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.
The Twelve Houses series is one of my favourite feel-good fantasy series that I revisit every year. Mystic and Rider, the first in the series, and initially published in 2006, has stood the test of time and is still in print. The kingdom of Gillengaria is in turmoil with the noble houses in the south beginning to question the rule of King Baryn. There is growing hostility towards mystics, led by the Lestra, a devotee of the Pale Lady, and cult leader of the Lumanen Convent, which has become the home of many young women and a powerful armed troop. King Baryn needs to know the extent of the unrest and sends the mystic Senneth to assess the threat. Accompanying her are a group comprising of Tayse, first among the King’s Riders, Justin a young King’s Rider, Kirra and Donnal who are shapeshifters and Cammon, a young mystic rescued by Senneth from captivity. As the disparate group travels deep into the south the mystics and soldiers begin to trust each other, realising that surviving danger from the nobles and the Lestra means working together.
Shinn is an author who can cleverly combine fantastic world building, likeable characters, a slow burning romance and danger into an engrossing story that will linger in the mind. It is easy to visualise Gillengaria, ruled by a king that some believe to be weak and influenced by his mysterious young wife. The Twelve Houses, each with its own leader, are vividly described as Senneth’s group traverse the country with its changing terrain. However it is the characterization that is the highlight of the novel for me. Senneth is the strongest mystic in the land, who can control fire. She is calm and thoughtful until injustice spurs her into action. Tayse is an alert soldier always on the watch for danger but drawn to Senneth even though he distrusts mystics. Justin is very young and looks up to Tayse, unwilling to accept Senneth’s leadership, but strong and decisive in battle. Kirra is beautiful and wilful, a healer who loves to change shapes while Donnal is her trusted follower. Cammon is a reader, sensitive to other’s thoughts and slowly beginning to learn his powers. Gradually the group melds together, all the members learning to trust each other’s skills as they face danger from the Lestra's fantatical followers and the dissenting nobles.
Fantasy, like Shinn’s outstanding series, can take readers into another world and help them forget their everyday problems. Mystic and rider is a satisfying escape from reality and readers will want to continue with the series, desperate to find out what happens to the kingdom of Gillengaria and its mystics. And readers who enjoy books by Robin Mckinley, Juliet Marillier and Lois Bujold McMaster are sure to like books by Sharon Shinn.
Themes Fantasy, Political intrigue, Magic, Romance.
Andy McGee has just started high school and is navigating the rough road of unexpected friendship, bullies, power plays, and the almost-more-than-friendship with Marlie. Fear and bravery, being a follower or a leader, being obedient or a rebel, all these early teen dilemmas are part of Andy’s experience. But it is the alien takeover that requires Andy to gather a disparate collection of fellow Highschoolers to plan and execute an audacious plot to save the world!
This is a funny, exciting and roller-coaster reading experience. It is a delightful adventure involving kids using all different kinds of ‘smarts’ to save humanity. The alien invasion is quirkily conveyed and McKerrow has created an exciting teen mystery-adventure that is leading to Book 2. Characters are intriguing and interpersonal relationships have all the hallmarks of early high school complexity, but with a liberal touch of humour. Marlie has a disability, but it is her abilities that are highlighted. The hint of romantic connection is appropriately gentle and carries the wisp of teen embarrassment - a friendly connection rather than a hormone overdose. This is a delightful story that will be enjoyed for its action, humour and teen-friendly plot. Readers from the age of 10 will enjoy the story, but those beginning High School are probably the target audience.
Enrico Mercuri presents a new translation of the first part of Dante’s poem Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) from the 14th century; Inferno (Hell) is followed by Purgatorio (Purgatory) and then Paradiso (Heaven). Inferno recounts the poet’s journey into the nine circles of the pit of Hell guided by the Roman poet Virgil. Each layer reveals different sins and the punishments that are accorded them, from the lamentations of those who died without faith, through all the deepening levels of lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. Each sin has its own torturous and macabre punishment, graphically depicted in the black and white drawings by David Blaiklock in this edition.
There are many resources, print and online, that interpret Dante's Inferno. What Mercuri has done is provide a translation of the original text using a form of English that is ‘contemporary, idiomatic, and fluid’. He comments that Dante himself chose to write in the vernacular of the common people rather than the Latin of the educated class. Mercuri determined that his translation should be equally readable by a contemporary audience. It maintains the structure of the original, the poem divided into 34 Cantos, and the verses in three-line stanzas, until the concluding line of each Canto. Most considerately he also provides a short summary at the beginning of each Canto that describes and explains the events that follow, an invaluable aid to the reader coming to Dante the first time.
Dante’s journey culminates in an encounter with Lucifer devouring the three worst sinners, Judas Escariot, Brutus and Cassius, traitors against those to whom they were most closely bound by special ties. From there Dante moves quickly out of Hell and ascends towards the world of light, towards the stars. It can only be hoped that the next stages in Dante’s spiritual journey, through Purgatory and then Heaven, could also receive such meticulous but accessible translation for those who would like to understand more of Dante’s celebrated work.
Themes Spiritual journey, Hell, Sin, Punishment, Justice.
Helen Eddy
The lost notes of the Soul Spinners by Reece Carter
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761066801. (Age:10+)
The lost notes of the soul spinners is the concluding story of a series - An Elston-Fright Tale. It follows A girl called Corpse and The lonely lighthouse of Elston-Fright. The lost notes of the soul spinners is a difficult book to read as a stand-alone as there are a multiplicity of characters and previous happenings that have impacted on the storyline and are assumed to be readers' knowledge. Thus to enjoy the last book, it may be a good idea to read the first and second which introduce Corpse and her friends and the town of Elston-Fright and its inhabitants.
There is an explanatory map of Elston-Fright in the front pages which shows the key locations of the story and includes the word "witches" all over the coastal area. The map appears to be a working paper as there are jottings and arrows etc. all over it. The two main characters' perspectives are shared in the first person in alternating chapters. Thus the reader lives through the point of view, actions and interactions of Corpse and then Girl. Each character has a couple of names at least eg. Corpse is also Cora. Many characters are ghosts or ghouls or other good or malevolent paranormal beings. Some of the characters are townspeople and of course some are hard to define and may suddenly change to reveal something else. Each character has known and undiscovered magical skills which come to the fore when needed during the battle between good and evil.
It is unusual to have main characters being ghosts. They have existed peaceably in the town of Elston-Fright - a little known and sad little coastal town prone to nasty happenings including missing children. A ghost-eating wraith, Faye De Corail, arrives in the town searching for the lost notes of the soul spinners and casts a spell over the humans in the town. In trying to save the town's people from horrors unknown and themselves from "Death Proper", Girl, Corpse and friends battle some very horrible foes that have sprung from the imagination of the author Reece Carter. In the process the truth of their own identity is discovered and the fate of the town is sealed.
The lost notes of the soul spinners is a high energy action/ magical adventure that has a warmth about it. Simon Howe's illustrations accompany the text closely revealing in what could be a rather macabre and ghoulish story, a certain, youthfulness and playfulness that ameliorates to some extent what could be dark, creepy and scary happenings. Carter plays with words in an edgy and light-hearted manner both in the conversations between the characters and in objects such as the "Ungeneral Store" and "Poltergusts" and "the Immoral Compass."
The lost notes of the soul spinners is clever, funny, imaginative and edgy. However, it could be quite an ask for a young reader to pick up this book and not be very confused by the rapid parade of very strange characters - their disparate actions and motivations and in fact who they are themselves and in relation to each other and what they look like. Reading the books in series order is recommended.
Themes ghosts, Paranormal, Magic.
Wendy Jeffrey
Carved in blood by Michael Bennett
Simon & Schuster, 2025. ISBN: 9781398536791. (Age:Adult - 16+) Recommended.
The third in the Hana Westerman thriller series, Carved in blood expands on the characters and New Zealand setting first introduced in the highly recommended Better the blood (Ngaio Marsh Award 2023), followed by Return to blood. I would advise readers to start the series with the first book to better get to know Hana Westerman, her daughter Addison and ex-husband Jaye.
In Carved in blood, Hana is excited by the announcement of her daughter’s engagement. Jaye is thrilled and to celebrate the occasion he goes to a bottle shop to purchase champagne. While there he is shot twice by a balaclava wearing man in what appears to be a random attack. Hana is determined to find the shooter and joins DI Elisa Grey as a consultant in the Police Force. A young Maori man, Toa Davis, is immediately suspected as the driver of the getaway car and goes on the run. Hana, with the help of Addison, begins to uncover links to organised crime. Was Jaye’s shooting random or targeted? Is Hana herself in danger?
Although important in describing family relationships and Maori customs, I found the beginning of Carved in blood rather slow. However, once Hana begins to investigate the shooting the action speeds up and the story becomes compelling. She and DI Elisa Grey face members of the drug dealing underworld. Hana is also haunted by Erwin Rendall, a crime boss whom she had confronted in Return to blood, when rescuing her nephew from a life of crime.
Family is very important in Carved in blood. The loving relationship between Addison and Jaye’s wife Melissa and her two daughters and the friendship between Melissa and Hana and the way they gather around to help each other as Jaye lies in hospital is inspiring.
Once again, Bennett has written an engrossing police procedural, with strong themes of Maori culture and racism. I look forward to the next in the series.
Enticed by the colourful cover and different title, I eagerly devoured Short Stories, delighting in the eleven encounters between animal pairings and laughing aloud at the surprises that the very short narratives bring.
Once upon a time there was an elephant And there was an ant. "What ant?” asked the elephant. The End
Borando can tell a mind-blowing story in just a few words. No story takes more than two or three pages with ten or so words per page, and each story ends quickly with the words “The End." Younger children will be able to predict the ending of some of the stories, for example the tale of the hedgehog and the birthday party, while others like the one featuring two turtles and a colander will challenge older readers to guess what is going to happen.
All the stories are illustrated with vivid colours and memorable characters who have expressive faces. There are tiny details like the grin on the crocodile’s face as he spies a very good sheep that also hint at what might be the ending to the stories.
Adults are sure to enjoy sharing this book with children and I can see it becoming a firm favourite in the home, school or public library. Teachers may find great personal enjoyment from reading it to a class while using it to demonstrate how a very few words can tell a memorable story.
Themes Jokes, Humour.
Pat Pledger
My mum is the best by Nic McPickle and Tommy Doyle
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181160. (Age:3+)
My mum is a Super Mum, the best I've ever known. She loves her trackies and her uggs, her coffee and her phone.
Is it just my mum? Or is it other mums too? Does your mum say this stuff to you?
In this joyful, picturesque celebration of mothers, Nic McPickle and Tommy Doyle once again team up to help our youngest readers really appreciate their mums no matter who they are and what they like. Because no matter what they look like, how they sound, what they do or where they live, mums are mums everywhere. They even say the same things like, "Have you got a jumper? Do you need a snack? If you got it out, then you can put it back." But even if the "nagging" is universal, then so is the love..."You are caring and smart, You are funny and tough. You love me so well that I know I'm enough."
Just as My Dad is the Best shone the spotlight on fathers and all the little things they do to show their love for their child, so does this make the invisible, visible as mothers go about their day. With Mother's Day on May 11 this year, this could be the opportunity to encourage little ones to really focus on all those things their mothers do to ensure they are safe and loved so it might be fun to share the special thing each child's mum does and make a Love you, Mum display and cards for a just-because day.
Themes Mothers.
Barbara Braxton
Blood moon bride by Demet Divaroren
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761180279. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Blood moon brides are the young girls who at the age of 16 are taken to Show Day to be matched with the highest bidders to become their brides. It’s a kind of slave market. But now, suddenly, the age has been lowered to fifteen by Governor Kira eager to have more progeny with whom to build his army of soldiers in the ongoing wars at his borders. Rehya realises that time has run out for her to escape, and she will be among the girls delivered prematurely into a life she abhors.
This is the setting for Demet Divaroren’s latest novel, a departure from the gritty realism of Living on Hope Street (2017) or the earlier co-edited Growing up Muslim in Australia (2014). Blood moon bride is a magical fantasy, but it deals with issues relevant to current times: child marriage, demonisation of the 'other', dictatorships, lies and fake news, and the need for connection with the natural world. The fantasy world of Governor Kira’s regime, with his manipulation of his subjects, annihilation of people who are different, and the brain-washing of anyone who questions or rebels, is presented in a way that young readers can explore safely through the world of imagination.
It is an exciting story, with believable characters, and, unusually for the genre, without a thread of romance. The emphasis is on friendship and collaboration, uniting together to stand against what is inherently wrong. On her website, Divaroren writes that ‘Storytelling . . . is an invitation to build empathy and challenge our misconceptions and the negative vitriol of 'the other' that is fuelled by the media.’ Blood moon bride is an excellent example of this.
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane by Mike Lucas. Illus. by Sofya Karmazina
Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781760506988. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane is the second picture book written by award-winning South Australian children’s author Mike Lucas and illustrated by the very talented Sofya Karmazina. This delightful story will evoke warm and exciting memories of visits to bookshops, as well as special times spent with a grandparent. With skilful rhyming text accompanied by striking full colour highly detailed illustrations, this will be a book to share over and over again.
From the clever endpapers displaying the bookshop floor before and after, the double title page spread showing the young child and grandpa on the train, and with Holly the bookshop dog making cameo appearances, this captivating story will engage readers of all ages.
The old shop has crannies.
The old shop has nooks,
and places to hide in while looking at books.
There’s a rickety staircase
and lamps on the walls,
and a bell that goes DING!
when a customer calls.
The Bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane also shares an important message about change. Sometimes change can cause anxiety and disappointment, especially for young children, and when the bookshop closes for renovations, the young child is unhappy and worried.
The trips aren’t the same now
for Grandpa and me.
That old shop is gone…there is nothing to see,
and Lemon Tree Lane feels so empty and grey.
They have taken our fun and adventure away.
And will the new bookshop be as special as the old one and worth the long wait? Only time will tell.
In the final pages, author Mike Lucas, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Grandpa, shares an important author’s note about reflecting on the journey he personally has experienced with his own bookshop. He has enthusiastically embraced the changes each time and treasures the memories from the past.
The Legendary Scarlett & Browne: Being an account of their final exploits & gallant deeds continues the story of Outlaws Scarlett & Browne: being an account of their daring exploits and audacious crimes and Notorious Scarlett & Browne: being an account of the fearless outlaws and their infamous deeds, bringing to an end this wonderful trilogy set in dystopian Britain. It is a showcase of fantastic writing, memorable plots and engaging characters. In this thrilling conclusion, we see Albert and Scarlett trying to finalise their searches: Scarlett’s quest to find her brother Thomas who was separated from her many years before and Albert’s need to visit Stonemoor and find out where he came from and how he ended up a product of terrible experiments. As they continue their searches, they free slaves and battle against the Faith Houses who want to use young White Hats to subdue the population with their cruel weapons from the past.
What a roller coaster ride this is! Many readers will revel in Scarlett and Browne’s explosive adventures, following their daring attempts to relieve banks of their gold and their exploits fighting the evil Faith Houses, fending off attacks by fanatics wielding deadly weapons forged long ago and avoiding devastating explosions. However I was most engaged with their searches to come to grips with their past traumas. I was desperately wanted Scarlett to find her little brother and eagerly followed the sections that described what had happened to him. Meanwhile Mallory, their old Nemesis, has turned up with information and finally Albert may be able to find the laboratory where he was imprisoned and hopefully uncover some of its secrets.
Snappy dialogue, intense action and vivid descriptions make this a memorable series, which I can highly recommend. Readers may also like to pursue other enjoyable series, Lockwood & Co. and The Bartimaeus trilogy, by Stroud.
Text Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781922790767. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
It is 2018 and zombies have taken most of the adults in the world. 17-year-old Sunny and Toby are on the run, trying desperately to stay alive. Cut to 2034 and Sunny is attempting to escape from an underground facility where she has been held prisoner for years. The reader is immediately faced with some haunting questions. What has caused the outbreak of the virus and why has Sunny stayed alive although infected? Will Toby and baby Veronica make it unscathed?
I was grabbed by the first chapter opening, where Sunny discusses how she and her parents would kill each other rather than being taken by the zombies and from then on, I was hooked. Bowe effortlessly took me across the dual timelines of 2018 and 2034, vividly describing the zombie invasion in 2018 and then the incarceration of Sunny in an underground facility. Her escape and subsequent trip from Sydney to the Gold Coast is thrilling, with action galore.
Some big themes are explored too. The importance of loyalty to family, biological and found, is explored and the reader will relate to Toby’s courage in caring for baby Veronica. There are also questions about the ethics of a totalitarian government keeping people underground and whether a virus was used to create the zombies.
What makes Sunny at the end of the world so memorable is that the manuscript was found on Steph Bowe’s computer after she tragically passed away at the age of 25. It is at once thought provoking and funny with wonderful characters and a mind-blowing plot. It is not to be missed.
