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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Found, by Bruce Pascoe, illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Sandy

Sep 20, 2020
2 min

Found, by Bruce Pascoe, illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Found is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book which on one level can be read as the story of a young calf left alone when...

12 views0 comments

Derek Dool Supercool: Bust A Move, by Adrian Beck.

Sandy

Sep 7, 2020
2 min

Derek Dool Supercool: Bust A Move, by Adrian Beck.

Illustrated by Scott Edgar. Derek Dool is one of the most quirky and unique anti-heroes you will come across in middle grade fiction....

13 views0 comments

Sandy

Sep 7, 2020
2 min

Bush Tracks, by Ros Moriarty

Illustrated by Balarinji ‘Bush Tracks’ takes its young readers on a meandering journey along the creek, through the mangroves, past the...

7 views0 comments

Take Three Girls, by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood

Sandy

Aug 30, 2020
2 min

Take Three Girls, by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood

I was incredibly excited when I heard that three of my favourite young adult fiction authors were collaborating to write a book together,...

16 views0 comments

Sandy

Aug 28, 2020
2 min

Bluey - The Creek

Admittedly, when I first came across this book I wasn’t sure how I was going to respond to it – I’m never convinced that books based on...

30 views0 comments

Sandy

Aug 21, 2020
2 min

Taking Down Evelyn Tait, by Poppy Nwosu

Lottie is facing a predicament - her best friend Grace has started dating Lottie's mortal enemy - the sneeringly perfect Evelyn Tait....

10 views0 comments

Sandy

Aug 15, 2020
1 min

Beyond Belief, by Dee White

Everybody should read Beyond Belief by Dee White, which shines a light on the horror experienced by Jewish children in Paris in WWII. I...

36 views0 comments

Underdog: #LoveOzYa Short Stories, Edited by Tobias Madden, with a foreward by Fleur Ferris

Sandy

Jul 28, 2020
2 min

Underdog: #LoveOzYa Short Stories, Edited by Tobias Madden, with a foreward by Fleur Ferris

This collection of short stories by new Australian writers has been on my radar for some time now (those of you who know me would know...

19 views0 comments

Sandy

Jul 19, 2020
2 min

Please Don’t Hug Me, by Kay Kerr

I really loved this own voices book, the highlight of it being the voice of seventeen-year-old narrator Erin, who shares with us, through...

20 views0 comments

This is how we change the ending, by Vikki Wakefield

Sandy

Jul 14, 2020
2 min

This is how we change the ending, by Vikki Wakefield

Sixteen-year-old Nate is struggling to stay afloat as he attempts to avoid getting beaten up at school and tries to fly under the radar...

13 views0 comments

Sandy

Jul 10, 2020
3 min

Sunshine yellow books

I felt like I needed a splash of sunshine yellow during these cold winter months - and this stack of yellow books from our home...

9 views0 comments

Family by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson; illustrated by Jasmine Seymour.

Sandy

Jul 7, 2020
2 min

Family by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson; illustrated by Jasmine Seymour.

Published by : Magabala Books This exquisite picture book takes us on a journey of the heart as it illuminates the various ways in which...

6 views0 comments

Real Pigeons Peck Punches, by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood

Sandy

Jun 28, 2020
3 min

Real Pigeons Peck Punches, by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood

I like the Real Pigeons because they are funny and the stories keep me interested – I want to know how the crimes are solved! (Ari, 7). I...

19 views0 comments

Tell 'em!, by Katrina Germein & Rosemary Sullivan, with the children of Manyallaluk School.

Sandy

Jun 15, 2020
2 min

Tell 'em!, by Katrina Germein & Rosemary Sullivan, with the children of Manyallaluk School.

Illustrated by Karen Briggs This delightful picture book gives voice to kids living in a remote community in the Roper River region of...

17 views0 comments

YA Classic: Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, by Robin Klein

Sandy

Jun 12, 2020
1 min

YA Classic: Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, by Robin Klein

This is a compelling story of friendship between two unlikely characters. Angie is undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable and enduring...

10 views0 comments

Sandy

Jun 9, 2020
2 min

The Vanishing Deep, by Astrid Scholte

If you enjoy a fast-paced read, set against the background of a beautifully constructed world, then you will love this young adult novel!...

29 views2 comments

Sandy

Jun 9, 2020
2 min

A Day at the Zoo, by Cassie Roberts

Illustrated by Judy Richards. My three boys and I love A Day at the Zoo, both for the engaging storyline about being brave and trying new...

33 views0 comments

League of Llamas: The Golden Llama, by Aleesah Darlison

Sandy

Jun 7, 2020
2 min

League of Llamas: The Golden Llama, by Aleesah Darlison

Guest review by Ari (7): This book was very funny. I liked all the spy stuff. The llamaborghini was really cool; I wish I had a flying...

52 views1 comment

What Zola Did on Monday, by Melina Marchetta

Sandy

Jun 3, 2020
3 min

What Zola Did on Monday, by Melina Marchetta

Hooray for a new quality series of chapter books for newly independent readers! It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Melina Marchetta...

67 views0 comments

Sorry Day, by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler.

Sandy

Jun 1, 2020
2 min

Sorry Day, by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler.

This beautifully written and illustrated picture book tells two alternating but linked stories about loss, which work together to convey...

47 views0 comments

Aussie Kids Books

Found, by Bruce Pascoe, illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Derek Dool Supercool: Bust A Move, by Adrian Beck.

Bush Tracks, by Ros Moriarty

Take Three Girls, by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood

Bluey - The Creek

Taking Down Evelyn Tait, by Poppy Nwosu

Beyond Belief, by Dee White

Underdog: #LoveOzYa Short Stories, Edited by Tobias Madden, with a foreward by Fleur Ferris

Please Don’t Hug Me, by Kay Kerr

This is how we change the ending, by Vikki Wakefield

Sunshine yellow books

Family by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson; illustrated by Jasmine Seymour.

Real Pigeons Peck Punches, by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood

Tell 'em!, by Katrina Germein & Rosemary Sullivan, with the children of Manyallaluk School.

YA Classic: Came Back to Show You I Could Fly, by Robin Klein

The Vanishing Deep, by Astrid Scholte

A Day at the Zoo, by Cassie Roberts

League of Llamas: The Golden Llama, by Aleesah Darlison

What Zola Did on Monday, by Melina Marchetta

Sorry Day, by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler.

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