Josie Mack and the Mega Division by Bethany Loveridge, illustrated by Jade Goodwin

Title: Josie Mack and the Mega Division

Author: Bethany Loveridge, illustrated by Jade Goodwin

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: Wombat Books

Published: 3^rd June 2026

Format: Paperback

Pages: 106

Price: $14.99

Synopsis: One night, a wombat knocks at Josie’s window. She thinks her lifelong wish for a pet has come true! But Ursula the wombat is on an important mission for the Fellowship of Underground Nocturnals (the FUN). The FUN need human help to solve their wildlife woes. They want Josie and Ursula to join the FUN’s mysterious MEGA Division, which means they’ll receive a mega-helpful power.

Can Josie and Ursula prove they’re the team the FUN is looking for? Or will joining the MEGA Division be a mega mistake?

~*~

Josie desperately wants a pet, but her parents won’t let her have one, so she relishes a class trip to the zoo. She is enthralled by the wombats, and is determined to spend as much time with them as possible.

So imagine her surprise when Ursula the wombat appears at her window! Ursula has an important mission for the animal-loving Josie. She needs Josie to help with a mission for the Fellowship of Underground Nocturnals. But why do the wildlife need a human to help with their woes? What can Josie do for these animals?

But when they ask Josie and Ursula to join the mysterious MEGA division, things will change forever.

This is the first in a new series for Bethany Loveridge that celebrates Australian wildlife, diversity and caring for the environment. Josie has the chance to make a real difference, and with special wilderness magic, she’s part of a team that is trying to help those in need.

Except…she has to keep this a secret. Nobody can know, and people are starting to get suspsicious, wondering why she is tired. Why she is doing things in certain ways. And why she has stopped talking about getting a pet. Ursula is a pretty cool alternative, anyway. She’s a fun companion, and bridges the gap between humans and the animal world with Josie. I was enthralled by this book, and as it starts a new series, I think it did it really well and I found it engaging and joyful, perfect for readers aged eight and over.

It’s always fun reading new series, and I liked that this one tackled environmental issues in a fun way, as well celebrating friendship and diversity through Josie, Gray and Tilly, so kids can see themselves and their experiences in this book and this series. I got this one in a review pack unexpectedly, and I loved it.

Books about wildlife and nature have always been around, but it seems there are many more, and they cover all manner of things. This is great, because it shows the diversity and breadth of stories there are, the characters, and the different ways we can learn about and care for our environment. I think it is great that there are many ways to explore this because it means that kids will find a book that interests them.

Josie was a wonderful character, who is everything kids should be: curious, friendly, full of joy and wanting to make a difference. She does what she can, within what she is capable of, and this is what really shapes the novel. The magic works well, giving this a hint of fantasy that a lot of readers will adore. It suits the setting and everything comes together so nicely, and it’ll be interesting to see where the series goes next.