Between is a beautiful offering, recognised and described by Scribble
founder and publisher Miriam Rosenbloom thus:
‘It’s a
book about difference – but also about empathy, care, the instinct to connect,
and the ongoing impact that people have on our lives…
A reminder that beautiful things are still being made with time, heart and intention.’
A cricket
and a cabbage moth are living their short lives, doing their daily things, and
we the reader are invited into the spaces between them. And also, into their
separate worlds and realities, which ultimately collide.
This book
is poetry, texture, warmth and heaven all in one. The wording is sparse and
definitive. Deliberate, yet expansive.
And the
hand-rendered illustrations are extraordinary. Each page brings a new artistic
sensibility. A limited colour palette and balance between tight and loose, spatter
and stroke, softness and texture, definition and shadow, strength and vulnerability
– all contribute to the wonder and delight of this book.
It is absolutely
one to become lost in and pore over, whatever your age.
I can see
it being the perfect gift for all. For a student setting off into the wider
world, a grandparent creating space with less things and more time, a small
child with their insatiable curiosity and love of wonder.
Quite
simply, it’s sublime.
It explores
traditions around food, cooking, recipes passed down through the generations,
the absolute joy of eating and family life – all of which are squished together
into a tangle of mouth-watering hope and delight.
It's often called the dawn chorus, and that's how this book gets its name.
The Great Dawn Choir, written by Sarah Speedie and illustrated by Cindy Lane, is a beautiful depiction of some of the many and varied Australian birds that contribute to a musical start to the day.
Just like the birds, The Great Dawn Choir has a lyrical rhythm. The text rhymes, and the onomatopoeia of the birdsong is shown in larger flowing font.
What might they see? A frog? Birds?
Tadpoles? Butterflies? Platypus? Wattle
blossoms?
What might
they hear? Splashes and sploshes, waddles and flops, rumbles and scratches.
It’s a feast of onomatopoeia that is just
perfect for your younger readers. Follow
the children as they take their curiosity, and find their joy in the simple pleasures of
paddling in the water and observing the bush. And, of course, a picnic lunch is
perfect to snack on when it’s time to rest up before making their way home.
But heralds life again with scattered blossoms.
The emergence of green leaves from its thin branches proclaims the resilience of nature.
The orchard was filled with Little Peach trees.
Saplings that bent in the wind.
On the crest was Peach King; an image of authority, standing strong against the wind, watching over the tender young ones.
His trainer, a friend of Granpa’s, has been called away to a family emergency. A temporary carer is needed until he recovers from an operation.
Stella overhears the conversation and having longed for a dog of her own, convinces Grandpa that she and her best friend Millie, will be happy to take care of Fergus.
The girls decide that this will be their Project of Choice theme, one of the many which their class has been allocated to research.
Being the Project of Choice means they must take Fergus to school with them to allow him to assimilate to all the social skills he needs to know, such as being with other people and animals, birds and sounds. Above all, to obey commands and be toilet trained.
Maybe you recognise their names, or maybe you don't, but you probably know their internationally acclaimed picture book, We're Going On a Bear Hunt.
Michael and Helen are back with another collaboration, their first in more than 30 years.
It's called Oh Dear, Look What I Got!
In it, a child's trip to the shop to buy a carrot turns into a succession of mistakes.
It is a twenty-five-year-old cold case, about seventeen-year-old Corey Armstrong, who was hit and left to die just outside of town.
The podcast is nearing the end with the mystery still unsolved.
Leo is smart, athletic, and popular. Alex is a single-friend person, with few interests outside of his art.
Their constant bickering concerns their single mother a great deal. She suggests that they team up to see if they can find any clues about Corey’s death that may have been missed, before the last podcast.
She hopes that doing something important together will bring them closer to one another.
They reluctantly agree although it is a challenge for the boys to both agree to anything.
At night they go with torches, to the tree where Corey’s memorial cross was hammered, but has now been removed. Here they find their first clue.
Slowly and through crafty questioning and casual conversations, they uncover unknown information.
Harry is Alex’s only friend. A highly intelligent individual, she discovers what the boys are up to, and wants to join in. Her intuitive and lateral thinking proves valuable.
Slowly truths are uncovered. The past becomes the present as personal issues concerning their estranged father, are stirred up. Prominent names of the town surface under the list of unanswered questions.
They find themselves wading in dangerous waters.
Can the brothers discover the truth about Corey’s death?
Within the mix of mystery and the search for truth, is the underlying evolving relationship between the brothers, who, until the decision to investigate together, had no time for each other.
Red herrings lead the reader astray at times, but it is exciting to follow the detailed trail of clues about what really happened to Corey so many years ago.
Multi- talented A.I. Tait has created a riveting mystery/adventure. Although she writes in varied genres, crime is her favourite and is something at which she excels.
Title: Danger Road
Author: A.L. Tait
Publisher: Scholastic, $ 17.99
Publication Date: 1 July 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761646270
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction
Ningaloo – Australia’s
Wild Wonder looks at the extraordinary natural phenomenon of land and sea known as Ningaloo, and celebrates
both the awe-inspiring and quiet things that make this place unique.
Penned by
Australia’s beloved Tim Winton and accompanied by 100s of gorgeous,
hand-painted illustrations by Cindy Lane, it’s a veritable treasure trove of
surprise and information.
From itty
bitty blind fish that live deep in the murky depths, to massive whale sharks in
the glossy blue sea, Ningaloo features more than 50 species of aquatic
and terrestrial animals and plants.
The novel follows a group of students, selected to join an exclusive writing workshop. When secrets unravel and tensions rise, the students begin to realise nothing is as it seems.
Centred at The Moss, an isolated estate where the storytelling workshop takes place, the characters explore themes of power, manipulation and pressure.
Meredith Graffam is an eccentric director, writer and actress and serves as the student’s mentor. Her character portrays the influence of power and highlights the imbalance she holds over the students.
Effy Green is a central character in the novel, alongside Arlo Ellis-Noon, both ambitious participants throughout the workshop, who, along with the others, are manipulated by Graffam.
Issac carries a legacy throughout the book, faced with the pressure to live up to his family expectations and Ness, an overlooked wallflower, struggles with belonging. Throughout the novel, the characters confront their past traumas and question what they believe is true.
Immie’s father, a firefighter in the Rural Fire Service, lost his life.
The decision to investigate the probability of arson, is activated by an anonymous call to police.
Who could the person be?
Was it a male or female voice?
The police are keeping silent.
When further calls are made to police, and a local podcast begins to follow the proceedings, the town becomes reactive.
Fletch is Immie’s best friend.
His elder brother, Cooper is accused, then arrested as the arsonist. An additional charge is also considered against him for the death of Immie’s dad.
Gareth is a fashion designer who designs and makes wonderful creations for animals of all kinds.
He's so famous his clients travel from afar to be dressed in his unique outfits.
One such client is an upper class possum who wants a fabulous dress to give her daughter to wear at her birthday party.
Gareth is inspired and delivers something amazing.