How to Sail to Somewhere by Ashleigh Barton

"Bea turns away, blinking her eyes back into focus. She can't believe that, after all this time dreaming about it, Somewhere is actually so close she can see it."

There are two girls in this story, Bea and Arabella, and quite unexpectedly their lives collide. Arabella is in Bea's class at school but Arabella is one of those popular girls who always has a swarm of other girls around her. Bea has never even spoken to her. 

"Arabella has always seemed like the kind of person who doesn't want to speak to Bea, but may be Bea has been wrong about that too. ... hanging with Arabella is like hanging with royalty. Arabella is pretty and rich and confident. She's also somehow stony, like nothing bothers her ... This makes her untouchable, alluring and being her friend is an instant ticket to being popular. And Bea can't understand it, but popular is all anyone seems to want to be. They're not concerned about being nice or smart or clever ... or resourceful or creative or pioneering or anything like that."

What Bea doesn't know is that Arabella is not really friends with all of those girls. Bea, herself, has one or two good friends but they always head away from this small seaside town in the summer. She usually has her uncle to keep her company because her extremely busy parents disappear very early each day and always return late at night. Usually, summer is her time of joy when her uncle Bryon comes to stay. He is a fantastic uncle and together they have so much fun but this year he has not come and no one has told her why or if they have told her she simply does not understand. Before he left last year Byron showed Bea a map and said that next summer, they would sail together to a small star-shaped island off the coast called Somewhere. 

Here is a description of Byron:

His smell "that combination of freshly washed cotton, chewing gum and his peppermint shampoo."

And "the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed and how his smile was always slightly crooked or the way he always listened when you spoke, watching you like what you had to say was genuinely interesting even if you were just telling him why sandwiches are better without their crusts."

I mentioned there are two girls in this story. Everyone knows Arabella lives in a mansion with solid gold doorknobs and marble walls and an indoor swimming pool and fifteen cars. Bea is amazed to be invited there by Arabella and then she is even more amazed to discover none of this is true. And then Arabella shows Bea that she also has a map of the island named Somewhere and suddenly this summer it seems these two girls are destined to become friends.  The girls make a plan to sail to Somewhere. Bea wants to go there because it was the place her uncle promised they would go to together but why does Arabella so desperately want to go there and also how is the old fisherman Ray connected with all of this? And what about Uncle Bryon he is not here and yet somehow he seems to be directing the action with mysterious clues, secret keys, hidden rooms and one very special book. I loved the way the girls used their local library to search for more information about the island. 

There is something truly comforting about a story that is filled with delicious food. Ashleigh Barton has included a wonderful cafe in her story. Arabella's dad works there, and he is happy, as all good chefs are, to share his food with an appreciative audience. Bea is given food at home but it is nowhere near as delicious as the food served at Fishbone. Older readers might make the connection about the nourishment of food and Bea's need for comfort. Arabella has delicious food from her father but she too has an emptiness inside because she is holding onto a dreadful misunderstanding about her own absent mother. 

Add this book to your book shopping list - it is sure to be enjoyed by keen readers aged 9+. And after reading this book you will also want to go to your own local fish cafe or perhaps enjoy a picnic of cheese and pickle sandwiches, honey cake with strawberry jam and homemade lemonade. 

If you are book talking this new Australian book with your library group I would begin with these sentence:

"Where are you going to go?"  "I don't know. I'll go anywhere. Somewhere."

How could this be misinterpreted?  What if there is an island off the coast called Somewhere?

Here are some detailed teachers notes by Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright. And here are the webpages for Ashleigh Barton. How to Sail to Somewhere was published just four days ago so it will be in your local bookshop right now!

Publisher blurb: Beatrice Glass - Bea - lives in a tiny fishing village that's sleepy all year until the summertime, when the tourists flock in and most of the locals leave. But summer is also when Bea's favourite person in the entire world, her fun and hilarious uncle, Byron, comes to stay. On their last day together the previous summer, Byron had given Bea an intriguing antique book containing a map of Somewhere, a mysterious island off the coast, and promised that next summer they'd sail to Somewhere together for their best adventure yet. That was last year. Now summer has arrived, but Byron hasn't. And now it looks like he never will. Are the book and Byron's disappearance linked? Byron has left some clues for Bea - a scavenger hunt of sorts designed to bring her and her new friend, Arabella, together and give Bea one last magical summer. Could Somewhere hold the key to both Bea's and Arabella's future?

My 2025 CBCA Younger Readers notable and short list predictions were totally wrong but anyway I am going to say that How to Sail to Somewhere is sure to be a 2026 notable - fingers crossed. 

There’s magic in this story. ...  a joyous magic that comes with discovering something new, making new friends and going on an adventure that means something to both of the main characters. Loss is a central theme in this novel, showcasing the power of facing how you feel about loss, and family finding ways to talk about things that are painful for everyone. Because not everyone always knows how to address things. ...  Grief is a powerful emotion that everyone responds to differently, and I liked that this book acknowledged that. This is a quiet gem of a book that will have something in it for every reader. The Book Muse

It’s evocative and emotional, without being syrupy or sanctimonious. I predict that readers will not only fall in love with these characters, but with the setting itself. Here’s one to add to forthcoming ‘best of’ lists without a doubt. Just so Stories

Companion books:

This is book is a perfect match with How to Sail to Somewhere - highly recommended.

Junonia

Summer of the gypsy moths

Jubilee

Celebrating Two Million pageviews

Yesterday was World Book Day - a celebration in the UK and on that day my little blog, which began in 2008, tipped over to 2 million pageviews! To celebrate I visited a bookshop and picked up even more books for my huge 'to read' pile. I imagine you are not surprised that I went book shopping!

March Reading pile:

Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire by L.M. Wilkinson

I gave the first installment of this series five stars and I was absolutely certain Bravepaw would be a CBCA Notable Younger Readers title for 2025 but alas that didn't happen.

Publisher blurb for book two: Titch and Huckleberry are on an epic quest. They have followed their hearts ... right into the path of a terrifying swamp monster, and a village full of brainwashed squirrels! Maybe their hearts aren't to be trusted? Maybe Titch is just an ordinary little mouse and not Bravepaw after all ...? But Bravepaw or not, Titch is not about to give up. Can she defeat the greedy turtle controlling the squirrels, and discover what his glowing green gem has to do with the legend of Bravepaw and her quest to save Alluria?

Small Acts by Kate Gordon and Kate Foster

This book has been listed as a CBCA Younger Readers Notable title for 2025. I have had it on my shopping list for a while. I really like the cover. Kate Gordon won our IBBY Ena Noel award for new writers in 2016. Her book The Letterbox Tree has just been selected for the USBBY Outstanding International Books list.

Publisher blurb: Josh wants a friend but he doesn’t know how to find somewhere to belong … Ollie wants to express herself but doesn’t want to be noticed … Small Acts introduces two kids with great hearts who know that helping others can start with one small act of kindness. Josh has a plan to start with just that. So does Ollie. What Josh and Ollie don’t know yet is that they need each other to make their plans work.

Oscar's Lion by Adam Brown illustrated by Benji Davies

I am a huge fan of illustrator Benji Davies which is why I picked this book up in a bookstore last week. 

Publisher blurb: Oscar is a little terrified to find that a lion is going to be looking after him for the weekend. But when the lion lets him eat as many biscuits as he wants, and reads him his favourite story ten times, Oscar realises he might be on to something good. Soon, Oscar discovers that the lion can change into different animals and the pair find themselves having all kinds of adventures! But before the lion has to go, might he have one more amazing transformation up his sleeve?

Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson

I won the movie tie-in of this book. I did previously read Dragonkeeper when it was first published.

Blurb from author page: Ancient China, Han Dynasty. A slave girl saves the life of an ageing dragon and escapes her brutal master. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter, the girl and the dragon make an epic journey across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected. This is the story of a young slave girl who believes she is not worthy of a name but finds within herself the strength and courage to make this perilous journey — and do what must be done.

Jed Greenleaf by Kieran Larwood illustrated by David Wyatt

Thanks to a local bookseller - Three Sparrows - for alerting me to this new book by Kieran Larwood. I am a huge fan of his Podkin One-ear series.

Publisher blurb: Albion city is governed by a puppet queen, secretly controlled by Lord Cromwell, and strange magic is afoot as six Guilds all compete to rule it. Although the Leaf Guild is the weakest, no one has reckoned with newcomer Jed Greenleaf’s extraordinary ability to transform into a half-tree, covered over with bark . . . he just needs to learn how to harness that power. Could he be the hero that the Guild needs to win at the Punchbowl tournament? It just might be that this year Jed can turn over a new leaf in the history books, and bring glory to the decaying Guild and peace to Albion . . .

How to sail to Somewhere by Ashleigh Barton

Ashleigh Barton talked about her newest book at the NSW CBCA Night of the Notables. Ashleigh read the first chapter of her book and the large audience were captivated.  I previously read several of her books - pop her name in my side bar.

Here is the blurb: Beatrice Glass - Bea - lives in a tiny fishing village that's sleepy all year until the summertime, when the tourists flock in and most of the locals leave. But summer is also when Bea's favourite person in the entire world, her fun and hilarious uncle, Byron, comes to stay. On their last day together the previous summer, Byron had given Bea an intriguing antique book containing a map of Somewhere, a mysterious island off the coast, and promised that next summer they'd sail to Somewhere together for their best adventure yet. That was last year. Now summer has arrived, but Byron hasn't. And now it looks like he never will.

Something like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

I've had this verse novel on my shopping list for a while. I adore verse novels and this book has several star reviews.

Author blurb: Laura Rodríguez Colón has a plan: no matter what the grown-ups say, she will live with her parents again. Can you blame her? It’s tough to make friends as the new kid at school. And while staying at her aunt’s house is okay, it just isn’t the same as being in her own space. So when Laura finds a puppy, it seems like fate. If she can train the puppy to become a therapy dog, then maybe she’ll be allowed to visit her parents. Maybe the dog will help them get better and things will finally go back to the way they should be. After all, how do you explain to others that you’re technically a foster kid, even though you live with your aunt? And most importantly . . . how do you explain that you’re not where you belong, and you just want to go home?

Just under the clouds by Melissa Sarno

I am collecting books to share at a library conference later this year. I need titles that bridge upper primary grades through to lower high school.

Blurb: To climb a tree, always think in threes and you'll never fall. "Two feet, one hand. Two hands, one foot," Cora's father told her when she was a little girl. Now Cora is in middle school, her father is gone, her family is homeless, and Cora has to look after her younger sister, Adare, who needs a lot of looking after. When their room at the shelter is ransacked, Cora's mother brings them to an old friend's apartment, and Cora hopes this will be a place she can finally call home. When doubt seeps in, Cora makes an escape of her own and discovers something that will change how she sees her family and her place within it.

Our Sister Again by Sophie Cameron

As I mentioned I am collecting books for a presentation to a group of Teacher-Librarians. Part of my focus will be on books from other countries where they speak English - we are so lucky to be able to read the best books from Canada, UK, USA and New Zealand. This book comes from the UK.

Bookseller blurb: On a small island off the Scottish coast, Isla and her family are grieving the loss of her older sister Flora, who died three years ago. Then they're offered the chance to be part of a top-secret trial, which revives loved ones as fully lifelike AI robots using their digital footprint. Isla has her doubts about Second Chances, but they evaporate the moment the 'new' Flora arrives. This girl is not some uncanny close likeness; she is Flora - a perfect replica. But not everyone on their island feels the same. And as the threats to Flora mount, she grows distant and more secretive. Will Isla be able to protect the new Flora and bring the community back together?

Giraffe Island by Sofia Chanfreau and Amanda Chanfreau translated by Julia Marshall

I am always on the hunt for books that have been translated into English and Gecko Press always deliver fabulous titles. This is a book from Finland. I picked this up at Three Sparrows. 

Gecko Press blurb: Far away in the middle of the sea there is an island shaped like a giraffe. Nine-year-old Vega lives there with her father and grandfather—a gardener and former ringmaster. Their shed—the Paraphenalium—is filled with every possible thing you didn’t know you needed. Vega’s bathroom is home to a gray bear with shampoo-lathered fur, and every day she talks with the asphalt beaver and crosswalk zebra on the way to school. Her best friend is Nelson, who observes things others don’t notice and keeps a notebook of mysteries and facts. Vega and Nelson set out to save Vega’s father and find her mother in a search that leads them to a unique circus and unexpected answers.

Stitched up by Steve Cole and Little House by Katya Balen

These are both from the Barrington Stoke book series. They have titles for very young readers right up to books like these for readers aged 10+ (Little House) and 12+ (Stitched up).

Stitched up blurb: When twelve-year-old Hanh is offered a job as a shop assistant in Hanoi, she sees it as a chance to earn money to send back to her family living in poverty in rural Vietnam. But on her arrival in the city, she soon learns that the job offer was a lie and finds herself working in virtual slavery in an illegal garment factory. Life in this sweatshop is a daily hell of long hours, little rest, poor food and regular violence. Hanh is desperate to escape, but when an opportunity arises will she be able to find the courage to take a dangerous chance?

Little House blurb: Juno’s furious about being sent to stay with her grandfather for the summer. She’ll miss all the fun she and her friends had planned for the holidays. She’ll also miss her mum, but it’s her mum’s fault for leaving anyway. Then Juno discovers a long-forgotten little family in her grandfather’s attic. As she works to carefully craft a new home for them, can she learn to forgive her mum and understand her reasons for going away?

Solomon Macaroni and the Cousin Catastrophe by Ashleigh Barton illustrated by Sarah Davis

Solomon is an only child. He is, perhaps, slightly eccentric. Solomon is, however, a smart boy. He likes things to be clean and tidy and he enjoys vegetarian cooking. His life is a happy one with his mum and dad until the day his vampire parents announce they are off on a world cruise - not for a couple of weeks but for one hundred years. You have probably guessed from the cover and realise Solomon is a vampire but he is certainly a very unconventional one. 

Solomon cannot stay home alone so he is sent to stay with his Uncle and cousins. He packs his perfectly ironed cape, his Power-Steam Iron 450 and his pack of jumbo sized Wipe-off-anything Wipes.  His uncle Dracula tries to be kind but the cousins are simply dreadful - well five of them are dreadful. Only cousin Lucy treats Solomon with kindness.

As the story opens Solomon is invited by his cousins to come to their beach. This beach is part of their enormous mansion in Transylvania. Solomon is not to keen on swimming but he is cajoled into joining his twin cousins. The three of them swim out into the 'ocean' when a huge shark appears. The shark attacks Maude and Claudette and there is blood everywhere. Oh no - I gasped when I realised that this was just one of many practical jokes by the unkind cousins. 

Oddly, though, there is a sadness in this family. Their precious mother has died and their father won't talk about her. 

Publisher blurb: You’ve never met a vampire like Solomon Macaroni before – he’s friendly, polite and makes a mean tofu Bolognese. Understandably, when his parents go on a one-hundred-year cruise without him, Solomon is not impressed. Especially because it means having to stay in creepy Transylvania with his six cousins, who are the rudest and naughtiest vampires in existence. (Well, apart from Lucy. He likes her.) Not even his uncle, Count Dracula, the oldest vampire in the world, can stop their pranks. Solomon wishes he could spend the next hundred years alone at his own house with his spider friend, Fred, instead. But when his cousins venture into the spooky Wildwood on a dangerous mission, Solomon – against his better judgement – agrees to help Lucy rescue them. At least, that's what he thinks he's doing. In the forest, Solomon must draw on all he knows – about old magic, wet wipes and the importance of a well-timed entrance – to save his catastrophic cousins and possibly the world.

This book will be published in July, 2022.  Thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance reader copy. This is a longer book (my copy had 280 pages of fairly small print) so it does need some reading stamina. Also thanks to University of Queensland Press for sending a review copy. 

I enjoyed:

• Meeting Solomon and his spider friend Fred
• The descriptions of the amazing mansion designed by Uncle Dracula
• The tone shift when Solomon and Lucy enter the Wildwood
• The kindness of Uncle Dracula and his wacky inventions

Young readers are sure to enjoy the practical jokes by the awful cousins and the tension in the final chapters. 

Here is Ashleigh Barton's web site where you can see her previous picture books. Companion read to pair with Solomon Macaroni and the cousin catastrophe:

Solomon reminded me of Arthur in One Night at Lottie House (for younger readers) and Charles in No place for Grubbs (Aussie Bites also for younger readers).

Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation by Ashleigh Barton illustrated by Sarah Davis

Bookseller blurb: It's holiday time for Solomon and his cousins. Uncle Dracula has planned a surprise visit to Paris. There will be fine food, fabulous fashion and fang-tastic art. When the cousins become captivated by a magical Mona Lisa, Solomon gets a bad feeling they're up to something. Again. Soon they have accidentally unleashed mayhem on the city of love and Uncle Dracula is too busy testing his renewed vampire skills to notice. Can Solomon and Lucy save the day before it's too late?

You might like to begin by reading my post about the first book from this series. While it is not essential to read the first book in order to understand this second, I think it would help you make more sense of the main characters especially Solomon, his cousin Lucy, and Uncle Dracula.

Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation will be released tomorrow (3rd October, 2023) - I received an advance copy just over a week ago - thanks UQP. When you read this book it might be good to have a map of Paris and perhaps grab some books about the Mona Lisa. Paris itself feels someone like an extra character in this book. As a way to introduce this book to your students you could discuss why the vampire children want to steal the Mona Lisa - I am sure no one will guess the real reason or the consequences of their heist. 

Here are some fiction and nonfiction books about the Mona Lisa:

I enjoyed the first book in this series about the Titanic. 

This new instalment was published early in 2023

Read more about this on the publisher page. Published in 2023.

I like the way Sarah Davis has illustrated these two covers and alliteration of the titles is fun. There are some very funny moments in this second book. Here are a few examples:

• Uncle Dracula (Dad) shops on EeeeBay. Oh and he keeps saying he slept like a dog when it should be, as Lucy tries to tell him, slept like a log.
• The cranky jetsetter taxi driver, Walter, is a wonderful character (but his taxi is not big enough for the whole family they should have booked a maxi-maxi taxi). I love his taxi rules.
• Leaving for Paris they accidentally leave the youngest child at home - poor Elvis - rather like a scene from the movie Home Alone. The group were halfway across Austria when dad remembered what/who was missing.
• On their previous holiday they stayed at the Fangi-la in the Maldives.
• The getaway car, after they steal the Mona Lisa, is a hot pink, glittery stretch limousine convertible. "Thyme's face ... lit up like it was Halloween. 'A limo!' she exclaimed. 'I've been asking Dad for a limo for centuries. He says they're for show-offs and hens' parties."
• Vincenzo, their own driver from Transylvania, has come to Paris to help but when the magic is unleashed Lucy explains bad things happened to his family in the past - something to do with magic beans and a scam.
• In the library Le Jardin des Livres you will discover a whole new meaning to the idea of speed reading plus the Brewey Decimal System invented by Tabith Brew. Now used in most libraries in the world!

Solomon Macroni and the Vampire Vacation is a long book with 287 pages of fairly small print but the mayhem of the plot means the story just races along to a very satisfying conclusion. 

Here the picture books by Ashleigh Barton:

Freddie Spector Fact Collector: Space Cadet by Ashleigh Barton illustrated by Peter Cheong

Freddie has a new obsession - space. He collects every fact he can, and he shares these on post-it notes all around his house. If you met Freddie you could ask him any question about space and he is sure to know the answer. Actually, questions are one theme in this book because five lucky students from Freddie's school have been selected to ask one question each of Astronaut Lilly Jun who is on the International Space Station. She will talk to the students via a video call. Freddie really wants to ask a great question - not something silly. I won't spoil the question he does ask but it is brilliant! You do need to read the whole book which is just over 100 pages, however, before this is revealed. 

The other thread in this book, one that keeps the plot moving, is the mystery next door. Freddie is woken by a noise in the night. He looks into the neighbor's backyard and he is shocked to see a huge hole. Freddie is certain a UFO has arrived and that means an alien is now inside the neighbours home. All of this is confirmed when the neighbour almost slams the door in Freddie and his sister's faces and later when Freddie sees a strange red light in the upstairs rooms of their house. There is also the mystery of green slime on the path leading into school. Did the aliens leave this here?

I did not expect to enjoy Freddie Spector Fact Collector as much as I did. This book is the first in a new series and it is one your readers in grades 2 and up are sure to enjoy. The scattering of illustrations by Peter Cheong are also sure to appeal to newly confident readers and they will enjoy the pages filled with Freddie's sticky notes. I did learn a few interesting things about space myself after reading these.  

• Astronauts on the Internationa Space Station see sixteen sunsets and sunrises over earth every day.
• Halley's comet will return in 2061.
• Black holes don't last forever - they slowly evaporate.
• Mercury's moons are named after famous people like Dr Seuss, Beethoven, and Maya Angelou.

Huge thanks to Three Sparrow Books for the advance copy of Space Cadet due out in July this year. It is published by Hachette. I have previously talked about other books by Ashleigh Barton. And Peter Cheong - Every Night at Midnight. 

Publisher blurb: Freddie Spector loves collecting facts - about anything and everything. His latest obsession is space. It's all he talks about: stars, planets, galaxies, astronauts, space travel - and, of course UFOs and extraterrestrials. Freddie writes all his facts on sticky notes that his mum and big sister, Henrietta, keep finding in weird places - like in their sock drawers or their sandwiches. But whenever Freddie collects facts on a topic, his very active imagination always gets involved too. And, after noticing some very suspicious goings-on, Freddie realises it's up to him to discover the answer to a burning question: could aliens have landed in his neighborhood? Fast-paced and funny, this series is all about an everyday eight-year-old boy whose love of facts and extraordinary imagination come together with unexpected and hilarious results.

Here is the second book in the series which will also be released in July, 2024.

CBCA 2026 Notables

Last night I attended the CBCA NSW Night of the Notables. I will pen a separate blog post to share the three books that were 'launched' at this event and other CBCA happenings. For now, I need to show you the 125 Notables and give links to a few of my blog posts AND as usual I will share a few of the titles I think should have 'made the cut' - I can these THE MISSING. 

Since I no longer work in a school library I am not going to attempt to read the fifty plus titles from three of these lists that I have not yet seen or read mainly because there are only four weeks to do this before the shortlists are announced and my own to read pile is out of control. Instead, I have listed a few that I am keen to borrow from a library or perhaps buy. Blue links take you to my blog posts:

Picture Book

A is for… A Rabbit’s Tale, Lucinda Gifford, text by Jackie Hosking (Walker Books Australia) 

Being Indy, Estee Sarsfield, text by Zoe Gaetjens (WestWords Children’s) 

Between, Anna Walker (Scribble) 

Bigfoot vs Yeti, James Foley (Fremantle Press) 

Bob and Dob, Sean E Avery (Walker Books Australia) 

Bored, Felicita Sala (Little Hare) 

Dawn, Marc Martin (Walker Books Australia) 

Dear Broccoli, Cate James, text by Jo Dabrowski (Affirm Press) 

Dropbear, Philip Bunting (Walker Books Australia) 

The Frog’s First Song, Jason Phu, text by Jazz Money (University of Queensland Press) 

Going for Pippies, Tori-Jay Mordey, text by Wilaaran Laurie (Magabala Books) 

Gone, Michel Streich (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

Hello Cocky, Antonia Pesenti, text by Hilary Bell (Scribble) 

Here Come the Cousins, Sarah Zweck, text by Maggie Hutchings (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

How My Family Says I Love You, Aurore McLeod, text by Yvonne Sewankambo (Walker Books Australia) 

Jo and the No, Judy Watson, text by Kyle Mewburn (Dirt Lane Press) 

My Mum is a Bird, Evie Barrow, text by Angie Cui (University of Queensland Press) 

Neville’s Great Escape, Sean E Avery (Walker Books Australia) 

Once I was a Giant, Zeno Sworder (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

One Day, Michael Speechley, text by Shirley Marr (Walker Books Australia) 

One Word and a Bird, Stephen Michael King (Scholastic Press) 

Rain on the Rock, Valerie Brumby, text by Jodi Toering (Bright Light) 

Some Days You’ll have Days Like These, Stephen Michael King, text by Josh Pyke (Scholastic Press) 

The Thing About Christmas, Briony Stewart, text by Jo Dabrowski (Little Book Press) 

Tiwi in Paris, Glen Farmer Illortaminni (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

On my own to read list now the Picture Book Notables have been announced I have Bored; Gone; The Thing about Christmas; Rain on the Rock; and Hello Cocky. I made my predictions a couple of weeks ago. I am pleased my top three - One day; Dawn; and Once I was a Giant made the notables. BUT here are a couple of books that are 

THE MISSING:

The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef

The enchantment of the Golden eagle

A Hatful of Dreams

Emmie builds something new

Younger Readers

Chickenpox, Remy Lai (Allen & Unwin) 

Creature Clinic, Gavin Aung Than (Figment Books) 

Frances Bloom, Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Marina Zlatanova (ABC Books) 

Ghost Guitar, TJ DOOM, illustrated by Nahum Ziersch (Penguin Random House Australia) 

The Hits and Misses of Melody Moss, Helen Dallimore (Penguin Random House Australia) 

How to Sail to Somewhere, Ashleigh Barton (Lothian Children’s Books) 

Inked, Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A Minton (Figment Books) 

Into the Bewilderness, Gus Gordon (Figment Books) 

Jungle Escape, Nathan Luff (Walker Books Australia) 

The Keeper of the Octopus, Neridah McMullin (Walker Books Australia) 

Little Bones, Sandy Bigna, illustrated by Tamlyn Teow (University of Queensland Press) 

The Making of Martha Mayfield, Jo Dabrowski (Affirm Press) 

Moonboy, Anna Ciddor (Allen & Unwin) 

The Paperbark Tree Committee, Karys McEwen (Text Publishing) 

Promises and Other Lies, Sue Whiting (Walker Books Australia) 

Run, Sarah Armstrong (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing) 

Seriously Soccer, Matt Stanton (ABC Books) 

The Serpent Rider, Yxavel Magno Diño (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) 

The Silken Thread, Gabrielle Wang (Penguin Random House Australia) 

Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces, Sally Barton, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen (Walker Books Australia) 

Song of a Thousand Seas, Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Aviva Reed (University of Queensland Press) 

Spirit of the Crocodile, Aaron Fa’Aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen & Unwin) 

The Surface Trials, H.M. Waugh (Allen & Unwin) 

Too Big to Be a Fairy, Kiah Thomas, Bec Kitson, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 

The Year We Escaped, Suzanne Leal (Angus & Robertson)

I am planning to read The Year we escaped; The Surface Trials; and The Paperbark Tree Committee.

THE MISSING:

Trapped

Oceanforged: The wicked Ship

Danger Road

The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe

Early Childhood

The Bin Monster, Annabelle Hale (Affirm Press) 

Castle Crashing, Andrea Rowe, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville (Little Hare) 

The Colours of Home, Sally Soweol Han (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

Counting Crocodiles, Students from Bulla Camp Primary School (Indigenous Literacy Foundation) 

Derek, Anne Donaldson, illustrated by Matt Shanks (Little Hare) 

Dropbear, Philip Bunting (Walker Books Australia) 

Earthspeak, Sean McCann, illustrated by Jade Goodwin (Allen & Unwin) 

The Emperor’s Egg, Rae Tan (Lothian Children’s Books) 

Fly Mama, Fly!, Anna McGregor (Scribble) 

Frogs Are Our Friends, Toni D’Alia, Madeline White (Bright Light) 

Going Fishing with Nana, Frances Haji-Ali & Lindsay Haji-Ali, illustrated by Karen Briggs (Magabala Books) 

How to Help When You Really Want to Help, Davina Bell, illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper (Lothian Children’s Books) 

Laugh in the Bath, Rory H. Mather, illustrated by Brent Wilson (Little Book Press) 

Look, See, Find Me, Sandra Severgnini (CSIRO Publishing) 

My Father’s Arms, Toni D’Alia, illustrated by Mimi Purnell (Little Hare) 

My Nonno Loves, Adelle Frittitta, illustrated by Claudia Frittitta (Little Hare) 

Now You Are a Chicken, Andrew McDonald, illustrated by Ben Wood (Little Hare) 

Our Beautiful World, Sarah Speedie, illustrated by Margeaux Davis (New Frontier Publishing) 

Potion Commotion, Rebecca Grant, illustrated by Niña Nill (Affirm Press) 

Say Goodnight, Renae Hayward, illustrated by Rebecca Mills (Fremantle Press) 

Sidney of Sydney, Sue Whiting, illustrated by Liz Anelli (Walker Books Australia) 

The Thing About Christmas, Jo Dabrowski, illustrated by Briony Stewart (Little Book Press) 

The Train at the End of My Street, Tom Jellett (Affirm Press) 

What is a Dot?, Johanna Bell, illustrated by Amelia Luscombe (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

Where the River Runs Free, Vikki Conley, illustrated by Jedda Robaard (Windy Hollow Books) 

There are some important and possible familiar names on this list - people I have talked about previously such as Briony Stewart; Liz Anelli; Sue Whiting; Sally Soweol Han; Anna McGregor; Hilary Jean Tapper and Vikki Conley. 

You can see the Eve Pownall and Older Readers lists her. I previously talked about:

Foal in the wire (for ages 14+)

Drift

All About Antarctica

The Great Shark Egg Case Hunt

Platypus Bend

This Bird