Book Review: Bindi

Author: Kirli SaundersIllustrated by: Dub LefflerPublisher: Magabala Books (2020)Genre: Contemporary verse novel (for a middle grade readership) Image source “Meet 11-year-old Bindi. She’s not really into maths but LOVES art class and playing hockey. Her absolute FAVOURITE thing is adventuring outside with friends or her horse, Nell. A new year starts like normal-school, family, hockey,…

Book Review: Tiger Daughter

Author: Rebecca LimGenre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle grade readership)Publisher: Allen and Unwin (2021) Content warnings: mentions of depression, suicide Image source “Wen Zhou is the daughter and only child of Chinese immigrants whose move to the lucky country has proven to be not so lucky. Wen and her friend, Henry Xiao - whose mum…

Book Review: Where You’ll Find Me

Author: Natasha FriendPublisher: St Martin’s Press (2017)Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a middle grade readership) “The first month of school, thirteen-year-old Anna Collette finds herself… Dumped by her best friend, Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade hanging out with different people. Deserted by her mom, who’s in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt.…

Book Review: The Beauty is in the Walking

Author: James MoloneyPublisher: Harper Collins (2015)Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a YA readership) Content warning: The novel and review contain ableist slurs directed at the main character, for the purpose of highlighting their impact. "Everyone thinks they know what Jacob O'Leary can and can’t do - and they’re not shy about telling him either. But no…

Book Review: Ask Again, Yes

Author: Mary Beth KeanePublisher: Michael Joseph (Penguin, 2019)Genre: Domestic Fiction “Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope are two NYPD rookies assigned to the same Bronx precinct in 1973. They … end up living next door to each other outside the city. What goes on behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and…

Book Review: Pride

Author: Lazaros Zigomanis (aka Les Zig)Publisher: Busybird Publishing (2017)Genre: Contemporary fiction Image sourceImage description: White background. The word Pride is capitalised in red at the top of the image. There is a small black bird (a curlew) in the bottom right. “Luke Miggs wants more than what small-town life can offer – the grind of…

Book Review: Through the Wall

Author: Anna BlighPublisher: Harper Collins (2015)Genre: Autobiography Image sourceID: A white woman with short brown hair smiling at the camera. She is wearing a white shirt and seems relaxed. “Anna Bligh knows something about hard knocks and high walls. She was raised by a single mother in the working class Gold Coast, a young girl…

Book Review: The Elephant

Author: Peter CarnavasNarrator: Cece PetersPublisher: Bolinda Audio/UQP (2017)Genre: Fiction, for a children’s readership Image sourceID: Drawing of a little girl with short hair sitting against a tree. There is a dog resting against her knees. “Olive’s father has a sadness so big that she imagines it as an enormous elephant following him around. Every day…

Book Review: The Other Side of Perfect

Author: Mariko TurkPublisher: Allen and Unwin (2021)Genre: Contemporary fiction (for a YA readership) “Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but one terrifying fall shatters her leg - and her dreams of a ballet career along with it. After a summer spent healing (translation: eating vast amounts of Cool Ranch Doritos and bingeing ballet videos on…

Book Review: Not My Father

Author: Julie KayGenre: MemoirPublisher: Vivid (division of Fontaine) 2019 Image sourceID: A drawing of two people viewed from behind. Left: A man in military uniform. Right: A woman wearing a kimono and holding an umbrella over her shoulder. “While packing up the family home, Danny’s daughter, Jules, finds a black box hidden at the back…