Review: The Girl who Drank the Moon

This is a magical and haunting novel that will stay with you with you long after you have closed the cover. It is an enchanting modern fairy tale that will draw you into its mysterious world of witches, a swamp monster and a magical girl named Luna.

However, this book is so much more than that, with its elegant prose, high emotion and characters that you can’t help but connect with and care about.

The people of the protectorate live under a cloud of sorrow. They carry on with their daily lives in the knowledge that each year, on the day of sacrifice, they must leave the town's youngest child in the forest for the witch. If they don’t, they are sure the witch will destroy them all.

Interviews: A Very KBR Christmas 2018!

It's time to pour some rum-flavoured fun onto your fruit mince pies and settle back for a good read - because you love stories, right?

As always, our intrepid team of reviewers has tried to leave no page unturned in order bring you the best of another bountiful year of bedazzling children's stories.

Many have made our hearts soar and our emotions bloom, just like a great Christmas tale. So spend a moment or two with us as the KBR team share their fondest festive recollections and recommendations.

12 Curly Questions with author Katherine Battersby

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I was an artistic roller skater for most of my youth. I loved freestyle skating the most, which involves spins and jumps and routines to music. I don’t get to skate very often anymore, but I do get to ice skate on the frozen canal in Ottawa (Canada) where I live now.

2. What is your nickname?
I love nicknames, so I have many. My partner and I are always coming up with new ones for each other (and now for our daughter, too). My current favourites: girl-a-roo, katbat and mumma-bat.

Look What I'm Reading! Karen Foxlee

Karen Foxlee’s young adult novels The Anatomy of Wings and The Midnight Dress were published internationally to much acclaim.  Her award-winning books for younger readers include Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, A Most Magical Girl and Lenny’s Book of Everything. She lives and writes in Queensland, Australia. 

Look What I'm Reading: Yvonne Mes

Yvonne Mes is a children’s author and illustrator, book reviewer, Write Links coordinator and early childhood educator. 

She buys more books than she can read, comes up with more ideas than she can get on the page and has more children than she can manage (3 boys). 

But she does try very hard, and best of all, she is NEVER bored.

Which children’s book are you currently reading?

The Tale of Despereaux, The Graphic Novel. This graphic novel is based on the motion picture screenplay, which in turn was based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, which was then adapted and illustrated by Matt Smith and David Tilton. It was published in 2008 by Candlewick Press.

Can you tell us in two sentences what the book is about?

A brave mouse, who follows a knight’s code of honour, battles rats, cats and darkness to bring the light AND soup back to the city of Dor.