Mike is just like any other normal kid - he lives with his mum in an ordinary house, in a small town, where nothing unusual ever happens. His next-door neighbour is Lance Loosley, a boy who's known at school as 'Loser' because he's so unpopular. Loser tells Mike that 'tenterfield' - the old property nearby, which was recently bought by some foreign investors is being used as a laboratory to run dangerous experiments. Of course, Mike doesn't believe Loser for a second. He's always concocting stories to make himself look good. But one day at school, Loser is pushed too far by the other kids. this time the humiliation and teasing is too much, and Loser seeks revenge. He smashes a test tube in class, a test tube that he says contains a deadly virus from the 'tenterfield' property. Is Loser telling the truth Have they all driven him into becoming a killer Will they all die from the virus Mike is just like any other normal kid - he lives with his mum in an ordinary house, in a small...

Third title following on from the award-winning and best-selling HITLER'S DAUGHTER and PENNIES FOR HITLER. Ages: 10 years + This is the story of Johannes, and Frau Timmins, and the strange girl now known as 'Helga'. It is also the story of how they survived the death camps, the vast wilderness faced by refugees in World War Two, and how they eventually found happiness in Australia. The final title in the multi award-winning Hitler series, this compelling story follows on from Heidi's story in Hitler's Daughter and Georg's in Pennies for Hitler, and shows us that evil must be fought and won. But once you've won, the hardest and most necessary battle is to understand and forgive. And to learn how to love and live again. Ages: 10 years+

There have been fires before, but not like this. Heartbreaking and powerful, FACING THE FLAME is a story of the triumph of courage and community, and a love for the land so deep that not even bushfire can erode it. 'The perfectread for anyone who loves immersing themselves in Australian fiction. Gripping,emotional and moving, Facing the Flame is a great book to curl up with on awarm spring night.' - New IdeaThere have been fires before,but not like this. In 1978, as the hot windhowls and the grass dries, all who live at Gibber's Creek know their land canburn. But when you love your land, you fight for it. For Jed Kelly, an evenmore menacing danger looms: a man from her past determined to destroy her. Findingherself alone, trapped and desperate to save her unborn child, Jed's onlychoice is to flee - into the flames. Heartbreaking andpowerful, Facing theFlame celebrates thetriumph of courage and community, and a love for the land so deep that not evenbushfire can erode it.

Just shut your eyes and picture yourself walking around the corner. That′s what my friend told me. Somewhere around the corner and you′ll be safe. The demonstration was wild, out of control. Barbara was scared. She saw the policeman running towards her. She needed to escape. She closed her eyes and did precisely that: she walked somewhere around the corner - to another demonstration - to another time. Barbara was lucky she meet young Jim who took her out of this strange, frightening city to his home. It was 1932, when Australia was in the grip of the depression, and Jim lived in a shantytown. But Barbara found a true friend and a true home - somewhere safe around the corner. Ages 12+

Possum and Mopoke, with Desert Wind as their guide, have left the Valley and braved the world outside, where its harsh, dry and so hot you can't go out during the day. They've gone in search of the metal men. Are they real? Or a myth? Might there be people left who make machines like they had before the wild years? First published in 1994, The Metal Men is the fourth book in internationally bestselling and much loved author Jackie French's Children of the Valley series, a five-part dystopian series written long before the trend for dystopian children's and young adult fiction emerged – and climate change was a global concern. According to her website, 'Jackie French AM is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat (part time), 2014–2015 Australian Children's Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year.' She's written over 200 books, which range from picture books and books for younger readers, to historical fiction for...

THE DIARY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, GENT is part comedy, part love story, the threads of Shakespeare's life drawn from his plays. Could the world's greatest writer truly put down his pen forever to become a gentleman? He was a boy who escaped small town life to be the most acclaimed playwright of the land. A lover whose sonnets still sing 400 years later; a glover's apprentice who became a gentleman. But was he happy with his new riches? Who was the woman he truly loved? The world knows the name of William Shakespeare. This book reveals the man - lover, son and poet. Based on new documentary evidence, as well as textual examination of his plays, this fascinating book gives a tantalising glimpse at what might have been: the other hands that helped craft those plays, the secrets that must ever be hidden but - just possibly - may now be told. Ages 12+

In the tradition of THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER comes a gripping and courageous sequel to A WALTZ FOR MATILDA Ages:10-14 the year is 1919. thirty years have passed since the man from Snowy River made his famous ride. But World War I still casts its shadow across a valley in the heart of Australia, particularly for orphaned sixteen-year-old Flinty McAlpine, who lost a brother when the Snowy River men marched away to war. Why has the man Flinty loves returned from the war so changed and distant? Why has her brother Andy 'gone with cattle', leaving Flinty in charge of their younger brother and sister and with the threat of eviction from the farm she loves so dearly? A brumby muster held under the watchful eye of the legendary Clancy of the Overflow offers hope. Now Flinty must ride to save her farm, her family and the valley she loves. Set among the landscapes of the great poems of Australia, this book is a love song to the Snowy Mountains and a tribute to Australia's poets who...

This is the well-known story of Juliet Capulet and her love for Romeo. It also the story about the increasing helplessness Juliet feels as she realises that unlike young men her age, her life will effectively be determined and controlled by others, who see her having an arranged marriage of alliance and becoming a breeder of sons. I am Juliet closely follows the well-known and loved plot of the play, but we also see the point of view of Rob, the thirteen-year-old boy who is the first to play the role of Juliet on the Elizabethan stage. Like many young people today, he too is overwhelmed by 'all those words' that Shakespeare wrote. But Rob realises that the story of love and tragedy is a somewhat simple one and the words are there for their extraordinary beauty and meaning. He will be Juliet and let the power of the words sing - as they still do today.

It's 1939, and for Georg, son of an English academic living in Germany, life is full of cream cakes and loving parents. It is also a time when his teacher measures the pupils' heads to see which of them have the most 'Aryan'- shaped heads. But when a university graduation ceremony turns into a pro-Nazi demonstration, Georg is smuggled out of Germany to war-torn London and then across enemy seas to Australia where he must forget his past and who he is in order to survive.Hatred is contagious, but Georg finds that kindness can be, too.The companion piece to HITLER'S DAUGHTER, PENNIES FOR HITLER examines the life of a child during World War 2, from a different perspective.

Can enemy warriors become your friends? A story of adventure in a new land When Vikings raid and destroy a small coastal village, Hekja and her dog, Snarf, are captured and taken to Greenland. In this harsh and cold land, Hekja becomes a thrall - a slave - to Freydis Eriksdottir, daughter of the infamous Erik the Red. Hekja's fiery determination earns her the respect of her mistress. But Hekja's journey was just the beginning, as she and Snarf and other colonists join their leader, Freydis, on a voyage to Vinland to establish a new settlement where more perilous adventures await them... Ages 10-14

Heartfelt, powerful and unforgettable. This extraordinary novel is set during WW2 and comes from one of Australia's best-loved storytellers. the year is 1942 and the world is at war. Nancy Clancy is 16 and left school to spend a year droving, just like her grandfather Clancy of the Overflow was famed for. Now Nancy's family has sent her to Malaya to bring home her sister-in-law Moira and baby Gavin. Moira is British and married to Nancy's brother Ben, who is now a soldier. Malaya is under threat from the Japanese, but despite the warnings Moira has resisted leaving as she wants to stay near her husband. When Malaya is invaded, Nancy, Moira and Gavin are fortunate to get out before Singapore falls. When their ship is bombed they end up stranded on an island where they, and some other colonial women, are captured. there begins the nightmare and horror of internment in a Japanese camp. Back home at Gibber's Creek families are doing their bit for the war. they worry constantly about...

Phredde, Pru and Bruce are back and this time they're in ancient Egypt. Will the pyramids survive Instead of just roaring like all volcanoes that are school bells do, it erupts and a tunnel opens. Phredde, Pru and Bruce can't help but enter the tunnel, magic at the ready, for a new adventure. It seems Fluffy, Queen of the Nile, has sent this time tunnel to seek out a brave and brilliant girl to save her - this has to be Pru, well, it can't be Phredde, she's a phaery, and Bruce, well, he's a frog and a boy. Will one girl, a phaery and a frog be able to save Fluffy, Queen of the Nile And, what kind of a name is Fluffy for an Egyptian queen anyway Ages 7-12 Phredde, Pru and Bruce are back and this time they're in ancient Egypt. Will the pyramids survive? Instead of just roaring like all volcanoes that are school bells do, it erupts and a tunnel opens. Phredde, Pru and Bruce can't help but enter the tunnel, magic at the ready, for a new adventure. It seems Fluffy, Queen of the Nile,...

The third in a series that explores our secret history By the 1790s orphaned Barney Bean finally has his own farm in the early NSW colony. All his dreams are coming true! But now we are to learn of Barney's biggest secret yet: how he helped Australia's first bushranger escape. Was Black Caesar a wronged man, an ex-slave who vowed to be free? Or was he a laughing villain, a trickster who planned to terrorise the colony? And in helping him, did Barney do right or wrong? You decide. Ages: 7-10

Butter O'Bryan has been told there are ghosts on Howler's Beach, but are there? Howlers Beach, 1932Butter O'Bryan lives in a Very Small Castle with his father and his three aunts - Aunt Elephant, Aunt Cake and Aunt Peculiar. These aren't their real names, of course, just as Butter's father isn't really called 'Pongo'.And even though Butter is only twelve years old, and the grandson of one of Australia's most successful Jam Kings, he is very aware of the hardship many people are experiencing. Butter has been told there are ghosts at the nearby isolated Howlers Beach, but are there? And how can the children Butter plays cricket with on the beach simply vanish? Who are these children and why do they refuse his help?Butter is certain they're hiding a secret and he's determined to uncover it.

The new title in the critically acclaimed series that explores Australia's early Colonial secret history In1798 orphaned Barney Bean now has a flourishing farm in the New SouthWales colony and everything he ever dreamed of ... except his childhood friendElsie.Butwhen Elsie falls ill and Barney rushes to be by her side, he finally learns thedeadly secret she has been hiding. Who is this strange and beautiful girl who will not speak? And could Franceever attack the isolated colony? Written byaward-winning author Jackie French and superbly illustrated by Mark Wilson,this fourth book in The Secret Histories series explores extraordinary anduntold stories from Australia's past, including the female French botanistwho could only work disguised as a man, French and Englishspies, and wars between two empires that threatened even a far-off colony.