Staff Reviews

Tools for teeth by Bill Madytianos

Available in print 

In Tools For Teeth, Dr Bill Madytianos delivers a clear, evidence-based guide to caring for children’s oral health from the very beginning. Designed for parents, carers and families-to-be, this practical and reassuring resource simplifies the often overwhelming world of children’s dentistry and empowers readers with the knowledge and confidence to act early and effectively.

Grounded in the understanding that the mouth is the gateway to the body, Tools for Teeth takes a holistic approach to health, highlighting the critical role children’s teeth play in speaking, breathing, learning and developing self-esteem. With accessible explanations, informative illustrations and step-by-step strategies, the book covers every stage — from first tooth and first dental visit to managing teething pain, tooth decay, dental injuries and everyday brushing battles.

In a landscape crowded with conflicting advice, this trusted guide cuts through the noise. It answers the questions parents often find themselves urgently searching for, clarifies when professional care is needed and aligns with national health guidelines. By bridging the gap between the dental clinic and the home, Tools for Teeth helps families prevent avoidable problems, respond calmly to emergencies and build lifelong healthy habits. It is an indispensable companion for any parent or carer committed to giving their child the strongest possible start in oral (and overall) health.

Beyond perfect by Maggie Vaughan

Available in print

Navigate the pressures of modern parenting through a more balanced and fulfilling approach

Written by renowned therapist and parenting expert Dr. Maggie C. Vaughan, Beyond Perfect: How Overwhelmed Parents Can Break Free from Performance Culture is a transformative parenting guide that addresses the pressures of modern parenting. It introduces the FIRE approach—Flexibility, Individuality, Resilience, and Empathy—to help parents foster genuine connections and emotional intelligence in their children. Beyond Perfect emphasizes the importance of emotional wellbeing and relational values.

Readers will find:

• Tips for maintaining healthy self-esteem and a balance between living competitively vs. collaboratively
• Practical strategies to reduce anxiety and burnout, ensuring both parents and children thrive
• Ways to juggle sports, academics, or other extracurricular activities without making children feel like their self-worth is defined solely by their accomplishments

Relatable stories and expert insights from Dr. Vaughan’s extensive clinical career

Kids who feel better, do better by Donovan Hall and Margot C. Hall

Available in print

In Kids Who Feel Better, Do Better, authors Donovan Taylor Hall and Margot C. Hall, M.Ed., Ed.S. with a proven, combined track record of over thirty years of experience in education and youth development; explain, clarify, and offer actionable strategies, practical approaches and relatable anecdotes for any adult working or interacting with children and young adults.

Based on Donovan’s track record as a teacher, youth advocate and beloved public speaker and Margot’s extensive research, classroom and education administration experience; this book provides the reader with a primer on youth development theories, as well as personal insights and proven strategies to strengthen resiliency, promote positive trusted adult-youth relationships and develop skills that enable young people to show up for themselves. This book empowers trusted adults, whatever their role in the lives of children and young people, to create environments where these young people feel valued, supported and empowered.

Throughout, Taylor Hall demonstrates how to foster a classroom culture built on empathy, trust, and mutual respect. Readers will discover how to:

• Develop stronger, more meaningful trusted adult-youth connections
• Implement evidence-based strategies to enhance youth wellbeing
• Provide strategies, easily implemented activities and relatable anecdotes that make this book easy to read and use
• Prioritise self-care and build resilience for both them and the youth with whom they interact

The Modern Dad by Louis Davis

Available in print

Louis Davis (Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua) is one of Aotearoa's most popular storytellers, with a combined global audience of three million people tuning in to see his heartfelt and funny videos about fatherhood, fishing and whanau life. But even with three young children, Louis says his life as a stay-at-home dad is far from a model of perfect parenting: like everyone else, he can often feel like he's making it up along the way.

The Modern Dad is the book for everyone who's either already in the parenting trenches or has just found out they're going to be a father. In his signature kind, funny and low-key tone, Louis walks you through the 'Am I ready?' panic response (and no, no-one is ever truly ready) and offers a practical and empathetic guide on how to be a loving partner and parent.

From how to be helpful throughout the pregnancy stage to the most important values for your children, through to how to look after you and your partner's mental health along the way, Louis tackles the big topics around both fatherhood and modern masculinity.

Set for life: use property to build wealth, create freedom and leave a legacy by Lloyd Edge

Available in print

Your financial future is yours to build!  Most of us were told to get a good job, buy a house, pay it off and hope for the best.  But is a lifetime of loan repayments really all that lies ahead of you?  Set for life is about building something better: growing your wealth, securing your future and supporting those you love.

Lloyd Edge, a buyer’s agent and property investor, used property investing to take himself from a teacher’s salary to financial freedom at age 40.  In Set for life, he gives you step-by-step strategies that you too can use to create wealth and freedom through property.  You’ll get a clear, achievable path for success.

You will learn to:

Lay the financial foundations for long-term growth

Find the right investment properties and buy confidentially

Get into the market sooner using proven pathways

Harness existing equity without jeopardising your own retirement

Building lasting wealth for your family, your community and generations to come.

Set for life shares smart tools to help take your next steps in property.

Screen wise: take back control of screen time for toddlers to teens by Madonna King

Available in print

Smart phones and screens now permeate every aspect of childhood, offering connection and opportunity, but also many challenges.

Parenting expert and bestselling author Madonna King has interviewed hundreds of parents, children, educators, medical experts and scientists, for the first time presenting this valuable research with actionable tips and advice, such as:

How to say ‘no’ and set boundaries

The link between instant gratification and screen addiction

Why social media ban hasn’t solved everything

How to help kids and teens use AI wisely

How to understand the lure of computer gaming so it doesn’t take over

How to help kids develop good friendship skills

Screens aren’t going anywhere, but Screen wise shows you how to take back control to usher you children safely and confidently into the future.

Craft Club Yarn by Nakisah Williams

Available in print

Craft club yarn includes 20 projects that are a mix of latch-hooking and weaving designs, from cushions and coasters to handbags and home décor.

Projects range from complete beginner to advance, with detailed toolkits and step-by-step photographic instructions to guide you every stitch of the way.

Yarn is a highly accessible and easy-to-use material for crafting.  It’s forgiving for newbies and enlightening for the experienced.  With yarn, you can achieve big results using simple techniques – a little goes a long way.

All the projects are adaptable to the materials around you.  There’s no need to go out and spend a lot of money on fancy wool – you can even use torn up t-shirts as yarn!

Deep space for young explorers

Available in print

An immersive, cutting-edge, jaw-dropping investigation into images fresh from space and the science behind them, with the astronomers of Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Showcasing the explosive beauty, colour and light of deep space, the book was compiled and written by an inspiring team of astronomers from the historic home of British astronomy.

The book includes:
– dozens of photographs taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble and other high-tech sources
– a timeline of historic and groundbreaking astrophotography
– a look at the fascinating future of Universe exploration
– and a quiz at the end!

Nature guide: urban wildlife by Catherine Brereton

Available in print

Do you know that pigeons feed their chicks with a special 'milk'? That foxes are born with blue eyes? Or that some exotic animals have gone wild in UK cities and towns?

From city bumblebees to street-savvy sparrowhawks, discover over 120 animals, plants and other kinds of wildlife that thrive in the hustle and bustle of urban life. You will learn which animals have adapted to tough city life, what plants can grow in even the tiniest of pavement cracks and how you can make your garden or balcony into a wildlife hotspot! Whether you're off for a stroll in a city park or on a trip into town, don't ever leave your RSPB Nature Guide: Urban Wildlife at home!

Includes nature spotter tips; activities and crafts to try, and a wildlife checklist so you can tick off everything you spot!

The fly fishing book by Steven Weinberg

Available in print

Whether you're a seasoned angler, a curious beginner, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of the outdoors, this book offers a uniquely enriching journey into the world of fly fishing. From the masterful watercolours of artist and angler Steven Weinberg, this book welcomes everyone to the water.

Inside, you'll find:

-Accessible guidance: Weinberg’s approachable writing demystifies everything from foundational techniques like casting and gear selection to more advanced skills such as reading water and understanding fly selection.
-Stunning artwork: Immerse yourself in lush paintings that capture the beauty of trout and their natural habitats – artwork admired by enthusiasts and featured in prestigious settings.
-Expert insights: Benefit from Weinberg's years of experience, alongside interviews with other fly fishing experts.
-More than just fishing: Explore unexpected elements, from understanding insect life cycles to pairing the perfect beer with your catch.

The Wilder way by Eva zu Beck

Available in print

An inspiring story of one woman’s solo adventures around the world, from top YouTuber and travel filmmaker Eva zu Beck

Eva has it all: a high-flying job, a picture-perfect marriage, a lifestyle that many would aspire to. Yet she can’t shake the feeling that she is living someone else’s dream. After hitting rock bottom, she buys a one-way ticket to Nepal and leaves her old life behind in search of her true path in life.

Over the next few years, Eva travels solo to some of the world’s most far-flung places. A lone horse trek in Mongolia, COVID lockdown on a desert island in Yemen and overlanding across the US in an 18-year-old truck. She grows an online community and finds love where she wasn’t looking. But the shift from a rooted life to a transient one is far from straightforward and Eva grapples with the tension between her wanderlust and a longing for somewhere to call home.

This book is the world-expanding memoir of Eva journeying through the world on her own terms – and inspiring example of what awaits when you take the wilder path.

Bella grows a bicycle by Lellie Lopter and Chiara Franceschetti

Available as a picture book

Join clever and determined Bella on a delightful swapping adventure! Starting with a tiny seed, Bella dreams big and sets out to trade her way up to a shiny new bicycle.
Along the way, she learns the power of value, patience, and creative problem solving. With charming illustrations and a heartwarming storyline, Bella Grows a Bicycle introduces young readers to the basics of financial literacy in a playful and relatable way.

My Nonno loves by Adelle Frittitta and Claudia Frittitta

Available as a picture book

My Nonno loves being in his garden, with a coffee in hand and songs in the air. But most of all, my Nonno loves me! A story of love between grandfathers and their grandchildren.

A universe full of stories by Angela McAllister and Zanna Goldhawk

Available in print

Journey through the starry skies (and beyond!) with this illustrated collection of stories from around the world. This enchanting anthology gathers folktales and legends exploring the brightness of the sun, the gentle glow of the moon, the constellations that shine across our skies…and heavenly realms beyond our imagination…

Force of nature by Melissa Clark

Available in print

Mallee’s Living Histories Books 1 to 7

Available in print

That sense of connection is at the heart of the Mallee’s Living Histories series, a project that enriches the lives of older Mallee residents by helping them share their memories with others who may enjoy knowing a little of their journey. The project brings together personal histories of local people and each story preserves the knowledge, experience and voices of those who have experienced or shaped life in the Mallee.

For anyone interested in local history, family stories or the everyday details that make a community memorable, it is well worth taking the time to browse the series and discover the many lives recorded there.

To celebrate the journey so far, and to encourage others to share their stories will be held on Saturday 3 October from 10:30am to 3pm, at the SuniTAFE Auditorium. The Conversation, Connection and Community Forum will highlight the benefits of capturing local stories. Mallee’s Living Histories Book 8 will be released in December. Visit the website to find out more: malleelivinghistories.com.au

Monsters of the Mallee By Nathan Carnie

Available in print

Nathan Carnie’s Monsters of the Mallee series is a compelling exploration of the darker side of the Mallee’s history. Blending meticulous research with engaging storytelling, the books cover murders, missing persons, serial killers and unsolved disappearances that have shaped the region.

“Travelling around the region, I visited several locations where some of these monstrosities occurred and provide reconstructions to these events. After reading these, you too may see a side of our region that you were unaware of or may have tended to turn a blind eye to.”

Carnie brings forgotten local stories to life while maintaining sensitivity to the real people involved. For readers of Australian true crime, this series offers a fascinating and often chilling insight into little-known chapters of our region’s history.

Red Earth: A history of the Mildura region By Stuart Kells

Beginning with the region’s deep history, author and historian Stuart Kells unfurls the fascinating layers of this story, much of which has never been told in book form. Kells captures the richness of the pre-colonial history, the migrant experience, the region as a tourist destination and a canvas for arts and culture, and other unique developments that shaped the region and influenced Australia and the world.

Irrigation is central to Mildura’s story, and Kells presents a new perspective on the Chaffey Brothers’ land scheme, and Alfred Deakin’s role in it. Above all, the book captures the human stories that are the backbone of the region’s history.

Red Earth is a richly illustrated landmark book, ambitious in its scope, meticulous in its methods and full of heart and human drama.

A nowhere boy by Anne Cleary

Available in print

Three-year-old Oliver, known as Apple Man, vanishes from a remote car park while his young father, Scott, carries fishing gear down to the beach. When he returns, the car is empty. His son has vanished without a trace. Apple Man's mother, Fae, gets the call that shatters her life.

Enraged with her ex, Scott and drowning in her own guilt, she is pulled back into Scott's orbit as police launch a desperate search across a wild coastline and dense pine forest. With every hour that passes, the case tightens around them—and the question no parent can bear to answer grows louder: what if he's never coming back?

Nemesis by Patricia Wolf

Available in print, eBook & eAudiobook

DS Lucas Walker is on assignment for the Australian Federal Police, and it couldn't be more personal. This is his last chance to take down Stefan Markovich - leader of the Vandals outlaw motorcycle gang - the man who has managed to evade justice ever since Walker uncovered his drug operation in Australia's remote interior.

Having tracked Markovich to Berlin, Walker heads to Germany to lure his nemesis out of hiding and into custody. And there is another draw for Walker in Berlin: he finally gets to see Barbara Guerra again.

After meeting in Australia two years earlier, Lucas and the German detective have formed a long-distance friendship ... and maybe something more. 

Too deep to cross by Kerri Hakoda

Available in print

A shocking discovery on a remote beach brings Detective DeHavilland Beans back to his Yukon River hometown—and a missing person’s case turns into a murder investigation. On administrative leave after an unsettling officer-involved shooting, Beans comes to the aid of his childhood friend and sole police officer in the village, Felicia Gunnerson, who is leading the case. 

The new evidence suggests the missing man, Lloyd Paul, the overindulged scion of a prominent family, was murdered. Lloyd had a contentious relationship with many of the locals, especially with Beans and his mother, Mari.  As Beans and Felicia dig deeper, events that neither of them could have predicted are set in motion. Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mari uncovers secrets that threaten to rewrite the Beans family’s history. 

A long time dead by J.M. Dalgliesh

Available in print

A group of high school students gather on the Isle of Skye's remote Coral Beach for a party to celebrate the passing of their finals. Their future beckons, promising new hope and a fresh wind of optimism.

In the coming days, many will leave the island for work or to study on the mainland, whereas others will remain on Skye and forge a more traditional path much as their families have done for centuries before them.

That is, all but one... DI Duncan McAdam is dispatched home to the Misty Isle. A body has been found buried in a remote location on the Waternish peninsula. A teenage runaway is dead, and no one is talking...