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How to Have the Best School Year Ever – Jess Sanders. Art by Andrea Onishi.
Simon & Schuster Publisher: Affirm Press November 2025 This one takes another tack altogether from the previous two reviews. This is intended for any child or class at the start of a new year and is, essentially, a primer in resilience, self-belief and growth mindset. All of that sounds quite serious and of course it…
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How to Train Your Teacher- Bethany Walker. Sophie Kent.
Scholastic Australia December 2025 Imprint: Scholastic UK ISBN: 9781761727023 ISBN-10: 1761727028 RRP: $19.95 This is loads of fun and gives Smalls a humorous viewpoint on being at school, as it explains from the kiddos’ perspective how a teacher works and what to expect. It’s a completely different approach to a ‘new to school’ book. Whether it’s helping…
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How to Go to Big School – Sarah Ayoub. Mimi Purnell.
Harper Collins Australia November 2025 I’m not familiar with the stats of other states but in Queensland there are now almost 12, 000 students being home-schooled. Between 2020 and 2024 there was almost a 164% increase in registrations. I knew the stats were escalating a few years ago when I was home-schooling The Kid myself.…
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Picture Book Month Bonus: Frances Bloom – Katrina Nannestad. Illustrated by Marina Zlatanova.
Harper Collins October 2025 Earlier this year I was not only excited to find out that Katrina had a new series on the way but was invited to write notes to support this first Frances Bloom and what fun it was! Anyone, young or old, who has loved Pippi Longstocking will fall in love with…
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What Have They Done to Liza McClean? – Amy Doak
Penguin Australia October 2025 No doubt about it, Amy Doak has rocketed into ‘force to be reckoned with’ status since Eleanor Jones first burst onto our YA shelves. After three hugely successful titles in that series, we now have a new aspect of Amy’s talent. Your kiddos who are into the whole Dark Academia vibe…
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Lexie Moon & the Space Day Disaster – Melissa Garside and Lauren Mullinder
Riveted Press August 2025 Distributed by Simon & Schuster ISBN13: 9781764007115 RRP: AU$ 12.99 / NZ$ 14.99 I’m quite sure that your young readers, those who are just starting to gobble up chapter books, will have really enjoyed the first Lexie Moon adventure. This is a great series for those kiddos just hitting their straps…
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Neeka and the Storm: Wilder Zoo #2 – Tina Strachan
Harper Collins Australia July 2025 I have no doubts whatsoever that many of you will have kids who loved the #1 in this series, Neeka and the Missing Key. Of course, the whole animals aspect is a huge drawcard, but the plot with all its drama, humour and sense of adventure mixed together makes for…
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The Hat of Great Importance: Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody – Patrick Ness. Illustrated by Tim Miller.
Walker Books Australia June 2025 Imprint: Walker Books ISBN13:9781529517965 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 When your copy of The Hat of Great Importance arrives with its own matched hat, it’s a red-letter day indeed! After the first in the series, I was looking forward to the second and another round of monitor angst, humour, diabolical…
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At School I’ll Grow – Carly Gardiner. Illustrated by Caroline Keys.
Little Steps Publishing Boolarong Press October 2024 ISBN : 978-1-922678-35-5 RRP: $16.99 This is a pretty simple picture book aimed squarely at those Smalls beginning their school journey. It offers a rhyming description of what might be expected to happen in an average classroom [except for the fact of just 11 children in front of the…
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