Washpool

by Lisa Fuller

A magical middle-grade adventure about two sisters who need to rely on their own wits and each other when they're pulled into a new world, from black&write! fellow and bestselling author, Lisa Fuller.

Sisters Bella and Cienna are different in lots of ways. Bella is quiet and shy, and Cienna is always surrounded by friends. One thing they have in common is their love for the local swimming spot, Washpool. One weekend, while they are at Washpool with their family, the girls are transported to a different world.

They then encounter enigmatic Esura, who encourages them to venture further into Muse, where the Summer Feast ­- a time when many peoples gather for a week of fun and games - is due to start.

But when they find out Lady Dragon's egg is missing, Bella and Cienna must use their smarts to help with the search and bringing the egg back to safety before they figure out how to get back home.

Genres: Fantasy, Australia

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2025

About the author

Lisa Fuller is a Wuilli Wuilli woman from Eidsvold, Queensland, and is also descended from Gooreng Gooreng and Wakka Wakka peoples. She won a 2019 black&write! Writing Fellowship, the 2017 David Unaipon Award for an Unpublished Indigenous Writer, the 2018 Varuna Eleanor Dark Flagship Fellowship, and was a joint winner of the 2018 Copyright Agency Fellowships for First Nations Writers. She has previously published poetry, blogs and short fiction. Lisa is an editor and publishing consultant, and is passionate about culturally appropriate writing and publishing.

Lisa is a member of Us Mob Writing, the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild, the First Nations Australia Writers Network, and the Canberra Society of Editors.

Reviews

[Cherie • bookshelvesandtealeaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, vibrant, adventurous read and I had such a great time with it.

The world Fuller has crafted in this book is so vivid and exciting. It fully came to life in my mind with all her colourful, animated descriptions. It was so fascinated by every aspect of it. It felt like the exact kind of thing I would have dreamed up as a kid except fully fleshed out.

Cienna and Bella are such great, loveable main characters and the relationships they form with the creatures from the other world were so wholesome and heartwarming.

Overall a really beautiful children's novel.

[Gaby Meares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, original middle grade fantasy with an indigenous perspective.
Thank you to the Australian Children's Book Council for the opportunity to review this book.
Please read my full review on Readingtime.com.au

[Nikita Maree]

Preface: I am not the intended audience for this book, and by that I mean it's middle grade and the writing are meant for an audience much younger then myself.
So it was no surprise that at times I found it as gripping as reading my sons homework readers.

But that is not why I read it.
I read it because I wanted to see an indigenous author seamlessly integrate her culture with fantasy. It was no surprise that it worked splendidly.They have the dreamtime after all, story telling is ingrained into their history.
There were so many lessons and learnings in this book. Something as simple as the differences indigenous culture has the characters upbringing and how they perceive the challenges that arise. To some very well placed political and societal stances, prejudices and casual racism, all from through the lenses of children.
It really is a must read for all middle-grade Australian children, and everyone else.

[Poppy Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and fun, filled with whimsy and great characters.