Simon & Schuster, 2026. ISBN: 9781398502093. (Age:17- Adult) Recommended.
With a Shakespearean foreshadowing, this story begins with a body, found during a party to honour Eleanor Kingman and her life of 70 years. Eleanor is a wealthy author of children’s books whose own life story is about to be revealed in a documentary, with interviews from family and colleagues, and others from her past. But Eleanor has carefully curated her past and her daughters are not always in awe of her. Will this party unravel Eleanor’s history and her careful telling of her own story? Is her future success as an author and her relationships with her daughters likely to crumble under scrutiny? Can Eleanor survive her own truth or will her foundation of lies crack? Is her power over her own life about to be stolen?
This is a story with a recognisable hint of King Lear, but it is also a psychological thriller. Even knowing that the plot will progress to reveal the identity of ‘the body’, there is still dramatic uncertainty and tension to the reveal. The sisters in the story have their own flaws (addictions have impacted and they all struggle with their mother and her success) and their tangled lives provide doubts about their innocence. The story is told through the voices and reflections of most of the main characters revealing their secrets and providing background motivations for their choices. There is also an overwhelming layer of fear communicated via text and email threats. None of the characters are squeaky clean, but because of this the uncertainty lies over the plot. The fact the main character is an author of children’s books adds an element of literary interest for those interested in publishing. This is a story for adult or older readers who like mystery thrillers, with a hint of Shakespearean flavour. Students who have a passing knowledge of King Lear may enjoy the comparisons. But the irony of this book is that this is a story that references the intrigue of plot theft, that almost does the same thing!
Themes Murder, Psychological thriller, Writers, Wealth, Documentary, Sisters, Gambling, Addictions, Family relationships, Guilt and innocence, Truth and lies.
Carolyn Hull
The creature's guide to caring by Elizabeth Preston
Scribe, 2026. ISBN: 9781761380792. (Age:Adult)
Science journalist Elizabeth Preston explores the biology, brain circuitry, and behaviours we share with species across the animal kingdom that care for young. In the field and in the lab, readers also meet scientists who have dedicated their lives to understanding these animals, often while juggling families of their own. Alongside animal parents that range from lonely octopuses to seahorses, to various land-dwelling creatures including insects, mammals and amphibians, human comparisons are plentiful, with the author often finding a village or a father responsible for care, where this was thought to typically be the mother's role. This book helps readers to view caring in new ways, as Peston argues that Homo sapiens' history of caring for children, particularly cooperatively, has left a legacy in all of us - parents and non-parents alike, and is the basis for our caring human society.
This is a well researched non-fiction book, an in depth look at caring and biology from a different perspective, with the evidence that we are programmed to care - even if some humans opt not to reproduce (or are unable to), we are primarily programmed to care for others. Plenty of wit and relatable writing throughout, while also scientific, this is a very interesting read, good for those interested in care, biology, science, animals, children/childcare or looking for an involved yet dynamic read. There is a long list of references and notes at the end of the book, for those wanting to dive into the research.
Showing, reflecting, giving and receiving love is at the forefront of this story as Flett reveals the supportive relationships that exist between animals and between humans. It starts with a mother bear, watching her offspring clutching the end of a branch falling to the ground, followed by a mother duck and her ducklings, and over the page a tortoise and her baby. The conclusion over the page is that we love too, underscored in Cree-Metis language, encouraging readers to speak the language out loud, learning the basic words as they appear.
Understated illustrations by Flett are superb, reflecting monotones created with digital collage and watercolour producing sweeping images of the landscape and charming close up studies of the animals and children through the story. Each is fascinating, showing details that seem so real, made with broad brush strokes, but instantly identifiable. The image of the mother bear and her cub for example displays a wonderful talent for understatement, as the broad stroke of a brush gives an image of a tree and branch leaning down with a small bear hugging it, while mum climbs the trunk. Although it is one colour and uncomplicated in its design, the image is telling of the relationship between an animal and its offspring, and the environment in which they live. Much detail is given in what seems a simple drawing. Another page which grabbed my attention is the night sky. Hints of stars twinkle high up, watched by a mother and her two cubs.
And I was thrilled to see it replicated on the hard cover under the slip cover.
All sorts of things loved by the author appear in the illustrations; a family together around a fire, three children talking together, violets and other flowers, stars in the night sky, a mother protecting her young, animals being welcomed into a place of shelter. But the main thought is that we all love, no matter who or what we are. There is an interdependence amongst us all.
This is a lovely books to share with children, reminding them of the love that binds us all, and using Cree-Metis language to practise nad share. A note from the author at the end of the story gives insight into her motives for writing this book.
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761472244. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Originally published in 2005, The butterfly man was winner of the 2006 Davitt Award for Best Crime Novel. Now Allen and Unwin’s 2025 edition makes this intriguing novel readily available again. It is a reimagining of the story of Lord Lucan, the man notorious in 1974 for killing his children’s nanny, supposedly mistaking her for his intended victim, his wife.
Heather Rose imagines Lucan with a complete makeover, an assumed identity as Henry Kennedy, a Scottish builder living in Tasmania, and in a relationship with Lili, an Asian woman who in his previous life he would never have deigned to engage with. This is his second chance, dependent on the possibility of his overcoming a privileged upbringing and inherent prejudices against class and race. He undergoes a metamorphosis, becomes a new man, caring and considerate, and enjoying a close friendship with Jimmy, his Aboriginal neighbour. Is such a thing possible? Can one really just start again? And then, when illness takes hold, and his brain struggles, will he still retain this new personality, or will old memories and attitudes resurface?
The other question Rose explores is one about the kind of people who might be caught up in this fabricated life; are they completely gullible, or is there something about deception that might attract similarly deceptive people? Is Kennedy the only one with a dark history?
I was completely drawn into this intriguing mystery. I love the way Rose provides glimpses of hidden secrets and gradually reveals the complexity of relationships. And her portrayal of Lili’s surprise grandson, Charlie, is such a delight, the way his young mind applies simple logic to the questions that arise. There is so much warmth and forgiveness between the characters as they grow closer together; this is not a story that will be easily forgotten, it is one of great tenderness and love. In the end it is not just another crime novel, it is an intelligent examination of people, their personalities, addictions, and interactions. Highly recommended.
Spiders are not the most popular of creatures and often children are fearful of coming into contact with them. This fear comes about through children’s perceptions of how busily spiders move, how they can appear when you least expect them, how they are portrayed in books and film, and perhaps the most influential reason is how older children and adults model their reaction to them.
To test out my thinking I read I’m Not Afraid of Spiders, to a five year old whose mother and older siblings create great drama when ever a spider appears. They listened quietly and were engaged by the rhyming text and bold colourful illustrations. In fact, once the story was finished being read aloud, they picked it up and went through the pages independently with an older sibling pointing out their understanding, showing no fear of the content.
Each double page layout showcases a variety of distinct yet familiar environments and introduces one or more intricately detailed spiders, with their common name clearly labelled beside the illustration. With repetition of the title in each verse along with the clever inclusion of simple, accessible facts, young readers are able to acquire early scientific and practical information about spiders.
I’m not afraid of spiders, Though some have dangerous bites. We’re big and scary to them too, Look, don’t touch, you’ll be all right.
I’m not afraid of spiders, Though some have lots of hair. These hairs are how they see their world, Not for giving us a scare!
I’m Not Afraid of Spiders is a fabulous read for early years students and could be used as a hook for gathering key facts for an information report. The teacher notes are an excellent resource for extending classroom or preschool learning.
Way back before time began, the sun, Yirray, drank all the water.
Tjidalih, the green frog tells the animals that the sun has taken all the water through evaporation. He tells them that he has a deal for them. He can store the water that has been left, in his pouch.
Yamin the wombat is not so sure, and tells Tjidalih that he is not keen to drink water stored in the frog’s stomach. But Tjidalih keeps on drinking, taking up all the water in sight. He drains the billabong, despite being told not to. Mmm he says. He gets bigger and bigger. He hops over to the koala and her daughter, talking them into giving over their water. He then hops over to the emu and begins telling the same story, with the koalas and kangaroos and wombat racing over to warn emu. He drains the creek leaving fish and yabbies struggling to keep alive. He is told once again not to keep the water, but replies mmm again. Yaminon tells the group that he has noticed that Tjidalih never opens his mouth and they decide get him to laugh to open his mouth and hopefully release the water. But this proves quite difficult. All the animals try: they laugh and strut and dance and jump.
But when Barring the eel jumps in front of the frog, she turns and twists herself into a knot. The other animals come to help, all to no avail, but when a kookaburra tries to unknot the eel, her feathers fly out. They tickle the frog’s nose and without warning, he laughs, and laughs and laughs.All the water spurts out, and Tjidalih becomes smaller and smaller. Today this frog is still around and is known as the water-holding frog.
This wonderful Dreaming story tells of a time long ago and shows children how various elements of their environment came to be. More importunely the story espouses the value of sharing, of not being greedy, of being aware of your environment and all of its elements and their importance.
Dreise’s telling of this story will involve all the readers, as they follow the frog’s greed finally being brought to heel. The tale lends itself to some wonderful creative play, emulating the animals as they try hard to get the frog to laugh.
His illustrations reflect his environment, respecting the styles produced in Aboriginal art, the dots and circles, forming the background of each page. There are several water holding frog stories published in the past, and kids may have come across Tiddalik, encouraging them to spot the similarities and differences in each story, while finding the place where each is set.
This simple little picture book introduces the reader to a collection of sea creatures . . . starfish, crab, blowfish, seahorse, jellyfish, stingray, sea urchin, octopus, anemone, and clownfish. Until the final page, each contains minimal text with only five to seven words on most, the final page of writing including two brief sentences.
At first glance, it seemed to be too basic for any but the smallest of children, and it was the illustrations that initially held most appeal. After reading the title many, many times to a toddler, it became clear that, despite its simplicity, there is more to the title than first meets the eye.
With the teaching of phonics and spelling having undergone many changes since I left the classroom, and a return to a greater focus on grammar, I can see numerous uses for this book in junior primary classes. With so little text, I personally find this to be a more engaging title than some of the decodable readers which are presently in favour. Milroy has introduced the ‘beach buddies’ in one single sentence, concluding with the clownfish giving a ‘goofy grin’. The story ends with the sentences “So many creatures in the sea. Can you name them all with me?” I can imagine teachers writing the text on the board and asking students to identify nouns, verbs and adjectives, and creating their own sentences about the creatures or additional sea creatures they know. Sentence structure could also be discussed as the acronym COPS is widely used…capitalisation, organisation, punctuation, spelling.
Art lessons could also be focused on this book. The beautiful and detailed end papers use only shades of blue, depicting each of the characters deep in the sea. Subsequent pages in the body of the book are filled with vibrant colours and detailed patterns, in keeping with the author information in the back of the book. Milroy is a descendent of the Palyku people and I imagine the art style is a reflection of her background. Students could create their own collages with painted backgrounds, pastel or Texta colour patterns, water-coloured washes and so on.
This book has a lot to offer.
Jo Schenkel
Don’t let them leave by Mike Lucas
Penguin Random House, 2026. ISBN: 9781761355462. (Age:12+) Recommended.
Don't Let Them Leave by Mike Lucas is an intriguing young adult thriller that will leave you wondering what the truth is throughout. Mystery, suspense, and psychological tension combine in a tale that delves into fear, trust, and survival in ways that are continually surprising to the reader. The novel moves at a lively pace, but it is also an enjoyable read, suggesting it may be worth people considering human behaviour when people find themselves under extreme pressure.
The book is about a group of young adults who find themselves in a frightening scenario where they cannot follow their precept of leaving. Friendships are put to the test as the tension rises, secrets start to come out, and every decision turns out to be a matter of life and death. Instead of depending exclusively on the action, Lucas slowly and cleverly wraps up the tension by letting it build up but without giving too much away. The storyline is so unpredictable that the reader cannot put the book down.
The characters are believable – one of the strong features of the novel. The personalities of each of these characters are unique and their “urban survival tactics” are realistic and not over-the-top. Several characters undergo surprisingly good development throughout the story, which makes them feel like real teens and not a stereotyped hero or heroine. Their evolving dynamics add a layer of emotional complexity and enhance the tension and drama of high-stakes moments.
Good themes are used throughout: trust, courage, and the psychological effects of fear. Mike Lucas raises questions such as loyalty, morality, and what people choose to do under dire circumstances. These themes provide additional insights beyond just the exciting plot and make readers think about what they might do in their own situation.
The book is professionally written; the style is clear, engaging and very accessible to young adult audiences. The narrative is paced and uses vivid imagery that enables the reader to visualise the scene and experience the escalating tension as the characters do. The chapters are short, and the pace is quick, creating a sense of urgency, and the writer uses rich descriptive language to let the reader imagine the scene and feel the tension in the story as the characters do. Dialogue sounds natural and shows characters’ personalities and changing dynamics in a group.
This novel is recommended for an audience 13+ and will appeal to readers of suspense, mystery, and psychological thrillers. Don't Let Them Leave is a novel page-turner with plenty of surprises for fans of quick-read books.
The third in the books about Rabbit and his family, deals with the big emotions that many children feel in early childhood. In this story, Rabbit goes to the beach with his parents. The parents are carrying bags with things they might need at the beach and Rabbit pulls a trolley of play things. He is very eager. He begins to kick the ball with Dad but when the game finishes, Rabbit wants to keep going; 'Again' he calls out.
'Let’s fly a kite' says Dad. And all is going well, but when the kite flies off, Rabbit calls out 'Again, again!'
While Dad has a little sleep, Mum helps Rabbit build a castle. And wanting to go on with this activity, Rabbit says, 'Again!' but Mum suggests they go for a swim. In the sea, Mum and Dad swing him through the waves, Rabbit wanting this 'Again!' This time when they say jump he becomes swamped with the waves, and this time, the response is 'No! Not again!' He is taken back to the beach to dry off and Rabbit rejects every suggestion about what to do next. Offered a snack, he takes it and when seagulls fly in to help the family shoos them away. Mum is happy once again, Dad has had his sleep, and Rabbit suggest that they it all 'Again!' tomorrow.
Lots of laughter will be had as children read this book, identifying with the things that happen when the family goes on holiday. The Rabbit’s demands are sidelined for another activity and when the parents do comply with his demand, he gets swamped by the water, and everyone is unhappy. A lovely story of patience on the part of the parents, all their attention focussed on Rabbit as he tries games they play together. Family is at the heart of this tale, reinforcing the focus of a family and activities done together, making sure the child is entertained.
Rabbit’s image on each page will engage readers as they see a little person trying out a lot of activities. Wonderfully humorous, they reflect an engaged and supportive fmaily with lots of wry looks on their faces as they try out how patient they can be.
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781760526764. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Seventeen years young and literally falling apart! Hilzy’s ADHD is complicated to the extreme as she also battles with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. EDS is the connective tissue disorder where muscles and the body’s faulty collagen production cause extensive pain and complicated responses to everyday actions, like walking. Along with an absent mother, her busy, un-medicated, ADHD brain does not let her rest. In an Australian subtropical setting, and as Year 12 exam time approaching. Hilzy and her friend’s school journey is almost at its end.
Whateley’s young adult story weaves the characters’ strengths, foibles, and masterly explores the hidden illnesses of Cancer, ADHD, and EDS Syndrome, also delving into nervous tension, and the busyness of exam times with little rest. It is an emotional journey with a real sympathy for the daily struggles of all the characters.
We get to read about the complexities these youth face, with humour and eye opening honesty. A rarely present parent requires Max to become both big sister and an accomplished bill-paying, decision-making adult. Characters question their future pathway, trying to find their direction into adulthood. “What could life possibly throw at me now” questions? Can friends become your family? Will there be a happy ending? Teacher's notes are available from the publisher.
An evocative story of the link between animals and humans when a situation occurs causing animals to flee, is unfolded in this beautifully illustrated book. The humans work to save the animals, to keep them safe, to give them shelter, and eventually a new home. As fire ravages the environment, every reader will be hoping the animals survive and eagerly turn the pages.
Their attention will be drawn by the text and kept on each page by the images of the environment and the animals that live in it. They will see koalas and kangaroos, lizards and bibles, wombats, platypus and owls, galahs and possums hidden in the trees they call home. When the fire starts, Koala wakes up one morning and notices the cicadas are not singing, or frogs croaking, and in the distance notices a whip of smoke. The koala snuggles into its mother, watching insects crawl under the bark and parrots flying away. Flames crisp the leaves and burn the branches, as they run past the echidna’s log and the wombat in its burrow. Many animals join the rush away from the flames, and the images show an array of animals, ready for readers to identify.
And of course, become troubled about their survival, as the fire takes up more space on each page, forcing the animals to flee. The images lose the colour of the forests as the reds and yellows, blacks and browns of the fire become more dominant.
Luckily, hands are there to help as fire officers move in. The rescued animals are put into the fire truck and taken to a place of safety. Here the animals’ wounds are tended, they are given food and water and allowed to sleep.
When the fire has been contained, and rain has fallen, encouraging small green shoots, the animals are taken back to the area to reestablish themselves.
A page of information about koalas is given after the story has finished and the endpapers give a further look at the animals and the environment shown in the book.
This moving story of the impact of the fire on the animals, and in particular the koalas, will increase readers’ knowledge of the reason the environment is precious to us all. Beautifully illustrated, each image encourages closer inspection, full of interest and detail.
It is springtime in The Garden and fairy Pip, who we met in the previous Unfairies book, is having a reckless adventure riding a mad squirrel through the branches of the magnificent oak tree that is Oakhold. This is nothing unusual, but what is surprising is that when she crashes into a meeting of the Oakhold Grand Council, it is as the boss. We have already been alerted to the fact that Councillor Squeak is a spy, plotting for the downfall of Oakhold for the glory of the Immortal Toad; others in the council include chief librarian Moyla, Stickler, chief admin officer who loves rules, Hardnott, the army general and Spore, head of inter-tribe relations. It seems inter-tribe relations are at an all time low as the Garden has problems. The Flower fairy fountain is dry, the pond is manky, the veg fairies plan war, there is rot in Oakhold and there is a bad omen about The Beast. A map at the beginning is useful, as it says, ‘you can see where things are in relation to each other’ and ‘get a sense of an unfamiliar place’. Pip as head of the council is known for brave and unusual decisions that usually end in disaster and sending sidekick, Twig, out to join the army is no different. It results in Twig being captured, part of Squeak’s evil plan to lure Pip away from Oakhold.
This adventure explores the whole garden as Pip sets out to rescue her sidekick and ricochets from one dangerous adventure to another, inadvertently tracking down the source of unrest and thwarting evil plans. Just as engaging and creative as the first book, the graphics are beautifully drawn with some great characters, like the fashion conscious flower fairies with their tanning beds and Keith the Teeth, the legendary fairy who pulled the teeth out of Titans. The author-illustrator gives credit to the colourist Elena Dall’Aglio and the colours certainly make the graphics come alive. There is a peek into Huw Aaron’s sketch book at the end with some pages about research and the process of making comics with instructions about how to draw Pip (which work!). I am looking forward to the next book and in the meantime this one warrants re-reading.
Our hero's story continues, finding Cad having survived a shipwreck and washing up on the shore of Pellydir where he searches for Lorgon. Instead he finds the other Spirits of Irpa, questioning if their planet can be saved - and if they should spare Cad. One Spirit takes Cad to A Place Between where the those who are between life and death are found - there he sees someone he knows... Cad must work to uncover the reason Lorgon summoned them to Pellydir in the first place. Meanwhile, Bea is spending her time as a prisoner (half her luck) in the capital city. Desperate to reunite with her friends - some also prisoners, she is shocked to be forced before the King of Pellydir, who believes Bea is an omen of doom - and sentences her to death. Not a great start, but ever the optimist, Bea charges on and when her escape plan brings her to a dangerous place, it could change everything.
The fourth in the series, A Place Between is a fast paced continuation of the story readers have been following by Probert. With characters learning more about themselves and where they come from, those who have stuck with the series will enjoy the latest instalment - good for fans of Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi. As a graphic novel, the illustrations provide much of the story in parts, but also have different storytelling illustration styles to keep readers engaged, and to emphasise different aspects of the story. Enjoyable art style too, the author illustrator really keeps to the Lightfall theme throughout the series.
The story house by Vikki Conley and Jennifer Falkner
New Frontier, 2026. ISBN: 9781923145979. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Where Lalee lives there are no schools or teachers, but Hani comes each day with her stories. Stories that fill their imaginations, taking them past the crumbling walls and the booms. Having never seen a book, she imagines its pages are like butterflies, covered with writing, flying around her.
Never overstated, the position of Lalee and her village are made known using phrases like broken door, scarred blackboard, walls crashing down. These few words sketch the environment in which Lalee and her peers live, reinforced by the beautiful illustrations, showing a classroom only half standing, a damaged blackboard, furniture broken beyond repair.
Against this background the children love the stories, and Lalee’s imagination takes her to the frankincense tree near the village well. Here she picks the flowers and the fluttering bark, putting it all into her bag.
But soldiers come and the children are not allowed outside, but one night when the moon is low, she creeps outside to get her bag of treasures, and sews the sketches and pages together. She has a book she can share. When the ground is silent once more, Lalee goes to the story house to see if Hani has returned. All the other children are there as well, looking at the drawings, and reading Lalee’s book, sharing stories.
A beautiful book extolling the place of stories in our lives, binding us together, passing on information, building confidence and hope for the future. The words describe a situation few of our children have known, but they create a powerful image of children encouraged by books and imagination to see a hopeful future for themselves.
Themes Hope, Future, Imagination, Books, Schools, War.
A stunning book full of surprise and questionings, asks readers to predict and wonder how the cutout in the centre of each page shows something very different on the following page.
Is this a plum? is the question on the front cover, with an image of what appears to be a plum in the centre of the page. Readers will laugh out loud when turning the page they see wonderfully coloured hippopotamus, its bum proudly the focus of attention. So, no, not a plum, but a bum.
Lots more laughter when they realise that this is the theme of the ebook, that there will be lots more questions to ponder and think about as they read.
On the next page we see a spider, large bodied with eight long legs, ready to chill the hardiest of readers. They will give some thought to what it might really be, and lots of laughs again ensue, when they see the stripes of a tiger. Over the next pages, we see a spoon (moon), house (mouse), goose (moose), cat (bat) and so on until the author takes us back to plum. Each rhyming pairs of pages will encourage small children to predict the rhyming word, and the possible illustration accompanying it.
The text is fanciful and inspiring, asking children to think about the possible rhyming word and then be astonished at the word and its illustration. The images are based on the author’s seven year old son’s drawings, and show a wonderfully enticing group of images which will appeal to younger readers. A sense of fun pervades each page, asking the readers to be involved with the text as they offer other rhyming words and look closely at the illustrations. The design of the book is engaging, with its solid hard cover and the placement of each animal or person on the page, viewed through the cutout. The heavier pages will encourage children to use the cutout as a template and I can imagine readers making their own cutout and hidden animal.
A captivating book, full of wonder that does not end when the back cover is closed. I thoroughly enjoyed the knight, loved the panorama of all the participants at the end and Finn’s epilogue.
