Athina Clarke
Athina Clarke works as a Children’s & YA Book Specialist at Readings Malvern.
Reviews
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Sabina Radeva
I’m excited by beautiful, informative books that inspire young minds to wonder and ask questions. Sabina Radeva’s inspired retelling of Charles Darwin’s seminal work On the Origin of Species is just …
Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway
The Hotel Flamingo, once the sunniest hotel on the boulevard but sadly past its heyday, is uninhabited, save for its concierge (a lemur named Lemmy) and the doorman (a bear named T-Bear).
But when …
The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth
The journey from childhood to adulthood can be challenging; beyond the physical transformation of our bodies and the rollercoaster of our emotions awaits the struggle to understand who we really are,…
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty
Not since Jaclyn Moriarty’s last book have I been so immersed in a wickedly adventurous story brimming with quirky characters, bravado and irreverent humour.
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispe…
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters: The Questioneers
Andrea Beaty and David Roberts – the minds behind such wonderful picture books as Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect; and Ada Twist, Scientist – now bring us this delightful chapter book fo…
Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure by Alex T. Smith
Mr Penguin of Cityville is a clever and spirited penguin looking for adventure. Everyone knows that any self-respecting professional adventurer has a trusty side-kick; in Mr Penguin’s case it’s Colin…
What a Wonderful Word by Nicola Edwards & Luisa Uribe
Exquisite in design and presentation, What a Wonderful Word celebrates words from around the world which defy simple, one-word English translation. These are words that give voice to the beauty of la…
George Parker Goes Global by David Metzenthen
In the good fun department, Georgie Parker Goes Global has it all: an unlikely friendship, a worldwide rescue mission, silly disguises and heroic escapes by treacherous villains using every form of t…
Under the Canopy: Trees Around the World by Iris Volant
Flying Eye Books produces some of the most beautifully designed and illustrated, and informative children’s publications I’ve ever seen.
Under the Canopy is no exception, but it’s an unusual mix. I…
The Marzipan Pig by Russell Hoban & Quentin Blake
What struck me immediately about this little treasure was I couldn’t help reading it aloud. There’s a magical rhythm, almost a poetry, which sings off the page. Russell Hoban has distilled the explor…
Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
Have Sword Will Travel is a hilarious and exciting adventure set in a fantastical ‘medieval like’ time where gender equality is the norm – ‘brave knight’ is a job description for anyone capable, whet…
Good Night Sleep Tight by Kristina Andres
In this idyllic world, Fox and Rabbit live in perfect harmony. Their only troubles are finding more creative ways to say good night, and getting to sleep!
Each of the short, eleven-and-a-half stori…
Whimsy & Woe by Rebecca McRitchie & Sonia Kretschmar
Reading this book, I felt like a child immersed in a good old-fashioned stage melodrama, barracking for the dauntless Whimsy and Woe and heckling the fiendish villains; through the magic of this stor…
Swimming on the Lawn by Yasmin Hamid
It’s a real eye-opener spending time with Farida and her lively family. Told from the perspective of the responsible and acutely perceptive young Farida, Swimming on the Lawn chronicles life in the S…
The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin Maker by Matilda Woods
When a devastating plague sweeps through his little town, Alberto loses his whole family and the once happy and successful furniture-maker now applies his care and skill to making coffins. But when a…
The Tale of Angelino Brown by David Almond
Betty and Burt are a perfectly ordinary couple, leading a quiet life, until a tiny angel magically appears in Burt’s pocket. The angel’s existence brings unimaginable joy. And when Betty takes him to…
Summerlost by Ally Condie
Together with her mum and brother Miles, 12-year-old Cedar is trying to make sense of her life, a year after the accident that took the lives of her father and little brother. Summer in a new home in…
Uncle Shawn and Bill and the Almost Entirely Unplanned Adventure by A.L. Kennedy
Badger Bill is kidnapped by the diabolical McGloone sisters who plan to involve him in a boxing match with vicious dogs. Meanwhile, four llamas are held hostage by the equally reprehensible McGloone …
The Beast of Hushing Wood by Gabrielle Wang
Ziggy Truegood is a true child of nature; where most people in the small town of Dell Hollow avoid the surrounding forest of Hushing Wood, she is drawn to its strange beauty and life force. But her a…
Lots by Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton
A new non-fiction picture book introducing young readers to the wonderful world of ecology and conservation is exciting enough, but when it’s authored by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Emily Sutton…
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
Let me declare up front: I think Garth Nix is a genius who writes wonderful fantasy stories with exceptionally strong and feisty female protagonists, so Frogkisser! is everything I’ve come to expect …
Florette by Anna Walker
Anna Walker’s magical new picture book, Florette combines deceptively simple illustrations and an economy of words to serve an important and powerful message; a small child’s story of moving house di…
The Grand, Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler by Lisa Shanahan
Henry Hoobler is not only super cautious about everything, but he’s also one of the world’s great catastrophisers! Henry is paralysed by anxiety and fear of most things; while family and friends enjo…
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky
From ancient times to the present day clever women pursuing their dreams and passions have made incredible contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, often against tremendous …
In Focus by Libby Walden
In Focus is a classic encyclopaedia with a modern design twist; each of the 10 chapters is brought to life by a different illustrator and includes double-page spreads that open up to reveal cross sec…
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee
A Most Magical Girl is an imaginative and beguiling tale set in Victorian London, where the city’s ageing witches and wizards struggle against a malevolent villain in a quintessential battle of good …
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
I loved Journey to the River Sea when I read it on publication in 2001 and I have recommended it ever since, so I re-read it recently with some trepidation – would it be as wonderful as I remembered?…
Here Comes Mr Postmouse by Marianne Dubuc
Follow Mr Postmouse on his fun postal delivery, meet a variety of hilarious animal characters and explore their crazy habitats in a wonderful picture book full of the absurdity and silliness children…
Bicycling to the Moon by Timo Parvela & Virpi Talvitie
This is the story of an odd couple, Barker the dog and Purdy the cat, and their whimsical adventures. An irrepressible visionary, Purdy is imaginative, impulsive, fanciful and dreamy! Barker is hardw…
Yong: The Journey Of An Unworthy Son by Janeen Brian
Award-winning author Janeen Brian has based 13-year-old Yong’s incredible journey on real incidents of the 1850s; famine forced many Chinese to seek their fortune in the goldfields of Ballarat. Yong’…
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The best junior fiction books of 2018
This little gem is three stories,…