By Grace Lin (pub. Little, Brown and Company, 2023)
Continue reading “Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favourite Foods | Book Review”Almost all dishes on a Chinese menu have a story behind them. In a way, the menu at your Chinese restaurant is the table of contents for a feast of stories.
And this book is that feast.
Written by Alan Gratz, illustrated by Syd Fini (pub. Scholastic Graphix, 2025)
Continue reading “Refugee: The Graphic Novel | Review”I see it now, Chabela. All of it. The past, the present, the future.
All my life, I kept waiting for things to get better. For the bright promise of mañana.
But a funny thing happened while I waiting for the world to change. It didn’t. Because I didn’t change it.
I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.
By Meera Trehan (pub. Walker Books, Nov 2025)
Continue reading “Snow | Book Review”Cunning stops in front of her. The Princess exhales as she waits for it to go.
Instead, it takes another step forward. Two arm’s-lengths away.
What is going on? It’s supposed to know her. It’s supposed to leave. Is it confused by the extra tools on her back? Or is it distracted by the Mists?
Her mind flicks back to last night, the foot, the hand. Please don’t come back now.
By Emily Hourican (pub. Scholastic, February 2026)
Continue reading “Murder at the Ivy Hotel | Book Review”Bob’s words hung in the air. It could be murder.
And suddenly, the giddiness went out of everything they had discovered. A chill descended over them all, and the satisfaction of tracing clues and finding pieces of the puzzle vanished. If it ever had been, this was no longer a game. There was, Meredith realized with shock, a big difference between thinking something was murder, and knowing it truly could be.
By Murray Fisher (pub. Toller Press, September 2025)
Continue reading “Underlings: The Spark Engine | Book Review”This was no way to die.
She closed her eyes, steadying each shallow breath, her heartbeat squelching in her ears.
Think, Evin. Think!
Deep in the city’s bedrock, face down, sandwiched in a collapsed section of tunnel, there was nobody to help her. If she couldn’t save herself right now, she may as well give up.
By Doug Naylor (pub. David Fickling Books, 2025)
Continue reading “Sin Bin Island | Book Review”‘Read it out loud, then,’ Mr Menton prompted. Digs began.
‘My dear Digs, it’s very important you don’t read this note out loud.’
‘Ah, best not to read it out loud, then,’ Mr Menton chortled.
Digs read the rest of the note to himself.You’re about to embark on an incredible adventure. An enterprise so petrifyingly terrifying it would make most boys your age quake in terror if they knew what was ahead of them. Thankfully, you don’t, which is a HUGE bonus.
By Janice Hallett (pub. Puffin Books, 2025)
Continue reading “A Box Full of Murders | Book Review”1983. A hot summer. Bright sunshine. Starry nights. No parents. A happy group of children enjoying a camping trip together. The perfect summer…
Except…
A terrible crime was committed and no one knows who did it.
Not then. Not now.
By Don Brown (Clarion Books, imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, this format 2025)
Continue reading “83 Days in Mariupol: A War Diary | Graphic Novel Review”Could Mariupol, and Ukraine, survive? As Russian rockets threatened the city, Ukrainians resisted, and with a heroic combination of sacrifice and bravery, the besieged city endured…for months. But it all came at a steep cost.
By Beth O’Brien (pub. HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2025)
Continue reading “Wolf Siren | Book Review”I felt rebellious saying it, like I was swearing. It felt wrong, dangerous, and Grandmother seemed to sense my discomfort.
‘When nature shows her strength, men will go to great lengths to call it evil,’ she said. ‘Magic is everywhere, Red. And while I do think it’s better that you keep these wolves a secret – from your mother and even Aerona – I want you to remember, no matter what happens, that this magic is much, much older than the fear of it, you hear me?’
By Clara Kumagai (Zephyr, 2025)
Continue reading “Songs for Ghosts | YA Book Review”‘Who are you?’ I burst out. ‘How did you—’
She raised her head slowly. Her hair was long and dark and straight, half-covering her face, a pale oval. Her lips moved, but I couldn’t hear what she said. Benny quietened. Her eyes were like mine.
There was a noise from another room – my room – and I half-turned towards the sound, then remembered, caught myself and whirled back to the crib. There was nobody there, no woman, nothing. Only Benny, blinking his eyes, clenching and unclenching his little hands.
