Ella and the Call of the Wild

Ella and the Call of the Wild by Cassy Polimeni, illustrated by Hykie Breeze (UWA Publishing) PB RRP $15.99 ISBN 978-1-7608-033-60

Reviewed by Ann Harth (www.annharth.com )

Ella’s class is getting pen pals who live on the other side of Australia. Everyone is excited to share something special about themselves with a new friend from North Queensland, but Ella is worried. What’s special about her? She isn’t funny like Owen; she’s not good at gymnastics like Clara, and she isn’t artistic like her best friend, Mai.

She decides to write about the thing that interests her most – the frogs that live in her backyard bog. Ella spends hours watching and listening to the different sounds and personalities of each frog. She sends away her letter.

While waiting for a reply from her pen pal, Ranger Dan visits the class with a wombat, a snake and Finn, a banana box frog all the way from North Queensland. Ranger Dan explains that many frogs are accidentally transported from banana farms in FNQ to other parts of the country. If people don’t find and care for these frogs, they will die.

Ella becomes deeply concerned about banana box frogs and, when she finally hears from her pen pal, she discovers Billie cares too. She has frogs like Finn in her own backyard. Ella enlists her class's help and embarks on a mission to educate her town about how to save frogs that have travelled all the way from North Queensland.

Ella and the Call of the Wild really struck a chord with me. It’s beautifully written and uses effective sensory imagery that transports the young reader into the rainforests of Far North Queensland. Sound is integrated smoothly and subtly, encouraging the reader to notice the familiar more closely.

The story is told in first person and invites the reader to dive deeply into Ella’s mind, thoughts and emotions. She is relatable, likeable and has hopes and fears that will resonate with many independent readers.

Ella and the Call of the Wild is the final book of the four-part series Ella and the Frogs created by Cassy Polimeni and illustrated by Hykie Breeze. Young readers (5‑8) will become immersed in Ella’s world, where environmental facts are smoothly integrated into her story. Highly recommended.

Friday Barnes: Nothing to Lose

Friday Barnes: Nothing to Lose by R.A. Spratt. Puffin (Penguin Random House), 2026. YA paperback, 272 pages. RRP $16.99. ISBN 9781761349737.

Reviewed by Debra Williams

16-year-old Friday Barnes is living in New York with her best friend, Melanie, and is bereft. When a newspaper picture appears of her kissing Arthur, the prince of Denmark, at the opening of an exhibition, her boyfriend Ian is upset. Friday tries to explain she wasn’t kissing him; it was the other way around, as she carried a tray of drinks. Ian is angry and walks out and to take up a modelling job in L.A.

Friday, unable to deal with the heartbreak, throws herself into the world of chess, an intellectual game that suits her. She challenges players to long games of street chess, and, being Friday, she gets absorbed in them.

However, when Arthur shows up unexpectedly saying he needs a date, Friday is mortified. Arthur wants a companion to appear as his girlfriend to accompany him on Danish official business. Friday refuses flat-out, and that appears to be the end of the matter, until Uncle Bernie, the head of Interpol, orders Friday to accept the date.

A production of Hamlet is being organised, and Arthur’s father, the king of Denmark, has ordered Arthur to make a cameo appearance, a prospect that Arthur is less than impressed with.

Talk has spread on the black market, and there's reason to believe an inside group is planning to steal the royal Danish medallion, The Collar of the Order of the Elephant, which the Danish king has insisted on loaning for the production. Friday is to be the undercover agent on the inside, watching everything, including the people watching the play.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase to stop the theft. Ian returns and saves Friday from dramatically trying to escape arrest due to a false accusation that she has issued a death threat to Arthur. 

When Arthur seems to have been poisoned in the ear during opening night, it appears that real poison has been substituted. Other mishaps occur, and eventually, it turns out that Arthur has masterminded the robbery as a fake. He tries to escape with Karin, a former schoolmate of Friday’s, to no avail.

Book number 14 in the Friday Barnes series, this is a clever plot and suitable for a readership of 12+, and possibly even a more mature age group due to the style of language and themes.

I See Red

I See Red by Maggie Hutchings, illustrated by Sarah Zweck. (Thames and Hudson Australia, 2026). Hardcover picture book. RRP $26.99. ISBN 9781760764890.

Reviewed by Debra Williams

Two siblings are drawing with their crayons. The little brother uses up all the purple. The big sister grabs the yellow crayon, and it breaks. Then the trouble is made bigger when the little brother snatches it back and scribbles on the big sister’s picture. 

Big sister has a meltdown and sees red. Mum tries to calm and encourage them with a hug. She hands them paper and pencils and sends them off to quiet time.

The trouble continues between the two, as they are both full of BIG feelings.

Big sister hears little brother crying and starts thinking about all the things he does for her, like eating her broccoli so Mum never knows. At bath time, the two draw new pictures and hug each other.

Author Maggie Hutchings has previously worked as a family counsellor and mediator for many years and now writes full-time. Recommended for ages 2+ years.

The Moon Crystal

The Moon Crystal (G L MacDonald II) Ava MacDonald. MG Science Fiction Hardcopy RRP $18.01 available on Kindle ASIN: B0HD1TLK95

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Author Ava MacDonald is an autistic 11-year-old from Missouri, USA. One day she found a clear stone, held it up towards the full moon, and it sparkled and glowed. And that’s when the idea to write about a moon crystal possessing hidden, cosmic powers struck.

The book’s dedication reads, ‘For every child who has ever looked at something ordinary and imagined an entire universe inside it.’ Which is exactly what Ava did.

The Moon Crystal is an imaginative science-fiction adventure about courage, friendship, and discovery. An ordinary girl called Ava goes on an extraordinary journey, and the fate of Earth, and possibly an entire galaxy, lies in her hands.

Ava MacDonald has created a sci-fi world that is both complex and believable, which is remarkable considering her age. Ava is the unmistakable heart, voice, and heroine of this story. I think she’s written about what she herself imagines doing in this epic battle to save the Moon Crystal from falling into the wrong hands.  It suits the target age group perfectly, and the perspective feels authentic and real. The plot centres on Ava, the main protagonist, and her unique encounters. Her friend Brooklyn and a team of brave allies help her as she learns to control the Moon Crystal’s incredible power. The chapter headings give readers a clear lead-in to what lies ahead. The narrative pacing at times could be tightened, but the world-building shines. The author delivers a highly imaginative setting filled with alien armies, traps, space robots, and secrets.

 

Overall, the story is a great read. I would have liked to see Ava’s friend Brooklyn develop a stronger independent voice. However, I love that she remains loyal, true, and dependable throughout the story. The battles are not gory or overly frightening, making them perfectly age-appropriate. The characters stay true to their traits, yet plenty of surprises let the reader travel to another world and escape into their imagination. While the prose is well-crafted, some sentences could be shortened to improve the flow. The book could have been a little shorter, but overall, I think this is an exceptional achievement for an eleven-year-old author who has built such a believable, immersive world.

The Moon Crystal is written for children ages 9-12. This book is a wonderful representation of what someone autistic can do when they turn a deep, focused passion into a real-world achievement. Any middle-grade reader who loves sci-fi will really appreciate this book. Ava made her dream a reality, and now she shines a light for others too.

Here it is on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HD1TLK95?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_1AHHMZRKQVD218350DWQ_1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_1AHHMZRKQVD218350DWQ_1&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_1AHHMZRKQVD218350DWQ_1&bestFormat=true

How to Wait for Christmas

How to Wait for Christmas by R.A. Stephens, illustrated by Novia Heroanto (Grace Bell Publishing Kids) HB RRP $24.95 ISBN: 9781923534063

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

On the first day of December, Jemma and Luke are excited when Mum pulls out the box with the Christmas tree. Jemma knows that she must be patient – it’s still twenty-four sleeps until Christmas Day. She decides to pass the time with plenty of festive activities, from setting up a Nativity scene to making cards and wrapping paper. Soon her grandparents are there, plus her cousins – and ‘somehow it doesn’t feel like waiting anymore’. On 25 December, the family members say ‘Merry Christmas’ with each present they hand out.

R.A. Stephens has turned waiting for Christmas into a real-life Advent calendar, where each day’s gift is an experience that stirs the senses, celebrates togetherness, and jingles with joy. Kids aged four to eight will see their own family traditions on the pages, and perhaps discover a few new ones, too – especially selfless acts of service that are sure to make them feel ‘shiny inside’.

 Colour bursts from Novia Heroanto’s illustrations like the contents of a bonbon. Each image is jam-packed with delicious details – you can almost taste the cinnamon cookies, mince pies and gingerbread houses. Each character’s wide smile reflects the text's genuine warmth and reminds us that the Christmas spirit comes from within.

Through the jolly lens of How to Wait for Christmas, the big day becomes a month-long celebration of all things holly and holy. Readers young and old will relish the wealth of treasures to be found throughout the holiday season.

Mama’s Wedding

Mama’s Wedding by Circle Yuen (Lantana Publishing) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781836290476

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

On the day that her mother is to remarry, Ruby is excited when she and her little sister Cindy are asked to be flower girls. But she soon becomes worried about her Daddy Daniel – ‘what does he feel about Mama getting married to Alex today?’ And she wonders if she really knows Alex at all. As they walk down the aisle, Mama’s happy face tells Ruby that although love is blooming in different ways, she will always have her family: Mama, Cindy, Daddy Daniel and Alex.

Circle Yuen’s tender story about the beauty of blended families is told gently, with compassion for the complex emotions that arise when a child’s life changes. Littlies aged two to five – especially those whose world has been upended by evolving domestic dynamics – will connect with the character of Ruby and her need to ensure that she remains comforted by a blanket of love.

Circle’s use of gouache, coloured pencils, and pastels in muted colours reflects the soft tone of the text, as well as the impermanence of many families in modern times. However, a thread of stability runs through the illustrations in the form of yellow flowers, which represent hope and happiness enduring into the future.

A sweet celebration of new beginnings, Mama’s Wedding is ideal for introducing youngsters to the positivity that can blossom amid seismic shifts. When love continues to twine through hearts, linking them forever, it is a bond that can never be broken.

Howl-o-ween

Howl-o-ween by Emma Bowd, illustrated by Lara Porter (Penguin Random House Australia) HB RRP $17.99 ISBN: 9781761359248

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Spooky Street is the scariest place to spend Halloween. Every house has a furry beast ready to jump out at trick-or-treaters, from Ghostly Goldie at Number 6 to Kooky Cavoodle at Number 9. The two protagonists bravely face all of the dressed-up dogs in order to gather chocolates and lollies, but there is one house they dare not approach – Number 3, with the ‘scritching, scratching, swiping claws’ of the resident cat.

Emma Bowd’s catchy rhyming couplets carry kids aged four to eight around an enchanting cul-de-sac as the neighbourhood children celebrate the thrill of Halloween. Dog lovers will adore the clever costumes worn by the various pooches that perfectly match the theme of each house, and will laugh when they realise that the cat is so hair-raising on its own that it doesn’t need a costume! As darkness falls, the two protagonists realise that while visiting their friends is fun, there is ‘no place like home’.

 Lara Porter’s colourful illustrations capture the spirit of Halloween in a charming way. The diversity among the human characters ensures readers can see themselves in the book, while the canine cast is sure to elicit giggles from kids, who may even be inspired to deck out their own dog for Halloween. Especially entertaining are the endpapers – the front one is a map of the street during the day, while the back one is the same map at night, when all of the ghosts and ghouls have come out to play.

More and more Australians are embracing the delicious eeriness of Halloween, and Howl-o-ween is the ideal companion for littlies who may be a little hesitant about participating in this fright fest. Youngsters will soon be howling with delight at every spooky spider, shark and skeleton in sight!