There are four girls, all daughters of single mums, in a back-water town, desperate to escape the dead-end future everyone predicts for them; they are the losers, the girls who sit at the back of the class, the group that teachers have given up on. But their music teacher Mr P is different; he cares. He thinks they can make it in the Battle of the Bands. They have talent, they have a future, their band ‘The Bastards’ is going to make it, just like their idol Kurt Cobain.
They are four band members, until they are only three. Lily detaches herself, and calls the others dumb. The three girls blame Lily’s mother’s mean new boyfriend, Buddy. But, strangely, bizarrely, it is Mr P, the beloved music teacher, that Lily accuses of sexual assault. How could that be?
Liz Allan employs the plural narrative voice for the three unnamed girls. Everything is recounted as ‘we’. Their lives are exactly the same, they spend all their time together in each other’s homes, and they feel safe, able to face any danger as long as they stay together. But when all their hopes come crashing down, they spiral into a path of self-destruction.
In bloom is about sexual abuse. People recognise the threat of abuse in Lily’s home, and in the thuggish gangs of the neighbourhood, but nobody ever suspects the charmer that everybody likes, the teacher that encourages the dreams of his students. But when the finger is pointed at him, the tide of community opinion turns against him; he is after all the outsider, the German Kraut. Parents want to know that their child is safe.
In bloom is an astounding debut novel, exploring themes of class, prejudice, sexual abuse, and teenage identity. If there was a music track to accompany it, it would be the grunge band Nirvana. The teenagers are full of rage and defiance; united they can face down anyone. But in the end, each has to become their own person, and face the secret they never wanted to countenance.
Liz Allan has crafted an engaging fast-paced novel, which takes you into the world of the teenage rebels. It is a rampage of anger and confusion, as they try to work out the problem that suddenly confronts them: how to get their favourite teacher back, how to get their band on the road, how to make their dream come true. They are desperate to be heard, desperate to be something different. But in the end, it might mean becoming their individual selves.
I highly recommend this novel for its unique and highly original approach to tacking sensitive subjects, in an almost a detective-style plot that draws readers in.
Themes Rebellion, Music, Bands, Sexual abuse, Class, Identity.
Felix Marigold takes his pet croc to school to Bring Your Pet to School Day. What could go wrong? This is the story of a typical school, bullies, best friends and crocodiles. Felix and his new best friend Autumn along with their pet crocodile and ferret must work together to solve the mystery of why the most dangerous creatures on earth are behaving like puppies, outsmart the four evil Caitlins and keep Jupiter safe for Felix’s eccentric Aunt Opaline.
I love the idea of taking animals on Pet Days that aren’t your typical dog, cat, budgie and this book really shows what can happen when you do. Felix claims that Jupiter is just a lizard, but the four Caitlins are asking questions and snooping so he must do everything to protect his aunt’s pet.
The characters in this story are what makes this story a winner, they all have different personalities that work so well in the context of the story, from quirky Felix to Confident Autumn and the “evil Caitlins” with their designer dogs are so perfectly cast as the villains. Aunt Opaline lends a fantastical touch to the story, and her friends certainly make the reader want to know them more or have them on their side in real life.
This book was a joy to read, and I can see children loving the silliness of crocodiles and other dangerous creatures acting like puppies combined with the sincerity of new friends and old enemies working to solve a mystery while avoiding being caught. The story will resonate with readers as the chaos of school life, friendship and family, albeit with crocodiles, is expressed so well. The illustrations are brilliant and really help to move the story along and engage the reader.
This is perfect for independent readers and would be a fabulous class read too.
Previously published as The Fixer, The ruling class has stood the test of time and is a suspenseful thriller that kept me glued to the page. Tess Kendrick is trying to hide the fact that her grandfather has dementia. She is keeping up appearances at school, while managing the ranch, but when her older sister Ivy finds out, she is taken to Washington, D.C. and her grandfather put into care facility. Enrolled at the prestigious Hardwicke School, Tess discovers that Ivy has a reputation as a fixer who can make powerful people’s problems disappear. Her fellow students expect her to solve their problems and she is thrust into a dangerous world of politics, murder and manipulation when her new friends at the school become part of a scandal that reaches Capitol Hill.
I raced through The ruling class and finished it in a couple of sittings. Set against a background of an elite school where the children of the very powerful rule, it is fascinating to follow Tess as she negotiates her way through the pitfalls of the school hierarchy. Although Ivy orders her to keep out of the investigation into the death of a high court judge, her loyalty to her friend Evvie, sees her embroiled in finding out what has happened. Barnes paints a convincing world of politics and fixers who manipulate the press and clean up scandals and the reader is left wondering what powerful men are willing to murder to have their political candidate appointed as Chief Justice.
This is an action-packed story with characters that the reader will be eager to meet again in Lessons in power, the next in the series.
Themes Thriller, Murder, Politics, Washington D.C..
Robin Myers’ translation of Chilean writer Trujillo’s disturbing novel now brings his highly original and lyrical work to English readers. It interweaves separate narrative strands: the story of Pedro the strangely afflicted eucalyptus farm worker; the struggles of his children Patricio and Catalina; and the work of Giovanna the mycologist and researcher; along with italicised commentary and various footnotes. However the strands are all linked together, just like the secret mycelial threads of the underground fungus which is about to cast its spores and take over the world.
There are themes of environmental devastation, corporate exploitation of workers, religious fanaticism, and the power of nature to return and overtake. When Pedro is the only one of a group of forest workers to survive a mysterious coughing illness, awaking from a coma to spout strange sayings, his words are taken to be the divine speech of a prophet of the second coming. Religious fervour is contrasted with the callous disconnect of the forestry risk management office eager to negate any accountability. Giovanna’s meticulous data suggesting the possibility of fungal control over humans is a hypothesis only given consideration in the isolated world of scientific research. But none of this will make a difference in the end, for in the natural world humans are expendable, and the fungus will conquer all.
It’s a dark tale with a catastrophic ending, but the reading is a pleasure. Conventional narrative voices frequently evolve into a stream of conscious flow that is beautifully poetic. It must be a challenge for a translator to convey the richness of the original, but Myers’ translation reads so well, she must surely revel in her achievement.
Themes Science fiction, Fungi, Environment, Religion, End of the world.
Brandon Sanderson is a Number one New York Times bestseller, a Sunday Times bestseller and a David Gemmell Award winner (for heroic, epic and high fantasy books) and Hugo Award winner (for best Science fiction or fantasy works). Having sold more than 37 million books around the world, he is most famous for his fantasy series The Stormlight Archive and The Mistborn Saga. His work also includes the Skyward science fiction series, the Legion spy sequence and The Reckoners superhero novels. Sanderson was chosen to complete The Wheel of Time, an epic fourteen novel American fantasy series on the death of its author Robert Jordan. Sanderson has been recognised by the World Science Fiction Convention with 9 nominations.
With the complexities of dense high fantasy worlds, the casual reader may not care to follow such series. They become more favoured by their core fan base, who follow every detail and probably discuss it with their friends. Dense science fiction/fantasy books can become daunting, except for the devotees, as the created worlds are usually multi-layered and populated by myriads of beings. In writing Tailored Realities, a collection of short stories and novellas, one wonders if Sanderson has in mind, those readers who need a little help with the genre. It also must be a relief to experiment with short, clean stories which are not saga length. Tailored Realities includes the novellas Moment Zero and Defending Elysium which is set within the world of Skyward (his science fiction series- familiar to his readers), Snapshot, Perfect State and five other stories many which have not been available in print before.
There is an experimental tone to this collection. Interestingly, for the reader, Brandon writes a postscript at the end of each story where he describes things like the genesis of the story, the plan, the world he was building, the concept he was playing with and other aspects of setting, theme, character development and author craft.
Topics that he explores include a detective story (involving a serial killer which he describes as ..."being about as far away as you can get within speculative fiction") where problems are solved by literally going back in time and stopping the problem before it happens, the idea of "body jumping" (of having the ability to literally take over another person's body) - inspired by callous video games, eugenics and shopping for your child's brain, of being chosen to interact with superior races, nature vs nurture, and "cops trying to stop the apocalypse from either side of the time stream." In other words - big, imaginative, speculative stories, full of fast-paced action, amazing futuristic settings and technology and superhero characters.
These stories lend themselves to the screen and to graphic novel format. Settings and action are cinematic and fast-paced. Plots twist. The worlds are complex requiring strength and intelligence from the characters if they are to survive and sometimes save the world. The last story, Moment Zero, is for this reader, the most successful story as Sanderson has developed the characters well to the extent that the reader engages and feels for them. Tension and drama is built well in all of the stories.
The art work in Tailored Realities is stunning and consistent with what one would expect from Brandon's work. Certainly his imaginary worlds are creative and diverse. The cover art, created by Utah-based Bryan Mark Taylor features a detailed oil painting - striking and provoking thought re the themes. A port hole/ portal/wormhole draws the eye into the tailored realities that Sanderson creates. A city scape bathed in a strange ethereal light seems both wordly and otherwordly. Interior art is by Ben Mc Sweeney and Jessi Osche who are both known as character and concept artists and illustrators/ designers/ animators working within gaming and other areas of visual art. The visual art within Tailored Realities is very much reminiscent of that of graphic novels. Certainly, Sanderson's stories lend themselves to visual adaptation. Merchandise and books are all available from Sanderson's own Utah-based company Dragonsteel, LLC.
For lovers of speculative fiction and science fiction/ fantasy worlds, Brandon Sanderson's books are well-known best sellers. Tailored Realities, being a collection of short stories and novellas, is a departure from his usual lengthy works and a useful segue into his world. Those who enjoy Sanderson may also enjoy as Sanderson himself recommends: Terry Pratchett Discworld (series) and Anne Mc Caffrey Dragon riders of Pern (series)
Themes Science fiction/ fantasy worlds, Time travel, Body swapping, Portals, Alternate worlds, Apocalyptic worlds, Eugenics, Crime, Punishment.
Wendy Jeffrey
Escape from Sherwood by Beattie Alvarez
Christmas Press, 2025. ISBN: 9780648815495. (Age:9-11) Recommended for reluctant readers.
Imagine that you could actually leave your real life and get thrust into your favourite computer game... for Michael, his little sister Penny, his friend Darcy and his worst enemy Alex, this is their reality. In the game, Alex discovers that her missing older brother John has taken on the role of King John and is ruling the game. But it is his ‘housekeeper’ and code ‘cleaner’ Handy Andy (aka Robin Hood) that has the capability to fix the problems that they face. Can they escape the game unscathed or will they be stuck forever, and can Michael protect his little sister from the trials and threats of the game environment? And can Alex find a way to get her brother back from his life as an avatar?
This entry into a story with computer gaming has the confusing elements of gameplay. The author has used the premise of ‘what if’ story writing where the characters are able to be thrust into the alt-world of coded play. Readers who understand this strange ‘fiction’ will not be confused, but the story does have some unusual elements for those who are not gamers. The story is not complex, and the chapters are short, and I imagine the target audience would be those who would normally avoid reading, choosing computer games instead. Dialogue within the world of avatars and gameplay is via old-style text boxes as an intriguing quirk. Aspects of trouble at school and home give a hint of the background for Michael and Darcy and create the lead for the ‘falling head long into the game’ scenario. This is the kind of book for reluctant readers aged 9-11 who would rather be playing computer games, but the cover image is very twee and may not attract them to begin the reading journey. This might make a good book to have in a classroom reading box to make available for silent reading, there is enough adventure to keep the pages being turned.
Themes Computer games, Adventure.
Carolyn Hull
Saving Shark Pup by Sharon Dalgleish. Illus. by Amandine Thomas
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761182013. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Based on a true event of the time a shark pup washed up on the shores of Manly Beach, this captivating story will change how you might think about great white sharks. Told with a sense of urgency, this narrative will give the reader an insight into this feared shark from the perspective of a lost shark pup whom many will help to survive.
Washed up and in distress on Manly Beach, the pup is taken numerous times back out to sea. Unable to reorient itself in the sea, the pup is taken firstly to a shallow sea pool where he is unsettled and then to a deep pool where he spends the night with two human carers. All of this has been done quickly using a scissor net, chain mail gloves, a tub, transportation and dedicated staff from the Sea Life Sanctuary Rescue team. After a check-up and some vital injections, the pup is taken and released out in the ocean far from the shoreline. He fortunately finds his sense of direction and continues on his way.
Throughout this engaging narrative, the author shares interesting and relevant facts about great white sharks written in a smaller font. This combined with the striking watercolour illustrations, allows this book to be an enjoyable and fascinating read.
Themes Sharks, Danger, Safety, Human Contact, Facts, Sea Life Sanctuary, Rescue, Conservation, Narrative Non-fiction.
Kathryn Beilby
Red star rebels by Amie Kaufman
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761182556. (Age:12+) Highly recommended.
A front cover that states 'This is life or death…Probably death’, and has Mars as the background, immediately drew me in, especially as I am a fan of the sci-fi that Amie Kaufman has written or co-authored (Aurora cycle and Unearthed series). My reading slump was over as soon as I read the first two short chapters that introduced Hunter, a mega rich boy who wanted to be reunited with his mother and sister on Mars, and Cleo, a poor stowaway, trying to evade the people who chasing her to repay the medical debts that had been incurred when her father was dying. They find themselves marooned when the check-in station is evacuated because of the threat of a toxin and to their horror discover that it is a plot for mercenaries to take over and plant a bomb. They have 8 hours to escape and save themselves and others on the planet.
Kaufman deftly keeps the suspense at a high-octane level, telling Cleo and Hunter’s back stories in short alternative chapters, as the pair use their skills to keep ahead of the mercenaries. Cleo knows the space station and where to hide, while Hunter has the tech skills to override some of the station’s computer system. Cleo is initially wary of trusting Hunter, whose family owns the greedy corporation that first colonised Mars, but sparks fly as they face danger together, with the clock ticking down the hours and minutes until the space station blows.
Some unexpected twists add to the enjoyment of Red Star Rebels and readers may like to think about the ethics surrounding big corporations and space expansion. Fans who have enjoyed other series by Kaufman will be thrilled with the adventure and readers new to the sci-fi genre are sure to enjoy it.
Themes Science fiction, Adventure, Mars, Romance.
Pat Pledger
The kid's guide to speaking your mind without losing your cool by Matt Agnew
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761182266. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
“The reason I’ve written this book…is because we are meeting people with very different views to our own much more often than at any other time in human history …due to technology…our encounters are hugely inflated by access to the internet and social media…an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality is more strongly pushed by technology that didn’t exist a couple of decades ago..” p5
The Kid's Guide to Speaking Your Mind Without Losing Your Cool is an important book to read. Written by Dr Matt Agnew, a popular author and commentator on TV and radio including appearances on The Morning Show, ABC News Breakfast and ABC Melbourne, this book is one which upper primary and secondary schools may want to purchase for staff, students, and libraries.
From the very beginning of the book, the detailed discussion is carefully curated with humour, accessible language, and blocks of ‘Brain Breaks’ to separate the text, in order to provide appeal to a range of preteen to teen age groups.
After the introductory pages which answers the question, Do you want to win an argument?, the book then expands on the response. Starting with Part 1 Setting the scene which has two important chapters: Nature vs nurture and What about the social media algorithm? These chapters delve deeply into how we end up being the person we are with the beliefs we have, and the growing influence of social media.
Part 2 discusses Having an argument in comprehensive detail with chapter headings:
· How do you know what’s true and what’s false?
· What if you’re right and your friend is wrong?
· How can you argue without getting into a fight?
· Do you have to agree with your friends?
· Can you change your mind?
Part 3 Caring for yourself and others looks at regulating your emotions and supporting someone who disappears ‘down a rabbit hole.’
My brief review does not do this book justice. It is full of valuable, current, and relevant insights not only for children and teachers but parents/carers would benefit from exploring the content. Matt Agnew has a remarkable talent for sharing his knowledge in a way that feels fresh, engaging, and easy to understand. An essential read.
Themes Arguments, Understanding, Compromise, Friends, Problem solving, Critical Thinking Skills, Debate, Public Speaking.
The wonderful Mr McGee is nearly forty years old, first published in December, 1987 and the first of a series of eight books starring the eponymous McGee. Each is hilarious, prompting loads of laughter from the audience as they watch his antics, told with wonderfully descriptive language and filled with beautiful illustrations.
He lives under a tree, more conventional houses can be seen in the background. After he wakes he gets dressed, remembering to feed the cat and collect his hat along the way. The clever, brave Mr McGee is now ready to face the day. Told in verse form, kids will love predicting the rhyming words, and after hearing it a few times will be able to read along with the reader calling out familiar lines that they like. Who could resist yelling out,
‘I’m brave and I’m clever, I’M MR MCGEE.’
Over the page he finds an apple, and peels it carefully, eating it with glee. He finds that he becomes airborne. Up and up he goes, through the branches of the tree until he flies over the town nearby. He calls out, ‘LOOK AT ME!’ to the populace. As a bird flies by it spies Mr MrGee as good for lunch and begins to peck at him. Mr McGee deflates, and falls back to earth, through the branches of the tree and onto his bed, landing on his head. Just where he started from.
Reading out loud is a treat as the delicious words roll off the tongue, each line ending with a rhyming word to the delight of the audience. And there is an array of detail for little fingers to point out. Mr McGee will enchant everyone.
Themes Humour, Mr McGee.
Fran Knight
Let’s make an adventure by Carrie Gallasch. Illus. by Kïa Hing Fay
Little Book Press, 2026. ISBN: 9781923141216. (Age:3+) Recommended.
This new release picture book provides a wonderful glimpse into the lives of two young children who are showing signs of boredom. Rather than turning to technology or adults to provide them with something to do, they use their imagination to create exciting adventures using everyday items found at home. For example, a colander becomes a hat, a dog bed becomes a safe place under a table with a tablecloth door, a suitcase becomes a horse, a washing basket becomes a boat, cushions become a train. Each of the new methods of transport take the children to different places where they can see familiar creatures, clearly labelled to encourage word recognition. The illustrations by Kia Hing Fay, known for her playful cut-paper style, use simple shapes and bold colour to share the joy of play and movement across the pages.
Throughout the narrative, the children converse and chatter about where they are going, what they are doing, and what they are seeing. The use of repetitive rhyme enables young readers to join in and imagine what they might see. For example,
To the jungle, to the jungle, just you and me. To the jungle, to the jungle, and what will we see?
For Early Years teachers and parents, Let’s Make an Adventure is a perfect book to read aloud. It may spark imagination, inspire children to invent their own adventures, and change those ‘I’m bored’ moments into bursts of playful fun.
‘Troublesome trees’ make for a fantasy-based mystery, sure to draw in young readers, but there is also plenty of factual information about cassowaries and the Daintree rainforest to inform those curious about the natural world. Find out about golden orb spiders, lizards, crocodiles, butterflies, birds, and of course the seed-pooping flightless cassowary.
I love how the interaction between Freddie and his assistance dog Hobnob is depicted. It enlightened me as to the difference a reassuring animal connection can make to an autistic person, along with earphones to block out over-the-top sensory stimulation and sign language to communicate distress. The reader gets to understand how overwhelming the ordinary environment might become to the sensory-sensitive autistic child. And it’s not only the child; Freddie’s Grandma Lilly is an adult that is surely a bit on the spectrum. But what a lot of fun she is!
This is definitely a book to be recommended for primary school libraries, raising awareness about neurodivergence, in a format that will be attractive to all young readers. There’s a mystery to be solved. The clues eventually come together, thanks to the detective team of Freddie, Grandma Lilly and the trusty Hobnob. Kate Foster promises another Freddie Jones adventure to come.
Trying to find the start of the problem and somewhere to lay the blame for the murder they commit, two teenage sisters consider colonialism, the splitting of India and Pakistan, the splitting of identity in their interracial family, the splitting of brown from white in the classroom and in the small rural American town, and the splitting of themselves. Georgie Ayyar and her sister Agatha Krishna have always been ‘Other’, the brown girls from somewhere else.
Nina McConigley’s novel describes a year in the lives of the two girls, but the chronological sequence is also interspersed with conversation direct to the reader dispelling predictable expectations of this story of immigrant isolation in a rural setting. They are an Indian American family, but there are no mangoes, saris, ubiquitous spicy food, wild animals, poverty, exotic religion, cows etc. but there is brownness, the Other, and what happens when people are split.
The sisters Georgie and Agatha Krishna are close, united by their shared experience growing up ‘Other’ in an unattractive part of Wyoming. Then when their mother’s much loved younger brother, Vinny Uncle, and his family come from India to live with them, their lives are disrupted. Vinny Uncle brings another kind of splitting, a secret that they are not to share with anyone, a secret that leads them to planning his murder.
McConigley deals with serious issues but she cleverly manages to bring a bit of lightheartedness and humour by including conversations with the reader, step-by-step instructions and lists, and best of all, the kind of teen magazine quizzes that everyone has been drawn into at some time: how to know if a boy likes you; how to know if you’re ready for a sexual relationship; is he bad for you; do you have what it takes to kill?
I was completely absorbed in this novel with its unusual approach to a much explored theme of sexual abuse. McConigley manages to do something completely different. She absolutely captures the turmoil of the girls’ experience, the silent cries of [Help me] and [Mayday! Mayday!] inserted in the text. The novel as a whole is an adventurous and original approach that works really well. I could easily read it all over again. Highly recommended.
Themes Colonialism, Race, Indian people, Sexual abuse, Murder, Sisters.
Helen Eddy
Crocodiles up close by Lisa McLellan
Wild Dog Books, 2026. ISBN: 9781742037073. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Young children love crocodiles and this beautifully photographed non-fiction book will be a popular one for borrowing from a school or public library. The full page colour photographs are surrounded by both large black and white text providing independent readers with some fascinating facts.
Crocodiles are found on most continents on Earth except Europe and Antarctica. They are semiaquatic but prefer mostly water in tropical climates. In Australia they are know as saltwater crocodiles that they can grow up to six metres, and freshwater crocodiles that grow up to three metres in length. On other continents they have different names. Crocodiles are covered in scales, have clawed feet and webbed toes on their back feet. There is further information about their various habitats, feeding habits, birthing of the hatchlings as well as their important cultural meaning for First Nations people.
Crocodiles in Australia are now protected and while they are feared they are a vital part of the ecosystem. In the final pages of the book is a valuable glossary of the bold capitalised words spread throughout the book.
In plenty of time for Easter, this charming new picture book by award-winning South Australian children’s author Janeen Brian, is a perfect read-aloud for young children. Full of clever and creative rhyme sharing interesting facts about bilbies, this engaging tale will be enjoyed by both young and old.
I have a whiskery sniffer-snout. It pokes out from my face. I search in scrub for seeds and grubs, or insects about the place.
There is also a simple but important environmental message coming through the narrative for young readers which may encourage further discussion.
The holes I dig for burrows in land where hot winds blow, let in the air and help prepare, so seeds that fall can grow.
The vibrant, full-page illustrations by Lucinda Gifford enrich the narrative and vividly evoke the colourful Australian ecosystem that bilbies call home. Some inquisitive birds pop up throughout the story adding warmth and gentle humour to each scene.
Are you the Easter Bunny? will be a wonderful addition to a home, school or public library. If you purchase one Easter picture book this year, I highly recommend this one. It is just delightful.
Themes Bilbies, Easter, Rhyme, Facts, Australian Environment.
