Friday, 25 November 2022

From the blog: New on the Shelf this Christmas

Many thanks to Bronwyn from the Hobart Bookshop for this tantalising and far reaching list of new titles to engage young readers. It is great to see what is hot off the press to guide Christmas choices and reading diets over the Summer.


The end of the year is a busy time in the book business.  There are more books being released at this time of year than any other and while our already crowded shelves may be suffering under the strain it is lovely to see new future classics waiting to be taken into the homes of book lovers.

© The Hobart Bookshop

There are a wide range of themes and characters reflecting the world around us in the new offerings.  Some give us a chance to see life from another perspective, others remind us of what is important in our own daily lives, and some give us a feeling of contentment that is worth a great deal.


The new middle fiction novel by well known author Craig Silvey Runt is a highlight.  It includes themes of facing adversity, connection with family and community all set in an identifiable Australian context.  Craig visited us in the bookshop and recorded a Book Chat video discussing his new book: 

CBCA favourite Katrina Nannestad’s new book is another beautiful hardcover Waiting for the Storks navigates the experience of a Polish child taken from her home in the Second World War and given to a German family to raise.  Nannestad takes sensitive subject matter and treats it carefully to produce a historically accurate and powerful story with messages that are no less significant today than they were at the end of the War.


In a change of pace, Richard Ayoade’s The Book that No One Wanted to Read manages to combine two traits which don’t always go hand in hand; a book that is both funny and clever.  Written from the perspective of the book itself it is very much worth reading and encourages a love for books which we all like to see developed in younger readers.


Zeno Sworder has given us a delicate and beautifully illustrated picture book story My Strange Shrinking Parents which, while being unusual and original, centres on the love between parents and their child.


The 20th anniversary of the classic by Jackie French Diary of a Wombat has been celebrated by the release of the new accompanying story Diary of a Rescued Wombat: The Untold Story. With the same Diary of a Wombat style that is known and loved, the new edition details the almost true story of where it all began.


For non-fiction the well-known author Yuval Harari, who is most famous for his book Sapiens which details the history of humankind and civilisation, has now produced a children’s book.  The first volume in the Unstoppable Us series, How Humans Took Over the World is an engaging book that provides a full colour illustration of the rise of the human race, despite not being the fastest or strongest species on the planet.


The vast array of stories on offer, are a reflection of the growing diversity of voices at work.  Helping to provide all children with identifiable and engaging stories to draw them into a love of books.


Bronwyn Chalke 

The Hobart Bookshop 

W: https://www.hobartbookshop.com.au/

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T: https://twitter.com/HobartBookshop 


Editor’s note: Wow! It is going to be hard to choose which of these to take up first; after I finish Runt! I am currently listening to this absolutely delightful story for primary aged readers. There are so many clever and memorable passages exploring rural hardship and family bonds that Silvey nails – his comparison between dogs and cats being an absolute hoot! And so very true!

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