#AussieAuthors2026, #AussieYAChallenge, #LoveOZMG, #LoveOzYA, Aussie authors, Australian literature, biography, Book Industry, Books, Children's Literature, history, middle grade, non-fiction, Publishers, Reading, Reviews, short stories, Young Adult

Ayaiga: Neighbour and Hero by Thomas Higgs with Colin Hall, illustrated by Wally Wilfred

Title: Ayaiga: Neighbour and Hero Author: Thomas Higgs with Colin Hall, illustrated by Wally Wilfred Genre: Non-Fiction Publisher: NLA Publishing Published: 15th February 2026 Format: Hardcover Pages: 48 Price: $24.99 Synopsis: In the remote Roper River region of the Northern Territory more than 120 years ago, an Alawa man committed an act of such exceptional… Continue reading Ayaiga: Neighbour and Hero by Thomas Higgs with Colin Hall, illustrated by Wally Wilfred

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#AussieYAChallenge Nix Level Completed

I managed to complete my Nix level early this year, as I have already had quite a few young adult books cross my path in my reading and reviewing. They’ve covered quite a wide range of genres and stories so far, and it’s going to be interesting to see what else I come across over… Continue reading #AussieYAChallenge Nix Level Completed

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Good Luck and Other Lies by Catriona McKeown

Title: Good Luck and Other Lies Author: Catriona McKeown Genre: Fiction Publisher: Wombat Rhiza Published: 7th June 2025 Format: Paperback Pages: 296 Price: $21.99 Synopsis: Imagine being one of six high school students who win a 50-million-dollar lotto prize. What would you buy first? The latest phone? A new wardrobe? A fancy car to learn… Continue reading Good Luck and Other Lies by Catriona McKeown

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Anna’s War by D.J. Taylor

Title: Anna’s War Author: D.J. Taylor Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Riveted Press Published: 2nd July Format: Paperback Pages: 192 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: Holland, 1943: In the last eighteen months of World War II, 14-year-old Anna’s life is thrown into a perilous world of secrets and danger. Her once-ordinary town in German-occupied southern Holland is transformed… Continue reading Anna’s War by D.J. Taylor

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Forever and Ever by Allanah Hunt

Title: Forever and Ever Author: Allanah Hunt Genre: Contemporary Publisher: Text Publishing Published: 3rd March 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 320 Price: $22.99 Synopsis: Talia is sixteen, pregnant and angry. Her family is broken. She’s looking after her unwell mother. Her dad’s gone. At school she is shunned. And Johnny—the one person she thought she could count on—just walked… Continue reading Forever and Ever by Allanah Hunt

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Good Young Men by Gary Lonesborough

Title: Good Young Men Author: Gary Lonesborough Genre: Contemporary Publisher: Allen and Unwin Published: 3rd March 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 304 Price: $22.99 Synopsis: A brilliant contemporary YA coming-of-age novel about three small-town Aboriginal friends finding their way towards adulthood, from the multi-award-winning author of The Boy from the Mish, We Didn't Think It Through and I'm Not Really… Continue reading Good Young Men by Gary Lonesborough

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A Light on the Rocks by Helen Edwards

Title: A Light on the Rocks Author: Helen Edwards Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Riveted Press Published: 28th January 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 224    Price: $17.99 Synopsis: In 1859, fourteen-year-old Daisy is travelling on the SS Admella from Adelaide to Melbourne, when the steamship is wrecked on a submerged reef near Cape Banks, in what became… Continue reading A Light on the Rocks by Helen Edwards

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Silverbrook: Yumna and the Golden Horse by Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Title: Silverbrook: Yumna and the Golden Horse Author: Yassmin Abdel-Magied Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult Publisher: Hachette/Hodder Children’s Books Published: 27th January 2026 Format: Paperback Pages: 230 Price: $16.99 Synopsis: Warm, funny, and zinging with imagination this thrilling MG fantasy adventure highlights the power of community. Perfect for readers of Tola Okogwu and Sharna Jackson, aged 9+.… Continue reading Silverbrook: Yumna and the Golden Horse by Yassmin Abdel-Magied

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My Brother, Finch by Kate Gordon

Title: My Brother, Finch Author: Kate Gordon Genre: Mystery Publisher: Riveted Press Published: 3rd July 2024 Format: Paperback Pages: 200 Price: $17.99 Synopsis: Finch and Wren were as close as a brother and sister can be. When he vanished, when they were nine years old, her world cracked in two. Finch was never found. On… Continue reading My Brother, Finch by Kate Gordon

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Young Adult books read in 2025

In 2025, I read 50 young adult books, mostly by Australian authors in all sorts of genres and styles, and who all had different identities. Some of these books probably crossed over with middle grade, but they’re here because they could also be enjoyed by a young adult audience, or in the case of the… Continue reading Young Adult books read in 2025