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Aussie Kids Books
Book Reviews
Welcome to my blog! This blog is a celebration of Australian children's fiction - including young adult, middle grade, junior fiction, and picture books.
Read on for my reviews!
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Sunburnt Veils, by Sara Haghdoosti
This young adult own voices novel by debut author Sara Haghdoosti is compelling reading - smart, funny and edgy, with a feminist and...
Sandy
Apr 2, 20213 min read
Loner, by Georgina Young
Loner won the 2019 Text YA fiction prize and I can absolutely see why. I will start by saying that it took me a few chapters to feel...
Sandy
Apr 2, 20213 min read
The End of the World is Bigger Than Love, by Davina Bell
Wow. This book left me breathless with the sheer scope and depth and beauty of it. It is a powerful and emotive read set in a dystopian...
Sandy
Mar 12, 20213 min read
My Girragundji, by Meme McDonald & Boori Monty Pryor
This beautiful little book was awarded the CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers in 1999, and this is the 20th anniversary edition of...
Sandy
Mar 1, 20212 min read
Raw Blue, by Kirsty Eager
This powerful, moving young adult novel has a backdrop of surfing and the ocean weaving through the narrative, making it the perfect...
Sandy
Mar 1, 20211 min read
You Were Made For Me, by Jenna Guillaume
You Were Made for Me is a fun and addictive story for young adults, which I devoured over the Christmas break. I loved the voice of the...
Sandy
Feb 16, 20211 min read
Girl of the Southern Sea, by Michelle Kadarusman
This is an empowering, moving and beautifully articulated story of loss and grief and family love, of finding your inner strength against...
Sandy
Jan 30, 20212 min read
Living on Stolen Land, by Ambelin Kwaymullina
'You are living on stolen land what can you do about it?’ (p.6). This book is a poignant, empowering call for action, which exposes the...
Sandy
Jan 27, 20212 min read
The Little Wave, by Pip Harry
I really love verse novels - so when I heard about this book for middle grade readers told in verse, I was keen to read it. Verse novels...
Sandy
Jan 13, 20213 min read
This One is Ours, by Kate O'Donnell
This engaging story of art and activism is set against the vibrant backdrop of Paris. Sixteen-year-old artist Sofie is an exchange...
Sandy
Jan 11, 20211 min read
Stars Like Us, by Frances Chapman
If you love an addictive edgy read set against a background of rock music, fame and teen relationships, then this is the book for you! I...
Sandy
Dec 28, 20202 min read
Ghost Bird, by Lisa Fuller
Reasons why Ghost Bird is one of my top reads of 2020: The writing: this is a beautifully crafted book, with writing that is rich with...
Sandy
Dec 28, 20201 min read
Looking for bookish Christmas gift ideas?
Books, of course, make the best gifts! If you're stuck for ideas, try one of these fabulous reads: Metal Fish, Falling Snow, by Cath...
Sandy
Dec 19, 20201 min read
Snake Bite, by Christie Thompson
I grabbed a copy of this young adult novel from my local library after discovering is it set in my home town (Canberra). I came to this...
Sandy
Dec 3, 20203 min read
Peta Lyres’s Rating Normal, by Anna Whateley
This young adult novel is a fabulous own voices read - the highlight for me being the voice of sixteen-year-old narrator Peta, who,...
Sandy
Nov 21, 20203 min read
Mirror Me, by Rachel Sanderson
This is a book you won't be able to put down - it is a dark-edged read which throbs with tension and mystery. The reader is drawn into...
Sandy
Nov 7, 20201 min read
Small Spaces, by Sarah Epstein
I’m a big fan of the psychological thriller genre, and this wonderfully spooky read will have you on the edge of your seat. I read this...
Sandy
Oct 24, 20203 min read
Portrayals of mental health in YA fiction
I'm currently participating in an Instagram challenge which celebrates Aussie young adult fiction. There's a challenge prompt every day...
Sandy
Oct 17, 20201 min read
The Long Distance Playlist, by Tara Eglington
The Long Distance Playlist is a book about friendship and family and having the courage to embrace the unknown, set against a backdrop of...
Sandy
Oct 13, 20202 min read
Notes From the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell
This book has remained one of my favourite young adult reads of all time, since I read it when it was published back in 2006. It has a...
Sandy
Oct 10, 20202 min read
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