“Don’t judge me, bitch. This is a high-stress situation.” - Frankie, p. 9. Shivaun Plozza’s debut YA novel 'Frankie' (Penguin, April 2016) will slice you like an electric knife through kebab meat. The title character’s sassiness, cynicism, mistrust and anger hooked me immediately, and I seesawed between wanting to hug her and boot her up the backside throughout the book. The writing is smooth and immediate, and pinballed me around the full range of the emotional spectrum. Fra

Forever Judy Blume Macmillan (2015 reprint) My son pulled 'Forever' off a shelf in a bookstore. It was next to Enid Blyton in the young readers’ section. He thought I’d like it because it had a cherry on the front, and I like cherries. He’s a young, innocent child. Thoughtful – but innocent. Judy Blume’s 'Forever' was a groundbreaking text for teenagers when it was released in the 1970s, and I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t read it. Sure, I knew what it was about – who hadn’t hear

Words: Longy Han Pictures: Elinor Hägg This picture book is the first in the Curious Travels of Gusto & Gecko series, and self-published by author Longy Han. One of the main drivers of this series – in which the title characters will visit different areas – was to introduce children to various cultures. As someone who’s travelled fairly extensively (although nowhere near as much as Han), I’m often baffled by the dogged refusal of some tourists to experience the culture, and t

Teenage life in the media spotlight There’s YA realism and there’s YA realism. 'One True Thing' is definitely the latter: a great story with a relatable protagonist who draws the reader into current, relevant and topical issues. Following Nicole Hayes's 2013 debut novel 'The Whole of My World', which examined grief and the attitude of sports clubs and stars towards women; 'One True Thing' – released earlier this month – tackles the media, its treatment of women in politics, a

Words: Heather Gallagher Pictures: Liz McGrath Wombat Books, 2014 Perinatal, or post-natal, depression (PND) affects one in seven new mothers and one in 10 new fathers in Australia, according to the end notes of this book. 'Happy Pants', written from the perspective of a child, shows how the illness impacts an entire family; that support and understanding is needed; and that there is no quick-fix. But this is not a clinical examination of the illness - it's written from the p