50 Ways to Die in Space

50 Ways to Die in Space by Eileen O-Hely and Nico O’Sullivan (Hawkeye Publishing) PB RRP $29.99 ISBN: 9781923105416

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

There are a lot of books out there about space – but none quite like this one. If you’ve ever thought you might like a holiday on Venus or a trip to explore Mars, you may think again after reading 50 Ways to Die in Space.

Not quite as tongue-in-cheek as the title and illustrated characters might suggest, Eileen O’Hely’s graphic novel is full of facts about all aspects of space – intermittently peppered with the warning, “You will die!”

Venus alone has multiple ways to enter nirvana – choose from being fried to a crisp, asphyxiation or sulphuric acid inhalation.

Or you might like Uranus where the smell of methane – yes, this book does contain a little toilet humour – would literally kill you.

Radiation from Sagittarius A (a black hole) is another option.

Or, if you survive your journey, you might be interested to know that the landing back on Earth is also fraught with danger and potential death.

With this degree of dark and ominous thought, some lightness is required, and Nico O’Sullivan’s simple and clever illustrations provide just that – particularly in the moustached antagonist who, as the innocent protagonist points out, is ‘a bit negative’, not to mention cranky and disturbingly preoccupied with all the ways a human can die in space.

Then again, without this character’s depth of knowledge, we wouldn’t have this enlightening, fact-filled and funny book, would we?

Written for an upper primary and middle school audience (readers aged from 10 to 14), 50 Ways to Die in Space is an engaging graphic novel, providing a great read in digestible chunks for space buffs and those of us with a bit of a darker side.

Summer, in Between

Summer, in Between by Holly Cardamone (Hawkeye Publishing) PB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9781923105591

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Caterina (Cat) Kelty is a determined seventeen-year-old girl about to embark on her final year of high school. She is looking forward to spending her summer holidays studiously reading and preparing for year 12, and, as her best friends are away, this plan seems feasible. That is, until half of her school booklist doesn’t arrive, and the local heartthrob comes to help her dad with a renovation at her house. 

Despite wanting no distractions, there is never a dull moment in the Kelty household. With two younger brothers, an interfering Nonna, a dad who has hired a distractingly gorgeous apprentice, and a mother who just wants her to have fun, Cat’s summer is far from what she had planned.

Summer, in Between is a humorous young adult novel set in a small coastal town. It is suitable for readers aged 15 years and older who enjoy coming-of-age romance narratives. However, it must be noted that it contains coarse language. The book’s themes include first love, trust, family, identity, misogyny, feminism, stereotyping, and casual racism. 

Clamory: The Magic of Adeline Black

Clamory: The Magic of Adeline Black by Sue-Ellen Pashley (Hawkeye Publishing) PB RRP $22.9 ISBN 9781923105256

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Thirteen-year-old Adeline Black lives in Camellia, a tea-growing nation where magic is despised and outlawed. Since the death of her parents when she was two years old, Adeline has lived with her grandparents. The expectation is that she will one day inherit the family’s tea plantation and take over her grandmother’s well-respected role of Madame Overseer of the Tea Association. However, that changes when it is discovered that Adeline has magic, a trait her mother had.

Adeline is sent away to Clamory, a nation where magic is celebrated. The plan is for Adeline to stay with her mother’s family for six months, then return to Camellia once she has learned to control and hide her magical powers.

New to Clamory and new to magic, Adeline soon becomes overwhelmed. However, things only get worse when her rare magic is revealed to all. Adeline becomes the talk of the town, and the council has grand plans for her future. High expectations are placed upon Adeline, and it becomes apparent that she has a preordained role, whether she stays in Clamory or returns to Camellia. All Adeline wants is the choice to determine her own future.

Clamory: The Magic of Adeline Black is an upper middle grade fantasy novel recommended for readers aged 10 years and older who enjoy 

Remember Triple Zero Heroes

Remember Triple Zero Heroes J.E. Miller (Hawkeye Publishing) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9780643309973

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

J.E. Miller loves writing inspiring stories from the heart. She joined the SES in 2009 and began volunteering to help others. She has won numerous medals in her role including a state Meritorious Service Medal, and a National Emergency Medal for significant service. She wrote Remember: Lest We Forget and now Remember: Triple Zero Heroes. And another Remember book is coming soon.

This story follows a young child stepping into the different shoes of triple zero heroes. Including stepping into an Anzac march, police officer, paramedic, fire fighter, mounted police officer and an SES flood boat operator. Some of the stories shared are based on real life experiences. The themes of ‘mateship’ and ‘courage’ are woven throughout the book.

J.E. Miller has written from experience, and it shows in every word. She draws the reader into the story with an ANZAC march, where a soldier speaks not of heroes from wars, but of young men and women wearing yellow, orange, green and blue. The strong opening introduces the idea that heroes come in many forms - and each page turn reveals a hero. Miller allows the visuals to speak as much as the text. Each emergency services role shared offers depth and insight, helping readers understand the bravery behind each uniform. Her use of language enhances the story message. Sizzling flames and crashing walls can’t keep me from my course. Readers can easily imagine themselves in each role, learning how these heroes help make our world a safer place. This book ensures all emergency responders feel valued, respected and acknowledged. The glossary at the back is a handy reference titled Unfamiliar Words & Sayings. The thoughtful last page is about the author and her connection to this story.

The illustrative style is creative and unique because each emergency responder’s page has its own illustrator. Although each illustrator has their own visual voice, the illustrations go together cohesively. The cover is eye-catching and immediately conveys that the story is about triple zero heroes. The realistic images and fire fighter boots and hat are quite powerful. The endpapers feature the triple zero heroes’ ribbon in a striking repeated pattern. Each illustrator’s name is included unobtrusively and thoughtfully on their illustration. The clever use of colour backgrounds of blues, yellow and green tones make the book feel connected as one. I really think it is clever that each service role has their own illustrator as each role is unique and so is each illustrator.

Remember: Triple Zero Heroes is a picture book with an important message, to recognise the people in these roles and their importance. This book is a great standalone read but also a doorway to other books in the Remember series. Anyone that has a connection to triple zero responders will really love this book. Children love superheroes and this book showcases real life heroes. The book is suitable for children 4 years plus and a great resource for teachers and librarians. It is also a uniquely Australian book.

Road to Freedom

Road to Freedom by Gabrielle Davis (Hawkeye Publishing) RRP $28.95 ISBN: 9781923105201

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

Issanka has been trained as a spy from a young age. With no family, caste or social standing, she finds ways to blend in with those around her. She is also able to draw from light and shade to really merge with the shadows and be completely unseen by those around her.

After an unexpected deception and a one-sided trial, that would otherwise sentence her to death, Issanka finds her life spared. Instead, she must journey the country with the King’s army and one of the most feared commanders. Along the way she realises things are not always as they seem and that there are very few people she can trust. Also, that she has much to learn and that the alliances around her might be deadly.

Davis has created a magnificent world full of power battles, alliances, and a caste system that stacks everything up against the main character, Issanka. The world building is structured through the caste system, creating a setting for the reader to become completely immersed within. Davis cleverly sets the scene for Issanka using these two strategies, but also gives her a hidden strength that works in her favour: magic drawn from the shadows. This special solitary power is both a blessing and a curse as Issanka soon discovers along her journey.

The situations in the story changed continuously ensuring a fast paced, action-packed storyline. The writing style flowed easily making this a terrific, page turning read. Road to Freedom is a perfect blend of mystery, magic and mayhem. Suitable for a 12+ year readership.

In the Secret Place

In the Secret Place by Gary Crew (Hawkeye Publishing) PB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9780645714937

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Kids can be cruel – especially younger teens – but not all of them are. Some of them are quiet. Some like books and chess rather than football and swimming. Some have secrets; and some of these secrets make them strong.

Ben Gardiner has navigated his way through school with no friends. He spends lunchtimes in the library or out behind the old fig tree in the school grounds. Before and after school, much of his time is taken up avoiding ‘The Six’ – sporty, muscle-bound boys who find delight in picking on Ben for his limp. A limp that is the result of the crushed and disfigured foot that was, in Ben’s mind, caused by his mother just before she left, taking his younger sister, Carrie, with her.

But Ben is relatively content. He doesn’t mind his own company. He gets on well with his father, Gray, and his Gray’s ‘lady friend’, the Harley-riding, straight-talking Lorna. He’s made a friend in Sonya, the school library monitor, and allows himself to cautiously accept that others, like Simon (Noddy), are not always as they seem on the surface. And he’s discovered a ‘secret place’; an unknown cave in the Australian bush where he can just ‘be’ and where he feels strong.

Author Gary Crew is one of Australia’s most awarded children’s authors and he does not disappoint in this early young adult story that champions themes of independence, self-awareness, family, friendship and self-belief. Readers are drawn into the setting right from the opening lines, which succinctly describe the beauty and history of the Australian bush, along with a touch of its magic and power. In this opening chapter, we come to understand Ben’s mindset and then, by the end of the second chapter, we ‘know’ Ben – we’ve either been him or are close to someone like him.

Too often, stories that deal with adolescent bullying feature a protagonist whose character arc is to move from a state of fear and powerlessness, to one of resilience and confidence. While this is important, Ben’s arc is more subtle. His internal strength and maturity are already there; he already deals with the bullies in his own way. Instead, Ben’s growth is more about acceptance of self.

For readers of In the Secret Place, both the intended audience of 12-16-year-olds and older readers, you will ‘know’ every one of the characters and will be able to relate to their experiences and their lives.

At a personal preference level, I struggled a little with the omniscient narrator, but the strength of Gary Crew’s storytelling in this quiet yet powerful narrative of finding your own voice and being true to yourself won me over. Highly recommended for both individuals and the school setting.

Redeeming Blackwood

Redeeming Blackwood by Khaiah Thomson. Hawkeye Publishing 2024. YA paperback RRP $26.95. ISBN 9781923105195

Reviewed by Debra Williams

This is the third and final installment in a fantasy YA series. 18-year-old Freya’s long-lost grandmother is set to start a bloody war. The story follows shape-shifting wolf-human Freya’s journey as she battles her crackpot ancestor, Scilla, and the threat to everything that Freya has grown to love. Blackwood and its residents are more than Freya first thought them to be, and the time is perfect to call in favours with her angry ancestor on the warpath. Will Blackwood crumble or prove a force to be reckoned with?

From the publisher: “Thomson’s skill in blending the fantastical with the profoundly human, her intricate characterisations and her immersive world-building is a narrative that is both a celebration and a meditation on the nature of power, identity, and legacy. A fitting end to a sage that has, at its heart, always been about exploring the unknown and finding one’s place within it.” (Peta Carolan, reviewer.)

For those who enjoy tales involving dire wolves, shapeshifters, seers, and shadow stealers, Blackwood is an absorbing read.