This post was added by Rebecca Newman. Rebecca is a children's writer and poet, and the editor of the Australian children's literary blog, Alphabet Soup.
For more about Rebecca visit: rebeccanewman.net.au.
The Journey by James Norbury, Penguin Books Ltd., ISBN 9780241585382
REVIEWED BY AASHI, 10, VIC
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.
James Norbury has written a fantastic story about Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. These best friends are always there for each other and help each other every day by being themselves.
Tiny Dragon and Big Panda live in a temple that had seen better days but they did not care. They had a fun and adventurous time in the temple until one day, Tiny Dragon said that he felt incomplete.
Big Panda said that it was time to go on a journey to clear some weeds by the riverbank so flowers could grow once again. Together these friends embark on a magical journey teaching them important lessons. Nothing can stop true friendship.
The book was wonderful and heartwarming. I rate it five out of five stars for it taught me many lessons. I loved reading the book and thinking about the questions that the friends asked. It was a great tale.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to choose their journey. James Norbury made this book for all ages and all the stories apply to anyone and everyone.
Twisted Trails: Camp Crypt by Fionna Cosgrove, published by Fionna Cosgrove, ISBN 9780645723342
REVIEWED BY AASHI, 10, VIC
Aashi received a review copy of this title.
You pull off a prank, only meant to teach a boy a lesson, when the boy almost dies. The next thing you know, you are on a bus to a camp for youths who have committed crimes. You have no idea why your parents sent you to this camp, but you know you were not supposed to break someone’s neck.
At this camp, you notice some weird things, like why does the bus driver have horns or the camp director shimmer and glow? You have many ways to escape, others where you die.
Camp Crypt has twelve possible endings. I kept on trying to find a possible ending where everyone lives happily ever after. Whether you read very little or a lot you will still find satisfaction. The book keeps you on your seat and is a thriller.
I would rate the book 5 out of 5 because I thought it was great whether you made it out alive or not. It was a fun book and I would recommend 9-12-year-olds to read it. Fionna Cosgrove has once again created such a wonderful book about wishes and pranks, vampires and criminals, and most importantly friendship and loyalty.
Sally Murphy is an author, poet, speaker and educator based in the South West of Western Australia. Sally has published more than 40 books, and we’re thrilled to be chatting to Sally about her verse novel: The Riding Gallery, illustrated by Martina Heiduczek.
From the publisher:
In Melbourne’s St Kilda, as World War 1 begins, Anton (a German immigrant) fulfils his dream of creating the most beautiful steam-driven “riding gallery” – a merry-go-round – in the world. Evelyn, who has just moved to the city, befriends a local boy, but the war, and anti-German sentiment, soon takes its toll on the children, Anton, their families, and the riding gallery itself.
This is your sixth verse novel, and you also write prose novels. When you sat down to write this story, how did you come to choose to write it as a verse novel?
For my previous verse novels, they were always going to be in that form – that is, they came to me as stories in verse. This one was a little different. I stumbled across the piece of history (a merry go round tracing back to World War 1) and when I researched its origins and saw the story behind it, I thought it might make a historical picture book. I wrote it that way, but feedback from publishers was that it didn’t work – there needed to be more story to really make clear why things happened around that merry-go-round. It took me a while, but I finally realised they were right – and that I needed characters other than Anton, the ride’s owner. That is when I realised multiple voices, in verse, would be the ideal format. Verse novels allow for those multiple viewpoints, and the depth of emotion a story like this one needed.
The Riding Gallery is historical fiction. How did the story find you?
The story found me in Canberra one very cold July, when I was there for a month courtesy of the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust. I walked every day, and often walked past the merry-go-round that is located in the city centre. I got curious about that merry-go-round, read an interpretive sign, and had to know more. It was a hard story to piece together, but the more I learnt the more I knew it needed to be told.
Could you tell us a bit about the newspaper poems included in book?
The story takes place against the backdrop of World War 1, and I wanted to be sure to include some of the major war events, even though the story is set on the home front, in St Kilda. Most of what people knew about the war was dependant on the reporting in the papers, so it seemed a good way to know what was reported was to look at the papers of the day. The poems that resulted are all found poems – that is, they each use only words from a single news report from 1915.
Have you been able to ride on the merry-go-round (the riding gallery) from the book yourself?
I have indeed ridden it – along with my publisher, Clare Hallifax. But I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t remember the name of the horse – I was pretty overwhelmed by actually riding on Anton’s ride.
Sally Murphy at the riding gallery, Canberra.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I always have multiple projects on the go, at different stages of completion. I’ve recently sent the manuscript for a war-themed picture book to my publisher – I think that will be out in 2026. And I am trying to edit another historical verse novel, set in WA in World War II. I’ve also got other projects waiting (im)patiently for me to get back to them.
The Riding Gallery is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas, UQP, ISBN 9780702266218
REVIEWED BY ANWEN, 10, WA
The publisher provided a review copy of this book.
Leo and Ralph is a wonderful book to read if you’re looking for a story about best buds doing whatever they can to be with each other. This book contains lots of plot twists so get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions and feeling like you’re part of the story fighting to stay with your best friend.
Leo is a little boy who is very interested in astronomy and has an alien friend named Ralph. I connected with Leo because I think it’s important to have someone who helps you when you’re feeling down. In this story, Leo and Ralph get separated and the writing really makes you feel their anguish.
I found the writing style easy to read and understand and it really helped me to create a detailed picture in my mind.
I think that this book is overall really good and suitable for all ages, but especially good for children who are just starting to read chapter books because the writing style is simple but there are some big words that provide a good challenge. I recommend this story if you are looking for a drama-filled, relatable read about the struggles of long-distance relationship.
Charlie Archbold has been a teacher in Australia, the UK, and Indonesia, which has given her a trove of experiences to infuse into her stories. Charlie’s books often explore themes of curiosity, community, and justice. Today we’re chatting to Charlie about the second book in her adventure series: The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage.
From the publisher:
Gloria the talkative eclectus parrot is missing from the animal sanctuary, and Anna the massive ‘not an anaconda’ Australian scrub python has vanished from her enclosure at the library. Have they escaped? Or were they stolen? Andy, Eli, Harvey and the twins, Bernie and Fletch, along with Eli’s trusty sausage dog Washington, have their eyes on a prime suspect. Can the Sugarcane Kids follow the clues to discover what is going on?
The Sugarcane Kids are good at solving mysteries. When you’re starting a new mystery book, do you work out the whole plot (including the end/solving the mystery) before you begin the first draft? Or do you prefer not to plan – and to solve the mystery alongside your characters instead?
I always start with an idea of the feeling and themes I would like my readers to take away. I especially like to round off or echo the beginning and end so the story has a symmetry. How I get there though is a bit of a journey. I unravel the mystery with the characters. The balancing out of the story then becomes my focus in later drafts. It is really fun not knowing how a choice you make as a writer will affect the story. One thing leads to another and that is the best bit.
Your series is set in Queensland – is there a particular reason you’ve chosen Queensland?
Queensland is a special place to me, especially the far north. I spent time working there when I was in my twenties and then twenty years later. It is always the place I choose to visit. It is a magical place. Full of ancient rainforest and turquoise sea. I also set my books there because it is a regional non-urban area. Many books are set in cities but I like to set my books in unusual places.
At the centre of this mystery is Gloria the eclectus parrot. Have you seen an eclectus parrot in the wild?
I have been lucky to see both a male and female in the wild. They are so gorgeous, cheeky and clever. I have also met some close up in wildlife parks. My aunt had a pet parrot for years called Bird. He really made an impression on me.
Do you have a tip for young writers who want to try writing a mystery story?
Start with a problem or situation that needs to be solved. I suggest dropping your characters straight into the problem. Decide how you want it to end. Is the mystery solved or left undone? I like my mysteries to be solved. If you are a plotting person you can then plot and write. If you are not a plotter, jump on in and see where the story leads you but be prepared to rewrite it.
Can you tell us a bit about your next writing project?
I have a new Sugarcane Kids mystery coming out in 2025, which I am extremely excited about, The Sugarcane Kids and the Mystery at Angel Bay. This time the characters are heading out onto the Great Barrier Reef to find out what has happened to Jerry, a massive Queensland Groper fish.
The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
AWESOME EXTRAS
Read Chapter 1 (look for a ‘Preview this book’ link under the photo of the cover)
Into the Blue by Cristy Burne, Fremantle Press, ISBN 9781760993870
REVIEWED BY ELIZABETH, 11, NSW
The publisher provided a review copy of this book.
For his school holiday, Blair went snorkelling at the beach with his cousin. Blair walked into the ocean slowly as he spat into his snorkelling mask. He and his cousin, Drew, slowly explored the area around them, but as he was snorkelling just above a shipwreck, he noticed something precious he had in his hand was missing. Frantically he looked around, carefully pushing the sand away from the ocean floor to find this precious thing. Will he find it, or will he never see it again?
Into the Blue by Cristy Burne is an amazing book because this shows the authentic character of Blair and what really happens when he owned up and admitted that he lost something that was not his. I like this book a lot because it shows that you should not keep a secret when you have done something wrong.
I rate this book a nine out of ten because there was a moral to the story and I appreciated how Blair tried to resolve the problem. This is an inspiring book that 7–10 year olds should read.
Into the Blue is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library, or order it online.
Amy Freund‘s debut picture book is Amigo the Capybara, illustrated by Kooky Chooky. Today we’re thrilled to be chatting with Amy about capybaras, writing in rhyme, and how she came to write the book.
The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Amigo the Capybara.
From the publisher:
Amigo the capybara loves to party! But his neighbour, Mila the chinchilla, definitely does not. Will Amigo’s biggest performance yet be enough to win Mila over?
A capybara is an unusual creature; how did a capybara come to feature as your main character?
It all started a few years ago when I was playing a game and a capybara was one of the characters. I thought they were so cute and funny! But nobody I spoke to really knew what they were, until about a year ago when suddenly capybaras blew up on social media for being friends with all kinds of strange and unusual creatures. That was when I started to think about Amigo’s story and what a day in the life of an extroverted capybara would be like.
Are you more like Amigo the capybara (who likes a noisy party), or Mila the Chinchilla (who prefers a quiet siesta)?
I am definitely more of an Amigo. I LOVE fiestas, noise and having my house full of people! But, my fiancé is definitely a Mila, so I’m sure he wishes I was less like Amigo sometimes!
Kooky Chooky’s illustrations are bright and humorous. Did you work with the illustrator during the book’s creation, or did you work independently on the text and illustrations?
Amy Lee’s (Kooky Chooky’s) Illustrations are amazing! She did such a fantastic job bringing Amigo and Mila to life. I actually worked independently from Amy, as I wrote Amigo’s story almost a year before it was picked up by the publisher. But I was very lucky that the publisher found Amy, and she used the story and her imagination to come up with all the illustrations.
Do you have a tip for young writers who would like to try writing in rhyme?
Rhyme can be very tricky to write, I still find it difficult! My best advice would be to choose the simplest and easiest words to rhyme with in your sentences. Think words with one or two syllables. For example, we might decide to write a story about a puppy wearing a hat. ‘Hat’ is one syllable – nice and easy. So, the first sentence of our book might say something like: ‘Roman is a puppy who loves silly hats’. I would then start listing words that rhyme with ‘hats’: cats, pats, mats, rats. Out of this list, I think ‘cats’ makes the most sense, because dogs and cats are always at odds! So, I would then write the second sentence, making sure I use the word ‘cats’ as the rhyming word: ‘But they’re always stolen by naughty cats!’ What else could happen with puppies in silly hats and thieving, naughty cats?! If you keep the rhyme simple, the story will write itself!
Another important part of a good rhyme is, of course, getting the rhythm right. This can be really hard, but if you read your rhyme out loud and clap per syllable, you will be able to hear where your sentences are too long/too fast, and can fix them up.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?
I’m going to write a sequel to Amigo the Capybara. This time, I think Mila and Amigo should have a fun adventure, like go on a trip to Brazil, or even have a sleepover. I think their different personalities will make for lots of funny stories, as they are so opposite, anything can happen!
Amigo the Capybara is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.
Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham, Roaring Brook Press, ISBN 9781626727854
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this graphic novel memoir.
REVIEWED BY AASHI, AGE 10, VIC
Meet Shannon, a girl who has four siblings and lives in a squishy, noisy house. She wants her best friend, Adrienne, all to herself. She has a challenging middle school, trying to fit in. Shannon has problems with finding people to play with, every day.
Jen, the leader of Shannon’s unstable friendship group, always has lining where she orders her favourites to her least favourites. Everybody in the friendship group must always listen to Jen, or else. One day, Shannon had enough! She was ready to make a revolution, but would it work?
Shannon enjoys playing imaginary games, with herself or others. Everyone loves the games except for Jennifer, Jen’s best friend. Jennifer has never liked Shannon, and never will. Jennifer gossips and is mean to Shannon for no reason, could things get worse?
Real Friends is an inspiring book showing love and loyalty. This is a great book, showing how Shannon keeps hope, even when things get tough. I would recommend Real Friends for young readers who enjoy friendship and drama.
Remarkably Ruby by Terri Libenson, HarperCollins US, ISBN 9780063139183
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this graphic novel.
REVIEWED BY AASHI, AGE 10, VIC
Remarkably Ruby is a book about Ruby and Mia, two girls who used to be friends.
Ruby is a kind and shy girl who loves poetry. Ruby has irritable bowel syndrome, which means she must go to the bathroom at random times! It is hard for her to make friends as people tease her for rushing to the bathroom. She wants friends and to show people who she is.
Mia is a girl who is popular and outgoing. She is even running for school president. She is nice, sporty, smart and a perfect candidate for school president. She soon starts to notice how her friends are leaving her out and doing after-school activities without her.
Do Ruby and Mia need each other? Are they destined to be friends forever?
The book is very nice and inspiring. It shows true teamwork and kindness, even after fights and disputes. I would recommend the book to anyone who loves friendship and inspiring stories. The age group is 8-14 as it is a fantastic read.
Ask for Remarkably Ruby at your favourite bookshop or local library.
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison, Simon and Schuster, ISBN 9781471124297
Aashi reviewed her own copy of this book.
REVIEWED BY AASHI, AGE 10, VIC
Meet the Winddershin sisters, Betty, Fliss and Charlie, girls who have a taste for adventure. Betty is an adventurist and wants to explore the world. Fliss is very pretty but has a mind of her own. Charlie is always hungry and loves animals.
These girls have never been outside their home island, Crowstone. Most people who live in Crowstone are descendants of people locked up in prison or families who want to move closer to the prison.
Betty, whose birthday is on Halloween, decides to leave Crowstone and go to a nearby island to see a fair on Halloween night. She takes Charlie with her but soon discovers a curse haunting Winddershin females for years.
A Pinch of Magic is a very interesting story full of forgiveness, trust and loyalty. The book kept you on the edge of your seat as the girls went through life-or-death situations. I recommend it for 9-12-year-olds as it is a fantastic read. The author, Michelle Harrison, did a great job in keeping the readers entertained and suspenseful. It is a truly inspiring book for young people.
I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars as it is a great book for anyone who loves adventure.
Ask for A Pinch of Magic at your favourite bookshop or local library.
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