain adventurer caught in this latest mystery.
Matilda is a lonely teenager, abandoned by her single mother ‘following her heart’ with her latest lover, rejected by her boyfriend Luca for being obsessive and needy, and dropped by friends who have decided she is creepy and nerdy. Then out of the blue comes an email from famous artist Kingsley Cello claiming to be her father and inviting her to meet him at his home on Hidden Beach. The strange thing is, he is not there when she turns up, and instead she meets three unusual boys, her ingenuous half-brother Meer, handsome flawed celebrity Brock, and the scowling unfriendly Tatum. Hidden Beach itself is an anomalous world, a superficially free lifestyle confined within rigid constraints that Matilda finds herself constantly challenging. At its heart there is a mystery she is determined to resolve.
There are lies, confusions, trauma, decay, and slowly, gradually, romance. The missing father is not going to fill the gap in Matilda’s life; she has to find her own inner strength, and take responsibility in her relationships and her decisions. It is a combination of coming-of-age and mystery novel delivered in the unique style which has made Lockhart a deservedly popular YA author.
Good Morning, little eggs, one, two and three. But wait – four? This doesn’t belong to me! It landed in my nest without a sound. Whose egg could this be, so smooth, white and round?
The beginning of this gorgeous story is set in a striking dawn sky. An Australian magpie has found a surprise smooth, white round egg in their nest and begins a wondrous journey across the rooftops to find out where the egg might belong. First to be visited is the willie wagtail’s nest built in a garden shed with web, but their eggs are smaller with spots. Then onto the ducks but they have not yet laid their eggs. Next are the kookaburras but their eggs have already hatched. The swallows nests are made of mud and sit under the windowsill. But their eggs have spots and freckles. The honeyeaters have a nest on the patio but their eggs have red spots.
All through this perfectly rhyming narrative, a myriad of birds in a variety of different nests are visited by magpie until the very end at dusk when who do they find perched on the gutters? And whose chick is now sharing the neighbourhood nest with three magpie hatchlings?
Neighbourhood Nest is a beautiful picture book to share with children of all ages. The illustrations are simply stunning and perfectly complement the text. From the partly embossed birds on the front cover, the endpapers showing the eggs with other objects from nature, the detailed full page illustrations in vibrant colour and great detail, this will be a book to treasure. There is also an opportunity to spot some items hidden in a nest as well as further accessible information about all of the backyard birds mentioned in the story.
A must-have book for a home, school or public library.
Themes Nature, Birds, Nests, Australian Backyards, Bird Spotting.
Kathryn Beilby
Frog, Log & Dave: A brush with evil by Trent Jamieson & Brent Wilson
Penguin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761347085. (Age:5+)
Following on from Book 1, Frog Log and Dave’s band now have a drummer, Pollutodude, and call themselves the Quad Bikes. Poor sales and reviews of their second album mean they need to keep their day job as delivery drivers in the much-modified Excalivan. Meanwhile Count Evil Von Evil is plotting revenge for having his plan to pollute the city thwarted by Jeremy in book one. Pigeon Jeremy is the band’s most devoted fan but probably loves his job at the Toothbrush Instruction Writing Company more, so Count Evil Von Evil’s first move is to buy the factory and make Jeremy in charge of research and development. When the Count orders a large shark to be delivered to the factory, the Quad Bikes get drawn into his evil plan.
With bold, colourful cartoons and plenty of action there is nothing subtle about the team’s adventures. Quirky humour with running jokes that build on the previous book’s characters and some sound effects that cry out to be read aloud, make this a must for young readers looking for a series. At 160 pages this graphic novel is long enough to engage the reader and fast paced enough to maintain interest. Just for a bit of fun there is a page at the end of this quality, hardback edition on how to draw the Frog character and colourful endpapers packed with jellybabies hiding clues from the story.
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458926. (Age:12+)
Cursed by Marissa Meyer is a dark romance/thriller fantasy book set in Germany, where a girl, Serilda, is trapped in a large castle betrothed to the evil Alder King, while she is a spirit separated from her pregnant, human body. She, and her secret lover/best friend Gild, who is also separated from his body, try to find their bodies to put themselves back in their human bodies and escape the Alder King. Meanwhile, they try to escape twisted beasts, demons that roam the hallways, and looking after children that Serilda is connected to, and try to stop the Alder King from collecting his monsters to resurrect his huntress wife.
This novel is quite captivating, always keeping you on your toes, trying to guess the mysteries that will keep you up at night. Cursed is impossible to put down, and it is extremely entertaining, and I can guarantee that you will love this book. This book is recommended to those who enjoy mystery, thriller, and dark romance.
Themes: Thriller, mystery, dark romance, fantasy, and myths.
Ella-Rose D. (Student)
Heist: The remarkable robot robbery by Joel McKerrow
The oddball collection of heisters introduced in The Great Chocolate Caper are back again to protect the world. Or are they? In the good tradition of magical sleight-of-hand tricks they use all their talents to take the attention away from the ‘magic deception’ they are about to perform. These pre-teenagers use their planning skills and their robotic talents to save the aliens from destruction by humans. How the tides have turned! The Sydney Opera House becomes both the site for the National Robot Battle and possibly the biggest news story ever. But will they all survive to overcome the enemy?
This is an adventure story that kids will love. The small band of friends are weird and intelligent, just as likely to throw funny verbal barbs at one another as they are to save the world (or the aliens within, including Saph who lives symbiotically within Andy McGee, one of the hapless crew). This story involves incredible cooperation, intelligence and planning to enable the young team to outdo adults who are intent on eliminating alien life. With all the complications of an Oceans 11 story, this is just an action-packed adventure with a culmination that is set within the Sydney Opera House. It is a book that 10-14 year old readers will devour eagerly, and will be delighted that there is another Heist story in the pipeline (as will I!). It is both funny and exciting, a combination that young readers will love.
Themes Robots and robotics, Aliens, Friendships, Heist stories, Computer programming, Ability and disability.
Carolyn Hull
The shadow bride by Shelby Mahurin
Electric Monkey, 2025. ISBN: 9780008582524. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
The Shadow Bride, written by Shelby Mahurin, is the second book in The Scarlet Veil duology, following The Scarlet Veil. This fantasy novel continues the story of Célie, who awakens as a vampire after sacrificing her life. She must now navigate a haunting new existence filled with darkness, power, and emotional turmoil. As old enemies rise and the boundaries between life and death collapse, Célie and the vampire king Michal are forced to confront their pasts while fighting to save their world.
Mahurin’s writing style is one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Her language is beautifully detailed, creating vivid imagery that allows readers to feel as though they are standing beside the characters. The world she has crafted feels alive, rich with atmosphere and emotion. Each scene is written with such precision that it becomes easy to sense the characters’ feelings and perspectives, making the story deeply immersive and emotionally engaging.
However, despite its strengths, The Shadow Bride can be quite confusing if read on its own. The plot heavily relies on the events of The Scarlet Veil, which establishes the characters, world, and conflicts. Without that background, it is difficult to follow certain developments or understand the emotional weight behind the characters’ actions. The pacing can also feel intense at times, with many revelations and emotional shifts occurring in quick succession.
Overall, The Shadow Bride is a beautifully written and emotionally charged conclusion to Mahurin’s duology. Her storytelling and character depth are remarkable, and her ability to blend fantasy, romance, and tension makes the novel stand out. However, it is not a book that can be fully appreciated without reading its predecessor first. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy dark fantasy and character-driven stories, as long as they begin with The Scarlet Veil to truly understand and enjoy the journey.
Rating: 3/5
Shubhrang (Student)
Childish by Morris Gleitzman
Penguin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761343759. (Age:Yr4-8 Middle School, Age 8+) Very highly recommended.
Arkie’s opening thoughts are of the new sensory delights he’s rapidly come to appreciate at the local Chinese takeaway - owned by his new best friend’s family. Arkie is a self-reliant 11 yr old country kid living temporarily with his Nan while his parents try to sell their drought-stricken farm. But chaos greets him when ordering dinner for he and Nan.
Dot’s badly injured on the restaurant delivery bike and while Mr & Mrs Chen and Phyllis race to the hospital, Mr Liu the cook, holds the fort. Arkie helps by going to retrieve the bike. Morris Gleitzmann uses Dot’s traffic accident in Chapter 1 to introduce us to the narrator and so many of the characters in the book.
While Mr Liu prepares Nan and Arkie’s order, Arkie notices a dangerous flaw in the local roads including one near the crumpled bike. He will learn that challenging his local government and several other departments is a convoluted bureaucratic barrier. How will they stop being childish, and share responsibility to coordinate repairs to unsafe roads that endanger the community? The hopeless lack of interoperability means several attempts at advocacy but his whole school is behind Arkie, Dot and the Chen’s.
The timeless and particularly Australian themes are as prolific as our giggles when unpacking any Gleitzman’s book – each one capable of sustaining meaty classroom discussions. Childish is no different as Gleitzman weaves an amusing yet plausible narrative based on the premise that kids can fix anything – a hook which has dominated children’s books for centuries. Arkie and Dot have the determination and growth mindset to tackle any problem step-by- step and see it through, proving that children are often not childish or in fact the only childish characters.
A delightful tale of a child overcoming his misgivings at having to dance at his auntie’s wedding, while also shining a light on the customs of the Samoan community. Many Samoans live in New Zealand and Australia, as well as other countries around the world. Keeping their customs alive is a large part of their socialising, and here a wedding takes central stage.
The wonderfully bright illustrations showcase many of the customs of the Samoan community, and eager eyes will seek out these differences to weddings we know. Filo’s house is being transformed into a wedding venue with every pair of hands working to put up garlands of flowers, setting tables for the feast, while Filo and his cousins practise their part in the ceremony: presenting the siva fa’ataupati, a dance which emulates killing mosquitoes. But this is the first time Filo has been old enough to be part of the performance. The group has been practising for two weeks, but Filo keeps having butterflies in his stomach. He asks his father who tells him that he had butterflies before the first time he danced, as did his grandma. But when his auntie walks down the aisle, he has butterflies. Then when Aunt Rosie and Aunty Eve say their special vowels, he has even more.
They throw petals over the women, and everyone sits down to eat, until the time comes for Filo and the others to dance. The children dress in their special necklaces, and have makeup put on their faces. The butterflies are everywhere, but Dad gives Filo the thumbs up. The group stamp their feet, slap their thighs and work together to present their dance. When the dance is finished then the whole wedding party joins in. Filo’s butterflies have all flown away.
This delightful tale about courage and sharing concerns, will appeal to younger readers as they learn about Samoan customs as Filo learns to suppress his concerns about doing something for the first time.
Crimson Velvet Heart is an unusual, perplexing and enigmatic novel to describe. While it is a story that imagines the life of Princess Marie-Adelaide of Savoy, a shadowy historical figure, it is unusual for an historical novel because it leaves a kind of shimmering and visceral after-taste - even a bad taste in the mouth... The book has been described variously as "visionary", "astounding" and "extraordinary" and these descriptors are apt.
Carmel Bird is a multi award-winning Australian writer (three times short-listed for the Miles Franklin award and winner of the Patrick White Literary Award). In Crimson Velvet Heart she has wrought, out of the mists of time, a story about the mother of King Louis XV that is both imaginative, grounded in research, conveying love and devotion and somehow delivering an atmospheric power that is quite hard to describe. Partly this may be due to the oddness of the narrative voice. In part, the story is told through the voice of one of the sisters in the convent of Sainte Odile in Paris. As Bird tells us, "Her name is Clare, and she believes herself to be chosen by God to document the life of Princess Adelaide of Savoy." Sister Clare begins her story at its end, four years after the death of Adelaide..."The good sister is a most trustworthy storyteller," states Bird. Sister Clare calls Marie-Adelaide "her dearest childhod friend"... They spent their childhood together at the college of Saint-Cyr. Despite Marie-Adelaide's capricious nature (which could be described as extremely manipulative and very cruel at times) Clare remains a staunch defender.
War is a constant background to the human story. The young princess was married to secure strategic alliances between countries and to provide a male heir. This was Adelaide's lot. The hardship of multiple pregnancies and still births and loss are par for the course. Court gossip is vicious, behaviour is debauched and alliances are shaky. Adelaide appears to play a strategic game herself but she is enigmatic. She wears a mask. A parallel love story exists for Clare the narrator - a tale of love and loss and behind that tale is the struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism. Another underlying influence running throughout the story is the telling of folk tales and fables including the tales of Charles Perrault. Parallels can be drawn between these stories and the court lives of the protagonists. Clare keeps a crimson, heart-shaped velvet pincushion and in it she places a pin for every time she prays for her love just as the old queen's pincushion marked every Protestant conversion. The kestrel is a motif that throughout the story seems to represent the freedom that these women do not have.
The young princess lives in a gilded palace. The thrilling and delightful Versailles with its Hall of Mirrors and enormous menageries and gardens and the constant round of royal parties is a luxurious backdrop, yet poverty is rife, war decimates the population and disease and filth are barely masked by perfumes. Adelaide herself has a mouthful of rotten teeth and Louis IV has a hideous fistula connecting his mouth to his nose. Medicine and dentistry were at a primitive stage.
Crimson Velvet Heart is an interesting book which leaves us with many questions. Some are very big questions. Was Adelaide a spy - born and trained to be as slippery as her father Victor Amadeus of Savoy? What was the nature of the relationship between Adelaide and Louis IVth? Much is insinuated... the story ends with a very strange dream. What is Bird suggesting really happened?
Bird brings grotesque and magnificent 17th century France to life and places her protagonists within the historical events in this time of dynastic, religious and imperial war. Intrigue within and bloodthirsty fighting outside are rife as Louis XIV aims to expand French territory across Europe. The constant warfare subjects his people to poverty whilst he maintains a lavish lifestyle. On his deathbed he tells his heir..."I have loved war too well; do not copy me in this, nor in the lavish expenditures I have made." Carmel Bird places this (in part) as an epigraph in the front matter.
At the back of the book, a list of the historical characters accompanied by their birth and death dates and principal relationships and roles is included. A timeline from 1140CE - the birth of Peter Waldo, known as the first Protestant to 1719CE - the death of Madam de Maintenon (the secret wife of Louis 1V) is included. An extensive list of sources is testimony to the extent of Carmel Bird's research.
Crimson Velvet Heart is recommended for those who enjoy books about the lives of historical figures that are both literary and imaginative and underpinned by historical research.
Themes 17th century France, Louis X1V, Princess Marie-Adelaide mother of Louis XV.
