You’ve Reached Sam

By Dustin Thao

Story 📖

Wow. wow. wow. This has been one of the best books I have read in a long time. Julie is 17 years old and she suffering deep grief. Her boyfriend of 3 years, Sam has just passed away. Julie is struggling to cope with this loss and decides to call his phone number one more time to hear his voicemail except Sam answers the phone.

Summary 📖

This book kept me hanging on the whole time. It is a YA that had me feeling all the feels. The storyline jumps back and forward so you can get the story of Sam and Julie as Julie experiences her grief. I was honestly crying the whole time I read it.

Suggestion 📖

I cannot recommend this YA book enough. It made me feel all the feels and it is honestly one that will stick with me for a long time. The way the author wrote about loss, regret and grief was so emotional. Do not sleep on reading this book.

The Dunggiir Brothers and the Caring song of the Whale

By Aunty Shaa Smith with Yandaarra

Thank you so much to @allenandunwin for sending my class and I a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Story 📖

We are introduced to Ngambaa Country where the Ngambaa and Gumbaynggir countries meet on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.

We meet Aunty Shaa and some of her family. We find out some of the significant words including ‘Giinagay gaagal’ which is Aunty Shaa saying hello to the ocean.

We learn about some of the traditional stories including the story about the two ‘Goanna Sisters’ and how they made the sea.

The mixture of photography with picture book illustrations keeps the book really engaging for young readers and it wonderful being introduced to the local scenery before being taught the ‘whale song’.

Summary 📖

My class always enjoy reading any book with interesting and new language and pictures and this book was no different. We really enjoyed how Aunty Shaa helped to immerse us in her world and experience the beauty of the area through her eyes and culture.

The mix of photography and illustrations are really engaging and interesting with lots to look at and we loved reading and learning a new song.

Suggestion 📖

Thanks to Aunty Shaa for introducing us to her family and world and we send our utmost thanks and respect from Darug country. This book is excellent for young readers aged 4-8 years and is an engaging and informative read.

When You’re Older

By Sofie Laguna

Illustrated by Judy Watson

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Story 📖

I picked up this book as many of the children I teach are having or just had small siblings come into their lives and I am always looking for literature that helps support children Roth the transition of becoming an older sibling.

This book is written from the point of view of the older brother as the protagonist and he is talking to his new baby brother. He describes how one day him and his brother will take a wooden boat out on the ocean, they will read books by starlight and they will collect seashells on the shore.

It is a beautiful ode to all the adventures that the older sibling is planning on sharing with his baby brother.

Summary 📖

This book is simply magic. The words and the illustrations evoke the excitement and innocence of childhood and makes the reader excited to hear all the things the baby brother will get to experience with his older sibling.

It also encourages a young reader to have patience with a younger sibling and helping them to understand that the baby has to grow into these adventures.

Suggestion 📖

This has been such a popular book with the preschool children and this book has such a lovely message that really resonated with the young readers in my class. This book would be lovely for young readers aged 2-6 years and particularly those expecting a sibling soon. I am glad it is in my classroom library.

Love, In Theory

By Elodie Cheesman

Story 📖

We meet our protagonist Romy as she is navigating through being 24. She lives in a Sydney, she’s a commercial solicitor and she is navigating through a buddy of unfulfilling life. Her parents chat to her about a probability theory of meeting the perfect partner and what factors you must look for. This intrigues overachieving Romy and we start to observe her going on a variety of blind and tinder dates putting this theory to the test. Will she find love based on probability and theory?

Summary 📖

I had looked at this book a few times last year and had not picked it up due to the sheer amount of items on my TBR list. When I visited my local library the other day I picked it up and couldn’t resist and I am glad I did. It’s a sweet, vulnerable and smart coming of age story set against the backdrop of Sydney and the inner west and Eastern suburbs.

Suggestion 📖

I liked it alot. If you like well paced books with a romantic twist I think you’ll enjoy this. Don’t forget to visit the library, kids!

Verona Comics

By Jennifer Dugan

I often pick books based off their covers (particularly in the YA genre) the covers are often so beautiful and this one caught my eye @kinokuniya_sydney books a few weeks ago.

Story 📖

Jubilee is a smart, strong teenage girl who has two loving mothers, a love of comics and is an amazing cellist. Ridley is a teenage boy without much confidence, comes from a wealthy family however has a lot of mental health challenges. When they meet by happenstance, it is the start of a beautiful friendship and one that might just change both of their lives forever.

Summary 📖

I really love the YA genre these days and how it looks to be representative of the teenage experience but also lots of teenage experiences.

Ridley and Jubilee and the building of their relationship was so heartwarming and although it isn’t all smooth sailing, it’s nice to see people with different challenges represent in a really lovely read.

Suggestion 📖

I really liked this and if you like YA that has themes such as LGBTQI, mental health, teenage love and friendship I think you will really enjoy this one. I also just love the beautiful cover and it did not let me down.

If This Gets Out

By Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

Thank you to @hachetteaus for sending me this copy for me to read and review, it is most appreciated.

Story 📖

Zach and Ruben are part of boy band Saturday. They have everything that a teenager could want. Fame, fortune, fans. There is however something they are hiding, Zach and Ruben aren’t just band mates. They are in love. This story follows them as they explore how to live as their authentic selves in a business that thrives on living a lie.

Summary 📖

This book really explored the emotions around how to live an authentic life and struggling with finding our own identity which is something everyone struggles with from time to time. It was really sensitively written with the characters really demonstrating how much they care for each other.

Suggestion 📖

I thought this was a really lovely read with some really key themes of identity, LGBTQI and finding yourself in a world that doesn’t feel too friendly. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others to read!

What It’s Like To Be A Bird

By Tim Birkhead

Illustrated by Catherine Rayner

Thank you @bloomsburypublishing for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest read and review.

Story 📖

This book is a non-fiction book that helps the children (and teachers/caters/parents!) discover so many facts about birds. I love non-fiction books for young children and I always have them on the shelf for the children to read and this one was so popular.

Having a non-fiction book with such beautiful illustrations and it helped us learn about birds from around the world, learn what they eat, where they live and what is similar and different from here.

Summary 📖

The illustrations really make this book and there were some children that just kept coming back to certain pages to keep on reviewing and looking at the same birds.

That is the art of a good non-fiction book for young children to really have such beautiful illustrations and interesting subjects that make you want to revisit again and again.

Suggestion 📖

Beautiful book, gorgeous illustrations and perfect for young readers aged 4-10 years. We really loved learning new facts and it helped us discover things we did not know. Will be a library staple for sure.

Happy Publication Day!

Somebody’s Land

By Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing

Illustrated by David Hardy

Thank you to @allenandunwin for a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest read and review.

Story 📖

One of my personal teaching goals for this year was to seek out literature for children that taught the story of the First Nation’s people and what occurred during colonisation in an age appropriate way. This has been a challenge as the children I teach are aged 3-5 years but this book has helped fill the gap in my library.

Through the illustrations, we learn that when the first colonisation boats came to this country, they said that the land was Terra Nullius. They said it was nobody’s land, but it was somebody’s land.

As we continue through the book, we learn more about what occurred and more about traditional First Nation customs and traditions while the land is being occupied.

They said it was nobody’s land. But it was somebody’s land.

Summary 📖

As teachers, it is important that we share diverse stories of historical events with our students. I am really grateful to have been given this book to review as it led to a lot of insightful discussion with the children and we all enjoyed looking at the illustrations and all the traditional customs we could observe.

Summary 📖

This is a fabulous book and one was needed in my classroom library. It really shares the FNP perspective on the colonisation in Australia in an age appropriate way suited to young readers.

This is a fantastic book and well recommended to young readers aged 4-7 years.

Happy Publication Day!

A Trip To The Hospital

By Freda Chiu

Thank you to @allenandunwin for the advance copy in exchange for honest read and review. It is so appreciated!

Story 📖

We meet our protagonists Rani, Henry and Momo and they have all recently visited the hospital. We learn that they have all just visited hospital for different reasons. We are introduced to all the different doctors that work at the hospital and learn that they all focus on different types of medicine. It introduces some common reasons that children might visit hospital and also exploring what happens when you arrive at hospital.

Summary 📖

I think this book is a fantastic resource for young children. Visiting hospital is often not always a pleasant experience for young children and this book helps prepare young children for what hospital might be like when they arrive, what can they expect and most importantly, to not be afraid.

Suggestion 📖

I thought the author did a marvellous job with this picture book and it was lovely to be able to display to young children that hospital is not something to be afraid of and that everyone that works there is just like us.

This book is perfect for young readers aged 3-7 years and is a must have for all young readers’ libraries.

Story Doctors

By Boori Monty Pryor

Illustrated by Rita Sinclair

Story 📖
This beautiful book is written like a long form poem that encourages the reader to reflect on the words with the illustrations. The words tell the story of the First Nation’s People and their legacy of caring for country and how they helped to tell the stories of how they did this for thousands of years.
One of my favourite quotes is ‘Spit and ochre, they talk too, that’s nothing new, with lore and order. It’s life’s recorder.’ Having just had NAIDOC Week celebrated across Australia, it is so important for us to tell the stories of the First Nation’s People in their own words. I love books like this that encourage the reader to help children understand a different version of history.

Summary 📖
This book is beautiful and the illustrations along with the poetic words encourage the reader to reflect on what the words mean and how this helps young children in Australia to reflect and learn the beauty of this culture in both historical and contemporary lenses.

Suggestion 📖
Lovely addition to the library for young readers aged 3-7 years and in particular the illustrations really help to highlight the beautiful poetic words that sit across the page. I loved reading this one.