This month in YA – you can read a timely and fascinating new anthology, the book that inspired Chloë Grace Moretz’s new film, and exciting new stories from Patrick Ness, Ambelin Kwaymullina and Michael Gerard Bauer.

YA BOOK OF THE MONTH

Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Sibling team Ezekiel and Ambelin Kwaymullina have written a unique story that not only combines prose and verse, but weaves together crime fiction, Aboriginal mythology, and a ghost story. Beth Teller died in a tragic accident but she is still able to communicate with her detective father, and together they work to solve an arson and a suspicious death in their small town. When the two meet Isobel Catching, they realise her fantastical, verse-driven stories may hold the key to the series of crimes. The story is told by both Beth and Isobel.

Our reviewer Kim gave a glowing review for Catching Teller Crow, saying that it ‘highlights and champions the transformative and nourishing powers of storytelling’.

You can read Kim’s full review here, and you can also read a review by Martu writer Karen Wyld here.

YA BOOKS TO READ THIS MONTH

And the Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness & Rovina Cai

Patrick Ness continues his experimentation with form and genre in And the Ocean Was Our Sky – a retelling of Moby Dick from the perspective of the whale, and given Ness’s own upside-down and back-to-front twists. Bathsheba is the third apprentice in the whale pod that is in pursuit of feared human hunter Toby Wick. As the pod and Wick come to a bloody confrontation that’s emblematic of the long-running and ancient war between whales and humans, Bathsheba has cause to reflect on the costs of prejudice and violence.

Moodily and atmospherically illustrated by Australian artist Rovina Cai, this is a gorgeously produced hardcover book that contains a strange and thought-provoking story. Our reviewer Tom admired how Ness ‘looks at the duality of good and evil, how one can seem like the other, and how they can change and collide in dramatic ways’.

You can read Tom’s full review here.

Meet Me at the Intersection by Rebecca Lim & Ambelin Kwaymullina (eds.)

Edited by authors Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina, Meet Me at the Intersection is an energetic and far-ranging anthology of Australian Own Voices writing – stories about marginalised peoples told by people from those marginalised groups. Featuring short writing by First Nations writers, writers living with a disability, LGBTQIA+ writers and writers of colour, this collection’s titles indicates its mission of exploring complexities, intersections and untold stories, and showing the potential for a more inclusive core in mainstream Australian publishing.

I said in my review that ‘the range of voices, styles and experiences makes for lively, thoughtful and entertaining reading’, which now reads like an understatement! There’s memoir, speculative fiction, historical fiction, and poetry, and the experience for the reader is always surprising, and often moving. Yvette Walker’s gently surreal story of phone calls from her sixteen-year-old self to her adult self, made me have a nice quiet cry.

You can read my full review here.

The Things That Will Not Stand by Michael Gerard Bauer

Sebastian and his best friend Tolly are at a university open day when Sebastian meets Frida – funny, sarcastic and charismatic. Reeling from a fresh romantic disappointment, Sebastian is ripe to be captivated by Frida’s stories, but as the day wears on, he realises that some of what she says doesn’t ring true. Set across the course of one long and eventful day, this is a story of two teens who are both concealing hard truths.

Our reviewer Alexa, already a firm fan of Gerard Bauer’s writing, says: ‘Bauer can traverse the world of humour and heartbreak brilliantly.’

You can read Alexa’s full review here.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth

This affecting debut YA novel about a rural teen forced into conversion therapy in the nineties was originally published in 2012 to great acclaim, and it has recently been made into an award-winning feature film starring Chloë Grace Moretz (currently screening in cinemas).

In the wake of her parent’s death in a car accident, Cameron is sent to live with her ultra-conservative aunt, Ruth, and old-fashioned grandmother. She tries to blend into life in small town Miles City, Montana, keeping her crushes, hook-ups with girls and sexuality a secret, until her relationship with cowgirl Coley Taylor blows things wide open. Ruth sends Cameron to the God’s Promise boarding school for gay conversion therapy that will ‘cure’ her homosexuality. This is an intense look at religion, prejudice, survival and identity.

I Had Such Friends by Meg Gatland-Veness

This hard-hitting and poignant Australian debut delves into the lives of a group of teens in a small rural town. Hamish Day only has one friend and is used to his outsider status, but when the most popular boy at school, Charlie Parker, is killed in a car accident, Hamish finds himself drawn unexpectedly into the lives of his peers.

With a fresh and authentic voice, this sensitive novel touches on situations of bullying, rural poverty, grief and emerging sexuality, emphasising the connections we can form with others and our ability to affect those around us.

YA BOOK NEWS

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced their Book of the Year Awards winners for 2018. These Awards celebrate the best Australian books for readers in early childhood up to young adult readers.

The Centre for Youth Literature at State Library Victoria has also announced the shortlist for this year’s Inky Awards! The Inky Awards recognise high-quality young adult literature. Five books have been shortlisted for the Gold Inky Award for an Australian book, and five for the Silver Inky Award for an international book. View the shortlisted books here.

Teen readers can now vote for their favourite books and determine the winners online. Voting closes on 16 September at 5pm EST and the winners will be announced at State Library Victoria on October 2. Find out more here.

EVENTS FOR TEENS

Older teens might enjoy two of our general audience events this month.

At 6.30pm next Monday 3 September, you can hear from body image activist Taryn Brumfitt. Brumfitt is the fiercely passionate thought-leader behind The Body Image Movement, and the author and director of the inspiring social-change book and documentary Embrace: My Story from Body Loather to Body Lover. She’ll be joined in conversation by former paralympian Jessica Smith. This event is free, but please book here.

Young Canberra writer Zoya Patel’s debut collection of essays on race, identity, and the diaspora, No Country Woman, has received rave reviews, so we’re excited to host Patel in conversation with fellow writer Sonia Nair from human rights media organisation, Right Now. Come along to Readings Carlton at 6.30pm on Thursday 13 September. This event is also free, but please book here.

And looking ahead to early October – we’re completely thrilled to give you the opportunity to hear much-loved artist Shaun Tan talk about his new book, Tales from the Inner City. This special event will be held at Church of All Nations at 6.30pm on Thursday 4 October. Two ticket prices are available: $35 with a copy of the book, or $5 without a book. Bookings are essential – find out more here.

Leanne Hall is a children’s and YA specialist at Readings Kids. She also writes books for children and young adults.