Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire by L.M. Wilkinson. Illus. by Lavanya Naidu
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761180569. (Age:6+) Highly Recommended.
In the second Bravestone book, Titch, Huckleberry and Dollop are lost in a never-ending swamp. It is wet, cold and miserable and that isn’t even the worst of it! Faced with swamp monsters, a brave warrior squirrel who has been banished from her village by a group of brainwashed squirrels and a grumpy turtle, the trio must work together to survive, help the squirrels and continue on their journey to find out if Titch really is Bravestone or if it is all a huge mistake. As they are faced with each new and unexpected challenge, Titch will learn that there is a more to the Bravestone prophecy than she had previously heard and they will meet Briar, a warrior squirrel who helps the trio continue on their quest to save Alluria.
The second book in the Bravestone series is just as wonderful as the first with the addition of a couple of new characters, some of who are good, some not so good and some who are downright mean! The characters are well written and ensure the reader knows who is good, bad or beguiled!! The illustrations help the story and are wonderful additions to the text, guiding the reader in their journey to Alluria, if the fearless trio can find their way out of the swamp.
Titch and her friends have just the right amount of bravado vs. caution and their adventures are bound to be favourites in the classroom or library. These books are written for emerging readers but will be loved by any young reader as they combine adventure, fantasy, good vs. evil and friendship.
The Bravestone series is definitely one that could be read aloud or independently.
Themes Fantasy, Adventure, Good vs Evil, Friendship, Quests.
Neville's story begins well before the beginning of the book. It starts back in Frank's Red Hat, when, being a risk-taker, he agreed to wear the beautiful red hat that Frank had made. But as soon as he put it on, he was swallowed by a killer whale!
Now, Avery continues the tale because while everyone assumed that landing in the whale's throat was the end of Neville, in fact there was a further tale to tell. Because as well as being a risk-taker, Neville was brave and bold and figuring that he hadn't yet been eaten, he was determined to escape. Not helped by the pessimism of Reg - a seal also awaiting its fate in the whale's maw - he, nevertheless, is persistent in his efforts to get out of there. There's no wiggly teeth to dislodge and wriggle through, and the whale's blowhole is not only out of reach, but not even in the same part of its body.
So - does Neville succumb to what seems the inevitable, particularly as the whale starts to make eating-like movements, or is there a happy ending?
Avery is a master of offering original, whimsical, offbeat stories and this is no exception. Perhaps with some slight overtones of the biblical tale about Jonah, the reader finds themselves hoping that Neville's plans will work and that the joyless Reg who is happy to play cards while he awaits his fate will be proven wrong.
Given that Frank's Red Hat was not only shortlisted for the 2023 CBCA Picture Book of the Year but won the of Shadow Judges Picture Book of the Year this is a companion title that has to be in the collection, particularly as the ending suggests that there is yet more to come..
Themes Penguins, Killer whales, Individuality.
Barbara Braxton
Nightweaver by R.M. Gray
Penguin Random House, 2025. ISBN: 9780241735060. (Age:16+YA) Recommended.
A product of R. M. Gray's active imagination, Nightweaver's action, plot and setting leaps from the pirates' ocean world (which has previously been claimed for the safety of pirates and humanity) to gothic Bludgrave Manor in the Tamed Lands (which have been claimed by the sinister Nightweavers) on the shore of Ink Haven. Our heroine, seventeen- year-old pirate Aster Oberon, has been living a pirate life safe from the Nightweavers who are mystical beings with elemental powers who rule the land. There is an epic battle at sea and the Oberon family are defeated and forced to live on land with the Nightweavers who generously offer employment on their estate. Nothing and noone is as they appear it seems... There is elemental, brutal and supernatural violence of vampire-like monsters, the untamed powers of nightweavers, the violence of villagers and medieval type princes and the ordinary, cut-throat violence of pirates. The Nightweavers have been cursed in the past and the monsters who are on the hunt are so much worse than them. In stark relief to the violence are delightful mythical pixies and unicorns who inhabit an arborial area of the manor and the love between the pirate family members. There are references to a supreme being and much reference to symbolism which is important to the plot.
Although the setting is hundreds of years in the past (medieval aspects), Nightweaver somehow suggests a dystopian future - a world that has been plunged into chaos. Humanity are reduced to slavery to the new order of cruel beings.
The love interest is well-written. There is a sweet and powerful budding, forbidden romance between the determined female main character, Aster and Will, the morally grey male main character. It's a "dancing with the enemy" situation which is morally repugnant to Aster but strangely accepted by her proud, tightly-knit pirate family. Character development is slow burning and well written making the reader turn those pages.
Nightweaver is an absorbing and demanding read- an amalgam of characteristics of Pirates of the Caribbean, The book of Revelations, Star Wars, many books of contemporary fantasy and even the book of Esther. Aster is, like Esther, quite the archetypical brave and courageous woman who never gives up, has a special, yet-to-be-developed power and uses her pivotal role within a royal court to save her people. R.M Gray concludes her acknowledgements with a reference to Esther 4:14.
Dark and violent- sometimes almost to excess, Nightweaver is full of brutality and political intrigue. The reader is drawn close to Aster, as the story develops from her perspective. She suffers through many devastating twists and heartbreaks which test what she has wholeheartedly believed in all her life. Her belief in family, herself and the world as she knows it are severely rocked.
R.M Gray has allowed her characters to emerge partially and incrementally in Nightweaver in such a manner that the reader will really want to know what is in store for them; for Aster and Will of course - but what about Henry... a "dark horse" and Margaret... etc. The sequel to Nightweaver will probably be full of more dangerous and upsetting twists and painful betrayals, keeping readers on their toes.
Karma is three cats by Bella Montgomery. Illus. by Carolina Marando
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181955. (Age:3+)
Life according to Taylor Swift’s kitty best friends, the subtitle on the front cover, exposes what this book is about. For Taylor Swift fans, this book is a must, and for cat owners, there are many incidents which will evoke recognition and laughter.
The cats introduce themselves: Benjamin Button, Olivia Benson, and Meredith Grey, the hardest working cats in show business. Intrigued? Turning the page the animals reveal just what they do to bolster and encourage Taylor Swift’s talent. Meredith walks across the piano, making noises which are incorporated into the music, while Benjamin and Olivia purr on her lap, being the muse which impels her to work. They go along to the photo shoots, advise on her personal appearance and accompany her on her tours. At her shows it is the trio of cats that do their stretching exercise, encouraging her to do hers before she appears on the stage, and of course help her wind down after the show.
Sometimes she is feeling low and it is the cats who help her shake it off. They help her with the many letters she must write to the fans.
But the best of all jobs is to keep her happy, and bring joy into her life.
A cute story about Taylor Swift’s cats and how important they are to her life, will endear Swift fans enormously. Others will come to the book via their interest in the person or their love of cats. The book shows how the cats work in her life, even being taken on tours.
Lovingly illustrated by Carolina Marando, the cats are easily identified, and their antics recognised by eager readers. A great deal of Taylor Swift’s life is also shown: the friendship bracelets, her clothes, hair style and make up for example.
Themes Taylor Swift, Musicians, Cats, Friendship.
Fran Knight
Protecting the planet: Ice journey of the polar bear by Martin Jenkins and Lou Baker-Smith
High in the Arctic regions, it snowed last night - the first fall of the season and more is on its way. As the days get shorter, and the nights longer, for this polar bear, this is a sign it's time to make a den, a safe place to sleep through the harsh winter and to give birth to her cubs. But she has a long journey to make to find the right spot to make her safe haven, and eat enough to sustain her for the months ahead as she sleeps through the wild weather.
But the Arctic is changing; familiar landscapes are melting. What kind of world will her cubs grow up in?
The plight of polar bears as the Arctic ice shrinks as climate change takes hold is becoming more well-known, and readers will feel for the mother bear who only wants a safe future for her babies. The narrative is in accessible, direct text telling the mother's story without a lot of extra detail but these are included in the dramatic illustrations which portray a harsh world, where surely only the strongest can survive - but with less and less of what they need, what is the future for the cubs?
Part of the Protecting the Planet series which includes Emperor of the Ice and The Season of the Giraffes, its narrative non fiction format which focuses on a particular animal rather than the species will appeal to younger readers, while those who are independent readers may want to extend their knowledge through Hannah Gold's The Last Bear and Finding Bear.
As yet, there are only three in this series although with so many creatures who could be candidates there is scope for many more, but as each includes notes about what climate change is and how even small changes in what we do can make a difference, it is a valuable series to add to the collection as we try to protect and preserve the planet.
Themes Polar bears.
Barbara Braxton
You can't pat a fish by Ruth Paul
Walker Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781760656973. (Age:3+)
"I asked for a pet, but what did I get?"
The little girl's parents have agreed to let her have a pet, but when it comes to all the choices in the pet shop, they decide that a fish in a bowl is the best choice. Clearly the little girl is disappointed because while you can play with a puppy, cuddle a cat, snuggle a rabbit and pat a pet rat, no matter how much you wish, you can't pat a fish.
There are so many things you can do with any of the other creatures that she could have had, but instead she has a boring fish. Until...
This is a charming rhyming story for young readers that will resonate with any of them who have wished for a pet and all the reasons why. But while it is also a cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for, it's also a reminder of looking for the silver linings and being optimistic, because suddenly the little girl sees the positives of having a fish and where her imagination takes her.
Little ones will enjoy sharing their own stories about their pets, perhaps do some early graphing activities and enjoy the rhyme and rhythm as it carries the story along. Definitely one to share with the preschool group I read to weekly.
Themes Pets.
Barbara Braxton
We're looking for the perfect hug by Martha Mumford
We're looking for the perfect hug. Come and join the fun!
Once again, the bunnies are off on another adventure - this time they are on a mission to find the perfect hug. But who gives it? The prickly hedgehog? The woolly lamb? The snappy crab? Or the fluffy chick? Surely it can't be wily Mr Fox!
As with the others in the series, this is a joyous romp for our youngest readers through the countryside with lots to discover in the colourful, detailed illustrations and hidden under the flaps so cleverly disguised. As they join in the repetitive phrases that take them through the fields to the vegetable patch, across the lake to the farm and even to the seaside, there are lots of opportunities to help them build their vocabulary about the sorts of things they might expect to find at each location so even if it is unfamiliar to them, they are building a mind-picture for the next story they encounter with that setting. For example, while they are trying to predict where there might be a hug in the Giorgio's Fruit and Vege Patch, they could not only identify the vegetables they know (giving them a sense of empowerment) but learn words like "shed", "wheelbarrow" and "hedgehog". Sharp eyes might even see the beanstalk which could lead on to the story about Jack's adventure, while others might notice the colour of the leaves in the wheelbarrow and not only be able to identify the season, but perhaps explore why they are no longer green. Such wonderful opportunities for conversations and explorations - there might even be an opening to talk about who and why and when we hug, and sadly, how sometimes it might not be what we want or from someone we like.
Reading the pictures is such an essential early reading behaviour to enable the child to more precisely predict the text, that there is so much more to this series than just the interactivity of lifting the flaps. Add to that, familiar characters doing everyday things that the child will relate to and this is a winning series for our youngest readers.
Author of the bestselling Prison Healer series and the fantasy Medoran chronicles Lynette Noni has turned her writing skills to pen an exciting adventure/romance set in the rugged Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Zander Rune, Hollywood’s bad boy, desperately wants a key role but needs to clean up his reputation before the director will employ him. His agent and mentor Gabe suggests a publicity stunt to show him in a new light – a trip to the wilds with survivalist Rykon Hawke and his biggest fan chosen from a competition. Charlie Hart hates Zander’s reputation as a drunken driver but cannot let her scheming best friend Ember down when Ember wins the competition. Ember is not well enough to go on a survivalist trip so Charlie finds herself pretending to be Zander’s greatest fan. How will she survive four days in the wilderness with someone she despises?
The thrilling Prologue is sure to grip the attention of any reader who will be compelled to read on immediately to find out what has happened to the person being plunged down a giant waterfall. From then on, the story is told in alternate chapters by Charlie and Zander as they face all the dangers of the wild. I was swept along on their adventures as they sky-dive out of a helicopter, rappel down cliffs, wriggle through narrow tunnels, avoid poisonous snakes and cross a ravine on a disintegrating wooden bridge. As they navigate danger, Charlie begins to get to know Zander and learns more about herself and her dreams and Zander finds himself confiding in her, letting her know about many of his fears.
Although the ending is rushed with some unresolved issues, readers are sure to enjoy the drama, romance and escapism of Wandering Wild, dedicated to those who “Dare to dream again” and eagerly await the next book by Noni. In the meantime readers who enjoy the theme of survival in the wild might like to read Be not far from me by Mindy McGinnis, The lovely and the lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Nowhere on earth by Nick Lake.
Themes Survival, Celebrities, Reality TV, Romance, Blue Mountains (N.S.W.).
Pat Pledger
The EE in the deep blue sea by Judith Barker. Illus. by Janie Frith
The curious sound, 'EE', pops up in a lot of different places: reef and sea, beach, she and fishy. Each sound is that of the 'EE', but is written quite differently. So a story of the deep blue sea, offers children a funny tale with an emphasis on the sound that 'EE' makes but not necessarily written as it sounds.
A family walks along the pier to the boat will taken them to the island in the deep blue sea. Here they walk along the shore, watching the seagulls there, rising in that salty air. They see a hungry squid is looking for a feed while the hermit crab retreats swiftly into its shell.
All along the way they see many many things which promote the use of the 'EE' sound and its written forms. Children will love offering different examples and playing with the sound.
The vibrant illustrations reveal many animals that live in the sea, or are dependent on it for life. Readers will love spotting all the animals, comparing their lists with others.
Others in the series, include, The O in the snow, The OO in Uluru, The AA in the rainforest and The I in the island. The OO in Uluru was awarded first prize by the Speech Pathology Australia organisation in 2019.
all we lost was everything is the second novel by Sloan Harlow whose debut novel Everything we never said was a New York Times bestseller. all we lost was everything is narrated across alternate chapters from the first person point of view of River Santos and then of Logan Evans. Bi-racial River Santos has lost everything in a house fire. Her father died in the fire and her mother is missing. A couple of million dollars has been donated anonymously to a Gofundme campaign but she has not spent the money, choosing to live in a small apartment with Tita Anna, who seems to be one of the few stable and grounded characters in her life. River has just had her heart broken by her first boyfriend Noah and she subsequently meets Logan - a very "hot" boy who has just turned up at her workplace. Important to her is Tawny Mc Gill who has arrived recently at her school..."My best friend in the whole world..."
The setting of all we lost was everything adds flavour to the story. River lives in Scottsdale Arizona - a desert city east of Phoenix. The desertscape of hills, rockfaces and cacti provide an escape for River's mother where she can hike the trails. River's family are from the poor side of town. Life has been a struggle financially. The physical environment is barren and bleak; the house is broken down and beset with scorpions but there is "the unfurling tapestry" of the Sonoran Desert and the Saguaras... "towering cacti, their arms thrown to the sky, some bowing, some bending, all magnificent." The setting moves from the cemetery, to Gertie's diner and to interiors of homes and a short trip to Canyon Rock City (possibly Black Canyon City)
River has definite ideas about her parents but all is not as it seems and most of her beliefs are shattered. The novel moves from a bleak time in her life through more shocks and disappointments as she takes an active role in finding out the truth about her family. Sorting out who to trust, growing and giving oneself space to make wise decisions are further themes that are addressed as River matures.
all we lost was everything tackles the themes of identity, of grief, of romance and trust, of resilence and fresh starts. It is a quick read and presents a variety of intense emotions in succession. Sex is implied not graphic. It is recommended that only older teens read this book. The main characters, Logan and River are very likeable, relatable and multidimensional, displaying a wide range of emotions and motivations and personal growth across the book. The twist at the end is quite shocking. Older teens and fans of BookTok 's Laura Nowlin, If he had been with me etc. and Kathleen Glasgow, Girl in pieces etc...would enjoy this book.
Trigger: Young adult (steamy romance elements)
Themes YA romance, Thriller, Trust, Secrets, Revenge, Resilience.
Are there any more endearing characters for our youngest readers that Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare, from the classic Guess How Much I Love You?
In this new story from the same team, Little Nutbrown Hare goes exploring on his own looking for a new friend to play with. When he comes across his reflection and then his shadow, he is not fooled and continues till he comes to Cloudy Mountain where a little white hare is waiting. They have a lovely time together until they play hide-and-seek and there is a misunderstanding. Both hide and wait for the other to seek until it is time to go home for tea. Will Little Nutbrown Hare find his friend again?
In board book format, perfect for little hands, this is a charming story about being curious, making new friends and playing together that will delight our youngest readers.
Barbara Braxton
The surface trials by H.M. Waugh
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181788. (Age:12+) Highly recommended.
The Surface Trials is the best adventure story that I have read in a long time! I devoured it in one sitting desperate to see who would survive The Surface Trials – where 100 participants are given the chance to join the elite Starquest Academy by enduring danger on an alien planet. The entire universe is watching them and they are under constant surveillance. Who will be a celebrity and finish the trials? Teamwork, problem solving, physical endurance and ethics will all be taken into consideration. Amethyst Antares dreams of leaving the prison of her home planet, and Rian has no other option than gain entrance to the Academy. Deneb is an outlier determined to win. Others will push through and many will fail. Can Ammy and Rian bond to make a viable team and win through when things go terribly wrong?
Waugh really ramps up the excitement with clever twists and a back-up system that fails. No longer is there a spaceship to rescue the contestants who are injured or eliminated and there is no way to contact the trials’ organisers. Ammy’s group will have to face carnivorous animals, difficult terrain and hide secrets while trying to find a way to get home.
Readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner will be thrilled to have another novel that has participants facing danger as they race to complete the trials, while readers who enjoy novels set on alien planets like Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s Starbound trilogy are in for a treat. Unanswered questions at the conclusion leave room for a sequel which I hope will be here soon!
Themes Science fiction, Survival, Competition, Life on other planets, Secrecy, Reality TV.
Pat Pledger
Protecting the Planet: The Season of Giraffes by Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton
Walker Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781529513929. (Age:5+)
Once upon a time, the rainy season was also the season of giraffes. As the hot, dry land turned from red to green and the Earth began to breathe again, the giraffes came, their heads appearing in the tops of the acacia trees and they not only fed themselves but helped to spread the trees' seeds and pollen so there were more trees to give shade, shelter and firewood. The giraffes were just part of the landscape.
But then the giraffes didn't come... they were seen as food, the trees were used as firewood and the empty landscape where they had once walked, was filled with farms and roads and buildings. Human impact took its toll, and then the rains failed. Climate change brought drought which baked the land and there was nothing for the giraffes to come for. As silently as they had come, they also disappeared. Until...
Written in collaboration with conservationist Kisilu Musya to explain how one of the world's best-loved animals has dealt with the challenges of climate change, this is the success story of the giraffes in Niger as people realised the impact their actions had and they changed their ways - they stopped hunting, they protected the trees and the places the giraffes liked to be, until there were so many they were able to share them with other places where they had vanished.
Amidst all the negative gloom-and-doom warning stairs of the impact of humans on the natural world, this is a beacon based on a true story that shows that effective changes can be made.
In the mid-1990s there were only 49 West African giraffe left in the wild, and as a result, the subspecies was listed as 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2008.
Comprehensive conservation efforts by the Government of Niger, in collaboration with local and international partners, have triggered an amazing recovery of the West African giraffe population to over 600 individuals today. This positive trend resulted in the downlisting of West African giraffe to 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List last month (November 2018).
Part of the Protecting the Planet series, which includes Ice Journey of the Polar Bear and Emperor of the Ice, which show younger readers the impact of human activity on Nature's creatures, this is not only an uplifting story but also one that may encourage them to learn more about these majestic creatures.
Snow in the sky, the sequel to Snow, is a whimsical delight with very deep and serious themes. The book contains multiple layers that cleverly integrate olden-day fairy tale with futuristic dystopian fantasy, of geographical and scientific knowledge and at the core - deep concern for people, animals and the environment. The reader is transported into another world which is post-apocalyptic - perhaps a world returned to a medieval state because of the return to archaic English speech, harsh life, castles and forests, but at the same time a disturbing world of the future with the climate possibly irrevocably changed.
New Zealand-based author Gina Inverarity must be drawing on the mountainous, snow covered parts of New Zealand as inspiration. Setting is crucial. It is the time of "the clouding over". There is no distinction between land and sky. The sun and stars are never seen. Snow, our heroine, is also known as "the little queen". She, like Snow White in the Grimm's fairytale, was cast out by her stepmother and rescued by "the hunter". Snow in the sky sees Snow returned to the castle as a young and courageous leader of her people living in the castle (mountain chateau) with the hunter and little bear who she had befriended in the forest and trying to accomodate streams of people escaping the barren frozen land and seeking refuge in the chateau. The people want Snow to lift the clouds again as they thought she had done before. The adventure begins when a stranger arrives from another world. Huge reserves of courage and love must be drawn upon as the adventurers have to band together and attempt to fly above the clouding over to bring sunshine back to the land. Inverarity weaves a great story, in the vein of all great stories and as Catherine Norton says, pulls "...a thread from a great tapestry of storytelling and" uses it "...as the warp for weaving something entirely new". It's a fairytale with wonderful and warm characters who you really care about, who face the extremities of survival and who go to the edge of their strength and resourcefulness to save each other. There's also the finding of identity and romance.
Adelaide-based Wakefield Press have published Snow and Snow in the sky beautifully. Barossa-based Sam Cowley has illustrated the eye-catching covers for both books. Striking black and white sketches evoking the whimsical, fairytale quality of the stories are distinctive on library shelves. The soft blotching of the papers gives an aged effect and the little bear image at the end of each chapter adds to reading pleasure.
Snow in the sky is a highly recommended, scary and delightful, cautionary but hopeful modern day fairy tale. It is recommended that, to enhance the reading, the reader revisit the original Grimm's fairy tale "Snow White" (not confusing this story with "Snow-White and RoseRed") and definitely not reading a Disney version!
If ever there was a book to shake a group of kids out of the doldrums, then this is it. Hilariously funny, starting with the instruction on the unusual cover, each page will cause a chuckle or two, then have them laughing out loud as they anticipate what might be over the page, then rolling around with laughter when something is shown that is completely out of the ordinary and totally unexpected.
When you think of fish, lots of differences within the species will come to mind: they lurk under the water where they cannot be seen, some breath through gills, some have lungs, some have legs, most don’t, some give birth to a catch of eggs, while others have live births, some leave their eggs. Whatever way you look at fish there are huge differences and many of these differences are suspicious.
So how can they be trusted? After all they spend all their time underwater where we cannot see them, and they go about in schools. So what are they learning? The blue whale is a big as a bus, and some fish live in such deep oceans that they attract other prey by glowing. So what about the fish in your fish tank. It is just waiting. Some fish disguise themselves by being called catfish or seahorses or tiger sharks, but they are still fish. And they can’t be trusted.
And we don’t know what these fish are doing in the deep, perhaps building giant battle aquariums to take over the world. But that is preposterous!
But says the author, do not trust them. By the end of this funny take on presenting information about fish, children will have taken in a lot of facts in a way that will help them remember them.
Wonderfully illustrated by Dan Santat, readers will have a lot of fun seeing the different fish, looking at the expressions on their faces, and look over all the different types of fish and their attributes. The vast oceans are wonderfully rendered, cold, deep and scary. Lots of little touches intrigued me: the name of the sinking ship, the king fish’s two bodyguards, the fisherman waiting patiently by the hole in the ice, the lesson being taught to the school of fish, and the amazing battle fish imagined at the end. Readers will love this book, laughing out loud at its zany humour and the upside down world it presents, calling out the refrain, ‘don’t trust fish’, learning far more than expected about our natural world, and joining in the fun.
