Review: Starlight

Solli Raphael burst into the spotlight in 2017 when at 12 he became the youngest winner of the Australian Poetry Slam.

Now a young adult, Solli's latest book, Starlight is the third in a series of connected books. The previous ones being Limelight and Spotlight. 

Starlight is in two parts. The first explores identity. 

National and personal identity, racial and cultural identity, identity and public image versus private image and representation.

Examples are shared, from popular culture (musicians, influencers, etc) and fictional worlds (like superheroes), as a way into thinking about how our identity might alter with boundaries or crossover in different contexts. 

How are our physical identity and intellectual identity connected? Do we have one identity or many? How do history and historical events influence identity?

Review: Be the Bus

Giveaway: This Is Not A Sad Book (But It's OK To Feel Sad)

This Is Not A Sad Book is truly not a sad book!

It's actually a practical, compassionate guide full of strategies and ideas to support yourself or someone else through grief, loss and hard times.

In some parts you might even find yourself smiling.

Most importantly of all – the stories, tips and advice in these pages are a reminder that even in our darkest hours, there is a way through.

KBR's very own, Elizabeth Vercoe teams ups with Melbourne-based illustrator, Grace Fraraccio to create a warm tender book that empowers young people to create space for feeling and healing. Originally published twenty years ago as, The Grief Book, with Kerry Abramowski, this revised Children's Book Council of Australia Honour Book edition is deeply personal and endearing. 

Thanks to the generous folk at Affirm Press we have not one but THREE copies of this incredible, warm-hearted guide through grief, loss and hard times to giveaway!

For your chance to win a copy of this touching and practical award-winning title simply tell us in 25 words or less what makes you feel better when you are having a bad day?

Review: Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie

If you're a teenager, adult, parent, teacher, or just someone who wants to better understand anxiety, this is a good place to start.

Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie is written by Dr Toni Lindsay, a psychologist who has extensive experience working with adults and young people, particularly those who've had a cancer diagnosis. 

Through her practice, Dr Lindsay has observed the growing prevalence of anxiety and wanted to provide advice in an accessible format for people who might never visit a psychologist.

Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie explores what anxiety is, starting with the simple explanation of it meaning being fearful and letting it get in the way of life. Then how it can appear in our lives in different ways and at different frequencies. 

Book Lists: Peace and War

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.

Peace and war feature in many books, from picture books for preschoolers and older readers to YA fiction. 

Over the years we've shared more book lists on this topic than any other. While non-fiction can teach us about historical events and people who have had an impact on the world, fiction gives us stories with new and different perspectives, and helps develop empathy. These books are a window into history and a prompt for a better future.

Je suis tolérante - Stories representing different historical and contemporary cultures, and encouraging peace and tolerance. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2015/01/book-list-je-suis-tolerante.html

Anzac Day - Remembrance - Ten picture books use stories to help remember those who have served in wartime. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/04/terrific-10-anzac-day-remembrance.html

Anzac Day - Experiences of war - These books explore what war is and the impact of the experience of war. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2017/04/terrific-10-anzac-day-experiences-of-war.html

Picture books about Gallipoli and Anzacs - Stories that are narrative and stories with a strong focus on facts about World War I. These titles include some based on true stories. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2015/04/book-list-picture-books-about-gallipoli.html

Picture books about peace and hope - Amidst conflict it's important to have hope and seek peace. These stories help children understand these concepts. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2014/04/book-list-picture-books-about-peace-and.html

Young adult novels about war and conflict - A selection of stories that provide insight into the impact of war, particularly on young people. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2014/04/book-list-young-adult-novels-about-war.html

Middle fiction novels about war and conflict - Stories told using narrative fiction can help young readers to understand the experience of war and its ramifications on a personal and global level. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2014/04/book-list-middle-fiction-novels-about.html

Picture books about war and conflict - The complexity of war can make it a difficult subject to talk about. These books are helpful in raising and exploring the concept of war with young children. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2014/04/book-list-picture-books-about-war-and.html

ANZAC books worth knowing - Five picture books about experiences of the ANZAC soldiers, told from different perspectives. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2012/04/anzac-books-worth-knowing.html

More books and lists with stories looking at the experience of war http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2016/04/anzac-day-2016-book-list-books-about.html

Review: Sunshine: How one camp taught me about life, death and hope

Sunshine: How one camp taught me about life, death and hope is a memoir in the form of a graphic novel.

Created by Jarrett J Krosoczka, Sunshine is the story of a memorable summer in his teenage years. It's an experience that changes his life.

When he was sixteen, Jarrett spent one week as a student leader at Camp Sunshine, a holiday camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, and their families.

At Camp Sunshine Jarrett meets people like thirteen-year-old Diego who has a brain tumour and uses a wheelchair. Jarrett's interest in art and his drawing abilities provide an opening for developing a friendship with Diego, and the other kids.

He learns some of the challenges, frustrations and impacts of cancer and its treatment. And he discovers that when you're faced with a life-threatening illness, personally or by close association, the way you look at life changes.

Review: Young Oracle Tarot

Obviously, it won’t be for everyone or even every library collection but this is just both beautiful and fascinating. 

The history of Tarot is long and extensive across cultures, and this is outlined in the opening chapters of this gorgeously presented book.

After this exploration of the origins, the variations in decks and the purpose/intent of tarot readings the text goes on to enumerate the various cards, beginning with the major arcana, each with a colour illustration, key words, and a short explanatory paragraph. 

Review: Untwisted: The Story of My Life

If you thought you learnt all about Paul Jennings, children’s book writer, through his children’s writing, you will be surprised by the truthful insight into who he really is, with his extraordinary and revealing autobiography, Untwisted: The Story of My Life.

This book will stay with me forever. It is the epitome of resilience, renewal, reinvention and strength of character.

Jennings unashamedly speaks of his life, respecting certain people by not mentioning their names, but being faithful to the episodes his life contains that brought him to who he now is; the situations, personal and professional, he fought hard to overcome or correct.

It is an inspiring book. His struggle with personal relationships and depression, is authentically approached.

His honesty concerning things he actively addressed to change gives hope to hopeless situations. In reading this book, empathy and understanding for each human struggle surfaces.

Review: Music: A Fold-out Graphic History

This extraordinary book from the Royal Albert Hall is like an encyclopedia of music in compact form. Beautifully designed with a wealth of information, it’s for anyone even slightly interested in any form of musical sound and its origins, and the people connected to it.

From 5000 BC turtle shells were used to rattle out music. Conch shells were used in religious rituals.

Maps are used to weave through the history of music and its use. This 2.5 metre fold-out with numbered timeline, is an historical journey back into ancient times and forward into modern ones.

Review: The Reality Slap - New Edition

What are Reality Slaps? They are the knocks you get on your journey through life. Everyone experiences them, some daily; others less frequently. When faced with loss of any kind, whether a friendship, personal partnership, job or whatever, crisis and grief occur. Our emotions whip us into submission and we wallow in grief if we don’t have the tools to overcome.

This cross-over, non-fiction book on how to survive and thrive when life hits hard, is a fully revised and updated, new edition of  The Reality Slap by the author of The Happiness Trap, Dr Russ Harris. 

It is not only for adults but an ideal read for mature, older children that find life challenging and without answers. Also, for parents that choose to use these insightful methods to advise their children on how to cope with painful thoughts and feelings.

Review: Fearless Footsteps

In this crossover publication, thirty-six writers leave their footprints in true travel stories that capture the spirit of adventure. These are not travel guides in any form, but strong narratives that inspire and expose each story’s sense of daring verses independence, an overcoming of fear and challenge that travel has initiated, and the euphoria in executing a challenge.

The title of the book, Fearless Footsteps, perfectly portrays the journeys depicted in the collection. For me to choose a standout is impossible for every story is outstanding in content, presentation and tone.

The stories incorporate travel from and to, around the globe. They begin with helping boat people come ashore in Greece, to continue with hiking in North Wales to extinguish depression, sisters travelling through Europe – their fears and experiences,

Bookish Places: Anne Frank House

Statue of Anne Frank, Amsterdam (Photo: Sarah Steed)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

On a street in Amsterdam stands a statue of a young girl. Her name is Anne Frank and she wanted to be a writer. She would probably have been astonished that with the posthumous publication of her diary, her writing has been read by millions of people and her story known all around the world.

Not far from the statue, on Prinsengracht 263-267, is Anne Frank House (Anne Frank Huis). Its entry is at Westermarkt 20, 1016 DK Amsterdam.

This is a museum and the actual place where Anne Frank lived hidden in isolation with her sister, parents, and another family for two years during World War II. They were Jewish and went into hiding in 1942, when Anne was thirteen years old. In August 1944 they were found and deported to a concentration camp, where all but Anne’s father died.

During her two years in hiding, Anne kept a diary which was later published as The Diary of a Young Girl, and as The Diary of Anne Frank.

Review: Slam Your Poetry: Write A Revolution

Poetry is raw and comes from a place of emotions and, in turn, speaks directly to the readers’ emotions. Slam poetry ramps this up a notch. It’s about not just reading, but performing poetry in front of an audience...of actual people. Without props, music or costumes. Slam poets are much braver than I could ever be.

Miles Merrill, the founder of the Australian Poetry Slam, and Narcisa Nozica, a Secondary teacher, describe it as a terrifying ride, of the poet making themselves vulnerable, but they also provide the tools for the poet to develop the confidence to pull it off and win the audience over by forging a connection with them. All in two minutes.

The authors have run slam poetry classes to school children and adults for years, and have distilled their knowledge into a comprehensive guide. 

Review: Girls Don't Lay Bricks

Girls Don’t Lay Bricks is an inspiring personal story that displays a variety of winning mindsets. In particular, how nurturing a strong belief in one’s self, combined with the ability to think outside the square, can open up endless possibilities in life.

Casey Mackinlay was thirteen when the need for pocket money initiated her first business venture, a hair-cutting service at school. Later, she converted a school project into a money-making Year Ten Formal – within school guidelines, of course!

Casey has lived with a strong belief that when she set her mind to something, she could find a way to see it through. Recognising she was not academically minded like her siblings, her parents agreed to a TAFE course. There she took on a trade – bricklaying, and finished her High School year.

KBR's Top Young Adult Books of the Last 20 Years

KBR is celebrating 2020 with recommendations of our top titles from the last 20 years. There have been so many fabulous books published over this time, we could include many more than you see here. However, these are some of the KBR team's favourites (in no particular order). We hope you enjoy them, too.

You can also read our list of top picture book titles here, and top junior and middle fiction and non-fiction titles here.

Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (read our reviews here)

Dragonkeeper series by Carole Wilkinson (read our review here)

Yellow by Megan Jacobson (read our review here)

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley (read our review here)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (read our review here)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read our review here)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

En Pointe by Chloe Bayliss (read our review here)

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee (read our review here)

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox (read our review here)

The Protected by Claire Zorn (read our review here)

Trash Andy Mulligan (read our review here)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (read our review here)

Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzi with Patricia McCormick (read our review here)

Review: En Pointe

En Pointe: A true story of hope, hardship and never giving up on your dreams is a revelation to read. This is an inspirational, heartfelt memoir suitable for ages 12 to adult.

Written by Australian author, dancer and actor, Chloe Bayliss, En Pointe is bursting with hope, persistence, growth, and ultimately, joie de vivre, the joy of living one's best life. It is my favourite book of the year, and my 12 year old daughter's (a feat never achieved by any other book), leading to wonderful discussions.

The story begins at one of the highest points in the author's teenage life, auditioning for and being accepted into an International Dance School, when suddenly everything changes. A mystery illness renders Chloe unable to walk more than a few paces. Her world of dance and music is suddenly replaced by hospital beds and beeping machines.

Review: The Human Body

The Human Body by Karen Seinor provides an overview of many aspects of the human body, in a way that is clear, concise and interesting. The level of detail is just right - enough to provide a working level of understanding, but not so much as to be overwhelmed by the body's complexities.

Author and teacher, Karen Seinor, writes in an engaging style, with Fun Facts interspersed throughout. Information covers organ functions and how systems interact with each other, as well as clarifying some common myths.

This book provides an overview of the main systems in the body, including the nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, skeletal and other systems. The organs covered include brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Some aspects are not covered, e.g. the endocrine system and the male and female reproductive organs.

Review: A Girl's Guide to Kicking Goals

The co-founders of Keep It Cleaner, Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, have created a book aimed at inspiring young girls to be their best, happiest and healthiest selves. 

They are two girls with flaws, insecurities, doubts and challenges. 

They have experienced all that they talk about in A Girl’s Guide to Kicking Goals and share their lives  through successes and failures, weaknesses and strengths.

Important issues addressed are body image, social media and the dangers that lurk there, and how to stay safe from the negatives young girls will undoubtedly encounter on line. 

Review: Vital Science

I think most people in Australia have heard of 'Dr. Karl' Kruszelnicki. After all, he was named a 'National Living Treasure' by the National Trust of Australia and deserves the title. With over 30 popular, interesting and fun science and fact-related books to his name, his latest book, Vital Science will also surely please everyone.

Vital Science, will entertain and educate kids and teens of all ages (and adults too!). The easy to read chapters are filled with a good mix of science, facts and topical issues that Dr. Karl is so well known and respected for.

Chapters on trees having senses, why people lie, why whales are so big, volcanoes vs humans, tennis grunting, the doomsday seed vault, foreign accent syndrome and many more factual, quirky and topical issues will have readers riveted.

Review: Build The Person You Want To Be

After a recent defeatist conversation with a teenager preparing for VCE, this book found me. I realized what an extensive and wide-reaching audience Build the Person You Want to Be is suited to. 

It is a valuable resource for improving your outlook on everything, building a positive attitude, and changing wrong perceptions of things brought on by negative thoughts.

In a constantly changing and challenging world, young people (and people of all ages) are faced with constant stress to perform. Many view the future as bleak and fatalistic. 

Here are seven tools that will increase positivity and creativity plus many additional scientific-based, well-researched stimulants to improve your thought process.