Recommended August YA books, news & events
August sees us awash in sharp and timely contemporary fiction, darker witchy and dystopic tales, and looking forward to a busy teen-friendly events schedule.
Find our August picks for kids books here.
YA BOOK OF THE MONTH
It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood
Eighteen-year-old Natalie has just finished year twelve and is enjoying one final summer with her best friends Zach and Lucy before they all go to university. But on Christmas Day, her parents announce they are separating and everything in Natalie’s life starts changing fast. She’s already had to adjust to Zach and Lucy starting a romantic relationship; now she finds herself going to parties for the first time, getting a surprise crush and being way, way out of her well-maintained comfort zone.
Our reviewer Angela couldn’t speak highly enough of this funny, heartfelt debut, describing it as ‘a book that really gets what it is to be on the cusp of adulthood, simultaneously having the world at your feet whilst being utterly confused.’
You can read our full review here.
YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
The Last Balfour by Cait Duggan
When Iona Balfour’s beloved aunt Grizel is executed for the crime of witchcraft during The Great Scottish Witch Hunt, Iona is appointed guardian of her family’s precious bloodstone. She is forced to flee her village, charged with delivering the stone to the mysterious Guild of the Green Lion in Edinburgh. Accompanied by a new friend, Cal, Iona sets out on a perilous journey, pursued by witch hunters and only just learning about her nascent magic.
Our reviewer Athina was dazzled by this Australian novel that draws on Scottish history, folklore and dialect, finding it to be ‘a remarkable debut novel with a surprising ending that had me completely enthralled.’
You can read our full review here.
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
Year Eleven student Anna Chiu takes on huge responsibilities for her younger siblings Lily and Michael when her mum retreats into her bedroom for months at a time, and her father buries himself in running his restaurant. After Anna convinces her dad to let her work in the restaurant in the school holidays, her world expands – she meets and gets involved with the new delivery boy, Rory. Flush with first love and the exhilaration of working as part of the Jade Palace team, Anna’s happiness is rocked when her mum’s mental health becomes worse than ever.
I was moved by this sensitive portrayal of a close immigrant Chinese-Australian family struggling to manage an untreated mental illness, finding it full of ‘sophistication and unfailing empathy.’
You can read my full review here.
Everywhere Everything Everyone by Katy Warner
Sixteen-year-old Santee lives in a small apartment with her mother and sister, while her father is in prison for daring to speak out against the government. Her father’s actions have had consequences for the family; they live in fear of further repercussions and Santee is ostracised at school. When she takes an unscheduled drive with a boy she likes and is stranded overnight, Santee’s ordinary life takes a strange turn. Trying to return to home she finds herself on the wrong side of a new ‘safety border’, separated from her family and unsure what it all means.
Our reviewer Claire recommends this thoughtful dystopia that contains ‘unsettling echoes of contemporary issues of race, class and threatened social liberties.’
You can read our full review here.
I Am Change by Suzy Zail
Lilian would really love to go to school, so that she can fulfil her dream of writing and becoming a teacher. But education is not something that is traditionally reserved for girls in the poor Ugandan village she lives in, so Lilian has to find the strength to counter expectations and resist the path laid out for her. Australian author Zail wrote this novel in consultation with young Ugandan women living in similar circumstances to her protagonist.
Our reviewer Natalie found this ‘story of hope and fighting back’ to be essential reading.
You can read our full review here.
DISCOVER A CLASSIC
The Watcher In The Garden By Joan Phipson
Sixteen-year-old Kitty struggles to control her emotions; in particular her sudden rages that drive her to do things she cannot understand or control. She seeks solace in Mr Lovett’s garden, discovering a strange healing sentience and a new friendship with the blind and elderly Mr Lovett. Covetous neighbour Terry also keeps an eye on Mr Lovett’s garden, and Kitty must act to protect and warn her new friend.
Published in 1982, this novel is reissued as a Text Classic with a superb introduction by Margo Lanagan. Our reviewer Bianca recommends this Australian classic for readers who will love its ‘tense, slow-burning plot.’
You can read our full review here.
THE WINNER OF THE 2019 READINGS YOUNG ADULT BOOK PRIZE
We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2019
Readings Young Adult Book Prize
is
by Eleni Hale!
was selected as the winner by our panel of Readings staff judges and guest judge author Cath Crowley. Crowley commented: ‘The prose is exquisite—precise and original. The characters are heartbreakingly real. Eleni Hale’s
is one of the most compelling YA novels I have read in a long time.’
Read our judges’ comments, and hear from Eleni Hale about her win here.
YA NEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS
The Melbourne Writers Festival is just around the corner, from 30 August to 8 September, and there are plenty of fabulous events for teens. The big news for YA lovers is that US author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda fame, Becky Albertalli, will be a guest at this year’s festival!Looking at the YA Day program is a good place to start, but we’ve also put together our top picks for kids & teens at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019 in case you need it.
Sisters in Crime has announced the 19th Davitt Awards shortlists for best crime books written by Australian women. If you know a keen young crime reader, you may want to check out the YA category shortlist: Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein, Found by Fleur Ferris, The Finder by Kate Hendrick, White Night by Ellie Marney, and After the Lights Go Out by Lili Wilkinson.
EVENTS SUITABLE FOR TEENS
Join us on Thursday 8th August 2019, 6:00pm at Readings Kids for the launch of the Text Prize-winning It Sounded Better in My Head by Readings’ own Nina Kenwood. It’s a tender, funny and joyful YA novel about longing, confusion, feeling left out and finding out what really matters, from an exciting voice in Australian literature. Free, no booking required.
Come to Readings Carlton on Friday 9th August 2019 at 6:30pm and celebrate the Melbourne launch of Growing Up Queer in Australia, with MC Geraldine Hickey, Benjamin Law, and readings from contributors. Growing Up Queer in Australia assembles voices from across the spectrum of LGBTIQA+ identity, and features contributions from David Marr, Fiona Wright, Nayuka Gorrie, Steve Dow, Holly Throsby, Sally Rugg, Tony Ayres, Nic Holas, Rebecca Shaw and many more. Free, but please book here.
Judith Rossell will launch Sue White’s new YA novel, Take the Shot on Wedneday 14th August 2019, 6:30pm at Readings Hawthorn. This funny and life-affirming story follows Bug, a basketball-obsessed 15-year-old boy with a rare genetic disorder, Marfan syndrome. Free, no booking required.
Come along to the KYD First Book Club on Thursday 22nd August 2019, 6:30pm at Readings St Kilda, to hear Ellen Cregan discuss the Text Prize-winning YA novel It Sounded Better in My Head with author Nina Kenwood. This event is free!
We are hosting a fabulous zine workshop on Tuesday 20th August 2019, 4:30pm at Readings Hawthorn with Ashley Ronning, a Melbourne-based illustrator, artist and zine maker. Tickets are $20 per person and include the workshop, snacks, equipment and a copy of one of Ronning’s zines. This workshop is suitable for young people aged 12–16. Please book here.
Join us on Thursday 22nd August 2019, 6:30pm at Readings Kids for the launch of A Brugel Fairytale Treasury by beloved YA romance novelist, Ebony McKenna. Free, no need to book.
