Historical fiction has a number of benefits for children, from early readers through to young adults. Stories set against past events and time periods open up reading enjoyment, contextual learning and…
Kara’s Holiday Reading Guide
In the southern hemisphere, summer is warming up! Attack your growing pile of ‘been meaning to read’ books, or embark on one of the new children and teen series out…
Fairy Tales Reconstructed—Past, Present and Future
Once upon a time, long, long ago…long before there were books written for reluctant readers, books about social issues, or distinct markets such as ‘tween’ or ‘young adult’…long ago, there…
I and Love and You – Colleen Hoover’s ‘Slammed’ Series
Colleen Hoover blends music and poetry, humour and heartache, in her beguiling and romantic ‘Slammed’ series. It’s the story of Layken and Will, mature beyond their years due to the…
“There is no hook turn at Brunswick Road…”!
Friday night was the Castlemaine book launch party for Ellie Marney’s first young adult novel, Every Breath (Allen and Unwin). The official launch was at Readings in Carlton the week…
Animals at Large
In high school, my friend Nancy raised livestock to sell at the local fair to earn money for her college fund. Among other animals, Nance had a series of pigs…
Dystopian Fiction – A Perfect Fit for Young Adults
Dystopian fiction is a compelling genre which has grown considerably in popularity with young adult series writers and readers. Prime examples include The Hunger Games, Chaos Walking, Divergent and Delirium….