I'm so excited that the Picture Books for Older Readers (PBOR) Database has just been launched by the National Centre for Australian Children's Literature (NCACL). This amazing FREE resource illuminates the way in which picture books can be of value to readers of all ages - including children in upper primary through to secondary school. The database has been put together by an experienced team of children's literature experts, with an annotation, links to the Australian Curriculum, and free teacher's resources provided for each book. Each book has been carefully selected and analysed by this ..read more

This is a young adult novel you won't want to put down! I was immediately invested in the protagonist, 16-year-old Stella, whose conversational, witty voice drew me in from the first page. We learn that the hottest guy in school, Isaac Calder, has been killed in a car accident and everyone is grieving - most of all Isaac's popular girlfriend Grace. We also learn that Stella and Isaac had been more than just friends before his death - but because it was a secret relationship, Stella can't publicly mourn Isaac's death the way Grace can. Stella does her best to keep her secret and grieve in priv ..read more

Real Pigeons is a fabulously fun series about a worldwide network of pigeons that fight crime. The boys and I have been big fans since book one was released back in 2018. We love that these books are fast-paced - with large text font and engaging illustrations on every page to break up the text. We also love that the stories are full of humour and mystery. The seamless combination of text and illustrations are cleverly designed to hook kids into reading. In this latest book in the series, Real Pigeons Duck Trouble, the pigeon crew team up with human secret agents to try to combat strange muta ..read more

I adored this fabulously funny and delightfully creepy story about family, old magic, and courage. Solomon Macaroni is not like other vampires. He's polite and considerate, unlike his pesky high-spirited cousins, with whom he's sent to live when his parents go off on vacation. Poor Solomon is on edge - not only is Transylvania creepy but his cousins always play pranks on him (except for kind-hearted Lucy). Despite the best efforts of Lucy, and Solomon's affable (if not slightly eccentric) Uncle Dracula, Solomon is terribly homesick. However, when his cousins decide to venture into the infamou ..read more

My Extraordinary Mum is a joyful celebration of all the ways in which mums can be free-spirited, creative, kind and adventurous! A young girl shares stories of all the things she and her mum do together - including rescuing stray animals, dancing at the grocery store, and embarking on spontaneous road trips. There are also quiet moments too - to read and rest, to find magic in the every day. The narrative beautifully centres the child's perspective, with the child's voice consistently relatable and engaging. The vibrant illustrations burst with colour and joy, inviting a young audience to lin ..read more

When two new books in this fun graphic novel series for younger readers were recently released Wise Quackers and Bats What Friends Are For), I rushed out to add them to our collection! Ollie is an owl who wears glasses and Bea is a bunny who is self-conscious about her big feet. But when they meet each other and become friends, they find that their differences no longer seem to matter. Together Ollie and Bea find their inner superhero, learn that looking silly doesn't matter when you're with friends, discover that there's always room for one more friend, and solve the mystery of the missing s ..read more

Arabella's Alphabet is a wonderous celebration of books, reading and libraries. As a former children's librarian, this book captured my heart from the opening page, with its cosy depiction of children reading books in the children's section of a library. The story is told from the perspective of Arabella - a well-loved alphabet book who is only borrowed by sticky-fingered children. Arabella longs to be borrowed and adored by adults. She grows sad that her book contains only letters and illustrations, and no words. As soon as she gets a chance, Arabella slips inside an Africa travel guide on t ..read more

Hello Every Body! is such a joyous celebration of the way our bodies are all unique, and encourages us to embrace our differences. Because after all - our differences are what make us who we are! When I received this book I wasn't sure initially how my three boys would react to it - the text uses correct terminology and illuminates a diverse range of body parts. I couldn't help but wonder would they be silly while we read the book together? (They are in that phase of loving a poo and bum joke after all). I underestimated the boys as an audience for this book though, they were thoroughly engag ..read more

It's no secret that we are a little bit obsessed with the School of Monsters books in our household (I have previously reviewed the series on my page here) - so you can imagine our excitement when we heard there were new books coming out in the series about a whole new class of monsters! Wheeee! Mr 5 and I have read the first two books in the new series on repeat. In Bug's First Day, all the monsters are busily engaged in learning - but poor little Bug just wants to hide himself away. He can't read or write and doesn't know his numbers. Will Teacher help him realise that he doesn't need to be ..read more

If you love a circus setting and magic and a strong female protagonist, then this middlegrade novel might just be the story for you. Eleven-year-old Tulsi performs in a travelling circus with her mother, who uses Big Magic in her performances. Tulsi longs to learn Big Magic, but her mother tells her she's too young. But when her mother disappears in a magic circus act gone wrong, Tulsi must learn enough Big Magic before the next full moon to bring her mother back. The only problem is that the only person who can teach her is her grandmother Sylvie, who was once stripped of her own magic, for ..read more