Children's & Young Adult Books

  • Children's & Young Adult Books,  History

    Lest we forget: ‘Secret Sparrow’ by Jackie French

    The publishers had this to say about Australian author Jackie French’s latest offering for middle grade readers:

    This is the story of women who fought during WWI, but not as nurses or ambulance drivers.

    In 1917 sixteen-year-old Jean McLain is working as a post-office assistant in England. But when she wins a national Morse code competition, the British army makes a request Jean cannot refuse – to take a secret position as a signaller in France.

    If Jean can keep the signals flowing between headquarters and the soldiers at the Front, Britain might possibly win the war.

    From Secret Sparrow blurb, HarperCollins Australia

    I sometimes think that if Jackie French was not an author, she would have made a wonderful archaeologist or even miner: she is forever digging out long-buried nuggets of wonder and creating compelling stories to bring to life little-known events or circumstances from the past.

    Secret Sparrow tells the story of young Jean, whose character stands in for the women who were sent by the British to work as ‘signallers’ in WWI. Working at base camps but sometimes near or on the front lines, they operated the morse code machines, sending and receiving coded messages that were crucial in the days before mobile technology or even telephones were widely used in warfare.

    Most of these women were employed by the postal service, although on temporary ‘secondment’ to the army. This meant that they were paid at the normal rate for their postal worker job, received no special conditions and – shockingly – were not paid pensions or medical expenses due to them after injury, or at the end of the war.

    A shortage of recruits with signalling skills meant long shifts of twelve hours or more, with no toilet or meal breaks. Signallers needed to be fast and, importantly, accurate – a slip could literally be the difference between life and death for soldiers. It was crucial work.

    To add insult to injury, in researching this history, the author learned that the majority of records relating to the women signallers’ service were destroyed after the war. Was this to evade responsibility for paying pensions to these women? Or embarrassment that the authorities had needed to recruit women for what were seen as men’s jobs, due to the danger and skill involved?

    Jean’s story takes us to the heart of trench warfare in France in 1917 and the author does not try to tidy it up for younger readers. The mud, rats, lice, horrific injuries, chaos, death and fear are all there. But there is also comradeship, and kindness, and bravery.

    There are moments of humour:

    ‘Toodle-pip, ma’am,’ Sergeant Peartree said to Mrs Reynolds with a half-salute, half-wave. Jean had a feeling that he thought a woman administrator was not worth a proper salute, or possibly he simply didn’t know which one was due to her – an ignorance shared by almost the entire army, the generals included. Those worthies had not decided whether the female administrators were officers, non-commissioned officers or ordinary troops. Apparently they were simply to be treated like unicorns: a species you didn’t have to acknowledge might exist.

    Secret Sparrow p93

    Jean’s wartime story is told by her to a young Arjun, a boy she helps when they are both caught out in a flash flood in rural NSW, Australia. It is 1978 and Jean is now an older lady, who has not lost her quick thinking and survival skills. She is able to look at her wartime experiences in a nuanced way which she shares with Arjun:

    It was a stupid war, fought in stupid ways, and mostly run by stupid men… The stupidity of the battle I was in – multiply that by every battle in the war… So yes, we had to fight. But we shouldn’t have had to fight like that. England and Germany were ruled by elites, and those elites weren’t very good at ruling. They’d got the job because they were born into it, and so millions of people died.

    Secret Sparrow p226

    Lest we forget, indeed.

    Secret Sparrow was published by Angus & Robertson, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, in November 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    School fun: two picture books for littlies

    School – big school – is a Big Thing in a little one’s life. For their parents, too. So picture books that help prepare and excite very young children about the prospect of starting or returning to school are always welcome.

    From the ABC Books ‘Mindfully Me’ series comes Ready, Set, Big School, (Jan Stradling and Jedda Robaard) featuring the beloved characters from ABC’s ‘Play School’ TV shows. Humpty, Jemima, Little Ted, Kiya and friends practice putting on their school uniform, packing their lunchbox, and making new friends, all ready for the big day.

    When the first day arrives, Big Ted is surprised to find that he also has a funny feeling in his tummy.
    (Parents will relate to that bit.)

    The Crayons Go Back to School (Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers) allows youngsters who are old hands at the school thing to recognise that the end of the holidays means back-to-school. The colourful crayons throw themselves into the routine of school: deciding what to wear, greeting old friends, drawing, writing, doing maths.

    Two books to share and read aloud, perfect to soothe Big School nerves.

    Ready, Set, Big School and The Crayons Go Back to School are published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in November 2023.
    My thanks to the publisher for review copies.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    A modern Christmas story: ‘Juniper’s Christmas’ by Eoin Colfer

    A fun modern take on the story of Santa Claus, Juniper’s Christmas for middle grade readers takes us to London, where we meet Juniper, an eleven-year-old who lives with her mum Jennifer on the edge of a London park.

    Her dad has died and the pair are trying to continue his legacy of the annual Santa Vigil in the park, where local residents gather to celebrate Christmas and donate goods and gifts for those in need.

    Then Jennifer goes missing and Juniper, desperate to find her mum, tries to track down the mysterious Niko, who she believes is Santa Claus – though Santa has not been performing his duties for ten years.

    Juniper is off on an adventure involving a magical reindeer calf, a corrupt local official, an Irish crime queen, and a reluctant Santa.

    It’s a rollicking story with a very modern twist: a team of elves who try to explain the scientific reasons for the magic of Christmas (flying reindeer, a time bubble on Christmas Eve, a Santa sack that can hold innumerable gifts…) a disgraced scientist and skeptical locals.

    At the heart of the story is – well, heart – a belief that Christmas can be a time when people can come together in goodwill, and that gifts can be talismans, ‘parcels of human kindness tied up in a bow, a reminder that there were who cared and who would help.’

    A perfect book for the more worldly readers of today, Juniper’s Christmas will delight with its adventure and humour.

    Juniper’s Christmas is published by HarperCollins in November 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Friendship for littlies: ‘How to be a Friend’ by Sarah Ayoub & Mimi Purcell

    A sweet book with simple rhyming text and softly colourful illustrations, How to be a Friend is all about friendships and being a good friend.

    Friends always clap for us the loudest
    to let us know that they’re the proudest.
    They make us feel all kinds of clever,
    are up for fun, no matter the weather.

    Friends help us feel safe and cosy and warm,
    they carry us through all sorts of storms.
    They love the things that make us unique,
    like the way we look and how we speak.

    How to be a Friend

    Both the words and pictures allow recognition of children in all their shapes, sizes and colours, with various family and living situations and interests.

    As children begin to explore the world outside of their immediate family and home, friends begin to take on more importance. This is a good book to share at that time, reinforcing aspects of positive friendships.

    How to be a Friend is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in November 2023.
    My thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    For young travel-lovers: ‘Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris’ by Kate Knapp

    Ruby Red Shoes is a series of beautifully illustrated books for very young readers by Australian author and artist Kate Knapp.

    To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris, a special edition has been released.

    Ruby is a white hare with special shoes that love to take her to new places.

    She travels to Paris with her grandmother, where they meet up with her Babushka’s brother and his grandson Felix. Ruby and Felix explore Paris, where they see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything that city has to offer.

    Ruby is an intrepid traveler and records what she experiences in her special travel notebook.

    I love the sly nods of humour which will appeal to older people perhaps reading the story aloud to a littlie, such as the airline (‘The Flying Hare’) they travel with, or the carrot flavoured toothpaste Ruby packs for her trip.

    The pictures are the type you can get lost in, rich with detail and evocative of Parisian sights. It’s a fabulous introduction to traveling and to the City of Love. The text expands youngster’s vocabulary: Ruby is ‘fizzing with excitement’, she climbs the ‘narrow, twirling staircase’ to their apartment, Babushka must ‘tussel with the old keys and creaky lock.’

    Ruby Red Shoes and the others in the series are perfect to plant seeds of wonder and exploration in emerging readers. The special anniversary edition is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in October 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    African adventures: ‘Kip of the Mountain’ by Emma Gourlay

    I love that Melbourne author Emma Gourlay has chosen to set this middle-grade story in the land of her birth, South Africa. It’s pretty rare for Australian children to be exposed to stories of that country, so in itself that is a plus. Another is the occasional word in Afrikaans sprinkled throughout – especially buffel, which apparently means a ‘special, rare creature.’

    In Kip of the Mountain, Buffel is the name Kip gives to a tiny creature that comes to her via a mysterious bottle in the forest, near the side of Table Mountain where she lives.

    She spends her twelfth birthday wondering what her Something Odd will be – a tradition in her hometown is that everyone receives a Something Odd on their twelfth birthday. When she finally realises that the strange little creature that cracked out of the egg in the bottle is, in fact, her Something Odd, she decides she will love him forever.

    First, though, she has to keep him hidden from her dad, who has a ‘no pets’ policy, but who is busy as always in his shed, trying to build a flying machine. Then she must avoid the mean kids and even meaner teacher at school, who tease her about her hair and her family background of black dad and white mum.

    Last but certainly not least is the threat to Buffel’s freedom when he is kidnapped. To rescue Buffel she must travel away from her beloved mountain to a strange island across the sea.

    Kip is a shy loner who learns that good friends can be made and that doing the right thing can be hard but is always the most rewarding.

    The story is set in the 1980’s when the hideous apartheid regime was still in force, and there are references to this which introduce the concept to young readers, but very much from a child’s perspective. It offers a way to open discussion about hard issues like institutionalised racism, bullying and discrimination to younger readers, while encompassing them in an adventure story full of magic and wonder. The black and white illustrations by Kate Moon brings scenes to life throughout.

    Kip of the Mountain will appeal to young readers who like their stories sprinkled liberally with zany characters and adventure.
    It is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in October 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Christmas picture books

    How wonderful to see books celebrating Christmas as we know it in Australia. The ‘Teeny Tiny Stevies’ are back with a new picture book, all about Aussie summer Christmases.

    Snowmen, chimneys, plum puddings and dark wintry evenings are all charming, but not part of an Australian Christmas.

    Instead, we have hot days in the sun, the long summer holiday, shorts, T-shirts and swimmers in the paddling pool or the beach, the buzz of cicadas and the sting of mozzie bites, pavlova for Christmas lunch.

    The pictures by Simon Howe capture the pleasures of long hot days, camping trips, the anticipation of Christmas morning.

    I love this book; it is a real portrayal of an Australian summer and our different way of ‘doing Christmas’ here.


    Back to the northern hemisphere, we have A Night Before Christmas – with a difference.

    A small boy, accompanied by his dog and cat, is witness to the antics of the Elf on the Shelf, who narrates the familiar story of the arrival of St Nicholas with his sleigh and trusty reindeer.

    There is a mix of old and new as the much-loved Christmas poem is given a shake up by the elf. The pictures created by author and illustrator Chanda A. Bell are vibrant with saturation colours and plenty of activity.

    Together these two books celebrate Christmas in both hemispheres of the globe. They are published in Sept and Oct 2023 by Harper Collins Children’s Books.
    My thanks to the publishers for review copies.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Australian stories: three new picture books

    Three very different picture books here, all by Australian authors.

    Giinagay Gaagal (Hello Ocean) by Gumbayngirr artist Melissa Greenwood (who also created My Little Barlaagany (Sunshine) among others.) It’s a celebration of the ocean and its pleasures: swimming, fishing, running on the sand, collecting pipis and shells. In the story the aunties share cultural knowledge and wisdom as well as fun:

    But first, before walking on Country, we talk to the land
    and let her know that we are here to play.
    We are grateful for what she has to offer,
    we promise to take care of her during our stay.

    Giinagay Gaagal (Hello Ocean)

    I’m always delighted to see new books incorporating First Nations languages. It’s a gentle way to introduce young readers to the multiplicity of cultures and languages that flourished in Australia before colonisation, some of which are still in use or are being revived.

    The illustrations are gorgeous, incorporating the colours of sea and sand.


    Fans of Jackie French will welcome her latest picture book, The Turtle and the Flood, a companion to the wonderful The Fire Wombat. Fire and flood are the bookends of natural disaster events in this country, and our children experience them all too often.

    Learning about how native animals have evolved to survive these events is one way of coming to understand the natural cycles of our land.

    We are introduced to Myrtle the long necked turtle, who can sense a coming flood (even before the rains begin) and makes her long slow climb uphill to a safe spot, out of the reach of the water.

    She is joined by others (snakes, wombats, water dragons, wallabies.) The animals are guided by Myrtle’s wisdom and understanding of her environment.

    There are lovely soft illustrations by Danny Snell which bring Myrtle’s journey to colourful life.


    The third book in my selection is a change of pace. The first in a new series featuring Bunny and Bird, How to Hatch a Dragon is a sweetly hilarious story about the importance of observation and paying attention. The two friends are so engrossed in the instruction booklet that came with their dragon egg that they completely miss most of the action!

    Little ones will get the humour, as they can see in the pictures what’s going on behind Bunny and Bird’s backs.

    Three new books to delight: Giinagay Gaagal, The Turtle and the Flood, and How to Hatch a Dragon are published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in September and October, 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for review copies.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Garden love: ‘In My Garden’ by Kate Mayes & Tamsin Ainslie

    There is a very welcome trend in books for very young readers that focus on the amazing variety of cultures, languages and traditions across the globe, while emphasizing the things we all share.

    In My Garden is a lovely addition to these, celebrating as it does the attractions of the outdoors and nature across a range of landscapes.

    We visit a little girl who lives on a river boat in Laos, another in Australia’s tropical north, a boy in New Zealand who watches over little penguin nests and one who sees the rubble of bombed out buildings in war-torn Syria.

    Other landscapes and gardens are from Iceland, Japan, America, Malawi, Canada, Italy and Brazil.

    No matter where the children live, they are all nurtured by the beauties of nature, even little Sami who holds a pine cone from a garden not far from his apartment, which helps him remember Crocuses, tulips and the great Aleppo pine. That garden is his favourite place. He is remembering something there.

    The pages are filled with detail and colour and are truly lovely. Young children can spend time identifying and perhaps naming the various plants and animals they can find, as they absorb the truth that children are children the world over.

    In My Garden celebrates and honours the role that nature plays in all our lives, no matter where we live.
    It is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in August 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Celebrations: two new picture books for special days

    These two picture books celebrate special days on children’s calendars: Father’s Day and Christmas.

    What My Daddy Loves is a sweet and tender portrayal of the special love between father and child.
    Each double page spread portrays a daddy and his child engaged in all the magical, wild and everyday activities that a small child can imagine.
    The simple text invites repetition while the colourful block pictures by author and artist Raissa Figueroa wryly illustrate the scenes.
    The dads and kids represent a wide variety of shapes, sizes, abilities and interests, and it is notable that they are all people of colour.
    What My Daddy Loves is published in August 2023 by HarperCollins Children’s Books; a good choice for a read-aloud on Father’s Day.

    How the Grinch Lost Christmas is a follow-up to the much-loved classic by Dr Seuss, The Grinch who Stole Christmas. Written in the inimitable style of Dr Seuss by Alistair Heim, with illustrations by Aristides Ruiz, it portrays a reformed Grinch who has grown to love Christmas.

    To show the Whos just how much he has changed, he decides to enter a competition to make the most Christmassy Christmas tree. But when his grand entry takes only second place, he suddenly loses his Christmas spirit.

    It takes a small girl to get the Grinch to re-think and to remember what is the real spirit of Christmas.

    A delightful story about sharing, playing fair and togetherness, The Grinch Who Lost Christmas is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in September 2023.

    My thanks to the publishers for review copies of these books.