Author: Deborah Kelly (AU)
Illustrator: Nicky Johnston (AU)
ISBN: 9781922539731
Publisher: EK Books
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 4 to 7 years Language Rating: None Representations: Contains a child with separated parents. Novel Insight Short Review: When Mama's vase broke, Frankie's life changed. Dad moved out, Mama stayed in bed, and Nan came to stay. Frankie stared at the broken shards of the vase and wondered whether it would ever fit together again. Nan sat with her and asked if Frankie wanted to see something special. They drove along into the city towards an art gallery. While there, Frankie finds an artwork made entirely from broken pieces—a mosaic! A hopeful story for children of separated parents about how families may change, but they can still be there for you.
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Author: Maura Finn (AU)
Illustrator: Lucinda Gifford (AU)
ISBN: 9781922863874
Publisher: Affirm Kids
Release Date: 24th September 2024
Reading Age: 4 to 7 years Language Rating: None Content Insight: Contains a fight between animals. Contains witches. Novel Insight Short Review: At midnight, everyone is asleep, but a dark figure slinks through the shadows. Grandma Murphy's pussycat with jet-black fur and bright yellow eyes hurries through the town. Although a hound howls below, Gran's cat strolls onwards without a flinch. After stopping to groom, he trots off again into the woodland. An eerie story for lovers of cats and spooky things.
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Author: Coral Vass (AU)
Illustrator: Heidi Cooper Smith (AU)
Series: Amanda Commander #5
ISBN: 9781761111341
Publisher: Wombat Books
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 5 to 8 years Language Rating: None Representations: Contains characters from diverse ethnicities. Novel Insight Short Review: Amanda's school is putting on a production show called Little Red Guiding Hood. Although anyone in year three or four can audition, the lead role of 'Little Red' will only go to an exceptional singer. Amanda, Lu, and Mai (a.k.a. The Dolphin Squad) know the perfect person for the job—Rosie! But Rosie believes she'll be no good at performing and turns them down. Determined to help, The Dolphin Squad formulate a plan to use the power of encouragement to convince Rosie to audition. The mission goes sideways when Lu impulsively volunteers The Dolphin Squad to audition with Rosie. Relieved at their support, Rosie decides to audition. When auditions are over, Rosie lands the lead role. Even Amanda, Lu, and Mai earn roles in the ensemble. Everyone is excited except for Bella. Bella is another great singer who usually gets the lead roles in the school plays. This time, she is the minor lead and Rosie's understudy. When Bella tries to sabotage Rosie, will the play still be a success? An uplifting addition to the Amanda Commander series that teaches an important message about the power of friendship and teamwork.
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Author: Sara Shepard
Illustrator: Sara Shepard
Series: Penny Draws #4
ISBN: 9781922790712
Publisher: Text Publishing
Release Date: 16th July 2024
Reading Age: 7 to 11 years Language Rating: None Content Insight: Contains very mild and brief references to the supernatural. Novel Insight Short Review: In the fourth instalment of the Penny Draws series, Penny and her friends go on a field trip to visit a famous author, which they won at the end of Book 3. Penny is buddied up with her ex-best friend, Violet. When they arrive in New York at the author's house, they discover another school has been invited. Although the author promised to update their school library if they won, his promise must surely be for only one of the schools. After making friends, the two schools compete for the author's attention. A sweet story about friendship, adventure in New York, and writing, with an engaging combination of words and sketches like a graphic novel.
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Author: Kate DiCamillo (US)
Illustrator: Júlia Sardà (ES)
ISBN: 9781529523782
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 7 to 11 years Language Rating: None Content Insight: Contains magic where fantasy and reality merge. Representations: Contains Catholicism. Novel Insight Short Review: It’s been over a year since Marta’s father left to fight in the war. Marta and her mother haven’t heard from him. To support herself and her daughter, Marta’s mother starts a cleaning job at the Hotel Balzaar. Every day, she tells her daughter to be as quiet as a mouse. Marta spends her days staring at the picture on the wall or the clock. One day, an old lady arrives with a large, green parrot on her shoulder. She calls herself Countess. She spots Marta in the lobby and invites her to come to her room because she wants to tell her a story. Over the next few days, the Countess tells Marta a series of stories. The stories are interwoven but separate. Marta comes to recognise different parts of the stories are about her father. A whimsical story about hope and enduring love for primary school students.
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Author: Louise Park & Mo Johns
Illustrator: Jules Faber
ISBN: 9781922804839
Publisher: Larrikin House
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 7 to 11 years Language Rating: Low Content Insight: Contains magic powers and pranks. Contains toilet humour. Representations: A same-sex couple named Mary and Jess live on Hannah and Jake's street. Novel Insight Short Review: Jake and Hannah Vann-Wong live at 9 Caper Street with their father, mother, grandmother (GG) and dog, Ziggy. Everything in their lives is normal until Connor, Max, and Samantha Cruelly move into the house next door. The day after the Cruelly's move next door, the people living on the cul de sac decide to have a street party. After an unfortunate prank, Hannah and Jake learn there has been a battle between the Wong and Cruellys for many decades. Each of them has special powers passed down from their ancestors, and they must stop the Cruelly's pranks from taking over the world. A hilarious adventure story with good versus evil for primary school children.
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Author: Fern Forgettable (AU)
Series: Fern's School for Wayward Fae #1
ISBN: 9781760659288
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Release Date: 16th October 2024
Reading Age: 9 to 13 years Language Rating: None Content Insight: Contains magical creatures and magical powers. Representations: Trym is deaf and uses sign language and lip reading. Owen's mother is deaf and he uses sign language. Novel Insight Short Review: Rosemary has a peculiar and macabre gift for predicting other people's deaths. When she is whisked away to Fern's School for Wayward Fae, a highly coveted place between realms, she learns that she is part fae. Rosemary and the other part-fae students discover sinister forces at play when a student disappears in thin air, and they set out to find him using their wits and magical gifts. A magical portal fantasy book for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Wednesday.
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Author: Richard Ayoade (UK)
Illustrator: David Roberts (UK)
ISBN: 9781529500769
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 9 to 13 years Language Rating: None Content Insight: Contains references to fairytale violence, magic and romance. Novel Insight Short Review: C.C. Cecily is the secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club. As fans write letters to ask advice or questions about their favourite fairy tales, Cecily forwards them to the intended recipient or responds. The letters vary in length and theme. Letters are written to the Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Humpty Dumpty, Rumplestiltskin, the Emperor who wore no clothes, Prince Charming, and more! A hilarious and witty collection of correspondence between fans and their fairytale heroes or heroines with entertaining illustrations.
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Author: Helen Edwards
ISBN: 9781763526013
Publisher: Riveted Press
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 9 to 13 years Language Rating: None Content Insight: Contains magical legends and magical creatures. Contains references to a fire where Mona and Albert's mother died. Contains theft. Representations: Contains intergenerational friendship. Mona and Albert live with their grandparents. Set on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Novel Insight Short Review: Mona and her younger brother Albert have lived with their grandparents since their mother’s death five years ago. She died in a fire. Their father went missing the same night, and they haven’t seen or heard from him since. As the family navigates life on Kangaroo Island in 1970, keeping the lighthouse running and catering to tourists, Mona grapples with her recent diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Mona’s world shifts when she befriends a sea lion pup named Neo, leading her on a journey to uncover secrets about her parents and herself. An enchanting middle-grade novel that seamlessly blends history, legends and heart-warming family dynamics.
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Author: Lynne Stringer (eds) & Emily Larkin (eds)
ISBN: 9781761111785
Publisher: Rhiza Edge
Release Date: 1st October 2024
Reading Age: 13 to 18 years Language Rating: Low Content Insight: Contains mild violence, death and slavery. Contains arranged marriages. Contains theft, drugging and kidnapping. Contains experiments and surgery. Representations: Contains characters with disabilities. Leo lost his leg when his family was attacked, and now has a prosthetic one. Mira lost the use of her legs in an accident, and now uses a wheelchair. Contains class distinctions. Eva and the other clowns are in a lower class than the bosses in the circus. Desiree is a commoner whereas Algernon is upper class. Patrick Felton is a ship's boy but Miss Kitty is upper class. Iris is a common labourer but Pender is upper class. Bernadette is lower class, and works for Catymcraft, who is upper class. Contains a character with anxiety. Dulcie doesn't like to be around people and finds it difficult to cope in crowded places and situations. Leo and Miram are orphans. Novel Insight Short Review: Eva is a circus clown suffering under a cruel boss. After her friend goes missing, Eva and the other clowns realise they must escape that night, or Eva will be next. Nix is employed on Lord Scrumpton’s steam engine, shovelling coal under the eye of Driver since she was captured and enslaved. One day she meets a lady named Foxy Brown, who experiments on magical creatures. She tells Nix that sea creatures are a particular favourite of hers. And Nix just so happens to be one herself. Joro lives and works as a sailor in the mist surrounding Island Eighteen. It is the day of the Matching Ceremony when he goes on one last adventure. He ventures beyond the borders of their islands and meets a strange girl named Lena, who’s building an airship. This anthology features twelve dystopian and steampunk stories by Australian authors. An intriguing collection of stories blending fantasy, steampunk, and dystopia into captivating tales for teens.
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Author: Ben Oliver
ISBN: 9781915947246
Publisher: Chicken House
Release Date: 1st October 2024
Reading Age: 14 to 18 years Language Rating: Low Content Insight: Contains death and violence. Contains lies and crime. Kodi and Emerson are mild romantic interests. Representations: Emerson's younger brother is deaf. Novel Insight Short Review: 16-year-old Emerson has a criminal history of theft and arson. After lighting the school on fire and accidentally killing the janitor, Emerson is imprisoned. Once there, she is offered a chance to participate in a competition where she can either win her freedom and a lot of money or lose and be imprisoned for life. Their society is built on social media followers, which equates to financial credit. When the game host reveals that all the credits Emerson earns from followers in the game will go to her younger brother, who is deaf, she agrees. Unfortunately, after they get to the island, the contestants discover the game is The Kill Factor, and many will die. A high-stakes battle royale-style story with twists, death, and deep emotion.
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Author: Kate Emery
ISBN: 9781760529215
Publisher: A&U Children's
Release Date: 1st October 2024
Reading Age: 16 to 18 years Language Rating: High Content Insight: Contains death. Contains violence and injury. Contains sexual references. Contains toilet humour. Representations: Contains a brief reference to same-sex attraction. Ruth mentions two friends at school who she thought liked each other but one was straight. Contains single-parent families and other non-traditional family dynamics. Ruth’s parents are divorced. Her dad is a single parent. GG is their step-grandmother. Novel Insight Short Review: 14-year-old Ruth arrives from Perth at her step-grandmother Gertrude's (GG) farm. She is travelling with her father, Andy, Aunty Vinka and her boyfriend Nick, half-cousin Dylan, Aunty Bec, who was given up for adoption after her grandfather had an affair, and Bec's partner Shippy (Matthew). The following morning, Aunty Vinka finds GG dead in her bed from being hit on the head by her typewriter. The police arrive to investigate but Ruth decides to do her own sleuthing with the help of Dylan. A suspenseful mystery about a complex family filled with complications and tension.
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Author: Kathleen Glasgow
ISBN: 9781460763759
Publisher: HarperCollins AU
Release Date: 2nd October 2024
Reading Age: 16 to 18 years Language Rating: Very High Content Insight: Contains references to sex and sexual abuse. Contains violence, including self-harm (cutting), punching, and fighting. Contains alcoholism, alcohol poisoning, drugs and underage drinking. Contains death and suicide. Contains multiple references to 'flipping the bird' or 'flipping people off'. Representations: Bella's friend Dawn has two mothers. Holly grew up in foster care and experienced sexual abuse. Contains a divorced family. Bella and her sister live with a different parent each week. Her dad has a new girlfriend who also lives with them frequently. Contains rehab and characters who are struggling with alcoholism. Novel Insight Short Review: 15-year-old Bella is battling an alcohol addiction. Her parents are divorced, and she has recently lost her grandmother, Laurel. Bella and her little sister, Rici, live between their parents’ houses and have just been introduced to their father’s new girlfriend, Vanessa, who regularly stays the night. Bella is also struggling to cope with these new living arrangements. She is angry with her life, feels lonely and invisible, and uses alcohol to numb her pain. Bella spends her weekends with her friends Amber, Cherie, and Kristen at parties and drinking in the park. She has also recently broken up with her boyfriend, Dylan, who now has a new girlfriend, Willow. Bella also hates having to see them together. Laurel’s home is a safe place for Bella to retreat to when she is feeling depressed, and she uses her alone time at the house to drink and internalise her problems. As things get worse and Bella wakes up in hospital, she starts a journey of healing through rehab and therapy. A beautifully written novel about the devastating effects of grief and alcoholism and the healing process.
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Author: Jordan Sonnenblick
ISBN: 9781339023175
Publisher: Scholastic US
Release Date: 1st October 2024
Reading Age: 16 to 18 years Language Rating: Medium Content Insight: Contains sexual references, an affair, and romance. Contains references to witchcraft and the supernatural. Representations: Jesse’s family are Jewish and celebrate Hanukkah. Ava's mum was also Jewish. Carson is Asian. Jesse has asthma. Chloe has no spleen. Contains prayer. Jesse prays to the weather gods for rain. The rabbi prays at the memorial service for Jesse's grandmother. Ava's sister, Annie, has a crush on a girl in her cross-country team. Annie is glad she doesn’t like boys because they’re unbelievably dumb. Contains divorced families and single parents. Ava and Chloe have both lost their mums. Ava’s mum died of breast cancer. Chloe’s mum died in a car crash. Jesse’s parents are getting a divorce because Jesse’s mum cheated on his dad. Novel Insight Short Review: 16-year-old Jesse is staying at his holiday house in Tall Pines Landing, Pennsylvania, for the summer with his best friends, Chloe and Ava. Jesse's dad, Martin, arrives at Tall Pines Landing without their mother, Stephanie. He informs Jesse and his sister, Leah, that their mother cancelled their Europe trip and mysteriously left. He doesn't know where she's gone and is very worried. Soon Ava learns that her mother has died and has to attend her funeral in Florida. As Jesse, Chloe, and Ava navigate their feelings for each other, their changing family dynamics, and a mysterious virus that is spreading across the globe, all of them must face difficult truths they aren't expecting. An enjoyable story of navigating young love, family breakdown, and a pandemic. |
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