Aggie Flea is not a liar! by Tania Ingram. Illus. by A. Yi

This is the first Aggie Flea book and has just been included in the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Notables list in the Younger Readers category. 

Aggie is 10 years old and has a big imagination and great sense of humour. In the first person, we ride along as she navigates life, dealing good naturedly with everyday issues like divorced parents, trouble at school, and an annoying older brother.

Suddenly two interesting things happen at once - at home, Aggie gets a mysterious new neighbour, and at school, her class is challenged to write a feature article for the paper. Aggie has already decided her new neighbour is a vampire so now she just has to prove it, interview him and write the best article for the paper - easy! 

There are so many great aspects to this novel: it is funny from the very first page; contains bursts of extra craziness such as an outrageous fake Scottish accent, and a sparkly mouse poo incident; and it showcases a lovely friendship with bestie Kumi, including taking ownership and making up when things go wrong. 

Then there are the fabulous stylistic choices that keep interest high: the bright neon pink accents, varied font types and sizes, fun illustrations throughout, and best of all, the interspersed graphic novel snippets that come from Aggie's favourite 'Princess Zombie' books.  

This would be a fantastic read-aloud or read-alongside for younger children, and a fun new series for independent readers.

Themes: Imagination, Mystery, Humour, Graphic novel.

Kylie Grant