Episode 65

WARNING: You may find us gushing in this episode… We’ve got two beautiful, magical books, a cookbook for kids and one about a detective chicken.  Plus fascinating interviews with two stars in the Australian children’s book scene.

Jessica Townsend lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Her pet fascinations include public transport, ancient cities, hotels, opera singers, Halloween, secret societies and gigantic cats – all of which have weaselled their way into Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, her award-winning first novel released in 2017. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, the second book in this record-breaking series, was released in 2018.

American-born Renée Treml moved to Australia in 2007, where she was immediately captivated by the unique wildlife in this country. Drawing on her background in ecology, Renee’s began writing stories and creating illustrations that focused on animals and the environment.

Renee works in her Surf Coast studio and is available for school, festival and library visits both in person and virtually. She has written and illustrated several picture books including award-winning Once I Heard a Little Wombat, and Wombat Big, Puggle Small, which was recently read on ABC’s Play School. She is also the creator of the hilarious graphic novels featuring Sherlock Bones.

Get a sneak peek of what’s ahead by following our Instagram account @middle_grade_mavens_podcast. If you are enjoying the podcast, please leave your feedback on our Facebook page or in iTunes and help spread the word.  Or, you could check out our Twitter account and get details of the books we’ve reviewed.