One wonders what the ‘Other’ people are thinking about on the other side?

The second boy asks about the ‘Other’.

“Are there different kinds of people?”

 

Back and forth, they discuss the ‘Other’ people. One is sure they are very ‘Other’.

“They look different. They talk different. Everything about them is different.”

 

“Do they have heads and bodies? Do they have scales and feathers? Do they have hearts and brains?” asks the other.

 

More questions about the ‘Others’ reveal more and more that they’re not so ‘Other’ after all.

Even ‘here’ or ‘there’ is explored, until from the top of the hedge they discover that,

 

“Here is the same too!”

Kobi Yamada is a personal favourite, so I knew this full colour hardback picture book would be something special, even before I opened it.

Charles Santoso has captured the wonder and confusion of two boys talking, with a hedge between them and a strange, unknown, concept on the other side. The illustrations are on clear white backgrounds, without distractions from the boys or their dialogue.

The more questions asked and answered through the pages, the clearer the ‘Other’s become in the illustrations on the other side of the hedge, until in fact they look and feel and sound, just like us.

Maybe there isn’t really a here? Maybe there isn’t really a there? Maybe there’s just us?

Author – Kobi Yamada

Illustrator – Charles Santoso

Picture Book

(2026, Penguin Random, Empathy, Them & Us, Others, Refugees, Immigrants, Questions & Answers, Differences, Caring, Discovery, Family, Feelings, The Same, Racism, Prejudice, Real Life)

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A teenage girl is found dead in the woods behind a high school. The crime has happened during school hours after a fire alarm was set off. Blame instantly falls on the Abbott triplets who were implicated in a girl’s death the year before. Everyone knows it’s always the boyfriend. But is it?

Plot summary of Beware the Abbott Boys (No Spoilers)

After a girl is found in the woods behind their high school, the gossip is swift and merciless. The girl named Kennedy, was hugely popular in school and the easiest culprits to blame are the three Abbott boys, Bram, Henry and Adam.

A year before, Adam’s girlfriend died in a terrible car fire, leaving Adam scarred for life and unable to play football any longer. He also changed on the inside, losing his confidence and outgoing personality. Blame swirled around the brothers as they were working on the car only minutes before, and their town’s opinion was even further swayed when influential people got involved. The triplets spend the following months at home, doing their schooling alone.

Now, after no charges were laid and the triplets are only recently back at school, Kennedy’s murder threatens to wreck everything again. Surely, one of the Abbott boys did it. Certain clues, camera footage and rumours all point to them.

Their neighbour and close friend Hadyn sticks up for them once more, fiercely opposing any blame. She can’t imagine any of the brothers committing murder. Closest to Henry, they decide together that she will looks for clues, ask around at school, and try and figure out who was in the woods with Kennedy that day and why.

But the more she digs, the more complicated things get. She personally is confused with her own feelings about the brothers. She discovers rivalries between them over girls in the past. Was Kennedy a victim of this too?

Review

If you liked Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or The Reappearance of Rachel Price, you’ll love Beware the Abbott Boys. The Abbott Triplets are all very different, and they all have their parts in this mystery, told in third person. This gives the reader an insight into what happened the year before to earn these brothers the terrible reputation they have in their small town.

The narrative gets more twisty the further you read, making me wonder which brother was telling the truth about the murder that has thrown them all under suspicion once more. Their neighbour Hadyn is a good friend to them all, and after knowing them for so long, has mixed and confusing feelings about them.

They aren’t the only ‘villains’ in the novel however, and a popular person looked up to in the town is particularly nasty. All the dramas of high school are stirred into the mix, with all the gossip and local news stations making everything a whole lot worse.

An entertaining Young Adult mystery.

Book Style

368 Pages

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

13+

Where & When is it set?

A fictional town called Silver Creek, Vermont, USA

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

1st person / Past tense – Now   +   3rd person / past tense – mostly 1 year ago

Multiple viewpoints

Is there Violence?

Girl found murdered

Is there any sex in the novel?

No

What genre is Beware the Abbott Boys?

Young Adult Mystery Thriller

Themes

Family / Friendship / Crime / School / Mystery

Is it part of a series?

No

Author

Chelsea Ichaso

Publisher

Penguin Random House

If you liked this, you’ll love these:

Tell Me What Really Happened

Four Good Liars

(2026, Source Books, Friendship, School, Crime, Betrayal, Courage, Family, Grief, Love, Murder, Mystery, Prejudice, Secret, Sibling Rivalry, Brothers, Triplets, Intermediate (NZ), Neighbours, Suspicion, School)

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It’s 200 years into our future, and at least where our characters live, it’s pretty grim. The small seaside village of Seawaren is almost surrounded by land that is either poisoned and unable to bear anything edible, or it’s land they call Burnt Land, because the only thing left after the poisoning is grey ash. If you breathe in this ash, touch any water within these death fields or try to eat anything that struggles to grow, you will probably die.

Seawaren is a village in trouble with ever encroaching poisoned fields and smaller and smaller catches by their fishing boats every day. Sometimes they bring in nothing at all. They blame the Monsters for their fates, believing that they are the problem. After all, the Monsters take all the fish or attack their boats. The Monsters can grow incredibly big, making it impossible to fight back.

One girl in Seawaren isn’t scared of the Monsters. Even after they are blamed for sinking her father’s fishing boat and killing him and many of crew. Her name is Sunny, and she’s always been fascinated by them, wanting to see one up close. They blame her lack of alarm about the Monster that attacked the boat that day.

Now, out with her friends early one morning, they discover a small Monster in a trap. There is no way she can leave it in pain, frightened and alone. Her friends warn her to leave it be, but she has other ideas.

Breaking the rules once again, she gets to know this so called Monster. This threatens her friendships, and her very place in the community. She is too different for many, but it is her differences that might just save their village.

What begins as a creature / human friendship tale, (Think E.T, How to Train your Dragon, The One and Only Ivan, or The Never Ending Story), The Monsters at the End of the World is essentially a tale of Misconceptions, Prejudice, Friendship, Understanding and even Environmental Warning.

One girl imagines more than she has been raised to believe. She sees past the mantras of her life – “Monsters are dangerous.” “Monsters are evil.” “Monsters are to blame for everything.” Sunny’s nature is like her name, believing in a more positive outcome between humans and the strange creatures they share the sea with.

As in real life there are stubborn attitudes to overcome, some who bellow louder to drown out any other point of view, and some who will even use force. Monsters at the End of the World is ultimately a hopeful story of listening, co-operating and planning a possible new future.

Author – Rebecca Orwin

Age – 10+

(2026, Penguin Random House UK, Action, Animals, Conflict, Courage, Environment, Family, Future, Friendship, Prejudice, Secret, Misconceptions, Understanding, Patience, Trust, Hope, Poisoned Lands, Resource Competition, Food Scarcity, Fishing Village)

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He works hard in class, but this too brings the bullies, taunts and jabs. Many kids don’t want to listen to teachers or learn. They’d rather talk about music, or gangs or street action. Jerome has no friends to speak of either, trying to keep out of trouble and to himself.

When a new boy joins his class, Jerome feels for him as his bullies quickly make fun of him. Jerome waves Carlos over to sit by him, and gives advice about the school. It’s not long before the Jerome’s bullies track them down, but Carlos has something to scare them off with. A gun.

Its not real, but is has the desired effect. When he offers it to Jerome to play with, Jerome isn’t sure. He decides it might be fun. He never sees Carlos again.

As a ghost, he must watch the trauma of his family losing him. He doesn’t want to be there and can’t understand why he can’t leave. But when he meets others that roam this realm alongside the live one, he begins to wonder if there is an important reason.

There is a terrible history of shootings in their country. 1000’s of black people killed by police, KKK or racism. Is there a way to finally make it stop?

This graphic novel is a moving and potent adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same name. In muted colours, this story is told in sections separated by pages with one word in the centre.      alive   or   dead.

These pages indicate to the reader what happens to Jerome, stepping back and forth through events such as the walk to school, the moment Carlos gives Jerome the toy gun, right through to a preliminary court hearing, meeting other ghosts – and onto an emotional ending.

Shocking facts are revealed about shooting statistics in the USA, along with historical events.

This isn’t just a story for those who live there, but for everyone to think about their racial bias, prejudice and beliefs in stereotypes. Jerome’s family pays the horrific price of police brutality, and readers also see the fallout of the family of the policeman who fired his gun.

Angie Thomas says Ghost Boys is a Must Read, and I totally agree. 

Author – Jewell Parker Rhodes

Illustrator – Setor Fiadzigbey

Age – 12+

Publisher – Orion / Hachette

Set – Contemporary Chicago / USA

Viewpoint – 1st person

Violence – Yes

Sex – No

Real Life – Yes

Fantasy – Ghosts

Blend – Real Life / Ghosts / Racism

(2026, Orion, Hachette, Social Justice, Police Brutality, Shooting, Gun, Unprovoked, Crime, Police shooting, School, Poverty, Bullies, Ghost, Family, Friendship, Crime, Murder, Grief, Love, Real Life, Prejudice, Racism)

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According to Hitler, then local officials, and then the classmates or locals Klara has known all her life, she didn’t deserve to be served in shops, spoken to in class, or even have a desk in the school she has always attended. Their family business is sold out from under them, Klara has to go to a Jewish school, and then finally they are marched from their home with a suitcase each onto the back of a truck.

Brothers Lucien and Paul are fascinated by the War, believing it’s exciting and even pestering a teenage neighbour about being a soldier. They have watched the changes in their school and know what’s happening around them. It’s only when Lucien learns a hidden family secret that he really begins to worry.

As French citizens, they are horror struck when they too end up on a truck. After many miles they arrive at a French internment camp. They are hungry, tired and confused. When they meet two girls named Klara and Rachel, they begin to realise how much their lives have changed overnight.

The Year We Escaped is set at the time of the Holocaust – in France with French authorities collaborating with the German occupation.

Jewish persecution is clear in the novel, but without depiction of the terrible violence that occurs in other novels set in camps across Germany and Poland.

Told in two 3rd person early teen viewpoints – one of Klara in Germany and one of Lucien in France, The Year We Escaped shows the way lives changed for Jewish people in both countries, with stricter and stricter rules until forced transport to Gurs Internment Camp in South Western France.

As the title suggests, escapes are made – some with the kindness of French citizens and outside influences, and some with fear and courage. The fact that many situations that could have been depicted with much nastier consequences but found kindness instead, makes this a great novel for introducing the events of the Holocaust to interested young readers 10+ 

Author – Suzanne Leal

Age – 10+

Publisher – Harper Collins

Set – Germany / France Early 1940’s (WWII)

Viewpoint – 3rd person

Violence – Guns present / Yes

Real Life – Based on real events

Fantasy – No

Blend – Historical / War

Find more reviews of War Stories here

(2025, Harper Collins, War, World War 2, WWII, Family, Siblings, Brothers, Friendship, Kristallnacht, Pogrom, Jews, Jewish, Nazis, German, French Police, Gendarmerie, Internment Camp, Hunger, Escape, Kindness, Public Train travel, Escape, Courage, Historical, Racism, Prejudice, Holocaust, War, Real Life)

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“The NSDE initiative was formed to save humanity from the chaos and dangers of Outside. Pollution, over farming and introduction of untested bio-engineered elements resulted in deadly droughts, pollen storms and mutated swarms. NSDE was humanity’s last chance.”

Children are trained to become soldiers of this regime, to police the inhabitants, and to prevent creatures called Spiravits from attacking them. Training includes lessons on how dangerous the Spiravits can be. They may look human, but their eyes are milky white and they can be vicious and calculating. They also have a strange power that can produce explosions, killing any living thing around them.

No matter how hard Naya trains, even with the help of her best friend and top cadet Kaven, she can never be ruthless enough, strong enough or single-minded enough to achieve the standards her mother insists upon. When she is given another way to graduate along with her class and Kaven, she accepts.

The General gives her a dangerous mission: Infiltrate the Spiravit’s lair and return with intel in order to eradicate them.

It’s risky from one moment to the next, and Naya discovers truths even more shocking than her mother’s mission request. Torn between both worlds, she uses a strange gift she has had since small – communicating with the city walls with her mind.

Split into two timeframes (during soldier training and then on a mission), main character Naya tells this dystopian story.

The soldier training shows the reader all the hard work, effort and pain (both physical and mental), Naya has gone through to try and impress her mother who is the leader of their entire city. Naya can’t seem to ever achieve the results she aims for but continues to struggle regardless.

This determination and grit aids her in a perilous mission outside the safety of the city walls, and allows her to see the truth that is hidden from city residents. This is shown cleverly on the cover of the novel. The city is clean, and ordered and if you tip the cover over, you see broken structures surrounded by trees and nature. The telling component is the way the human within those landscapes is composed. The city holds a running figure. The Outside, a calm, awed human being.

This theme of misconception between people is a common one, and one our world continuously finds itself in – INSIDE shows a dystopian view of it with an imaginative Sci-Fi twist.

A gripping read.

Author – S A Gales

Age – 11+

Read more Dystopian Novels here

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

Set in – Unknown Future / Inside & Outside a semi-sentient city

Viewpoint – 1st person

Orphan – No father present

Violence – Yes

Real Life – No

Fantasy – No

Blend – Dystopian / Sci-Fi

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Dystopian, Secret, Grief, Action, Betrayal, Future, Sci Fi, Cadet Training, Soldiers, Loyalty, Truth, Lies, Outsiders, Prejudice, Misconceptions, Control, Energy)

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The reason he left the US races back to him as he smells smoke when out with his new friends. As they flee an Aussie scrub fire, his heart is pounding and his mind can’t believe it’s happening again. Fire!

When more blazes are reported, this time obviously deliberate, fingers are pointed at him as the new kid in town and the uncanny coincidence that he is nearby each one. While he avoids the local cop and tries to piece together the clues he gathers, he makes a friend in Milly. She’s an accomplished lifeguard and competitor and the daughter of the man behind the Life Guard Club.

Both Otto and Milly want to win in the upcoming competition, but know they have to find out who is responsible for the devastating arson attacks on the town first.

Who is lighting the fires and why?

Written in two viewpoints, the reader meets Otto (the new kid in town), and Milly who is desperate to prove herself to her father, as he always favours her twin brother. Frustrated at his over-protection, she is keen to win the upcoming Ironwoman competition, and also prove the town wrong about blaming Otto for the arson attacks.

The clues are unravelled between each viewpoint chapter, letting the reader piece together the mystery along with them. Along the way, Otto and Milly get closer, and respect each other’s determination to get the truth out in the open. But how do you do that without hurting the ones you love?

Perfect for those who love a real life, contemporary story, with no fantasy in sight. Authentic relationships and characters shine, along with interesting back stories that hold all the answers.

We Saw What You Started is also a celebration of Surf Life Saving in Australia, and a nod to the thousands of volunteers that save lives on Australian beaches every year. In the rear of the book are quotes from young life savers about why they love Surf Life Saving and a glossary of Surf Life Saving Competitions.

Author – Carla Salmon

Age – 11+

(2025, Pan Macmillan, Friendship, Bullies, Conflict, Crime, Family, Mystery, Prejudice, Real Life, Secret, Surfing, Beach life, Surf Life Saving, New kid in town, Romance, Arson, Fires, Blame, Ironman, Ironwoman, Competition, Twins, Proving Yourself, Revenge, Sport, Loyalty)

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She’s glad to finally be away from home and her over-bearing parents, but sad at the way things have played out. It was supposed to be a time full of fun, mother/daughter bonding with decorating her dorm room, and shopping for clothes for her new life at college.

Frazier College however, is not the college her parents have raised her to attend. The expectations for her education have always been Yale and nothing else. The fact that she turned down her Yale admission to attend an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) has driven a wedge between her and home. But even away from her parent’s gaze and relentless pressure, she’s still keen to get top marks. But first – making her first true friends.

With the help of Dale Carnegie’s famous book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People‘ this seems to be the easy part, as her roommates accept her instantly. Jordyn can’t believe this new part of her life as she attends parties and meets guys – not that they are in her near-future plan at all.

When her room mate’s brother is released from prison, he comes to stay with them. This is permitted on campus, so at first there are no alarm bells. He is a great cook, cleans their dorm rooms, and is fun to be around…. at first.

He’s older than them, and seems wise with all he has been through. The fact he has worked with famous rappers, adds to his appeal. But this appeal begins to turn into something else, and even Jordyn is drawn into his orbit. And the orbit is getting smaller and smaller. The fight to resist him and its results consumes her and her new life. Can she resist him and make her college choice all that she planned?

I snapped up a copy of this as soon as I laid eyes on it, as I’ve loved every Tiffany D Jackson title I’ve read. Although The Scammer is a little different, it still brought the eerie, insidious factor that I love about her books. What was even more affecting is the fact that The Scammer is based on a true story, and also includes mentions of real life events that readers can use to solidify the narrative even further.

Although The Scammer begins with a common ‘new freshman at college’ idea, it swiftly becomes so much more, with layers of character tragedy to discover. These character back stories are gradually revealed, along with a twist I never saw coming.

This twist will explain so much of character behaviour throughout The Scammer, making me want to read it all over again.

Author – Tiffany D Jackson

Age – 14+

(2025, Quill Tree Books, Harper Collins, College, Friendships, Relationships, Parental Expectation, Loss, Grief, Influence, Plans, Prejudice, Racism, Uprising, Fitting in, Race, Secret, Based on truth)

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A woman with red hair falls at the boy’s feet.

She is Faerie, and fleeing from a terrible force in her home. 100,000 Faerie folk soon follow her through the portal into our world.

Humankind is horrified at the invasion of these Uninvited guests. They look strange with their pointy ears and weird ways. For human ‘safety’, the Faerie are all locked up together in a camp named Glass Forest after their own home city.

Now, Fairie Samm Wolfback can hardly remember that day or the land he came from. All he has are two items his mum gave him, explaining they belonged to his father. These Faerie tools contain magic, like many of the Faerie folk themselves.

One of these tools helps Samm find things, and he is soon in a dangerous plot to try and get the Faerie folk home again. First, he must find the Faerie woman who opened the portal. A watchful old human, and an eerie circus lead Samm to the truth of the devastating war that his folk fled from.

Can he defeat the evil that caused it all, and save a young human boy who was at the beginning?

This fantasy novel begins in our world with a young boy’s curiosity. Exploring themes of immigration, otherness, and freedom, The Uninvited is a stunning read.

Following two boys in their lives after 100,000 Faerie folk appear in the UK, The Uninvited is cleverly plotted and page turning stuff.

A human boy finds himself mentally changed by their arrival, and a faerie boy is just trying to survive in the terrible camp humans have fenced him and his kind in.

It’s only together the problems can be solved – a powerful message for us all.

The premise might be explored in many children’s books, but The Uninvited takes the reader on a wild ride into fantasy, horror and freedom, all in one novel.

Loved it!

Author – Ross Mackenzie

Age – 10+

(2025, Action, Adventure, Bullies, Conflict, Courage, Family, Fantasy, Prejudice, Racism, Magical, Faery, Faerie, Refugee Camps, Portals, Otherworld, Theft, Monster, Circus)

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But Dreamslingers are much maligned, as 10 years before there was an event now called The Great Outburst, where Dreamslinger’s were found responsible for the deaths of many – including Aria’s own mother.

But the practices of Resthaven have been proven to work, and government officials are considering the funding for many more centres across the country to help Dreamslingers – until an uninvited guest ruins everything.

Aria is soon on a quest to save her father’s dream, and the safety and welfare of other Dreamslingers across her country. She must travel to The Kingdom of Royal Hanguk and enter 3 trials. Along the way she hopes to learn more about the people who threaten everything for her kind and her father.

What she finds is far from what she knows, including secrets from her own past. She also finds friendship, a part of her she didn’t realise was missing, and a different future for herself and other Dreamslingers.

The first in a new series – The Slinger Series, Dreamslinger is a window into a world of magical creatures, Korean culture and tradition and a series of trials main character Aria must succeed in.

It’s also a mirror on our own society as a marginalised part of their community is misunderstood, shamed and treated badly. Graci Kim gives the reader a world where this can be solved in understanding, honour, kindness and ultimately an exciting and fun read!

Aria is a likeable character as she tries to put wrongs right, and stands up for others. She changes through the novel, the more truths that are revealed to her. The world building is exquisite, the magical creatures breath taking and the plot fast-paced.

Fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Harry Potter and Nevermoor will gobble this up with more in the series to come.

Author – Graci Kim
Age – 9+

(2025, Penguin NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Action, Adventure, Series, Friendship, Fantasy, Courage, Secret, Dragons, Korean Traditions, Korean Culture, Test, Trials, Undercover, Guilt, Truth, Diversity, Quests, Boarding School)

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After being left on a partially explored planet, contestants must use their skills in squads of five, sharing ideas, answers and collaborating to unravel clues to get them to their pick up point in three days time. They have met as they prepared for the travel to the competition, but don’t know who their squad members will be.

It is said, the heir to the Dynasties who own and runs their world is a contestant, but a disguise is sure to be in play. Speculation is rife before the competition, and the rules are the same as the previous decades of races. Work together, get as many of your squad to the finish line and stay alive.

But all the hopeful candidates know there is much more to it than that. Every move and every word is being watched and weighed and analysed. The more you impress the viewers, the more backing you get, which then increases your chances more.  The stakes are high, but no higher than for Amethyst Antares.

Ammy is from a planet fully controlled by the ruling Dynasty. Her planet and its occupants are the most mistrusted humans in their galaxy. After all, it was them who started an age old war, many years before. It’s believed by all that their control is the only way to keep the remaining planets safe.

Mistrusted by all, but determined as all of them put together, Ammy knows everything there is to know about The Surface Trials, and she will use all her skills and knowledge to get a place in the Starquest Academy.

She didn’t expect plants that want to eat you, wasps the size of small cars and a betrayal that seems too big to overcome. Hearing and seeing things that her squad doesn’t, isn’t helping either….

Think Hunger Games but without kids killing off kids to survive. In The Surface Trials, you must work together. This is harder than you think as a squad of five only has limited supplies, including food and first aid. The less in your team, the more food, but the more in your team that reach the finish line before sunset on the third day of survival on a strange planet, the more kudos comes your way.

It is a fine balance, all whilst being watched and listed to the entire time. This is good in some ways, but can go horribly wrong when underestimating the planet you are trying to survive on.

I found The Surface Trials instantly gripping, quickly feeling empathy for main character Ammy, and all the while wondering which of her team mates was the heir to their entire world.

The alien setting was intriguing and well written right up to the last page. The countdown ups the tension as they wonder whether they will make it after all that happens along the way!

Excellent middle grade Sci Fi fiction with Mystery, Friendship, and pulse-pounding pages. 

Author – HM Waugh

Age – 10+

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Action, Adventure, Courage, Sci Fi, Dystopian, Future, Horror, Prejudice, Secret, Planet, Giant Wasps, Squads, Mission, Countdown, Loyalty, Quick thinking, Puzzles, Cooperation, Judged, Fear, Hunger Games, Unknown, Betrayal, Belief, Abandoned, Alien Flora and Fauna, Race, 100 Contestants, Survival)

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Despite this life, Oswin has a quick mind, keen to crack a joke and try to make his mother smile, even though she never does. He has excellent hearing, able to hear further than he should, and a photographic memory to boot. This all becomes very useful when he is unexpectedly called to begin an Ice Apprenticeship himself.

By rights this should never have happened. Many believe he shouldn’t even be alive. Oswin is a ‘Stray’ who is a person taken in by the Tundrans when he should have been left to perish out on the ice alone as a young child. Strays are deemed wasteful as food and resources aren’t plentiful and feeding and caring for them is pointless.

With this in mind at his new school, and students keen to remind him of his lowly status, Oswin is determined to prove himself useful and worthy of his training. His big brother is a great support and Oswin tries to make new friends. His adoptive mother hasn’t explained all he needs to know however, leaving his Tundran education lacking. His quick mind and endless curiosity has him asking question after question, but few will help. Especially when he ventures near unspoken topics.

One girl, as frosty as the ice around them, tolerates Oswin in small doses. No one else seems to want to share time with her, but Oswin is intrigued by her along with everything around him.

A very-unlikely-barely-there friendship is sparked as they begin to investigate strange goings on within the school. Monsters are wreaking havoc where monsters shouldn’t be and Oswin is hearing a voice in his head. Is it all connected? Will he pass the tests to enable him to stay, or will he be cast again as a Stray, as some wish for his fate?

Ice Apprentices is the first instalment of a new trilogy for middle grade readers. Oswin is the main character, and a likeable one at that. He might be deemed less than desirable by many due to his family status and name, but he does all he can to prove himself in a school that trains young teens to be Ice Apprentices and useful members of Tundran society.

The Tundran world is an interesting one, as is the training school Oswin attends. Imaginative world building shows the reader a talking gate swooning over a nearby fence, the ability to grow logs from wood splinters and three word spells that can hamper a monster or cause complete havoc.

I’m interested in Oswin’s past and how he came to be ‘adopted’ at 7 years old but can’t remember his life before then, and who the strange voice he hears might be. I do have an idea, but I’ll leave that to the reader to deduce for themselves.

Fans of Harry Potter, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief and Rise of the Remarkables Series will enjoy this new trilogy, learning about the world of the Ice Apprentices along with the main character. 

Author – Jacob North

Age – 8+

(2025, Simon & Schuster UK, Action, Adventure, Bullies, Courage, Fantasy, Friendship, Magic, Mystery, Prejudice, School, Secret, Series, Ice, Training, Spell books, Monsters, Trilogy, Big Brother, Tests, Trials, Frozen)

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This becomes harder and harder every day, and when Anna and her best friend Udo have a close call with a fervent local Hitler Youth boy, they are scared for Eva’s safety. Luckily they are not the only Germans in their small village who hate Hitler, and Eva is hidden much more carefully.

But it means she never feels the sun or fresh air on her skin, and must spend hours alone in a small hiding space. Her health begins to deteriorate. There are spies everywhere and Anna and her new friend Brunhilde try to keep clear of any suspicion – saluting when others cry Heil Hitler, and attending the local girls groups in Hitler’s honour.

It is well known that Hitler’s home is not far from their village, and Anna meets some of his wealthy, important friends and colleagues. She struggles to reconcile their kindness and friendly natures with the horrors of the Nazi party. As the war drags on, there are more children to hide and Eva becomes sick. Will Hitler finally succeed in taking Eva from them after all?

Another stunning story from Katrina Nannestad about World War 2 and those that did anything to survive through it. This novel focuses on all of those deemed unworthy of being in Hitler’s supposed ‘Master Race.’ This included the Roma and Jewish people, or anyone with any kind of disability, like Eva, a little girl with special needs.

Hiding Eva brings much tension throughout this novel based on many experiences across Germany. It also highlights the many Germans who secretly hated the Nazi regime, and behind closed doors, defied it in any way possible. Main character Anna increasingly struggles with the fact that people she meets can be fun, kind and generous, but monsters underneath – condoning Hitler’s regime. 

The compassion the author shows in her characters is heart breaking. Many are courageous whilst full of fear, kind without question, and Eva herself a beautiful wee soul who finds joy in everything. Although deemed frail and weak, she brings hope and love to all those around her even when in the most danger of all. The resulting mix of characters in an ever shrinking hiding space portrays that we are all the same, deserving kindness and love.

Author – Katrina Nannestad

Age – 9+

Find more Katrina Nannestad Book Reviews here

(2024, Harper Collins NZ, Animals, Bullies, Conflict, Courage, Family, Friendship, Growing up, Historical, Love, Poverty, Racism, Prejudice, Secret, Series, War, Germany, WWII, World War 2, Master Race, Hitler, Gestapo, SS Soldiers, Hiding, Traitors, Hitler Youth, Real Life)

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Layla isn’t exactly super popular but is happy in the friendship she has had from small. But lately her best friend has been hanging out with another girl named Jess. The bond between Layla and her bestie has begun to bend and stretch and she’s worried.

Something else is changing too. Layla’s cousin Marley has come to stay. He had been getting into a lot of trouble where he lived, so it was decided he would come and live with her family in the city.

The cousins aren’t close, and have had completely different upbringings. Layla’s friends are white and she hardly gave the colour of her skin a second thought. But when Marley arrives he brings uncomfortable things to the surface – both at home and school.

His upbringing might have been hard, but Layla realises he knows so much more than her about their culture and identity. She has just cruised along in her privilege, never really needing or wanting to know. At the mention of attending a Dreaming Camp instead of the normal school camp, Layla is conflicted. This would be a way to learn more about country and culture, but what will she miss at the camp her friends are attending?

Soon, her friendships have changed, and her whole outlook on life has imploded after a traumatic event. Layla feels unanchored and not sure which way to turn. Being a teen suddenly feels really hard and confusing, and she feels pulled in separate directions. How did everything become so hard and pointless?

Told in first person, Layla is such a warm, authentic, beautiful, imperfect teenager. She had found things relatively easy until Year 12, had a good relationship with her hard working and loving parents, and did well in school.

A traumatic event pushes Layla off her axis, spinning her into confusion, uncertainty and a spiral of rebellion as she tries to work out not only her future but her entire identity – which hasn’t been questioned before.

The Skin I’m In is a powerful story of belonging, finding out who you are and loving yourself during the transformation of teenage years. Being indigenous in an all white school suddenly brings pressures Layla has never experienced before – both inner and outer, and she’s not sure how to process them.

Superbly written and so powerful. Within this novel we experience the completely normal teenage angst of this age, first love, taking control of your own destiny and dreams, and learning to stick up for who you are.

Loved it! 

Author – Steph Tisdell

Age – 16+

Look Inside here

(2024, Pan Macmillan, Family Friendship, Growing Up, Love, Prejudice, Racism, Romance, School, Indigenous, Aboriginal, Country, Elders, Belonging, Identity, Rebelling, Suicide, Angst, Truth, Real Life)

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This birthday party is what she looks back on a year later when her family is smashed beyond repair, her country is trying to extricate itself from the chaos and turmoil it has been subjected to, and she’s reeling with loss and loneliness.

An MP had risen to power quickly on a vehicle of hate, racism, prejudice and lies. First it was letters to the public, reassessing whether they ‘belonged’ in the UK. It didn’t matter if they were born there, or what their profession is. When Clem’s super organised, doctor and loving step mum Claudia receives such a letter, the entire family is stunned.

Clem’s father is among many wanting to resist this regime and he becomes part of a resistance group. But it seems no one can hide from the authorities. When Clem herself must flee, she sets off to her Grandpa’s home in the country. There is no escaping the new regime however and Clem’s life is far from normal here too.

All she wants is for life to return to normal, but she knows that events along the way will never allow the old normal to return. The UK spirals even further into hate, suspicion and loss and Clem doesn’t know where to turn or who to trust.

A dystopian novel that seems scaringly close to possible, with immigration around the world stirring up bigotry, suspicion and lies. The slide into chaos around main character Clem and her family is gradual at first, with no one believing the key instigator will ever rise to power. Using media and propaganda to spread hate and lies, the downward spiral speeds up and everything the characters think impossible comes barging through their front door.

This story is told in pieces by main character Clem to a patient and kind social worker. A fairytale narrative runs alongside the real one as another story thread, and the secrets Clem holds are kept until she must finally reveal them. These twists surprised me more than once and made me reach for the tissues, for good and bad reasons.

An all too possible future which started with the unbelievable and became the unthinkable.

Novels like The Things We Leave Behind are so important to show us what is possible in our troubled world. 

Left me a little shell-shocked.

Author – Claire Furniss

Age – 12+

(2024, Simon & Schuster, Dystopian, Love, Family, Secret, Grief, Friendship, Prejudice, Racism, Loss, Journal, Fairytale, Chaos, Martial Law, Soldiers, Checkpoints, Rationing, London, Sisters, Blended Family, Riots, Hide)

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One girl in the class makes a special effort to welcome Ahmet, and despite a classroom thug (Brendan the bully) and his mates, Ahmet slowly comes out of his shell. He might come from Syria and hardly knows any English at all, but he does love Tintin books and is good on the football pitch.

The more the class learn about Ahmet, the more the girl and her friends want to make him feel welcome. When the class hears about the bombs and war that Ahmet had to run from, the boys in particular are impressed, but what about his family? He was being fostered now, so where was his mum and dad?

Plans are put in place to help Ahmet, with little thought for danger, royal guards or police getting involved. But suddenly, ‘The Best Plan in the World’ is broadcasted all over their world, and Ahmet and his new friends are all over the newspapers and TV. Is being kind to someone who looks and sounds different such a big deal?

Wow. With all that is going on in the world, and especially the UK (where this novel is set), The Boy at the Back of the Class is still so relevant – 6 years after it was published.

The courage of a 9 3/4 girl and her friends is so heart warming as they do all they can to make a new boy named Ahmet feel welcome. Told in this young girl’s point of view (we never learn her name), this story strikes at my heart as she tries to make sense of the new boy in her class.

At first he doesn’t come to the playground at recess or lunchtimes, won’t look up from his desk or speak when she tries to talk to him. She notices his ‘lion’ eyes when he finally does, and tries even harder to make him feel welcome. As most nearly ten year old’s do, she has a zillion questions to ask, so tries to answer them herself through books and asking her librarian mum.

The more she learns, the more intrigued she becomes about this boy from a country called Syria, who speaks something called Kurdish. He slowly comes out of his shell with the help of a teacher aide who speaks his language, and kindness from the main character and her friends.

Racism, prejudice and misinformation is shown brilliantly to young readers through classroom gossip, overhead conversations via parents or on public transport, then more forcefully through outspoken neighbours, a local MP and newspaper headlines.

A beautifully told story of understanding, kindness and compassion for differences among us – from children untainted by politics and hate.

Wow! Simply loved it. Tissues were required.

Author – Onjali Q. Raúf

Illustrator – Pippa Curnick

Age – 9+

WINNER OF THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD 2019

WINNER OF THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE 2019

SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019

Find more reviews of this author’s books here

(2018, UK, England, Syria, Refugee, School, Buckingham Palace, Queen’s Guard, Queen Elizabeth, Bullies, Bullying, Bombs, Friendship, Standing up for someone, Prejudice, Racism, Borders, Courage, Real Life)

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In Will’s eyes they stand out like sirens on his feet, and bullies like Chris Tucker are always listening. Chris hassles Will every chance he gets, drawing laughter from his friends and anyone else close enough to hear. Will deals with it the best he can, believing he can’t do a lot about it, as Chris is older and more popular.

Will’s best mate Cameron is his lifeline, and they spend a lot of time at his warm, spacious house, gaming and eating well. When returning to his own cramped, cold flat, Will knows it’s not his dad’s fault, and like his father, tries to stay positive. There’s never much to eat, and Will makes the most of the free hot school lunches during the day, and makes do with soup and toast at home.

Another escape for Will is his drawing. He’s a talented artist, even painting walls at a local cafe and appearing in the newspaper. His art teacher believes he will go a long way with his skills, but drawings don’t fill his stomach or keep his feet dry in the rain. One day at school, when Chris is starting in on both Will and Cameron, a voice rings out in their defence. To their surprise, a girl in Chris’ year stands up to him.

Her name is Kalia and Will is incredibly impressed at how she doesn’t seem fazed at all by Chris. Maybe he will leave them be for a while? Things begin to look up a little for Will. Art class is going well and Will produces the best art than ever before, finally garnering a little respect from his classmates. Soon, Dad has news about a possible job offer, and Kalia extends more friendship.

Meeting her family brings both hope for his future and the wish his own flat was more like their home. But just when things are looking up, life changes again for him and his dad. Will feels like he will never get a break, and that his life is a slippery slope to nowhere.

‘Yes, I know that life is always changing – I used to live in a nice house with both my parents and now I’m in a tiny freezing-cold flat with my dad who can’t work because of his terrible leg injuries.’

He’s sick of being cold, worrying about money, and pretending everything is fine with whoever asks. When offered a chance to make changes, he sees no other way and takes it. His father has made the same decision.

Fitting in at school is tough for many, and even worse when you don’t look the same as your classmates. Whether it’s the wrong haircut, clothes or shoes, bullies will pounce like lions. This novel is set in the UK, but schools around the world are the same when it comes to this sort of exclusion.

After reading The Invisible by the author of this novel, I knew The Wrong Shoes would be something special. The author being a talented illustrator too, there are powerful images throughout this novel, sharing the main character’s experiences with poverty, bullying and choices made through frustration.

Family circumstances (anywhere) can change slowly or overnight, and the afterword by Tom Percival tells it straight – Child poverty is NEVER the child’s fault. So many factors affect people’s lives and children often bear the brunt.

This novel is even more moving as main character Will shares his story direct to the reader as he’s living it. It’s real, raw and he tells it like it is. He’s a brave character, trying to protect his father’s feelings, prevent his mother’s worries and make things right from wrongs. But even he cracks, and it’s heart wrenching.

A powerful read that will make a great read aloud for years 5 – 8 (NZ) Ages 9-12 to launch important discussions about poverty.

Author / Illustrator – Tom Percival

Age – 9+

(2024, Simon & Schuster UK, Harper Collins, Bullies, School, Family, Poverty, Friendship, Prejudice, Peer Pressure, Popularity, Revenge, Cheap shoes, Cold flat, Hungry, No money, Free lunches, Choices, Rich friends, Too proud, Bully, Theft, Payback, Two homes, Injured father, Real Life)

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Maylee – a free spirit. Or this is how she likes to think of herself. She is spontaneous, disorganised, Queen of the social ladder at high school and incredibly keen to be an influencer. She and Petra are polar opposites but besties. Maylee likes to turn conversations on their head, just to get a reaction. She is constantly taking photos or looking for opportunities to do so for her followers, but also knowing she needs something different for her feed. She takes a tent for the trip but is not properly prepared otherwise as is her carefree, don’t give a care nature.

Nolan – Petra’s stepbrother who is mocked at school for his quiet, insular personality. He’d much rather be holed up in his room on his computer than anywhere else. Ever since he had a terrifying experience on another trip, he has also been mocked for his insistence he saw a bigfoot only feet in front of him. He’s certain of the sighting even though it’s widely believed he just had a nightmare, and now he’s keen to look for one at Salvation Creek. This is one of the hotspots for bigfoot according to cryptid experts, and where people have disappeared.

John – Maylee’s boyfriend. More like Petra than Maylee, John is a good student and a sensible guy, especially after an event years previous that changed him for life. Blamed for a near tragedy because of the colour of his skin made him realise what society is really like underneath. Maylee’s chaotic personality helps bring him some of the spark he lost before the event. But still, he can’t understand why he came camping as he hates the outdoor wilderness, getting away from it all vibe. He’s much happier with a vibrant city around him.

Abigail – Daughter of a man thought to be pure gun-toting hillbilly, Abigail has learnt her own wilderness skills and knows the area well. They have spent a lot of time in the outdoors. Living in a trailer park, and with her father’s anti-establishment take on life, she is used to other’s opinion of him. She ignores them as she is close to her loving, patient father as he is the only family she has. She is pleased to be invited along, but is wary.

Five teens arrive at the camping ground together, but by morning there is only four being interviewed by the police after something goes terribly wrong.

I couldn’t put this book down. Told in four viewpoints by the way of police interviews, I felt like I was there in the wilderness with the teens as their camping trip turns into a nightmare.

The interview style of storytelling allows readers to get to know each character, and I enjoyed the different ways each character perceived behaviour of others. Eg. One character thought someone was thinking something, but in fact it was the opposite.

Having one character absolutely convinced a bigfoot was nearby upped the tension, and made me wonder… could there be a creature in the wilds with them or is it something else?

A fast paced, entertaining read.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the ARC of this title.

Author – Chelsea Sedoti

Age – 12+

If you liked this novel you might like these

(2024, Sourcebooks Fire, Outdoors, Camping, Bush, Wilderness, Bigfoot, Cryptid, Mystery, Guns, Secrets, Plan, Social media, Influencer, Prejudice, Police, Interviews, Misconceptions, Thriller, Tension, Disappearances, Missing girls, Crime,  Who is guilty, Toxic friendship, Action, Popularity, Betrayal, Gripping, Real Life)

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As they waited to begin their yearly rituals of walks along the shore, meals in the local restaurants and refreshing their memories once more, a boy appears alongside their car. When Louise’s eyes lock upon his, she realises he’s a little older than she first thought. She is intrigued, especially as he begins to wade through the retreating tide ahead of the cars.

Louise always enjoys this annual visit, spending time with her dad who has raised her on his own since she was eight years old. But this time, when he is distracted by another, she too seeks out other company and sees the boy again upon the beach.

He is quiet, calm and seemingly too wise for his years. She soon hears of his heart-wrenching past as she shares her own reason for being on Lindisfarne. But there is an amazing connection between them that he has been carrying on his travels. This brings them even closer, even though they’ve known each other barely a day.

Others on Lindisfarne don’t see what Louise sees in this stranger – only what their prejudice allows them to see. But his personal pilgrimage to the island brings both Louise and her father something wonderful.

Wow! Island is a simple, stunning and beautiful book. In only 142 pages (including beautiful illustrations by one of my fave illustrators, David Litchfield), Island encompasses human connection, loss, memories, the beauty of nature, and complete callousness of a world in turmoil.

There are so many contrasts. Louise is just gaining her independence, but another has the world at his feet. This stranger is wise, calm and patient, while the local boys are loud, offensive and brutal. A story of terrible loss is soothed by a beautiful memory stored then shared.

There are surprises, shocks, and strong emotions. There is wonder, fear, and empathy. Prejudice is ever present, but the power of understanding is stronger, overcoming it. Civilisation is ever evolving and changing, along with humankind, but beauty, nature and kindness can bring hope for our future.

Author – David Almond

Illustrator – David Litchfield

Age – 11+

(2024, Hachette, Bullies, Conflict, Family, Friendship, Grief, Love, Prejudice, War, Syria, Lindisfarne, Pilgrimage, Memories, Memory, Remembering, Beach, Connections, Beauty, Nature, Hope, Resilience, Contrasts, Beautiful, Independence, Journey)

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Venus is a brewer of potions. She is paid handsomely to brew and deliver potions to make another fall in love – with a unrequited or scorned love, a parent seeking their child’s forgiveness, or even fall in love with an idea. This would be straight forward except for the many repercussions of brewing.

One is the physical toll – each brew breaking Venus down into pieces until she takes special potions to rebuild herself. This is painful and takes much from Venus, body and mind.

Another is the fact that brewing is illegal, and the human police force never needs an excuse to beat on witchers, torch their property or arrest them for witchery, or even just a suspicion of it.

Venus is also dealing with a deviant – this ‘inner demon’ has a life of its own within her, always eager to escape and cause havoc, mayhem and death if she isn’t strong enough to reign it in. She calls it, IT, and is constantly willing it to shut up. This deviant came into being through trauma in Venus’ life, and she must drink daily serums to keep it in check.

But when her mother is killed, keeping IT is even harder, as she struggles with yet more trauma, and the desperation to protect her younger, fiery, impetuous sister, Janus.

Venus feels all of Janus’ emotions, as Venus is also an empath – having to deal with waves of anger, fear, or whatever those around her are feeling at any one time. All of this is a lot to constantly copy with, especially after she is hired to make three powerful love potions – with no right of refusal.

The person hiring her is all powerful in the Witcher World, has a political agenda, and a will to protect the future safety of Witchers.

The more Venus learns as she researches and collects what she needs for the potions, the more she learns about her mother’s past, and extended family. Will she be able to source all she needs, save Janus from her impulsive actions, and even survive the process?

The world building behind this story is impressive – through the multi-layered plot and the chapter tasters of Witcherpedia postings or snippets of Witcher excerpts from Witcher tomes.

Venus has got a LOT on her plate – more so than any character I’ve read lately, and accordingly sways through emotions, trying to deal with it all. She is strong, loyal, grieving over a mother that rarely showed love for her daughters, and trying to put things right in her world of feuding humans and witchers.

This is a complicated read and can’t be hurried. It’s not a fast-paced read but has parts that definitely get the heart pumping in fear, revenge, or rage.

All in all, the world Venus lives in is very believable, as we place it up against our own.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

Author – Bethany Baptiste

Age – 16+

(2024, Sourcebooks, Witchers, Magic, Powers, Portal, Empaths, Family, Grief, Love, Revenge, Power, Agendas, Politics, Lobbying, Lies, Secrets, Half Siblings, Sister, Fantasy, Prejudice, Murder, Mystery)

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