Young adult
A spotlight on Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard
Invisible Boys is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
Nerd Zeke, punk Charlie, and footy hero Hammer don’t appear to have anything in common. But appearances can be deceiving, and these three boys are all coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is much safer for them to keep aspects of themselves invisible.
Here’s what the judges said…
‘Observed from their three points of view, with anonymous…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor & Blak Douglas
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
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
One True King (The School for Good and Evil, Book 6) by Soman…
A spotlight on Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller
Ghost Bird is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
Stacey and Laney are twins, yet they could not be more different from one another. Stacey works hard at school; Laney skips school and sneaks out to meet her boyfriend. But when Laney disappears one night, Stacey refuses to believe, as most of the townsfolk do, that Laney has just run away with her boyfriend. There are darker forces at work and…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
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…
A spotlight on The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
Anna Chiu has her hands full with Year 11, looking after her brother and sister, and helping out at her family’s restaurant. Her dad’s new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and Anna loves spending time working on perfecting her dumplings. But her close-knit family isn’t without its complications – her mum has an untreated mental…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell
A spotlight on Devil's Ballast by Meg Caddy
Devil’s Ballast is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
Anne Bonny was eighteen when she ran away from her violent husband, James, and teamed up with the pirate Calico Jack. Now she’s passing as a cabin boy on Jack’s ship and playing her part in a ruthless crew that is causing terror for all aboard the ships of the Caribbean. But James Bonny still wants her back and will do whatever…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
Recommended YA books, news & resources for June
We’ve got stories strange and otherworldly this month. Sinking islands, mysterious sisters, splintered narratives and trippy parties all have a place on our reading shelf in June.
Find our June picks for kids books here.
SIX YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
The End of the World Is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell
Identical twin sisters Summer and Winter live alone on a remote island, sheltered from a destroyed world. They survive on rations stockpiled by their father…
The Readings Young Adult Book Prize shortlist 2020
We are delighted to announce the 2020 shortlist for the Readings Young Adult Book Prize. Now in its fourth year, this prize was created to recognise and celebrate new voices in Australian Young Adult literature, and considers the first and second books of YA authors across Australia.
What an incredibly strong year it has been for Australian Young Adult fiction. This year’s judges had a tough task choosing our shortlist from around 40 eligible novels, many of which were…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Welcome To Country by Aunty Joy Murphy & Lisa Kennedy
The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks
Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross
Respect by Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson & Lisa Kennedy
The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble
Suzanne Collins proves that it doesn’t matter if it’s ten years between books - the prequel and…
Poppy Nwosu on the Mr Darcy conundrum
by Poppy NwosuYA author Poppy Nwosu reflects on the enigma that is Mr Darcy, and the challenges of writing realistic, swoon-worthy romantic heroes for teen readers.
Love stories have existed for thousands of years, yet the culture surrounding romance has changed hugely in that time.
Recently, a work colleague told me her young niece had watched an adaption of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and expressed a desire for her very own ‘Mr Darcy’. This gave us both pause. In this…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler
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…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
Bin Chicken by Kate Temple & Ronojoy Ghosh
As Fast As I Can by Penny Tangey
Are young readers and families yearning for the…
Eight great new queer YA books
If you’re in need of your next queer YA read, look no further. Some of our favourite recent releases include a visit to San Francisco in the punk era, warm magical realism, epic fantasy, gripping contemporary fiction, a graphic novel and a heart-baring memoir.
Music from Another World by Robin Talley
Two teenage girls from opposite ends of California are assigned as school pen pals in 1977. Closeted lesbian Tammy Larson can’t be herself at her strict Christian high school…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
Recommended YA books, news & resources for May
May serves up a glut of quality Australian YA fiction – the second book in Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s blockbuster sci-fi series, and moving contemporary stories from no less than three exciting debut voices. There’s also new books from YA stars Patrick Ness and Suzanne Collins.
Find our May picks for kids books here.
SIX YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Squad 312 of the Aurora legion are back, to…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
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
Kay Kerr reflects on autism & writing
Kay Kerr’s debut novel Please Don’t Hug Me depicts life on the cusp of adulthood – and on the autism spectrum. Kerr is a freelance writer and former journalist and community newspaper editor from Queensland. She was writing the first draft of Please Don’t Hug Me when she received her own autism-spectrum diagnosis.
If I were asked to name my most life-changing moment, it wouldn’t be my book deal, my wedding day or even the day my daughter was born…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross
Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, Book 2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Landing with Wings by Trace Balla
Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo
I Can Be Anything by Shinsuke Yoshitake
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…
A personal reflection on French graphic novels
by Claire LongTeen reader Claire Long recently spent some time living in France. Here she reflects on the significance of graphic novels – or le bande dessinée – in the nation’s literary imagination, and how it compares to Australian attitudes.
Now unless you have learnt French, you have no idea what le bande dessinée is. Well for starters, le bande dessinée is a French term and translates to graphic novel. In France, le bande dessinée seem to be much more widely appreciated…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Slime by David Walliams & Tony Ross
Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo
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
Where the Wilderness Lives by Jess Butterworth
Young readers prove once more how much they love…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
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
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…
Recommended YA books, news & resources for April
This month we have oodles of exciting new Australian YA fiction and a unique Shakespearean read from a well-known British poet.
Find our April picks for kids books here.
FIVE YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH
Deep Water by Sarah Epstein
Three months ago, 13-year-old Henry disappeared from The Shallows, a small rural Australian town, during a violent storm, leaving behind his muddy bike at the train station. Chloe Baxter thinks there is more to the story and resolves…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo
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…
The CBCA Book of the Year Awards shortlists 2020
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
Teens recommend Astrid Scholte's new fantasy novel
While meeting for the Readings Teen Advisory Board are currently on hiatus, our bookish teen advisors are still making time to catch up on the latest releases.
This month they’ve been diving into Australian author Astrid Scholte’s second novel. Scholte’s first book, Four Dead Queens, was a pleasing blend of fantasy and murder mystery, and The Vanishing Deep is equally unique. When seventeen-year-old Tempest’s older sister Elysea mysteriously drowns, Tempest seeks out the services at Palindromena, a high-end scientific…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml
The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble
Timmy the Ticked-Off Pony and the Poo of Excitement by Magda Szubanski & Dean Rankine
Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo
The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
This week, the much-adored Bluey…
Four new LoveOzYA books to celebrate right now
We’re so excited about four new #LoveOzYA books that have launched this month. These novels couldn’t launch with events at Readings shops as planned, but we still intend to bang the drum about them!
Read on as Astrid Scholte, Katya de Becerra, Eliza Henry Jones and Sarah Epstein share with us the stories behind their new books, and thank the people who’ve supported them.
Astrid Scholte shares the story behind The Vanishing Deep…
I first got the idea for…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble
How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml
E-Boy (E-Boy, Book 1) by Anh Do
The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods
Fetch-22 (The Adventures of Dog Man, Book 8) by Dav Pilkey
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
There are some delightful books in our kids & YA…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Daisy Runs Wild by Caz Goodwin & Ashley King
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble
The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods
Evonne Goolagong (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Lisa Koesterke
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Ninja Clones (Ninja Kid, Book 5) by Anh Do & Anton Emdin
Our kids & YA bestsellers list contains…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Fetch-22 (The Adventures of Dog Man, Book 8) by Dav Pilkey
Chain of Gold (The Last Hours, Book 1) by Cassandra Clare
The Secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt & Katherine Quinn
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renée Treml
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods
It’s a…
Recommended YA books & news for March
This month we have atmospheric fantasy novels with unique settings, heartfelt contemporary YA and a sprinkling of romance.
Find our March picks for kids books here.
YA BOOK OF THE MONTH
Our YA book of the month is Astrid Scholte’s The Vanishing Deep – a standalone fantasy murder mystery set in a flooded post-climate change world.
When seventeen-year-old Tempest’s older sister Elysea mysteriously drowns, Tempest seeks out the services at Palindromena, a high-end scientific facility that allows rich patrons…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell
Coraline by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
Maybe by Kobi Yamada & Gabriella Barouch
The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble
The Girl, the Cat & the Navigator by Matilda Woods
Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe
Julia Donaldson’s recent visit to Melbourne for The Gruffalo and Friends…
The CBCA notable books of 2020
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its Notable Books for 2020. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers!
The CBCA Awards were first presented in 1946 and are the longest-running book awards in Australia.
CBCA National Chair Professor Margot Hillel OAM says the 2020 Notables List was drawn from 517 entries and is ‘arguably the most diverse award longlist in Australia’.
Here are the notable books for each category.
Older Readers
Books in this category may…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
Wombat, Mudlark & Other Stories by Helen Milroy
Sherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renee Treml
Maybe by Kobi Yamada & Gabriella Barouch
Here in the Real World by Sara Pennypacker
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Ninja Clones (Ninja Kid, Book 5) by Anh Do
The Secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt & Katherine Quinn
There are some gorgeous books in our kids…
The Readings Teen Advisory Boards talks queer representation in YA books
This month, the Readings Teen Advisory Board met with author Alison Evans, who shared their writing process, and discussed queer representation in YA books more generally. Below are some of their thoughts on this topic, as well as a round-up of recommendations for Euphoria Kids, the new book from Evans.
What are your thoughts on queer representation in YA literature?
‘I think it’s important that queer authors continue to be given a platform. The best representation comes from experience.’…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Wrecking Ball (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 14) by Jeff Kinney
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals by Sami Bayly
Show Time! (Hotdog, Book 7) by Anh Do
The Conference of the Birds (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, Book 5) by Ransom Riggs
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
…
YA books to gift your crush
Let’s celebrate love and friendship in all its forms! We recommend our favourite warm, fuzzy and loved-up books that are suitable to give your crush, or a cherished friend, or even yourself.
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
Love blossoms during a political campaign in this sweet cross-cultural romance, which also happens to be our YA Book of the Month.
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state candidate – as long as he’s…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
David Attenborough (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Mikyo Noh
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell & Jenny Løvlie
This Is How We Change The Ending by Vikki Wakefield
There are…
Recommended YA books & news for February
The YA reading year is off to a great start. In February, we’ve got a sweet political rom-com, a playlist of love stories, gripping sci-fi adventures, and unique fantasy reads that span from gentle to sinister.
Find our February picks for kids books here.
YA BOOK OF THE MONTH
Two big-name authors come together in Yes No Maybe So, a heartwarming cross-cultural political rom-com that uses alternating first-person narratives to great effect. Sixteen-year-old Jamie Goldberg prefers to support…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
Fetch-22 (The Adventures of Dog Man, Book 8) by Dav Pilkey
How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell & Allison Colpoys
All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell…
The most anticipated children's & young adult books of 2020
2020 already feels like a bumper year for new children’s and young adult books, particularly from local talent.
In March we have a new middle grade novel from Jessica Miller, who has previously been shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Book Prize. It is called The Republic of Birds and I have it on good authority that it is brilliant. Also in March, we have a fantastic debut middle grade novel from fantasy author Alison Croggon called The Threads of…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Welcome to Country (Youth Edition) by Marcia Langton
Our kids and YA bestsellers have been populated by the same books all summer; Bluey in all her forms…
Teens respond to our literary anxieties
As part of this month’s meeting with the Readings Teen Advisory Board we chatted about ‘literary anxieties’ and how to deal with them. Here’s what they said.
I have this book I really, truly, utterly love, but I’m embarrassed to tell people because a lot of others look down on it… What should I do?
‘Go online and find that one niche page on Reddit/Tumblr where all of the people in the same boat as you go.’ – Thea
‘If…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell & Jenny Løvlie
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
It’s been a while since Bluey has been knocked off the top perch in our kid…
The Readings Teen Advisory Board meets Will Kostakis
In our Teen Advisory Board’s last meeting for 2019, the hilarious Will Kostakis visited the teens to talk about his career as an author. First up was his journey to publication at age nineteen. He had the teens in hysterics as he showed them his author photo of a precocious young author and his many stories of growing up as a young gay man with strong Greek family ties.
He talked about how it was important to put these aspects…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
Wrecking Ball (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 14) by Jeff Kinney
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell & Jenny Løvlie
One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Our kids & YA bestsellers are…
What YA book to read next, based on your zodiac sign
It’s crucial to get your summer reading just right – so we’ve selected your next YA read based on your zodiac sign. Naturally, our choices are all one thousand percent correct and we will hear no criticism…
What to read if you’re an Aries…
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Aries, you are passionate, competitive and the first to leap into action, so we think you’ll love the tenacity of Hetty, Reese and Byatt as they fight for survival and the…
Our children's & YA top 10 bestsellers of the week
Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey
The Beast of Buckingham Palace by David Walliams
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell & Jenny Løvlie
Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts
Explore Your World by Tim Flannery & Sam Caldwell
Our bestselling children’s & YA books of last week include fantastically…