Hafsa’s Way

Hafsa’s Way by Aisha Saeed (Text Publishing) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781923058958

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Hafsa lives in a small village in Pakistan and dreams of becoming a doctor. Her parents are very traditional and conservative, and they frown upon her career aspirations and her request to attend a 4-week Summer Science Camp in Lahore (Pakistan’s second-largest city).

Hafsa is delighted when the opportunity to attend the camp comes to fruition. However, she is soon disappointed to realise that this year's focus is on climate change, not medicine. As Hafsa enjoys learning, she intends to make the most of the course. On an excursion to the zoo, she encounters a lone elephant in a small enclosure, its leg chained. Hafsa ruminates on the horrible situation, and it becomes the catalyst for change.

Hafsa’s Way is a middle-grade fiction novel and a companion book to Amal Unbound and Omar Rising. Its themes include female empowerment, determination, and activism. Hafsa’s Way is inspired by a true story and is highly recommended for readers who enjoy inspirational narratives.

The Sugarcane Kids and the Mystery at Angel Bay

The Sugarcane Kids and the Mystery at Angel Bay by Charlie Archbold (Text Publishing) PB RRP $6.99 ISBN 978-1-9230-583-85

Reviewed by Ann Harth (www.annharth.com )

Charlie Archbold invites middle-grade readers to join Andy and the Sugarcane Kids as they solve The Mystery at Angel Bay where the rainforest meets the reef in Far North Queensland.

With the skate park’s croc fence under repair, Andy, Eli, Harvey and the twins have more time after school to ride to Angel Bay. Their friend Jerry, the giant groper, hangs out there under the boat ramp waiting for fishermen to discard their unwanted catch. But Jerry is not himself these days. Instead of gobbling down every fishy morsel that comes his way, he seems uninterested. Andy and the others hope Jerry’s lack of appetite isn’t connected to the dead sea creatures and misplaced shark eggs suddenly washing up along the pristine stretch of beach.

The environmental status of Angel Bay has always protected it from anything but recreational use. Without this status, it may be vulnerable to development, and Mayor Royce already has plans for a beachside tourist resort. The beached sea creatures could change everything and jeopardise Angel Bay’s protected status.

Something fishy is going on, and the Sugarcane Kids join forces and make a new friend. They climb cliffs overhanging crocodiles, mountain bike through bush trails, and snorkel the reef to unravel the mystery.

Mystery at Angel Bay is an absorbing and at times humorous adventure with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing. The cast of characters make it even more enjoyable. Each of the Sugarcane kids is unique and likable with their own quirks and interests. The secondary characters add much to this book, and I found myself laughing aloud more than once.

Mystery at Angel Bay is written in first person through Andy’s viewpoint. His voice is convincing and natural and sprinkled with interesting facts about the rainforest and reefs of Far North Queensland.

I would highly recommend this book for a middle-grade audience. If this is a reader’s first leap into the Sugarcane Kids series, they will soon be back for more.

Phoenix

Phoenix by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley (Text Publishing) PB RRP $22.00 ISBN 9781923058774

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Eleven-year-old Harper’s world has just turned upside down. She has just moved from a large city to a small rural town, following her parents unexpected separation. Everything is new and a stark contrast to what she is used to. Harper now lives with her mother and the family dog in a tiny house next to horse stables… and she isn’t even sure if she likes horses!

One Saturday morning when Harper is home alone and the stables are empty, drivers of a fully loaded ‘kill truck’ dump a severely neglected and emaciated horse in the paddock adjacent to her house. Harper insists that the drivers sign the horse over to her indefinitely. The condition of the horse is unfathomable, and Harper knows nothing about caring for horses, but she is determined to do everything she can to help it return to good health. She names the horse Phoenix as she believes it will come back from the brink of death.

Phoenix is the first book in the upcoming Ride On series, suitable for middle grade readers. This heart-warming narrative is recommended for animal lovers aged 9 years and older who enjoy realistic fiction. Themes include change, hope, determination, perseverance, friendship and family.

My Brother Otto

My Brother Otto by Ingrid Laguna (Text Publishing) RRP: $14.99 ISBN 9781923058729

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

Warning: This book should be read with a box of tissues handy.

My Brother Otto is the story of Quinn preparing for the arrival of a baby brother. We are introduced to the familiar emotions many families and prospective sisters would go through. Everyone's excited about the new baby to arrive, Otto. Mum and Alex are so interested in Baby Otto and Quinn feels sidelined. Why can't things stay the way they are? She doesn't want to share her room. She liked it better when they had time to care about her life.

 But this isn't a simple "jealous big sister" story. Otto is born prematurely and the family is thrown into turmoil when he struggles to survive. Otto will not come home immediately and must stay in the neonatal intensive care unit until he grows more. Quinn sees Mum and Alex's happy excitement turn to concern, tiredness and fear.

It's a journey that's emotionally tiring in what seems a simple story. Small moments like Baby Otto grasping Quinn's finger are amazingly powerful. Laguna has used her own experience with premature births to communicate a story about family, love, worry and loss that's authentic.

I liked how Quinn goes through many realistic stages of coming to terms with her brother's situation. She develops to become a great sister yet she's understandably upset by the attention Otto may take up and how taking care of him might change the life she's used to.

The story is told in language very accessible to children aged around 8 years and older. However accurate terminology was used that didn't seem patronising and added to the book's authenticity. The explanations for complications in premature birth were simple and well-targeted. The ideas and emotions introduced are deep and sensitively-handled. It's an ideal book for helping children to come to terms with difficult subject matter in families.  

The Experiment

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead (Text Publishing) PB RRP $17.99
ISBN 9781923058576

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Nathan lives in New York with his mother, father, and cat Toto, but they are far from your average family. Nathan’s mother and father were born on planet Kast and came to Earth as part of an experiment to assess if they could, if necessary, permanently maintain human form on Earth. Thorough records are kept and are constantly reported back to the Kast leader. Nathan’s family and the 9 other Kast families are sworn to secrecy about their identity. The Kast families have been sent to live in different states, so once a month the ‘Kast kids’ meet online to chat. The children are forbidden to communicate to each other without a parent present; however, Nathan and Izzy find a way and eventually form a friendship.

When some of the kids start disappearing from the online meetings without explanation, Nathan gets curious. However, it is not until Nathan discovers he is growing a tail, and is summoned to the Kast mothership that he can no longer ignore his gut feeling that something sinister is happening. He develops a plethora of questions; questions that cannot remain unanswered.

The Experiment is a middle grade science fiction novel that would appeal to readers aged 9 years and older who enjoy original and imaginative stories. The book’s themes include identity, friendship, first crush, change and manipulation.

 

 

Edie Tells a Lie

Edie Tells a Lie  by Ingrid Laguna (Text Publishing), RRP $16.99 Middle Grade ISBN 9-781922-790729

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

Edie Tells a Lie is a lower middle grade novel that will most appeal to girls aged 7-10. It’s about navigating friendships, family, cultural identity and the horrible consequences of lying. As per the title, fifth-grader Edie tells a lie. It’s not a little lie that can be brushed away. It’s a lie which grows its own story and once it’s out, it’s too hard to retract.

Edie has ended up in this situation through loneliness and envy. Her father passed away a few years earlier, so it’s just Edie and Mum. Her best friend, Bowie, has moved to the country and, despite promises they’d remain besties forever, Bowie isn’t responding to any of her messages. Her teacher has tasked the class with creating family tree posters and Edie’s is looking awfully bare, especially compared with Aleki’s. Aleki is new to the school and she’s one of seven kids and many cousins. Edie is invited to Aleki’s for a playdate and Edie sees how lively their Samoan family life is – ‘like being at a birthday party’. Witnessing the hug that Aleki gets from her dad at school drop-off spikes Edie’s envy.

‘I’m going to Scotland to visit my Uncle Noah,’ blurts out Edie, not even understanding why she’d make up such a thing. But it’s too late. Now everyone is asking her about the trip and the lie spawns more lies, until Edie’s mum gets wind of it and admits to Aleki that Edie’s not been telling the truth. What follows is Edie’s journey in fessing up to her classmates and discovering that her own family tree is a lot fuller than she thought.

Through the characters of Edie and Aleki, the reader is given an insight into elements of Polish and Samoan culture through references to language and food. And as a side plot we learn about a Polish woman who wrote a book about her life living amongst the animals in a forest in Poland. As the author herself has noted in her acknowledgements, the writing has been restrained to not delve too deeply into this side plot so as to not take away from Edie’s story. Even so, it was enough to spike my daughter’s interest to go searching for the book in the State Library which spawned our own mini adventure. 

The Paperbark Tree Committee

The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwen (Text Publishing) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN: 9781922790705

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Some books just hit all the targets when it comes to themes that children connect with – feeling left out, new environments, making friends, sibling relationships, insecurity and stuffing up. It’s a bonus when a book also has a great story with characters who you feel like you already know.

Twelve-year-old Art is happy at his small school in Queensland. He has good friends, enjoys classes and has a solid friendship with his younger – and more confident – brother Hilary. The two boys even have their own ‘group’ – the Fig Tree Committee – which convenes whenever they need to talk and help each other solve problems.

When the family are uprooted, Art finds himself having to move to Melbourne – and a bigger school. While Hilary is fine because he can fit in anywhere, Art immediately becomes a target for the school bully and, with nobody to talk to, given the fig tree is still in Queensland and his father is always too busy, Art is very much on his own.

As luck would have it, there is a vacant lot across from Art and Hilary’s new home – and in the vacant lot stands a paperbark tree. Hilary is keen to repurpose their committee, but Art is no longer so sure. He’s in high school after all, and probably too old to be hanging out with his primary school brother anyway.

Author Karys McEwen has crafted a warm, heartfelt story in The Paperbark Tree Committee. Reading it, I felt like I was right there with Art and Hilary and I really wanted to climb up into that paperbark tree with them. McEwen captured all the feels of the fear of standing out but also being left out. Because of this, and the emotional journey she takes readers on, this is exactly the sort of story I would have wanted to share as a class novel with my Year 3–5 students.

A beautiful story, perfectly suited for its target audience of readers aged 8 and beyond.

Golden

Golden by Jade Timms (Text Publishing) PB RRP $22.99

ISBN 9781923058354

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Golden is a coming-of-age story written in the first person by seventeen-year-old Eddie (Edwina). Eddie lives in a small coastal town in southern NSW where the local teenagers are highly sociable and enjoy spending their free time at the beach and at house parties. Since a tragic accident a few years prior, Eddie prefers not to socialise especially if the group includes her twin brother Pat or her ex-best friend Hazel. Eddie spends her time equally between working at Just Juice, training for the Mud Run, and caring for her older sister who lives alone. However, her interest in socialising piques when the new boy Howl starts paying her attention.

Golden is a beautifully written young adult novel that takes you on an emotional journey with Eddie, a flawed but relatable protagonist. It explores themes of grief, trauma, first love, and complex family dynamics. Golden is highly recommended for mature audiences aged 15 years and older.

On the Edge of Everything

 

On the Edge of Everything by Miranda Luby (Text Publishing) PB ISBN: 9781923059306

Reviewed by Robyn Gillies

Lucy is still grief-stricken from the tragic loss of her older brother, whom she adored and who ‘got’ her. It’s now eleven months after her brother’s death, and her parents are trying desperately to get her out of her room and back to living an everyday life. But Lucy isn’t like them, pretending everything is OK when it’s not.

The story starts with an endangered bird that flies into her bedroom window one evening. Lucy sees it as a sign. When it survives the night, she takes it to a local wildlife sanctuary the following day, where she meets Ben, one of the workers. The sanctuary is looking for summer staff, and Lucy decides to apply. For the first time since her brother’s death, she sees the slightest glimmer of a possible meaningful summer, which is then whisked away when she takes a risk that backfires in more ways than one.

Lucy’s grief is tangible and perceptively portrayed. The most seemingly banal events trigger deep dives into intense sorrow, but how can others understand her when she doesn’t understand herself? However, this is also a story about growing up, friendship, new experiences, and competing and conflicting emotions—how can you feel so happy when you feel so sad? The impacts of urban development on the delicate balance of nature are also woven seamlessly throughout.

The reader is drawn into Lucy’s world, darting seamlessly into and out of her internal and external domains. We travel with her on a rollercoaster of emotions as she tries to make sense of her life, of her very existence, and as she learns how random acts can have long-term consequences. But her journey ultimately takes her to a place of possibility.

Lucy’s character is complex and sensitive, and the story is multi-layered and well-paced. The simple but beautiful language creates authentic individuals in a believable, sensory time and place.

This deep, thoughtful, reflective story gives considered and compassionate insight into how a teenager may experience loss. It is a sincere story that anyone who has lost a young person should read.

 

 

Selfie

Selfie By Allayne L Webster (Text Publishing) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN: 978922790194

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

I loved everything about this book and read it in two sittings. It was so easy to read, and I loved all the characters Webster created. Tully has a lot going on with an absent dad, an even more absent mum, a trying-hard stepmum, and an annoying but caring brother. The teenage girl friendship drama was totally relatable. Having a teenage daughter AND working in a high school, I can tell you that Webster nailed the "frenemy" interactions! High school is such a dynamic and complex environment, and while Tully tries to navigate it, she soon starts to jeopardise the real friendship in place of the questionable one.

Webster writes with a direct style that both entertains the reader and allows the story to flow smoothly. Her gift in Selfie is the authenticity within her writing to represent the target audience of this novel. It doesn’t matter the age of the reader; teens and adults alike will be able to relate to the storyline in some way, either directly or indirectly.

What I enjoyed most was the slow evolution of both Tully and Dene and their realisation that being popular and "liked" should not be the goal. Real friendships are hard to come by and should be valued and appreciated when they do. Also, that self-worth should not be judged by the number of online hearts received.

Thank you for writing such a relevant and topical book, Allayne. It's so good! Selfie has quick and easy-to-read chapters and is suitable for a 10+ year readership.

Liar’s Test

Liar’s Test by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Text Publishing) RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781922790873

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

The Risen Kingdom needs a new queen, and Bell Silverleaf is one of the chosen to compete for the honour. But first she needs to work out who to trust and what she really wants.

Seven girls are selected to compete in a series of challenges that, if they survive, will narrow down who will rule across the Risen Kingdom for the next twenty-five years. Bell doesn’t really want rule. What she wants is revenge against those who hurt her people, the Treesingers. But if she takes this opportunity, she might just be able to have her revenge as well.

Kwaymullina has created an intricate fantasy world full of mystery, history, intrigue and action. The main character Bell has different shades of toughness, strength, kindness and vulnerability. A perfect combination! The journey created by Kwaymullina for Bell Silverleaf enables her to show these wonderful traits in her character. For that reason, the careful and detailed writing to craft this character mean that as the reader, you really hope Bell succeeds in all the challenges.

The storyline moved quickly between high stakes action, important details surrounding events, increased stakes and drawing all the threads of the storyline together to work out where it was going. It really keeps the reader guessing page after page.

Liar’s Test is book one in the Silverleaf chronicles. There is no release date for the next book as yet, but it will definitely be worth the wait! Inspired by strength and power of Aboriginal women, this story will keep the reader mesmerised by the fantasy world and every character in it.

Liar’s Test is suitable for a 12+ year-old readership. 

The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage

The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage by Charlie Archbold (Text Publishing) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781922790996

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

The Sugarcane Kids from far north Queensland are back again with another mystery to solve. This time they are in search of lost animals. Firstly, Old Jean’s hand-raised eclectus parrot goes missing. Then, the library’s beloved pet scrub python disappears. While many townsfolk believe these animals have innocently escaped their enclosures, Andy, Eli, Harvey, Bernie and Fletch start to suspect that they have been stolen, and feared to be headed for illegal trade. The kids know that these protected animals need special care and are on a mission to find them asap!

This fun action-packed adventure story is suitable for readers aged 8 years and older. Its themes include protection of native wildlife, community, friendship, and bravery.

The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage is the second novel in a middle grade adventure series. The first book in the series, The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-bottomed Boat, has received multiple awards including Winner of The Reading’s Children’s Prize 2022 and Winner of the 2023 Davitt Award for Best Children’s Novel. The third book in the series, The Sugarcane Kids and the Smelly Fish, is due for release in 2025.

The Glass Horse of Venice

The Glass Horse of Venice by Arnold Zable and Anita Lester (Text Publishing) HB RRP $27.99 ISBN: 9781923058002

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Every child has a special toy, a memento or little trinket that they just can’t part with as they grow older. Whatever it is carries special memories and ignites the imagination of a cherished time, place or person.

For me, that little trinket was a palm-sized ceramic bell with an owl on the top, given to me by Mrs Wilton, a staff member at my primary school, when I graduated.

For Claudia, in Arnold Zable and Anita Lester’s beautiful picture book, The Glass Horse of Venice, it is a glass horse – Pegasus – given to her by the glassblower whose workshop she visits every day on her way to school. ‘Its wings are broken …’ the glassblower tells her, adding that it holds a secret that will reveal itself if she looks after it. Although Claudia really longs for one of the gorgeous, winged horses she can see in the window, she still thanks the glassblower – and sits her glass horse on her bedroom windowsill.

There is something very magical about Claudia’s glass horse, but she doesn’t notice, such is her longing for a perfect horse, one that is not broken.

One day, floods come to Venice and Claudia’s family must move out of their badly damaged apartment to a town far from her beloved campo. The glass horse is packed away with her other belongings and it is only when Claudia starts to miss Venice that she remembers it – and unlocks its secret.

Arnold Zable has crafted the most poignant story in his telling of The Glass Horse of Venice; a story that celebrates the little things, fond memories and the power of imagination. Anita Lester’s divine illustrations capture the beauty of Venice and draw readers into the magical world created in the glassblower’s workshop and that surrounds the broken glass horse.

Although the story is set in Venice, which will be unfamiliar to many children, the sheer beauty of the words and illustrations will draw them in, and the delight afforded by the smallest of trinkets – broken or perfect – will resonate with everyone, from the target readership of three years and above, right through to adulthood.

I can see The Glass Horse of Venice becoming a firm favourite, a ‘read-it-again’ story and a keeper on the bookshelves of a generation to come.

Penny Draws a Secret Adventure

Penny Draws a Secret Adventure by Sara Shepard (Text Publishing) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN: 9781922790569

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

In this third instalment of the Penny Draws series, we see Penny and her somewhat quirky friends embark on a treasure hunt after Penny discovers an old map in her attic.

Amidst all the usual Year 5 ups and downs, including friendship struggles and a good measure of self-doubt, the friends unravel cryptic clues that take them all over town in search of the promised treasure. Of course, there is the obligatory obstacle, this time in the form of ‘someone’ who seems to be just a step ahead of them each time. Yet, they persist and along the way, they each discover hidden talents and skills – all except Penny who wonders if there is anything at all special about her.

Author Sara Shepard provides a refreshing departure from the ‘diary’ genre with the story being told through a series of letters written by Penny to her dog, Cosmo. Plus, we also have extra details and humourous asides being told through the simple black and white cartoons that pepper each chapter.

With any series such as this one – where each book can stand alone – it is important to acknowledge that readers may not have read previous books and, in doing so, provide an orientation to the regular characters at the very least. Unfortunately, this does not happen in Penny Draws a Secret Adventure, and it can take some time to gain an understanding of who is who and what is happening.

Nevertheless, once it all becomes clear – within the first couple of chapters – the story starts to unfold, and readers are taken along on an adventure as they try to solve clues and figure out what is going to happen next.

Underneath the fun and adventure, however, there is a very serious issue being explored in personal identity. The self-doubt and lack of confidence, along with the need to establish yourself as an individual, is a pivotal issue within the readership targeted by the Penny Draws series. Sara Shepard raises awareness and imparts a gentle message about the importance of identity in a low-key yet impactful way.

Penny Draws a Secret Adventure is the perfect read for children aged 8–12 years and will be particularly appealing to girls who may not see themselves in similar books that have male protagonists.

The Lost Library

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass. 2023 Text Publishing. Paperback RRP $16.99.  e-Book $9.99. ISBN 9781922790477

 Reviewed by Debra Williams

A collaborative work from two U.S. authors, The Lost Library tells the tale of a little free library which appears mysteriously overnight in the town of Martinville, USA. The little free library is guarded by a large orange cat, Mortimer (although people don’t know his real name and call him by a couple of others). When 11-year-old Evan McClelland chooses two books from the little library, he is unaware that his life, and that of the town, will soon change.

One book is titled How to Write a Mystery Novel. Evan becomes engrossed in trying to solve his own mystery, when he discovers an old library card inside the book with his dad’s name on it. The town library burned down 20 years earlier in mysterious circumstances and the case was never solved. It seems to be something the adults don’t want to talk about. Along with his friend Rafe, the two boys try and put the puzzle pieces together. What will they discover? Is Evan’s dad hiding a long-kept secret?

This story is narrated in first person by an apparent ghost librarian, Al. POV shifts to Mortimer and Evan’s stories which are interspersed throughout and keep the reader’s interest with various story twists and turns. There are delightful interludes involving mice, which add a particular charm to the story.

This is a middle-grade novel, suitable for the 8-12-year age readership.

The Lost Library

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass (Text Publishing) PB ISBN 9781922790477

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two old books from its shelves, not suspecting that his life is about to change.

Evan and his best friend, Rafe, discover a link between one of the books and a long-ago event that the adults don’t want to talk about. The two boys start investigating the mystery. What they find will transform the town.

Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story and choosing the life you want and the power of a good book.

Targeted at children aged 9+ years.

Penny Draws A School Play

Penny Draws A School Play by Sara Shepard (Text Publishing). PB RRP $24.95 ISBN 9781922790408

Reviewed by Kerry Gittins

Penny thought things in Year 5 were going okay. With the help of her friends Maria, Kristian, Petra and Rocco, and Cosmo her dog, she figures she can cope with pretty much anything. And there’s always her doodling and her chats with Mrs Hines, the Feelings Teacher if she gets a little anxious again. But little does Penny know that life in 5th grade and at home is going to change in a BIG way.

She came home from school one day in January and was told they were moving house! Her mum was expecting twins, and they needed more room, so they had to move. But Penny didn’t want to move away from her old house. What if the new owners were messy or painted the walls hideous colours? What if one of the chandelier crystals in her new room fell on her head in the middle of the night? What if she couldn’t organise all her stuff for the movers in time?

Then the 5th grade replacement teacher Miss Kettle told the class everyone had to be involved in the school play that her friend Petra had written. She wasn’t too worried as she was cast as the bat and all she had to do was flutter. That is until halfway through rehearsals, she found out the bat was also the narrator. She would have to speak on stage!

And then there was the problem with her new neighbourhood friend Chloe who hated her friend Maria. How was she ever going to solve that? Problems were everywhere and EVERYTHING was changing! What was she going to do?
 
In this warm, insightful, and at times laugh out loud second book in the Penny Draws series, award winning author Sara Shepard takes us along on Penny’s journey through the changes that rekindle her anxiety. We are told in a simple and truthful way how this affects Penny and her ability to cope. The strategy proposed by her Feelings Teacher, Mrs Hines, doesn’t seem to work at first, and it is only as the story unfolds that Penny realises how brave she has become and that everything will be okay. The concern and empathy shown for Penny by her friends and family is the wonderful and uplifting thread woven into the story that tugs at the heartstrings of the reader and helps create a deeper understanding of the effects of anxiety.
 
Teaching themes could include anxiety, families, friendship, acting, writing, diaries, dogs, coping strategies, and change.

Penny Draws a Best Friend

Penny Draws a Best Friend by Sara Shephard (Text Publishing) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN978192279024

Penny Lowry is a fifth grader when this story begins, waiting for Violet Vance, her best friend since kindergarten, to come back from holiday camp. Penny’s a budding artist, who draws a detailed portrait of Violet, but is taken aback when Violet’s portrait of her seems to be something she’d done the year before. She wonders why Violet suddenly ditches her for the most popular – and meanest – girl in school. Then there’s another problem – Mum is suddenly acting as though she has a secret.

Penny chronicles her worries in a journal to her dog, Cosmo. She has many worries, one of which is her new teacher, Mrs Dunphy, who is Too Strict (when she wanted Mr Glen who is Just Right). Then there’s her relationship with Juice Box, the nickname for her little brother whose real name is Noah. Penny spends time with the Feeling Teacher, Mrs Hines, who ‘teaches’ feelings and who Penny has been talking to since second grade. She's taken aback when she discovers one day that she's not the only student who Mrs Hines talks with.

The book is full of black and white illustrations, often drawn in comic strip style with speech balloons. There are some fun chapter headings such as 'Juggling Knives', 'Intestines', 'Rock Bottom', and 'Gum'. 

This engaging book is full of the dramas in Penny’s life, with lots of relatable events for a reader who likes humour and action. It is ideal for a reader aged 9+ years.

Strike the Zither

Strike the Zither by Joan He (Text Publishing) PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781911231417

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Strike the Zither is a young adult historical fiction/fantasy narrated in the first person by the strong-willed female protagonist, Zephyr. It is set in 414 and describes a fractured Xin Empire, with three warlordesses each wanting to control more land.

Trying to erase the pain of her past, Zephyr becomes the strategist to Lordess Ren. This role brings her great pride, purpose, and an unwavering focus toward her mission to help Ren build her kingdom. Zephyr learns that she must work alone and keep her enemies close if her quest is to be successful.

Joan He has written an engaging reimagining of the Chinese literature classic Three Kingdoms, now with strong female characters that have great power and influence. Strike the Zither has themes of self-belief, loyalty, and betrayal. It is the first book in an upcoming duology.

Those Kids from Fawn Creek

Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly (Text Publishing) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781922458506

Every day in Fawn Creek feels the same—until Orchid Mason arrives.

There are twelve kids in the seventh grade at the Fawn Creek school. They’ve been together all their lives. In this tiny manufacturing town where everyone knows everything about everyone, that’s not necessarily a great thing.

There are twelve kids, but thirteen desks. That’s because Renni Dean moved to Grand Saintlodge—the next-door town—last year. Renni might have left Fawn Creek, but she still knows their secrets. She’s still pulling their strings.

When Orchid Mason arrives and slips gracefully into Renni’s desk, the other seventh-graders don’t know what to think. Orchid is new and exciting. She was born in New York City and has travelled the world. She has lived in Paris, and she tells them stories of the Eiffel Tower and the Love Lock Bridge. She seems to float. Her dress skims the floor. She wears a flower behind her ear.

Orchid’s arrival is about to upset the tightly knit friendship groups and challenge the hold Renni has over them. Who will claim Orchid Mason? Will she save them? Or will they save her?

Those Kids from Fawn Creek is a delightful story of friendship and fitting in, of truth and lies and the things that matter most from beloved Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly.