Saving Shark Pup by Sharon Dalgleish. Illus. by Amandine Thomas
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761182013. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Based on a true event of the time a shark pup washed up on the shores of Manly Beach, this captivating story will change how you might think about great white sharks. Told with a sense of urgency, this narrative will give the reader an insight into this feared shark from the perspective of a lost shark pup whom many will help to survive.
Washed up and in distress on Manly Beach, the pup is taken numerous times back out to sea. Unable to reorient itself in the sea, the pup is taken firstly to a shallow sea pool where he is unsettled and then to a deep pool where he spends the night with two human carers. All of this has been done quickly using a scissor net, chain mail gloves, a tub, transportation and dedicated staff from the Sea Life Sanctuary Rescue team. After a check-up and some vital injections, the pup is taken and released out in the ocean far from the shoreline. He fortunately finds his sense of direction and continues on his way.
Throughout this engaging narrative, the author shares interesting and relevant facts about great white sharks written in a smaller font. This combined with the striking watercolour illustrations, allows this book to be an enjoyable and fascinating read.
Themes Sharks, Danger, Safety, Human Contact, Facts, Sea Life Sanctuary, Rescue, Conservation, Narrative Non-fiction.
Kathryn Beilby
Red star rebels by Amie Kaufman
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761182556. (Age:12+) Highly recommended.
A front cover that states 'This is life or death…Probably death’, and has Mars as the background, immediately drew me in, especially as I am a fan of the sci-fi that Amie Kaufman has written or co-authored (Aurora cycle and Unearthed series). My reading slump was over as soon as I read the first two short chapters that introduced Hunter, a mega rich boy who wanted to be reunited with his mother and sister on Mars, and Cleo, a poor stowaway, trying to evade the people who chasing her to repay the medical debts that had been incurred when her father was dying. They find themselves marooned when the check-in station is evacuated because of the threat of a toxin and to their horror discover that it is a plot for mercenaries to take over and plant a bomb. They have 8 hours to escape and save themselves and others on the planet.
Kaufman deftly keeps the suspense at a high-octane level, telling Cleo and Hunter’s back stories in short alternative chapters, as the pair use their skills to keep ahead of the mercenaries. Cleo knows the space station and where to hide, while Hunter has the tech skills to override some of the station’s computer system. Cleo is initially wary of trusting Hunter, whose family owns the greedy corporation that first colonised Mars, but sparks fly as they face danger together, with the clock ticking down the hours and minutes until the space station blows.
Some unexpected twists add to the enjoyment of Red Star Rebels and readers may like to think about the ethics surrounding big corporations and space expansion. Fans who have enjoyed other series by Kaufman will be thrilled with the adventure and readers new to the sci-fi genre are sure to enjoy it.
Themes Science fiction, Adventure, Mars, Romance.
Pat Pledger
The kid's guide to speaking your mind without losing your cool by Matt Agnew
Allen & Unwin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761182266. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
“The reason I’ve written this book…is because we are meeting people with very different views to our own much more often than at any other time in human history …due to technology…our encounters are hugely inflated by access to the internet and social media…an ‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality is more strongly pushed by technology that didn’t exist a couple of decades ago..” p5
The Kid's Guide to Speaking Your Mind Without Losing Your Cool is an important book to read. Written by Dr Matt Agnew, a popular author and commentator on TV and radio including appearances on The Morning Show, ABC News Breakfast and ABC Melbourne, this book is one which upper primary and secondary schools may want to purchase for staff, students, and libraries.
From the very beginning of the book, the detailed discussion is carefully curated with humour, accessible language, and blocks of ‘Brain Breaks’ to separate the text, in order to provide appeal to a range of preteen to teen age groups.
After the introductory pages which answers the question, Do you want to win an argument?, the book then expands on the response. Starting with Part 1 Setting the scene which has two important chapters: Nature vs nurture and What about the social media algorithm? These chapters delve deeply into how we end up being the person we are with the beliefs we have, and the growing influence of social media.
Part 2 discusses Having an argument in comprehensive detail with chapter headings:
· How do you know what’s true and what’s false?
· What if you’re right and your friend is wrong?
· How can you argue without getting into a fight?
· Do you have to agree with your friends?
· Can you change your mind?
Part 3 Caring for yourself and others looks at regulating your emotions and supporting someone who disappears ‘down a rabbit hole.’
My brief review does not do this book justice. It is full of valuable, current, and relevant insights not only for children and teachers but parents/carers would benefit from exploring the content. Matt Agnew has a remarkable talent for sharing his knowledge in a way that feels fresh, engaging, and easy to understand. An essential read.
Themes Arguments, Understanding, Compromise, Friends, Problem solving, Critical Thinking Skills, Debate, Public Speaking.
The wonderful Mr McGee is nearly forty years old, first published in December, 1987 and the first of a series of eight books starring the eponymous McGee. Each is hilarious, prompting loads of laughter from the audience as they watch his antics, told with wonderfully descriptive language and filled with beautiful illustrations.
He lives under a tree, more conventional houses can be seen in the background. After he wakes he gets dressed, remembering to feed the cat and collect his hat along the way. The clever, brave Mr McGee is now ready to face the day. Told in verse form, kids will love predicting the rhyming words, and after hearing it a few times will be able to read along with the reader calling out familiar lines that they like. Who could resist yelling out,
‘I’m brave and I’m clever, I’M MR MCGEE.’
Over the page he finds an apple, and peels it carefully, eating it with glee. He finds that he becomes airborne. Up and up he goes, through the branches of the tree until he flies over the town nearby. He calls out, ‘LOOK AT ME!’ to the populace. As a bird flies by it spies Mr MrGee as good for lunch and begins to peck at him. Mr McGee deflates, and falls back to earth, through the branches of the tree and onto his bed, landing on his head. Just where he started from.
Reading out loud is a treat as the delicious words roll off the tongue, each line ending with a rhyming word to the delight of the audience. And there is an array of detail for little fingers to point out. Mr McGee will enchant everyone.
Themes Humour, Mr McGee.
Fran Knight
Let’s make an adventure by Carrie Gallasch. Illus. by Kïa Hing Fay
Little Book Press, 2026. ISBN: 9781923141216. (Age:3+) Recommended.
This new release picture book provides a wonderful glimpse into the lives of two young children who are showing signs of boredom. Rather than turning to technology or adults to provide them with something to do, they use their imagination to create exciting adventures using everyday items found at home. For example, a colander becomes a hat, a dog bed becomes a safe place under a table with a tablecloth door, a suitcase becomes a horse, a washing basket becomes a boat, cushions become a train. Each of the new methods of transport take the children to different places where they can see familiar creatures, clearly labelled to encourage word recognition. The illustrations by Kia Hing Fay, known for her playful cut-paper style, use simple shapes and bold colour to share the joy of play and movement across the pages.
Throughout the narrative, the children converse and chatter about where they are going, what they are doing, and what they are seeing. The use of repetitive rhyme enables young readers to join in and imagine what they might see. For example,
To the jungle, to the jungle, just you and me. To the jungle, to the jungle, and what will we see?
For Early Years teachers and parents, Let’s Make an Adventure is a perfect book to read aloud. It may spark imagination, inspire children to invent their own adventures, and change those ‘I’m bored’ moments into bursts of playful fun.
Kathryn Beilby
Freddie Jones: the mystery of the troublesome trees by Kate Foster
‘Troublesome trees’ make for a fantasy-based mystery, sure to draw in young readers, but there is also plenty of factual information about cassowaries and the Daintree rainforest to inform those curious about the natural world. Find out about golden orb spiders, lizards, crocodiles, butterflies, birds, and of course the seed-pooping flightless cassowary.
I love how the interaction between Freddie and his assistance dog Hobnob is depicted. It enlightened me as to the difference a reassuring animal connection can make to an autistic person, along with earphones to block out over-the-top sensory stimulation and sign language to communicate distress. The reader gets to understand how overwhelming the ordinary environment might become to the sensory-sensitive autistic child. And it’s not only the child; Freddie’s Grandma Lilly is an adult that is surely a bit on the spectrum. But what a lot of fun she is!
This is definitely a book to be recommended for primary school libraries, raising awareness about neurodivergence, in a format that will be attractive to all young readers. There’s a mystery to be solved. The clues eventually come together, thanks to the detective team of Freddie, Grandma Lilly and the trusty Hobnob. Kate Foster promises another Freddie Jones adventure to come.
Trying to find the start of the problem and somewhere to lay the blame for the murder they commit, two teenage sisters consider colonialism, the splitting of India and Pakistan, the splitting of identity in their interracial family, the splitting of brown from white in the classroom and in the small rural American town, and the splitting of themselves. Georgie Ayyar and her sister Agatha Krishna have always been ‘Other’, the brown girls from somewhere else.
Nina McConigley’s novel describes a year in the lives of the two girls, but the chronological sequence is also interspersed with conversation direct to the reader dispelling predictable expectations of this story of immigrant isolation in a rural setting. They are an Indian American family, but there are no mangoes, saris, ubiquitous spicy food, wild animals, poverty, exotic religion, cows etc. but there is brownness, the Other, and what happens when people are split.
The sisters Georgie and Agatha Krishna are close, united by their shared experience growing up ‘Other’ in an unattractive part of Wyoming. Then when their mother’s much loved younger brother, Vinny Uncle, and his family come from India to live with them, their lives are disrupted. Vinny Uncle brings another kind of splitting, a secret that they are not to share with anyone, a secret that leads them to planning his murder.
McConigley deals with serious issues but she cleverly manages to bring a bit of lightheartedness and humour by including conversations with the reader, step-by-step instructions and lists, and best of all, the kind of teen magazine quizzes that everyone has been drawn into at some time: how to know if a boy likes you; how to know if you’re ready for a sexual relationship; is he bad for you; do you have what it takes to kill?
I was completely absorbed in this novel with its unusual approach to a much explored theme of sexual abuse. McConigley manages to do something completely different. She absolutely captures the turmoil of the girls’ experience, the silent cries of [Help me] and [Mayday! Mayday!] inserted in the text. The novel as a whole is an adventurous and original approach that works really well. I could easily read it all over again. Highly recommended.
Themes Colonialism, Race, Indian people, Sexual abuse, Murder, Sisters.
Helen Eddy
Crocodiles up close by Lisa McLellan
Wild Dog Books, 2026. ISBN: 9781742037073. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Young children love crocodiles and this beautifully photographed non-fiction book will be a popular one for borrowing from a school or public library. The full page colour photographs are surrounded by both large black and white text providing independent readers with some fascinating facts.
Crocodiles are found on most continents on Earth except Europe and Antarctica. They are semiaquatic but prefer mostly water in tropical climates. In Australia they are know as saltwater crocodiles that they can grow up to six metres, and freshwater crocodiles that grow up to three metres in length. On other continents they have different names. Crocodiles are covered in scales, have clawed feet and webbed toes on their back feet. There is further information about their various habitats, feeding habits, birthing of the hatchlings as well as their important cultural meaning for First Nations people.
Crocodiles in Australia are now protected and while they are feared they are a vital part of the ecosystem. In the final pages of the book is a valuable glossary of the bold capitalised words spread throughout the book.
In plenty of time for Easter, this charming new picture book by award-winning South Australian children’s author Janeen Brian, is a perfect read-aloud for young children. Full of clever and creative rhyme sharing interesting facts about bilbies, this engaging tale will be enjoyed by both young and old.
I have a whiskery sniffer-snout. It pokes out from my face. I search in scrub for seeds and grubs, or insects about the place.
There is also a simple but important environmental message coming through the narrative for young readers which may encourage further discussion.
The holes I dig for burrows in land where hot winds blow, let in the air and help prepare, so seeds that fall can grow.
The vibrant, full-page illustrations by Lucinda Gifford enrich the narrative and vividly evoke the colourful Australian ecosystem that bilbies call home. Some inquisitive birds pop up throughout the story adding warmth and gentle humour to each scene.
Are you the Easter Bunny? will be a wonderful addition to a home, school or public library. If you purchase one Easter picture book this year, I highly recommend this one. It is just delightful.
Themes Bilbies, Easter, Rhyme, Facts, Australian Environment.
The second in The Squad series, following Perfect cover, is another fun read starring Toby Klein, the unlikely cheerleader, who is leading a double life as a member of the elite varsity cheer squad and a government operative. This requires a lot of balancing - learning new skills as an athletic cheerleader, surviving the glitter of makeovers, being nominated for homecoming and trying to work out what dangerous crime is about to go down in Bayport. Is it a terrorist plot? Can the Squad work out who is trying to sell a dangerous weapon? Will Toby survive the machinations of Noah her brother who is determined that she will be homecoming queen?
Once again, the snarky comments from Toby, shining a light on life at Bayport High, are hilarious. Noah produces some incredible stunts promoting Toby for homecoming queen which provide even more hilarity, and Jack Peyton proves that he is more than just the most eligible bachelor in the school. Her slow burning feelings for Jack are also fun to follow.
Toby’s hacking skills come to the fore in Killer spirit, and the action becomes tense as she finds herself in some very dangerous spots with her team members having to rescue her. This helps her gradually begin to trust the squad and get to know their backgrounds and skills.
Ideal for summer reading, Killer spirit is likely to take readers on a wonderful escape with teenage spies facing danger, cheerleaders dominating the school and homecoming events causing chaos with relationships.
Themes Mystery, Espionage, Cheer leaders.
Pat Pledger
A speedy sloth Christmas by Rebecca Young & Heath McKenzie
On Christmas Eve, the Sloth family is waiting in their brightly festooned festive tree, wrapping their presents and making gingerbread sloths to share. Spike and Dash are asleep on the treetop, when they hear a loud noise. The sleigh has crashed, Santa is asleep in the back, while an elf has been driving the sleigh, hence the accident. Spike decides to help, even though she is slow, and takes them all down to a speedboat, and from this vehicle, they race around the bay, distributing presents as they go.
Sneakers are given to the cheetah, while the giraffe is given a very long scarf, the snail is given a skateboard, and the elephant, a shiny new scooter.
The sleigh once repaired goes on its way, the crew transferring from the speedboat. All the people who helped are deeply thanked, and Santa wakes the next morning, wondering what all the fuss has been about.
A delightful story about Christmas and present giving will have wide appeal. The sloth characters will excite interest in these odd creatures, and the presents given to each animal, a cause for a time to stop and ponder the appropriateness of each gift.
Vivacious digital illustrations will entreat younger readers, as they look over the animals and how they are presented. Humour abounds in the text and the illustrations, making it a great book to read and share.
Just in time for Easter 2026, to be processed and placed on library shelves and in the hands of families and children is The first Easter, a companion book to The first Christmas by Melbourne-based author and illustrator. Fresh updates to the collections held in school and local libraries of books on Christianity are overdue and therefore Jess's book is a welcome addition to the number of books published recently on alternate world religions for the consumption of children. Having previously worked in publishing and having children of her own, it is likely that Jess saw this gap in the market. Balance and education is of importance in order to address the lack of knowledge of Australian children about Christianity.
Jess Racklyeft has been awarded for a number of CBCA Picture Books of the Year. The books, well known to schools, are the delightful, Smile cry written by Tania McCartney, Welcome baby written and illustrated by Racklyeft (2020) and Iceberg (2022) written by Claire Saxby and winning Picture book of the year. Iceberg is noted for its "detailed artwork that portrays...3D structure of icebergs." These books need to be sought out if only for their stunning illustrations. The first Easter is illustrated primarily in soft, muted watercolour. The characters appear happy and kind and the backgrounds that they move through are gently whimsical and detailed. Jess has dedicated this book to peace and kindness and she has achieved a peaceful and kind tone. Birds, animals, people and shared food are the subject of the delightful illustrations.
Jess tells the story of Easter in a simple, reliable and accessible way. She explains what Easter means to people and what ceremonies and rituals people have to celebrate it. She begins the narrative with, " A long time ago, in a country far away, a man called Jesus travelled to the big city." Perhaps she thinks that saying Jerusalem would be too much information for young children. Jess narrates the storyline chronologically beginning with Palm Sunday, The Last Supper (using the term "friends" rather than "disciples"), Jesus's crucifixion (just showing images of the crown of thorns and the Cross) and his resurrection on the third day. Jess concludes with the eggs being a symbol of new life..."And that is the story of the first Easter."
This reader agrees with other reviewers that The first Easter is perfect for families, godparents and grandparents wanting a thoughtful introductory book to faith for toddlers and young school age children. It is a good choice for church communities, schools and homes - one that can be reread seasonally. A note in the endpapers informs readers that Easter has been celebrated for over 2000 years all around the world, with slightly different rituals and symbols in different cultures. It also states that Easter celebrations have become part of secular gatherings as people come together to celebrate new life, hope and new beginnings.
The first Easter is a beautiful book with deep meaning written by a well- known, award winning illustrator and emerging young writer. It is recommended as a companion read with The first Christmas.
Each page of this wonderful book has a divided image showing the world under the sea and the world above, which will enchant, enrich and educate the readers. The animals beneath the ocean’s surface swim through each darker blue section of the page while above is seen those things wich kids will eagerly recognise: ships, icebergs, buildings, birds and people. The sea is shown in her many moods and uses.
Each page from the icebergs and polar bears to the fishing boat and singing whales, to the buildings and surfers, to the yachts, holds interest and a diverse array of things to look for. John Canty takes the readers on a journey, initially showing the pristine sea, then a boat appears in the vastness, while later the buildings take up more of the space above the sea surface, while a huge ship seems to take up two pages. When the buildings disappear, we are back looking at the vast ocean but this time with swimmers, surfers and yachts. And on the endpaper, way out at sea, a tanker can be seen on the horizon.
We all share the joys the ocean brings, and the journey readers take in this book will wrap them in a spirit of adventure, and finding out, encouraging further research. They will love looking at the detail of what can be found above and below the sea’s surface. They will ponder the different animals they can see, the buildings and boats, and human intervention.
The illustrations depict a world we all know, but seen from a different perspective, one inviting us to look at the interaction between the world above and the world below. Kids will love the look of each page with its pair of images above and below the water line, and be intrigued with the images as they flow from one page to the next, taking the eye from left to right, with one lone exception, which will encourage thoughts about why. Some of the animals are familiar, and the illustrations will encourage readers to recognise individual characteristics.
I love the way the journey takes the reader to the cities where tankers and cruise ships are common, then back to the more placid use of the sea by individual swimmers, yachts and surfers. A stark contrast.
Themes Fish, Sea, Ocean, Journeys.
Fran Knight
Scarlet morning by N.D. Stevenson
Quill Tree Books, 2025. ISBN: 9780063476165. (Age:Young adult) Recommended.
Scarlet Morning is a rambling nautical fantasy. It revolves around two teenage characters, Viola and Wilmur, who are seemingly orphans and they live in a dull seaside town called Caveat. The town is inundated with salt, the sea is polluted and it feels quite post-apocalyptic. Viola and Wilmur have promised to care for a mysterious book and never part with it. However, one wild stormy night a woman pirate called Captain Cadence Chase turns up demanding this book. Wilmur says Chase can have the book if she takes them with her. After all they are leading boring and meaningless lives. They set off with Chase and a band of pirates by ship across the Dickerson’s Sea and from then on the plot becomes quite frenzied and events grow increasingly bizarre. There is a vast array of good and evil characters and creatures. Viola and Wilmur are separated early on and search for each other. Viola tries to uncover the truth around myths which arose after a calamitous event when there was a huge massacre of pirates. Sometimes she learns these truths through dream-like experiences. The ending comes in a frantic cliff hanger which will inevitably lead to a sequel.
N.D. Stevenson’s terrific illustrations really saved this book for me. They add to the fantasy and succeed in creating an original vivid world. There is so much happening in this quite long novel of 428 pages, and I worked hard to keep track of so many plot details. Stevenson created some interesting but maybe superfluous diversions such as Alias Crowe’s journals. There are times when it is quite creepy and chilling, but there is also quite funny banter between the characters, such as the scene with the hilarious Captain Harricot V. Prickpost. Viola is most certainly a brave heroic female character, and it is refreshing to have women portrayed as pirate captains. Scarlet Morning is suitable for ardent readers of fantasy and graphic novels. Given the complexities, scariness and length of the story, I think it is more suitable for young adults.
Themes Bravery, Loyalty, Pirates.
Jo Marshall
Neeka and the great search by Tina Strachan. Illus. by Max Hamilton
Neeka Wilder is an 11-year-old who has grown up in the Wilder Zoo where her mother is the veterinarian. Neeka and her two friends regularly help out doing behind the scenes tasks and love the constant (occasionally messy) and intriguing jobs that help the zoo run smoothly. But when Neeka’s friends inform her that they will both be away during the school holidays and she will be on her own, she is immediately disconsolate at the news. Fortunately, an unexpected young visitor may help her feel more at ease in the absence of her regular friends. But the new girl initially struggles to fill the void, and Neeka seems to get things wrong in trying to make her fit into zoo life. An injured mother koala and her lost Joey, (after a car accident) prove that the visitor can help in many ways, but Neeka seems to make mistakes in creating a new friendship. Will Neeka be able to be more than an amateur zoo attendant and can she also be a good friend? And how many apologies is enough?
This is a great story for readers aged 9-12 who love animal stories with heart and an overlaid friendship drama. The setting at the zoo and in the veterinarian work life adds a delightful ‘behind-the-scenes’ insight into the hard work and complexities of zoo life. The complications of friendship are also apparent. The challenge of caring for injured animals or searching for a ‘lost’ animal utilising modern technologies is also intriguing for younger readers. This is definitely a book to be recommended for animal lovers and note that the friendship sagas are sweetly resolved.
Themes Zoos, Animals, Koalas, Veterinary care, Friendship, Apologies.
