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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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Macca's Christmas Crackers, written and illustrated by Matt Stanton
Make sure to add this delightfully festive book to your kid's Christmas book collection! Playful rhymes make this book a joy to read...
Sandy
Dec 22, 20201 min read
Danger Versus the Ranger, and Danger & The Good Book, written and illustrated by Lindsay Holliday
Mr 8 and I loved having the opportunity to read the first and second books in the ‘Danger’ series, which follow the adventures of...
Sandy
Dec 22, 20202 min read
The Giant and the Sea, written by Trent Jamieson, illustrated by Rovina Cai.
This is a lyrical and visually compelling picture book with a powerful message about environment and climate change. This book will...
Sandy
Dec 19, 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
When We Say Black Lives Matter, written and illustrated by Maxine Beneba Clarke
This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book which shines a light on the Black Lives Matter movement. Our children most...
Sandy
Dec 18, 20203 min read
My Possum Plays the Drums by Catherine Meatheringham; illustrated by Max Hamilton.
Hearing possums scrabbling and thumping outside as darkness falls is a common Australian suburban experience, and this story transports...
Sandy
Dec 6, 20201 min read
Rockhopping, by Trace Bella
This picture book, in the style of a graphic novel, is an engrossing account of young Clancy’s adventure with Uncle Egg, around Gariwerd...
Sandy
Dec 6, 20202 min read
The Quest Diaries of Max Crack, by Jules Faber
The Quest Diaries of Max Crack bristles with energy, action and adventure. As the story opens, our young protagonist, Max Crack, has...
Sandy
Dec 5, 20202 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
A Boy and a Ball, by Phil Cummings & Phil Lesnie
This book starts gently, showing a young boy kicking a ball with his older brother - but very quickly we realise the boys are in the...
Sandy
Nov 28, 20202 min read
The Naked Boy and the Crocodile, by Children from remote Indigenous communities; Andy Griffiths (ed)
This collection of 13 stories was developed during a series of writing and illustrating workshops with children from remote communities...
Sandy
Nov 25, 20201 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
This Small Blue Dot, by Zeno Sworder.
This book has been creating quite a stir across the Bookstagram community and with good reason. The engaging young narrator of this...
Sandy
Nov 15, 20201 min read
Cheeky Dogs: To Lake Nash and Back: an illustrated memoir, by Dion Beasley and Johanna Bell
‘Cheeky Dogs: To Lake Nash and Back’ is an illustrated memoir by deaf artist Dion Beasley, who has beautifully captured life in a remote...
Sandy
Nov 7, 20202 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
Vlad’s Bad Breath, by Rory H. Mather, illustrated by Jesus Lopez
This delightfully creepy picture book is Mr 3’s new bedtime favourite – he often asks for it to be read twice in one sitting! Luckily...
Sandy
Nov 3, 20202 min read
The Theory of Hummingbirds, by Michelle Kadarusman
This beautifully crafted #ownvoices novel follows the story of Alba, who is in fourth grade at school, and wants nothing more than to...
Sandy
Nov 1, 20203 min read
Teaser Tuesday! Snippet from my YA manuscript Exposed.
I hope you enjoy this snippet from my young adult manuscript 'Exposed.' Exposed was shortlisted for the Matilda Children's Literature...
Sandy
Oct 24, 20202 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
Billie B Brown & Hey Jack: The Book Buddies, by Sally Rippin, illustrated by Ari Fukuoka
Australian Reading Hour Special Edition This special edition 'Billie B Brown & Hey Jack!' book is a joy to read. We are big fans of the...
Sandy
Oct 18, 20202 min read
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