sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Hello!

I'm Sally Murphy, an Australian author of over 50 children's books. You'll find bits of me buried somewhere in every one of my books. I love reading, writing, and speaking about reading and writing and I especially love poetry and verse novels.

View my books or hire me to speak at your school, festival, or writers group.

Click here to view Sally Murphy's books

What I Read in May 2026

by Leave a Comment

I’m a bit late with my list of May reading – but I did get through quite a few reads in May in spite of lost of busyness. here’s what I read.

Children’s Books
      1. The Watching Lake, by Elaine Forrestal (Penguin, 1991). Picked up from a library discard pile I was glad to revisit this one from a long standing West Australian author who I admire.
      2. Water Music: Poems for ChildrenWater Music: Poems for Children, by Jane Yolen & Jason Stemple, Wordsong, 1995). Every time I teach a class about poetry to my education students I take in a collection of poetry books from my library. And every time I rediscover something I haven’t read for a while. This time it was this lovely little offering.
      3. The Most Magnificent ThingThe Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires (KidsCan, 2014).  Cute, funny and with a lovely reminder about creativity. I was glad to discover this.
      4. Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller (Animal World Cup)Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller, by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd, illustrated by Jack Minto (Little Book Press, 2025). I listed to this as part of National Simultaneous Storytime. What an excellent choice Goallll!
      5. Under the Cat's EyeUnder the Cat’s Eye, by Gillian Rubenstein (1997). From my to-read pile and rescued from an op shop some time ago, I read this one on a plane trip and finished it before we landed.  With an evil headmaster in a strange boarding school, this was a great read.
      6. We Shall Remember: The Story of Singapore at War, by Sim Ee Waun, illustrated by Lim An-Ling (Pepper Dog Press, 2022).  Picked up while in Singapore for AFCC and read with interest – the nonfiction explanation of WW2 from a Singaporean perspective taught me things I did not know, which is important.
      7. We Are Family: Six Kids and a Super-Dad - A Poetry AdventureWe Are Family: Six Kids and a Super-Dad – A Poetry Adventure, by Oliver Sykes, illustrated by Ian Morris (Otter Barry, 2024). A moving, sometimes sad, often humorous collection based on the poet’s experiences growing up, with he, and his siblings raised by their father after their mother left them.
      8. Ratwhiskers and MeRatwhiskers and Me, by Lorraine Marwood (Walker Books, 2008).  I was really saddened by the death of Lorraine, a fabulous poet, author and friend, earlier this month and , while it was only a small comfort, I went back to reread some of her works. Ratwhiskers was the first historical verse novel I read, some time ago, and it still stands strong.
      9. A Shakespeare Story: Othello (A Shakespeare Story)A Shakespeare Story: Othello, by Andrew Matthews & Tony Ross (Orchard, 2006). Ricked up in a Little Free Library, an accessible and much-condensed version of Shakespeare’s Othello.
      10. The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them)The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them), by Nadine Aisha Jassat, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Orion, 2023). Another book bought while in Singapore – Denise from Closetful of Books is very persuasive, and knows how much I love verse novels. Glad I bought this one.
      11. Star JumpsStar Jumps, by Lorraine Marwood (Walker Books, 2009). Another lovely reminder of Lorraine Marwood’s legacy.
      12. Red Sky at Night; Poet's DelightRed Sky at Night; Poet’s Delight, by Alex Wharton, illustrated by Ian Morris (Firefly, 2024). Continuing a poetry rich month, this collection delighted me.
      13. The Swallow Who StayedThe Swallow Who Stayed, by Philip Giordano (Greystone Kids, 2024). Nawwww. What a sweet book from a sweet author illustrator who I was lucky enough to meet at the AFCC. I wanted to buy ALL his books but had to stop at this one.
      14. When You Can SwimWhen You Can Swim, by Jack Wong (Orchard Books, 2023). If you know me, you’ll know how much I love swimming, so when I had to choose just one Jack Wong books (yes, again in Singapore) this was the one. It’s lovely, as is the amazing Jack Wong.
Books for Young Adults
  1. Of a Boy: Popular PenguinsOf a Boy, by Sonya Hartnett (Penguin, 2002, 2009). First read a long while ago, this reread wasn’t disappointing – powerful and discomfiting.
  2. The Belly of a WolfThe Belly of a Wolf, by Julianne Negri (UWA Press, 2026), Brilliant verse novel – one of the best I’ve read for young adults.

 

 

This brings my total for the year to 45. Lots more to come.

Poetry at the AFCC

by

How amazing my last week was!  I flew to Singapore for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC). Note the first time I have attended this wonderful event and, each time I go it gets bigger and better.

Here are some of the things I did:

  1. Visited three schools (four sessions) to inspire kids (and their teachers) to play with words and poetry. The sessions were loud, energetic and, if I may so myself, amazing.
  2. Presented live on the festival stage to classes visiting the festival in a session simply titled Poetry!  I performed poems from If I Could Eat the Stars and Right Way Down (including the title poem)  and made up poems on the spot using words, sounds, and lots of  audience input.
  3. Presented a session called It Could Be Verse, for adult writers and readers, talking about the wonders of verse novels in general and the process behind The Riding Gallery and Worse Things.
  4. Met readers of all ages in the festival bookstore and at the signing copy, where I was kept busy.
  5. Most importantly, I listened to and learnt from authors, illustrators, publishers and more from around the world, including young readers themselves.

You can see a highlight reel of the event here:

Key takeaways:

  1. Friends are the best! I caught up with friends from previous visits, friends from Australia, and new friends.
  2. We shouldn’t just create FOR children, we need to create WITH them.
  3. Young people are amazing. I already knew this but was freshly amazed by panellists as young as ten, and the insights gained from kids in my audiences.
  4. You can never own too many books. I came home with lots of new treasures.

I could go on, but if you want to see more of what I did, I posted highlights over on Instagram each day.

I  LOVE LOVE LOVE getting to speak to audiences large or small and want to do more of it. If you need more poetry in your festival, school or other event, reach out via the contact form here, and let’s talk.

Singapore Bound: Heading to the AFCC

by

This time next week I will be on my way to wonderful Singapore to present at the annual Asian Festival of Children’s Content(AFCC).

This is my third time attending this event – I first went in 2015 and then again in 2024. This time I am delighted to be presenting on the wonders of verse novels, sharing poetry live on the stage in the National Library of Singapore plaza, and visiting local schools to speak to students and teachers.

And, of course, I won’t just be presenting – I will be listening and learning from creators, publishers, educators and more from Singapore and from further afield. What an opportunity.

If you are in Singapore – or want to plan a last minute trip – you can find out more about the festival and the amazing programmes here

One lovely feature of the AFCC each year is the festival bookshop, run by Denise from Closetful of Books. I was really excited to see Denise sharing a review of Worse Things over on the AFCC Facebook page. Check it out here.

Premier’s Reading Challenge Storytime Featuring If I Could Eat the Stars

by

Haven’t got your hands on If I Could Eat the Stars yet?  Never fear here is a way to get a glimpse inside and hear three of the poems read aloud.

Wonderful to see the book profiled as part of the Premier’s Reading Challenge (WA) weekly story time.

And, if you are a young person in WA and not aware of the PRC, now is a good  time to remind you that you can take part through your school, or simply sign up independently.  All the details are here.

Not from WA? Each state has its own PRC, so do look them up. They are excellent.

And don’t forget, If I Could Eat the Stars is out now, and reading poetry is FUN.

 

 

What I Read in April 2026

by

April has been and gone, and, reading-wise, ten books have been read, digested, loved. Here’s what I read:

Books for Children

  1. FootprintFootprint, by Phil Cumming & Sally Soweol Han (Allen & Unwin, 2025). A beautiful lyrical picturebook which starts as a walk in nature but becomes a call to action – to breathe and to make change.
  2. Matariki Around the World: a Cluster of Stars, a Cluster of StoriesMatariki Around the World: a Cluster of Stars, a Cluster of Stories, byRangi Matamua & Miriama Kamo, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Scholastic, 2022).Such a rich book about the Matariki cluster and its origins as well as its name and stories from cultures around the world. One thing I adored was the way the creators’ bios were in the front of the book, setting up their connection to the topic and to Aotearoa. Just a lovely book!
  3. If I Could Eat the Stars: A middle-grade Australian poetry collectionIf I Could Eat the Stars: A middle-grade Australian poetry collection, edited by Rebecca M. Newman & Sally Murphy, illustrated by Briony Stewart (Fremantle Press, 2026). It may seem strange to add a book I helped create to my reading list for the month but when my contributor copies arrived I sat down and read it cover to cover for the first time since it went to print.  Really proud of being part of this book and can’t wait  to see it in hearts and homes across Australia.
  4. Sophie SomeoneSophie Someone by Hayley Long (Hot Key, 2015). This one took me a little while to get into because you have to work at Sophie’s (the main character) interesting use of words, which is kind of the point. But in the end I couldn’t put it down and read most of in in a single day.
  5. Dragon’s Tear, by Sue Lawson (Lothian,2002). I love a Little Street Library and when I found found two I didn’t know about right in my neighbourhood, I was delighted. Even more so when I found  this book – having long loved Sue Lawson’s work, but not having read this, her first novel.  Gobbled it up and will put in back in circulation.

 

Books for Young Adults

  1. The Oks Are Not OkThe Oks Are Not Ok, by Grace K. Shim (Penguin, 2026). Listened to this on audio because I was looking for a lighter read, and that’s what it is – humorous while  facing family challenges.
  2. My Wonderful DisgraceMy Wonderful Disgrace, by Angourie Rice & Kate Rice (Walker Books, 2026). This came as a review copy, complete with a mini disco ball and a tiny plastic goat – which made a lot of sense when I read the book – the story of a school ball gone terribly wrong.

Books for Adults

  1. Slow Horses: The bestselling thrillers that inspired the hit Apple TV+ show Slow Horses (Slough House Thriller 1)Slow Horses , by Mick Herron (Baskerville, 2022). Borrowed from my big sister because I left my book at home when I stayed with her. First in a series which has been around for a while and is now a TV series – a spy thriller with an interesting cast and plenty of twists.
  2. Mad MabelMad Mabel, by Sally Hepworth (Pam Macmillan, 2025). A clever then and now plot that leaves you guessing on several plot points to the end and also, because the ‘now’ Mabel is a sassy older woman there’s some cushioning of the trauma of her childhood, which is awful but well told.
  3. Ghost Nets, by Barbara Temperton (WA PoetsPublishing, 2022). Purchased while I was an Albany last month, and consumed slowly, as good poetry should be.

 

 

That brings my total for the year to date to 29. More to come, of course, in May and beyond. What have you been reading?

sallymurphy.com.au