Guest Post: Diana Mercedes Howell on There Is No Wrong Way To Write Fiction

As long as you sit down, put one word in front of the other, never give up, and find a way to navigate the barren days or weeks (Hopefully not that long) between 'I am out of ideas' or 'I don’t want to think about this book anymore!' and the dawn of renewed faith in yourself and your vision…there is no wrong way to do it.

My writing style is willy nilly. I write children’s novels and poetry. Children’s novels demand imagination, well-crafted sentences, suspense, humor, intrigue, and a satisfying resolution that ties all the ends together.

Review: Six Summers Of Tash And Leopold

This coming of age story by award-winning author of The Year The Maps Changed Danielle Binks, is an adventure, a treat and a heartwarming story all rolled into one.

But now it’s the last week of year six and Tash is standing in Leo’s front yard with a misdelivered letter – and a favour to ask. It’s a request that will set off a chain of events in Noble Park, their little suburb that is changing, and fast…

A big, hopeful coming-of-age middle-grade book that features complicated families and life-changing summers.

Tash and Leo have been friends forever, until they’re not (one day, Tash simply starts hanging out with different kids and Leo is left wondering what he did, what he said, and why he was dropped like a hot potato). 

Review: Ethel the Penguin

Penguins are cute and cuddly, at least if cartoons are to be believed. 

In Ethel the Penguin, with its rhyming text and bright pictures, you’ll
met a penguin who lives in a semi-detached iceberg next door to her best friend. 

Ethel goes to school and often does what’s least expected. 

When Ethel decides she wants to ride a ferris wheel, and takes off without eating dinner, her parents can’t believe it. When they find her atop the ferris wheel Ethel doesn’t want to come down. She loves it.

Junior Review: The Grandest Game

Jennifer Lynn Barnes has really hit it off with this one! The return of favourite characters and new additions are back in a brand new spin-off series of the Inheritance Games.

This new young adult novel is exploding with dramatic tension and mystery. Secretive characters, challenging rivals, impossible puzzles and many dark secrets are combined to create an addictive novel, The Grandest Game.

In an annual game run by Avery Grambs and the four Hawthorne brothers, seven tickets are on offer for the chance of a lifetime. 

On an island of dreams, romance is simmering between characters and lives are at stake in this deadly game. Daunting choices are made, creating plot twists until the very last page.

Review: Cheese!

In an exploration of cheeses from around the world, stunning end pages introduce us, in a novel way through spectacular images by Beatrice Cerocchi, to the mouth-watering cheeses from countries known for these delicacies.

Felice Arena’s use of rhyming verse in delightful rhythm, makes you want to settle down with fresh pasta smothered in grated cheese, crackers with the cheese of your choice, or

Review: Myke Mollard's Mini to Maxi

Myke Mollard's Mini to Maxi is a journey that takes you places you've never been before.

Starting with a brief overview of nature's 'microscopic to monstrous' world, Mini to Maxi moves on to look at cells and the minuscule DNA that's a part of us all.

Each double-page spread leads into the next, with featured organisms and animals growing in size as the book progresses.

Myke Mollard's stunning illustrations are the centrepiece of his books, and what make them so special. Mini to Maxi is no different. 

With detailed, coloured drawings and and labelled cross-sections, you'll delve deep into the world around you.

Review: Party Rhyme

This fold out board-book from the author of Rhyme Cordial and Rhyme Hungry is delightfully surprising and surprisingly funny.

It’s PARTY RHYME!
Put on your PARTY BAT,

enjoy the LIZZIE DRINKS,

but don’t eat too much HAIRY BREAD!

As the name suggests, this book contains delightful jokes and puns, witty rhymes and playful language.

Meet The Illustrator: Natalie Herington

Name: Natalie Herington

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Traditional watercolour, soft natural colours with texture and splats!

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Plants, light, music and my locally made handmade paints.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Watercolour. The day I discovered Ruco hand-made paints I was obsessed.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
There are too many to mention but the books on my desk are by Jeannie Baker I have been captivated by since childhood, Freya Blackwood for their pencil lines and Rod Clement for his accuracy and detail.

Review: The Brightest Christmas Star

The Christmas Star is the narrator of this delightful rhyming picture book full of rhythm and metre. This is Laura Motherway's first book.

From up high, it sees everyone sharing the joy they feel on the eve of the best day of the year. 

It shines for everyone, no matter who or where.

Through the day, the children played in the sun, in water, and on the sand.

A wonderful child-filled double spread full of activity, reflects the freedom and joy youngsters find when on the beach.

Junior Review: Love Requires Chocolate

Ravynn K Stringfield cleverly weaves French touches throughout the novel, giving the reader a deeper insight into life as a student abroad in Paris.

Core character, Whitney Curry has thoroughly prepared herself for a semester abroad, arming herself with the perfect, yet extensive to-do list in order to experience the Paris magic at its best. 

Wanting to live the life of her idol, Josephine Baker, Whitney aims to set foot in all the places she did. Although she feels prepared for this trip, unexpected locations (and people) may leave her ideal trip up to chance.

Determined to keep her love and school life separate, the line between the two gets blurred and both her head and heart are overwhelmed.

Review: Merry Christmas, Little Wombat!

Charles Fuge’s Little Wombat is back in Merry Christmas, Little Wombat! 

Featuring a cast of cute Australian animals – wombat, kangaroo, echidna, platypus – it’s a story about their Christmas traditions. 

Mrs Roo holds a festive lucky dip and the animals each receive musical instruments. There’s a wooden flute, shaker, triangle, tambourine, harmonica, drum, and horn. 

The animals take a musical march to the beach for a Christmas party with food and games. 

The only thing missing is a Christmas tree, but with some dressing up they find a unique solution for that, all while cleaning up the beach.

Review: Summer of Shipwrecks

Sid is eager to begin her yearly camping holidays so she and best friend Lou can go searching for treasure at the Shipwreck Coast at Penlee Point. 

She knows the history of every shipwreck of the area, and always frequents the museum there to get an update from her friend Bobbi.

But this year, Lou has come with her new friend, Hailey, the most popular girl at their school, who is only interested in boys. So, Sid becomes the odd one out.

Eager to please Hailey, Lou seems to fit nicely under the girl’s thumb and agrees with everything she says and suggests. 

Even when it concerns her former best friend.

Sid hasn’t got over her parents’ separation yet. Mum has brought along her new boyfriend Tony and his daughter Eva. 

Sid feels resentment towards Tony, and the fact that Eva ignores Sid entirely, works well for her, as Eva shows no sign of thawing out towards her. 

She is not ready to be part of a blended family.

Hailey makes Sid feel unwanted and worthless at every opportunity. She has stolen the magic that Lou and Sid had together. 

Gone is the closeness and ability to be herself. She can't be forced to change, just to fit in.  

Sid just needs to find the old Lou again, like buried treasure. 

 But is that possible when everyone is changing and moving forward?

But friendship arrives when Sid needs it the most and least expects it, in an unusual form.

This is a beautifully told story with a lot of history and information entwined in the characters’ personal lives, and their struggles to remain true to themselves, while they overcome and adapt to life’s changes. 

Perfect prose and strong, interesting characters, and fast-paced action and excitement fills the pages.

I loved it!

Title: Summer of Shipwrecks
Author: Shivaun Plozza
Publisher: UQP, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 September 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780702268373
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

Review: How We Share Cake

This rather gorgeous story from acclaimed author/illustrator Kim Hyo-eun, is told in the voice of a little Korean girl who is one of five children. 

Everything about How We Share Cake feels fresh, shiny and new. It’s a total delight.

Our narrator tells us that ‘we can split anything.’ She then explains how to divide an orange or a pie five ways, and the optimal place to sit at the dinner table… (There’s no contest - one is closer to the delicious egg rolls and another is next to the youngest child, with his sticky little grabbing toddler hands).

Guest Post: Q & A with Meredith Rusu on The Creative Process by Nia Shetty

There’s a Robot in My Socks by Meredith Rusu is a light-hearted story that skillfully captures the wonders of childhood while addressing the complexities of emotions in a fun, engaging way. 

The book follows Jamie and her trusty robot companion through a delightful adventure that showcases how even ordinary items, like socks, can spark extraordinary moments. 

Rusu’s book is filled with playful humor, vivid imagery, and a creative blend of the real and the imaginary, making it a perfect read for young children and their parents who are navigating their own big feelings.

One of the standout features of this graphic novel  is how themes of comfort, emotion, and the occasional chaos of childhood are wonderfully mixed. 

Through the imaginative lens of a child’s world, Rusu touches on separation anxiety, the need for routine, and the importance of emotional expression, all with a charming robot by Jamie’s side. The vibrant illustrations by Martín Morón bring Jamie’s world to life with bright colors and whimsical designs, perfectly complementing the story.

Now, let’s hear from the author herself, Meredith Rusu, as she shares insights into the inspiration, characters, and creative process behind There’s a Robot in My Socks in our exclusive KBR interview:

Review: Santa Bilby

Easter meets Christmas in Santa Bilby, written by Miranda Birthisel and illustrated by Cate James.

A bilby, one of Australia’s endangered animals, comes to the rescue when Santa gets tangled in tinsel and hurts himself. 

Santa sends for his friend the Easter Bilby, who is excited about being able to help get Christmas presents delivered to Australian children in time for Christmas morning.

Bilby is confident in being able to succeed. She’s also curious about some of the buttons in Santa’s sleigh and gets a bit sidetracked. Watch out for sleighs doing a giant loop in the sky!