Stray

Stray by Rebecca Fraser (Rhiza Shorts) RRP: $15.99 ISBN 9781761113673

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

Stray is a novella aimed at teens - a 'slice of life' story for those who want a bite-sized read. The story is direct and gets right into the action. We meet Charli with a can of spray paint in her hand, being egged on to graffiti.

Charli is a high achiever and a good kid. Sometimes she feels she's too good. The pressure is always on her to stay perfect and follow the rules. Do her parents actually care about her or the idea of the perfect Charli? If she does something out of character, she can show them that she can make her own choices.

I related strongly to Charli. I think a lot of teens will, whether they are high achievers or not. Pressure to conform to other people's expectations and taking control of your own life are things I'm sure many young people relate to. Fraser portrays this succinctly and realistically. Charli is portrayed as a basically normal kid who struggles with relationships, rather than emphasising her "smart" status.

Charli then must commit to community service at an animal rescue. This part of the book will surely grab many readers who love animals. It's warm and endearing. Charli's heart is warmed, and I am sure many readers' hearts will be.

I loved the distinct voices of the secondary characters, which gave a lot of colour to Charli's relationships with them: the genial introductions at the animal rescue, the well-meaning chanting of "the Jenkins way" in Charli's house that makes her feel pressured, the kindness of her best friend offering to send a "messenger owl". I found the other characters were excellent.

Most of all, Charli's emotions and her growth through the story tug at the heart but don't feel contrived. She makes a mistake but she had reasons. The same as some others. She's given a chance to learn, but others are also given a chance to understand the people around her. This isn't a story about simple good and evil, but about how mistakes can lead down certain paths. It's about learning from the paths you take, making the most of them, and defining who you want to be as you go.

Crumbleton Farm – Recipes for Life

Crumbleton Farm – Recipes for Life © Dawn Meredith 2026 Paperback ISBN 9798195621636

Author of 16 books for children, young adults and adults, Dawn’s latest book is completely different, documenting her journey in Natural, Biological Farming techniques and sustainable living. Unusually, it combines a farming journal and cookbook, with recipes and stories from around the world.

Crumbleton Farm – Recipes for Life is a lush book full of goodies, sharing family favourite recipes from around the world, passed down through the generations. It is also the story of one family who bravely left mainland suburbia and bought a rundown farm in Tasmania, where they learned about soil, animal and human health and ways to grow food without chemicals. It includes recipes for becoming less dependent on supermarkets and taking back some control over our nutrition. Friends and family members from around the world added their precious family recipes to this collection, sharing stories behind these dishes, snippets of childhood life, and the love and care that went into preparing meals for family.

In an age when so much of our diet is ultra-processed, packaged food, this volume reconnects us to a time when food was fresh and made from scratch. In our busy lives, there are still ways to ensure we provide nourishing meals for our children and visitors, ways to celebrate our dedication and commitment to good food, served simply. Crumbleton Farm – Recipes for Life is an heirloom book to pass on to future generations and keep us in their hearts.

Dawn Meredith is an Artist and Author of 16 books for children, young adults and adults in fiction and non-fiction, in a career spanning 26 years. She worked as a Special Needs Teacher and Children’s Counsellor for many years. Her other interests include singing in choirs and small groups, playing piano and guitar, knitting and gardening. She lives on a 100-acre farm in Northern Tasmania where platypuses play in the dam, wedge-tailed eagles soar above, and all kinds of birds visit her garden.

Dawn was never much of a cook and did not enjoy time spent in the kitchen, but since the diagnosis of a rare genetic condition, she became interested in health and nutrition and has made it her mission to learn about growing, preserving and cooking healthy food and the impact of technology upon the health of us all. This book documents her journey from being ‘allergic’ to the kitchen to becoming more self-sufficient, providing healthy meals for her family and friends.

Contact dawnmeredith1@gmail.com, phone 0414 343352

You can find her books here: www.dawnmeredithauthor.blogspot.com

You can find her Art here: https://www.redbubble.com/people/DingbatDesigns/shop

 

The Man Who Stood Up to Ned Kelly

The Man Who Stood Up to Ned Kelly by Katrina Roe and Krista Brennan (Wombat Books) PB HB RRP $27.99 ISBN 9781761112423

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

You know about Ned Kelly, but do you know about a brave man called Reverend John Gribble who stood up to Ned Kelly about what was the honourable and right thing to do?

Katrina Roe is an Australian children’s picture book author, book reviewer, podcaster and media professional. Her books often help children deal with childhood issues. Marty's Nut-Free Party was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award. Emily Eases Her Wheezes was named a Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Book and Lily's Balloon won the CALEB Prize.

Krista Brennan is a freelance illustrator, artist and art teacher who uses watercolour, ink and oils. She loves her art to tell stories. Her Rhiza Press books include Archie Appleby: The Terrible Case of the Creeps, Once, Amira’s Magpie and Boots.    

Katrina Roe introduces children to Reverend John Gribble’s extraordinary bravery. This matters because children are often told to do the right thing, and his actions show that. The opening two sentences immediately hook the reader. I bet you have heard of this person, Ned Kelly. He was Australia’s most notorious bushranger. Facts are shared naturally and smoothly so a younger reader can easily absorb the information. In the past, a church minister was the social anchor of a bush town and a community leader; this rare story shares this too.

Simple and compound sentences help the story flow smoothly. Dialogue shows Gribble’s strength and personality. ‘It’s not very gentlemanly to steal a woman’s horse,’ Gribble said. His story does not end with the Kelly Gang. But for the rest of his life, he stood up for people who were being badly treated. It also reveals that Gribble helped Aboriginal people who were exploited by white settlers. The well-written back matter is a great resource.

Krista Brennan’s colour palette is perfect for this era of Australian history. Muted browns, greens, yellows, blues, sepia feature. The illustrations are a window into past clothing, housing, furniture, buildings, roads, transport and banks. Facial and body expressions show emotions and individual personalities. The cover immediately draws attention with Ned Kelly and John Gribble facing off each other in the foreground and the town and people behind.

The Man Who Stood Up to Ned Kelly is written for children 4-10 years but is well suited for primary school aged children. It is a wonderful educational tool for teaching the themes of bravery, respect, and standing up for others. It’s not okay to steal from others and I love that this is shared in a book.

How to Make the World Cup (and Survive Grade Five)

How to Make the World Cup (and Survive Grade Five) by Caral Fitzgerald (UQP)  ISBN 9780702271229  RRP $17.95 (PB)

Reviewed by Jude Mullen

Ronnie and her parents are sports experts – armchair experts, that is. Her Mum and Dad hardly take their eyes off their screens. Besides watching every televised sporting match possible, they also use their screens for work, shopping, and most of life’s activities, so they rarely leave the house.

Ronnie loves watching sports too, especially women’s soccer. She and her friend Kai watch it together and have in-depth discussions analysing the teams’ plays and tactics. So, imagine Ronnie’s excitement when she and Kai are invited by the CEO of Soccer Australia to be ‘special ball kids’ (aka secret coaches) for their favourite team. It’s a dream come true for Ronnie, but Kai has some hesitations.

There is, however, a whole lot more going on in this story than just sport fandom. Kai and his father are experiencing financial hardship. Ronnie feels sidelined by her parents, while her brother Novak isolates himself in his bedroom. And navigating the social expectations of grade five, with its shifting playground rules, is stressful.

Several themes emerge as we follow Ronnie and Kai on their quest to help the Australian women’s soccer team to qualify for the World Cup. The novel explores family relationship issues, tricky friendships and peer pressure, the impact of social media, and the uplifting power of positivity, self-belief, and striving for your goals. I particularly like how the author has turned the tables on the issue of screen addiction, making it the parents who are the ones tethered to their phones, while 14-year-old Novak never touches his. This is a clever twist.

This is the third book in Carla Fitzgerald’s ‘How To … Survive Grade 5’ series of stand-alone novels. Her previous book, How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five, won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book award. I’m sure readers of her previous work will be eager to get their eyes on this one. It’s funny, suspenseful and entertaining. Fitzgerald has created relatable, likeable characters and set them in a real world that tweens will easily recognise and be interested in. It will appeal to 9–12-year-olds, especially those interested in sport, but also to anyone in grade five.

Family Feast

Family Feast by Brooke Graham and Kristen Willis (EK Books) PB RRP $27.99 ISBN 9781922539007

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Tallula’s best friend Mia will be coming to their Family Feast and she’s worried. What will Mia think about her family? They fight like cats, they’re louder than a herd of elephants and their table manners are appalling. Her family is so embarrassing and not at all like Mia’s quiet family. So, Tallula devises a plan to help her relatives learn how to behave – but will it work? Celebrating cultural diversity, acceptance, multi-generational family dynamics, and the joy of sharing a chaotic meal with loved ones.

Brooke Graham is a children’s author and primary school teacher who writes stories that pull on heart strings and help children deal with the ups and downs of life. Her picture book Go Away, Worry Monsters was shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA book awards. Nova’s Missing Masterpiece was published in 2024.

Kristen Willis is an award-winning Australian children’s picture book illustrator, fine artist and graphic designer whose illustrations beautifully capture family memories and stories.

Brooke Graham has crafted a story with humour and heart. The main character Tallula is vivid. Her internal thoughts are clear and emotive. The well written opening sentence invites a reader into the story. My family is hide-under-your-hat, melt-into-the-walls, sink-into-the-ground embarrassing. The use of similes creates great visuals. They fight like cats. Graham shows Tallula’s anguish and worries rather than telling. Tallula tries tactics and suggests ways for her family to be less embarrassing.

Children can feel embarrassed by family members. I like that the adult family members stay true to themselves and don’t change. It is Tallula herself who changes when she sees her family in a different light. Children do worry about what their friend’s think. Will Mia still be her friend if her family do embarrassing things?

The feast at the table is climatic and the page turn is in just the right place …the table turns to chaos. The reader does not know how Mia will respond. The vocabulary and word choices give the illustrator lots of room to play. I love the message that family is everything. Family members will always stay true to who they are and that’s what really makes them unique and lovable.

Kristen Willis has created an imaginary world, that is a playful fun interpretation of the text that brings much depth, character and layers into the storytelling. There is movement and play and making the imaginary characters that are the family members blue is very clever. On one double spread we have the real family members and then with a page turn the rumpus begins with blue imaginary ones as family members. This shows Tallula’s embarrassment much more than words can express it.

When Tallula is pleading her case to her family members to behave it is her imaginary ones we see. Pop as a huge belching pig is hilarious. I love the very last double page spread as it turns the family members back to themselves. It’s so warm and lovely and a fitting and satisfying ending.

Family Feast is written for children 4-8 years and it is not only a fun read but one that celebrates family life with all its thorns and roses. And that’s what we all love about our families they are unique and they are ours. I can see this book appealing to children, parents, teachers and librarians.

50 Ways to Die in the Ocean

50 Ways to Die in the Ocean by Eileen O'Hely illustrated by Nico O'Sullivan (Hawkeye Publishing) RRP: $24.99 ISBN 9781923741041

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

50 Ways to Die in the Ocean is an educational graphic novel for youngsters about, not surprisingly, ways to die in the ocean.

It's a short read. Two characters are introduced to us who look like balloon animals - a round one with glasses and a taller one with a hat. We don't learn their names or much about them. It's irrelevant for they are merely devices for us to learn about dying in the ocean - their banter generates information.

The book moves through different ways the ocean could present dangers. The characters try to present this as a natural narrative, talking about not liking sand then sharks and then moving onto discussing activities and their dangers such as snorkelling and so forth.

This has the advantage of presenting a nice flow to the conversation but for those readers who wanted to know that there were 50 ways to die in the ocean, the methods can become blurred. It's not clear whether a quick mention of a danger without exploration is meant to count. Is a list of a few creatures that can each contribute to the same kind of death meant to be one way to die, or several? This may seem pedantic but people who like lists (and this book's title would appeal to that kind of reader) often find this important.

One character tells us over and over, "AND THEN YOU WILL DIE!", giving the book a black humour and rhythm without this being depressing. I can imagine the younger children chanting eagerly, awaiting the words and looking forward to yelling them out.

The book focuses on interesting scientific and historical facts about the ocean and will surely appeal to kids who love storing up interesting pieces of information, such as exactly how carbon monoxide poisoning or water pressure works. The gruesome and taboo topic of death is introduced, in an engaging and non-depressing way. One issue that some might have with this is the idea that it doesn't take the topic of death seriously enough - it's a difficult area to navigate in an age-appropriate way. I think the book manages to convey a lot of facts and keeps kids amused.

There may also be the concern that some of the information is a little difficult for some of the younger kids to digest - there's a lot of science and rather than explain it using analogies, information is given in a rapid-fire manner using simple language. Some of the concepts are broken down well but others may fly over others' heads. The good part is that kids can move on easily to the next death method and won't get bogged down if that's the case.

There are some discussions of appropriate ways to mitigate danger but that's not the focus of the book. The pictures are simple and funny rather than horrifying. This is a clever concept - kids will love the idea that they're rebelling by reading about death and danger. Don't tell them they're learning science and they'll read oceans of it!

It’s a Twin Thing: The Big Switch

It’s a Twin Thing: The Big Switch by Kristin Darell, illustrated by A.Yi (Penguin Books) PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 9781761353611

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Identical twins Abi (Abigail) and Brook (Brooklyn) are back, and this time the girls’ focus is on the school’s public speaking competition, which is fast approaching. Abi is a confident speaker, but Brook will do anything to avoid it. The problem is that Brook has her heart set on becoming a school leader next year and knows that if there’s any chance of that happening, she must do well in this competition. Unfortunately, Brook is terrified and doesn’t want to risk failing, so she asks Abi (who thrives on debating and public speaking) to switch places and pretend to be her. Abi reluctantly agrees only because she hates seeing her sister upset.

 

The Big Switch is the second book in the It’s a Twin Thing series for middle grade readers. Its themes include anxiety, facing fears, mistakes, self-talk, and courage. The Big Switch would be suitable for readers aged 8 and older who enjoy realistic fiction about school, siblings and friendship. The main text is broken up with diary entries and monochrome vignettes throughout, which appeals to many younger readers.