Red Day, Sandy Fussell, Walker Books Australia, 2020 From the publisher: Set against a backdrop of the 1944 Cowra Prisoner of War Camp breakout, this powerful story explores an important part of Australia’s past and how it informs the future. Set in a modern-day small town among the remnants of a Japanese POW camp, this […]
Pashmina, Nidhi Chanani, Macmillan, 2017 From the publisher: Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions—the topic of […]
Guts, Raina Telgemeier, Scholastic, 2019 From the Publisher: Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it’s probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she’s dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just […]
Dear Sweet Pea, Julie Murphy, HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2019 From the publisher: Patricia “Sweet Pea” DiMarco wasn’t sure what to expect when her parents announced they were getting a divorce. She never could have imagined that they would have the “brilliant” idea of living in nearly identical houses on the same street. In the one […]
Last year I decided that for me to pick only a handful of favourite children’s books would be a little self-indulgent, and to be honest, way too difficult with the insurmountable amount of quality books released in Australia each year. So, I drew upon the brains trust of the Just Write For Kids author and […]
The Goldfish Boy, Lisa Thompson, Scholastic, 2017 From the publisher: Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn’t been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbours from his bedroom window, making mundane notes about their […]
Just Write For Kids Australia held its second annual writing competition for Australian writers of children’s literature throughout September this year. The aim was to forward a pitch for a manuscript to a publisher that is focused, concise and appealing; showcasing a strength in voice, marketability and writing ability. Our judging panel meticulously analysed each […]
One Careless Night, Christina Booth, Walker Books Australia, 2019 From the publisher: Where the mist swallows mountains and winds whisper through ancient trees, a mother and her pup run wild and free. They hunt, but they are also hunted. Carted away. Sold for bounty. And then, one careless night … The last thylacine is gone. […]
OMG! Can you feel the anticipation?! Last week we announced the longlists for the 2019 Pitch It! Competition, and well, that was exciting enough! Let’s get to the next level today with the fabulous shortlists! These talented writers will all receive feedback on their pitches from our hard-working judges – please expect emails within the […]
Wowsers! What a task the Pitch It! Competition team have had this year! This is the second year of running the competition and we are absolutely delighted with its increased reach, enthusiasm and support from the kidlit community. Thank you to everyone who put in the time and effort to enter their pitches! Our team […]
