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Evie finds a rhinoceros on the beach, and it follows her home, but trying to keep such a large animal hidden turns out to be impossible. They form a tight bond based on their understanding of grief. Her grandfather understands the closeness but is worried about when Rhino must go.

Evie knows she can't possibly keep a rhino and is distressed when she reads about some zoos' practices. How does this all work out?

I enjoyed this story's 'what if quality'. The mix of fact and fiction is powerful. It adds to the actual grounding of the SS Bancoora off the Victorian Coast in 1891.

Recommended for readers ten years and more.

Published by Walker Books 2022

Illustrated by Astred Hicks

CBCA Notable Book 2023

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

A young girl is eaten by and escapes years later from a giant serpent. Her return home as a 19-year-old is surrounded by disbelief, mystery, gossip and superstition. The enormous snakeskin she brings home adds to the local disquiet. Accused of bringing evil to the town, she escapes travelling the world. Is it possible to out-run traumatic life events? Does she find peace?

The horror of the initial trauma was hard to read. Still, after she returns, the tension surrounding the girl speaks to many trauma victims and how they struggle to find piece.

Recommended for readers 12 years and older.

Published by IP (Interactive Publications Pty Ltd) 2018

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

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  Homer’s life is in turmoil. His parents broke up, and Dad lives on the other side of the country. His Mum is a football hero, and they train together. She gets selected for an interstate game, and Homer’s confused about wanting her to be successful but not wanting her to go away. 

Homer misses his dad so much that he’s determined to earn enough money to buy a ticket to visit him or get him to come home. With the help of friends, he starts fixing badly made PE shirts for a fee.

Homer’s single focus burns friends and family; his life goes from mixed up to so bad he screams. How is it sorted?

I liked the thread addressing mental conflict and mental health throughout the book. It made a sport-focused book much richer. 

Recommended for readers ten years and older.

Published by Affirm Press 2022.

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin.

This collection of five short stories is a page-turner, each focusing on one dragon, Amberwing, Hydraclaw, Slouslinger, Chrnohide and Glamourwing. The dragons are all trying to save their world. 

The five stories are linked, but each reflects its world. The tie with Gallipoli is very clever.

Recommended for readers ten years and older.

Published by fourINK Press 2019

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Jack is trying to grow new food sources, a cross beet, potato, and tomato. His best is Christopher. He loves his Mum, stepdad, sister, and grandmother. His grandmother loves biscuits, particularly the ones made by Christopher’s parents, who own Trans Bakery.

School is tricky for Jack. He spent a lot of time in the library last year after being bullied. He suspects Christopher is being bullied by the same group of boys. Jack films the school football grand final and captures nasty, cheating, and rough play but the bullies.

Jack wants to stop Christopher’s bullying and knows he needs to do something about the unfair play he filmed. What does he decide?

The multi-layered story is about Jack finding himself and identifying what he thinks is important. He also has to sort out who is important to him.

Recommended for readers aged eight years and older.

Published by Angus and Robertson, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Australia 2014

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Stella loves playing soccer. Her team doesn’t win. They have lost every match this season, and if they are to make the finals, they must win all the remaining games. Finally, Starla leads her team to a win.

Her grandfather suggests that the new undies she is wearing cause her change of luck. Stella isn’t sure, but when she goes on to improve rapidly thinks the undies are the answer. Despite all the ridicule, she convinces Coach and her teammates to wear special undies over their shorts. Do they make the grand final, and do they win?

I enjoyed the humour of the story.

Recommended for readers aged 6-8 years.

Published by Affirm Press Kids 2019

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Fred loves Roller derby. She lives for it and can hardly remember not being able to Roller skate. Her mum taught her as soon as she could walk. Fred’s family moves a lot, and Roller derby gives Fred and her family an extended family wherever they move to.

Fred’s mother is dead, and Fred can’t decide what to wear to the funeral, so she pulls on her favourite baggy T-shirt and black shorts. It hardly seems like her mother got sick, and now she’s gone.

Fred and her father head to Melbourne. Fred’s not so sure she wants to meet people who knew her mother and want to talk about her. She is hurting so much she’s given up Roller Derby because it reminds her of Mum. How does Fred find peace?

This story revolves around the terrible grief a 12-year-old feels after the sudden death of her mother. The grief is dealt with sensitively. Nova Weetman presents a rich and full character in Fred, which means the impact of grief on her life is explored in detail. It is, however, not a morbid book and presents essential insights into grief.

Recommended for readers ten years and older.

CBCA Notable book 2023.

Published by UQP 2022

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Gloria was raised in a sheltered, closed family after The Accident. She is at a kids’ stunt program when her parents visit The Most Boring Town. She learns all sorts of stunts, is proud of herself, and doesn’t want to return to her closed lifestyle. 

Five kids are picked for a secret mission to save the world, and Gloria is one of them. Do they save the world?

This book was interesting because it had two distant halves –about the same size—the first dealing with Gloria’s personal growth and the second with the group’s secret mission. 

I enjoyed the fun and humour in the story and the dilemmas the characters faced.

Recommended for Readers aged 10-14 years

Published by PanMacmillan 2022

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Marcus likes Breakfast Club where he meets up with his friends. One morning he’s left a note asking if he wanted to join the BCI. He joins the Breakfast Club Investigators because he has lost his football. He accidentally kicked it over the fence, and now he’s no good a football.

The BCI looks like the only way he’ll get it back before his cousin comes home and finds out he lost the football she gave him. The only problem is that going through the fence is completely against the school rules, and nobody has ever tried to go into the building on the other side – that’s too scary.

The BCI decide to go through the fence and into the building. They find it terrifying, and trouble at school and home comes charging towards them. Do they find what they’ve missed?

I enjoyed the mix of things the characters were missing and how the children discovered how different things are important to other people.

Recommended for readers aged 8-12 years.

Published by Macmillan Children’s Books 2022

Illustrated by Marta Kissi

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Amy loves natural disasters and keeps newspaper cutting, pictures and looking for information everywhere. Her Grandparent’s house was nearly burned down in the Canberra bushfires, and Grandma now lives about half an hour away in Marysville.

The Summer school holidays finally arrive, and with both her mother and brother away and her father fighting bushfires, Amy goes to stay with her grandmother in Marysville.

The Summer bushfires rage out of control, and Amy, her grandmother, and her friend fear for their lives as ash and smoke surround the house. Amy’s quick thinking saves them all. What does she do?

I enjoyed the day-to-day tone, language and world setting. The mix of fact and fiction resulted in a richly moving, well-told story. 

Recommended for all readers aged ten years or more.

Published by Omnibus, an imprint of Scholastic Australia 2019

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

I read and I write.            

If you read why not write?            

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