Pugnacious & Scuttlebutt: Mall Madness is sure to keep the audience laughing with this whirl wind escapades and fun filled fiascos.
Adam Wallace, together with Wayne Bryant’s clever illustrations, deliver another fast-paced, laugh-out-loud adventure in the third instalment of the series. The totally memorable, yet unlucky homeless dogs, Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt, are still on the run; desperately searching for a home while dodging the relentless dog catcher, S.M. Ellybottom.
Believe it or not, Mall Madness finds them in even trickier situations than before. Discovering they are trapped inside a shopping mall and hot on their tails are three security guards, their old nemesis, S.M.Ellybottom, along with an unpredictable and whacky granny. How will they ever get out of this mess?
Wallace masterfully blends humour and suspense, keeping readers on edge as the dogs stumble from one disaster to the next. From heart-pounding chases to laugh-out-loud mishaps, the story is packed with action and comedy galore. Bryant’s brilliant cartoon illustrations compliment and complete the storyline; adding excellent engagement for the audience.
This fabulous short fiction novel is extremely fast paced with a highly energetic and engaging storyline. Filled with loads of fun black and white cartoon pictures, speech text and action, it is a style mixed between a graphic novel and standard novel. This targets a wider audience and will appeal to many. Containing short chapters, large print and a really cool layout, it is a great story for all ages.
Perfect for fans of the Ratbags series by Tim Harris, Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt: Mall Madness is an engaging, fun-filled read that will leave the audience eager for the next adventure. With its mix of action, comedy and heart, this book is a fantastic addition to the series, proving once again that sometimes, even the most mischievous underdogs deserve a happy ending.
From the outside Astrid’s family might look normal. There is a scene that Crawford describes, where Astrid and her mother and father are sitting at a table in a restaurant, and to any observer they must look like the perfect family: there is no distraction of mobile phones, father, mother, and daughter look happy, sharing a family celebration in their local restaurant. But this is the ‘honeymoon phase’, the good time, the apologetic ‘making it up’ time, after the last explosion of tension in a coercive relationship.
Astrid desperately wants to look normal. She is starting the final year of school, after years of homeschooling, because her father’s job has come to an end and her mother needs to work to support them. Mother and daughter have to venture into an outside world that has been shut off until now; and it’s Astrid’s father who’ll be waiting for them when they come home, timetables marked out on the kitchen whiteboard.
This is a story of coercive control. There is no physical violence. But the emotional abuse is terrifying. Crawford never provides details; we can only guess why Astrid flinches every time one of her school mates uses a swear word. What Crawford does do, so masterfully, is portray the fear that rules their household, the tip-toeing in the morning, the neat lining up of plates and cutlery, the anxiety over a burnt roast, the vegetables not at exactly the right temperature, the bits of rubbish hastily gathered from the street after the bin collection, all the things that have to be just right or it might trigger the explosion of hate and anger mother and daughter so dread.
The other scene that resonates so powerfully is when Astrid’s school friend Cathy comes to dinner, and Astrid’s father is so charming and accepting of the friendship; what could possibly be Astrid’s problem, why would she be so fearful about visitors to her family? It’s a façade that outsiders don’t see beyond, ignorant of the tension below the surface.
Astrid makes friends at school and while Cathy and Leila both share confidences with her, Astrid is never able to let people in to what is happening in her home. It’s a form of isolation that is so difficult to break down. Crawford writes in her note to the reader that that this was an isolation that she grew up with, and decided to share, in order to help others. There are links to support services at the end of the book.
Crawford’s debut novel is winner of the inaugural Walker Books Manuscript Prize 2024. It is an absolutely absorbing novel, eye-opening and sincere, an incredibly important insight into a kind of abuse that still hides in our society. It is written from a young person’s point of view, in a way that is not too overt, but can only open conversations that are desperately needed. Highly recommended.
Another in the series of fine books by Helen Milroy, a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia will be eagerly picked up by little hands. A comfortable size, bright vivid illustrations and images of babies all create instant appeal.
Helen shows the reader the range of Australian animals and their offspring, framed by the environment in which they thrive. The front cover presents the baby animal: koala, kangaroo and so on, predicting what will be found when the book is opened, creating a sense of anticipation. Inside each double page offers a baby animal, surrounded by stunning illustrations. As each page is turned, young children will hear the rhyming sequence and predict the rhyming word on the next page.
While the Bilby points his toes Wombat waddles to and fro.
Each pair of rhyming lines gives information about the animal depicted, adding to the knowledge base of the very young. And kids will pick out their favourites; mine is the little sugar glider depicted opposite Helen’s photo and short biography on the near to last page.
Helen has written and illustrated an impressive range of books, all aimed at younger readers, encouraging them to know more about the environment in which they live, using stunning paintings as the backdrop. Children will love the vibrant endpapers, enticing the readers to seek out all the animals depicted.
Themes Aboriginal stories, Aboriginal art, Australian animals, Humour, Verse.
Fran Knight
Song of a blackbird by Maria van Lieshout
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181795. (Age:12-17, Adult) Recommended.
This beautiful graphic novel has the reader engaged at once. The fold-out maps of Amsterdam 1943 at the front and ‘today’ at the back, immediately establish the setting. The stylized blackbird and buildings on the cover are repeated and stand out against the limited palette of reds and grey greens through the book. The five prints of significant buildings give structure to the narrative which switches back and forth between then and now. The story begins in 2011 when Annick’s oma, Johanna, who has raised her, is sick and needs a bone marrow transplant, but when tested she finds her siblings are not biologically related to her or Annick. In a bid to find the biological family Annick starts to question Oma about her childhood but all she can remember is their home being bombed when she was four. The only things she has from her childhood are five prints of Amsterdam buildings; there is a scribbled message on the first print, a link to Amsterdam 1943. It is a print of the Dutch Theatre which became a deportation centre for Jews and through a mix of graphics and photographs from the time we are introduced to Emma at her college where the teacher is leading a class discussion about propaganda, critical thinking and questioning. He later reveals to Emma and two friends that he is involved in the resistance and that there are multiple ways they can help fight the Nazis. They get involved with smuggling Jewish children away from the deportation centre to be fostered instead of being shipped to the death camps, if discovered they would face death. Meanwhile, in 2011 at the memorial to those deported, Annick makes the connection between one of her Oma’s prints and the child smuggling and fostering. With the help of the blackbird as narrator, much like the character Death in The Book Thief, we follow Emma and Annick’s journeys, to fight for humanity and find family. In an added dimension the story is included of the forging of millions of guilder’s worth of treasury bonds to fund the resistance. At the end we are given a factual summary of the people and places behind the story as well as the resistance photographers who risked their lives to document Amsterdam under Nazi occupation. Art is central to the retelling and remaking of this story, keeping the memories of those times alive. I particularly liked the way the making of the copper plate etching process tied together the forging of papers for the resistance and the artwork that leads to Annick finding her biological family. An uplifting book which will reward any reader.
Themes Nazi occupation, Amsterdam, Art, Printing, Resistance.
Sue Speck
Little bones by Sandy Bigna
University of Queensland Press, 2025. ISBN: 9780702268878. (Age:10-14) Highly recommended.
Bones is a collector. She has a curious interest in bones (hence her unusual name), animal parts and other scientific strangenesses. She is also grieving the loss of a brother, Nico, who had pursued his own curious interests. Friendship has been difficult for Bones since Nico’s death. The arrival of a new potential friend at the same time as she accidentally ‘resurrects’ the skeletal remains of a small bird, sets her on the path to her own re-imagining as she seeks to undo a ‘cursed life’.
This is a sad story, a story of grief and pain, set in a girl’s life as she leaves childhood behind, but in difficult circumstances. And yet, there is a fluttering of hope in the story. There is an introduction of a ‘curse’ in a supernatural way, which distinguishes this story from others dealing with grief and loss. This is done in a strangely delicate manner, although tears are possible. Written in prose poetry, there is a delightful lyrical quality to the writing. Friendship issues are addressed in a believable way. There are some quirks to characters - the new scraggly-haired friend is addressed in non-gendered they/them references, and this is intriguing without being a statement (and their dumpster diving is also unique); the housing commission apartments house a gentle ex-convict, a vibrant artist escaping difficult circumstances and Bones’ own multi-generational family who have struggles and fractures that do not impede love. This is charming and can be recommended for young readers, aged 10-14, who can cope with the weightiness of grief mixed with a light dusting of mystical/magical intrigue, and the detritus of life and its re-imagining. Teacher's notes are avaialble.
(Note: This may be triggering for readers who have fresh grief to bear.)
Themes Grief and loss, Skeletons, Collections, Friendships, Bullying, Prose poetry.
Carolyn Hull
Lobsters can't knit by Karla Courtney and Nicholas John Frith
Lobster can do lots of things: he can eat enough for three stomachs, swim forwards and backwards, and will always win at arm wrestling. But he lives deep in the ocean where it is very cold and he wants a jumper, one with long sleeves to keep him warm. Other sea animals give him lots of reasons why this is impossible. Octopus tells him he has too many arms and Shrimp points out that claws are not made for knitting. But Lobster keeps trying. He unsurprisingly makes a mess and scurries off home, throwing away his knitting efforts, but his fishy friends retrieve the wool and the needles and encourage him to try again. Each animal is given a specific task to do with the knitting. Octopus finds he is a clever knitter, Crab can ball up the wool, and Lobster is adept at cutting. Together they make Lobster a jumper, and several of the other animals have a knitted piece of clothing as well.
A warm hearted look at trying to become skilled at something, Lobster at first throws away his efforts but is encouraged by his friends to try again, with them helping out. A team effort results in Lobster having a warm jumper.
Illustrations with a retro look of books produced in the fifties are most amusing, showing a determined group of sea creatures struggling to help their friend. The pastel colours are a delight, and the endpapers covered with an array of sea creatures will intrigue younger readers.
Lots of laughter will accompany the reading of this story. The animals trying to create knitting is just hilarious, and seeing them eventually covered in woolly pieces will evoke much fun, while the individual animals, see the Crab and the Seahorse, look absolutely charming in their onesies.
A nod to pollution on the sea bed will attract readers’ attention and the information given about a lobster will be absorbed and checked.
Karla’s website has more fun with the readers, showing an array of knitted lobsters as well as information about the author.
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781760631673. (Age:14+) Recommended.
Page Whittacker is thrilled when she is given a scholarship to go to Agathion College, an elite school in the moors of Scotland. She needs to get away from her old life which has been destroyed by a strange incident, leaving her friendless and isolated. She hopes that the College with its mind-over-body philosophy and emphasis on academic achievement will give her a fresh start and she does find a refuge in the library and the intense reading program. She even makes friends with a diverse group of students, Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak, who have formed a tight group, with secrets they are keeping from her. And there is a dark atmosphere in the College. Page is uncertain if the staff can be trusted and there is evidence of a secret society and magical rituals.
The first half of the book is gripping as Wilkinson vividly describes the brooding atmosphere of the gothic College building and the isolation of the moors. It is easy to relate to Page who has a deadly secret and desperately wants to fit into life at the College. She must navigate the difficult curriculum, while trying to work out what is happening with the magisters and gain the trust of some of the students, especially Oak, with whom she feels a special bond. The second half of the book moves into a fantastical realm, with supernatural elements and dangerous ceremonies. Page has to use her intelligence and courage to overcome the conspiracies that Agathion College has hidden for generations.
Fans of dark academia will revel in Unhallowed Halls and will wait impatiently for the next fantasy by Wilkinson. Meanwhile older readers might like to read the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik or The secret history by Donna Tartt. Teacher's notes are available.
The world needs the wonder you see by Joanna Gaines
Tommy Nelson, 2025. ISBN: 9781400247417. (Age:3+)
Joanna Gaines takes children on an imaginary journey through their environment, reminding them to be curious, to look closely at what is around them, to admire, to question, to discuss. They are invited to take part in a journey and when readers wonder about where this might take them, the children open a box full of equipment that is necessary for adventures. Readers will have fun picking out the hardware needed for particular environments. One uses a magnifying glass to look more closely at a trail of ants, another dons Wellington boots and splashes through a puddle, seeing the animals that live them. Others run through a forest, seeing nothing but trees, while some look more closely and see that animals and plants that survive there. Some splash through the ocean seeing nothing but the sea, while others dive down to see an amazing array of plants and animals. Similarly, some look at the sky seeing distant lights while others make those lights into shapes that tell stories.
There is a world of possibilities waiting to be seen and shared, and the more one looks, asks questions and shares the information, the more we can find out about our environment. Sharing this awe and wonder brings us closer together, becoming more aware of the environment and its needs.
Colourful illustrations cover each page, entreating the readers to look more closely and see all the animals and plants they can find. The images inspire children to read the book together and discuss what they see on each page, then go out into their environment to take these skills with them.
Themes Environment, Plants, Animals, Discovery.
Fran Knight
All shall mourn by Ellie Marney
Black Hand Press, 2025. ISBN: 9780648425830. (Age:Senior secondary - Adult) Recommended.
What a thrilling and frightening conclusion to None Shall Sleep and Some shall break!All shall mourn sees Simon Gutmunsson living in Morocco with his twin sister Kristin. The FBI are desperate to find this cold manipulative serial killer and seek out Emma Lewis to use as bait to lure him back to the USA. Officials in the FBI are certain that they can outsmart Gutmunsson but he always is a step ahead of them. But Emma knows the mind of the serial killer and trusts her instincts about him. Meanwhile Travis Bell has been gradually recovering from the injuries sustained in the last investigation and knows that he cannot allow Emma to go along with the FBI plan without him. Together they face the danger that the insane Gutmunsson brings to the chase and make one final dangerous attempt at capturing him.
The reader gets to know more about Travis’ character and motivation as he lives quietly on his uncle's ranch and then takes up the challenge of bringing Gutmunsson to justice. He must decide whether the FBI is where his future lies or whether he wants a quieter life. Emma is gradually coming to terms with her horrific past experiences and is beginning to let down her emotional barriers and the pair’s relationship is a highlight of the book.
Ellie Marney certainly knows how to write a suspenseful and scary thriller. She grabs the reader’s attention with a taut plot that at times was so dark that I had to leave the story. However I was always very involved in finding out the fate of Emma and Travis and I kept returning to the book. The final outcome brought the series to a satisfying conclusion - then there was a mind-blowing last entry!
Older teen readers and adults who enjoy tales like The silence of the lambs and The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes will find this series riveting. However it is not for the faint-hearted.
Themes Murderers, Serial killers, Criminal investigation.
A board book for lots of little fingers to touch, hold and clutch with impunity, while singing, dancing and signing along with the energetic Emma Memma. Entertainer Emma brings music, dance and singing to the attention of little readers, enhancing the forms of communication they are familiar with and broadening their experiences. Waffle the wombat watches as Emma and her friend, Elvin sign ‘twirly Tuesday’ then show him what to do. Emma goes first, standing on her toes, as she counts one, two three and sets her body twirling. Elvin next signs ‘twirly Tuesday’, then sets his body in a twirl, twirling his hands around and around. BB Butterfly comes along, showing her twirling style, fluttering as she twirls. The cheeky goats, Go and Go, then make an appearance, using a tree stump to twirl around. Waffles tries to copy the twirl, but as his burrow is very narrow, he must do it carefully and slowly. He sees the goats having fun through his window and decides to join in the fun. He asks Emma for help in working out how to twirl and she shows him that he should bend his knees, jump and twirl. He practises this method and soon the whole group is twirling together in Twirly Tuesday.
Bright, fun filled pages will greet young readers as they open this book. The signing is clear and neatly incorporated into the story, and readers will want to practise the new words, especially when linked with the movements shown in the book, encouraging younger readers to get up and dance.
Another in the books about Emma Memma will be eagerly received. Easy to hold, durable and colourful, this is an entertaining and informative book for the very young.
Readers who enjoyed The glasshouse will thoroughly enjoy this latest book by Buist and Simsion. It has the same central group of characters, trainee psychiatrists who went through the Acute Unit, and who are now in different departments. Hannah Wright is now in the psychiatry training program in an outpatient clinic. Some of the patients she sees are carried over from her time in Acute, others are new. She continues to be answerable to Professor Gordon who pushes for her to undergo private therapy for her hesitancy around dealing with suicidal cases.
It all sounds very serious but the authors have an amazing way of imbuing many of the stories with a sense of the absurd, beginning with the opening chapter about patients in the Extended Care unit escaping via a rope ladder over a wall while the actual intended escapee calmly walks out the front doors amidst all the chaos. The escapee patient’s name is DJ Voices and her accomplice is Frodo.
Each chapter begins with an often quite bizarre situation, and then the background to each case is gradually revealed as Hannah works to diagnose the problem. The stories are completely absorbing as complex personal dynamics are revealed. Cases range from family dysfunction, child abuse, emotional abuse, schizophrenia, narcissism . . . the list goes on. Threaded throughout is Hannah’s gradual realisation that she has her own childhood trauma to work through. And there are problems in the relationships between staff as well. As Hannah’s group of colleagues debrief together we learn about all the challenges of an overloaded medical system.
The book has the ability to appeal to a range of readers; there is a bit of romance, mysteries to solve, detective-like piecing together the clues in psychiatric cases, realistic workplace relationships and conflicts, and lots of cutting humour. Some cases deal with adolescent issues, others deal with adults, but often with links back to childhood traumas. There is something there for everyone, but especially for those interested in mental health. The oasis can be read as a stand-alone, but if you haven’t read The Glasshouse, I would recommend that one as well.
Cuddles is an inside dog. He loves being where it is warm in winter and cool in summer, where he has a snuggly bed, can sleep on the lounge, have tummy rubs and is given wonderful food. But one day as his family packs to go away on holiday, Cuddles is taken to a farm for his holiday. He is most put out, as he usually goes to a doggy daycare centre where he expects to get a hair cut, shampoo, and nails clipped.
But as the car turns into a track to an isolated farm house, he is dismayed to see other dogs and none of the comforts he is used to. The first night he scratches at the door, only to be told that here he is an outside dog.
Cuddles remembers advice he was given, to give things a try, and so scoots off running across the paddock. But he gets very tired. The three other dogs are good with the sheep, but Cuddles cannot make them do anything he wants. Their food is hard, and he finds it difficult sleeping on their rough hessian beds.
He finds a paddock of alpacas, and decides to herd them, heeding the advice to give things a try. They bare their teeth at him and he is forced to move away, getting a seed impaled in his paw. The three farm dogs appear. They take no time herding the alpacas away from Cuddles. They take him to the house paddock where they lick the seed from his paw.
Sleeping together that night, Cuddles feels warmed by their bodies, and is safe and secure. He gets up with the sun and finds their food more to his liking. The three teach him how to herd the sheep, how to find shade for sleeping, and when his family turns up to take him home, he is not so sure. Back home he is still an inside dog, but now he has retrieved the ball thrower and the leash which he had hidden some time ago, and is ready for outside adventure too. He feels brave enough to do more than being just an inside dog.
Wonderful illustrations will be closely perused by the readers as they spot the different facial antics of Cuddles, reflecting his feelings. Children will sympathise with the dog, affronted at being somewhere totally new and having to adapt, and watch his transformation through the illustrations. I love the shadows, the lovely sofa, the creepy alpacas, the cute farmhouse, and Cuddles sleeping with the other dogs. Each page made me stop and think, pondering situations where change was imminent and how it was accepted.
Children will think about changes in their own lives and how they reacted, how they adapted to the change and whether they accepted it and rolled with it, or found it difficult. The words given to Cuddles stands out as a rule to live by, ‘give it a try’.
Peter May returns to the Hebrides in his latest book starring Fin Mcleod. The body of Caitlin, a young TV star, has been found on a remote beach at the head of the Black Loch. A strong swimmer and canoeist, it is unlikely that she drowned and further investigation shows that it is murder. Fin’s married son Fionnlagh had been having an affair with Caitlin and is accused of the murder. With his wife Marsaili, Fin rushes back to help clear his name.
Although the 4th in the series it was easy to read as a stand-alone. May spends a lot of time revisiting Fin’s past as a boy and young man in the isolated community. The reader learns about the gang of teenagers who stole salmon from Niall’s father’s salmon farm and the death by drowning of one of the boys. There may be a link to the present murder and past relationships and crimes.
As Fin investigates, he must come to terms with his own past, his work and his relationships. His marriage to Marsaili seems to be faltering and old jealousies arise. His career as a consultant looking at online crime is not good and it is unlikely that he can return to that.
I was fascinated by the background of commercial salmon production and the brooding atmosphere of the island. May had researched the way salmon is farmed and the problems that are faced with sea lice and pollution. It is possible that Caitlin’s death could be linked to malpractices in the industry.
Fans of Peter May’s books are sure to enjoy the thrills, suspense and a surprise twist at the end and are likely to wish to see more of Fin Mcleod.
This is a delightful return to Kirrin Island and the adventurous ‘Famous Five’ of Enid Blyton’s imagination …for a new generation. Three siblings and their dog are sent for a holiday to the home of a relative they are yet to meet. The four modern-day adventurers join up with someone that readers of the original Famous Five will remember, for their own exploration of the Kirrin region that was the site of many Famous Five adventures. When their holiday becomes hijacked by crooks, they discover an old mystery that needs some brave investigating.
This is a delight for all lovers of Blyton’s classic story series. Told from a contemporary perspective, but with a historical Famous Five story embedded in it, the New Famous Five will give new life to a tried-and-true formula for children’s literature. Less humorous than Chris Smith’s Kid Normal, this is just an adventurous tale with kids that are less independent than the original series, but still able to pursue solving a mystery. Readers aged 8-12 will enjoy this reading adventure. It is possible to not have read the original series first, but some references make more sense if this book is read after at least one of the original classic stories. Independent readers will find this is just as easy to devour as the original book series, and just as endearing. I am assuming that Chris Smith and the publishers are about to launch more in this series, and resurrect joy in Enid Blyton’s adventurous stories for children in the process.
Magical realism at its best, with plenty of magical thinking, intergenerational family curses, and miraculously close calls with death, in this YA novel by Jandy Nelson.
In the wine-growing towns of northern California, the youngest generation of the Fall family of vignerons, bakers and world-wide wanderers, Dizzy, Miles and Wynton are all, in their own ways, grieving their absent father. When they are each plucked from a potentially fatal situation, they become enchanted with their ‘angel’, a charismatic young girl, Cassidy, who fortuitously appears with multi-coloured hair and smelling of flowers, at exactly the right time to save them and then help them unravel their convoluted family tree.
Getting to know them, she begins telling them stories, ‘back in the time of forever,’ and the three are spell-bound, drawn into her enigmatic orbit. Cassidy’s stories parallel the Fall’s family histories and soon the real and the imagined are so intertwined that it is hard to tell them apart. After a while our sense of disbelief is so well suspended, that it is easy to accept boys who need stones on their pockets to stop themselves floating away, girls who sprout wings, or dogs who speak telepathically to their humans.
For more than five generations, negligent fathers and bitter rivalries between brothers have cursed the families, and lovers have had to make heart-breaking choices. Miles, Wynton and Dizzy are not immune to these jinxes, while Cassidy has her own share of heartache with a wild hippy mother struggling with addictions and depression. As more of the backstory is revealed, we slowly discover who Cassidy is and why she knows the Fall family stories so well.
This is a modern fairy-tale, beautifully written with alternating chapters written by, to, or about the main characters. Notebook entries, newspaper clippings, emails and phone call transcripts interleave the main chapters and add depth to the stories.
Tangled relationships involve drug use, mental illness and depression, parental abandonment and emotional and physical abuse. From the pov of various players, Nelson explores intergenerational trauma and pain, and how love can (sometimes) overcome this.
An engrossing read, made challenging by the sheer number of characters across many generations, and the constant shifting between the real and the magical. Thank goodness for the illustrated family tree at the end! Teacher's notes and recipes are available.
