By Rory H. Mather Illustrations by Rebel Challenger Reviewed by Sophia Evans Otto the Octopus just wants to fit in, but he tends to overthINK. And when he does, he releases lots of…INK! Otto the Octopus is starting school tomorrow […]

By  Zanni Louise & Kim Drane Reviewed by Margarite Igras Australian author Zanni Louis has written over forty books spanning all ages from picture books to teen fiction. This is the first in a new series called Handbooks for Little […]

By Zanni Louise & Kim Drane Reviewed by Margarite Igras. Bestselling and prolific Australian author Zanni Louise has completed her second book in the series Handbooks for Little Humans. This time her topic is Confidence, but she has flagged that […]

Written and illustrated by Matt Shanks Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Author and illustrator Matt Shanks is probably best known to young readers for his many lively, humorous picture books, particularly his series of contemporary Australian nursery rhymes. His online […]

By Jo Dabrowski Reviewed by Lauren Spencer Jo Dabrowski is an Australian author who has proven her capabilities as a diverse writer for children’s books. With her back-and-forth letters between boy and Broccoli in Dear Broccoli (2025) and the hilarities […]

by Beckl Jayne Crossley Review by  Lucille Rose Tart by Beckl Jayne Crossley is a heart-felt, coming of age novel following the lives of two girls with one thing in common: Chipping Hollow. This little not-so-slice of heaven has been […]

By Biffy James Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Elizabeth ‘Biffy’ James holds a Masters in Creative Writing from RMIT and has worked as a boarding house mother and high school teacher. Completely Normal (and Other Lies), her debut novel, was written […]

By Jasbinder Bilan Reviewed by Annaleise Byrd Jasbinder Bilan is a British middle grade author whose family moved from their farm in India to Nottingham, England when she was eighteen months old. She has worked as a teacher and studied […]

From everyone at StoryLinks we wish all our readers and supporters a happy and safe holiday season. We will be back with more reviews in the first week of 2026.

Jenny Ruge talks to author DJ Taylor about her debut novel, Anna’s War. Thank you for taking the time to speak with StoryLinks, Di.  Anna’s War is your first novel. How would you describe the experience of being a debut […]

By Claire Monsour As parents, carers, and educators, our primary role is to protect the children in our care – so it’s only natural to be concerned or resistant when children show an interest in the scary, the gory, and […]

By Lauren Spencer Kirsten Ealand is a children’s book author from the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Working part-time as a library assistant, Kirsten shares her love for books and reading with her community. It’s clear from her two […]