Book Review - Recent MG Books I loved

๐Ÿ“š Latest Middle Grade (MG) reads I loved

What Snail Knows @kat.apel @mandyfootillustrator @uqpbooks
Tender heartwarming early MG verse novel ๐Ÿ’œ

Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski @jodabrowski @affirmpress
Laugh out loud relatable MG about friends, family and embracing who you are โค๏ธ

The Star Whale @nicolakidsbooks @p.horacek_ @walkerbooksaus
Gorgeous poetry collection celebrating nature by two masters ๐Ÿ’™

Tweet @morris_gleitzman @penguinkidsaustralia
Funny, wacky and emotional magical realism about looking after the planet and the power of love ๐Ÿ’›

Book Review - Nova's Missing Masterpiece

๐Ÿ“• ๐ŸฅณNovaโ€™s Missing Masterpiece is the fab new collaboration between the CBCA award winning author & illustrator duo @brookegrahamauthor @robin_tatlow.lord @ekbooksforkids

SEL focused like #theworrymonster but instead of ๐Ÿ’œ for anxiety this one is โ™ฅ๏ธ for anger!

๐Ÿ–ผ Nova has made a magnificent masterpiece to give her Dad as a ๐Ÿฅณ๐ŸŽโ€” but now she canโ€™t find it. And itโ€™s nearly time for his party!

๐ŸŽข This assured text allows the young reader to feel in safe hands, even as the vibrant, expressive illustrations draw us right into Novaโ€™s emotional rollercoaster of increasing frustration, anger and panic ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ก๐Ÿคฏ as she looks everywhere for her missing masterpiece that is nowhere to be found

๐Ÿพ Luckily Nova has her faithful staffy, Harley by her side throughout. Not just a source of the comfort and support all pets give us, Harley also provides a model of calm. By watching him, Nova learns effective strategies to self-regulate and help smooth out her bumpy emotional ride

Novaโ€™s Missing Masterpiece will be a great resource for parents and teachers & to help young readers learn to manage big emotions like anger & problem solving under pressure.

Book Review - Ladybirds Do Not Go to Daycare

๐Ÿž๐Ÿ’› LADYBIRDS DO NOT GO TO DAYCARE by @alirutstein and @ninanill is a joyful, reassuring picturebook perfect for every child off to daycare, preschool or kindy for the first time โ€” especially helpful for any child who feels a little anxious or hesitant about it all ๐ŸŽ’๐Ÿฑ ๐ŸšŒ

This is just the sweetest book! Iโ€™m lucky to have Ali in my critique and writersโ€™ group @writelinks and her voice is distinct โ€“ sweet, gentle & authentic with a dash of quirky humour โ€” which is obvious from the very first page. Iโ€™m pretty sure the mum in this book is actually Ali ๐Ÿ’› And Niล„aโ€™s illustrations are so adorable and capture Raviโ€™s cute little personality and his apprehension, as well as his mumโ€™s love, in equal measure ๐Ÿž

Maybe best of all, if you turn to the last page of the book you will see Ravi drawing ladybirds with three of his new day care friends, and (I hope this isnโ€™t a secret ๐Ÿ‘€) each of these little friends will soon have their own companion titles to make the most adorable back to school book set ever ๐Ÿ“•๐Ÿ“’๐Ÿ“˜๐Ÿ“—

I was so happy to attend the launch last December ๐Ÿš€ I made a special ๐Ÿž badge for the occasion. It is no surprise that the launch was the sweetest โ€“ not just because Ali baked the most delicious launch cupcakes Iโ€™ve ever had ๐Ÿง or because @quickbrownfoxbookshop is just the sweetest and most supportive childrenโ€™s bookshop ๐Ÿ“š or because @sandhya_librarybagbooks was the perfect emcee ๐ŸŽค or because @zewlanmoor is my fave wingwoman ๐Ÿ‘ฏโ€โ™€๏ธ but mostly because Ali and Niล„a are just the sweetest peeps ๐Ÿ’›and they got to do their launch together ๐Ÿž๐Ÿž๏ธ Congratulations Ali, Niล„a, @brightlightpublishing @hardiegrantkids โ€“ I predict this book is going to be on very high rotation at my libraries ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿฟโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿฝโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿคธ๐Ÿฟโ€โ™‚๏ธ