Grime and Punishment (The Adventures of Dog Man, Book 9) by Dav Pilkey

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy

Sherlock Bones and the Sea-Creature Feature by Renée Treml

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

The Wolves of Greycoat Hall by Lucinda Gifford

Howl…

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The Wilderness Society has revealed the winners of this year’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature. This award is presented annually to fiction and nonfiction books that ‘foster a love of wild places and wildlife in young Australians’ and ‘encourage a sense of responsibility for our natural world’.

Here are the winners for all three categories…

Picture Fiction

One Careless Night by Christina Booth

Where the mist swallows mountains and winds whisper through ancient trees, a mother and her pup run…

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This month in kids books we have wolves and weddings, a musical mystery, a jetsetting adventure, a reassuring book about bushfires, an Australian classic adapted for younger readers and a spooky friendship.

Find our September picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy

Murphy Parker is going to be a songwriter. If she can summon up the nerve to play in front of anyone other than…

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How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy

Marshmallow Pie: The Cat Superstar (Book 1) by Clara Vulliamy

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

Bluey: My Dad is Awesome

The Heart of the Bubble by Trace Balla

Grime and Punishment (The Adventures of Dog Man, Book 9) by Dav Pilkey

What do you call a baby…? by Kamsani…

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Picture book lover Bronte Coates shares four of her favourite recent releases that explore difficult feelings for small people, and how they can learn to manage them.

We All Have Feelings by Thereza Rowe, Claudio Ripol & Yeonju Yang

From unique children’s publisher Owl & Dog Playbooks, We All Have Feelings has been designed to promote empathy and self discovery. The book details a list of scenarios, each set around a mood or feeling, so that is can be approached…

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How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life by Fiona Hardy

Bluey: My Dad is Awesome

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

The Heart of the Bubble by Trace Balla

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Found by Bruce Pascoe & Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Marshmallow Pie: The Cat Superstar (Book 1) by Clara Vulliamy

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Wild About Dads by Philip Bunting

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy &amp…

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We are utterly delighted to have a brand-new children’s novel from author extraordinaire Fiona Hardy this month! How to Write the Soundtrack to Your Life is a funny and moving mystery about family, friendship and finding your voice.

To celebrate its release, we’re pleased to be partnering with publisher Affirm Press to offer Readings customers the chance to win an ultra-special music-making prize pack, including a CASIO keyboard, keyboard stand and Bluetooth headphones.

Here is how to enter the competition:

…

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Bluey: My Dad is Awesome

The Heart of the Bubble by Trace Balla

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

Marshmallow Pie: The Cat Superstar (Book 1) by Clara Vulliamy

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Wild About Dads by Philip Bunting

The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Found by Bruce Pascoe & Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Loner by Georgina Young

This week you couldn’t wish for a more interesting…

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Bluey: My Dad is Awesome

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

Found by Bruce Pascoe & Charmaine Ledden-Lewis

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

Marshmallow Pie: The Cat Superstar (Book 1) by Clara Vulliamy

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson

Wild About Dads by Philip Bunting

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael…

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We chat with Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, the illustrator of the wonderful new picture book Found.

Congratulations on winning the Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award! What is your background as an artist, and what was it like undertaking a mentorship as part of the Award?

Thank you! I’ve enjoyed art my whole life; the practice, appreciation and exploration of it. My parents have always been very encouraging and supportive, as is my husband, and having that support and encouragement is important. On…

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Bluey: My Dad is Awesome

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra

The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Family by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Jasmine Seymour

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

Rowley…

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This month in children’s books we have a post-climate crisis adventure, a stunning allegorical picture book, a lovable cat with a very long name, sensitively illustrated stories about unique kids, and a tweenage classic.

Find our August picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Neoma and Jag and their small community are ‘living gentle lives’ on high ground surrounded by the risen sea, that has caused widespread devastation. When…

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The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

There’s a Zoo in My Poo by Felice Jacka & Rob Craw

The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

Family by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Jasmine Seymour

Matilda Woods Prize Pack

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

The…

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Matilda Woods Prize Pack

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams & Tony Ross

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

Welcome To Country (Board book edition) by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

Bluey: Big Backyard

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell

The…

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We are thrilled to share that the winner of this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize is The Girl, The Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods! This thrilling high-seas tale will enchant readers of ages 7–12 years.

Eleven-year-old Oona longs for adventures, but as a girl in Nordor – a town where houses are built from wood that comes from shipwrecks and sway as though still at sea – she must stay demurely at home while the men (including her…

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The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

Bluey: Big Backyard

The Secret Cave (Wolf Girl, Book 3) by Anh Do

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak…

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Onomatopoeia, puns, homophones, word play, learning a new language - there are so many ways to explore, celebrate and foster a love of language using kids books.

Here are some of our favourite books that feature playful use of language.

Cats Say Nau & Dogs Say Bau by Philip Bunting

When an animal makes its call, we all hear exactly the same noise. But depending on the language you speak, and where you are in the world, the way you…

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The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams & Tony Ross

The Secret Cave (Wolf Girl, Book 3) by Anh Do

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Bluey: Big Backyard

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Lisa Kennedy

Real Pigeons Fight Crime (Real Pigeons, Book 1) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke

Oh, The…

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This month in children’s books we have real friends, imaginary friends, not-imaginary monsters, heartfelt family dramas and pint-sized pranking activists.

Find our July picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Lissa is home on her own one afternoon when Reed turns up on the doorstep carrying an unwell five-month-old baby. He’s trying to find out who he really is and thinks Lissa’s mum might have some answers. But…

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It’s official. We are head over heels in love with the new The Baby-Sitter’s Club adaptation currently streaming on Netflix, especially the ways in which it has been freshened up for a new audience.

While we don’t know for sure what the Gen Z Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey and Dawn are really reading, we’ve taken our best guess – and, of course, we have a few book recommendations for them.

Kristin “Kristy” Amanda Thomas | President

Kristy is the…

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Welcome To Country by Aunty Joy Murphy & Lisa Kennedy

The Secret Cave (Wolf Girl, Book 3) by Anh Do

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Secret Library of Hummingbird House by Julianne Negri

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Bluey: Big Backyard

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas

The World’s Worst Parents by David Walliams & Tony Ross

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Dawn of the Underlord (The Bad…

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Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Bluey: Big Backyard

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Welcome To Country by Aunty Joy Murphy & Lisa Kennedy

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

Slime by David Walliams

Dawn of the Underlord (The Bad Guys, Episode 11) by Aaron Blabey

Bluey: All About Bluey

One True King (The School for Good and Evil, Book 6) by Soman…

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Magical powers, mythical monsters and strange other worlds are popular with young readers aged 8-12, who seek adventure, wonder and understanding through fantasy stories. Fantasy books can also be a great vehicle to represent a full and inclusive range of relatable characters and diverse mythologies.

Here are some of our favourite fantasy books that champion cultural and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

When Lalani Sarita’s mother pricks her finger and falls ill with deadly…

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Welcome To Country by Aunty Joy Murphy & Lisa Kennedy

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Lisa Kennedy

Bluey: Big Backyard

Bluey: Bob Bilby

Greta Thunberg (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Anke Weckmann

Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

Our kids…

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The winners of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced!

The Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

The CILIP Carnegie Medal has been awarded to Anthony McGowan for Lark.

Nicky and Kenny mum’s is coming to visit. A lot has…

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Working towards independent reading can be slow and painstaking work. Beginner books with silly characters, outlandish scenarios, funny dialogue, and comic illustrations can help create enthusiastic and entertained readers.

Here are some of the recent junior fiction books for readers aged 6-8 years that made us laugh.

Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony and the Poo of Excitement by Magda Szubanski & Dean Rankine (illustrator)

I don’t need to sell you on the fact that a children’s book written by comedic genius…

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Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas

Welcome To Country by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Lisa Kennedy

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Bluey: Big Backyard

The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell

Bluey: The Creek

How to Make a Movie in…

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Welcome To Country by Lisa Kennedy & Aunty Joy Murphy

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Lisa Kennedy

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Take the Shot by Susan White

Sorry Day by Coral Vass & Dub Leffler

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Bluey: Big Backyard

The Readings Young Adult Book Prize 2020…

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This month we have some wonderful new Australian picture books, Melina Marchetta writing for a new age group, a magical illustrated novel, and a must-have book that illuminates the Uluru Statement from the Heart for young readers.

Find our June picks for YA books here.

SIX KIDS BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH

The Giant and the Sea by Trent Jamieson & Rovina Cai

A giant stands on the shore, watching the sea. She never moves, never speaks, until the…

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Welcome To Country by Aunty Joy Murphy & Lisa Kennedy

Bluey: The Beach

Bluey: The Creek

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Bluey: Big Backyard

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Lisa Kennedy

The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble

Bluey: Time to Play!

Suzanne Collins proves that it doesn’t matter if it’s ten years between books - the prequel and…

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We would argue that all picture books are ripe for interaction, but some encourage more reader participation than others. Here are some of our favourite books that prompt us to press, lift, tie, pat and build.

Play with Your Plate! by Judith Rossell

Mix and match to your heart’s content with this innovative board book that encourages youngsters to play with their food. Four separate board books nestled inside can be flipped open to make an endless array of plate…

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra

Bluey: The Creek

Bluey: The Beach

Bluey: Big Backyard

Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler

Bluey: Fruit Bat

Greta Thunberg (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Anke Weckmann

Burn by Patrick Ness

It’s no surprise to see that the highly anticipated new book in…

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Let’s celebrate kids books that encourage self-expression, modern families, legends past and present, girl gangs and great big weddings!

Who’s Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green & Anna Zobel

Elvi has two mums, and they’re both her real mum. But when her playmate Nicholas still needs to know more, Elvi’s imagination runs wild. Her real mum is a circus performer, and a pirate, and she even teaches spiders the art of web. Her real mum has pelican friends on speed…

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The Wilderness Society has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Environment Award for Children’s Literature.

This award is presented annually to fiction and nonfiction books that ‘foster a love of wild places and wildlife in young Australians’ and ‘encourage a sense of responsibility for our natural world’.

Here are the shortlisted books for each category…

Picture fiction

One Tree by Christopher Cheng & Bruce Whatley

Wilam by Andrew Kelly, Aunty Joy Murphy & Lisa Kennedy

One Careless Night by Christina…

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Bluey: The Creek

Bluey: The Beach

Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Dawn of the Underlord (The Bad Guys, Episode 11) by Aaron Blabey

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Real Pigeons Peck Punches (Real Pigeons, Book 5) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Landing with Wings by Trace Balla

Bluey: Big Backyard

Bin Chicken by Kate Temple & Ronojoy Ghosh

As Fast As I Can by Penny Tangey

Are young readers and families yearning for the…

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Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs, Kate Moon & Rachael Sarra

Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas (available 1 June)

Landing with Wings by Trace Balla

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, Book 2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Real Pigeons Peck Punches (Real Pigeons, Book 5) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Bluey: The Creek

Bluey: Time to…

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Our digital content manager Bronte Coates shares some of the best parenting advice she’s absorbed from reading picture books over the years.

Give your child space to figure out big emotions.

I adore the way Anna Walker celebrates the resilience and creativity of children in her picture books. In Lottie and Walter, Lottie manages to overcome her fear of going in the water thanks to a singing walrus. Throughout the book, Lottie’s mother hovers in the background but refrains…

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In May we have books that will make you want to play with your food, think about respect, be absorbed in family and friendships, get a little creeped out, and look with fresh eyes at recycling, reusing and reducing.

Find our May picks for YA books here.

FIVE KIDS BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH

Play with Your Plate! by Judith Rossell

Mix and match to your heart’s content with this fun and innovative board book by Australian author and…

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Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, Book 2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

When It Drops by Alex Dyson

Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Bluey: Time to Play!

Real Pigeons Peck Punches (Real Pigeons, Book 5) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Landing with Wings by Trace Balla

Dawn of the Underlord (The Bad Guys, Book 11) by Aaron Blabey

Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by…

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Feeling stuck in a kids book rut? Maybe some translated children’s literature from all over the globe might help. Here are some of our recent favourite kids books in translation.

Forever by Beatrice Alemagna

This gorgeous, simple and very comforting picture book explores how things are always changing and moving, and nothing stays the same forever. Tears dry up, sleep ends, birds and music float and fly away. In Forever, Alemagna’s trademark sensitive artwork pairs with a clever book…

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Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, Book 2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Bluey: Time to Play!

Landing with Wings by Trace Balla

Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo

I Can Be Anything by Shinsuke Yoshitake

Bluey: Bob Bilby

Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renée Treml

E-Boy (E-Boy, Book 1) by Anh Do & Chris Wahl

What Do You Call a Baby…? by Kamsani Bin…

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Who’s Your Real Mum? is a fantastic new Australian picture book that celebrates nontraditional families and captures exactly what lies at the heart of family life – love. We chatted to author Bernadette Green about how her debut picture book came to life.

You wrote Who’s Your Real Mum? to help smooth the path for kids of same-sex parents. What were the kinds of pressures you were hoping to relieve with this book?

When my children were in primary school…

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Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross

Bluey: Time to Play!

Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo

Bluey: Big Backyard

Landing with Wings by Trace Balla

Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml

I’ll Always Be Older Than You by Jane Godwin & Sara Acton

E-Boy (E-Boy, Book 1) by Anh Do & Chris Wahl

Bluey: Bob Bilby

Where the Wilderness Lives by Jess Butterworth

Young readers prove once more how much they love…

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The Readings Children’s Book Prize was established in 2014 to celebrate early-career Australian authors and illustrators who write for children aged 5 to 12.

Finding the books which we believe kids will love the most has always been a guiding principle of the prize, so what do young people think of our 2020 Children’s Book Prize shortlist? We’ve compiled a sample of thoughts from some of the kids who attend our Doncaster Middle Fiction Book Club and who are part…

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Bluey: Time to Play!

Bluey: Easter Fun!

Bluey: Bob Bilby

Landing with Wings by Trace Balla

Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo

Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml

E-Boy (E-Boy, Book 1) by Anh Do & Chris Wahl

Bluey: Big Backyard

Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony and the Poo of Excitement by Magda Szubanski & Dean Rankine

His Name Was Walter by Emily Rodda

Bluey marched all over the competition this Easter, with a…

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This month we have a gorgeous crafty Easter book, a picture book to bring a smile to your face and heartfelt middle grade fiction.

Find our April picks for YA books here.

FIVE KIDS BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH

Beautiful Eggs by Alice Lindstrom

Learn all about egg decorating traditions from around in the world in this big and gorgeous board book. Kids can travel to Latvia, Czech Republic, Greece, Japan, Mexico and other countries with each double-page spread…

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Bluey: Easter Fun!

Bluey: Time to Play!

Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo

Bluey: Bob Bilby

Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony and the Poo of Excitement by Magda Szubanski & Dean Rankine

Taking Down Evelyn Tait by Poppy Nwosu

Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml

The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods

The Little Wave by Pip Harry

How to Grow a Family Tree by Eliza Henry Jones

There’s truly something for every…

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Wombat, Mudlark & Other Stories by Helen Milroy is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize.

Here’s everything you need to know about this collection of warm and inspiring fables.

‘ Wombat, Mudlark & Other Stories is a book that engages readers from the very first page. Each of these bite-sized stories is imbued with a timeless quality, and feels as big as a continent. These are adventures that encourage optimism, and celebrate…

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Hi, my name is Andy. I write books about an ever-expanding treehouse with my friends Terry and Jill. (I write the words, Terry draws the pictures and Jill does the editing.) If you’re like most of our readers you’re probably wondering what books we read when WE were growing up (given that we weren’t able to read Treehouse books because we hadn’t got around to writing them).

Well, not surprisingly, I guess, we enjoyed books with lots of pictures, books…

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The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Book of the Year Awards shortlists for 2020. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, editors and publishers!

Here are the shortlists for each category.

Older Readers (for ages 13-18 years)

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller

When the Ground is Hard by Malla Nunn

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

This Is How We Change…

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