Little Bones

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

A unique and lyrical verse novel for middle-grade readers that speaks to our childhood joy of collecting small, intriguing objects and creating connections in the most unlikely places.

WINNER, 2026 ACT Book of the Year Award
WINNER, 2025 Queensland Literary Awards - Children's Book Award
WINNER, 2025 Aurealis Awards - Best Children's Fiction
HONOUR BOOK, 2026 CBCA Awards - Younger Readers Book of the Year
SHORTLISTED, 2026 Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Children's Literature
SHORTLISTED, 2026 ABIA - Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year
SHORTLISTED, 2026 NSW Literary Awards - Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature
SHORTLISTED, 2025 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards - Eight to ten years

Since the accident, eleven-year-old Bones spends her time drawing animal skeletons and scavenging for dead things to add to her collection. She's drifted away from her friends and doesn't want to make new ones, especially not with her chatty new neighbour, Tenny.

One night, under a full moon, Bones accidentally resurrects the skeleton of a baby bird. Bird wants to return to his natural (dead) state, so Bones agrees to reverse the curse - not that she knows how. As she and Bird work out the secrets of the magic, Bones remembers what it's like to have a friend. How can she let Bird go when she doesn't want to say goodbye?

With gorgeous greyscale illustrations of Bones's collected items scattered throughout, this book is perfect for big-hearted readers of Karen Foxlee and Zana Fraillon.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9780702268878
Published: March 2025

Number of pages: 256
Width: 129 mm
Height: 197 mm
Depth: 11 mm

Publisher: University of Queensland Press