Meet the Team
Gobblefunked is a not-for-profit site founded in January 2013 by Linda Crosbie and Anne Whelton, with one aim: to help take the stress out of choosing the perfect book for your little one.
Behind the reviews is a small, varied group of readers — publishing professionals, mums, professional aunties and teenagers — who read widely and say plainly what they think.
Linda Crosbie and Anne Whelton
Linda and Anne started Gobblefunked in January 2013 and continue to guide the site. Their goal is simple: to share the joy of children's books and make the shelves a little easier to navigate, from baby books through to young adult fiction.
You can read more about the site's background on the About page.
Readers with different tastes
The reviewing group is deliberately mixed. Some are new mums reading with a baby on one arm; some are professional aunties who know exactly which picture book to bring; others are teenagers with strong opinions about young adult fiction.
That range means reviews come from the people who actually read the books — at bedtime, in the car, or in one long sitting on a Sunday afternoon.
Our reviewers cover picture books, middle grade and young adult titles, along with graphic novels, dyslexia-friendly books, Indigenous Australian books and Irish language books.
Browse the results on the Reviews page.
Behind every review on Gobblefunked sits a small, varied group of readers who genuinely love children's books. The team brings together publishing professionals, mums, professional aunties and teenagers, and that mix of perspectives is deliberate. Between them they read widely across picture books, short titles for younger readers, graphic novels, dyslexia-friendly reads and books for teens, so there is usually someone who knows the age range and the mood you are shopping for. What unites them is a plain-spoken approach: they say what they think, share what delighted them, and gently flag what did not work, all in the spirit of sharing the joy of children's books.
The site began with one simple aim: to help take the stress out of choosing the perfect book for your little one. That idea still shapes everything the team does, from the regular interviews and author chats to the seasonal reads, reviews and competitions that keep the shelves fresh through the year. Rather than pushing a single favourite, the team tries to capture the breadth of what is out there, including Irish-language titles, indigenous voices and stories for every stage from baby to teen. It is a not-for-profit labour of love, and the warmth behind it shows in every recommendation.
Young adult, reviewed by young adults
Teenfunked is the part of the team that focuses on young adult content. These reviewers are teenagers themselves, which keeps the YA coverage honest about what actually lands with its readers.
-
Founders
Linda Crosbie and Anne Whelton, who set up the site in January 2013.
-
Reviewers
New mums, professional aunties and keen readers across the age ranges.
-
Teenfunked
Teenage reviewers concentrating on young adult books.