Bravepaw (series)

Bravepaw (series)

Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria

9781761180552

Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire

9781761180569

L. M. Wilkinson

Lavanya Naidu

A & U Children’s, 2024-25

192pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

Known as Titch to her friends, Tithonia Proudleaf, is a young mouse who loves all the old stories about Bravepaw the hero who saved Alluria from monsters all those years ago, and dreams of being a warrior – which amuses her best friend Huckleberry and infuriates her mother, particularly as she practises her swordplay instead of looking after the pufflings.

But Bravepaw’s adventures were a long time ago, the stuff of legends, and now, she and Huckleberry live with their families on the Plateau, the safest and most boring place in Alluria, where there is a need for farmers and thatchers, and stonemasons and puffling herders, – but no need for warriors.  High above the Great Forest , protected by cliffs too steep to climb and too high for birds to fly, Titch longed for adventure but as she stood on the edge of the farm at the edge of the cliff thinking about throwing her sword over ,and then turning her back because she couldn’t quite bring herself to do it,  something was emerging over the edge… It was a hare soaring over the clifftop on a hang glider with a sword and staff with a crystal on top strapped to his back,  and an urgent message for Titch to gather all the best warriors because the Curseworms were coming…

Written and formatted for younger, independent readers, with plenty of monochromatic illustrations that reflect Naidu’s passion for building worlds, this is an absorbing tale that engages right from the get-go and keeps the pages turning as a curseworm ignores the pain inflicted by Titch’s wooden sword and curls itself around her…. Even though her mother has told her that there are many ways to be brave and that it’s not all about swords and battles, will she and Huckleberry find the wherewithal to outwit and outsmart their captors? Can she emulate her hero and keep the heartstone safe?

With the first in the series shortlisted for both the Book of the Year for Younger Children, Australian Book Industry Awards, 2025, AU and Best Children’s Fiction, Aurealis Awards, 2024, AU, this is a series  that is going to captivate those who are venturing into this genre and like fast, action-packed adventures in which they can see themselves in the role of the hero, knowing that they can follow Titch on her quest in subsequent adventures –  the third is due in 2026 – that are just as enthralling. Perfect for continuing this year’s CBCA Book Week theme of Book an Adventure.