Chasing YA for 13–14-year-olds

A recurring theme shared amongst teachers, teacher librarians, parents and readers of YA fiction is the challenges of finding strong, engaging and interesting books for the younger teen market and that will also appeal to boys. This week, Nella draws on her experiences with her teenage grandson to share a range of titles of interest.

Mr 13 years and I spent time browsing Canberra bookshops YA shelves struggling to find books he wanted to read. This exercise confirmed my suspicions that there are few recent novels aimed at prolific 13–14-year-old readers and especially those who are not interested in violence, horror, animal cruelty, sex, mental health challenges, or portrayals of grief. So, what did we find?

He had read most of the fantasy titles on offer. As he’d enjoyed Isobelle Carmody Comes the Night Allen & Unwin, we looked for similar stories.

Sci Fi/Speculative Fiction  

H.M. Waugh The Surface Trials Allen & Unwin 

An elimination quest where competitors must work out who to trust, overcome long held biases, and work as a team. 

Kenneth Oppel Best of All Worlds Hardie Grant 

First person narrative. Canadian Xavier, his father and pregnant Haitian-Canadian stepmother wake up in their holiday cabin to find they are enclosed within a self-healing dome with no technology and no possibility of escape. Three years later, they are joined by the racist conspiracy theorists the Jacksons from Tennessee.

Mystery

Amy Doak Eleanor Jones series Penguin Random House 

Eleanor has recently moved to rural Cooinda when she and her new friends become embroiled in a series of twisty mysteries. 

Kate Emery My Family and Other Suspects Allen & Unwin

Ruth and Dylan have a murder mystery to solve, a dysfunctional family and no phone signal. Snarky and often funny.

Carla Salmon We Saw What You Started Pan Macmillan Australia 

Set during summer in a coastal beach town. Newcomer Otto is under suspicion for a series of arson attacks. Otto, local Milly and eventually her twin Jasper investigate. Appealing and articulate characters, gripping fast-moving plausible plot.  

Adventure

Sarah Armstrong, Run Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 

Probably Middle Grade rather than YA. Fast-paced survival tale. 12-year-old Cas flees a reunion with the father who had abandoned him. Lost in the Australian bush, Cas stumbles upon a mysterious family living off the grid and clearly hiding secrets.

Thanks to the author’s trigger warning*, Emma Lord, Anomaly Affirm was rejected for lack of personal appeal. 

How to Be Normal by Ange Crawford Walker Books 

From the outside Astrid’s family might look normal. A story of coercive control, terrifying emotional abuse. Life filled with fear. NB There is no physical violence. 

Further Sources

Allison Tait of Your Kids Next Read fame has kindly shared these suggestions:

• 125 books that boys are reading (and loving) right now
• 60 more tried-and-tested books for 13/14-year-old boys
• 15 more tried-and-tested books for 13/14 year old boys (+ 13 expert choices)
• 21 tried-and-tested books for 13/14-year-old boys

And in a recent podcast episode  Alison joins Megan Daley to discuss boys and reading: Episode 222: Boys and Reading. 

Also, prolific blogger of books for young people Karys McEwen substack I read a lot. 

*A recent CBCA Tasmania blog post by Maureen Mann: Content or trigger warnings: Should books have them? 

Any suggestions for potential Christmas book purchases for Mr 13 gladly accepted.

Nella Pickup

Retired librarian, avid reader and book buying Nonna

To be read or not to be read? What a dilemma!

Do you want to read more books than you are physically able to? This week’s post explores some strategies to help keep your wish list of books to read a little more manageable.

To be read - physical piles

Like many of my friends and colleagues, my ‘to be read’ physical piles and virtual shelves (Libraries Tasmania catalogue, Libby and BorrowBox apps), Goodreads and Audible) seem to grow rather than diminish, and at times they become overwhelming. These same friends and colleagues add to the dilemma, sharing recent favourite reads that spark my interest. Knowing my friends well, their favourites might not necessarily be mine, but they do provide interesting titles to follow up. And naturally, my ‘to be read’ lists grow even larger. Therefore,  I have now started to cull the piles and lists – by the length of time they have been sitting there, unread, easy access and current availability, format and importantly, informed by own evolution in reading interests. 

To be read - virtual wish lists

Another significant strategy is to be thoughtful in what I add to the shelf. Although I might be alerted when scanning shelves in bookshops and libraries, or be inspired by blogs (including this one) and informed by online journals, book lists and other sources, it does not automatically result in a decision to read the book. Based on the time-honoured principal that you “can’t read everything” I then take further steps. A good cover is not enough! An informative blurb that piques my interest is a start but is usually followed with some further investigation. And that’s where book reviews come to the fore and help me hone my wish lists to a manageable size. 

 

The Reviews

My choice of reviews is informed by the intended audience of the books I am considering – as I read both adult and children’s literature and I turn to different sources to help me choose my next and future reads. Regardless of the target audience I have some clear expectations in regard to what I am looking for in a book review and it is more than a brief synopsis such as what you would find in a blurb or a book list of ‘new books’ in a catalogue or publisher website.

# A concise summary that indicates genre but does not give away the plot

# An evaluation of the content that critiques the writing style and ability to tell an         engaging and convincing story that identifies strengths or weaknesses in style or        plot. 

# Point of view as I find lengthy first person narratives less engaging.

# An alert for triggers or extreme content – especially for younger readers titles, but    also as an adult there are some themes that I prefer not read.

Specifically children’s literature:

# Illustrations - their role in delivering the story line but also in regard to originality      and beauty

# An indication of age appropriateness or interest levels

# Educational merits – e.g. for reading aloud, stimulating active engagement whilst being read aloud, supporting a curriculum topic or inspiring further investigations and activities.

 

There are many sources for book reviews and many traditionally print sources have now moved online. Dedicated review sites such as Reading Time (AU), StoryLinks (AU), Kids-Book Review (AU), Magpies (AU/NZ $ print journal -), Kirkus Reviews (USA), School Library Journal (USA) are just some sources that have served me well over time. A key feature of these and similar review sites is that each rely on a team of reviewers, and, unsurprisingly, not all book reviews or their reviewers are equal. For adult reading material I read my library’ catalogue book synopsis, browse online in sites such as Goodreads (and trust my ‘friends’ ratings and comments). I also dig below the top ratings of such online compilations for an indication of what some readers did not enjoy about books. With so many ‘book tok’ sensations and self-published works available, five star ratings are often biased and ill-informed and I have been misled on more than one occasion. 

 

For children’s and young adult books, there are other sites that can provide a sound indication of the quality of the book but the depth of coverage is not necessarily consistent and can be subjective. The following examples of individually published book review sites are ones that I visit regularly

Paperbark: Joy in Books  Joy Lawn’s site is a delight to explore with a diverse range of commentary and interviews that offer different perspectives on a range of books including occasional adult material. I always find at least one book on the home page that I ‘must read’!

Momo Celebrating Time to Read Teacher librarian includes some useful search terms and covers an expansive range of international books and social topic.

Your Kid’s Next Read: Regular podcast presented by Megan Daley, Allison Rushby and Allison Tait).

The Bottom Shelf: Great Books for Little People Barbara Braxton, retired teacher librarian provides more than a plot synopsis to suggest relevance in the classroom, writing style, point of view and the illustrations. Targets early childhood and younger readers

 

For those seeking reviews that include trigger warnings and alerts to explicit content the following websites are worth investigating. Be mindful that these are may be subjective evaluations of content. These American sites are particularly relevant when exploring young adult literature.

The Story Sanctuary

The Story Graph (similar to Goodreads for keeping track of your reading with contributors’ reviews)

 

The Reviewers

Do you check the names of reviewers on the sites you explore? Do you have some preferred reviewers? Take the time to read and compare the following selection of book reviews on the 2025 Older Readers notable title Birdy, by Sharon Kernot  which was the Shadow Judging winner and my personal favourite in this category. I have chosen this book as an example as I attended several sessions where people spoke about this book and have read a number of reviews. I was deeply moved by the story as a whole but was particularly engaged with Kernot’s coverage of the Maralinga Nuclear testing and its devastating short and long term effect on the community, the land and the Indigenous inhabitants. Although this is not the main thrust of the story it does provide important historical context that helped the past and present stories fit together, yet on my search, only one reviewer made brief reference to. For me, especially from an educational standpoint, this is an aspect that warranted some coverage in a review. The following links provide a sample of the variation in reviews and the information they provide. As such, they exemplify the need for us, as readers of reviews, to critique the reviews themselves, not just the books that are under discussion.

 

Reading Time: https://readingtime.cbca.org.au/birdy-2/ 

Books & Publishing: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2023/11/28/240808/birdy-sharon-kernot-text/ 

Momo’s blog: https://momotimetoread.blogspot.com/2025/05/birdy-by-sharon-kernot.html

Good Reading: https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/latest-reviews/birdy-by-sharon-kernot/

Novel Feelings: https://novelfeelings.com/2024/02/13/birdy/

Novel Insight: https://novelinsightreviews.com/Birdy (open the ‘Reviews’ link)

 

Jennie Bales

Retired teacher-librarian and CBCA Tasmania Social-Media Coordinator

An avid but slow reader who will probably never really get on top of her reading lists.

Back in the World of Children’s Books

Local Tasmanian author and illustrator, Dani Colvin provides insights into how past connections to children’s books has now culminated in the publication of her first picture book, I Believe in You.

 

My return to the world of children’s books is proving to be a fascinating one.

 

For 16 years, until 2014, I wrote a children’s literature review column in The Sunday Tasmanian. For 12 years, I was a teacher aide (for two of those years, I ran a primary school library), and for 15 years, I was mum to two school-aged boys who were voracious readers. 

 

Over these years, I was immersed in the world of children’s books, and it was wonderful. But the column ended, I changed jobs, the boys grew up, and life moved in another direction.

 

However, many years later, as a debut author and illustrator of a picture book, here I stand again, two feet planted in the children’s literature landscape, and I’m scanning the terrain to try to understand how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same.

 

I must confess that, only 92 days in, (today I celebrate my book’s 3-month birthday), I don’t have a definitive answer, but I’m very much enjoying the journey of (re)discovery. 

Some quick thoughts:

1. Over these last three months, I have visited several dozen bookshops, and found them to be busy, vibrant places full of passionate people - both the staff and the customers. Many bookstores put in a lot of effort to remain engaged and engaging in different ways, from including cafes or running craft classes, to hosting special events and participating in campaigns like Love Your Bookstore Day. This makes them feel more like community hubs than ever before. They are physically gorgeous spaces with a kind of buzz about them that is appealing and infectious. I do hope they’re doing ok.

2. Obviously a lot has happened in the tech world in recent years, and I’m reading articles like a recent Courier Mail piece pondering the impact of smart phones on children’s reading, comprehension, writing and deductive ability, with one in three students across the country still falling short of the national literacy and numeracy benchmarks.

I’m pretty sure the reasons for our educational woes are a lot more nuanced and complex than ‘kids don’t even text using words, they just use emojis and acronyms.’ Economic disadvantage, parents who didn’t complete high school, and numerous other social and systemic factors are surely at play here. But I do wonder about the impact of screen time on children’s concentration; fast-moving images, bite-sized chunks of information, and lots of bells and whistles probably make the silent practice of reading and absorbing written words on a page seem rather dull for children already struggling. I’ve been told about the rise in the popularity of graphic novels; is this because kids need the images to keep them engaged in text, or is it nothing more than kids of my generation loving Richie Rich and Archie comics - as well as books? 

3. Still on the subject of tech, I loved watching Anna Funder and Sally Rippin speaking recently to the Senate Select Committee on adopting AI, about the impact of data mining on the book industry, and on authors who are having their life’s work stolen and stripped for parts. 

I am not sure how any of this will work out, but I do know how happy I am to return to this world of writers and creators, and passionate people who still believe in the power of books to change lives.

Dani Colvin

Author/illustrator

Instagram: @danicolvinbooks

FB: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dani-Colvin-author-illustrator/61578470721165/

Editor's note: I Believe in You is a heart-warming and uplifting picture book. Read a review here. 

Book Week 2025 in Circular Head.

Book Week provides a special opportunity to connect children and authors together. The students at Stanley Primary School on the north-west coast of Tasmania were treated to a delightful visit from Debra Williams who shares some highlights in this week’s post.

 

I had a wonderful Book Week author visit on Wednesday the 20^th of August at Stanley Primary School, following their book week parade.  A small school of around 54 students, they were in one large group in the library, with the teachers on hand to help out.

I prepared a PowerPoint presentation following the theme of Book An Adventure. The first slide included Jess McGeachin’s short YouTube introducing the characters he created for Book Week 2025. 

 

I talked about being an author, and part of a team of children’s book reviewers for Buzz Words Magazine. I shared my love of dressing up, (my maternal grandmother worked in a small factory in Sydney, where they produced dress-up clothing for kids and adults) along with some pics of myself as various characters. 

Accompanying me were three of my puppets, two of whom are book characters.  One was my co-presenter, my character Harriet Cooper from my Middle-Grade time-slip historical fiction/fantasy novels. I talked about puppet-making and creating characters, both for my books and for other authors. 

The school has copies of my books, and one boy told me he had read my Junior Fiction cat detective novel and thought it was pretty good (I had my cat detective character with me as well). It's always wonderful to receive feedback from your target audience. I also shared pictures of various anthologies where my children’s short stories have been included.

Harriet and I wore matching outfits (created by me.) She had a small suitcase, and we talked about Booking An Adventure, as Harriet and her friend Will have plenty of adventures in my books! 

 

One of the slides was about fiction stories, with points for the children to think about: the characters, story setting, problem and solutions etc.

 

I chose 2 prompts, and the students were given a writing task based on which prompt they selected. The first prompt was: Your pet is in charge of you for a day. What will they make you do? The second prompt was: You've got a magic pen. What can it do and how will you use it? The teacher/librarian split the group into three, and they worked on their short stories together. They were all so creative! I had some prizes for each group to encourage them. The students were really engaged and I was encouraged myself by their participation. 

 

I am passionate about children’s reading and literacy levels. Apart from being so much fun, I hope the children were able to take away something creative out of the session. The librarian did indicate that she would print up some of the stories they had written for others to read. 

 

Debra Williams 

Debra, (pen name Debra Clewer), is an author of children’s novels and short stories, lifelong avid reader and a member of the review team for new children’s publications for Buzz Words Magazine. She was recently awarded a Highly Commended prize in an adult short story competition by the Society of Women Writers Tasmania. Debra can be found at: 

W: https://www.clewerbooknook.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DClewerauthor

FB: https://www.facebook.com/clewer.puppets