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Sally Murphy, Australian author

What I Read in November 2025

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Another month finished, and another look at what I read for the month. Just six books.  This year I aimed to read slower and not worry about the numbers – and I haven’t – but as I near the end of the year I am aware of the wonderful books that have come out this year that I haven’t read, and so for 2026 I’ll  be trying to make time for more new release books so I don’t fall too far behind all of the goodness that is being produced.  Anyway, here’s what I read in November

Books for Children
  1. ChildishChildish, by Morris Gleitzman (Penguin, 2025). Kids solving problems too big for adults to deal with?  What’s not to love – but also, I noticed this is notable for having a school where every teacher is supportive and understanding, which I really liked.
  2. Almost There and Almost NotAlmost There and Almost Not, by Linda Urban (Atheneum, 2021). Sometimes a book has a cover so beautiful I just have to buy it.  Rarely this happens twice for the same book.  Yes, I bought this book twice, once a year or so ago, and again more recently. Of course when I started reading I realised my mistake – but I read it again anyway because it is good.
  3. The Surface TrialsThe Surface Trials, by HM Waugh (Allen & Unwin, 2025). Love Heather Waugh’s ability to weave a sci fi tale for young readers.
  4. A Crash of RhinosA Crash of Rhinos, by Patricia Mullins (ABC Books, 2010). Fun with collective nouns is the subtitle and fun is right – real/traditional collective nouns, as well as some made up ones just for fun.
  5. Velvet Paws & Whiskers, by Jean Chapman, illustrated by Deborah Niland (Hodder, 1979). I picked this up in an op shop. Cat themed stories, poems, activities, facts and more.
Books for Young Adults
  1. The Foal in the WireThe Foal in the Wire, by Robbie Coburn (Lothian, 2025).  A moving verse novel about a troubled pair of neighbours who find and raise an injured foal, along the way finding ways to heal themselves.

 

 

This brings my total for the year to 92. Hoping to crack the century by year’s end.

 

What I Read in October 2025

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October has ended, and it’s time to share what I read. I got through 13 books, more than in previous months, partly because there’s a few picture books in there, but also because I spent time on aeroplanes, which is always a good chance to catch up on some reading. Anyway, here’s what I got through.

Books for Children

    1. Everywhere Babies [Board book]Everywhere Babies 2, by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Harper Collins, 2001).  Read for a project I’m working on at university. Such a lovely celebration of babies, and families all their forms.
    2. Not cute.Not cute., by Philip Bunting (Scholastic, 2020).  Needed a funny book to share with my children’s literature class, and this one was it.
    3. Play the Shape GamePlay the Shape Game, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 2010).  A gift from my gorgeous friend Tamara after my deep dive into Browne’s picture books earlier this year, and discussions we’d had about using this book in one of our units at university.  A treasure.
    4. Making the Shrine: stories from Victoria's war memorialMaking the Shrine: stories from Victoria’s war memorial, by Laura J. Carroll (Crossley Press, 2024).  A clever piece of history writing, with the use of graphic novel format to tell 25 stories that span the making of Victoria’s war memorial.
    5. The Forest in the Tree: How Fungi Shape the Earth (Small Friends Books)The Forest in the Tree: How Fungi Shape the Earth , by Alisa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr and Gregory Crocetti (CSIRO Publishing, 2024). Part of the CSIRO Small Friends series, this one tells the story of fungi and the vital part they play in forests and ecosystems.
    6. Democracy!: A positive primer on people power. Discover what defines a democracy and why your voice matters.Democracy!: A positive primer on people power. , by Philip Bunting (Hardie Grant, 2023). Bunting is such a clever author/illustrator – he has the power to make readers laugh but also to share complex and important topics with that humour blended with insight.
    7. Song of a Thousand SeasSong of a Thousand Seas, by Zana Fraillon (UQP, 2025). Read this in one setting because I just couldn’t put it down, falling in love with the voice of the octopus, Houdini, and Fraillon’s mastery of the verse form.

 

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Realm of PossibilityThe Realm of Possibility,by David Levithan (Alfred Knopf, 2004). Found this on my verse novel bookshelf when I was looking for something else and was surprised to realise I hadn’t read it. Clever use of multiple voices (20) while still weaving a strong narrative.
  2. Long Way Down: ‘A masterpiece.’ Angie ThomasLong Way Down, by Jason Reynolds (Faber & Faber). Oh wow.  A stunning verse novel that shows just how powerful the form can be.   And, as you’ll see, I then sat down and read the graphic novel version, too.
  3. "LongLong Way Down (The Graphic Novel), by Jason Reynolds, with art by Danica Novgorodoff (Simon & Schuster). Reading this straight after the verse novel allowed me to see the text (literally) from a different angle, and to really engage with the depth of this story. So good in both forms!
  4. The Poet X - WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo (Harper Collins, 2018). And a fourth YA verse novel. From the US, and not new, but new to me, and excellent.
  5. DriftDrift, by Pip Harry (Lothian, 2025). And a fifth. The luxury of having such a deep dive into verse novels is partly in seeing so many different ways they are used.  Dealing with some complex topics, including cyber bullying and self harm, this is also warm and touching.

Books for Adults

  1. The Mademoiselle Alliance: Inspired by a true storyThe Mademoiselle Alliance: Inspired by a true story, by Natasha Lester (Hachette, 2025). I was lucky enough to hear Natasha speak about this one earlier in the year. I love reading about the under-explored parts of history – especially when it profiles the women who, so often, are at risk of disappearing from memory.

 

That brings my annual total to 86, with only two months to go. How is it almost the end of the year?

What have you been reading?

 

PETAA National Conference

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How fortunate I am feeling after a whirlwind trip to the Gold Coast to attend the Primary English Teacher Association of Australia (PETAA) Conference.

The conference featured a line up of academics, educators and creators all passionate about building writing skills in and out of the classroom through pleasure, purpose and pedagogy. I filled notebooks, soaked up new learning, talked, laughed and made new friends while also spending time with long standing ones (including my big sister). Here I am, just before I spoke, trying to blend in with the Storybox banner in my fabulous Jericho Road dress.

I was tasked with delivering the closing keynote and shared the value of using verse novels as mentor texts and more. Although I used my own as examples, I hope I also got across the message that there are a plethora of gold standard verse novels educators can use.

I was particularly pleased that the analogy I used to talk about mentor texts allowed me to talk about my beloved Fremantle Dockers, and especially David Mundy. It isn’t a Sally Murphy presentation if I can’t sneak in some mention of Freo. I also managed to make people laugh, cry and nod their heads approvingly (not all at the same time).

I’m back at my desk today, filled with determination to keep doing what I do, to ensure that young Australians have books (and poetry!) in their hands, homes and classrooms, and that educators have the tools to make sure this happens.

To that end, if you’d like me to visit your school, festival or professional learning event, let me know.

What I Read in September 2025

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What did I read in September? A LOT of manuscripts for a prize I’m a judge for and which, though book-length, don’t count for my total here.  So, only four books to report.

Books for Children

  1. Stuff I’m (Not) Sorry For: 99 more poems for young peopleStuff I’m (Not) Sorry For: 99 more poems for young people, by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hardie Grant, 2025).  The world needs more poetry, and fresh poetry for young people. This book delivers that in spades.
  2. TrappedTrapped, by Julia Lawrinson (Fremantle Press, 2025).  At least 10 years ago I started a file labelled with the name Varischetti.  I’d stumbled across  n old news story about a trapped miner, and thought one day I would write a book about him. I didn’t – but I am very glad that the tale has now been told, deftly, by a writer I admire, and in verse novel form.
  3. BindiBindi, by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler (Magabala Books, 2020). Not my first read of this book, but it’s been a while. Loved rediscovering this one, when I taught a class about the wonders of verse novels.

Books for Adults

  1. The Ghost Walk: A psychological medical thrillerThe Ghost Walk: A psychological medical thriller, by Karen Herbert (Fremantle Press, 2025). Went to the launch of this one and, of course, came home with the book which took a little while to get through just because of busyness, but glad I read it.

 

This brings my 2025 total to 73 so far, with more to come, especially as the judging comes to an end.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading.

What I Read in August 2025

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August was crazily busy with Bookweek and a house move, and lots of reading for work thrown in, so I have only five books to report, and three of them being very short ones.  But hey, I made time for reading, and I’m pleased with that. Here’s what I read:

Books for Younger Readers

  1. The Firework Maker's DaughterThe Firework Maker’s Daughter, by Philip Pullman (Corgi, 1995). Been a while since I read any Pullman – reading this made me want to read more. Just lovely.
  2. Stick Man Early ReaderStick Man Early Reader, by Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler.  I don’t know how Stick Man managed to be in my to-read pile, but in the clean up to move house I found him, read him and smiled. I think my grandlings will do when I unpack at the other end.
  3. My Grandson Lew, by Charlotte Zolotow & William Pene Du Bois (Harper & Row, 1974). Another from the to-read pile, a lovely little offering about a child’s grief and love for his grandfather.
  4. Left and Right With Lion and Ryan, by Robert Littell & Phillip Wende (World’s Work, 1970). A third from the pile. A quirky book helping readers learn left from right.

Books for Young Adults

  1. 90 Packets of Instant Noodles90 Packets of Instant Noodles, by Deb Fitzpatrick (Fremantle Press, 2010).  I love Deb Fitzpatrick as a human and as an author, so I’m not sure how I missed reading this one until now. But I’m glad I’ve read it – set in the bush not too far away from where I love.

 

That brings my total for the year to date to 69.  I am in the midst of unpacking the thousands of books that I moved, and this is making me want to read more and more and more, so hopefully that total will climb by the end of the year.

What I Read in July 2025

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Another month has ended, and time to look at what I read.  I have been busily judging  the entries in a novel length writing competition, which of course I can’t share here, so the amount of published works I got through In July is limited, but here’s what I read.

  1. How to Sail to SomewhereHow to Sail to Somewhere, by Ashleigh Barton (Lothian, 2025). I finished last month with a young adult book involving an hour, and started this month with a younger reader’s book also involving an island. Quite a coincidence and, although both involved two girls and an island, they are very different books.  I loved the gentle mystery of this one, and the themes of friendship, grief and belonging.
  2. The Family on the Other Side of My StreetThe Letter With the Golden Stamp, by Onjali Q. Rauf (Orion, 2024). Unfortunately the cover image here isn’t the same as the one I bought, which called to me with its gold highlights, red mailbox and more.  Either way, I adored this book and its first person view of being a young carer trying to make sense of the world while also trying to help a sick mother and two younger siblings. In parts funny and whimsical, it is also just really touching.
  3. The Riding GalleryThe Riding Gallery, by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Martina Heiduczek (Walker Books, 2024). Yes, I did read my own book, cover to cover for the first time in a while, in honour of its first birthday.
  4. The Story of GrowlThe Story of Growl, by Judy Horacek (Brio Books, 2021).A delightful picture book which I think I brought back from a conference a few years ago, and hadn’t got round to reading.
  5. Whisper on the WindWhisper on the Wind, by Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft (Allen & Unwin, 2022). This one was sitting in my wardrobe with the one above and, while I know I read it when I bought it on that trip, I also had to reread and fall in love with it all over again before I could shelve it. Lovely.

Books for Adults

  1. The Skeleton HouseThe Skeleton House, by Katherine Allum (Fremantle Press, 2024). I have bene meaning to get hold of this for a while, so glad that I finally did.

 

 

That brings my annual total (so far) to 64.  I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading.

 

sallymurphy.com.au