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Wombat Went A’Walking - By Lachlan Creagh

Children and parents can sing along to the tune of the popular song 'Frog Went A' Courting' as they follow wombat and turtle on their way to a dance deep in the Australian bush. Along the way, they make new friends with the magpie, the goanna, the kookaburra, the kangaroo, the
crocodile -- and soon a band of Aussie animals are dancing the night away.

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Christmas Wombat - By Jackie French & Bruce Whatley

Christmas comes but once a year, and it’s just as well for Santa’s reindeer, who have to fight with Mothball for the carrots left out for them by the local children. And when Mothball takes an unexpected sleigh
ride, it’s not just Santa who faces the prospect of getting stuck in the chimney. Christmas from a wombat’s eye view is always going to be interesting - especially when that wombat is Mothball.

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Look, A Book! - By Libby Gleeson & Freya Blackwood

Look, A Book! You never know where it might take you. When two ragamuffins stumble across a book in the dust their world begins to change. The familiar becomes fantastical, the mundane becomes magical,
and a fractured community finds a focus. Set in a dreary, underprivileged, contemporary world, Look, A Book! is an exhilarating whirl through the magic of imagination.

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The Box Boy - By Mal Webster

A boy loves collecting things, especially cardboard boxes. He makes more and more amazing things from boxes, until his work is noticed by an art gallery di-rector who gives him a big exhibition. He tires of
artistic fame though, and goes back home to play with his boxes, until one day he discovers a new collectible, with potential, inside a box bubble wrap!

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A Bus Called Heaven - By Bob Graham

The abandoned bus appeared one morning from a sea of traffic – right outside Stella’s house, where no bus should be. Tired, old and sick, it had a hand-painted sign on it, held down with packing tape. The sign said, “Heaven.” For Stella, this decrepit old vehicle is special – this bus is “ours” – a place for everyone to be together: hold meetings, play games and share stories. But one day, the bus is towed away and Stella must fight to save not just the bus, but everything the community has worked so hard to create.

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The Carrum Sailing Club - By Claire Saxby & Christina Booth

Sometimes its not the destination that counts, but the journey. Join the family on their walk along the beach to the Carrum Sailing Club.

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Come Down, Cat - By Sonya Hartnett & Illustrated By Lucia Masciullo

The day is ending, night is falling, and Nicholas's cat won't come down. High on the roof she licks her paws while Nicholas worries about her up there all alone. How does he coax her into the safe, warm house? She doesn't even want to come down from the roof... or does she?

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Come Fly with Captain Kangaroo - llustrated By Mandy Foot

Join Captain Kangaroo and his crew for a flight across the amazing Australian landscape. From the arrival of the ground staff and the pilot, through to the passengers checking-in, boarding and the flight itself, this rhyming text explores the excitement of air travel for young children. Mandy Foot’s uniquely Australian cast of animal characters add fun and humour.

This title has its own website.
Please go to
www.captainkangaroo.com.au
for comprehensive teacher notes
and interactive activities.

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No Return—Captain Scott’s Race to the Pole - By Peter Gouldthorpe

In the age of discovery, Antarctica remained an unknown quantity amongst the worlds scientists and explorers. Robert Falcon Scott was amongst the pioneers who penetrated the ice and cruel weather. This is the story of his journey from England, the year-long preparations, which included enduring the harsh winter and euphoric explorations in the spring - culminating in the ill-fated final march to his goal, only to be beaten by the Norwegians and to suffer terrible loss - and death. This book is a celebration of a continent and ambition that will linger long in readers minds.

This title has its own website.
Please go to
www.scottslastjourney.com.au
for comprehensive teacher notes
and interactive activities.

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Pizza Cake - By Morris Gleitzman

Ten marvelously witty and devilishly deranged stories from ever popular Morris Gleitzman.

The opening story Saving Ms Fosdyke will have teachers applauding as they are the most respected and highest paid people on earth. Higher than rock and sport stars! Sure to give kids a new appreciation of their wonderful educators.

In Pizza Cake, Glenn’s grandpa was adventurous, life saving, and always super brave. When asked what made him perform these brave feats, he would always just say ‘Piece of Cake’, which Glenn confused for ‘Pizza Cake’. Young Glenn was not sure how Pizza Cake could make you brave, but he always carried some with him and it always seemed to work.

He later realises that you don’t a need a ‘Pizza Cake’ to achieve anything, you just have to believe in yourself.

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The Outcasts: Brotherband 1 - By John Flanagan

Our stories main character is Hal, whose father Mikkel was a decorated sea wolf who died in battle when Hal was only two. His mother was not a true Skandian and always felt a lack of true acceptance.

Mikkels best friend Thorn, who was Skandia’s three time all round champion fighter and athlete (The Maktig) had promised to oversee Hal’s development. But when he lost his hand in a shipping accident he spent the next six years trying to drink his problems away.

Hals mother, Karina, changed this when she reminded him of his earlier promise. With Hal now entering Brotherband training, he needs all of the help he can get.
At the commencement of training, inductees are placed into teams to compete to become the years champion Brotherband team.

Hal is made ‘skirl’ or captain of his team. A team that comprises of a pathetic mixture of other outcasts and left ‘overs’. Together with wit and ingenuity they are a formidable team. Can they become this years champion Brotherband?

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Dark Lord: The Teenage Years - By Jamie Thomson

The Dark Lord, ruler of the Nine Hells, awakens to find himself powerless and in the body of a puny human boy. And so the fun begins!

He soon gets fostered out to the Reverend and Mrs Purejoie, where Dark Lord becomes Dirk Lord, and their son Christopher befriends him.

Together with Goth girl Sooz, the three of them create mayhem on Dirk’s quest to return to his former glory.
Dirk manages to generate some helpful allies at school as he slowly becomes less evil. But do they really believe his stories if his incredible past or are they just amused by this strange boy?

We await the second book to discover how Sooz can be rescued from the Darklands when a ritual to return Dirk there went terribly wrong.

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Selby Sprung - By Duncan Ball

The latest of Duncan Ball’s collection of Selby stories that will finally see Selby’s true identity as the worlds only talking dog discovered.

But will the evil genius Morrie Artie capture him and reveal Selby to the world? Or will Morrie’s endless quest and billions of dollars that he has spent on his Selby search send him into financial ruin?

Most importantly, will Selby be able to continue his relatively peaceful life with Dr and Mrs Trifle, the dearest and most wonderful people on earth?

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Violet Mackerel’s Natural Habitat
By Anna Branford & Illustrated by Sarah Davis

Violet wants to help small things like birds and ladybirds and maybe they can do something nice for her.

However, she learns that the best way to help all creatures is to leave them in their Natural Habitats.

With her older sister grumpy because of a failing Natural Science project for school, they reconnect when Violet suggests the project be on the lifecycle of a ladybird.

Together they produce a marvellous project, but will it be good enough to win first prize?

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Darius Bell and the Crystal Bees - By Odo Hirsch

All the bees on the Bell Estate are dying. This is going to have far reaching consequences, not only for the Bells, but for the other families who live and work on the Bell Estate.

The Deavers will not be able to produce honey and without the bees to pollinate the flowers, there will be no fruit and vegetables either. The Fishers, who have lived on the Estate and looked after the gardens for many years. might have to leave and find work elsewhere if this happens.

Darius cannot just sit back and let any of this happen. These people are like family! So he devises a plan that he is sure will work. But it is going to take all his effort and cunning to make it happen—as well as facing the ever powerful Mayor and Mrs Lightman, the much disliked Principal.

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The Not-So-Goblin Boy -By Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Samuel is the only normal human boy in a world full of magic. Abandoned as a baby, he is adopted by Goblins and he dreams of fitting in by being just like them.

He loves their wicked sense of humor, and their amazing inventions. He is not so sure about their fart ambushes though.

Sam is determined to get into the Goblin Academy, but things don't quite go according to plan. He finds himself joining a band of pirates on a secret mission to save the Goblin Empire.

Can a human boy outwit the mastermind Drake and become the hero he always dreamed of becoming?

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The Dog Stole My Brain -By Katherine & Mary K. Pershall

Jake, the second smallest kid in his class, is sick of the bullying. The two biggest and meanest girls, who are always picking on him, have a nasty surprise in store for him tomorrow.

If only he could switch his life with someone. He’s heard of a website that can make this a reality. But when his dog Barney is in his room with him and Barney hits the computer keyboard with his paw, they instantly change bodies.

With their worlds turned upside down, the next day holds some interesting results. Some really good and some really bad!!

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Note on the Door -By Lorraine Marwood

In this wonderful collection of poems showing a snapshot of everyday life, Lorraine Marwood introduces the students to a different form of writing than what they might normally be used to.

Poems include those about school, holidays, playtime and family.

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Flat Stanley - The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery
Created by Jeff Brown

Stanley receives a letter from an archaeologist asking for his help, so he posts himself by air mail to Egypt.

Upon arrival, Stanley finds Sir Hawara the Fourth is not all he seems. He wants Stanley to slip through a small 3 inch passageway to enter the tomb of King Khufufull and to unlock it from the inside.

Stanley discovers that Sir Hawara wants to raid the tomb for his own profit. Can he thwart Sir Hawara’s endeavours?

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Monkey Business: Star League - By H.J Harper

Another great instalment in the junior crime fighting series, Star League.

‘Le Nice Pets’ promises to turn your misbehaving pets into perfect angels. But Leigh suspects something’s not right, and when the animals start to go missing it’s time for the Star League to step in.

Leigh follows her instincts and is on the trail of the seemingly harmless Aunt Petunia. But this mission doesn't come without risks, and the one thing she cares about most could be in danger. Will it all be worth it?

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Between - By Jessica Warman

When Elizabeth Valchar, pretty, popular and perfect, hears a thumping noise outside the boat on the morning of her 18th birthday, she goes to investigate.
Liz sees herself wet, soaked and face down in the water, and realises her spirit is watching her body. She meets Alex, another wandering spirit, and together they start unravelling the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
What she discovers will change everything she thought she knew about her past. She finds no one is perfect or innocent and some memories can never be erased.
A very entertaining and thought provoking read that girls Year 9 and up will love.

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Froi of the Exiles -By Melina Marchetta

Froi has spent the last three years in Lumatere, trained to guard the Royal Family. He has learnt to control his wild temper and has become content. But when he is sent, as an assassin, to the Kingdom of Charyn, his world is changed forever.

The curse of the Charyn has been evident for eighteen years, with not a baby born in the Kingdom. He has an instant attraction to the schizophrenic Princess Quintana. He also finds his parents in the kings first consul Gargarin, and the Kings whore, Lirah. These four are thrown together when the King is assassinated and Charyn is in turmoil.

The street lords are slaughtering all the Kings people and they must escape the city. Together they form a dark bond and seek refuge in the local provinces - their aim - to protect the Princess who is with child, the child that will break the curse.

An intriguing epic that follows on from the incredible Finnikin of the Rock and is destined to be an instant hit with lover of old world fantasy.

Best suited to those 15+.

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When We Were Two - By Robert Newton

When We Were Two takes us on an emotional journey of discovery. Our two main characters are Dan, aged sixteen and his twelve-year-old brother Eddie.

Their journey takes place on foot, mostly from the outback town of Gunnedah to the central coast town of Port Macquarie, some two hundred miles away.

The time setting is enlistment for the Great War. We discover that the lovable Eddie became mentally impaired at the age of two, when he nearly drowned when Dan should have been watching him.

They are running from an abusive father towards a mother who deserted them some years ago. They join a group of men marching to the Port to enlist for active service.

But then tragedy strikes. Eddie suffers what seems to be a stroke, and as they rush to get to a doctor he dies, shattering Dan’s world.

This is very well handled and when Dan eventually sees his pregnant happy mother, he decides to enlist, but has gained so much on his journey.

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Eight Keys - By Suzanne LaFleur

Eleven-year-old Elise feels her life is wrong. She is struggling at her new school and her locker buddy bullies her everyday. Even her best friend Franklin is no help.

One day, Elise notices a key with her name on it. Is it to one of the eight rooms at the top of the barn that she has never been allowed in?

The key is to one of the rooms her dad set up before he died. Her discoveries will help her make sense of the past and give her an insight into her future.

This is a wonderful story for your Year 7’s & 8’s who have embarked on the journey into high school. It is an uplifting story about believing in yourself and trusting your family and friends.

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Pan’s Whisper - By Sue Lawson

Pan Harper is brash, loud and damaged. Ordered into foster care, Pan is full of anger at her mother and older sister and is certain that she knows the reality of her past.

Pan has lived a troubled life that she is trying to forget. Her memory of things is different from what her sister Morgan remembers. What will make her see life for what it really is?

Pan has one rule. Never.Trust. Anyone. But will Hunter, the boy at school who seems to want to get to know her, be different?

This story takes us on the journey of Pan’s self discovery and her slow realisa-tion that life can be different from how she knew it. She will also realise that Morgan has always been her protector.

Told through the eyes of both Pan and Morgan, it is a story of the harsh realities of the effects of mental illness and living in an abusive family. The important role that Pan’s foster parents play in her recovery is clearly evident throughout this story.

This story is one that will have all students thinking and whilst it might primarily seem to be aimed at girls, there is no reason that boys would not enjoy this and gain something from it.

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The Shadow Girl - By John Larkin

This is one of those stories that is very hard to forget. Written in alternate chapters as our Shadow Girl tells her story to a writer, you will be scared, happy and sad.

After her parents disappear, life with her aunt and uncle becomes increasingly dangerous. Terrified that the police will believe her uncles version of events and not hers, she runs away.

Suddenly she is alone on the streets. The story follows her through school, rail yards, sand dunes and abandoned houses. It tells of wonderful people who helped her to survive and the friend she wishes she could save, and a thoroughly horrible villain in her uncle.

But most of all, Shadow Girl is a story of courage and truth and lost innocence.

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The Apothecary - By Maile Meloy

Jamie Scott is perfectly happy with her friends and her life in California, Everything changes when a mysterious black car follows her home from school. Her parents tell her they are US Marshalls and so they decide to leave for London, England. Jamie struggles to settle in her strange new world until she meets the apothecary, and more importantly his son Benjamin.

Benjamin’s Dad is no ordinary apothecary and when he is kidnapped, Jamie and Benjamin find themselves entrusted with his sacred book, the Pharmacopoeia. However, the Russians will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, and who is the Chinese chemist Jin Lo?

With help from some unexpected friends, Jamie and Benjamin embark on a quest to save the apothecary and help him prevent a nuclear disaster.

This is a wonderful adventure story that lets your imagination run riot with the elixirs the teenagers make from the “Pharmacopoeia”.

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Crow Country - By Kate Constable

Sadie is taken to the Victorian country town of Boort to start a new life with her Mum, Ellie. Ellie’s family had a deep connection with this town in the past and this past is coming back to haunt Sadie.

There is tension between Ellie’s new boyfriend David, together with his nephew Walter against the all powerful Mortlock family, Craig and his son Lachie.

Racism abounds as David and Walter are Aboriginal. Sadie is caught up in this through her friendship with both Walter and Lachie.

But Sadie talks to the crows and receives direction from them when she timeslips back to her great-aunt Sadies time of 1933. During this time, the three families had strong connections, with the three fathers having fought together in the war. But Mr Mortlock kills the aboriginal, Jimmy Raven, and his body and aboriginal relics are lost forever.

Can Sadie’s actions now change the past and help right the wrongs? Or will she, Walter and Lachie repeat the same mistakes?

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Shift - By Em Bailey

When the mysterious Miranda Vaile started at Olive’s school, the fact was that she had no parents. The rumour was that she had killed them.

But Olive had her own problems. Her Dad had left because of her attitude and the fights that this caused between her Mum and Dad. She had just come out of the clinic because of her attempt at the beach. Her ex-best friend, Katie, the school bitch was to be avoided. Her only other friend Ami, no one else could see.

Soon Miranda seemed to latch on to Katie and then take on her characteristics. It started with little things, like borrowing her clothes, but as Miranda became more beautiful and powerful, Katie was shriveling away to nothing. Katies eventual death from ‘anorexia’ left Miranda needing a new target, or is that ‘host’.

Is Miranda really a shape-shifter, and if so, is Olive strong enough to repel her? Dream guy Lachlan keeps trying to help her. But why? Surely he couldn't really like her.

A brilliantly sinister psychological thriller with themes of identity, loss and toxic friendship and twists you won’t see coming.

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The Power of Six - By Pittacus Lore

The fight for survival of the planet Lorien depends on the survival of the nine sent to earth as children to develop their legacies and later regroup to reclaim what will be left of their planet after the Mogadorians have abused it and slaughtered their people.

With three dead, the remaining six are beginning to join together to use their skills to fight the Mogadorians who are trying to wipe them out on earth.

Amazing battles with and against awesome creatures and forces flow throughout the story.

But with John (Four), Six, and now Nines fantastic abilities, this fight has a way to go and success may still be within their grasp.

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Duty Calls: Dunkirk - By James Holland

Its Friday 24th May 1940, and Private Johnny Hawke, aged sixteen is awakened by artillery fire.

We are thrown into Johnny’s endless battles with his ever reducing 2nd Battalion as they fought to hold off the advancing German army.

His older sister Maddie’s fiancé is his Sergeant. With an increasingly evident need to fight for each others survival, they perform incredible feats of heroism as they fight to hold the town of Cassal and then retreat to their ultimate goal of Dunkirk, from where they are to return to England. How will they survive with the enemy everywhere.

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We Can Be Heroes - By Catherine Bruton

Ben was only two when his Dad became one of the victims of 9/11. Now with his Mum suffering from an unwillingness to eat, he is sent to his grandparent’s to stay for the summer. His cousin Jed is staying as well due to a family breakup.

Ben befriends Priti, a young Pakistani Muslim girl with a huge imagination. She tells them many things like arranged marriages, honour killings and suicide bombers.

Tensions are high in the street when Priti’s cousin is stabbed to death by her older sisters bikie boyfriend. But things really came to a head when a street party is organized to celebrate the impending marriage of Priti’s oldest brother.

Jed’s Dad shows up with his old Vietnam Vet mates and a huge cultural clash is brewing, culminating in the kidnapping of their five year old neighbour. But who has kidnapped her and what is the real purpose? Can Ben, Jed and Priti use their detecting capabilities to uncover the truth or will it all be too late.

A fantastic insight into long held prejudices and their effect on modern society. The kids give us hope and show that we all must learn to live with our neighbours.

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Have You Seen Ally Queen? - By Deb Fitzpatrick

Ally Queen is fifteen, flat-chested and totally trapped in a tiny coastal town where the killer pythons are stale and there are only three types of people: bogans, surfies and spinach-munching hippies. How could her parents have ever thought moving to Melros was a good idea?

Ally’s life seems to be falling apart around her. Not only is she dealing with being the new kid at school, in a town she hates, and having no friends, but she is also trying to cope with her mothers post traumatic stress that has caused their home life to erupt into chaos.

Will she ever be happy? The friendship that is offered to her by Rel, the only kid who seems remotely interested in talking to her at school, starts to turn her world around. And although her new life has been tough, she realises that things are not all about her, and that others are suffering too.

Reckless - by Cornelia Funke

Jacob Reckless has always lived up to his name. When he finds a magical hidden world behind the mirror, he spends years enjoying its secrets.
But his hidden world is dangerous. What will happen when his brother and his brother’s girlfriend follow him through the mirror?
Can Jacob save them from the Dark Magic? If you thought fairy tales were a myth - think again! Lovers of fantasy and adventure will thoroughly enjoy this great read from Cornelia Funke.