CHILDRENS BOOKS

"Brilliantly spooky and funny." Jennifer Killick, author of Dread Wood"Spine-chilling terror and laughs on every page." S.J. Wills, author of Bite RiskDiscover a brilliantly spooky new horror-mystery series for fans of Dread Wood, Goosebumps and Aveline Jones...Indigo and Rusty might live in a funeral parlour, but they don't believe in ghosts. That is, until Indigo drops an old urn, accidentally releasing the Cinderman: a terrifying ash monster, who will smother their town in ashes and turn everyone into zombies, unless they can stop him by sunset.Using their newly awakened Spooksmith skills, Indigo and Rusty set out to enlist the help of other ghosts. But can the Blasted Banshee and Chuckles the Phantom Toddler really help them find the Cinderman's true name and put him in his grave for good before Ashmageddon strikes?

loved this: funny, quirky, exciting and moving

Rex investigates funny goings-on in the city museum in his latest adventure. The third book in the side-splitting series for 7+ readers, from a Lollies Prize winning author-illustrator.  Rex can't wait for his first trip to the city museum. But, hold on, are those ... bones? Dinosaur bones?! It turns out that museums can be scary places. And now, someone or something has been causing havoc around the place and it's up to Rex, Sandra and the gang to find out who.  Can Rex successfully go undercover as the new security guard? How can he help his newest unexpected friend, an Ancient Egyptian mummy? And most importantly, can he pull off the greatest museum sleepover in the history of sleepovers?  Highly illustrated throughout and laugh-out loud hilarious, this is perfect for fans of The Bolds, Dogman and Bunny vs Monkey.

Relic Hamilton is just your average 12-year-old, living a quiet life with his grandfather above their old antiques shop in Chinatown in London.  Until one day, while polishing some mysterious brass lamps in the basement, something extraordinary happens. Relic feels spine-chillingly cold. Breathless. Scared. And suddenly, a real, live genie stands before him!  But this is no kind, benevolent genie. This genie is evil ... and it feeds on hope.  Relic finds himself catapulted to the centre of a fast-paced underground community of genie hunters, led by the excitable Professor Latimer and the tech-savvy Doctor Raphaela. Together, they travel in their one-of-a-kind jet, the Aladdin, secretly chasing rogue genies before they can wreak havoc on the world…  A thrilling new adventure series from the former Waterstones Children’s Laureate and winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing.

‘Parrot Palace is an open invitation from the heart to step into a multi-hued, multicultural, inclusive world where difference is celebrated, tradition is valued, and the language of love is spoken. It certainly does ‘make the world a better place’ A Must Read!’   -    Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Head of English, University of Delhi. Â Three inventive and daring kids, along with their families, live in a three-story apartment block called' Parrot Palace'. Â Hari, Lily-Rosa, and Mikey come from different cultures, but their differences unite them as they form a close-knit team. They share their secrets as they navigate their dreams and challenges. Will Mikey become a joker or follow in his dad's footsteps as a builder? Can Lily-Rosa balance her dreams of becoming a firefighter, and a ballerina? And will Hari fix the disaster he created for his Nani and mother? Â They join together and confront their arch enemy, the neighbour Mr Crabtree. It is here, that they eventually find the real answers to friendship. Â PRAISE FOR PARROT PALACE Â ‘Growing up, some of my best friends were books, and how I wish I’d had a friend and a book like this, reflecting the true, warm, beating heart of Australian multicultural diversity. Hari and his friends will stay with you long after you’ve left Parrot Palace.’ – Dr Sunil Badami a writer, critic, broadcaster, academic and regular reporter for ABC and ABC personality. Â ‘Parrot Palace aptly illustrates the essence of humanity: love, care, and sharing what we have for the common good of the community we live in. I strongly recommend it to all our children growing up in Australia.’ - Dr Andrew Kwong, Winner of the 2021 Michael Crouch Award" ‘With great power, we can teach our children profound truths and timeless value.’ - Professor D.R. Pattanaik, Banaras Hindu University Â ‘An open invitation from the heart to step into a multi-hued, multicultural, inclusive world where difference is celebrated, tradition is valued, and the language of love is spoken. It certainly does 'make the world a better place!' A Must-Read!’ - Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Literature University of Delhi Â ‘An amazing story that brings India and Australia closer together celebrates human relationship which doesn’t change from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other and fosters ‘dosti’ (friendship) between the two great nations.’ - Indranil Halder Ambassador of Halder Â ‘A delightful story that captures the feel of summer, school holidays and the sheer joy of play. From the opening pages, our taste buds are tantalized with the honey of jalebi, the warm sweetness of ripe strawberries, apple pie and samosas. This is a story of now.’ -  Dr Anne Benjamin Educator Â ‘Parrot Palace aptly illustrates the essence of humanity: love, care, and sharing what we have for the common good of the community we live in. I strongly recommend it to all our children growing up in Australia.’ - Dr Andrew Kwong ‘Very relatable and entertaining. I read it to my 6-year-old son and he enjoyed it thoroughly. He found it adventurous and loved how the kids helped Mr Crabtree in spite of him being mean to them. That's a life lesson.’ - Neel Banerjee, Intercultural Theatre Practitioner

Bling Jollygood (The Fairly Secret Files) Brand-new illustrated junior fiction from the bestselling creator of the Very Cranky Bear series! Meet Bling Jollygood: half-penguin, half-canary, full-time undercover reporter.Bling discovers that an egg-shaped comet is hurtling towards Earth! So, she puts together a makeshift crew to blow it up and save the planet. Everyone they meet along the way is extremely helpful. Perhaps too helpful ... A witty and slapstick adventure from bestselling creator Nick Bland.

Relatable, clever, and authentic! Hassan's story will resonate with every Muslim.

"A thrilling and thought-provoking sci-fi adventure that's shot through with humanity. A great read." Christopher Edge  The Last of Us meets Wall-E in this post-apocalyptic tale of family, hope and survival from a multi-award-winning author  Jen and her father are making their way across a deserted world after a technological collapse brought civilization as people knew it to an end. The Flood took out all all technology, but also many people who were connected to a central information hive. Those who are left behind must find each other and build a new life. But Jen's father isn't related to her by blood – he is a human-appearing AI, a glitch in the system, and a secret that must be kept, even from those she wishes she could trust...  Exploring themes of what it means to be human, the value of every individual and where true danger lies – in our technological creations, or the ones who create them – this is a powerful and hopeful dystopian adventure for readers age 9+

Twelve days. Five kids. Many special effects. One giant mystery.

Brock the Croc lives in a thriving swamp. As the only crocodile, he loves attention and parties all day. Brock rides his motorbike, holds extravagant swamp discos, and plays electric guitar. But when humans set up a worksite next to the swamp, Brock and his friends learn their home is set to be filled-in with concrete! The animals all turn to Brock to save them, but has he been exaggerating his achievements? Will he be able to live up to his reputation and stop the humans from destroying the swamp forever?

The Sunday Times No. 1 Bestseller The tinsel is up in the bakery, the lights are twinkling and the mince pies are sold out. It's CHRISTMAS EVE! Greg the Sausage Roll is so excited he could burst. And when he's scooped up as a last-minute treat for Santa, he's catapulted into a magical festive caper beyond his wildest dreams. Hold on tight for a spectacular sausage roll-ercoaster of an adventure! Developed and written by the social media phenomenon that is LadBaby - the king and queen of Christmas and of sausage rolls.

Perfect for fans of THE EXPLORER, this exciting debut novel is a gripping and heartfelt survival story set in a future rewilded England. A UTOPIAN FUTURE.A FORBIDDEN WILDERNESS.TWO SISTERS TRYING TO SURVIVE.<p>Twenty-five years into the future, no humans are allowed in the Wildlands - a vast area in Britain where wolves, lynx and bison roam free. The only exception is a high-speed train line between London and Glasgow that crosses right through the heart of the project. Thirteen-year-old Astrid and her little sister, Indie, are onboard when their train slows to a brief, unexpected stop ... and they find themselves accidentally left behind. Stranded in this place of astonishing natural wonders and terrible dangers, they have only a rucksack, a phone without signal - and each other. As every wrong turn takes them deeper into the Wildlands, do they have the ingenuity and determination to survive?</p><p>How far would YOU go to find your way home?</p>Perfect for fans of THE EXPLORER and THE LAST WILD, this riveting and emotional story takes place in an imagined future teeming with lost flora and fauna that we can only dream about encountering today.

'Fierce and funny by turns, with Steph Bowe's flair for seeing straight to the heart of what makes us tick. What a gift, to have one more tale from this master storyteller.' Amie Kaufman, NYT bestselling author of The Isles of the Gods  A witty and moving YA tale of friendship, survival and acts of courage, told with humour and heart. When a zombie apocalypse destroys the world, Sunny must save what matters most-and discover that the zombies might not be the true enemy. You're not going to like this part. I don't like this part. I don't know how I'm going to explain it to you, and have it make any sense.  In 2018, seventeen-year-old Sunny and Toby are on the run after zombies have destroyed most of the adults in their world. Cut to 2034 when Sunny is being held in an underground facility. What happened? Was it aliens, a genocide, a video game, biological terrorism, a totalitarian takeover? And who can infiltrate the facility and release the surviving prisoners? The tables will be turned more than once in this thrilling and thought-provoking novel. With Steph Bowe's sad passing at the age of twenty-five, in 2020, we lost a truly wonderful author of three smart, funny YA novels. Her mother and sister discovered a manuscript on her computer- the book you have in your hands. Steph was always wise beyond her years, with the power to access other worlds. Somehow, in Sunny at the End of the World, she predicted an 'outbreak' much like the one that changed our world, after she was gone...  With her trademark humour, endearing characters and brilliant storytelling, Steph Bowe has left us a novel that helps to make sense of the rapidly changing world we live in. PRAISE-  'A twisty road trip through a post-zombie apocalypse, Sunny At the End of the World is testament to Steph Bowe's brio, wit and brilliance.' Rebecca Lim, author of Tiger Daughter 'Brutal, tender and fierce, Sunny is ultimately a celebration of love and resilience, from a much-missed voice in Australian YA.' Lili Wilkinson, author of A Hunger of Thorns Â With classic Steph Bowe humour and undertow, this is a post zombie apocalypse to relish. I loved it.' Fiona Wood, author of How to Spell Catastrophe 'Fast-paced action, with lots of humour thrown in.' Books+Publishing PRAISE FOR STEPH BOWE-  'A gentle, heartfelt tale...Bowe works quietly and perceptively through a range of believable situations.' Magpies on Night Swimming 'A tender, quirky love story full of charm and authenticity...' Sydney Morning Herald on Night Swimming

An inspiring story of courage, resilience and hope, set in the Torres Strait Islander community as climate change threatens culture, tradition and connection to place, co-written by Michelle Scott Tucker and proud Torres Strait Islander creator, actor, producer and director Aaron Fa'Aoso.

The story of Robin Miller - the woman who single-handedly flew life-saving vaccines in her own plane to remote communites. Imagine flying solo, crisscrossing the north-west of Australia in your own plane, and single-handedly delivering life-saving vaccines to remote communities. Robin Miller did this, and at a time when most people didn't think women should be pilots at all. Her arrival seemed like magic to the outback children who received her polio vaccine on sugar cubes. Before long, she became known as the Sugarbird Lady. And this was just the start of Robin's extraordinary real-life adventures!