Amanda Commander: The Great Orange Bake Off

Amanda Commander: The Great Orange Bake Off by Coral Vass (Wombat Books) RRP: $12.99 ISBN 9781761112195

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

This is part of the Amanda Commander book series, though it's perfectly possible to read it as a stand-alone story. This chapter book is about the school baking competition where everyone must include a special ingredient, an orange.

Amanda's paired with Eve for the bake-off, even though she doesn't like Eve and her competitive nature. Lucia and Mai, Amanda's best friends, aren't very happy with the arrangement either, and try to help Amanda to get back with them, the Dolphin Squad.

The chapter book is presented with fun visuals that may appeal to young children. There are plenty of pictures, and some of the text is laid out as handwritten notes, diary scribbles, text messages, posters, and so on, which break up the normal writing and make it appealing. It's a good way to introduce text to young readers and keep it from being too intimidating.

Amanda's chirpy voice telling the story to us is engaging for a young reader who may relate to the excitement of a child with her friends - her interest in having a "headquarters" with her friend, and her eagerness to keep the gang together. These little childhood emotions keep the book going. 

However, the main story of the book, while it may seem fun (who doesn't like food and competition?), is ultimately not very dramatic or tense. The friendship issues are resolved a tad too easily. There didn't seem to be much difficulty in working out what to do with the orange. It's not a story for those seeking suspense, intensity or challenges in their events. The story will satisfy those who want to hang out with Amanda and the girls and enjoy a happy, comfortable time.

Great Online Book Store!

Paul Collins has run the gamut of the book world: editor, publisher (he published my book Crossing the Line, Ford Street Publishing), full-time writer, bookseller, proofreader for Leader Newspapers and literary and speakers’ agent. 

Among other things, Paul and a partner have opened an online store called prelovedbookstore.com.au. 

It’s packed with all genres, but notably and understandably, it sells a lot of children’s and young adult books at very low prices.

Ghost Detectives: Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost

Ghost Detectives: Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost by Jasmine Stampone, illustrated by Jasmine Berry (About Kids Books) PB RRP $14.99

Exciting news! Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost is being re-released in March! This means there will be more opportunities to get your hands on this spook-tastic junior fiction book by Jeanette Stampone. Don't miss out!

Nine-year-old Terry Fide dreams of being the next great ghost detective like his dad. But there's one problem. Terry Fide is terrified of anything remotely scary (except his ghost-dog, Bones).

When Terry's dad is called to work in Sydney, Terry is left to deal with a spook causing havoc at the bakery. He is joined by Bones and two friends. Max, an avid clue-collect and Avery, an inventor. Will they solve the mystery? Will Terry ever become a real ghost detective? 

A fun, spooky junior fiction book for emerging readers. The first of three in the Ghost Detective series.

Available at all good bookstores. 

And from the publisher at dibates@outlook.com. 

Running Wild! (Ninja Girl 3)

Running Wild! (Ninja Girl 3) by Anh Do, illustrated by James Hart (Scholastic) HB RRP $18.00

ISBN 9781760269067

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Niki is an ordinary girl who lives an ordinary life, except that she inherited ninja skills from her biological father. These skills come in handy, especially when taking on the evil Dr Kane, who is trying to run people out of Green Valley so that he can turn the town into a mine to search for lucrative ‘space gems’.

Niki (Ninja Kid) has an upcoming school excursion to the zoo, and her cat, Connor (Karate Kitten), is begging to go. Of course, cats aren’t permitted on excursions, so the answer is ‘no’, until…. the discovery of Mrs Gray’s ‘morph bracelet’ invention that helps turn Connor into a human.

The excursion to the zoo is not all smooth sailing. Niki experiments with the morph bracelet, which leads to some funny and embarrassing mishaps. Later, the pair realise that Dr Kane is at it again. As the sky turns grey and snow starts to fall, the animals grow into giant evil versions of themselves and break out of their enclosures to terrorise the patrons.

Running Wild! (Ninja Girl 3) is a humorous, action-packed, highly illustrated chapter book for readers aged 7 years and older. The full-colour cartoon illustrations and short text on each page would also appeal to reluctant readers. Running Wild! is recommended for audiences who enjoy fast-paced, good-versus-evil storylines.

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost Review

Terry Fide and the Bakery Ghost by Jeanette Stampone, illustrated by Jasmine Berry (About Kids Books)

Terry Fide’s dad is a brilliant ghost detective. When Mr Horry Fide is called to a haunting, he talks to the ghost to find out why it's so scary. Problem solved!  Terry wants to be just like him, but the trouble is, Terry is afraid of ghosts! All except his ghost dog, Bones. Terry didn’t inherit his family’s unique way of dealing with unruly spirits. Instead, every time a ghost comes near, Terry gets wobbly knees and an itchy belly that makes him feel like a thousand fleas have invaded his clothes. Worse still, he scratches and jiggles and simply cannot stand still.
 
But when Dad is called away to Sydney to attend to several meddlesome ghost sightings, he leaves Terry in charge to sort out the ghost in Miss Quibble’s bakery. Along with Bones and his best friend Max, he reluctantly heads over to the bakery. On the way, the boys see Avery, who is in the same class as the two boys and insists on coming along to ‘…check this out – like it’s even true.’
 
Chaos and mayhem ensue when they try to get the ghost to talk to them. Avery, now a firm believer in ghosts, devises a clever trap, and once caught, Terry can finally talk to the ghost and find out the true reasons behind this very messy haunting.
 
This is a fabulous, fast-paced, spooky adventure that will have readers hooked from the very first page. The language, settings and characters are all easily relatable for the target audience. Love the play on words for the main character’s name – Terry Fide (terrified) and his dad Mr Horry Fide (horrified) – and the way the author expertly has us emotionally invested in Terry from the beginning with sentences like - In fact, he feared anything remotely spooky – spiders, rats, creaking floorboards, even the dark and Terry felt sick. Even a spelling test would be more fun than chasing after ghosts. I know that’s exactly how I would feel!

Themes of kindness, bravery and friendship are embedded in this first book of the Ghost Detective series, with the other two central characters – Max and Avery - appealing to both boys and girls. STEM plays a part in the story, too, with Avery’s character interested in inventing and designing.

The black-and-white illustrations seamlessly support and enhance the narrative throughout, and readers will love their fun, comic-book feel. And the endpapers are delightful!
This will be a must-have series, especially for those looking for something engaging and challenging and a step up from early readers.

Teaching themes could include friendship, bravery, resilience, ghosts, design thinking, engineering, inventions, and problem-solving. 

Find out more about Jeannette Stampone
Find out more about Jasmine Berry

Published by About Kids Books
Release date March 2026
ISBN: 9870994642813
Highly recommended for ages 6 to 9

Forever and Ever

Forever and Ever by Allanah Hunt (Text Publishing Australia) PB RRP $22.99 ISBN 9781923058798

Talia is sixteen, pregnant and angry. Her family is broken. She’s looking after her unwell mother. Her dad’s gone. At school, she is shunned. And Johnny—the one person she thought she could count on—just walked away.

Johnny is Barkindji, smart and confused. He’s struggling with the weight of his parents’ expectations: he wants to please them, but is the future they’ve planned for him the one he really wants? He makes a decision he knows he’ll regret: leaving Talia behind.

But some love—no matter how impossible—never lets go.

Forever & Ever is a gritty, heart-wrenching love story set in a Murray–Darling River town simmering with deep-seated prejudice and long-buried secrets.

Book Reviews

Speed. Barq the Falcon by Eman Alblooshi & Judy Wollin

A coming-of-age story about two boys who, although coming from very different cultural backgrounds, bond through their desire to fly falcons. The desert setting and the falconry details give the novel a strong sense of place. The story and dialogue feel believable. It’s genuinely suspenseful and kept my attention throughout.

Goodreads (February 2026) By Suzanne W *****

Speed. The Haunted Island by Eman Alblooshi & Judy Wollin

An exciting cultural story from the perspectives of two young boys. They are keen for adventures and must persuade Ali’s family to trust them with a small fishing boat. They are confident, but are they ready for such a responsibility?
Well written. I enjoyed it.

Amazon.au By Fiona *****