Review: Don't Forget to Smile

Behind the elegance, discipline and applause of the ballet world lies a demanding culture of perfection, and Ariane Beeston's Don't Forget to Smile offers an honest and compelling glimpse behind the curtain.

Told through the alternating perspectives of Clara, Elle and Ben, three talented young dancers competing for a coveted place at the International Ballet Grand Prix, the novel explores what it truly costs to pursue excellence. Each protagonist faces their own personal battle: Clara struggles with the expectations of fitting the traditional ballet mould, while Elle and Ben challenge outdated attitudes and entrenched power structures within the dance world. As their individual journeys unfold, an unexpected scandal draws the trio together in surprising ways.

Review: Learning You By Heart

Some books beg to be read aloud while you’re snuggled up with the ones you love. Sarah Wallace’s newest book, illustrated by Michelle Conn, is one of those books.

A lullaby for a precious child, Learning You By Heart captures a mother’s absolute devotion to her child as she delights in every smile, every touch and every breath.

 
Learning something ‘by heart’ usually refers to the rote memorisation of times tables, spelling words or scientific formulae at school. It involves close observation, repeated actions and intense focus.

Review: A House Divided

A House Divided by Clare Hallifax, is the second book in the Our History series, and an entertaining and informative window into history. 

It covers a year in Juliet’s life and the year is 1975. Colour television was introduced in Australia, flared jeans were fashionable, and the landmark National Library of Australia building opened. It was also a time of political upheaval. 

1975 brings lots of changes for Juliet, her family, and the whole country. 

Juliet lives with her parents and grandmother, and has an older sister at university interstate. Her dad works in a quite senior position in the federal government. 

She's entering her final year of primary school, and is expected to complete a year-long, individual project, one that she needs to choose for herself. 

Juliet decides to compare her life growing up in the seventies, with her Gran’s at the end of the First World War and afterwards.

Review: The Poisoned King: Impossible Creatures #2

I have raved over Impossible Creatures since I first ate it up greedily and, trust me, I am not the only one. Evidence of that is in the fact that it was the Children’s Book of the Year in the 2024 British Book Awards, while, at the same time, Katherine was named the Author of the Year – the first children’s author to do so. Is it any wonder? Everything she has written is superlative.

So you can probably imagine my unseemly squeal of excitement when I opened this limited edition proof copy of #2. With great restraint, I finished the last 100 pages of the book I was about to review (at record speed!) and dived straight in. 

Over two nights I was deeply back in the world of the Archipelago. My eyes were getting tired, and I would realise I’d read for an hour in what seemed like mere minutes. Does that tell you something?

It has been a year since Christoper first went to the Archipelago, and he misses it fiercely. He also deeply misses Mal, the Immortal. His heart is full, and though he continues with his ordinary life of school, mates and home, he longs to be back in the realm of glimourie.

Review: Sundays Under The Lemon Tree

Sundays Under The Lemon Tree is a captivating story of togetherness and deliciousness.

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.

Review: The Style Secrets of Gareth McGreen

The Style Secrets of Gareth McGreen stars a stylish toad named Gareth. 

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.

Review: Childish

There’s a lot of childishness in this book. Also copious amounts of humour and heart which are the welcome hallmarks of Morris Gleitzman narratives. 

Like many of Gleitzman’s tales, Childish is a collision of inane and razor-sharp intellect, resulting in an invitation to think deeper and go further.

Arkie and Dot are phenomenal kid heroes. Arkie is from the bush. Dot is city minded and part of her family’s dumpling dynasty located within the city burbs. 

With things going sour in the bush, Arkie is jettisoned to live with Nan in the city until his parents can sell the family farm and join him.

Armed with typical Aussie bush stoicism, Arkie’s straightforward integrity matches Dot’s can-do, uncompromising disposition and grit beautifully. This is a merry match despite its infancy and one that is a delight to follow as the friends try their best shake local council and the utility companies into action.

Review: My Supercharged ADHD Brain

What do you know, or think you know, about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and what it's like to have it?

Authors Dani Vee and James Layton, and illustrator Ruth-Mary Smith, have created a fabulous picture book that depicts the wonders and challenges of a young child with ADHD.

As My Supercharged ADHD Brain says, 'all brains are amazing', and in this book the creators have drawn on lived experience to help explain just how amazing ADHD brains are.

My Supercharged ADHD Brain encourages understanding, and will quite likely prompt further thinking or discussion of situations and experiences.

Review: Sunny At The End Of The World

Predicting the future is a tricky thing. It is, invariably, one of the most inconstant of certainties. One never knows how one’s narrative will play out, either in life or between the pages.

Perhaps that is what I like best in Steph Bowe’s posthumously published, Sunny At The End Of The World. Even this ingenious title suggests something beyond utter hopelessness. Can an ending really be the start of something new? This premise forms just one part of Bowe’s YA fiction which prima facie, seems a straightforward dystopic foray into Zombieland.

We’ve seen that all before, right? An almost comic romp into the horror of the after dead. And yet, within Bowe’s capable and quirky hands, Sunny’s worlds, past and future, assume a reality that teens immediately warm to.

It’s 2018 just days after a global outbreak leaves the world afflicted and stricken. Zombies plague the major living centres, destroying civilisation as we know it, undermining any survivors’ sense of security and sanity. 

Review: How to be Normal

How To Be Normal, Ange Crawford’s brilliant debut novel for Young Adult readers, is the winner of the Walker Books Australia Manuscript Prize.

The narrator is seventeen-year-old Astrid, who has finished years of homeschooling with her father who lost his job and filled his life with controlling others’ lives. 

Astrid is now starting High school.

Her father is not happy about Astrid’s forthcoming schooling, nor the clothes her mother wears to work. He believes that social media is breaking everyone’s brain and making them hate.

This is just one of his rants concerning capitalism and its influence on society, that he wars against with a distorted mindset; a thought process that forced his son to leave home. 

But he is determined to hold tight to the control over the remaining members of his family.

Review: Over or Under?

Over or Under? by Pip Harry and Hilary Jean Tapper is a distinctly Australian story, from the landscape to the scenarios.

Maisie is learning how to swim safely. With her Dad by her side she practices jumping waves and knowing when it's better to dive under them. 

When Maisie hesitates to dive under a bigger wave, she discovers the strength of the water as it tumbles her about and dumps her. Maisie's fortunate that Dad's there to pull her to safety.

Review: Cora Seen and Heard

Cora wishes she was someone else, not invisible; but confident and outgoing like the girls that surround her. She also longs for a friend with whom she can share her thoughts.

Her dad Hank, a renovating fanatic, buys a run-down theatre in Tasmania, so they leave their home in Ipswich. Her mum, a therapist with her own radio program, is initially not thrilled with the idea.

Cora sees an opportunity to renovate herself in a place with new people. No more tripping over words when she speaks. Cora 2.0 will be born.

The theatre they find, has been neglected for years and is unlivable. But Hank is excited with this new venture and its unlimited possibilities.

Dressing Room One becomes Cora’s, and her sister Bekah’s bedroom.

Review: Ferris

There is a ghost in the house – a female wearing a long dress. Ferris’ grandmother Charisse sees her standing at the door. Boomer the dog feels she is there.

Uncle Ted has moved into the basement to draw the history of the world and father believes that there is a racoon in the attic.

Pinky, Ferris’ six-year-old sister is determined to become an outlaw.

Ferris knows that she wants to hold Billy Jackson’s hand forever.

Kate DiCamillo sets out with no rules. The beauty of her singular style is that she can mention something, then drop it to write about something else, and return to the previous issue without losing a beat.

Review: The Real Cowgirl

Farmer and writer, Isobelle Duff’s first book Cookie, proved how well she writes about emotions.

In The Real Cowgirl, Duff's second collaboration with Susannah Crispe, she addresses emotional unrest, anxiety, and lack of self-confidence.

The horse is the narrator.

Her horse knows Sal better than anyone. He sees a side of her that others can’t; a clever, kind, daring, wild, fearless, and child like the cowgirl she wants to become.

Review: Glow

On one level Glow is a story about a young girl and a robot. On another level, it's a story about memories and relationships, and grieving the loss of someone.

In a scrap yard filled with abandoned vehicles and all manner of broken items, a young girl tinkers with bits and pieces.

Although the word death is not used, it's fairly clear what's happened.

The narrator describes the journey the girl and her dog take as they walk through the scrap yard, over mountains of junk, across water, searching for memories and leading to a place hiding something special.

Review: A Leaf Called Greaf

Grief and mourning are difficult for anyone. So how do you discuss them with a child?

A Leaf Called Greaf takes these concepts and weaves a narrative full of symbolism. It's one that can help prompt discussion of topics that can be complex.

Kelly Canby has written and illustrated the story, featuring a bear as the protagonist. 

When one day a leaf lands on Bear, he names it Greaf.

Guest Post: Jessica Galatola on Writing Stories From The Heart

Writing from the heart may come intuitively to most authors, particularly children’s authors, but I feel it’s never been more important to the world of Children’s Literature than it is today. 

Our young readers need books, more than ever, that celebrate matters of the heart. They need to connect with words that grip them and help them feel seen, heard, and understood. 

Our kids need heart stories that celebrate diversity, empathy and understanding; stories that help them place themselves in this world. 

Video: Duck, Death and the Tulip

Grief and loss can be a difficult subject for anyone. Duck, Death and the Tulip, written and illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch, is a unique exploration of these often challenging subjects. 

In a strangely heartwarming story, a duck strikes up an unlikely friendship with Death. 'Who are you? Why are you creeping along behind me?' 'Good. You've finally noticed me,' said Death. 'I am Death.' Duck was startled. You couldn't blame her for that. Death, Duck and the Tulip is the much anticipated translation of Wolf Erlbruch's latest masterpiece. Death, Duck and the Tulip will intrigue, haunt and enchant teenagers and adults. Simple, unusual, warm and witty - a picture book version of The Book Thief. This book deals with a difficult subject in away that is elegant, straightforward, and thought-provoking.

Take a peek inside Duck, Death and the Tulip in this video.

Title: Duck, Death and the Tulip

Author/Illustrator: Wolf Erlbruch

Publisher: Gecko Press, $16.99

Publication Date: 2009

ISBN: 9781877467172

Format: Paperback

For ages: 7+

Type: Picture Book

Book Lists: Welcoming a New Baby

We’ve grouped together some of the many book lists we’ve shared over recent years, in case you missed them the first time around. 

We hope they inspire you to pick up a book you’ve not read before, or find a book to help explore and better understand a particular subject with readers of all ages.

A new baby is a big event for everyone.

Whether you're welcoming a baby into your own family, or you're looking for a book to give as a gift for a newborn baby, we've got you covered.

The first link below is to a list of books about preparing for a baby. These are the kinds of books that can help explain the entrance of a new member of the family, and can be especially helpful with young children. 

The second and third links are lists of books that make great gifts. They include some titles about babies, and some that explore relationships, early learning concepts, and the world around us. All are favourite with the KBR team.

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/03/terrific-10-preparing-for-new-baby.html

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2020/07/book-list-gifts-for-newborns.html

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/06/terrific-10-beautiful-gift-books-to.html

Book Lists: Favourite stories about girls

We’ve grouped together some of the many book lists we’ve shared over recent years, in case you missed them the first time around. 

We hope they inspire you to pick up a book you’ve not read before, or find a book to help explore and better understand a particular subject with readers of all ages.

Ahead of International Women's Day which is celebrated each year on 8 March, we wanted to look back at two fabulous book lists with some favourite stories about girls.

Our feisty, fictional girls list is a reminder of some classic and contemporary stories starring girls who live life to the fullest. Think Anne of Green Gables, Pippi Longstocking and Judy Moody! There are thirteen wonderful books to read.

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/03/book-list-feisty-fictional-girls.html

And the anti-princesses list shares ten terrific books which explore all kinds of characters who tend to break the stereotype for princesses. From riding motorbikes or ponies, to learning about life, and just being yourself, this book list has a great selection of titles to choose from.

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/04/terrific-10-anti-princesses.html