SKUNK AND BADGER: a new odd-couple read-aloud
I’m always on the lookout for family read-alouds. This is a gorgeous new take on the animal character, odd-couple friendship, in the vein of Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad.
GO AWAY, WORRY MONSTER!: A children’s book about anxiety
It can be hard to find a picture book about anxiety that appeals to kids and isn’t too much like a self-help manual. Go Away, Worry Monster! is highly recommended for anyone dealing personally or professionally with anxious kids.
Ramona Forever: THE ART OF RAMONA QUIMBY
I have to admit I’m a fan of Beverly Cleary, and the Ramona books in particular. So much so that I named my firstborn after that irrepressible young character!
A Grandmother picture book like no other: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING
A review of The Most Beautiful Thing, by Kao Kalia Yang and Khoa Le, a picture book exploring grandparents, family, refugees and poverty.
MY LITTLE OCCULT BOOK CLUB: Perfect gift for lovers of parody, horror and pulp fiction
Book Week may be postponed this year, but never fear, the good old book club order form is still here. But this time with a difference.
FOUND: An interrogative children’s picture book text about the Stolen Generation in Australia
A reader response review of FOUND, children’s picture book about Australia’s Stolen Generation, by award-winning author Bruce Pascoe and debut illustrator Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
BODY TALK: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy
I’ve discovered an anthology about body image, complied by ex-teen librarian and Book Riot contributor, Kelly Jensen. As you’d expect, it’s pitched perfectly at teens.
Dealing with parental mental illness: THE SURPRISING POWER OF A GOOD DUMPLING
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling was one of my favourite books of 2019. It’s a Young Adult contemporary about Anna Chiu, a Chinese-Australian girl growing up in Ashfield, Sydney. She’s in Year 11 at school and trying to cope with average marks, her snarky scholarship-winning sister, Lily, and …
Why this book is not a Useless Object
‘I bought this yesterday and I think it’s totally useless.’ ‘Well, you did purchase a Useless Object…’ p 15 Can’t we all relate to Harvey? He has saved and scavenged coins from behind the couch cushions to buy the latest, greatest whatsit — only to find it’s useless. Consumerism & …
The Stranger in the Bookshop
So a funny thing happened on the way to the computer shop… Climate strikes & masterclasses It was the Friday of the Climate Strikes and I had advised work months before that I was taking the day off. This was before I knew about the strikes and I was feeling …