Kim Gruschow
Kim Gruschow is the Book Buyer at Readings St Kilda.
Reviews
Squirrel Do Bad by Stephen Pastis
Welcome to Trubble Town where our protagonist Wendy has decided to rebel against an overprotective parent. This process begins with consuming an excess of sugar and descends into total chaos for the …
It’s Owl Good/Squeals and Wheels by Renée Treml
I’m an enthusiastic fan of Renée Treml’s Sherlock Bones graphic novels, so I was very happy to discover she has two new books. Aimed at children ages 5 to 8, the Ollie and Bea books are graphic novel…
Pawcasso by Remy Lai
Remy Lai’s third book, Pawcasso, has a uniquely charming star: a dog that goes out to do shopping on his own! Gazing out the window during a boring, lonely school holiday, Jo thinks she must be dream…
The Girl and the Galdurian by Tim Probert
In the past few years children’s graphic novel publishing has exploded and it’s so exciting to have such a beautiful range of books available for young graphic novel fans. The Girl and the Galdurian …
Wow in the World by Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz
The human body is an endlessly interesting subject and this book by two celebrated podcasters is endlessly entertaining. Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz are the hosts of the NPR family podcast Wow in the Wo…
Little Gem by Anna Zobel
When student witch Gem attempts a travelling spell to go to the classroom next door, she is very surprised to find herself in a seaside town, and even more surprised to learn that her spell has sent …
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
It feels like there is always room for more books about young people playing sport and Furia, a novel about a teen soccer player, is one of the highest quality.
Argentinean teenager Camilla is know…
The Odds by Matt Stanton
Sydney author Matt Stanton has amassed many fans with his picture books and the popular Funny Kid novels. He has now turned his hand to graphic novels and The Odds is the first book in a new series. …
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Karen M. McManus’s mysteries are perennial bestsellers and her fans certainly won’t be disappointed by her latest book, The Cousins. Milly, Audrey and Jonah are teenagers and cousins that have been i…
Luster by Raven Leilani
There’s been some hype for this book and rightly so. It’s great to enjoy a debut novel as much as I enjoyed Luster. It follows Edie, a Black woman in her early 20s, as she becomes involved with Eric,…
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty & Kelly Canby
When Esther returns to boarding school for another year, she has a couple of very interesting new classmates. There’s an odd teacher who is possibly an ogre, and two of her best friends are missing. …
Julián at the Wedding by Jessica Love
Do you remember Julián is a Mermaid? It’s one of the finest picture books of the past few years and a staff favourite at Readings. Now, Julián and Marisol are going to be in a wedding!
We meet the…
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
Sayaka Murata has really ramped it up with Earthlings. Her newly translated novel shares themes with Convenience Store Woman; Murata again writes about people who can’t or won’t meet society’s expect…
Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai
Henry Khoo has a plan to prove his independence. His mother, grandma and older sister are always on his case, but he’s embarking on a solo journey to visit his dad in Singapore. He has another secret…
Marshmallow Pie: The Cat Superstar by Clara Vulliamy
Marshmallow Pie, full name Marshmallow Marmaduke Vanilla-Bean Sugar-Pie Fluffington- Fitz-Noodle, resides in an apartment building with Amelia and her Dad. Amelia is an independent and creative young…
The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff
A British family of six and their friends spend each summer at the beach, returning to an old home, and all their summer pursuits. It’s different this year as they are joined by two American brothers…
When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin
Much-loved Melbourne author Jane Godwin’s newest book is an appealing and emotional novel about families and friendships. Lissa doesn’t know what to do when a boy named Reed shows up on her doorstep …
Notes from an Apocalypse by Mark O’Connell
This isn’t the first time I’ve written a book review while wearing trackpants in bed but it’s the first time I’ve written like that on a weekday morning and in accordance with government instructions…
When It Drops by Alex Dyson
Every bedroom music producer dreams of fame and when one of Caleb’s tracks goes viral after being leaked by a pesky sibling, you’d think he’d be totally delighted. Instead, he’s a wreck. The song is …
Your Birthday Was the Best! by Maggie Hutchings & Felicita Sala
This is a delightful and energetic picture book about a happy-go-lucky cockroach crashing a birthday party. The cake looks absolutely delicious and that’s not at all a surprise because this book is i…
Why Do I Feel Like This? by Shinsuke Yoshitake
Japanese author Shinsuke Yoshitake is one of my favourite picture book creators. From death to getting dressed, he tackles topics for kids in hilarious but extremely helpful ways with cute comic-styl…
The House of Madame M by Clotilde Perrin & Daniel Hahn
As a kid I remember being completely enthralled by Jan Pieńkowski’s Haunted House, a creepy, kooky spooky, pop-up book by an exceptional illustrator. The House of Madame M, by the French creator Clot…
A Little Bit Different by Claire Alexander
Who are the ‘ploofers’? They look like they could be cousins of the Ribena berries, or maybe they are type of baby Pokémon. Whatever they are, I hope these cartoon cuties feature in more books becaus…
Just Because by Mac Barnett & Isabelle Arsenault
‘Why is the ocean Blue? Every night, when you go to sleep, the fish take out guitars. They sing sad songs and cry blue tears.’
And so begins this surreal and gorgeous picture book. A girl is tucked…
The Monster Who Wasn’t by T. C. Shelley
A strange imp boy is born in the underworld. Immediately compelled to escape, he joins up with a hilarious gang of crabby chocolate-loving gargoyles and makes his way above ground to the world of the…
Sincerely, Harriet by Sarah W Searle
This new middle-grade graphic novel from a Perth resident explores loneliness and illness. Harriet is having a tough time, she has moved to a new home in a new city, she’s been unwell and is being sn…
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Emoni has a deep love of cooking. She’s extraordinarily talented in the kitchen and has dreamed of being a chef since she was a child. When a culinary arts course is offered at her school, she is, na…
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Jingwen, his mother and his pesky little brother, Yanghao, have just moved to Australia. It’s not easy starting a new life in a new country and Jingwen feels like an alien. This book is part novel an…
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
Iris is an extremely clever and industrious kid. She spends her spare time fixing up old radios but lately she’s been having a bit of a rough time. As the only deaf student in her school, Iris often …
Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders
Young Melbourne author and social worker Jessica Sanders has written Love Your Body to help prevent negative body image issues in young women. Stylish and fresh, this book is similar in presentation …
News
Matilda Woods wins the Readings Children’s Book Prize 2020
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 d…
Meet the bookseller with Kim Gruschow
I like very specific visual catalogues. I like sharp novels that come i…
The Readings Children’s Book Prize shortlist 2020
We’re very excited to reveal this year’s shortlist for the Readings Children’s Book Prize. This prize celebrates exciting new voices in Australian children’s literature for readers aged 5 to 12.
The six shortlisted books are:
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai The Dog Runner by Bren MacDibble Wombat, Mudlark & Other Stories by Helen MilroySherlock Bones and the Natural History Mystery by Renée Treml …
Jo Sandhu wins the 2018 Readings Children’s Book Prize
We’re thrilled to reveal that the winner of this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize is Tarin of the Mammoths: The Exile by Jo Sandhu!
Established in 2014, the Readings Children’s Book Prize celebrates on-the-rise Australian authors and is awarded to the book that children will love best. Jo Sandhu’s captivating and cinematic middle-fiction novel, set 30,000 years ago in Lapland, Finland is a …
The Readings Children’s Book Prize shortlist 2018
We’re very excited to reveal this year’s shortlist for the Readings Children’s Book Prize.
This Prize celebrates exciting new voices in Australian children’s literature. This year’s six shortlisted titles are all for readers between the ages of 8 to 12.
The six shortlisted titles for 2018 are:
Tarin of the Mammoths: The Exile by Jo Sandhu Nevermoor: The Trial of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Towns…