The GOLF squad have been sucked into a desert world in the final mad-cap adventure of the 18,000 holes in the Universe series. The series follows five friends who find the most amazing, confusing, and incredible golf course in the entire universe. Each hole takes the intrepid group to a new place full of danger and golf as they try to save Grandpa Galileo and his golf course from terrible Uncle GOOF.
As the title suggests there are 18,000 holes in Grandpa Galileo’s golf course and the friends must find him before time runs out, the only problem is he has been in the course for 20 years and they only have a couple of hours before the course is destroyed and a boring hotel is built in its place.
I haven’t read the first two books in the series but after finishing this one I really wanted to read them all in order as I really enjoyed this book. The action is fast-paced, the illustrations are brilliant and the adventures are funny and crazy as you would expect from the creators of the Fartboy series. You don’t have to like golf to get into this book, as it is filled with danger and wonder that will appeal to readers of all ages. If the rest of the series is as good as this final book, then this is sure to be a favourite for independent readers. It would be an enjoyable read aloud although the illustrations really enhance the story which makes it more suitable for independent readers who can read at their own pace and focus on the illustrations as they travel through time and space on the quest to rescue Grandpa and save the golf course once and for all.
Themes Friendship, Family, Adventure, Space Travel.
Mhairi Alcorn
Connected: Networks for Kids by R. A. Stephens. Illus. by Tamlyn Teow
Connected: Networks for Kids is a primary years introduction to the mathematical concept of ‘graph theory’ where networks and network diagrams are visual ways of displaying connections and relationships. From researching the Australian Curriculum this concept is more likely to be introduced in Year 10 Maths but this narrative nonfiction picture book gives an accessible and concise explanation of the concept to primary school aged readers.
Chloe has a dot on her top which is called a ‘node’. Her siblings and friends also have nodes and they are connected by lines or ‘edges’. This is called a network. The network expands with more family and friend connections and this is called a ‘spanning tree’. When the edges loop back together again it is called a ‘circuit’.
As well as increasing children’s understanding of how networks function and grow, Connected: Networks for Kids also thoughtfully reinforces the idea that children and adults form networks reminding readers that everyone is connected in meaningful ways.
The colourful and vibrant illustrations begin with Chloe alone on a single page and finish with a diverse range of characters in front of a world wide connected map on a double page spread. The endpapers add to the visual interest with the front showing people standing alone and the back showing them all connected. There is also a valuable page with Extra Maths Facts.
Skipping to Sammy's beat by Coral Vass. Illus. by Blithe Fielden
New Frontier, 2026. ISBN: 9781923331020. (Age:3+) Recommended.
Sammy loves to be herself, but others make what she does seem unacceptable. This story is a delight, encouraging all children to follow their feelings of being themselves.
Sammy loves above all to dance; skipping along in her pink tutu, yellow gunboats and huge wings, singing ta dum to herself. But turning five, she notices other children wearing quite different clothes, so her tutu feels silly. She divests herself of her tutu, wings, gumboots and helmet, and keeps dancing. The other children laugh at her and she stops dancing. She watches the others do the things she liked: dancing, looking at ladybirds, and splashing in the puddles. She sits by herself, a shadow of her former self. Suddenly a dragonfly lands in her hand and the others come across to see what she is holding. She shows them and allows the insect to fly away, following its path. The children ask Sammy to play with them, but she has found her beat, and dances off singing, and the others join her.
She has remained true to herself, finding again that her own beat is what matters. This lovely story will appeal to all readers, seeing Sammy being herself, and not changing to suit the others. After a small blip where she feels rejected by them, her difference is accepted as she remains true to her beat.
Working with her ipad, Blithe Fielden loves to keep the lines supporting the illustrations, so creating a lively, humorous set of images, colourful and child centred, filled with lots of detail found in gardens. Blithe now lives in Brisbane, after completing her degree in Leeds, and we will see more work by this talented illustrator.
How we all try to fit in underscores this story as this person is so desirous to fit in, but despite whatever they do, they do not fit. They see someone else who also does not fit, and together they meet a third person who also does not fit. The three look at the mob under the umbrella, keeping them outside. One of their number suggests they get their own umbrella. And they do. But one decides this is not what they want either, and so moves outside the umbrella. Here they meet another in the same predicament, and they really want to fit in. Those inside the umbrella look at those outside, and most cannot see anyone, until one of their group sees them. Looking outside the umbrella means their eyes are opened and they can all come together.
Looking for their own place in the world, the group tries out being separated, try out being part of another group with their own umbrella, then putting it away to just be themselves. Fitting under the umbrella is an uncompromising metaphor for children wanting to feel part of the group, and this book succeeds in presenting the idea of fitting in.
Promoting the virtues of acceptance, kindness, and cooperation, the story extolls diversity within our community, of accepting that we are all different and should glory in these differences not sideline them.
The idea of an umbrella excluding some in our community is an interesting image to give to young children, their quick minds eager to pick up the notion being discussed.
They will really absorb the idea of out and in, of some accepted and others not, as they may have all had a similar experience. But the ideas of acceptance and kindness go hand in hand, as the children in the book all come together under the rainbow flag.
Handbooks for Little Humans: Inclusion by Zanni Louise. Illus. by Jingting Wang
Simon & Schuster, 2026. ISBN: 9781923293199. (Age:4 -7 year olds) Highly recommended.
Being inclusive is when we make the world feel friendly and safe for everyone.
Handbooks for Little Humans: Inclusion is the third book in a new series for young children. These books are highly accessible resource guides for both adults and children to engage in meaningful conversations about everyday happenings.
Have you ever changed your game so everyone can play? Or made sure all your friends received an invitation? Have you ever asked to hear someone else’s story?
These three simple questions relate to being inclusive. For young children this often comes naturally but as children grow things can often change. Children begin to notice the differences between others and a lack of understanding may lead to complicated situations.
To gently introduce young children to the idea of inclusivity, the book is organised into accessible double page spreads, each one sharing valuable information through colourfully presented vignettes, illustrations and a graphic insert. Under the headings - Listen and Learn, Being Proud of Who You Are, There’s A lot We Share, Helping Everyone Feel Welcome, You Belong Too – the thoughts and insights shared are perfectly pitched for young readers to understand the book’s intention.
It’s Show and Tell time in the classroom and everyone is eager to show their classmates what they have brought to school. Heti and Greg have a very big egg while Bill and Ben have a musical instrument. When the teacher Kim calls up Snell, she finds it very hard to come out of her shell. Her heart beats fast and her words are too slow. Kim tells her not to worry and to show what she has at the end of the day. And what a lovely surprise it is, one that makes all her classmates feel wonderful.
This early reader is a great example of a well-illustrated book that will appeal to children who are just beginning to learn to read. Not only does it make a point of showing children that it is OK to be slow, overcoming nerves, while taking their time to do something, the large black print is perfect for early readers and the colourful, humorous illustrations complement the text. It is also designed to be used with an adult reading aloud, with rhyming words at the end of sentences in a different colour, helping a child to guess what the word is.
At the end of the book are sections of 'New Words to Learn' and 'How to draw Snell', as well as a section showing adults 'How to Use This Book'. It an ideal first reader to use at home and to have in a class library.
Themes Early reader, Monsters, Overcoming nerves, Persistence.
With a grandson just beginning to read, I was thrilled to
pick up Treehouse troubles, a graphic novel starring Daisy and Bug, two very cute, strange little creatures. Bug loves to nap and isn’t thrilled when Daisy, who always has a
bright idea, wakes him up, excited with a plan to build a treehouse. But as Bug
says “ We don’t have a tree”, so it is difficult to see how her great idea will
work out. Daisy is determined to have a treehouse and decides to grow a tree in
their backyard. She digs a hole, puts in a plant, gives it an enormous dose of
Extreme Grow fertiliser and oh wow! an enormous strawberry plant, bigger than
their house, lurches up towards the sky. And then the fun begins!
The bright colours and engaging little creatures are sure to
enthral the young child, who will easily identify with Bug’s desire to nap or
long to come up with unique ideas like the ones that Daisy has, and will want to have the adventures like those of the two good friends. The illustrations are gorgeous and I especially loved
the double page spread of Bug and Daisy lounging under deep green strawberry
leaves on a purple rug, surrounded by luscious red fruit.
The story is broken in four chapters, which will encourage the
beginning reader to feel that they moving along to chapter books, and the
minimal text, supported by the pictures, will help them work out the words and
the story. There is a quiz at the back of the book, letting the reader decide whether they are more like Bug or Daisy, and instructions on how to draw these
two engaging little characters. Downloadable activities are available on the
Author’s website.
I loved this graphic novel and look forward to
reading more of Bug and Daisy’s adventures in the next in the series,
Cake-tastrophy.
Kingfisher’s Snake-eater drew me in, so much so that I couldn’t resist a second reading. Snake-eater is not as horror driven as some of her other novels, like The twisted ones, a Locus Award Nominee for Best Horror Novel 2020, although there are elements of horror with the protagonist, Selena, living in an isolated house and being visited by vengeful gods. Selena is a young woman whose husband has constantly put her down, making jokes in front of their friends about her ability to function, even though she manages a shop, and the other workers like her. When she finally gets the opportunity to leave her unhappy marriage, she travels with her dog Copper to an isolated desert town, Quartz Creek, where she hopes to stay with her Aunt Amelia whom she hasn’t seen for many years. But Amelia has died, and with only 27 dollars to her name, Selena is desperate, and when she is told that she could stay in her aunt’s house, she quickly takes up the offer. She becomes friendly with the local priest and her neighbour Grandma Billy, who kindly help her out. But strange things begin to happen and Selena finds herself having disturbing apparitions and a weird birdlike creature seems to be pursuing her.
Kingfisher moves her story from the normal everyday life of a young woman seeking shelter and being helped by neighbours to one of trying to stop a vengeful god destroying her. Selena is beset with anxiety and has little self-confidence; her husband having leeched it away over the years. Readers will gain a deep insight into the sort of ways that that is done and will be wary if they see it happening in their own lives. Meanwhile, Kingfisher shows a community that is willing to help a stranger in need, building up her self esteem and helping her establish herself in her new home. The suspense builds up, with some mind-blowing revelations, as the reader wonders if Selena will have the courage to resist Snake-eater.
The warmth of the Quartz Creek community, welcoming another misfits in need, made Snake-eater one of Kingfisher’s most memorable reads for me. Highly recommended.
Simon & Schuster, 2026. ISBN: 9781761428111. (Age:Adult) Recommended.
In a departure from the historical fiction of her last best-selling books, Dirrayawadha (2024) and Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (2021), The Paradise Pact is set in present day and is about three fun-loving perimenopausal Wiradjuri women determined to ‘live their best life’. They are three women, long-term friends, living in separate towns, but always linked together via online messaging and Zoom, and of course their annual meet-up, usually somewhere in Australia, but this year it is to be an exciting new international location, the sunsets and beaches of Hawaii.
The trio, Abbey, Stevie and Cait are three quite different women, in different situations with different backstories, but they are always there for each other. The focus of this story, in what promises to be a trilogy of stories, is Abbey, a loving fifty-five year old grandmother to her ‘grannies’, the grandkids, but who is miserable following the break-up of a five year relationship with a partner she now realises never really shared her values. The break-up, a second unfulfilling relationship, shakes her confidence and reignites self-doubts and spiralling negativity. But, then, maybe Hawaii will bring the romance she longs for.
Although the early pages have all the earmarks of the usual ‘heartbreak to romance’ love story, Heiss breaks with convention and makes it more about female friendship, self-empowerment, and respect for First Nations communities. Abbey, Stevie and Cait go to Hawaii with a commitment to learning about the First Nations of that place and soon realise the many similarities in their shared stories of colonisation and oppression. By drawing comparisons with the history of Hawaii, Heiss opens the mind of the less informed reader to the suffering of Aboriginal people following invasion. She provides insight into the pain experienced on Australia Day, the history of suppression of language, general lack of knowledge about Australian history, and the devastation of the failed referendum for the Aboriginal Voice to Parliament. By sharing the history of Hawaii, readers also learn about the history of Australia. Heiss also includes words from the Wiradjuri language that the three women are eager to learn.
While The Paradise Pact can easily be read as a light holiday romance; in a gently unobtrusive way the book offers so much insight into a perspective of Australian history that many may not have engaged with. Perhaps with this book, Heiss has found a way to reach yet another reading audience.
Themes First Nations, Wiradjuri, Hawaii, Colonisation, Romance, Self empowerment, Women.
Helen Eddy
Gimme some space by Clayton Zane Comber & Conor McCammon
Gimme Some Space, cleverly created by Clayton Zane Comber and Conor McCammon is an absolute blast-off success. The second instalment of the Marvellous Submarine series, this story is jam packed full of adventure, fun and mayhem, and readers will be invested from the very first page.
Twins Poppy and Billy live on Earth on a place called Monkey Island with their brilliant inventor mum, her lab assistant - a gorilla named Harold - an assortment of other special animals, and a robot called Robo-Elvis, who delivers more singing punchlines than you’d think possible. Meanwhile, their dad is off in space, searching for aliens.
When mysterious space rocks come pelting down from the sky, turning life on Monkey Island into chaos, everyone must spring into action. Transforming ‘the marvellous submarine’ into ‘the marvellous (space)marine’, Poppy and Billy, along with some surprisingly helpful creatures, head out on a wildly entertaining mission into outer space to uncover the source of the problem.
When the crew encounters their nemeses, Mr Brains and Mr Brine, the stakes are high, the danger is ludicrous and the solutions are wonderfully imaginative. Young readers will love trying to guess how the team will fix the out of control situation and save both Earth and outer space before it’s too late.
A huge part of the book’s appeal comes from its comical black-and-white illustrations, matching the humour and energy of the story perfectly. The visual jokes add extra punch and personality to every page. With playful fonts and layouts, the reading experience is dynamic and engaging; making it especially appealing for readers who enjoy illustrated novels or are gaining confidence with longer chapter books.
The humour is crazy, clever and constant, ensuring there is never a dull moment. Yet beneath the fun there are some cool facts ingeniously intertwined about space, planets and our solar system.
Fast, funny and packed with action, Gimme Some Space is a highly engaging and accessible read that will hook reluctant readers and delight confident ones alike. It’s perfect for children who love adventure, science, animals and laugh-out-loud storytelling.
Themes Outer Space, Rockets, Adventure, Problem Solving, Humour.
After reading We won't all survive, by Kate Alice Marshall, I couldn’t resist picking up The girls before, a chilling thriller.
There is a girl in a basement. The door has stopped opening. The light is gone.
The novel begins with a nightmare scenario titled 'Below', of a girl chained in a basement with only the ghosts of the girls before to keep her company. The next chapter, titled 'Above', introduces Audrey, a search and rescue expert, looking for a missing child, who is rescued by other volunteers. She believes in her inner voice which tells her to find missing people and this time she hears that voice in the forest. She is convinced that a missing girl might be there somewhere and she is determined to find her, just as she is determined to find Janie, her best friend who disappeared when they were teenagers. After just two chapters the reader is drawn in, desperate to find out the fate of the girl in the basement, wondering whether Audrey will ever find her missing friend or the runaway schoolgirl. As the novel progresses Audrey discovers that other girls have disappeared in the past and have never been seen again. When she raises this with the Sheriff, he discounts her theory, forbidding her to search the forest because it belongs to the powerful local family who forbid trespassers. But Audrey is on a mission that she cannot let go, even though her friends advise her to leave it.
The Girls Before has a very complex plot with multiple twists and turns, and the thought of a girl trapped in a basement, waiting to die, is not for the faint hearted. A legend about a local witch called Red Hands who takes vengeance on abusive men adds to the intensity of the story, while a pitbull named Barry who can scent death provides some lighter moments when he demands tummy rubs instead of growling. The narrative goes from past to present, above ground and below ground, and the reader needs to be constantly aware of what is going on and I had to read the last chapters a few times to work out what happened - it's always good when an author keeps you in the dark!
The Girls Before is an engrossing but disturbing story and I would recommend it for a more mature audience than some of Marshall’s previous young adult novels.
Buist and Simsion are back with the third novel in their winning Menzies Mental Health series. This latest book can stand alone, but it is part of such an enjoyable series that it is recommended to start with the first book The glass house (2024) followed by The oasis (2025). Hannah is a trainee psychiatrist, now starting an internship in a general hospital on call to patients in medical, surgical, obstetric and cancer wards.
The chapters generally start with a short patient scenario, and then further in the chapter the reader follows Hannah’s exploration of the case, at the same time as she deals with family and personal relationship stresses. Hannah is an outstanding example of the best kind of psychiatric care, where she asks a probing question and then waits for the response. She stays calm, and thinks of the best way to relate to each patient. The cases range from road accident trauma, possible domestic abuse, coming to terms with terminal cancer, end of life wishes, and chronic anorexia nervosa. The reader gains insight into the lives of very troubled people, whilst also understanding that the doctor herself has traumatic issues to come to terms with.
The authors write with professional insight into the human side of how psychiatric medicine works, but there is a vein of subtle humour that underwrites every story, from the characterisation of the ego-driven professor to the ‘smart kid on the block’ boyfriend, and then there is the quick wit of Hannah’s thoughts and responses. All makes for a more light-handed and enjoyable way of exploring often serious subjects. The series has found an original and rewarding way of educating readers about psychiatric medicine.
The ReadPlus review of Girma’s debut novel Immortal Dark (2024) describes it as ‘a brilliant debut from Ethiopian-Australian author, Tigest Girma. The novel weaves East African history and mythology into a dark academia fantasy with a true enemies-to-lovers romance’. Now, in the sequel, black vampires meek dark academia in Eternal ruin, second tome in the planned trilogy.
The setting, Uxley University, mixes the contemporary world of a prestigious university with the world of fantasy and vampires, but it is also a world drawn from Ethiopian culture; the characters are East African, magic power resides in the impala horn, an antelope prevalent in Ethiopia, and the name of Susenyos, the conflicted vampire hero, is drawn from Ethiopian history,
The heroine Kidane is consumed with rage about the abduction of her sister June; and her long enduring love for June leads to acts that may be cruel but are justified in her mind by her goal of reunion and safety. She turns to a dark philosophical text that takes her down a dangerous path, one she is prepared to pursue if it will hasten the acquisition of the powers she seeks.
Susenyos, the strong and powerful vampire that she is inexorably attracted to, is her sparring partner. Theirs is a battle of wits and wills. Kidane seeks constantly to reassure herself that he is trustworthy and reliable. Both are vying for control and power, and both have to learn to trust and have confidence in each other.
There are twists and turns to the plot that the devoted fantasy reader might enjoy, but this sequel is a long story that is heavily dependent on the reading of the first novel. If you are a fan of this genre, you have to read Immortal dark first; and then Eternal ruin takes you to a cliffhanger ending that will have everyone desperately waiting for book three.
Simon & Schuster, 2026. ISBN: 9781398524194. (Age:Adult) recommended.
What Happened That Night is another riveting story from bestselling Nicci French. A reunion of old University friends sets the scene. Tyler Green, a convicted murderer of his friend Leo during a graduation party in 1933, has been released after 30 years in goal. He has asked the people who were at the party to reunite and what a reunion it is! Tyler has always maintained his innocence, but his friends, except for Leo, deserted him after the trial, and went on with their lives. The wine flows and secrets are revealed as the group has dinner and then a terrible discovery is made. A member of the group has been brutally murdered. Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor is called to the scene and as she investigates, she becomes increasingly aware that although Tyler is the obvious suspect, there are many links to be explored.
French cleverly provides a detailed background of all the eight characters, showing their strengths and flaws, how the years have treated them, giving the reader reason to wonder which of them committed the murder. It looks to be a classic locked room case, with each suspect being able to give themselves an alibi and Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor must use all her ingenuity to uncover the truth.
This is the third book in the Maud O’Connor Mysteries series, following Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? and Last days of Kira Mullan and is hard to put down. I look forward to reading more books by this clever author duo and fans of locked room mysteries are in for a treat.
In the latest interactive puzzle solving choose-your-own adventure book from Rachel Jackson you are once again in control of your own destiny although this time there is the added complication of a dragon, a grand wizard, a heist and escaping. Sounds easy, well then, I would recommend you pick up this book and give it a go.
I really enjoy this style of Choose-your own adventure text as there is the added element of working out the puzzles that are so cleverly tied to the decisions you can make. There are 38 unique pathways and multiple dragons and escapes along the way.
As with most Choose-your-own you are a character within the story and must make choices as to what you do. In this book you are an apprentice to a Wizard who wants you to steal some legendary firestone from the next-door kingdom. Breaking into Firestone Manor is the easy part, escaping with the firestone is a whole other challenge. I love the inclusion of the ancient dragon codes and the puzzles as it really adds to the story and makes the book feel more challenging than a standard choose-your-own adventure. I also really like the pathway map in the back of the book so you can check off your progress and ensure that you have followed every path, sometimes to a not so happy ending!
The author is a master at creating a chaotic storyline that engages the reader in all the possibilities and rewards bravery while ensuring that if you solve the puzzles, you will make it out alive. This series is perfect for confident readers who are looking for a bit of a challenge or who like the choose-your-own adventure style but also like to solve puzzles. An excellent independent read that will keep the reader coming back for more.
Themes Fantasy, Choose Your Own Adventure, Dragons, Wizards, Puzzle solving.
