Meet Stevie Louise Mason. She’s a vibrant twelve-year-old aspiring actor, entrepreneur, and introvert. Stevie lives on Brooke Street with her best friends, the Brooke Street gang! Today, Stevie is going to ask them the most important question of their lives! 

Drum Roll Please, It’s Stevie Louise is a fun, contemporary novel for middle-grade readers. It is full of laugh-out-loud scenes, but those moments do not undermine Stevie’s insecurities and heart. Stevie is sassy, quirky and outgoing when she’s with her friends, but she’s shy around strangers. And while the plot of the story follows Stevie and her friends as they organise a grand stage performance, there is an underbelly of change, exclusion and bullying. 

Stevie Louise’s story is the debut novel for Tanya Hennessy – comedian, radio announcer, and social media sensation. Hennessy places a strong focus on inclusion, which she shows through various character types in the book. 

Drum Roll Please, It’s Stevie Louise targets readers aged 7+. Illustrations by Leigh Hedstrom are striking and help readers visualise the scenes. They are, however, minimal enough to allow for imaginative freedom.

This is an excellent book that will especially resonate with children on the brink of leaving primary school. I can see this book becoming a must-have on every kid’s bedside table.