Children’s book about secrets, community and libraries I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. Image is of “The Lost Library” by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. The eBook cover is of a street library with open doors. Behind the doors is are shelves with a young boy and a ghostly building. Sitting on top of the library is a ginger cat and some mice. “The Lost Library” by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass is a children’s book about a young boy called Evan who discovers a street library that appears one day in his town with a large ginger cat watching over it. Intrigued by books that h ..read more

Children’s book about a chicken who has lost his memory I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author. Image is of “Chicken in the City” by C. L. Kovacik. The eBook cover is of a brown chicken standing in the middle of a city street. “Chicken in the City” by C. L. Kovacik is a short children’s book about a young rooster who finds himself in a backyard with no memory of how he got there. After chatting to a squirrel and a possum, Chicken embarks on a journey to discover who he is and where he came from. This is a quick, punchy book that explores an urban environment from the perspective ..read more

Illustrated children’s book about echidnas and showing affection On the second night of my Tasmania hike, my friend and hiking buddy insisted that I read this book she had found in the library because it was so cute. I didn’t quite get around to it on the second night, but on the third night we were staying in one of the trimanya huts, which means echidna in Palawa language, and I luckily found a copy in the library there. I also saw three different echidnas on my Tasmania trip, and they are so fluffy down there! Image is of “Echidnas Can’t Cuddle” by Nieta Manser and illustrated by Lauren Mer ..read more

Children’s book series about three hapless orphans I was looking for some easy summer reading (last summer, still very behind on reviews!), and I came back to this series which I have been chipping away at while watching the TV series. Photo is of “The Ersatz Elevator” by Lemony Snicket. The hardcover book is sitting in front of elevator doors. The cover is tan with a red spine, with an image of a girl in a dark dress abseiling down an elevator shaft. “The Ersatz Elevator” by Lemony Snicket is the sixth book of 13 in the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” collection. Following the events in the ..read more

Illustrated fantasy book about a society with sentient dinosaurs I absolutely love graphic novels and illustrated stories, but somehow I missed this book which came out when I was a young kid. I picked up a copy from the Lifeline Bookfair quite some time ago, and everyone I have mentioned it to has been full of happy nostalgia. When I was picking out books for last year’s Short Stack Reading Challenge, I added this one to the list and was thrilled to finally get a chance to read it. Photo is of “Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time” by James Gurney. The hardcover book is in front of the rear righ ..read more

Perhatian: ulasan buku ini akan ditulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia dulu, dan Bahasa Inggris berikut. Note: this book review will be written first in Bahasa Indonesia, then English afterwards. Buku anak tentang empat anak Indonesia dan petualangannya Lebih dari 13 tahun yang lalu, saya pindah ke Indonesia untuk berkuliah untuk enam bulan di Universitas Gadjah Mada di Yogyakarata, Jawa. Pada waktu itu saya bertemu banyak teman baik Indonesia maupun Australia, termasuk penulis ini. Pada tahun 2012, kami bertemu lagi di peristiwa waktu bukunya diterbit dan saya memintanya untuk menandatangani buku say ..read more

Classic children’s book about a lonely child and a hidden garden I think I was recently down a Wikipedia rabbit hole looking up the filmography of Colin Firth when I found that he had been in a 2020 film adaptation of this book. I recall watching the 1993 version several times and I think I may have read this book as well as a kid, but I wasn’t completely sure. I remember the story was very wholesome, which I was definitely in the mood for, and I have a very pretty edition with lemon-coloured tinted edges that was just the thing. Photo is of “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Bernett. The ..read more

Middle grade fantasy book about four gifted children I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author. I’m currently very deep into my Short Stack Reading Challenge and this looked like a nice quick read. Image is of “The Lost Amulet” by Mary Farrugia. The paperback book is resting on a wooden table next to a small purplish stone. The cover is grey with red sparks and a red stone with the text “To your destination you seek upon which obstacles must be completed to reach”. “The Lost Amulet” by Mary Farrugia is the first bok in the “Stone Bearer Series” and is a middle grade fantasy book ab ..read more

Young adult novel about a young boy’s affinity for foxes I am currently doing my Short Stack Reading Challenge, and I raided all my shelves for some very short books to see out the end of the year. I picked up this book at the Lifeline Book Fair some time ago. I can’t remember if I chose it because someone recommended it to me, or because this author was one I read as a kid because my (admittedly very annoying) year 5 teacher was obsessed with her. Either way, this was the next book in my short stack. It is actually a signed copy, addressed to someone called Katie in the year of publication ..read more

Children’s book about an orphan fox boy I cannot remember where I bought this book from, but there is no mistaking why. It is a beautiful hardcover book with copper metallic detail on the lettering both on the slipcase and beneath. Then, of course, is the premise. As I have mentioned many times on here I am a big fan of animal fantasy, and the little anthropomorphic fox and suggestions of steampunk had me hooked. Image is of “The Wonderling” by Mira Bartok. The hardcover book is resting on a slate grey background with a pocket watch, a clockwork mechanism with a bunny and a key to the right. T ..read more