This beautifully crafted story by Deborah Abela, is brought to life through the wonderful illustrations of Marjorie Crosby-Fairall. Deb's gentle, poignant text captures the loneliness that can be felt by children who are a little different, whilst at the same time celebrating being able to look at the world from another perspective. Marjorie's fun and colourful illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the text, and with the many smaller details she's included on each page, you'll find something new to discover every time you read the book. 

My students fell in love with Bear from the very first page, and this is an excellent book to use for discussions centered around acceptance, tolerance and friendship. 

Published August 2020 by Walker Books Australia.

Click here for the official book trailer. ​

Normally I'd be reviewing my favourite picture book but I also love Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels and Aurora Rising is one Sci-Fi Young Adult novel that I simply could not put down. In this first of the Aurora Cycle trilogy, we meet the members of Squad 312 who've just graduated from the Aurora Academy, the elite training school for peacekeeping forces in the galaxy. Grouped together by accident rather than choice after graduation, they are sent on a routine assignment as their first mission. This assignment turns out to be anything but routine and becomes focused around the story of a stowaway, Auri. Rescued by the squad captain, Tyler, on a clandestine one-last-time-test-flight before graduation, Auri proves that she is integral to the group, and to solving a mystery that sees the squad break every rule in the Academy's Code of Conduct in order to prevent the past from destroying the future. This is a fast paced, unputdownable Sci-Fi adventure from award winning duo Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff that leaves you wanting more with every page turn. 

Published May 2019 by Allen and Unwin Australia

Click here for the official book trailer.