I know there is a lot of love for The Living Sea in Waking Dreams out there already. It's not that I didn't love it, or even admire what Flanagan was trying to achieve, but it's not easy to read a book where you feel like you're being smashed over the head, not just with … Continue reading The Living Sea of Waking Dreams | Richard Flanagan #AUSfiction
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe. A gold rush story set on the Palmer River in Queensland (an area I did not realise even had a gold rush!) through the eyes of Chinese settlers, sounded intriguing. However, I struggle with blokey books about blokey men … Continue reading Stone Sky Gold Mountain | Mirandi Riwoe #AWWfiction
Smile and Sisters have been two very popular books at work with 11-14 year old girls. Now I see why. Raina Telgemeier has created two very personal, engaging stories from two significant events in her pre-teen years. Smile details her rather horrific orthodontic work, while Sisters not only features her relationship with her younger sister, … Continue reading Smile & Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
Perfect by Danny Parker has been illustrated by award winning illustrator Freya Blackwood.When Parker found out who had been assigned to illustrate his book, he must have rubbed his hands together with delight and thought, 'perfect!'Perfect is also the perfect theme for Blackwood. A story that promotes the simple pleasures of childhood is something she … Continue reading Perfect by Danny Parker
Older brothers can be so mean to their younger siblings.Poor Sam in How Big is Too Small, is constantly excluded from his older brothers 'big' games with his 'bigger' friends. "You're too small," they constantly remind him.Playing on his own in his bedroom, Sam has time to reflect and compare....His big brother is actually smaller … Continue reading How Big is Too Small by Jane Godwin and Andrew Joyner
The Swap tells that age old story of sibling jealousy.When left in charge to mind her baby brother, Caroline decides to swap her dribbly, annoying brother for another. She tries out a baby elephant, a baby panda & baby tigers.Unfortunately she experiences problems with all of them - too squirty, fussy eaters, too tiring etc.By … Continue reading The Swap by Jan Ormerod and Andrew Joyner
Hmmmm. I'm not really sure what I'm going to say about this book.I like the way Alex writes.I loved the only other book of his I've read - his children's book - The Cloud Hunters.So I approached This Is The Life with high hopes.It's a touching story about two middle-aged brothers - one living in … Continue reading This Is The Life by Alex Shearer
I reviewed book 1 in The Door Trilogy last year - The Golden Door. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was looking forward to book two a lot. Sadly The Silver Door is basically the same plot as book one - just through another door into another part of Dorne to find the other brother. This … Continue reading The Silver Door | Emily Rodda
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