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Children's and YA book reviews and interviews

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Feature

Jeannie Baker

Flying high: Jeannie Baker on ‘Circle’

Feature review

Introducing Teddy
Jessica Walton, illus by Dougal MacPherson, Bloomsbury, June 2016, reviewed by Amy Nicholls-Diver

Picture books

Circle
Jeannie Baker, Walker Books, June 2016, reviewed by Margaret Hamilton

This extraordinary picture book is yet another masterpiece from the creator of the award-winning Where the Forest Meets the Sea and Mirror. The deceptively simple story is about the migration... Read more

Desert Lake: The Story of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre
Pamela Freeman, illus by Liz Anelli, Walker Books, June 2016, reviewed by Romi Sharp

This new standalone picture book in the award-winning ‘Nature Storybook’ series is a fascinating insight into how flora and fauna survive in the hot, dry land of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre... Read more

The Snow Wombat
Susannah Chambers, illus by Mark Jackson, A&U, June 2016, reviewed by Thuy On

One wouldn’t normally expect the words ‘snow’ and ‘wombat’ to sit snugly together but they do in this picture book, set in the Australian high country in winter, where a... Read more

Younger readers

Mrs Whitlam
Bruce Pascoe, Magabala, June 2016, reviewed by Angela Crocombe

As I child I would devour any book that had a horse in it, no matter the story, and this new book by Bruce Pascoe (Fox a Dog, Sea Horse)... Read more

The New Friend: Ginger Green Playdate Queen: Book One
Kim Kane, illus by Jon Davis, Hardie Grant Egmont, June 2016, reviewed by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg

The first of four titles launching Kim Kane’s new ‘Ginger Green, Play Date Queen’ series, The New Friend features the eponymous character—a bouncy, enthusiastic young fox—navigating the social challenges of... Read more

The Other Side of Summer
Emily Gale, Random House, June 2016, reviewed by Bec Kavanagh

How does a family recover from a tragedy? For Summer’s dad, it’s packing up and moving to a new country, where they can find themselves free of painful memories. For... Read more

Young adult

Threader
Rebekah Turner, Harlequin Teen, June 2016, reviewed by Jarrah Moore

Josie Ryder has been warned by the uncle who raised her to keep her telepathic and telekinetic talents a secret, especially from the powerful corporations who recruit talented people like... Read more

On tour

Liz Pichon author photo

On tour: Liz Pichon