Author visits are always such a joy
We would just like to take a minute and give a shout out to some of the insanely talented writers and artists who dropped by over the previous month.
The dynamic duo Matt Cosgrove and Eva Amores made our week when they stopped by to sign copies of their hilarious middle-grade series 'Worst Week Ever!' Matt Cosgrove also signed copies of the most recent instalment in his Macca the Alpaca picture book series 'Alpacas in Space.'
🦙🚀
The talented Ashleigh Barton also made a special visit stopped by to sign copies of her new picture book Hedgehog or Echidna?🦔 If you’ve ever wondered what makes similar looking animals uniquely different, then this fun rhyming picture book with bright and engaging illustrations by Amandine Thomas is the perfect choice!
Entries are now open for our 2025 Better Read Kids anthology! Find out more on our 2025 anthology page below.
Upcoming In-Store Events
Story Time and Book Launch with Inga Simpson & Tannya HarricksSat, 11 OctBetter Read Than Dead
.png)
Please note the following conditions.
To be considered all entrants must be between the ages of 6 - 17 years old and must supply the following.
Your name (First and Last), Your age, your school and the contact number of a parent or guardian.
This competition is open to all kids in all territories, states and countries.
Good luck entries are open now.
AUGUST Book of the Month
OCEANFORGED 1: THE WICKED SHIP
AMELIA MELLOR
When thirteen year old Cori finds the mystical Oceanforged gauntlet, she just might have a chance to bring back the glory to Aquanita, her realm, that has fallen into a Dark Age. If she can find the rest of the enchanted armour and escape her treacherous captain and avoid the monsters of the deep and hopefully find allies ankee[p them safe and keep herself alive, she just might, just might stand a chance.
From the pen of one fantasies true talents, Amelia Mellor comes this exciting, swashbuckling, magic casting, jaw-dropping, seat-of-your-pants adventure.
Think Hermione Granger on pirate ships!
- ROBERT -
August Highlights
It's hard to pick, but here are six books we thought deserved highlighting this month. Something special can be found in each of our picks, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
THE GANG
MICHEL STREICH
The Cockatoo Calamity: A Backyard Chaos Comedy
Watch out for The Gang! They’re everywhere. They’re destroying everything. There is no escape!
What will the family do when a flock of chaos-causing cockatoos lands in their backyard?
A story about finding harmony with nature …
WAITERS IN ELEVATORS
DYLAN AND AMANDA SHEARSBY
A madcap adventure with a message of gratitude at its heart. A book the whole family will love reading again and again.
Meet Hanz and Franz.
They're waiters in elevators.
In the Rigatoni Hotel …
Hanz and Franz are the world's most diligent waiters and they think of the Rigatoni Hotel's loyal guests as friends, and their fellow workers as family.
But when no one says please, much less thank you, it starts to wear on our waiters in elevators. Will they hand in their resignation at last? And how will the hotel and its guests cope without them?
A brilliant picture book about the importance of gratitude, manners and kindness, all wrapped up in a madcap hotel adventure that kids will want to read again and again.
THE STORY WRITER'S HANDBOOK
KATRINA NANNESTAD & CHERYL ORSINI
There is so much about writing that I love -- playing with words, scribbling freely without a destination in mind, gathering ideas, daydreaming, planning, problem-solving and, of course, creating stories.
This book will get your imagination whirring, your ideas expanding and your talents growing.
From the award-winning, bestselling Australian author Katrina Nannestad comes a playful yet practical guide to creating your own stories.
PACHECO AND THE WITCH OF THE MOUNTAIN: A GRAPHIC NOVEL
JUAN E. ZAMBRANO
Welcome to the island of Asunción, home to the most powerful witches—and Pacheco, their biggest fan. In this beautifully illustrated graphic novel, debut creator Juan E. Zambrano will take readers on an epic adventure that's all about magic, identity, and staying true to yourself.
Pacheco's biggest dream is to practice magic! There's just one problem: commoners, and especially boys, aren't allowed to learn witchcraft. However, once his family’s fishing business begins to suffer, Pacheco is determined; he's certain that learning magic is the best way to help his family and community. He meets Doris, a grumpy, old witch, and he decides to become her apprentice.
As Pacheco enters the world of magic, he finds himself caught up in the rules and schemes of a whole new society and surrounded by magical creatures in need of protection. Pacheco will have to dig deep to muster the courage—and magic—to defend his future.
BLACK RIVER
RUBY JEAN COTTLE
A mystical new YA series that blends fantasy, sci-fi and romance. Limited copies with sprayed edges available for pre-order!
All seventeen-year-old Dusty wants is to escape into books and the wilderness that surrounds her mountain home. What she doesn’t know is that there’s something waiting for her in the shadows of the forest.
One morning, Dusty wakes up with dirt on her feet. Then she realises that her body and senses are changing. And after a chance encounter with quiet and mysterious Will, she feels an attraction unlike anything she’s experienced before. It isn’t just an emotional connection making her heart beat faster—it’s a thirst.
But Dusty isn’t the only person experiencing strange events in Black River. Darker forces are at play, and Dusty must uncover the mystery—or risk losing everything and everyone she loves…
Get ready for some crayon chaos!! Duncan’s colourful crew are back and already off exploring, but this time with some new friends. After adventuring all the way outside of their crayon box and bravely befriending some new objects in Duncan’s playroom, they have reported back with some seriously funny stories. Every letter filled with colour and fun, will the crayons stay or will they move on? This picture book is a blast!
- Francessca
Our Classic Pick
CHARLOTTE'S WEBB
E.B. WHITE
This has to be one of the quintessential classics of all time, I do not know of one person who has read it that hasn’t been moved by this story of a young pig named Wilbur his farm yard family and a spider named Charlotte. Not to mention that it is a masterly crafted piece of young reader fiction, which speaks to all of us in one sense or another.
The fact that it's a heart-warmer/wrencher clinches it. Never was I made to love pigs and spiders so much in my life. Charlotte's Web will always rank high amongst my favourites.
If you are a first time visitor to Wilbur’s farm-yard or making a nostalgic return, do yourself a favour and the young readers in your sphere a favour and pick it up.
Glebe Public School Reviews...
Better Read Kids and Glebe Public School have connected!
Each week students from years 1-6 will review a book they've been reading and loving!
Little Bones by Sandy Bigna is a verse novel that captures acceptance of loss, the importance of friendship and LGBTQIA+ themes.
In Little Bones we follow Bones and her new friend Tenny as Bones accidentally resurrects the skeleton of a baby bird. The book includes three main and many other beautifully described characters.
The positives of this book are; the development of characters over time and the valued lessons of loss and selfishness. I found the lack of chapters challenging because it was very different to a chapter book but this book without doubt is possibly the best children's fiction book I've read in a long time. 4 out of 5.
- Francis, Aged 10
Staff Pick This Week
THE SET-UP GIRL
SASHA VEY
Amalia is as content as a teenager can be (and that’s really saying something!), until her best and only friend Mae declares that she is ready to start dating! And worse still, the guy she wants to date is Kasun - Amalia’s secret crush. This YA novel has it all; messy romances, secret kisses, explorations of identity and plenty of high school drama! A feel-good, queer romantic comedy that will leave your heart warmed.
- STEPH -
This Weeks Top Ten
