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Newcastle: the lives and times of a city – Scott Bevan
New South Publishing October 2025 9781742238043 RRP: $39.99 Why on earth would a Sydney girl ask to review a book about Newcastle? Growing up and all through school, I knew virtually nothing about Newcastle beyond ‘coal’ ‘dirty industry’ and of course, ‘worst of the worst convicts‘. But then, as an adult and somewhere around the…
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There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids’ Guide to Australia’s Amazing Democracy – Annabel Crabb
Allen & Unwin September 2025 A & U Children 9781760637750 $24.99 This is one from last year’s pile which was read at the time, thoroughly enjoyed but I ran out of time and space for the review before the break. And, frankly, maybe that’s a good thing. Because if there was ever a time this…
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A Light on the Rocks – Helen Edwards
I’ve quickly come to realise that Helen’s historical novels are impeccably researched and completely engrossing, so much so that it is not just your young readers who will enjoy them, but also adults. As I have mentioned previously I, for one, didn’t know much about Adelaide’s or South Australia’s history, certainly not as a child,…
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The History of Rugby League Clubs: 3rd edition -Ian Collis and Allan Whiticker
New Holland Publishers August 2025 ISBN: 9781760797942 RRP: $49.99 Of course, as a life-long (since age 7) Dragons supporter, I was keen to see this one and read about my Mighty Red V, but also because this is one sport I’ve always loved. And played as a primary school girl with a couple of fellow…
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Lucky’s Star – Mark Greenwood. Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo.
CSIRO Publishing June 2025 Last ‘sky’ book for the day and I have to be honest. I’d not even heard of the Murchison’s Meteorite, but it’s not really a topic that would often grab my attention, and to be fair at the time of the event, I was only just starting high school – so…
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All Aboard! Discovering Sydney’s Central Station – Jackie French. Martina Heiduczek.
New Frontier Publishing August 2025 ISBN : 978-1-923145-38-2 PRICE : $26.99 As a Sydney kid growing up in the late 50s and 60s Central Station, as was, felt very familiar to me. Not that we regularly went to the city every week or even every month, but we did quite often for special occasions. And certainly we…
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Our History: A House Divided – Clare Hallifax
Walker Books Australia August 2025 ISBN13:9781760658991 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 What a terrific book to pair with your upper primary studies on our goverment systems, not to mention your Civics and Citizenship units for secondary students. In the mid-70s I hadn’t yet experienced living in Canberra, and was yet to discover its unique character,…
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The Mushroom in the Sky – Jackie French
Harper Collins Australia July 2025 If there’s anything more exciting than new Jackie French historical fiction, it’s getting your hands on it before anyone else and writing teaching notes for it. In light of the 80th Anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing coming up (and ergo, the end of the War in the Pacific), Jackie French…
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