Review: The Windy Farm

Which would you prefer to own, if you had the choice? An oil well in the valley, or a windy farm on a hilltop?

Uncle Jeff has an oil well in his back yard, right next to the clothes line. Mum and Dad and Grandpa are happy living with their family on their farm on Windy Hill, even though it is so windy that sometimes the pigs nearly blow away! When a big electricity bill comes in and Uncle Jeff won't help out, Mum the Inventor needs to come up with a way for the farm on Windy Hill to earn some money.

Review: Andrew Drew and Drew

We first reviewed the work of Barney Saltzberg back in October 2010. Beautiful Oops ended up being one of our favourite books of 2010. Clever clever clever. And here is yet another clever book - and we do like clever on KBR.

We also like different. Yes, Andrew Drew and Drew may be a tad reminiscent of Harold and his purple crayon, but this kind of visual concept is by no means copyrighted - and there have been many such incarnations of varying degree of success.

This book is a success.

Review: Bad Grammar

Marcus is a fearless warrior in the game world, but in the real world he is shy and awkward. His parents are concerned that Marcus is spending too much time playing his computer games and not enough making friends. Despite Marcus’ protests, they enrol him at Bourkely Boys Grammar, a boarding school that specialises in helping boys with problems.

As far as Marcus is concerned, his problems begin the moment he arrives at Bourkely Boys Grammar, renamed by the students as ‘Bad Grammar’. It’s more like a prison than a school. The teachers are odd, the accommodation primitive and the prefects bully and intimidate the other students.

Review: Mama Robot

Here is a young lad whose mum works too much. When the lad comes home from school, he is greeted with a note, reminding him to eat his dinner, do his homework, brush his teeth and tidy his room – and the note is signed off with hugs and kisses.

Our wee lad is tired of the same old ‘mum is working’ routine. He has an idea.

He’ll make his own robot mama!

12 Curly Questions with author David Cox

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you. I once had the honour of treading the boards with a young actor called Albert Finney in a new play by a young writer called Lionel Bart.

2. What is your nickname? 
‘Daizhe’, which was how a certain child said, ‘Dave’ within the family. It has stuck to me.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Just now, white ants haunt my dreams.

4. Describe your writing style in ten words.
Active voice, short words, rhythm and brevity

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Persistent, correct, optimistic, brief (can’t think of a fifth).

Review: The Fair Dinkum War

‘It began with a great rumble that came in through our classroom window and rumbled on and on. We all ran out into the school yard and hung on the fence and gazed in wonder.

An endless line of trucks and jeeps and tanks and weapons carriers came around the corner and along our street… Soldiers in the trucks waved to us. We wouldn’t have guessed there were so many trucks in the whole wide world.’

I remember my grandmother’s stories of the war years. Stories of raising and managing her family during the years of rations and hardship. I remember the stories of family members who went away to war and never returned, or who returned very different men and women to those who left. I have read many books that share similar stories.

Blog Tour - Destiny Road with Melissa Wray

KBR is delighted to welcome author Melissa Wray, on tour with her new YA novel - Destiny Road. We hope you enjoy this peek into the life of a YA writer. 

Welcome, Melissa and congrats on your new novel. Can you describe your book in five words or less?
Life, choices, heartbreak, consequences, acceptance,

How did ideas for the book come to you?
When I was 16, I went to live with my father for the first time. Unlike Jessica, I had known him all my life, but my parents divorced when I was very young. So that’s where the idea came from and the rest evolved along the way.

Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp?
I want the reader to identify with Jessica and the decision she made and stuck with. No matter how hard it was to leave her mum, she knew it was the right choice for her. In life, we have to make tough choices sometimes.

Review: The Stone of Fire (Cavemice #1)

Geronimo Stiltonoot is a cavemouse who runs the stone newspaper in the prehistoric village of Old Mouse City and he just happens to be Geronimo Stilton’s ancient ancestor!

Old Mouse City is in an uproar. The Stone of Fire, the most precious artefact in the mouseum, has been stolen! Geronimo Stiltonoot and his friend Hercule Poirat are on the case to find who committed this terrible crime. Can they outsmart Tiger Khan and his band of fearsome felines so that they can solve the mystery?

Review: The Tiny Seed

It seems you can't go wrong with an Eric Carle book. He's the type of author I relish and most deliberately slowly and gently collect so I can have a 'new' surprise every so often, by enjoying a title I haven't seen before.

Is tiny weak? Is it inconsequential? or does it have advantages that prove quite powerful in the end?

KBR Recommends: Picture Books, March 2013

Some truly gorgeous picture books have hit the shelves since the clock ticked over into 2013. Check out these beauties - some fine additions to your bookshelves.

Spinifex Mouse by Norma Macdonald (Magabala Books, $21.95, 9781921248801

Spinifex Mouse is the heart-warming tale of Cheeky, a spinifex hopping mouse, who lives in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Cheeky is an adventurous little mouse that loves to leap high into the air and practice acrobatic tricks.

Every morning, when his family has returned to their burrow to sleep after a night’s foraging, Cheeky sneaks out again to look for more food and practice his flips. Each day, he ventures a little further from the burrow. One morning, when Cheeky is far from home, he shows off his clever tricks in front of a hungry snake and becomes swept up in a heart-stopping and very risky adventure.

10 Little Circus Mice by Caroline Stills (Little Hare, $24.95, 9781921894176)

Who wants to mop when they could be swinging on a trapeze?

Not these lively little mice!

See how they turn their chores into exciting circus tricks in this charming counting book by Caroline Stills and Judith Rossell, the creators of The House of 12 Bunnies.

Simply adorable illustrations and simple text make this ideal for the very young.

Sidney, Stella and the Moon by Emma Yarlett (Hachette, $14.99,

Brother and sister Sidney and Stella do everything together ... everything except sharing. When an argument over a bouncy ball ends up smashing the moon, the terrible twosome must learn to work together and share, in order to fix things. This accomplished and quirky picture book is a tour de force of imagination, especially when the twins find the perfect thing to replace the moon a glowing cheese!

This is definitely a debut picture book to treasure and an emerging talent to watch. With jaw-dropping double gatefold surprise.

Where's my Potty? illustrated by Felicity Gardner (Lothian, $24.99, 9780734413871)

In this picture book debut from illustrator Felicity Gardner, adorable baby gorilla Max searches for the perfect potty. The elephant s is too big, the meerkat s is too hard to get to, and the hippo s is too soggy. But somewhere in the jungle there s a potty that s just right. Where's my Potty? is full of adorable animal characters, and kids will love its irreverent humour.

The Finger Circus Game by Herve Tullet (Phaidon, $11.95, 9780714865317)

Roll-up, roll-up, welcome to the circus! To play with me, you just need your fingers. Take a pen, draw two eyes and a mouth, and there you are – your very own finger worm circus!
The latest in this sensational line up of interactive and highly creative toddler board books by a true picture book master.

Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman (Bloomsbury, $19.99, 9781408828007)

Meet Chu.

Chu is a small panda with a very big sneeze. When Chu sneezes, you REALLY don't want to get in the way.

But a whole day of adventure will test Chu's sneeze-resisting powers to the limit - there's the library (dusty books!), the diner (pepper!), and then the circus (all those animals!). How big can a sneeze really be?

Just wait and see ...

Berlin: a three-dimensional expanding city skyline by Sarah McMenemy (Walker Books, $12.95, 9781406342932)

Bring Berlin to life with this amazing three-dimensional expanding city skyline.

The unfolding guide features twelve of the city's most important sights: the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Alexanderplatz, Checkpoint Charlie, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island, Eastside Gallery, Charlottenburg Palace, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Siegessaule and the Berlin Zoo.

Presented in a beautiful slipcase, this is the perfect souvenir for anyone wishing to remember a trip to Germany's capital.

The latest in a stunning collection of pop-up paper cities.

Review: Puffin Peter

Meet Peter and Paul. They are puffin friends, living on a happy, noisy, rocky island.

One day, while out diving, a storm brews, and Peter becomes hopeless lost at sea.

A kindly whale happens along and promises to help Peter find Paul, but the whale needs a description. What does Paul look like?

Review: My Even More Wonderful World of Fashion

This wonderful collection of drawing and design prompts, ideas and inspirations is the kind of colouring-in book that every young (and not-so-young) aspiring artist and fashion designer will love.

A collection of sketches and ideas for ‘drawing, creating and dreaming', My Even More Wonderful World of Fashion is a celebration of clothing and accessories, inviting readers to explore their own fashion ideas inspired by classic and contemporary designs.

12 Curly Questions with author Aimee Said

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you. 
I can’t ride a bicycle. When I outgrew my tricycle I never graduated to a two-wheeler and by the time I finished primary school I was too embarrassed to use training wheels, so I never learned. When we did cycling for PE in high school I used to just wait for the rest of the class at the park gates and hope no one noticed that they’d never actually seen me on the bike track.

2. What is your nickname?
 I’m sure I’ve had a few I don’t know about but the one people say to my face is Aims.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Slugs, snails and anything else in the gastropod family. There’s something about their sliminess and lack of legs that makes my stomach turn. I’m not alone, either, this phobia is so common that it has a name: molluscophobia!

Shout Out: Saurus Street series

Saurus St is just like any other street . . . except for the dinosaurs.

When Jack wishes for his own Tyrannosaurus, he doesn't expect a real live one to turn up in the veggie patch. It's pretty cool, but there's no way he can keep it. It's far too big to hide in the shed, and it's bound to eat one of the neighbours sooner or later.

With the help of local whizz kid Toby, Jack builds a time machine and sends the T-rex back to the dinosaur era. But when Toby, Jack and Charlie the dog get sent back to the Cretaceous period too, there's more than one troublesome Tyrannosaur to deal with.

Saurus Street: Tyrannosaurus in the Veggie Patch by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers, Random House, $12.95

Learn more about the Saurus series here.

Suitable for children aged 6 - 10.

News: The National Year of Reading Lives On

KBR was truly thrilled to partner with the National Year of Reading in 2012. It was an incredible year for books and reading, with a slew of huge literary events and many inroads and many insights and advances in literacy in Australia.

During 2012, the National Year of Reading saw 4,000 events, more than 200,000 participants, $26 million worth of media coverage, $5.6 million worth of in kind support and a return on investment at a conservative estimate of $18 for every dollar invested in the campaign.

We loved it so much, we didn't want it to end! And it hasn't.

We're thrilled to report that Love2Read will continue on, nurtured by Libraries all over Australia. In 2013, the focus will be on The Reading Hour which takes place on Saturday 24 August. Events will take place the entire day and the week beforehand in libraries, schools, bookshops, festivals and other community venues.

Do check out the revamped Love2Read website for more info on the results of last year, as well as all the fabulous literary plans they have in store for 2013. There's so much going on - and you can also be involved! Stay tuned to KBR for news on The Reading Hour, later in the year.

 

Blog Tour - The Mystery of Nida Valley: Captured

KBR is delighted to welcome author and publisher Elaine Ouston, on blog tour with the second book in her Mystery of Nida Valley series - Captured. We hope you enjoy this insightful interview.

Welcome, Elaine. Tell us something about yourself.
I am an Australian writer, based in sunny (mostly) Queensland. I write for children and young adults. I became interested in writing at school and would spend hours coming up with interesting plots and, according to my mother, far-fetched stories, for the simplest English assignments. Work took over and I didn’t get back to writing until about 15 years ago.

You're mostly a fantasy author - would you consider writing in other genres?
I am a fantasy author, but an earlier animal adventure for young readers wasn’t written in that genre – although come to think about it, talking animals is fantasy. I have developed a plot for a YA book that isn’t fantasy, but I fear that once I get started, fantasy elements may creep in when I’m not looking.

Fabulous New Fiction - February 2013

It's a brand new year and some fabulous new titles are rolling in - some a part of established series, some brand newbies. These heart-racing, funny-bone-tickling, thought-provoking tomes would suit junior and older junior fiction readers - so roughly ages 8 to 14, depending on the child. No matter the age and reading level, there's something here that's sure to delight.

Alice Miranda in Paris by Jacqueline Harvey
(Random House, $15.95)

Alice-Miranda and her friends are in Paris with a group of teachers from Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale and the Fayle School for Boys. The students have a very exciting opportunity: to sing at Paris Fashion Week. The amazing city is humming with excitement and outrageous fashion choices – quite often coming from Mr Lipp, the children's choir conductor.

But a couple of France's best known designers are harbouring serious secrets, and when Christian Fontaine has some expensive fabric stolen just days before his show, Alice-Miranda and her friends realise there is a darker side to the glitz and glamour of the famous city.

Alice-Miranda in Paris? Who can resist?

Maxx Rumble Cricket: Maximum Maxx! by Michael Wagner
Black Dog Books, $24.99)

Maxx is back! It s summer, it's cricket season, the Ashes is on and too much cricket is never enough . . .

What could be better than one Maxx Rumble book? All eight books in one volume!

Illustrated by Terry Denton and packed with action, large font and plenty of imagery, this series if perfect for reluctant reader.

What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound
(Woolshed Press, $16.95)

The raven doesn't want you to read his story. What if you find out the location of his treasure? Or worse, what if you learn his secret – that ravens can talk?

But you should read it, even though the raven wants to be left alone. A pesky pigeon, a beady-eyed weatherhen, a ghost boy and a lovestruck scarecrow will make sure this story isn't just about one grumpy raven. With their help, the raven will uncover a thief, sing his own song, and discover there's more to life than being magnificent.

Just promise that you won't steal his treasure.

Our Australian Girl - Meet Lina by Sally Rippin
(Puffin, $14.95)

It's 1956 . . . and Lina dreams of being a writer, but her strict Italian parents have other ideas.

Now that she's won a scholarship to an expensive girls school, Lina has other troubles, too. To fit in, she must keep her home life a secret, and even her best friend Mary can't know the truth. But how long can Lina keep her two worlds apart?

Meet Lina and join her adventures in the first of four exciting stories about a passionate girl finding a place to belong.

Our Australian Girl - Meet Ruby by Penny Matthews
(Puffin, $14.99)

It's 1930 . . . and Ruby Quinlan lives in a big house in Adelaide with her parents and her fox terrier, Baxter. As she gets ready for her twelfth birthday party, Ruby has never been happier.

But the world she knows is collapsing, and people everywhere are losing their jobs and their homes. Soon Ruby's comfortable life falls apart in ways she could never have imagined . . .

Meet Ruby and join her adventure in the first of four stories about a happy-go-lucky girl in a time of great change.

Bureau of Mysteries and the Mechanomancers by HJ Harper
(Random House, $15.95)

Obscuria is in trouble! Join the Bureau Of Mysteries as they puzzle their way out of a Mechanomancer disaster in this second book in the series.

George and Imp are back, this time alongside the adventurer Lord Periwinkle Tinkerton and his moody assistant, Lexica Quill. Together, they must battle the crafty Mechanomancers, ancient spirits that meld magic and technology to wreak havoc.

Fighting mechanical bulls, getting trapped in sewage dungeons with monster worms and confronting overgrown plant monsters, the team faces their biggest challenge yet.

And, as always, there are codes to crack and riddles along the way!

Vanguard Prime: Wild Card by Steven Lochran
(Puffin, $14.99)

Elite superhero team Vanguard Prime has a new mission . . .

When a villainous organisation puts out a Kill Order on the Knight of Wands, Goldrush gets caught in the crossfire.

What dark secrets lurk in the Knight's past? And will the two heroes survive the night?

The Floods: Bewitched by Colin Thompson
(Random House, $14.95)

Everyone gets old, even witches and wizards. Their backs get stiff. Their feet get sore, and their brains go and live far, far away.

Not even Nerlin Flood, the King of Transylvania Waters, is immune to the curse of old age. The rest of the family have noticed that Nerlin is slipping into total Doolallyness – he even has an invisible friend called Geoffrey-Geoffrey, who warns him not to eat broccoli because it will give him global warming.

Will the Old Crones be able to cure him, or is Nerlin doomed to spend his twilight years talking to the wall, wearing a crooked jacket* and incompetence pants?

* Which is actually a more accurate description of a straitjacket.

Joshua Dread: The Handbook for Gyfted Children by Lee Bacon
(Hardie Grant Egmont, $16.95)

When your parents are supervillains, it's hard to have a normal life. In the past two days, Joshua's parents have tried to end the world, the houseplant has threatened to kill him and his body has started doing weird stuff - really weird stuff.

Then his parents give him a book to help explain his new Gyft. It turns out Joshua has a superpower, just like them. But he doesn't have to use it for evil, right?

Review: Old Tom's Big Book of Beauty

Leigh Hobbs’ work is always welcomed with open arms. Profound messages filter through his outrageously entertaining illustrations that at times say more than the text.

Old Tom is trying to please his beloved Angela Throgmorton by adhering to the instructions in the Big Book of Beauty she bought for him. Angela loves Old Tom, but she thinks there might be a little room for improvement.  He reads the book thoroughly and tries out all the suggestions.  He shampoos and blow-waves, brushes and gargles. He appears to be changing into the person he thinks she wants him to be.

It’s not only his appearance that is changing. He is attending tea parties, beauty shops, operas and the races. Angela has to phone to make an appointment with him as he is so seldom at home.

Review: I Love You, Too

Whatever you did this Valentine's Day - whatever you received - I sincerely hope you heard the words I Love You. I also hope you gave or received a book - after all, it's International Book Giving Day and we at KBR do love giving or receiving a good book!

Enter a good book.

Stephen Michael King, king of gorgeousness - both in terms of words and image - gives us I Love You, Too - a romp through all kinds of days from windy days and grey sky days to tumbling, rolling, big grassy hill days.

International Book Giving Day

It’s Valentine’s Day - a day to give something special to those we love. Here at Kids Book Review, we think that there is nothing more special than sharing the gift of reading with others, especially children, so naturally we were very excited to discover that this Valentine’s Day is also International Book Giving Day.

International Book Giving Day is a day dedicated to getting new, used and borrowed books in the hands of as many children as possible.

From the International Book Giving Day website:
International Book Giving Day’s focus is on encouraging people worldwide to give a book to a child on February 14th. We invite individuals to 
1) give a book to a friend or family member, 
2) leave a book in a waiting room for children to read, or 
3) donate a gently used book to a local library, hospital or shelter or to an organization that distributes used books to children in need internationally.

Kids Book Review would like to encourage you to take the opportunity to share a book with a child today in celebration of this great event. Whether you donate a book to a school, preschool or the children’s ward at your local hospital, make a financial donation to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation or another children’s book charity or simply share a new story with your own child, we hope that you will know that in doing so, you are sharing something very special.

You can find out more about International Book Giving Day at their website or Facebook page.

Review: A Very Unusual Pursuit (City of Orphans #1)

In a city of orphans, children go missing. When two more boys disappear, Alfred Bunce, the ‘bogler’, is called in. He’s a monster killer, whose apprentice is 10-year-old Birdie. She is ‘a heroine; brave, quick and valiant’, with a mesmerising voice. It is she who draws the monsters out, for children are what the bogles feed on. This unusual pursuit is old Alfred and Birdie’s resource for survival.

Miss Eamers comes into their life. She is an educated, intelligent, courageous and astute woman, who will play a significant role in their future. She’s researching the spirit world, and wants to accompany them on a bogle hunt to gain first-hand information for a paper she is writing. The presence of Miss Eamers and her aunt will be both a blessing and a threat to their comfortable life.

12 Curly Questions with author Nathan Luff

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you. 
Hmmm, let’s see ... I joined the school choir only because they were performing at the Opera House in Sydney and I’d never been before (my parents hate cities and the snow – I love both). I was so scared of being kicked out of the choir for singing badly that I lip-synched all the songs. I didn’t sing a note. And it worked. I think a lot of pop stars have learnt this trick from me.

2. What is your nickname?
My middle name is Gregory and my family used to call me Nathan Gregory Grasshopper. Who knows why? They are strange.

3. What is your greatest fear?
I have a fear of horses. They are freakish beasts with killer kicking power.

4. Describe your writing style in ten words. 
 Fast-paced with exaggerated, funny and exciting situations – all with heart!

Review: Constable and Toop

It is England, 1884. Sam Toop and his father Charles own a funeral parlour in partnership with Mr Constable. Sam has a special gift. He is able to see the ghosts of the deceased. This is not always a bad thing, for ghosts have needs equal to those of the living.

Jack, Charles’ brother, is on the run for murdering a policeman. He comes to seek a hiding place with Charles after many years of separation. Against his better judgement, Charles hides him in a coffin and here begins a series of events that will test family loyalties and reveal secrets buried for years.

In a parallel story, Lapeswood is not keeping up with his paperwork in the land of ghosts who haven’t heard the Knocking and therefore have not passed through the Door. He is demoted and passed on to Housing. This role entails going up into the land of the living - the physical world - to discover and document why ghosts are disappearing from the houses they inhabit. Having been below for a long time, this is an extremely difficult and dangerous task because of the many changes that have occurred over time. Lapeswood meets Tanner, a street-wise and savvy rogue ghost who promises to be his guide and help him with his research.

Event: Meet the Authors at The Children’s Bookshop

In 2013, The Children’s Bookshop is committed to bringing you the writers of the books we all love! Look at this incredible line-up:

Meet the Dragon Keeper Series Author Carole Wilkinson. Carole is the award winning author of the junior fantasy series Dragon Keeper.

When? Monday 11 Feb, 4:30-5:30pm.

Meet Catherine Jinks who will be sharing her new book A Very Unusual Pursuit (for ages 10-14). Catherine Jinks studied medieval history at university and her love of reading led her to become a writer. Her books for children, teenagers and adults have been published to wide acclaim all over the world, and have won numerous awards.
When? Tuesday 26 February , 4:30-5:30pm, afternoon tea provided

Teachers and Librarians are invited to meet much awarded author Susanne Gervay and illustrator Serena Geddes who will be discussing their new picture book, Gracie and Josh. Much loved, award-winning author Susanne Gervay is recognised for her writing on anti school bullying and social justice endorsed by Room to Read, Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Cancer Council. Serena Geddes is a Sydney-based illustrator and started her career working in animation for Walt Disney Australia.
When? Friday 1 March, 9-45-10-15am

Meet much awarded author Phillip Gwynne who will be sharing his new book The Debt: Catch the Zolt, part one of a new action series aimed at readers aged 10-14. Phillip Gwynne's first novel Deadly Unna? was the literary hit of 1998 winning Children's Book of the Year and selling over 200,000 copies. It was made into the feature film Australian Rules for which Phillip's screenplay won an AFI award in 2002. The Debt is Phillip’s first series for upper-primary school readers and combines both his substantial literary skills and his ability to tell a good story.
When? Tuesday 12 March, 4-30-5-30pm, afternoon tea provided

RSVP essential, tel: 9481 8811
6 Hannah Street, Beecroft
staff@thechildrensbookshop.com.au

Review: The Story of the Little Mole who knew it was none of his business

It’s a book about animal poo.  There is no other way of describing it.  So, it must be good right? 

The Story of Little Mole who knew it was none of his business is the very simple, yet highly entertaining story of a little Mole who, when he pops his head out of his mole hole one morning gets a very nasty surprise deposited on his head.  A poo.  Even though the book is about THAT word, author Werner Holzwarth doesn’t actually ever say the “p” word and throughout the book, it’s up to the reader to make that association. 

The story continues in a very entertaining repetitive pattern as Mr. Mole sets off to find the culprit.  Along the way, he meets a dove, horse, hare, goat, cow, and a pair of flies who gives him a quick education as to why they didn’t do that on his head.  

The layout of the book is very charming, using a whimsical font for the text, which adds to the childish appeal of the book.  Wolf Erlbruch has managed to illustrate all the pictures from ground level, which is exactly what children see, so it immediately draws them into the story. 

Read to My Child - Riley and the Dancing Lion

When we first heard about Jasmine Berry and her sensational new website, our hearts fluttered. Jasmine has created a truly heartwarming site called Read to My Child - a site dedicated to book readings for young kids. Jasmine's philosophy can be outlined in her own words:

". . . I wanted a site where my children could be read to by an actual person, with no animation, in as natural a way as possible. I wanted to create the feel that my kids were not just watching another show on a screen but rather being read to by a real person, holding a real book, with real pages . . ."

Jasmine says her site in no way replaces parents reading to their children but is another option (as opposed to TV or electronic games) when parents need a few moments to themselves. I simply love this idea - and what a thrill it was to see Jasmine read one of my own books Riley and the Dancing Lion on her site. It's so wonderful hearing someone other than myself read the story! You can listen to the reading here. 

You'll also find many more fabulous readings on the site, and Jasmine is working hard at adding more recordings in the coming months, so make sure you check back often.

- Tania McCartney, KBR Founder

Review: The Princess of 8th Street

Princess Jane lives in a tower with her royal family, overlooking the Kingdom of 8th Street. She spends her days in her royal bedchamber, fulfilling all manner of royal duties - studying, painting, dancing and singing - and of course, managing the royal zoo (a menagerie of stuffed toys).

When the Queen appears and asks Princess Jane if she would like to accompany her on a shopping trip, the princess fetches her royal cape and descends, past the awful goblin-esque brother and along the thoroughfares to the marketplace.

Event: CBCA and Zart Art Seminar Series

Click here for more info and to RSVP.

Guest Post: Meet the Grimstones with author Asphyxia

Kids Book Review is delighted to welcome author Asphyxia to share the story of how her popular junior fiction series The Grimstones was created.

The Grimstones is a family of quirky, gothic puppets with large expressive eyes. I made them and their miniature home by hand out of recycled junk, scraps of fabric, and spare pieces of wood. The Grimstones first came to life on a theatre show, and from there they have travelled the world, performing at many of the great arts centres.

Now The Grimstones is a delightful book series, and these gorgeous puppets are waiting to meet you from between the covers. The Grimstones: Hatched is Martha Grimstone’s journal, her story told in her own words. Martha longs to cure her Mama of the lake of tears she cries every night, and she longs to get into her grandfather’s apothecary to learn all there is to know about the casting of spells. Martha ends up hatching a plan that is a bit too big for her, that may have disastrous consequences…

I won’t spoil the story by telling you what happens – let’s just say that Martha embarks on an amazing adventure that will lead her through a great many creative inventions with little touches of magic at every turn. The first three, Hatched, Mortimer Revealed and Whirlwind are already on bookshelves across Australia and New Zealand, and I’ve heard of many copies that belong strictly under their owners’ pillows – they are much beloved. I am now writing the fourth book, and have plans for up to six in the series.

12 Curly Questions with author Alyssa Brugman

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you. 
I watch trashy TV shows (all the time).

2. What is your nickname?
Some of the boys at high school called me “Bruggo”, but not recently.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Something bad happening to my animals when I’m not there.

4. Describe your writing style in ten words.  
I write like the character is whispering in your ear.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer. 
Fast, genuine, careful, compassionate, brutal.

Review: Catch the Zolt (The Debt instalment One)

Dom Silvagni, indifferent student and elite middle distance runner, is turning 15 and it is time for him to find out about the family secret.

Dom’s family owe an ancient debt to a secretive organisation known simply as The Debt. Now that Dom is 15, it is his turn to make the six Instalments required from each Silvagni male or sacrifice a pound of flesh in payment.

Dom’s first challenge is to catch the Zolt, a 17-year-old Facebook bandit who has a penchant for stealing light aircraft from wealthy Gold Coast residents. Can Dom succeed where the police and private investigators have all failed? Does he have any choice?

Catch the Zolt sets the scene well for this six book action series for tweens and teens. We meet Dom, his family and various friends and gradually build a picture of Dom’s life as he tries to deal with this first challenge from The Debt. With Dom, we grow increasingly suspicious of his father’s attitude to the challenges Dom must face and increasingly aware just how few people Dom can now trust.

Review: Girl's Best Friend

Maggie is a bright and resourceful twelve-year-old who, unbeknown to her parents, walks dogs after school to make some pocket money.  She is sweet on her classmate Milo, a quiet, sullen type who doesn’t really notice her. Maggie lives with her twin Finn and family along with many other tenants, in an old brownstone building converted to apartments by the owner Isabelle, whose dog Preston Maggie walks daily.

Crazy things are going on in the brownstone building. Noises in the walls and other unexplained disturbances are being complained about. Isabelle lives in an imaginary world of her past glories and other fantasies that sway from truth to fiction depending on the occasion and the listener.

Ivy was Maggie’s best friend till Eve came along. Now Ivy’s dog Kermit has been stolen and held for ransom. Ivy knows where Maggie keeps her dog-walking funds and uses Maggie and Finn’s birthday as an opportunity to take the money to get her dog back. Maggie catches her, then finds herself involved in trying to track down the dog-napper before Ivy’s parents return from overseas.

Review: Do Your Ears Hang Low?

I don’t know why some nursery rhymes and songs capture a particular child’s attention while others don’t, but each family seems to have certain songs that become favourites. For our family, Do Your Ears Hang Low? is one of those songs, sung with enthusiasm on car trips, walking along the street and at random moments.

Illustrator Jenny Cooper provides a wonderfully appealing collection of animals with ears of various shapes and sizes in this picture book version of the classic children’s song Do Your Ears Hang Low? Dogs, mice, llamas, pigs and rabbits smile from the pages to demonstrate the four verses of the song with ears that hang low, stand high, flip-flop and stick out. The final page includes a mirror section so that children can check their own ears to see which category they fall into, encouraged by the flip-floppy eared rabbit ‘You’ve got the cutest ears I’ve ever seen!’.

Review: Alex as Well

When 14-year-old Alex decides he is a girl, no-one knows how to react including Alex, who struggles to understand why this decision feels so right.

Alex’s parents respond with anger and denial, turning on each other and Alex as they struggle with the consequences of their decisions when Alex was a baby and during her childhood. Struggling to establish her new identity, Alex enrols herself in a new school and tries to make new friends. Unfortunately, her past can’t be set aside so easily and establishing herself as female Alex isn’t as easy as throwing away her old clothes and buying some make-up.