After receiving Barry and The Fairies of Miller Street by Barry Dickins and Jenny Lee I wasn’t all together sure about what I could expect to find. While a departure from my traditional genre choice, I was pleasantly surprised by the tale of love and good old Aussie spirit I found within.

It didn’t take long for the lives of Barry, his nan, Queen Nesbit and her friends as well as the veritable villains of the piece to draw me in. The tale felt quite childlike which was somewhat appealing, and it was an easy read – one which you could let yourself be drawn in and carried away.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the illustrations, it probably pushed past what I would consider an adult novel. Because of the way the story was written, and the old adage of good triumphing over evil, along with a few fairies for good measure, I would recommend the book for young adults right through to the most seasoned of all readers.

While it may be a tad predictable, the heart-warming story won out over any perceived shortfalls. Well worth a read!

Review by Stacey Gladman.