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Rusty loves his blue tongue lizard. He’s his best friend. A worldwide competition is held for five children to join a secret school for talking pets.

Rusty isn’t sure whether to apply, but his friend charlotte tells him he’ll never win if he doesn’t enter.

Bongo and Rusty win a place in the school. They’re off to a secret island location to join the school of talking animals. Trouble begins when evil people want to use animals to take over the world.

How does Rusty know who to trust? What can he do to save the animals?

I loved the humour.

recommended for readers 10-12 years

Published by HarperCollins 2021

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

  Do witches exist? Did they ever exist? Donny was dead. Was it the witch? Four friends witness the death of Denny. They all agree he died but cannot agree on how he died.

Stories of witches in the forest have been told for generations. Why?

The old mansion had been burnt years ago. Nobody lived there. Are they sure?

Mike Lucas has crafted a mystery that held me gripped. 

Recommended for readers ten years and older.

Published by Penguin books 2022

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Nellie is new to Bear Creek. Dad didn’t move with them, and Mum is overwhelmed with the move and trying to work. Nellie doesn’t have any friends but can’t run a newspaper on her own.

Nellie’s father taught her about writing for a newspaper and being a journalist and reporter. The local policeman has closed the only park in town. A man was pushed over. Car wipers were wrecked, and things disappeared. Nellie loves the park and sets out to solve the mystery so she can use the park again. 

How does Nellie solve the problem of needing a whole team to run a newspaper so they can solve the mystery of the vandalism in the park?

I enjoyed the dilemmas the characters had to address, including Nellie’s struggles to make friends.

Recommended for Readers 10-14 years.

Published by RP Kids Philadelphia

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin. Recommended by Tania, aged 11 years.

Ming sits bored in history class and wishes she could see what really happened. She asks the question, where were the women in history?

A vision appears, and Ming snatches time travel drops and finds herself in the late 1890s in rural drought-affected Australia. She’s Flo now, and her mother has just died of a snake bite. How does Flo/Ming survive? What does she discover about history?

I enjoyed the historical factors that Flo/MIng learned about and contributed to.

Recommended for Readers aged 8-14 years.

Published by Angus Robertson, 2022

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Judy Nunn has fictionalised the trauma, journeys, and Australia’s response to refugees. Mainly those are arriving by boat.

Nine refugees survive the sinking of their people smuggler’s boat and find themselves on a tiny island about 50 kilometres off the Western Australian coast.

Nunn builds a story around these people and the two Australians who come to their aid. This includes the legal ramifications for the compassionate actions of the Australians.

A thought-provoking story that addresses some of the complexities around Australia’s obligations to refugees and current practices and the impact that has on the refugees impacted and all Australians.

Recommended for Young Adult and Adult readers.

Published by William Heinemann: Australia 2017

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Sasha wakes from a nightmare in a military hospital in Germany. His home is Russia, but remembering is dangerous makes him sad. Doctor Orlova talks to Sasha every day. She brings him flowers. They are so important he must have them. He holds them tight, smells them and desperately wants to touch the cornflowers. Doctor Orlova goes to walk away with the flowers. Sasha says please. It is the first time he’s spoken since he arrived.

The one word turns into many, and Sasha reveals his story slowly and gently over many days of storytelling. He loves the audience, but telling his tale, how he came to be in the hospital, distresses him. He sees his sadness in the people listening, but he continues to tell his story. 

I enjoyed the rich characters, the slow unfolding of the main character’s life and the hope the story engendered.

Recommended for readers ten years and older.

Published by HarperCollins Publishers

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Luke and his brother Ben do everything together. They explore the creek behind their house, swim, pretend to take boat rides, ride their bikes and hang out. Luke found a nearly dead in the middle of the road, and Ben saved it. Luke idolises his older brother. He’s a true hero.

The Summer holidays are nearly over when Ben notices Frankie, a girl who’s recently moved into the area.

Luke feels pushed aside by Ben and Frankie, angry that Dad, who left, wants to see him, the magpie flew away, and his birdwatching is ridiculed. How does Luke sort out his disastrous Summer?

I enjoyed the rich characters, the bird life and the ethical dilemmas the characters dealt with. It was fun to read a book based on a local creek.

Recommended for readers 8 to 12 years.

Published by UQP 2021

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Boyne presents the best and worst of human nature in this story of two children, one a prisoner in Auschwitz, the other the son of the prison's commandant.

The prison's existence and purpose are a mystery to the boys. Both searches for meaning and friendship are their loneliness.

The poignant story warns of how awful people can be and the importance of friendship and kindness.

Recommended for readers aged ten or more.

This version was published by Vintage Books 2012. David Fickling Books published the original in 2006.

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin.

Mac loves musicals. His mother loves live music, especially Rock. She makes sure Mac has every opportunity and a new guitar so he can be a rock star. The only problem is Mac doesn’t want to be a rock star.

Disaster strikes at school too. The music, art and drama classes are threatened with closure. Mac’s new friend Flynn is a piano player and composer who loves musicals too. What solution do the boys come up with for a non-rock concert?

I loved the format: script and prose. I loved the rich characters and the fun they had. Nat Amoore provides excellent information about Tourette’s, which is dealt with sensitively.

Recommended for 10 + year-old readers.

Published by Puffin Books 2021

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Connor is sad and alone. His best friend has dropped him, and he misses him. He is in the old bell tower at school and finds a disused staircase. For the first time, Connor rebels, doesn’t rush to class on time, and doesn’t even want to go to class. He finds the weirdest room. A table and chair are bolted to the floor. Someone is following him in his school uniform—a girl. The room changes, and so does Connor’s life forever. What has he stumbled across?

A mysterious first book in a series. 

Recommended for readers 12 years and older.

Published by Lothian 2019

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin

Danny Munday and his best friend Jamila, who lives next door, love gaming. Danny's parents are both into physics and astronomy but have separated because they couldn't stop fighting. Danny lives with his mother, who is so into her job that Danny doesn't get much attention, even if she's at home. 

A surge through Danny's computer messes his tablet screen, but he saves the unusual message he sees. He's messaged by Adi, turns out she's like Danny, loves gaming, same interests and wants to meet. What Jamila realises is that Danny's been hacked. The message was binary code. Danny realises Adi isn't some predatory hacker. She's an alien. A rouge Aline. What does she want Danny to do? How does Danny untangle the mess?

I enjoyed the scientific and astronomical details in the story.

Recommended for readers 10 years and above, especially those interested in gaming and aliens.

Published by Hodder Children's Books 2021.

Read and reviewed by Judy Wollin.