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This Is Where We Say Goodbye (Howard McKenzie-Murray, Fremantle)
Released May 2026
This Is Where We Say Goodbye follows Maud Tarkington over the course of a single unsettling day in Fremantle: the day after her 21st birthday and the day of her... Read more
The Farmer’s Pyjamas (Ruth Paul, Walker)
Released May 2026
Ruth Paul’s The Farmer’s Pyjamas is a playful, light-hearted rhyming story that puts a humorous spin on daily life in the farmyard. After a hard day’s work tending to her... Read more
Running in Circles (Shivaun Plozza, UQP)
Released May 2026
In Running in Circles, Shivaun Plozza (The Worst Perfect Moment, The Boy, The Wolf and the Stars) brings climate science and extraterrestrial speculation together in a coming-of-age suspense novel set... Read more
My Ball Is Broken (Rob Graves-Morris, Walker)
Released April 2026
My Ball Is Broken, written and illustrated by Rob Graves-Morris, is a playful picture book with hidden depth for readers aged 4 and over, told from the perspective of a... Read more
Gross Things Animals Eat (Claire Stevens, illus Adele K Thomas, HarperCollins)
Released April 2026
Gross Things Animals Eat is packed with disgusting, bizarre and outrageous descriptions and illustrations that young readers aged 5 and up will absolutely love. Australian veterinarian Claire Stevens invites children... Read more
Tiwi war kwampini: Mwarlapwara kangi tingati (Tiwi War Hero: Footprints in the Sand) (Mavis Kerinaiua, ILF)
Released April 2026
Tiwi war kwampini: Mwarlapwara kangi tingati (Tiwi War Hero: Footprints in the Sand) is written, translated and illustrated by Mavis Kerinaiua, with support from Laura Rademaker. This compelling picture book... Read more
Fanny and Mina: The Fastest of Friends (Samantha Tidy, illus Hilary Cresp, Windy Hollow)
Released April 2026
Fanny and Mina: The Fastest of Friends, written by Samantha Tidy and illustrated by Hilary Cresp, is a narrative nonfiction picture book for readers aged 5 to 8. It introduces... Read more
The Friendship Paradox (Aśka, A&U Children’s)
Released April 2026
The Friendship Paradox is a heartwarming YA graphic novel by author and artist Aśka (Stars in Their Eyes) about personal growth and friendship, with accessible science concepts sprinkled throughout. The... Read more
The Last Word (Two Hearts) (A L Tait, Scholastic)
Released April 2026
Scholastic’s multi-authored Two Hearts series is capturing the Australian middle-grade romance market. It is notable for its appealing, tween-appropriate relationships, where friendships can evolve into gentle romance and culminate in... Read more
Spare Kisses (Pip Harry, illus Yiscah Marcatili, Lothian)
Released April 2026
A young girl’s close and loving relationship with her grandmother is the subject of Pip Harry’s Spare Kisses. Told in gentle rhyme, the story follows Eve and her sprightly nan... Read more
The Curator (Wendy Tyrer, Perentie Press)
Released April 2026
Set against the inspiring backdrop of the National Gallery of Victoria, The Curator is a young adult graphic novel by author and illustrator Wendy Tyrer that delivers a gripping adventure... Read more
Frank the Monster (Mats Strandberg, trans Julia Marshall, illus Sofia Falkenhem, Gecko)
Released April 2026
Frank the Monster is a gentle introduction to horror in chapter-book form, written by Swedish writer Mats Strandberg and translated into English by Julia Marshall. The story follows Frank, a... Read more
Myra in the Middle (Seetha Dodd, illus Peter Cheong, UQP)
Released April 2026
Uplifting and true to life, Seetha Dodd’s Myra in the Middle is a junior novel that weaves together themes of family, identity and navigating change. Myra, a 7-year-old maths enthusiast... Read more
Fearless (Kelly Canby, Fremantle)
Released April 2026
Kelly Canby’s Fearless will delight and reassure children, parents and teachers with its hopeful message that fear need not be overwhelming or permanent. Bea Ware is frightened of everything, moving... Read more
The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks (Fiona Harris, Affirm)
Released April 2026
In The Embarrassing Confessions of Gracie Sparks, Fiona Harris (Musical Markus) introduces 12-year-old “Rock Goddess” Gracie Sparks, who is devastated to be starting at a different high school than her... Read more
Come Home, Bigibila (Corey Tutt & Irma Gold, illus Jessica Tedim, A&U Children’s)
Released April 2026
For parents and teachers seeking engaging, educational First Nations stories, Come Home, Bigibila is an ideal starting point. Written by Kamilaroi man Corey Tutt (The First Scientists) and Irma Gold... Read more
The Escape Game (Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss, Penguin)
Released April 2026
The Escape Game is the new, immediately captivating YA mystery by Marissa Meyer (Cinder, Renegades) and Tamara Moss (Lintang and the Pirate Queen), set in the world of reality television, where... Read more
Fuzzy Feelings (Michelle Mackintosh, illus Cat Rabbit, Little Smith)
Released April 2026
Michelle Mackintosh and Cat Rabbit’s Fuzzy Feelings has a resonant line on the cover that sets the emotional tone for the book: “When you have big feelings, everything can be... Read more
Life and Breath: Stories (Ursula Dubosarsky, Christmas Press)
Released March 2026
Life and Breath: Stories brings together 13 short stories by Ursula Dubosarsky, offering a delightful showcase of her distinctive ability to inhabit the shifting borderlands between memory, imagination and self-discovery. Though... Read more
The Belly of a Wolf (Julianne Negri, UWA Publishing)
Released March 2026
The Belly of a Wolf is a powerful young adult verse novel by award-winning writer Julianne Negri. Little Red is grieving and struggling to return to school and connect with... Read more
