Five Stella Middle Grade Ladies

The Stella Prize invites you to join the Stella Sparks campaign and show your support for writing by Australian women! To get involved, share your favourite book by an Australian woman that you read in the past year and use the hashtag #StellaSpark. For more information please visit their website.


Today I'm featuring five remarkable middle reads by female Australian authors.

How To Bee by Bren MacDibble

How To Bee
Written by Bren MacDibble
Published by Allen & Unwin
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★★★★★
My Review
Peony lives with her sister and grandfather on a fruit farm outside the city. In a world where real bees are extinct, the quickest, bravest kids climb the fruit trees and pollinate the flowers by hand. All Peony really wants is to be a bee. Life on the farm is a scrabble, but there is enough to eat and a place to sleep, and there is love. Then Peony's mother arrives to take her away from everything she has ever known, and all Peony's grit and quick thinking might not be enough to keep her safe.

How To Bee is a beautiful and fierce novel for younger readers, and the voice of Peony will stay with you long after you read the last page.
How To Bee introduces middle grade readers to the environmental impact human development, pesticides, disease and climate change have affected populations. The narrative may also be perceived as a gentle reminder of Australia's colonisation. Enchanting and atmospheric, achingly beautiful. Captivating until the final page.

The Other Side of Summer by Emily Gale

The Other Side of Summer
Written by Emily Gale
Published by Random House Australia
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★★★★★
My Review
Summer is trying to recover from a tragedy, but it seems impossible when her family is falling apart around her. Having an extraordinary best friend like Mal helps a little, but Summer's secret source of happiness is a link to the past, one very special guitar.

Now her dad's plan to save them is turning Summer's life upside down again. The next thing she knows, they've moved to the other side of the world.

In Australia, Summer makes an unlikely friend, who seems to be magically connected to her guitar. Is this for real? Has a mysterious boy been sent to help Summer? Or could it be the other way around?

This sweet and spellbinding story about family, friends and believing in yourself will warm your heart.
Magical realism is quite often explored within middle grade and coming of age stories, but none more so beautiful than The Other Side of Summer. Enchanting and wonderfully written, The Other Side of Summer was simply beautiful. A charming coming of age story that bridges the gap between middle grade and young adult and a poignant and hopeful story for the young and young at heart. I loved it immensely.

The Secrets We Keep by Nova Weetman

The Secrets We Keep
Written by Nova Weetman
Published by UPQ
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★★★★☆
My Review
I don't know if you've ever seen a house burn, but it's not like anything else...

Clem Timmins has lost everything, her clothes, her possessions, her house and her mum. Now living in a tiny flat with her dad, Clem has to start a new school and make new friends. On her first day, Clem tells Ellie that her mum died in a house fire and immediately regrets it when Ellie latches on and confides that her own mother is dying of cancer.

When Clem receives a letter she doesn't want to read, it becomes clear she can't run from her past forever, especially when the truth appears right in front of her face.
The essence of The Secrets We Keep is rebuilding, understanding and compassion, Clem able to find forgiveness through the kindness that was extended to her. It was absolutely lovely. Nova Weetman has a remarkable style of narration, creating characters that are irrevocably flawed yet will captivate and delight readers.

The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

The Trials of Morrigan Crow
Written by Jessica Townsend
Published by Hachette Australia
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★★★★★
My Review
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks, and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's there that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organisation, the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart. Except for Morrigan, who doesn't seem to have any special talent at all.

To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests. or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.
The Trials of Morrigan Crow is a fantastical, wondrous and whimsical adventure. Eleven year old Morrigan Crow is an unfortunate child and the origin of mayhem who will come to pass on the eve of Eventide. Morrigan is a wonderful young lady, intelligent and whimsical although resignated to accept responsibility for Jackalfax's outrageous predicaments. On the even of Eventide, Jupiter North offers Morrigan salvation, accompany him to Nevermoor to compete in the Wundrous Society tournament

Whimsical and atmospheric, the epitome of fantastical and imaginative fairytales. Delightfully written and a breathtaking debut from author a Jessica Townsend.

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

The Bone Sparrow
Written by Zana Fraillon
Published by Hachette Australia
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★★★★★
My Review
Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention centre after his mother fled the violence of a distant homeland, life behind the fences is all he has ever known. But as he grows, his imagination gets bigger too, until it is bursting at the limits of his world. The night sea brings him gifts, the faraway whales sing to him, and the birds tell their stories.

The most vivid story of all, however, is the one that arrives one night in the form of Jimmie, a scruffy, impatient girl who appears from the other side of the wires, and brings a notebook written by the mother she lost. Unable to read it, she relies on Subhi to unravel her own family's love songs and tragedies.

Subhi and Jimmie might both find a way to freedom, as their tales unfold. But not until each of them has been braver than ever before.
Although Subhi is a fictional character, he represents the thousands of children and families denied refuge and placed within detention centres and incarcerated, his narrative instigating important conversations about human rights and the Australian refugee legislation. The conditions within the refugee compound are appalling. Inadequate basic necessities, dehumanised and often brutalised by government employed wardens. Their meagre possessions confiscated upon arrival. Mental and physical health deteriorate as families are segregated. Their voices left unheard.

The Bone Sparrow is a conscientious and impassioned narrative of the abhorrent treatment and conditions asylum seekers face in Australia. Captivating and confronting.

More Information

The Stella Prize is a major literary award celebrating Australian women’s writing, and an organisation that champions cultural change. The Stella Prize is a non for profit organisation run entirely off donations. To donate please visit their website here.

12 comments

  1. The Trials of Morrigan Crow was one I was interested in. The cover is so whimsical, and I have seen a lot of really great reviews.

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    1. It's so charming and adventurous, similar to a modern day Alice in Wonderland. The wait for the next book in the series is agonising.

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  2. I'm really curious about The Trials of Morrigan Crow! It seems like a fun read. I like MG books, but I really need to make more of an effort to read them sometimes. Thanks so much for sharing all of these!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I think a lot of readers dismiss middle grade as being too young and of course not being the intended audience, middle grade has an incredible depth and isn't complicated by romance either. I love the themes of friendship and family which sometimes is lacking in young adult when it comes to positive experiences.

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  3. I have been trying to get my younger sisters into reading! These are such amazing recommendations! I am sure my youngest sister would love Nevermoor :)♡
    Haniya
    booknauthors.blogspot.com

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    1. There's so many wonderful middle grade reads Haniya and it's never too early to introduce her to reading. Nevermoor is magnificent!

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  4. The Other Side of Summer sounds so intriguing! I'll need to check that out.

    Charlotte | https://charlotteidek.com/

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    1. It's such a beautiful read Charlotte. Contemporary with a touch of magical realism and wonderfully written!

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  5. I'm loving the sound of The Trials of Morrigan Crow and those cover is giving me that Peter Pan vibe and I love Peter Pan! Need to check it out!

    Vanessa @ Blushing Geek

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    1. You most definitely do Vanessa, it's such a wonderful read.

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  6. Thank you for sharing. I’ve been looking for recommended MG reads for my nieces and nephews. It’s been hard since I dont read the genre anymore. Thank you for sharing. 😁❤️

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    1. Hopefully you can find something they'll enjoy Geybie, all of these are incredible and can highly recommend any one of them.

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