Overall Award (5 Stars): Wendy Woo: And the Pirates Cave’ by author Michael Bellerby is a wonderful children’s adventure tale that transports readers into the world of Wendy Woo, a brave young girl with a passion for beach-combing. When Wendy is unexpectedly swept into an underwater cave, she encounters the enigmatic pirate Safe Hands, whose offer of companionship clashes with Wendy’s longing for home. The narrative expertly weaves together themes of courage, friendship, and the pull of family bonds, keeping the reader on the edge of their seats until the very end. With very vivid descriptions and a captivating storyline, ‘Wendy Woo’ captures the hearts of both young and old alike, making it an absolute fantastic tale to read. (Bronwyn McKay)

Overall Award (5 Stars): Wendy is a young girl who loves exploring the beach with her dog, Charlie. One of her excursions goes awry, however, when a storm and the rushing tide forces her into an underwater cave. There she meets an old pirate named Safe Hands. Will he help her get home, or will she be trapped with him forever? This book is short but intense, which is great for young readers. Wendy is a strong female protagonist despite her age. I like that she displays moments of weaknesses but eventually rises to the challenge and acts. It’s just more believable that way, while also sending the message that it’s okay to feel bad when things go wrong. The plot is simple yet unique enough compared to the other books I’ve read in this genre. I don’t speak pirate, but Safe Hands’ lines had me reading them in a pirate’s voice in my mind. Overall, it’s a quick, enjoyable read, with some surprising twists. (Maria Sinadjan)

Overall Award (5 Stars): It’s not often I award a book 5 stars, but Michael Bellerby’s children’s story of a near tragedy for young Wendy Woo has earned every single one. Wendy Woo is a young girl who lives an idyllic lifestyle by the beach. She has a busy mum and an artistic dad, as well as a pup named Charlie. She likes nothing more than to explore the seaside, bringing treasures home to make into artistic creations that her dad displays in his gallery. Sounds like the perfect life! But as we all know, life isn’t always about treasure hunts and fun games. Sometimes we are so engrossed in the fun things we are doing that we don’t see the dangers until it’s nearly too late. Michael’s story about Wendy Woo explores the dangers of not being aware and what could happen to a little girl whose wonder and excitement of the treasures of the sea could cause her to ignore the signs she has been taught to notice. The version of the story I have reviewed isn’t illustrated, but I hope Michael will do this. The imagery in his storytelling will translate well to artistic renditions and I look forward to seeing a picture book version one day. In fact, the lack of physical (rather than imaginative) illustrations would be my only criticism of an otherwise fabulous story. Well done, Michael! (Phoebe Wilby)

Overall Award (5 Stars): The story of Wendy Woo is the definition of short and sweet - as well as exciting, fast-paced and heart-warming. The book begins at the seaside, and depicts Wendy’s adventures with her mum and their family dog, Charlie. Their dialogue and dynamics with each other is beautifully depicted and written realistically. Michael writes about Wendy’s love for the sea in an enchanting and magical way. However, Wendy soon finds herself in dangerous waters. The  book here takes on fantastical aspects and will have readers questioning what is real. This part of the book was amazing and eerie and really captured the terror of a child facing an emergency on their own. Wendy is kind, resilient and self-sufficient. The story moves along at a wonderful pace, it has a strong structure and doesn’t neglect Wendy’s character development along the way. The way the other characters speak to Wendy is convincing. They each have their own identifiable agenda and you can differentiate them by their dialect. The editing of the story is accurate and professional. This is a lovely story that would be enjoyed by readers of all ages. (Rebecca Wade)

Overall Award (5 Stars): This story has an interesting premise: the main character is Wendy Woo, an adventurous girl who enjoys beachcombing in the bay close to her home. She’s done this many times before; but this time feels special and different. Her reckless actions lead to her being trapped in The Giant’s Finger. While stuck in the cave, she meets an old pirate called Safe Hands. A seemingly sympathetic character as he’s been cursed for his failure, he quickly becomes attached to Wendy and insists she stay with him. Wendy realizes this is an untenable situation. Wendy’s character feels fairly well fleshed out, and we have good insight into her character. Safe Hands is an interesting character too, but there are very few scenes with him. Those are the only two characters I was able to connect with. Their dialogue was well-crafted, and had a distinct voice. My main complaint is the length of the story. It’s unclear what age gap it’s targeted at. The writing is lovely and tight; it seems geared toward teenage readers. However the story isn’t even an early reader chapter book length. It feels like it could be winnowed down to a picture book if the language is simplified; or it can be fleshed out into an actual MG/YA book if the language and style stays the same. The story is interesting, but the middle and ending feel too rushed; the pace feels wonky. There were scenes in the cave that were really cool, but were too short. I’d love to see more of Safe Hands, and Wendy’s parents for example. I’d love to see more of the bay and its history. The ending implies a greater legendary magical feel towards the characters, like this is a retelling of a legend, but this pay off feels undeserved with what was actually written. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)