Book Reviews
See our latest book reviews and search for all previous reviews. We’ll be adding more over the coming months, so check back to see if your favourite book has been reviewed by us.
Alte Zachen
Ziggy Hanaor, illus. Benjamin Phillips
Set in modern New York City, Alte Zachen is an intergenerational graphic novel about Jewish identity, memory, and nostalgia.
Mom is Hiding
Qian Mo, illus. Zhou Yi, transl. Helen Wang
A reassuring story of a six-year girl whose lifestyle is about to change as her mum self-isolates after a potential exposure to COVID-19 at the grocery store.
Sea Change: Save the Ocean
Edited by Tobias Hickey
Original postcard images from fifty international illustrators capture the beauty of oceanic life and the urgency of the dangers and threats to its future.
The Most Famous Rhinoceros
Diane Hofmeyr, illus. Simona Mulazzani
A moving and beautiful story inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s famous woodcut print of the rhinoceros sent from India to Portugal in 1515.
Stolen History: The Truth about the British Empire and How It Shaped Us
Sathnam Sanghera, illus. Jen Khatun
An accessible and engaging introduction to history, facts and perspectives on the British Empire for readers of 9 plus by the author of the bestselling "Empireland: How Imperialism has shaped Modern Britain" (Penguin, 2021).
Through the Forest
Yijing Li
A young boy finds himself lost in a deep, dark forest. He is searching for something, but he doesn’t know what. But then he meets a ghost-like figure called Emptiness who joins him and guides him through the forest... A gentle tale about the healing power of memories.
Our Rights: Stories and Poems About Children’s Rights
Edited by Jake Hope
"Can you imagine a world where all children grow up in peace? Here is a book that celebrates the rights of the child, and what it means to be a child."
Literally: Amazing Words and Where They Come From
Patrick Skipworth, illus. Nicholas Stevenson
From France to Japan, India to Brazil, East Africa to Hawaii, English words are rich with global connections. Explore the way in which 12 well-known words have changed meanings over time or space.
The Pebble
Marius Marcinkevičius, illus. Inga Dagilè, transl. Jūra Avižienis
This moving story about the Holocaust is built around the Jewish tradition of using stones to remember the dead. It focuses on hope and friendship as a way of looking into one of the darkest times in history.
I Ate Sunshine for Breakfast: A Celebration of Plants Around the World
Michael Holland, illus. Philip Giordano
A beautifully illustrated book about plants and nature, full of facts and stories about the ways in which plants contribute to the world – from the air we breathe, to the food we eat and the materials we use.
The General
Janet Charters, illus. Michael Foreman
General Jodhpur martials his soldiers in conventional and rigorous ways, but an accident changes him in ways he would not have predicted.
Astrid Lindgren (Little People, BIG DREAMS)
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illus. Linzie Hunter
This is a biography of the author Astrid Lindgren aimed at 5 – 8 year olds. Accompanied by lively illustrations, it brings Lindgren to life for a young audience.