Adele Broadbent's Blog

Marie knows there’s something different about the woods near her uncle and aunt’s home. Something… not right. She’s very close to her twin, Ben, but the strangeness she feels isn’t something she can easily share. How would she explain the strange visions, or how she goes somewhere else in them?

Sarah has been raised by her mother to become a healer like herself. Using plants and the nature that surrounds them, Sarah learns as she grows. But when she is thrown out from the house they live and work in, she must mourn the loss of her mother and home, and find another. With the help of a strange blackbird, she discovers an abandoned hut in a wood. It’s not her only discovery. It’s not the only thing hiding in these woods, and Sarah can feel it’s evil presence.

Aine is devastated by the loss of her entire village and family to the swords of Roman soldiers. Now a slave and mute, she knows she must flee. But what is waiting for her in the woods? Is it worse than the Roman army’s treatment? It’s only when she sees two other girls – strangers from somewhere else in time, that she realises she is not alone in her fear of the devil spirit.

Can they work together to vanquish the terrifying spirit that haunts the woods and their dreams? Is it possible to reach across thousands of years to link together in their quest. With some help from a special blackbird, loved ones who believe in what they are seeing and an unearthly bond through time, Marie, Sarah and Aine finally discover the solution to what haunts them.

Told in three first person viewpoints from now, 1783 and 60AD, GHOST is an intriguing story of myth, beliefs, time and an evil spirit.

The three protagonists, Marie, Sarah and Aine are all interesting in their own times, giving readers not only three strong woman characters to root for, but a snapshot of the time where they live, and the contrasts between them.

The setting is a wood, not far from a beloved aunt and uncle. The same wood hundreds, and then thousands of years before that holds something evil in a hidden warren of caves and tunnels.

I enjoyed Hawkins introduction of each girl, highlighting personal losses and how they all end up in the same wood, years apart. The knitting of their stories and their connections are gradually revealed through the novel, bringing a nail-biting and fast-paced ending.

Just as thrilling and eerie as Finbar Hawkins’ previous novels, STONE and WITCH. He nails historical middle grade with a tingle-up-the-spine vibe every time.

Author – Finbar Hawkins

Age – 12+

Publisher – Bloomsbury

Out UK November 2026

(2025, Bloomsbury, Twins, Family, Spirits, Multiple viewpoints, First person, Myth, Multiple time zones, Ghost, Roman Slave, Healer, Evil, Animals. Wolf, Wolves, Historical, Grief, Loss)

The post Ghost appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

A girl sits at a cafe while her father waits in line to buy lunch.

A one-legged hungry bird searches for crumbs amongst the table legs and feet. Not finding anything to eat, it lands in front of the girl. Unfortunately, she cannot offer it anything either.

A man wanders near the cafe, stooped, scruffy and weary – looking for some kindness from passers by. A little change is all he needs.

Just like the bird – he finds nothing. But when the bird approaches him, he has something to give.

Watching both the man and bird, the girl sees the kindness between them. When her father returns to her with their lunch, she knows what they must do.

A simple but poignant story of kindness between both human and bird. An action so simple as sharing makes a profound difference to hungry beings, which in turn spreads joy among all.

The illustrations hold so many emotions and the muted backgrounds help highlight the characters and their actions. One kindness sparks another underlining the important theme – a little kindness can go a long way.

Author – Phil Cummings

Illustrator – Shane Devries

Picture Book

(2025, Scholastic, Kindness, Homelessness, Bird, Empathy, Sharing, Community)

The post Crumbs appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

The three Porch sisters now reside in a basement prison chamber in The School for Failures, in Austria. This school is like any other, with tests to pass, which the Porch sisters… don’t.

Again they are saved from oblivion by the enigmatic, completely bonkers, science genius who is of course – Millicent Quibb. Whisked away from the school by Millicent in yet another travelling invention, they soon end up in another adventure. This time they are helping Millicent unravel a mystery in the Purple Pearl Hotel.

The hotel is a swanky resort for the rich, and named after a giant purple pearl found in the nearby lake. A poem tells the story of the pearl, and how it was lost once again to the depths.

Millicent and the girls are up against the KRA ( Krenetics Research Association) again, as they are after the purple pearl for themselves.

The Purple Pearl Hotel is a special place of biggest, longest, or shortest attractions. “The biggest teabag, the world’s shortest racing track, and the greenest golf course,” are just a few of these places within the hotel grounds. But unfortunately there are many places cordoned off from the guest with Caution tape. What happened there?

Why does The Purple Pearl Hotel feel familiar to Gertrude? What is Millicent Quibb hiding, and how will they stop the KRA?

Millicent Quibb and her proteges are back! Secrets of the Purple Pearl is just as bonkers as the first book in the series, but incredibly funny and clever at the same time.

For the sequel I listened to the audiobook version. Kate McKinnon narrates her book, and it is hilarious! Every character, every line and every gag is all the richer coming from Kate’s prowess in telling the story. There are many quips and comments alongside the story which add even more, and the accents for each character are seamless and funny.

This series really has something deliciously silly but remarkably plotted, as three orphans try to make the best of a world that think they’re just plain weird. It’s true. They are. But their weirdness is what helps them solve the mysteries, battle with the KRA once more and bring them a little closer to who they really are.

The book version is brimming over with diagrams, illustrations and explanations for many of the creatures, scientific terminology and other conundrums in this next adventure. A PDF comes with the audiobook, which Kate McKinnon refers to when necessary. Again – hilarious.

Thanks to Harper Collins & Libro Audio for the review audio copy. Loved it.

Author – Kate McKinnon

Illustrator – Alfredo Ca´ceres

Age – 10+

Find the first book in the series here

(2025, Harper Collins, Narrator talks directly to reader, Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Historical, Humour, Mystery, Science, Secret, Series, Funny, Bonkers, Monsters, Lake Resort, Purple Pearl Hotel, Cousins, Villains, Sequel)

The post The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science (2) Secrets of the Purple ­Pearl appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Rory is quite old now, but he has lots of fun tales to tell, and his first one is all about when the circus came to town. He does admit he might just add a few not quite true bits, but they will definitely make it a better story….

Rory lives with his mum, dad, and incredibly infuriating older sister Clare, in a town called Brenwell Heath. Every year, Teddy Trent’s Circus comes to town and Rory and his family will go along to see all the acts. This year, one of the most exciting parts of the circus comes to him.

One day after being interrupted while talking in front of the class, he spies a girl at the window poking her tongue out at him. He instantly goes the colour of his fiery red hair, racing out of the room, almost forgetting that she happens to be held in the air by the trunk of an elephant!

After the entire class has followed, Rory and his classmates meet Evie, Flick and Fliss from the circus. The elephant is called Donna and as Evie’s best friend, has come to school too. An unfortunate incident that follows with the Rory’s teacher and headmistress, is the very best thing that has happened at All Saints Primary School in ages.

Life becomes even more exciting when Rory helps his best friend Guy with his odd-job idea to make more pocket money. They find themselves in the strange home of Madame Lowe, who everyone knows is a creepy old lady, responsible for at least one missing person. They cannot finish her jobs quick enough, but not before they spy something suspicious.

Relieved to survive, Guy keeps saving his money, Rory becomes increasingly irritated by his big sister, and Evie proves to him, that maybe running away to the circus isn’t such a great idea. Suddenly chaos erupts in the street in the form of a bright yellow paint-splattered cat, and the police are called!

What is going to happen next in Brenwell Heath?

From the actor best known in Australasia as Robert Crawley in Downtown Abbey and Mr Brown in the Paddington movies, Rory Sparkes is the 1st book in a new series.

Perfect for early middle-grade readers who enjoy stories about family, pranks, and mysterious neighbours – then all rolled into the wonder of a visiting circus. Main character Rory introduces himself in the beginning of the book, admitting he’s an old man now, but has a few interesting stories he’d like to share.

While Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room is definitely funny, it also touches on true friendship, the story behind a bully, and misconceptions of folk in your neighbourhood.

An entertaining read for young readers, with fun illustrations sprinkled throughout the book too.

Author – Hugh Bonneville

Age – 7+

Publisher – Bloomsbury

(2025, Bloomsbury, Direct Address, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Narrator speaks directly to reader, Humour, Animals, School, Series, Friendship, Bullies, Elderly Neighbour, Misconceptions, Circus, Sibling Rivalry, Siblings, Toilet Humour)

The post Rory Sparkes (1) and the Elephant in the Room appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Wrapping Things portrays a preschool girl named Rosie, who loves to wrap things. She knows that wrapping means a gift, so loves to draw and wrap her pictures to give away. She wraps her favourite soft toys, just as she was once wrapped as a baby, and loves to help with real presents to loved ones.

Surrounded by love at home with mum and dad, Rosie is a happy child. She loves Granny coming to stay too, but isn’t sure about her parents not being home when she wakes one night.

There is a special reason they aren’t home, and Granny is patient and loving as she explains.

It’s only when Rosie sees Mum and Dad in a hospital room, with their own specially wrapped bundle, that Rosie is truly happy again – greeting her baby sister.

A gentle story, perfectly matched with illustrations in pastel tones by Hilary Jean Tapper.

Wrapping Things would make a great addition to any family with a toddler or young child, and a baby on the way. The child can follow Rosie’s journey through common interests like drawing, soft toys and favourite baby blankets, bath and bed time.

The story then moves onto a grandmother coming to stay before the birth of the new baby and the changes a young child may see and feel. Mum and Dad away, a visit to a big building (hospital), and finding mum in a bed and dad sleeping in a chair beside her.

The wariness, curiosity and joy of Rosie meeting her new baby sister is gorgeous on the page.

Author – Linda Burgess

Illustrator – Hilary Jean Tapper

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

Picture Book

(2025. Allen & Unwin, Aotearoa New Zealand, NZ Author, NZ Illustrator, Family, New Baby, Parcels, Wrapping, Gifts, Presents, New Sibling)

The post Wrapping Things appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Nate isn’t happy moving away from his school, friends and life in Singapore. It doesn’t help watching his mum in constant pain after a back injury. His Dad is still in Singapore, but vows to join them soon. But soon is too far away for Nate.

Luna tries to connect with the new boy next door, but he blows her off. Maybe he’s seen the video too. The video from that party that has been shared 1000’s of times, bringing stares and whispers wherever she goes.

The bees arrive on mass from out of nowhere. Suddenly they’ve taken up residence in a wall in Nate’s new home. A local beekeeper tells them he can help, but they can’t rush it. Nate’s mum wants to call the pest control people, but he convinces her not to kill the creatures that help provide so much food in the world.

Luna helps Nate on the first day back at school. He’s missed three terms of their year, and feels completely lost. She enjoys having someone to talk to, after being ignored or whispered about since the video.

Together, along with a surfing beekeeper, his girlfriend, and 20,000 bees, they begin to put their lives back together, discovering the courage they need in each other to move on.

It’s far from smooth, with more than one betrayal that seem insurmountable. Time, love and new people in their lives help heal the hurts and rebuild their confidence.

This verse novel is so full of love. Pip Harry has captured so many different types of relationships beautifully in Drift. Bees (and their honey) are the catalyst that kick off the novel and bring this wonderful group of characters together.

Issues of environment, cyber bullying, mental health and the healing power of running and swimming, are woven together sweetly in an authentically portrayed Real Life novel.

When you’ve finished reading, Drift feels like a warm hug.

Author – Pip Harry

Age – 12+

(2025, Lothian Books, Hachette, Verse Novel, First Person, New Boy at School, High School, Australia, Missing Friends, Back Injury, Cyber Bullying, Video, Loss, Mental Health, Bee Keeper, Family, Friendship, Betrayal, School, Peer Pressure, Running, Swimming, Sports)

The post Drift appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Eli takes his training very seriously, even concentrating on his running form as he runs along the road. Technique is everything, and just one of the ways to prepare for the AFL draft he’s been working towards for years. But it’s not his entire focus. He loves to draw, and is very talented. Wanting to do something with this skill along with football, he feels he’s got a better chance at a good university through the draft.

Zac and Fletcher have been mates since daycare. Both train hard towards the draft, but they both know Zac’s name will be in the first 5 names announced when it’s their turn. They try not to focus on it, playing basketball in their downtime, but the draft is a constant shining beacon in their thoughts.

Mason is shorter than most on the field, and he’s been told for years that his height isn’t good for AFL. But he’s determined to prove them wrong, focussing on other skills required in the sport. His dad is right behind him, helping him train in the back yard, when he’s not with his team.

Dane loves the attention he gets as he grows and bulks up with all the time he spends weight training. He’s been with his girlfriend Beth since the first year of high school, but other girls are taking notice of him now. His warm smile and football status at school are a winning combination and sure to give him a place in the next AFL draft.

Beth has watched Dane’s training and games every season, but she’s beginning to wonder if Dane working towards This Season’s Draft has taken up too much of her own life?

A year in the life of six Australian teenagers all over the country, and the effect This Season’s Draft has upon their lives. And just like the football recruiters tell the players – AFL is not just when you’re wearing a team’s uniform or working hard in training. It’s so much more.

Perfect for AFL fans, and any budding athlete with dreams, doubts or thoughts in their chosen sport. 

Author – Jason Gent

Age – 13+

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Multiple Viewpoints, First Person & Third Person, Family, Real Life, Friendship, Humour, Popularity, School, Australian Sport, AFL, Aussie Rules, Australian Football League, Footy, Sport, Competition, Training, Practise, Weight Training, Verse Novel, Relationships, Anticipation)

The post This Season’s Draft appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Joan finds herself in a world where monsters rule and humans are used for monster’s time travel whims and all manner of labours. Humans have no rights and must wear pendants showing how much life remains in them, and how much they owe to their house family masters.

The showdown with a family member who created this monstrous timeline into being was massive. It killed powerful beings, but with Joan’s own powers, saved her and her friends. Now they must hide as they work out a way to combat the ruler of the new timeline. Red uniformed guards are everywhere, and so are wanted posters for Joan and others.

As they plan, Joan must deal with the choice Nick made, damning them all to this new reality. They also learn that their arrival cancelled their counterparts and their own timeline plans.

The ramifications of everything build as Joan struggles with her love for both Aaron and Nick, and what their possible futures might be, no matter what happens with their plans.

Discovering all the blocks and disruptions the new ruler has put in place to counteract any acts of rebellion depletes Joan’s hopes at repairing and regaining all that has been lost.

But the longer they wait to strike, the more peril they are in as the new timeline is fracturing every minute. Will they work out a way to strike back, and will it be in time to save everyone they’ve ever known including themselves?

A spectacular finale to this riveting monsters vs humans, time-travel romance series!

Once A Villain starts exactly where Never A Hero left off. I reread the ending of Never A Hero to be ready to dive into this final book in the Only A Monster series.

There were so many threads to hold in my mind as a gobbled up this young adult novel. Timelines, romance, and obstacles defeating the protagonists at every turn. Choices to be made and heartbreaks to survive. Powers to control and grief like no other. Tumbling, page-turning, time travel conundrums.

All in all, Once A Villain gathers together the narrative to a pulse pounding finale, leaving a squeak of an opening to possibly see the characters again in the future.

Author – Vanessa Len

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

Age – 15+

If you liked this series, you will like the Six of Crows series here

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Australian Author, Third Person, Action, Conflict, Courage, Family, Fantasy, Grief, Love, Time travel, Romance, Series, Love Triangle, Time Lines, Sisters, Gladiators, Murder Plot, Monsters vs Humans, Control, Allies, Enemies)

The post Only A Monster (3) Once A Villain appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

Jacoby Blunt and Jasmine Peacock are students at an exclusive school for children who want to follow in their famous parent’s footsteps. This isn’t just any school, and the parents aren’t famous movie stars or musicians. In fact, actors and singers are a thing of the past, now that the oceans have risen, and so much more of the world belongs to pirates.

Jacoby, Jasmine and all of their classmates are all learning skills like knot tying, sailing, and sword fighting, so they can join their family dynasties that now roam the world’s seas and oceans. They all belong to the Pirate Federation, that now rules their watery world.

At age eleven, they have been with their classmates for years and have become a very tight-knit group of friends. They are treated well, train hard, and life is good with an exciting future ahead of them.

Jacoby is shocked to have his best friend suddenly taken out of school, with no sensible explanation. In his place comes a stranger who keeps to himself, not sharing his past. Blaming him for the loss of his friend, Jacoby is far from welcoming.

Jasmine also wonders where this stranger came from, but has her own worries. Her parents and their entire ship has vanished. Nobody knows where they are after they didn’t finish a sailing race.

Suspicion and confusion aren’t the only thing the New Kid on Deck brought with him though. He has a deadly secret, and it bursts open inside the school, bringing clashing swords and cannon balls!

The first book in a new exciting series, Pirate Academy (1) New Kid on Deck is fast paced, with short chapters, and perfect for reluctant readers. 

With likeable characters, tons of action and a mystery very early in the story, this middle-grade novel captures the reader quickly, and holds on through the adventure on land and sea.

Black and white illustrations by Teo Skaffa appear throughout the story, sharing the action, settings and villains of the tale.

Climb aboard Pirate Academy for a trip into a sword swishing series. 

Author – Justin Somper

Illustrator – Teo Skaffa

Age – 8+

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Third person, Pirates, Future, Control, Rebels, School, New Kid, Friendship, Teamwork, Sword play, Fighting, Kidnap, Sailing ships, Action, Adventure, Series, Courage, Secret, Mystery, Sailing, Ocean, Sea, Short Chapters)

The post Pirate Academy (1) New Kid on Deck appeared first on whatbooknext.com.

A small boy is with his mum and big sister the day the strangers came. They’re visiting a circle of stones with many other tourists, when he saw a strange blue light in the air just outside the circle. He follows and reaches out for it…. and something opens in the air. A doorway…

A woman with red hair falls at the boy’s feet.

She is Faerie, and fleeing from a terrible force in her home. 100,000 Faerie folk soon follow her through the portal into our world.

Humankind is horrified at the invasion of these Uninvited guests. They look strange with their pointy ears and weird ways. For human ‘safety’, the Faerie are all locked up together in a camp named Glass Forest after their own home city.

Now, Fairie Samm Wolfback can hardly remember that day or the land he came from. All he has are two items his mum gave him, explaining they belonged to his father. These Faerie tools contain magic, like many of the Faerie folk themselves.

One of these tools helps Samm find things, and he is soon in a dangerous plot to try and get the Faerie folk home again. First, he must find the Faerie woman who opened the portal. A watchful old human, and an eerie circus lead Samm to the truth of the devastating war that his folk fled from.

Can he defeat the evil that caused it all, and save a young human boy who was at the beginning?

This fantasy novel begins in our world with a young boy’s curiosity. Exploring themes of immigration, otherness, and freedom, The Uninvited is a stunning read.

Following two boys in their lives after 100,000 Faerie folk appear in the UK, The Uninvited is cleverly plotted and page turning stuff.

A human boy finds himself mentally changed by their arrival, and a faerie boy is just trying to survive in the terrible camp humans have fenced him and his kind in.

It’s only together the problems can be solved – a powerful message for us all.

The premise might be explored in many children’s books, but The Uninvited takes the reader on a wild ride into fantasy, horror and freedom, all in one novel.

Loved it!

Author – Ross Mackenzie

Age – 10+

(2025, Action, Adventure, Bullies, Conflict, Courage, Family, Fantasy, Prejudice, Racism, Magical, Faery, Faerie, Refugee Camps, Portals, Otherworld, Theft, Monster, Circus)

The post The Uninvited appeared first on whatbooknext.com.