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The Better Son (Katherine Johnson, Ventura Press)
Released October 2016
The Better Son begins with the hot Tasmanian summer of 1952, where nine-year-old Kip suffers at the hands of his father, while his 11-year-old brother Tommy is the putative ‘better’... Read more
The Birdman’s Wife (Melissa Ashley, Affirm Press)
Released October 2016
Elizabeth Gould deserves much credit for the early success of her husband’s work, and it is tragic to think of what was lost to art and science when she died,... Read more
Goodwood (Holly Throsby, A&U)
Released October 2016
It’s fitting that a reviewer once described Australian musician Holly Throsby as ‘a songstress with [the] literary depth of a novelist’, because Throsby is now writing fiction—and her debut, Goodwood,... Read more
From the Edge: Australia’s Lost Histories (Mark McKenna, Miegunyah Press)
Released October 2016
Mark McKenna is one of Australia’s leading historians, notable both for his engagement with contemporary political debates such as republicanism, and his embrace of the narrative and personal style of... Read more
The Promise of Things (Ruth Quibell, MUP)
Released October 2016
The Promise of Things is the debut nonfiction book from sociologist Ruth Quibell, whose essays have appeared in magazines such as Island and Womankind. Quibell is interested in what she... Read more
Hello, Sydney! (Megan McKean, Thames & Hudson)
Released October 2016
Fifteen of Sydney’s favourite locations, for tourists and residents alike, supply the backdrop for this spot-and-find adventure by designer Megan McKean. All the icons are featured—the Sydney Opera House, the... Read more
The Little Bad Wolf (Sam Bowring, illus by Lachlan Creagh, Lothian)
Released September 2016
The big bad wolf (now retired) has a bit of nasty reputation but his grandson is quite mischievous too: ‘Trouble was his favourite thing to make.’ Set in a fairyland... Read more
Mechanica: A Beginner’s Field Guide (Lance Balchin, The Five Mile Press)
Released September 2016
Mechanica: A Beginner’s Field Guide is a beautiful picture book for older children that combines steampunk style with a futuristic, cautionary tale. Author and illustrator Lance Balchin has created a... Read more
One Photo (Ross Watkins, illus by Liz Anelli, Viking)
Released September 2016
In One Photo, author Ross Watkins and illustrator Liz Anelli gently sketch a family affected by Alzheimer’s, though the disease is never mentioned in the narrative; rather, the young protagonist... Read more
The Pied Piper (Ayesha L Rubio, The Five Mile Press)
Released September 2016
The timeless story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin is given a whole new look in this lively new treatment. The story has been adapted for modern readers and flows... Read more
The Grabbem Getaway: Axel and BEAST Book One (Adrian C Bott, illus by Andy Isaac, Hardie Grant Egmont)
Released September 2016
When a shape-shifting robot breaks into his house, 12-year-old Axel is plucked from his computer screen into a high-stakes scenario to rival any of his beloved games. Thrust into a... Read more
Elizabeth and Zenobia (Jessica Miller, Text)
Released September 2016
Painfully quiet Elizabeth and her delightfully devious and not-quite-imaginary friend Zenobia move into Witheringe House, the old manor where Elizabeth’s father spent his childhood. It is also where Elizabeth’s aunt... Read more
Skyfire: The Seven Signs Book One (Michael Adams, Scholastic)
Released September 2016
In the near future, seven teens from around the world have been selected as the winners of the DARE Awards by internet trillionaire Felix Scott. Their skills and achievements have... Read more
Two Troll Tales from Norway (Margrete Lamond, illus by Ingrid Kallick, Christmas Press)
Released September 2016
Margrete Lamond’s enchanting retelling of The Two Troll Tales from Norway is sure to attract educators and booksellers around the country. The first of the pair of folk tales in... Read more
Words in Deep Blue (Cath Crowley, Pan)
Released September 2016
Since her brother Cal drowned 10 months ago, Rachel has failed Year 12, lost all her friends and watched her mother become consumed by grief. Desperate to get away, she... Read more
Valdur the Viking and the Ghostly Goths (Craig Cormick, Ford Street)
Released September 2016
Valdur the Viking is having a pretty bad day. First, his pet dog Ragna—who is maybe a dragon—eats the last pickle. Then his father and most of their ship’s crew... Read more
The Book that Made Me (ed by Judith Ridge, Walker Books)
Released September 2016
The Book that Made Me is a collection of mini-essays by 32 authors, many of them children’s and YA authors and most Australian or New Zealanders. The authors were asked... Read more
5 Ways to be Famous Now (Maurilia Meehan, Transit Lounge)
Released September 2016
The confines of a cruise ship headed for the most remote part of Antarctica is the perfect setting for jealous temperaments to thrive and plots of revenge to unfold in... Read more
Le Chateau (Sarah Ridout, Echo Publishing)
Released September 2016
In Le Chateau, Charlotte de Chastenet awakens from a coma with no memory of her husband Henri, her daughter Ada, her overbearing mother-in-law The Madame, or her luscious life in... Read more
A Chinese Affair (Isabelle Li, Margaret River Press)
Released July 2016
Isabelle Li’s debut collection A Chinese Affair is a strange beast—a genre mashup that showcases the Chinese-Australian experience by mixing short story and memoir. Li makes the unusual decision to... Read more
