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Children's and YA book reviews and interviews

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Feature

Game on: Anita Heiss on ‘Kicking Goals with Goodsey and Magic’

Feature review

Pandamonia
Chris Owen, illus by Chris Nixon, Fremantle Press, August 2016, reviewed by Thuy On

Picture books

Oh Albert!
Davina Bell, illus by Sara Acton, Viking, August 2016, reviewed by Amy Nicholls-Diver

Oh, Albert! is a captivating picture book about a mischievous pet dog called Albert, whose eyes are bigger than his stomach. The story follows a week in the life of... Read more

The Nose Pixies
David Hunt, illus by Lucia Masciullo, ABC Books, August 2016, reviewed by Thuy On

Everyone has heard of the tooth fairy, but what of the lesser-known nose pixies? The tiny, wingless pixies live in the royal kingdom of Schnozz, but instead of teeth they... Read more

Welcome to Country
Aunty Joy Murphy, illus by Lisa Kennedy, Black Dog Books, August 2016, reviewed by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg

Although ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ speeches are increasingly a part of Australian gatherings, many non-Indigenous Australians are still learning about traditional ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremonies. Welcome to Country by senior Wurundjeri... Read more

Younger readers

Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic
Anita Heiss, Adam Goodes & Michael O'Loughlin, Piccolo Nero, July 2016, reviewed by Louise Pfanner

Firstly, a disclaimer: I have never watched a game of football and I know nothing about the game. Actually, I knew nothing, but now I know a lot more. Anita... Read more

Princess Parsley
Pamela Rushby, Omnibus, August 2016, reviewed by Anica Boulanger-Mashberg

Poor Parsley Patterson. As if it’s not hard enough starting high school, her dad decides to secede from Australia, making 12-year-old Parsley and her younger sisters (Sage, Rosemary and Thyme—the... Read more

The Shark Caller
Dianne Wolfer, Random House, August 2016, reviewed by Joy Lawn

The Shark Caller breaks new ground in junior YA fiction. Dianne Wolfer blends a mystical tale about legends and traditions in Papua New Guinea with issues such as saving a... Read more

Toad-ally Magic: Ruby Wishfingers book two
Deborah Kelly, illus by Leigh Hedstrom, Wombat Books, August 2016, reviewed by Jarrah Moore

Ruby Wishfingers first discovered that she had wish magic in her fingers when she was nine. Now that she’s 11, she has 11 new wishes to spend! But when her... Read more

Young adult

The Bone Sparrow
Zana Fraillon, Lothian, July 2016, reviewed by Bec Kavanagh

In a story that is in some ways reminiscent of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, author Zana Fraillon asks readers to imagine a ‘Someday’ better than today. It... Read more

Songs that Sound Like Blood
Jared Thomas, Magabala, August 2016, reviewed by Braiden Asciak

Growing up in Port Augusta is restricting Roxy’s dream to become a musician, but when she is accepted to Adelaide University’s Centre of Aboriginal Studies in Music, she feels conflicted... Read more

On tour

On tour: Tamora Pierce