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A Light on the Rocks

Feb4
A Light on the Rocks

A Light on the Rocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Light on the Rocks

Helen Edwards

Riveted Press, 2026

274pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

 9781764007191

In August 1859 in Adelaide, 14 year old Daisy boards the  SS Admella with her mother, father and younger sister Marigold and over 100 others on what should have been a three-day trip around Australia’s southern coastline to Melbourne.  Daisy has dreams of becoming a botanist, eventually travelling the country to draw and document the continent’s native flora, but if that is to happen, she has to overcome her uneasiness about this trip.  If she is to be an adventurer, then she must make the most of this adventure. On board she meets her father’s business partners, a long-time friend Jimmy who loves his new life at sea, and Henry, a young stable hand charged with looking after the six racehorses also making the journey to compete in  some of Melbourne’s rich horse races.

One hundred years later, in December 1959, Max and his older sister Rosemary begin their annual school holiday stay with their father on the Cape Jaffa lighthouse, as he begins his two-week shift tending the light which guarded the Margaret Brock Reef off the coast of Kingston, S. E.  Bullied at school because he can’t yet read and write as well as his peers. Max loves his time on the reef as he has dreams of being a great naturalist like his hero Gerald Durrell , making observations of the wildlife he discovers which Rosemary writes for him and he illustrates.

What connects the two families is an intriguing, captivating read for independent readers that draws on the true events of the voyage of the SS Admella which met its end after striking a submerged reef southwest of Mt Gambier and, with the loss of 89 lives, became  one of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history as well as the later construction of the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse manned by lighthouse keepers and their families until it was decommissioned a century later.  Staying true to the facts of both, Edwards has woven a narrative that, like On Gallant Wings, has been thoroughly researched while adding her own characters, the ghost of one of the horses that was on board, strange flickering lights and a pygmy blue whale named Moriarty whose song is threaded through the tale,  building  a story that switches between Daisy and Max that has the traits of hope and resilience at the forefront but doesn’t shy away from the original tragedy so readers need to be able to cope with the deaths of some of the characters.  (Author’s notes and readily-available research show the real figures, including that in reality, no children were saved and only one woman.) Interwoven with the courage of the characters is the wonder of a restless, incessant, unforgiving ocean that is not always the calm, gentle waves lapping on the shore that students might be used to, as well as the story of its inhabitants like Moriarty and the need to protect all its creatures.  And, if it is used as an engaging read-aloud in the classroom, it could also be teamed with a study of Robert Southey’s Inchcape Rock   as students start to develop an appreciation for the perilous journeys their ancestors took, the dangers they encountered and the courage they needed to begin what they saw as a new and better life -how bad must the old one have been to undertake such a mission? 

Once again, Edwards has crafted a masterful story that entertains and educates, introducing today’s students to the lives of children who have gone before in a way that will fill them with wonder., perhaps even have them seeking out other historical fiction. 

SS Admella, by Shaw, James (1815 - 1881), 1858 - oil on canvas; Courtesy of the Art Gallery of South Australia

SS Admella, by Shaw, James (1815 – 1881), 1858 – oil on canvas; Courtesy of the Art Gallery of South Australia

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse

The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

Jan18
The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

Jacqueline Harvey

Penguin, 2025

368pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

 9781761349416

Josephine Eloise Thomas (aka Jet) has moved  from metro Sydney to rural France with her dad Matt, stepmum Ellie, brother Teddy and golden retriever, Daisy to renovate an old chateau they have bought to turn into a guesthouse. They have chosen the location deliberately because Jet’s mum was born and raised there, but she died when Jet was very young and little is known about her childhood.  But what sounds like it could be another episode of Escape to the Chateau takes an interesting turn when Jet finds an old locket hidden in an armoire (wardrobe) in her room, and even more intriguing when she opens it and a ghost emerges. And it’s not any old past resident of the chateau but  one who claims to be Louis XVII. younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette and heir to the French throne.

It seems that only Jet and Daisy can see and hear him, and if she closes the locket he is locked away again, which she does often until they start to build a “friendship” but that’s when the mystery begins… Is it about Louis’ life because history says he died in 1795 at the age of 10 at the Cafe La Tour du Temple in Paris yet the ghost claims to be 14 and was smuggled out of the capital and looked after in a nearby chateau until he got sick and died from a broken heart?  Is it about the mysterious childhood of Jet’s mother where there are questions and clues, but no answers?

Now, in the second in this series, Jet is looking forward to her friend Harriet coming for a visit, but before that she and her friend Gabriel are at the Louvre with their families to be given a reward for solving the great art heist of the first book. Her secret friend Louis is also there, but amidst all the fun and festivities comes news that the mastermind of the heist has escaped custody and wants revenge. So as well as wanting to find out the answers to her questions about her mother’s family and her heritage, as well as discovering what happened to Louis’ lost love Madeleine Aubert, Jet and Gabriel have to deal with this new threat. Is Jet really being followed or is she paranoid?  And can she let Gabriel and Harriet into her secret relationship with Louis?

Full of twists and turns that add layers of intrigue to this story that is best read in sequence, independent readers who enjoy historical fiction with the hint of romance are going to not only enjoy this sequel but eagerly await the next development as we are told that “book three is percolating” and we won’t have to wait long for it!    

Turbo Turtle

Nov17
Turbo Turtle

Turbo Turtle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turbo Turtle

Gregg Dreise

Magabala Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922864109

During the Dreamtime, a time on the planet that was even before Once-upon-a-time time, a little lizard hatched from his egg and wandered off from the shelter of the shadowy bushes to search for his parents.  But instead of finding them, he is swooped up by his tail by an eagle and carried far away from his home. The little lizard squiggled and squirmed and his tail broke off, and as the eagle soared on thinking it still held its prey, the lizard fell to Mother Earth, terrified.

Luckily for him, Biamme heard his cries and made a soft landing for him, and looked after him until he found his family, naming him Warrabah after the Warrah season.  Despite Biamme’s care though, Warrabah missed his family and he and Biamme set out to find them, hoping to hear the same language that Warrabah remembered hearing inside the egg.  To help, Biamme gave Warrabah the magic that would make him turbo-charged but also told him that he needed to ask the Elders permission to travel their lands.  

But Warrabah is impatient and forgets to show respect to Country and the Elders. And, for that there are consequences that change him forever…

This is the fourth book in the Scales and Tales series – the others are Lethal Lizards, Fast Fish and Super Snake – by this  proud descendant of the Goomelroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales whose many stories have shone a light on First Nations beliefs and heritage for our young readers.  But they are more than just a story about the origins of our native creatures for each has an underlying message that relates to human behaviour – in this case, it’s about actions and consequences, and how those consequences can change our pathway forward, even our lives, so that we find where we belong – and how that reinforces the connection to Country that guides today’s First Nations generations.  Dreise expands on the origins of this story and its implications on the final page, offering an opportunity for astute teachers to encourage students to consider why an author wrote a particular story and what message they are trying to pass on.  Although not all stories have such an intrinsic message, nevertheless this is a chance to get students to start thinking more critically about what they are reading.  Was it fair/right that Warrabah had to face the Boreen? Was it a reasonable consequence for his behaviour? What did he learn from it? How did it change him?  Was that a change for the better? What can they learn from both Warrabah and the story? Although they might not face the spears that Warrabah did, what sorts of consequences do they face for lack of respect, poor decisions and choices?  Should they face them? What “shields” do they have that can protect them if they find themselves having to face the consequences of their own actions?

Dreaming: Welcome to Our Country

Sep21
Dreaming: Welcome to Our Country

Dreaming: Welcome to Our Country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreaming: Welcome to Our Country

Adam Goodes & Ellie Laing

David Hardy

A & U Children, 2025

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761065095

Adam Goodes has come a long way since his retirement from AFL, 10 years ago this month and so has the literature about our First Nations peoples that we, and particularly our young people, have access to.  What was once pretty much limited to “Tales from the Dreamtime” without acknowledgement of the vast diversity of distinct nations, language groups, and communities with each having their own unique culture, beliefs, and relationship to specific ancestral lands,  the stories were seen as being universal and applicable to all. Yet, in reality the overarching commonality is connection to Country, whatever that looks like for each community. 

Here, in this latest and final addition to this series  which began with  Somebody’s Land in 2021 and now includes Ceremony (2022) , Back on Country, (2022) and Walk with Us (2023) that has opened the eyes and minds of children and adults alike, the authors attempt to help young readers better understand the concept of Dreaming.

We acknowledge that the Dreaming means different things to different people…and that Dreaming is not a traditional word used by Aboriginal people. However it is the word commonly used to try to explain the interconnectedness, complexity and richness of the Creation stories and spirituality of Aboriginal culture. 

Goodes draws on his own Adnyamathanha and Narungga heritage to explain his Muda – the never-ending cycle that links the past, present and future of his People. Through lyrical text and the magical illustration that show a young child leaving their bed and flying through the window, young children begin to understand that Muda is not a specific time or place but something that transcends them, with the stories and lore and rules reaching as far back in time as they will reach in the future. But as well as offering that visual image, Hardy’s interpretation of the legendary Rainbow Serpent (Akurra) and clever juxtaposition of colour to depict the Law men coming down from the sky to teach about Country are memorable.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

With both the national curriculum and the new NSW HSIE syllabus having a strong focus on the the connections people make to their past and First Nations People in particular, this book -indeed, the entire series- is an essential part of the school library collection to not only engage and connect with young readers but also to help teachers sharing the curriculum so that everyone can appreciate and value that our First Nations culture is so much more than stories about why the crow is black or how the kangaroo got its tail.  Hooray!   At last!   . 

I Am Me

Sep18
I Am Me

I Am Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Am Me

Mitch Tambo

Carla Hoffenberg

A & U Children, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761182204

Yaama!
My name is Mitch Tambo.
I’m a proud First Nations man from the Gamilaraay people.
What’s your name? Who are your people?

One of Australia’s most unique and electrifying First Nations entertainers, Mitch Tambo welcomes children of all ages to discover the richness of First Nations culture through song, dance and Language, sharing the ways of his Gamilaraay people in particular.  Using his headdress as the focal point, he explains its construction and the symbolism associated with it, its components and its connections to his wider world. But at the same time he offers young readers a challenge to discover their own heritage, their language and the things that keep their culture connected whether it is First Nation or something else, because it is all those connections that combine to make them the unique individuals they are.   even those children who don’t think they have strong cultural or ethnic bonds can start by exploring their own name – why they have it, who chose it, what it means, its links to other family members and so on.

So while Mitch continues the trend to introduce First Nations culture to non-Indigenous people, and their strong sense of  personal identity built on generations of shared beliefs, links, and bonds, I believe that, given its title and his questions to the reader.  the core of this book is about acknowledging all the bibs and bobs over time, place and space that enable each of us to say “I Am Me.”  That if we are to be able to be resilient and hold self-believe and self worth then we need to know who we are and develop that strong sense of self from the get-go. This is an excellent starting point,

 

Childish

Sep4
Childish

Childish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Childish

Morris Gleitzman

Penguin, 2025

176pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761343759

When his new friend Dot breaks her leg when she is chased by Year 9 bullies and crashes her bike into one of the many potholes that litter the road, Arkie decides to do something about the dangers these lurking dangers pose – particularly when he discovers that they are both preventable and fixable if only the city authorities would talk to each other…

With idealism and focused purpose that is typical of eleven-year-olds but not the street-smarts of city kids because he has only lived there with his Nan for two weeks, Arkie sets out to find who is responsible for ensuring that AAICs (Access and Inspection Covers, formerly known as manhole covers) are flush with the road’s surface so they are not the hazards they currently pose. And regardless of the human roadblocks they meet in the kingdom of bureaucracy and red-tape, and becoming the targets of trolls online, both Arkie and Dot press on even though the threat of Arkie having to return to the country because his parents’ farm hasn’t sold looms larger and time becomes important.

While both Arkie and Dot are relatable characters in a relatable situation – they see a problem and want it fixed NOW, and, despite their determination being seen as “childish” by some of the adults they encounter, they have the tunnel vision and tenacity of children without the outside distractions that adults have to continue their campaign to its conclusion, albeit an unexpected one – this is more than just an engaging read for younger independent readers because it opens the door to Gleitzman’s remarkable body of work For forty years, Morris Gleitzman has been enchanting readers with his stories that focus on big issues seen through a child’s lens including the iconic Two Weeks with the Queen , his series about Felix and Zelda, Jewish children in Nazi Germany as well as Boy Overboard and Girl Underground written at a time when families risked so much to escape to Australia and he has lost none of his touch in being able to treat serious subjects with acerbic humour that engages the reader from the get-go because his characters are so real that we want to know what happened in the end – even Limpy the cane toad who is my personal favourite with his own series.  (All of his books are shown on his website, and a tap/click on the cover offers lots of information about how they came to be.)  

Gleitzman has gifted generations of children with stories of hope and courage, determination and resilience in a way that only a master storyteller who knows what kids are like and what they want to read, spotlighting issues that they face and exploring them with well-drawn characters who grow, change and mature as the story unfolds, can,  and IMO, it is our responsibility as librarians to ensure the gift keeps giving.  After all, what more can we do when he writes, “She is friendly and helpful and brave about protecting books so she must be a librarian.”  (Childish, p55)

 

Rakali of the Riverbank

Jul12
Rakali of the Riverbank

Rakali of the Riverbank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rakali of the Riverbank

Stephanie Owen Reeder

Rachel Gregg

CSIRO Publishing, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781486317547

If you have ever been by the riverbank or beside a lake at dusk almost anywhere in Australia, you may have heard a soft plop and a trail of ripples as a rakali (hydromys chrysogaster) slides into the water to begin its nightly quest for food. Also known as the golden-bellied water mouse, the native water rat, or a number of other terms from the various indigenous languages, the rakali (from the Ngarrindjeri people of the Murray River area of South Australia), is one of only two amphibious mammals in Australia, the other being the platypus, and in this beautifully illustrated new release, readers are taken along on its eventful nightly journey searching for food, protecting its territory and trying to keep itself out of harm’s way.

Despite being mistakenly likened to the disease-carrying black rats by early European settlers, the rakali is more like the otter in personality and behaviour, and the black rat is actually an enemy along with feral animals like foxes and cane toads – although it is actually one of only a few of Australia’s native creatures to have worked out a way to kill these toxic creatures.

Yet, despite being a ruthless killer and protector of its territory, sending even those of its own kind on their way, both author and illustrator have managed to portray this creature is an almost-endearing way as it goes about its quest for survival as Mother Nature intended. Using beautifully descriptive text that could be used as a model for students assigned to writing the ubiquitous “animal report” – “Moon shadows dance and a cool breeze ruffles his soggy fur” evokes such a better image than “he is wet and cold” – and adding onomatopoeic words that add to the drama and atmosphere,  Reeder introduces young naturalists to yet another of the lesser-known indigenous species found in and around the continent, including nearly 400 different types of mammals. Factual notes are included in the backmatter and there are also teachers’ notes that can be used for a more in-depth investigation. 

As usual this is another quality publication from both Reeder and CSIRO Publishing that gives young readers a sneak peek into the habits and habitats of some of our not-so-well-known creatures that could inspire greater appreciation and exploration. 

Filling in the Map: Exploring Inland Australia

Jun27
Filling in the Map

Filling in the Map: Exploring Inland Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filling in the Map: Exploring Inland Australia

Carole Wilkinson

Wild Dog Books, 2025

48pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781742036557

When the First Fleet arrived in Australia in 1788 Australia’s First Nations people had already lived on the continent for at least 60,000 years.

Matthew Flinders drew an accurate map of Australia’s coastline, but none existed of inland Australia. Aboriginal people knew their Country in detail without the need for maps. They had a network of tracks across the continent and detailed knowledge of food and water sources. But for the
European settlers Australia was a 7.7 million km2 mystery to solve.

This is how they set about Filling in the Map of Australia.

Using images of people, places and maps sourced through a range of official libraries, archives and museums, younger readers are taken on an historical journey of how this country was explored by Europeans after Captain Arthur Phillip established the first permanent settlement in 1788 in what Captain James Cook had named Port Jackson but which Phillip renamed Sydney.  While acknowledging that the Aboriginal people had been here for thousands of years prior to Phillip’s settlement and knew the country intimately with established tracks called Songlines and which the Europeans used, often without consent, this book focuses on those early European explorers beginning with Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson penetrating the seemingly impenetrable Blue Mountains in 1813 and includes the travels of Hume and Hovell, Charles Sturt, Thomas Mitchell, Edward John Eyre, Leichardt, Burke and Wills, John McDouall Stuart, and Albert Canning offering straightforward factual information of each expedition. 

While it provides an overview of the opening up of the continent for future European settlement for the casual reader. teachers’ notes linked directly to the Australian Curriculum History strand, particularly those in Years 3-5, offer ideas that will make it come alive for those students, particularly connecting the past to the present. 

It is the ideal companion to its predecessor, Putting Australia on the Map (Wild Dog, 2020) offering not only a peek into the past of this country but also the opportunity to consider how countries were explored and mapped before satellites, drones and other devices and how we actually found our way before Google Maps, satnav and GPS.  (It’s only 20 years since my students sat watching our school janitor demonstrate how he found his way on his 4WD expeditions using a handheld GPS device, being fascinated by it and wanting to have a go to pinpoint the school as we asked “Where is Palmerston? as a special assignment for the school website!) 

And for those who prefer non fiction, it is the ideal book for this year’s CBCA Book week theme, “Book an Adventure”.  What if you were a journalist reporting on one of the expeditions as you accompanied it, particularly if you could timeslip while taking today’s technology with you?

The Girl and the Ghost

May16
The Girl and the Ghost

The Girl and the Ghost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl and the Ghost

Jacqueline Harvey

Penguin, 2025

352pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761349409

Josephine Eloise Thomas (aka Jet) has moved  from metro Sydney to rural France with her dad Matt, stepmum Ellie, brother Teddy and golden retriever, Daisy to renovate an old chateau they have bought to turn into a guesthouse. They have chosen the location deliberately because Jet’s mum was born and raised there, but she died when Jet was very young and little is known about her childhood.  But what sounds like it could be another episode of Escape to the Chateau takes an interesting turn when Jet finds an old locket hidden in an armoire (wardrobe) in her room, and even more intriguing when she opens it and a ghost emerges. And it’s not any old past resident of the chateau but  one who claims to be Louis XVII. younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette and heir to the French throne. 

It seems that only Jet and Daisy can see and hear him, and if she closes the locket he is locked away again, which she does often until they start to build a “friendship” but that’s when the mystery begins… Is it about Louis’ life because history says he died in 1795 at the age of 10 at the Cafe La Tour du Temple in Paris yet the ghost claims to be 14 and was smuggled out of the capital and looked after in a nearby chateau until he got sick and died from a broken heart?  Is it about the mysterious childhood of Jet’s mother where there are questions and clues, but no answers? Or is it about the strange events happening in the seemingly abandoned Chateau du Lac which adjoins their chateau and which Jet and Louis witness when they go exploring?  What has this painting by Rembrandt got to do with what is going on?

Rembrandt’s “Storm on the Sea of Galilee.”

Rembrandt’s “Storm on the Sea of Galilee.”

Once again, Jacqui Harvey has written a story that is going to engage independent readers who enjoy a good mystery with relatable characters but not too many twists and turns in the plot. While they might not relate to moving to France, they can get a glimpse of life through Jet’s narrative as well as her emails and Facetime conversations with her best friend Harriet, who, herself, has had to upsticks and move with her family to Singapore, as well as the notes Jet makes in her diary as she is determined to become an author when she is older, particularly one who writes mysteries spurred on by her reading of the  Kensy and Max, Alice-Miranda and Friday Barnes    series, mirroring Jacquie Harvey’s own ambitions.

Because this story takes place in the school holidays before Jet starts her new school where her previous detective work has uncovered it is the school her mother attended, the introduction of potential boyfriend Gabriel as well as Harriet’s impending visit in September, and the links and leads that suggest there is more to not only her mother’s story but also Louis’, it’s clear that this is the first in yet another series by this popular author – and, indeed, it is. 

When they were Jet’s age, my granddaughters devoured Alice-Miranda and then Kensy and Max , and I particularly enjoyed this one, so it’s definitely one to introduce to your readers who like a bit of historical fiction mingled with a good mystery, likeable characters and an enchanting setting, especially as the genesis of the book is explained in the back matter, perhaps inspiring aspiring young writers themselves  Stories can come from anywhere!  

Koala Koala

Apr27
Koala Koala

Koala Koala

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koala Koala

John Williamson

Jonathan Bentley

Puffin, 2025

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761344244

Ask any little person (or international visitor) to name an iconic Australian creature and it’s highly likely they will say “koala”.  Yet there are fears that this favourite will be extinct in NSW by 2050, the greatest threat being loss of habitat because of  urban development, agriculture, mining and the expansion of existing infrastructure. Already, those in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory have been  classified as an endangered species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) since February, 2022.

So this picture book version of John Williamson’s 1990 song of the same name, is a provocative reminder that even though we have recognised the predicament of these favourites for decades, there is still much to be done.

With the original lyrics slightly modified and enriched by poignant, evocative illustrations by Jonathan Bentley , little ones are introduced to needs of koalas and the key dangers koalas face – deforestation, traffic, bushfires and dogs – helping them to understand that if they want to be able to show their children this treasured marsupial, the time to act is now. While they might not have the power to stop urban sprawl, they can be aware of the work of Koala Conservation Australia   (of which, Williamson is a special ambassador) and perhaps hold a fundraiser to support their work in building a new breeding facility, education the public generally, or even visiting the centre.

Even just learning about the koala’s habitats and habits can be a start, and such a study was my go-to intro to developing information literacy skills with kindergarten.  Use the book itself as well as lots of different pictures of koalas so there is at least one between two, and ask pairs, “What can we learn about koalas just by looking at these pictures?”. Record the responses,  and then classify what has been discovered into three columns… What do we know for sure? What do we need to check?  What more do we want/need to find out?  Not only does that give a structure to the class investigation but it also gives them the foundation for their own personal investigations into other native species.

On the other hand, more mature readers could use it as a starting point to investigate how songs and music have been used over time to build awareness of human rights, environmental and other issues to reach a wider audience, particularly the anti-war protest movement of the 1960s, although there have been many before and since. 

An essential addition to any collection to support the environment and sustainability curriculum. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…