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

Books for Children

1. Footprint, 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 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 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 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 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 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 , 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 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?