Nico di Angelo is the son of Hades, from the domain of death and the underworld. His boyfriend is Will Solace, the son of Apollo the god of light. This odd combination from the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians must overcome Nico’s past to successfully negotiate their relationship and their future. Will darkness taint everything that keeps them together or will it dim the glow of their relationship irrevocably? In this story, the two demi-god teens are drawn to a quest back into the underworld to rescue an old titan friend that has been trapped in awful circumstances. The messages to Nico are transmitted through dreams and prophecy, and he must overcome his own uncertainties about returning to the underworld, but this time he will have Will at his side. Does this present a greater risk to their relationship, or will the two teens be able to work together and understand each other more because of the awful challenge they must endure? With monsters and demons at every turn, and a glimpse into the awful corruption and oppressiveness of the Underworld and its gods and their influence, Nico and Will endure the worst in order to find the best within themselves. Is change possible when you have come from the darkest of places?
This is another of Rick Riordan’s journeys into the mythological fantasy world that has captured young readers. In this book we are drawn into the dreadful darkness of evil and its impacts and experience the sour reality of its influence in the mythological power struggles of this fantasy world. It is not easy to travel in the dark. The gay relationship between the two demi-gods is also a pivotal part of the story, as they explore how to stay together despite the disparity of their backgrounds. I can’t say I loved the journey into darkness, but it is thrilling and compelling. The action, and twists and turns brought about by a succession of marauding monsters and agents of awfulness and horror, come thick and fast. The book is exciting and dark but is lightened by the love between Nico and Will and their friends. Sections of the story are revealed through dreams, indicated in the book with a darker background pattern on the page. This is for lovers of the Percy Jackson series but should not be the first book read from the series. It is for readers who can cope with the horrors of the underworld and have a mature understanding of the mythological world, but it is exhausting and uncomfortable travelling to the underworld.
Themes Mythology, LGBTIQ, Good vs evil, Quests, Monsters, Relationships, Change, Romance, Purpose, Thriller.
Carolyn Hull
Hello Twigs: Let's find treasure by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood
Let’s find treasure is the fourth book in this series of graphic novels for beginning readers, from the creators of Real Pigeons. The four books – Time to Paint, Surprise!, How are you feeling, and Let’s find treasure, were released together and are different colours, each with a different theme. The main characters Red, Noodle, Ziggy and Stump (three twigs and a stump) are best friends. They are funny and lively and are always looking out for each other.
In this story Ziggy wants to be an explorer so she decides she is going to find treasure and the friends all decide to join in. The only problem is that Ziggy is not sure what treasure really looks like. Each friend has an opinion and they set off together collecting some things along the way. When they find a large rock they agree that there is probably treasure on top of it, so Ziggy climbs up to have a look. Unfortunately, she is scared of heights. Her problem makes her realise what treasure really is and her friends band together to save her from the top of the rock. They soon realise that nature and their friendship are the most important treasures of all. This series will stimulate children to appreciate nature and recognise its beauty and usefulness. Through the stories they are encouraged to be creative, innovative and work as a team with their friends.
On Wingbeat Island, the princess's little brother has learned to crawl and now she can't find him. So she sets on a quest to discover where he has got to but danger lurks on the journey...
Somewhere near, a huge beast lies, with giant claws and great big eyes . . . DO NOT DISTURB THE DRAGON!
From the author of the enchanting Ten Minutes to Bed series, this is a new adventure that takes little ones on a trek around the island, following the map and encountering things that may be the dragon - or not. It's an opportunity to talk about what they already know about dragons so they can examine the pictures to see if one might be nearby as well as learning that sometimes things might not be as they seem at first glance... The princess takes her anti-dragon kit with her so using their knowledge of dragons they might speculate on what they would add to it to be safe and sure.
The rhyming language and the repetitive text invite them to join in both the fun and the storytelling, as they help the princess on her mission through the forest replete with all the elements that spark the imagination like castles, stepping stones and toadstools, while the island itself has gloomy caves, rapid rivers, enchanted fortresses and smouldering volcanoes, each offering an opportunity to suggest a new adventure in the future - as does the ending!
Like Ten Minutes to Bed, this is a vibrant, engaging story that ticks all the boxes for engaging our youngest readers with the fun and joy of stories and because it is in print, they can return to it again and again.
Barbara Braxton
One day by the numbers by Steve Jenkins
HarperCollins, 2023. ISBN: 9780358470113.
What happens around in the world in twenty-four hours? This is another amazing book of infographics from author-illustrator Steve Jenkins as he shares lots of amazing facts and figures, summarised in pictures, charts and graphs in this new book perfect for curious kids.
Some of you may have seen the photos I shared of an intrigued young friend who started reading at 3.30pm and was still going at 7.30pm when I gave him 100 Things to Know About the Unknown recently, and this is definitely another one that will keep him entranced, as it will all our other young readers who have a penchant for non fiction and being enticed down rabbit holes as they strive to find out more about what has captured them.
The perfect evidence for why we need a vibrant non fiction collection.
In this latest addition to the By the Numbers series, readers can explore what happens around the world with humans, animals, and even microorganisms in just twenty-four hours. From how much humans eat and how far migrating animals travel in day to how often lightning strikes, readers travel beyond the clock and into what twenty-four hours looks like on a massive scale. As Europe's wildfires make headline news, we can learn that not only are these fires growing more frequent and more intense, but the equivalent of 125,000 soccer fields is burned by them every day!! And, at the other end of the scale, 16,000 Olympic swimming pools could be filled by the ice melting from glaciers and the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets every day.
As well as being a model for the presentation of information that students could emulate, this is such an intriguing series it will keep the Xanders of this world engaged for hours, providing even more evidence of the importance of having a vibrant, current and promoted non fiction print collection. Who knows what might catch their eye and capture their curiosity?
Barbara Braxton
The 169 storey treehouse by Andy Griffiths. Illus. by Terry Denton
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781760987855. (Age:7-12) Highly recommended.
Every child dreams of building a treehouse in their backyard and for the last 13 years Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton have provided kids with 13 amazing treehouse books filled with magical adventure, hilarious fun and inspiring stories. This is the last of the Treehouse series and it is really going out with a bang! It must have been tricky to find an end to this incredible series, but Griffiths and Denton have outdone themselves providing a bigger than ever treehouse experience for young readers.
The story begins with an unexpected weather event. Terry left the door to the WHATEVER WEATHER YOU WANT dome open, and they must get up there to shut it down before the weather destroys the world. When that is accomplished they find themselves hiding on the Hall of Funhouse mirrors level to get away from the truancy officer who is determined to send them to a proper school. What they don’t realise is that behind the mirrors are their doppelgangers, Anti-Andy, Terrible-Terry and Junkyard-Jill, and they want out. What ensues is an exciting funny story that will keep Treehouse fans engrossed and entertained as Terry and Andy are forced to go to school and the doppelgangers create as much havoc as they want. The Principal is not impressed by the boys' creativity but ultimately they help create a bigger, better treehouse school after a Massive Monkey Mayhem event created by their doppelgangers destroys the old one.
Griffiths and Denton reveal much about the previous treehouses in this book, giving new readers to the series an insight into all the books. The story is typically crazy, and the illustrations are energetic, almost like slapstick comedy in a book. There’s so much to laugh about and it will appeal to the most reluctant, easily distracted reader.
Myrtle, the long-necked turtle can predict bad weather. In this wonderful book she predicts a flood is coming to the waterhole where she lives, and warns the other animals by moving up the hill. During summer she swims in the creek eating moths and frogs, lizards and tadpoles and in winter she sleeps under the dry leaves. During dry times she covers herself with the silt and sand and when it rains, she uses her powerful legs to keep abreast of the water. But one day the river level rises very slightly, so she begins to walk uphill.
Other animals and insects see her and begin to head uphill themselves. When Farmer Finnegan sees the turtle walk uphill she recalls her mother’s words and takes her sheep to the top paddock. Wallabies, snakes, kangaroos and echidnas follow Myrtle’s lead, and when Myrtle reaches her favourite log, she digs herself into the soft sand to waits it out, as dark clouds gather and heavy rain falls. Here all the animals wait and when the turtle heads downhill, they follow her head.
This book is the second for Jackie French and Danny Snell, showcasing their talents in both text and illustrations. Digitally produced, Danny Snell’s images are quite mesmerising, as each page turned offers a different surprise for the eyes in design, layout and picture. On one page, the walk uphill is shown clearly with the uphill gradient taking the eyes towards the top of the hill, while on another the swirling waters of the flood shows its extents as it drags trees and animals along in its force, and other pages use panels to present the animals in their environment. One page needs to be turned on its side to see the full extent of the flooding.
The design adds another level of interest to a wonderful book about our environment, and French adds an author’s note about the turtle at the end of the book.
Themes Long necked turtle, Environment, Australian animals, Australian insects, Flood, Prediction.
What can I say? Despite the enormous 947 pages of The Running Grave, the author kept me glued to the page as the tension and suspense kept me awake. Add short chapters, often leaving the reader on a cliff-hanger, making it impossible to just read one chapter more, and The running grave left me with a couple of almost sleepless nights. This time Strike and Robin are given the task of rescuing a client’s son, Will, from a religious cult. On the surface The Universal Humanitarian Church advocates peace and help for underprivileged people and addicts but the pair soon uncover mysterious deaths and sinister undertones. Robin goes undercover to try and persuade Will to leave the cult and to find enough evidence to stop the Church’s misdeeds, while Strike delves into the death of the young girl who is supposed to manifest as the Drowned Prophet and traces the few people who have managed to escape the Church.
The author tells the story in two voices that of Robin inside the cult and Strike outside, but for me it was the chapters that traced Robin’s indoctrination that were riveting, and kept me breathless, desperately hoping that she is not recognised. The running grave is an expert and exhausting expose of how a cult works, and a warning – some of the scenes are horrific. By following what happens to Robin while undercover, it is easy to understand the depth of belief under scored by fear that members of The Universal Humanitarian Church have.
Running throughout the story are the threads of the attraction that Strike and Robin feel for each other but deny, and readers will eagerly follow these to see whether there are any positive outcomes. Secondary characters are well developed and the author delivers some surprises along the way.
Fans of the series will not want to miss The running grave and are certain to wish for a future novel featuring Strike and Robin.
Text Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922790477. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
The authors of the highly recommended Bob, have collaborated on another middle grade story that will delight its young readers as well as older lovers of books and libraries. When a mysterious free library suddenly appears overnight, guarded by the large orange cat named Mortimer, eleven-year-old Evan, is intrigued. He borrows two books at random and discovers that his father had borrowed one of them when he was a teenager and that they had originally belonged to the town’s library which had burned down many years previously. With his friend Rafe he begins to investigate and starts asking questions that no one seems to want to answer and uncovers answers that will change his life.
Told in three voices, that of Evan, the cat Mortimer, who once lived in the burnt library with his kitten sister, and Al, the reader becomes caught up in each of their stories. Evan is feeling worried about going to a new school, Mortimer wishes that he still had his sister with him, while Al lives in a museum that is haunted. And the mysteries of who started the little free library, how the original town library burnt down and how Evan’s father was involved will be enjoyed by readers who like to solve puzzles.
The lost library is an uplifting story that will leave readers feeling happy. With light touches of fantasy in the form of ghosts who had died in the fire, a gorgeous cat, a father who rescues mice from traps and a strong theme of friendship, this will have appeal as a class read aloud and a story for all book lovers, with its dedication, ‘For the librarians of the past, present, and future.’ Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Books and libraries, Mystery, Change, Fantasy, Friendship,.
Pat Pledger
Just because by Matthew McConaughey. Illus. by Renee Kurilla
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761343582. (Age:4+)
Pairs of rhyming lines present the contradictions that life offers us in a humorous way which will appeal to young readers, and McConnaughey’s lines are supported with equally funny illustrations.
Each set of lines starts with ‘just because’, and then offers an alternative. One that caught my eye was ‘Just because I’m in the race, doesn’t mean I’m fully ready.’
And I laughed out loud at the ideas that came to mind. Kids will enjoy talking about being in the race, and what that means, as they are expected to be in lots of races. At school they are encouraged to compete, especially in sports, while even at home, siblings compete with each other. Being fully ready will bring recognition as we are often in a race or competition, without being aware of it at the start. Kids will be able to see funny sides to this truism: picture a runner without her running shoes or a cyclist without his bike. Another that resonate with me ‘Just because they do not hear you, doesn’t mean you have no voice’. This too will win recognition from children able to detail situations where this has been their predicament. Lots of discussion could emanate from this pair of lines.
The last few pages tell us 'Just because the sun has set, doesn’t mean it will not rise’, and then the ‘just’ disappears and the next set reads, ‘Because every day is a gift, each one a new surprise’, which is a wonderfully positive note to leave this book of surprises.
Themes Advice, Sayings, Growing up, Childhood.
Fran Knight
Fractal noise by Christopher Paolini
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781035001125. (Age:Young Adult/Adult) Highly recommended.
On book reviewing websites across the internet, Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini has a long list of mixed reviews. Some reviews rate the book highly and provide effusive praise. Other reviews give the novel a low rating. However, unlike most books, the reasons listed are not on the grounds of plot, pacing, world building or even writing style. These poor reviews are mostly about the cover.
Fractal Noise made history by becoming one of the first novels with an AI-generated cover image (or, at least, one of the first novels where this fact has been publicly admitted to by the publishers). Before the book was even released, savvy readers realised that there was something unusual about the cover image. There was also no credit given to a cover designer. Surmising that the cover must be AI-generated, the readers forced a reluctant admission and apology from Tor Publishing Group. However, the cover remained unchanged due to the book’s publishing schedule. This has unfortunately led to sustained backlash against Fractal Noise, something that the novel, compelling and well-written, does not deserve.
Fractal Noise is a prequel to Paolini’s 2020 novel To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, which dealt with humanity’s first contact with an alien race. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is a story of action and wide-ranging catastrophe. Readers may have been expecting something similar from Fractal Noise. However, in contrast, this prequel is a novel of slow-building dread and tension.
In the year 2234 in a remote planetary system, the crew aboard the spaceship Adamura discovers an anomaly, a huge circular pit on a barren world, that is clearly not of natural or human origins. A group of crew members, including a geologist, astrophysicist and xenobiologist are tasked with landing and journeying on foot towards the anomaly, to determine what it is and why it is there. It is a slow and difficult journey that is made all the worse by the increasing sense of unease the group feels, the closer they get…
The Wish Sisters: The running wish by Allison Rushby
University of Queensland Press, 2023. ISBN: 9780702265945. (Age:6+) Highly recommended.
The running wish is the third in the delightful The wish sisters series, which feature Flick and her baby sister Birdie, who can call on an imp to make wishes come true. In this episode, the family is off to the school’s sports day, Dad hoping to win the parent-teacher race and Flick hoping to overcome her poor starts in the running race. Both are hoping that Birdie does not make any wishes that will bring her to the attention of Mrs Mortlake their nosy neighbour and the news team that she has invited to the sports day.
With a laugh aloud first chapter featuring Dad in ’green-and-black stripy socks, black shorts, a green tulle skirt and a green t-shirt’ ready for his race and hoping to win points for the green team, readers know that they are going to have fun reading about the antics of this family. What will Baby Birdie get up to when she gives wishes at the sports day? Flick must be very alert to make sure that the green team is not given an unfair advantage.
Karen Blair’s black and white illustrations perfectly complement the flow of Rushby’s narrative. I loved the family resemblance between Flick and Birdie with their tight curls and big eyes and the drawings of Dad in his tulle skirt are hilarious.
This can be read as a stand-alone, as there is a synopsis given at the beginning of the story which outlines the main characters and how the wishes began. The magic of the wishes is introduced in The party wish and readers might like to start there and continue with the rest in the series, The big wish and The pet wish.
Ideal for newly independent readers, this series is sure to be a hit.
These little feet by Hayley Rawsthorne & Briony Stewart
Albert Street Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781761069017. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A wonderfully playful book for young and old, These little feet is about love and dreams for the future as the new baby takes centre stage in the family. Mum looks at her daughter’s little feet. She ponders the places they will go and the mountains they will climb, she wonders about the dreams they will have and the dances they will do. Her little hands will greet people, feel snowflakes, write letters and play the drums. The poem goes along in this pattern asking questions that have all to do with love and parenting. Sometimes a boy sometimes a girl, the central character is always with an adult, Mum or Dad, grandparents or extended family member, showing a diversity of adults and children across age groups. And next come the ears: what may be heard by these little ears, what songs will they love and noises be feared. His mouth is looked at, with Mum pondering what treats it will eat and kisses given.
Each time one aspect of the baby’s body is looked at, a refrain begins adding several things about the future dreams of that aspect of the child’s life. The whole is alive with dreams of the child’s future life: what will be seen, felt, heard, tasted and smelled as the child grows older.
A double page of postcard like images is at the end of the book, brings the poem back to the start, kissing the little feet and wondering what love the child will find along its life’s journey.
Like Ten little fingers and ten little toes by Mem Fox, the book begs the reader and child to act out the poem as it is read.
Soft inviting illustrations accompany the text revealing constant eye contact between the child and its carer, always found doing things together. Each of the opening lines is framed with a wreath of flowers or leaves, shells balls of wool, making a contrast between the first line and the rest of each stanza.
Themes Family, Love, Future, Dreams, Parenting.
Fran Knight
The glow by Sofie Laguna
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761066825. (Age:10+) Recommended.
Sofie Laguna has been writing for children and adults for over 20 years.
I well remember the publication of My Yellow Blanky and, of course, Too Loud Lily. I have been astounded and moved by The Eye of the Sheep, The Choke and Infinite Splendours, written for adults. She is an outstanding creator and obviously writes constantly! I thoroughly enjoyed the magic of The Song of Lewis Carmichaelin recent years, written for middle primary years, and she has now followed up with The Glow, both of which are illustrated so beautifully by Marc McBride.
Written as fantasy for middle grade readers, The Glow tells of two great friends who relish each other’s company, particularly as Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures and Li writes the stories to go wth the pictures. The Glow visits the town where they live and everyone is immobilised, except the two girls. They set out to help, and become entwined in a very exciting series of events involving a terrible monster. The story is beautifully written and holds much tension for the young reader. Laguna cleverly brings reality and fantasy together and also acknowledges the power of creativity. The two friends work their ‘magic’ to the best end.
Themes Monsters, Creativity, Friendship.
Julie Wells
Let's never speak of this again by Megan Williams
Text Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922790392. (Age:14-18) Recommended.
Abby is sixteen years old, living a full and active life, and enjoying her friendship circle. Complications are minimal, but her Meema (her grandmother) has slipped into a state of memory fog from which there is no return. Being a dutiful daughter, studying hard, visiting Meema, shooting practice goals and hanging out with her friends, especially Ella, is a relatively smooth life. New girl Chloe arrives and throws an unexpected twist into the friendship dynamics, a first kiss and negotiating feeling ‘left out’ are woven into the story of Abby’s unremarkable life. It is however the unexpected and traumatic death of Ella’s brother, Will, that really creates a major turning point in the story of Abby’s transition to maturity and understanding. There are still some things she is yet to experience and there is plenty of time, but can friendship heal grief and will she be able to connect properly with family and friends as she negotiates what lies ahead in her life?
This is like seeing inside the life and mind of a sixteen-year-old. There are moments of angst, the uncomfortable exploration of growing-up with the addition of alcohol, relationship ups and downs, hopes and dreams, and the desire for romance and the curiosity about kissing and sex. There are also serious journeys into grief and supporting those who grieve. Not everything is easy. The best part of this book of insights is the gentleness that Megan Williams uses to convey the story. The characters are not awful, ‘mean-girl’ types, and relationships seem relatively low-key, even when they do not flow well, and parents are genuinely shown to be trying their best. The 100-goals-a-day for Abby’s Netball preparation adds a delightful normality to her life. Told in small snippets, almost like diary entries, the tale just travels lightly through the months of her Year 10 life. Exams and career choices are still some way off, but boys and physical connections are becoming important in their lives. This is a book for teens who are at a similar stage of their life journey. It details the internal struggles and conversations of a girl trying to do life well, but not always getting it right, but nevertheless learning along the way. This is a book for 14-18 year-olds. It won the Text Prize in 2022. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Coming-of-age, Friendship, Grief, First kiss, Teen sex, Relationships, Family dynamics, Memories, Dementia, Netball.
An Australian hero few of us know about, the story of Alice Betteridge deserves wider recognition and this beautifully designed book will promote an understanding of who she was and what she achieved.
Born in the Hunter Valley in NSW in 1901, her father ran a dairy and Alice would run with him as he brought in the cows, often having a vantage point on his shoulders. She loved the outdoors and tore off her shoes at every opportunity. But one day she toppled over with a burning fever. Put to bed she slept for days and when she woke she could neither see nor hear. In Sydney the family was told to bring her back when she was older to gain some education.
She kept up her life on her parents' farm, learning to differentiate the range of floor coverings, playing with the animals, until she was seven. Then she returned to Sydney to go to school. Her teacher used her shoe to teach her the word in Deafblind language and when she finally realised what her teacher was showing her, she was on her way.
The sepia style illustrations reflect the times around Federation in Australia, the lack of colour reminding the reader that Alice could not see. The images are photographic in their presentation, depicting scenes on the farm before Alice became deafblind, and her life on the farm learning to live with this disability, and her time at school where her teacher taught her the Deafblind Alphabet using Alice’s shoe as the stepping off point.
It is a lovely book, its style and design making the story resonate with compassion. The story of Alice’s life to age seven will encourage readers to look more closely at Alice’s life and find out what she achieved. The last page outlines the Deafblind Alphabet which children will be able to learn and practise. Next to the Deafblind Alphabet is the Braille Alphabet giving readers a chance to empathise with those who live with vision loss.
There is surprisingly little about Alice on the internet. A small article from Wikipedia can be seen at here while more about the school that bears her name can be viewed here and an article naming her as Australia’s Helen Keller can be seen by searching that title. Teacher's notes are available.
