PICTURE STORY

1. Here We Are
Oliver Jeffers

Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.

Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.

Here We Are is the utterly heartfelt new book from Oliver Jeffers. We’re glad you found it.

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2. First Day
Margaret Wild

On the first day of school:

Alex hopes she will make a friend,
Salma wants to learn to write NOW,
Stephen is a little bit scared,
and Penny is as wriggly as a tadpole.
Khalil is the best at tying shoelaces,
and Jun just wants to count.10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ZERO!
But what is the little dog, Josh, up to?

A sunny story for little ones starting out and for anyone remembering their early days at school.

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3. No One Likes A Fart
Zoe Foster Blake

Fart is excited! He’s desperate to make friends and have fun. But no one likes a fart. Not even a fart with a heart. Too smelly. Too embarrassing. Too gross.

A sweet, funny story about accepting yourself and finding a friend who loves you just the way you are. Mostly, though, it’s about a fart. And fart jokes. Loooots of fart jokes.

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4. Kissed by the Moon
Alison Lester

May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong.

Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby’s wonder at our beautiful world. From much-loved Australian Children’s Laureate Alison Lester comes a timeless book to share and to treasure.

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5. Starting School
Jane Godwin & Anna Walker

Tim, Hannah, Sunita, Joe and Polly are all off to school for the first time. Would you like to meet them and see how they go? There are new friends to make, fun ways to learn, and lots of different things to discover.

From Jane Godwin and Anna Walker comes this beautiful book focussing on the experiences and feelings of five very different children as they begin at school for the first time.

Jane’s simple words and ideas combine with Anna’s gentle and detailed illustrations to help children feel comfortable about taking this big step.

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6. The Second Sky
Patrick Guest

The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds.

But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert’s quest to find his place in the world.

Great things happen when you reach for the sky.

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7. Stick Man
Julia Donaldson

Stick Man lives in the family tree

With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three.

But one day, Stick Man is carried off by a mischievous dog who wants to play fetch! Things go from bad to worse as Stick Man is carried farther and farther away from home. Lonely and lost, Stick Man wants nothing more than to be home with his family for Christmas. And when he helps Santa Claus out of a bind, he finds the perfect ticket home!

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8. The Lion Inside
Rachel Bright & Jim Field

From the creator of the known and loved Bright Side lifestyle brand, Rachel Bright, and the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Jim Field, comes a feelgood rhyming story about one little mouse trying to make himself heard and discovering along the way that even the smallest of us has the heart of a lion.

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9. The Rainbow Fish
Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish, with his shimmering scales, is the most beautiful fish in the ocean but he is proud and vain and none of the other fish want to be his friend – until he learns to give away some of his most prized possessions.

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10. Where The Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak

Originally published in 1963, it has become a much-loved favourite children’s best-seller, and an acknowledged classic of 20th century children’s picture books. Maurice Sendak said: “Max, the hero of my book, discharges his anger against his mother, and returns to the real world sleepy, hungry, and at peace with himself… from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustration as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things”.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. Nevermoor: The Trial of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s there that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart. Except for Morrigan, who doesn’t seem to have any special talent at all.

To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

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2. Bad Dad
David Walliams

Dads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

There are fat ones and thin ones, tall ones and short ones.
There are young ones and old ones, clever ones and stupid ones.
There are silly ones and serious ones, loud ones and quiet ones.
Of course, there are good dads, and bad dads . . .

A high-speed cops and robbers adventure with heart and soul about a father and son taking on the villainous Mr Big – and winning!

This riches-to-rags story will have you on the edge of your seat and howling with laughter!

Bad Dad is a fast and furious, heart-warming story of a father and son on an adventure – and a thrilling mission to break an innocent man into prison!

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3. The Getaway (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12)
Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley and his family are getting out of town. With the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much needed rest and relaxation. A few days in paradise should do wonders for Greg and his frazzled family. But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Sunburn, stomach troubles, and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family’s vacation. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

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4. Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man #4)
Dav Pilkey

Has Dog Man finally found the purr-fect sidekick? Find out in the latest in the #1 New York Times bestselling series!

Hot diggity dog! Dog Man, the newest hero from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants, is back — and this time he’s not alone. The heroic hound with a real nose for justice now has a furry feline sidekick, and together they have a mystery to sniff out!

When a new kitty sitter arrives and a glamorous movie starlet goes missing, it’s up to Dog Man and Cat Kid to save the day! Will these heroes stay hot on the trail, or will Petey the World’s Most Evil Cat send them barking up the wrong tree?

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5. Wombat and Fox: The Whole Story
Terry Denton

Wherever Wombat and Fox go, trouble is never far behind. They like to live on the edge. Well, actually, Wombat likes to live on the edge – Fox likes to stay well back from the edge. But the city is a surprising place and adventure always finds Wombat and Fox, and their friends Croc, Bandicoot, the Hippo Sisters and the mischievous Five Monkeys.

This is the whole story.

Warm and wonderful illustrated stories for beginner readers from one of Australia’s most popular kid’s book creators. This collection brings together all the stories of Wombat and Fox and their hilarious adventures in the city.

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6. The Magic Misfits
Neil Patrick Harris

This book contains a BIG SECRET. Read on if you dare …

Do you believe in magic?

Carter doesn’t. He knows magic tricks are just that – tricks. And as a street magician he’s also pretty good at them. But then Carter runs away from his conman uncle and he finds himself alone and in danger from dastardly carnival ringleader, B.B. Bosso. He could really use some magic now …

A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Dante Vernon leads Carter to a magic shop, where he teams up with five other like-minded kids and the Magic Misfits are born! Can the gang use their magical talents to save the day and stop B.B. stealing a priceless diamond?

And now for the BIG SECRET … inside this book you will find a treasure trove of tips, codes and stage tricks that will help YOU join the Magic Misfits and make some magic of your own. (BUT DON’T TELL ANYONE.)

Perfect for children aged 8 to 12 years old and fans of Lemony Snicket, David Walliams … and magic!

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7. A Most Magical Girl
Karen Foxlee

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time – and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being ‘proper’ isn’t always easy – especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter…

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They’re keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn’t believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty – an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel’s aunts seem very fond of – and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . .

This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away . . .

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8. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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9. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2 (Playscript)
JK Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

The playscript for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was originally released as a ‘special rehearsal edition’ alongside the opening of Jack Thorne’s play in London’s West End in summer 2016. Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, the play opened to rapturous reviews from theatre goers and critics alike, while the official playscript became an immediate global bestseller.

This revised paperback edition updates the ‘special rehearsal edition’ with the conclusive and final dialogue from the play, which has subtly changed since its rehearsals, as well as a conversation piece between director John Tiffany and writer Jack Thorne, who share stories and insights about reading playscripts. This edition also includes useful background information including the Potter family tree and a timeline of events from the Wizarding World prior to the beginning of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

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10. The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome
Katrina Nannestad

He’s the world’s vaguest novelist. She’s a shy and unusual child. Together, they’re travelling the world, one book a time.

For the first ten years of Freja’s life, she and her mother Clementine have roamed the Arctic in search of zoological wonders. Happy, content, together. Freja and Clem. Clem and Freja. But now, everything is changing, and Clementine must send Freja away to live with her old friend Tobias, a bestselling crime writer and, quite possibly, the most absent-minded man on earth. Tobias isn’t used to life with a child, and Freja isn’t used to people at all, but together they’ll stumble into an Italian adventure so big that it will change things forever … Award-winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad returns with a delicious new series about family, friendship and finding yourself. Ages: 8+

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TEEN FICTION / YA

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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3. La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1)
Philip Pullman

Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . .

Philip Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with this magnificent first volume of The Book of Dust.

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4. Graffiti Moon
Cath Crowley

Lucy is in love with Shadow, a mysterious graffiti artist.

Ed thought he was in love with Lucy, until she broke his nose.

Dylan loves Daisy, but throwing eggs at her probably wasn’t the best way to show it.

Jazz and Leo are slowly encircling each other.

An intense and exhilarating 24 hours in the lives of four teenagers on the verge: of adulthood, of HSC, of finding out just who they are, and who they want to be.

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5. The Hate U Give
Angela Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

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6. Hunger (Gone Series #2)
Michael Grant

An uneasy calm has settled over Perdido Beach. But soon fear explodes into desperation as starvation sets in and the mob look to place blame. For the ‘normals’ the buck must stop somewhere – with the ‘freaks’. More and more kids are developing strange powers and, just as frightingly, so are the animals in the FAYZ: talking coyotes, swimming bats and deadly worms with razor-sharp teeth are just the beginning. For Sam Temple the strain of leadership is beginning to show and he’s got more that just dwindling rations and in-fighting to worry about. Caine is back with the psychotic whiphand, Drake, by his side.

And in the background lies the greatest danger of all – and he needs to be fed.

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7. Take Three Girls
Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood

ADY – not the confident A-Lister she appears to be.
KATE – brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
CLEM – disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.

All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda’s antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try – but sometimes all it takes is three girls.

Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging. Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny. 3 award-winning authors. 1 compelling book.

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8. Gone (Gone Series #1)
Michael Grant

‘One minute, the teacher was there, the next, he was gone. There. Gone.’

In the blink of an eye all the adults disappear in a small town in southern California and no one knows why. First a car crash, a house up in flames, then a complete communication meltdown…

Suddenly cut off from the outside world, those that are left are trapped, and there’s no help on the way. They must do all they can to survive. Chaos rules the streets. Gangs begin to form. Sides are chosen…strong or weak. Cruel or humane. A new world order is rising, and, even scarier, some survivors have power – power that no one has ever seen before…

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9. The Giver (Giver Quartet #1)
Lois Lowry

It’s a perfect world, where everything looks right. But ugly truths lie beneath the surface! It is the future. There is no war, no hunger, no pain. No one in The Community wants for anything. Everyone is provided for. Each Family Unit is entitled to one female and male child. Each member of The Community has their profession carefully chosen for them by the Committee of Elders, and they never make a mistake.

Jonas, a sensitive twelve-year-old boy, had never thought there was anything wrong with his Community, until one day. From the moment Jonas is selected as the Receiver of Memory at The Ceremony, his life is never the same. Jonas discovers that The Community is not as perfect as it seems. Although they appear to have everything, they are missing something of great importance. It is up to Jonas, with the help of the Giver, to find what long ago had been lost. And so Jonas embarks on an adventure to save the world as he knows it.

Simply and beautifully written, The Giver is sure to touch the heart of every reader. Lois Lowry deals with issues of everyday life that are so often taken for granted.Through the noble character of Jonas, she presents a glimpse of what could be the future. As the tension in the novel mounts, so does the number of questions that Lowry confronts the reader with.

The Giver is a book of courage and adventure, and most importantly, one of deep thought. Once readers make contact with Lowry’s treasure, they may never see things exactly quite the same. Lowry presents a forceful novel that demands to be heard and philosophically dealt with.

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10. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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JUNIOR NON-FICTION

1. Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls #1
Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

“What if the princess did not marry Prince Charming but instead went on to be an astronaut or an activist? What if the jealous step sisters were supportive and kind? And what if the queen was the one really in charge of the kingdom?”

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls introduces us to one hundred remarkable women and their extraordinary lives. From Marie Curie to Malala, Ada Lovelace to Zaha Hadid, this book brings together the stories of scientists, artists, politicians, pirates and spies. Each double-page spread contains a mini-biography written in the style of a modern fairy tale and a full-page portrait capturing the spirit of each heroine, by one of the sixty female artists from across the globe who were commissioned to illustrate the book.

Powerful, moving and very necessary, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girl will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

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2. Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls #2
Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

100 new bedtime stories, each inspired by the life and adventures of extraordinary women from Nefertiti to Beyonce.

The unique narrative style of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls transforms each biography in a fairy-tale, filling the readers with wonder and with a burning curiosity to know more about each hero.

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3. Lion: A Long Way Home (YA Edition)
Saroo Brierley

When Saroo Brierley used Google Earth to find his long-lost home town half a world away, he made global headlines.

Saroo had become lost on a train in India at the age of five. Not knowing the name of his family or where he was from, he survived for weeks on the streets of Kolkata, before being taken into an orphanage and adopted by a couple in Australia.

Despite being happy in his new family, Saroo always wondered about his origins. He spent hours staring at the map of India on his bedroom wall. When he was a young man the advent of Google Earth led him to pore over satellite images of the country for landmarks he recognised. And one day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for.

Then he set off on a journey to find his mother.

Lion: A Long Way Home is a moving and inspirational true story that celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit – hope.

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4. The Rabbits
John Marsden & Shaun Tan

‘The rabbits came many grandparents ago.
They built houses, made roads, had children.
They cut down trees.
A whole continent of rabbits…’

The Rabbits offers a rich and immensely valuable perspective on the effect of man on his environment. Visually loaded and told with a passion for truth and understanding, The Rabbits aims to promote cultural awareness and a sense of caring for the natural world.

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5. Laugh Your Head Off Again
Various

9 authors
9 stories
to make you laugh your head off again and again!

A scary shower + three twisty little pigs + a choose your own adventure + a Halloween chicken + a demonic clown + an unexpected gift + terrible twins + a famous dancing dog + a running race like no other = one hilarious book.

Includes stories from Andy Griffiths, John Marsden, R.A. Spratt, Alex Ratt, Tristan Bancks, Deb Abela, Tony Wilson, Alan Brough, and Meredith Costain.

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6. Guinness Book of World Records

The record-breaking record book is back with a whole new year’s worth of incredible accomplishments, spectacular stunts, cutting-edge science and unparalleled sporting achievements. As ever, it’s packed with hundreds of never-before-seen photographs, thousands of superlative stats, facts and figures, and a multitude of new features.

This year the editors have taken their inspiration from superheroes – fictional and real-world – so look out for an all-new feature chapter charting the rise of the superhero in comic books, TV shows and movies. We also meet the real-life record-breakers with genuine superpowers, such as the Canadian vicar who can pull a jumbo jet and an actual cyborg who uses technology to augment his senses.

Taking one topic at a time, unique infographic poster pages explore the most exciting absolutes – such as the longest, tallest, fastest and heaviest. Does the longest sofa outstretch the longest train? Is the tallest Easter egg bigger than the tallest snowman?

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7. My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals: For Little Animal Lovers Who Want to Know Everything
Dorling Kindersley

For little animal lovers who want to know everything. From birds and frogs to sharks and dogs, this book is perfect for the curious little animal lover in your life.

Mixing photography and charming illustration, kids will discover important facts about the wonderful world of animals – from what they eat and where they live, to why people are animals too.

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals is a friendly book that gets children learning, reading, and laughing!

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8. Do You Know About Space?
Dorling Kindersley

Amazing answers to more than 200 awesome space questions!

Do You Know About Space? takes the reader on a galactic journey to answer all the probing questions children ask about space. What is a shooting star? Why is Jupiter stripy? Is anyone else out there? Featuring the most amazing space pictures from NASA, as well as the latest space news, this is a book perfect for young space fans as well as children new to the subject. Do You Know About Space? covers the Solar System, stars, galaxies, space exploration, and much more!

The book has clear and simple text, so information is easily accessible and utterly fascinating for children aged 6 to 8 years old. Featuring answers to more than 200 questions, Do You Know About Space? is the ideal book for kids who want to learn about the Universe.

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9. Illuminature
Rachel Williams & Carnovsky

Discover the dark and mysterious creatures of the night, whose super-sensory powers allow them to live and survive in the shadows, then switch the lens to step into daylight, where the heat of the sun supercharges the secret lives of creatures big and small. Finally, use the third lens to reveal the luscious plant life of every habitat as you travel through a jungle, a reef, grasslands, woodland and uncover a world that never sleeps with Milan-based design-duo, Carnovsky.

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10. David Astle’s Gargantuan Book of Words
David Astle

A fun-filled, action-packed activity book by Australia’s funniest and best-loved word guy! David Astle’s Gargantuan Book of Words is jam-packed with wordy puzzles and other twisty tricks of the tongue.

From the author of Wordburger, this is an entertaining and accessible activity book for the kid who likes puzzles, the kid who likes language, or the kid who just needs something to do that doesn’t involve a screen.

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PICTURE STORY

1. Here We Are
Oliver Jeffers

Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.

Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.

Here We Are is the utterly heartfelt new book from Oliver Jeffers. We’re glad you found it.

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2. No One Likes A Fart
Zoe Foster Blake

Fart is excited! He’s desperate to make friends and have fun. But no one likes a fart. Not even a fart with a heart. Too smelly. Too embarrassing. Too gross.

A sweet, funny story about accepting yourself and finding a friend who loves you just the way you are. Mostly, though, it’s about a fart. And fart jokes. Loooots of fart jokes.

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3. The Second Sky
Patrick Guest

The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds.

But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert’s quest to find his place in the world.

Great things happen when you reach for the sky.

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4. The Very Noisy Baby
Alison Lester

Here is the story of a very noisy baby.

She could bellow like a buffalo
And roar like a lion
And howl like a wolf for a very long time.

The baby loves to make all kinds of sounds. She’s really very loud.
But when some animals in the town go missing, can the very noisy baby help?

Find out in this wonderfully boisterous story, full of action, fun (and noise!).

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5. Koala Bare
Jackie French and Matt Shanks

For too long koalas have been called bears.

But this koala is out to prove to the world that he is BARE!

And that never, ever, ever can a koala be called a bear …

From the internationally renowned author of the bestselling Diary of a Wombat comes a hilariously funny picture book that Jackie French has created with talented new illustrator, Matt Shanks.

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6. This Zoo is Not For You
Ross Collins

When a small platypus applies for a vacancy at the zoo, he is taken on a rigorous interview process. But he’s far too bland for the chameleons, not nearly graceful enough for the flamingos, and his tricks, quite frankly, will never impress the monkeys. So, disappointed, he leaves. But soon the animals regret being so unkind and join together to welcome him to the zoo… Leading to a very fun party on his Platybus!

Who knew getting a job at the zoo would cause such a hullabaloo? The heartwarming new story from the author/illustrator of There’s a Bear on the Chair.

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7. Dancing Days (The Fairy Dancers #2)
Natalie Prior

There’s a fairy ring at the bottom of the garden, and the fairy dancers are wishing hard for dancing days. Join Mia, Emma and Grace in their most magical dancing adventures ever!  Ages 4+

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8. The Fairest Fairy
Anne Booth

Poor Betty! She’s always getting into messy muddles. She can’t paint a rainbow, or scatter dewdrops and her pirouettes are, well, pretty precarious. You see, with so many animals to rescue and friends to help, there’s just no time for Betty to practise all the things a fairy should. But when it comes to the Fairy Ball, Betty’s friends return her gifts of kindness and it becomes clear who is actually the fairiest fairy of them all.

A charming rhyming story with an uplifting message about a fairy called Betty who never quite seems to get things right. This paperback edition included a free audio reading.

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9. Kissed by the Moon
Alison Lester

May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong.

Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby’s wonder at our beautiful world. From much-loved Australian Children’s Laureate Alison Lester comes a timeless book to share and to treasure.

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10. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
Sherri Rinkler

As the sun sets behind the big construction site, all the hardworking trucks get ready to say goodnight. One by one, Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer, and Excavator finish their work and lie down to rest – so they’ll be ready for another day of rough and tough construction play! With irresistible artwork by best-selling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and sweet, rhyming text, this book will have truck lovers of all ages begging for more.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. Nevermoor: The Trial of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s there that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart. Except for Morrigan, who doesn’t seem to have any special talent at all.

To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

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2. Bad Dad
David Walliams

Dads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

There are fat ones and thin ones, tall ones and short ones.
There are young ones and old ones, clever ones and stupid ones.
There are silly ones and serious ones, loud ones and quiet ones.
Of course, there are good dads, and bad dads . . .

A high-speed cops and robbers adventure with heart and soul about a father and son taking on the villainous Mr Big – and winning!

This riches-to-rags story will have you on the edge of your seat and howling with laughter!

Bad Dad is a fast and furious, heart-warming story of a father and son on an adventure – and a thrilling mission to break an innocent man into prison!

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3. The Getaway (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12)
Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley and his family are getting out of town. With the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much needed rest and relaxation. A few days in paradise should do wonders for Greg and his frazzled family. But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Sunburn, stomach troubles, and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family’s vacation. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

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4. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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5. A Most Magical Girl 
Karen Foxlee

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time – and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being ‘proper’ isn’t always easy – especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter…

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They’re keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn’t believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty – an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel’s aunts seem very fond of – and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . .

This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away . . .

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6. Wombat and Fox: The Whole Story
Terry Denton

Wherever Wombat and Fox go, trouble is never far behind. They like to live on the edge. Well, actually, Wombat likes to live on the edge – Fox likes to stay well back from the edge. But the city is a surprising place and adventure always finds Wombat and Fox, and their friends Croc, Bandicoot, the Hippo Sisters and the mischievous Five Monkeys.

This is the whole story.

Warm and wonderful illustrated stories for beginner readers from one of Australia’s most popular kid’s book creators. This collection brings together all the stories of Wombat and Fox and their hilarious adventures in the city.

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7. The Magic Misfits
Neil Patrick Harris

This book contains a BIG SECRET. Read on if you dare …

Do you believe in magic?

Carter doesn’t. He knows magic tricks are just that – tricks. And as a street magician he’s also pretty good at them. But then Carter runs away from his conman uncle and he finds himself alone and in danger from dastardly carnival ringleader, B.B. Bosso. He could really use some magic now …

A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Dante Vernon leads Carter to a magic shop, where he teams up with five other like-minded kids and the Magic Misfits are born! Can the gang use their magical talents to save the day and stop B.B. stealing a priceless diamond?

And now for the BIG SECRET … inside this book you will find a treasure trove of tips, codes and stage tricks that will help YOU join the Magic Misfits and make some magic of your own. (BUT DON’T TELL ANYONE.)

Perfect for children aged 8 to 12 years old and fans of Lemony Snicket, David Walliams … and magic!

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8. The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories #1)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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9. Tales From a Tall Forest 
Shaun Micallef and Jonathan Bentley

Once upon a time being, forever and ever ago, there lived a forest tall of tales …

When an innocent princess wanders into the forest, she finds herself trapped between a wolf with a ravenous appetite and a sweet little house with a secret. Meanwhile, a desperate fisherman enters into a very bad bargain with a power-hungry monkey. And meanerwhile still, a tiny tricksy tailor promises a promise that not even the most magic of beanstalks can help him escape.

In this rich and rambunctious tapestry of tales, satirist Shaun Micallef unravels the traditional fairy story and nimbly weaves your favourite characters into new and surprising adventures. Illustrated by award-winning artist Jonathan Bentley, this subversively silly trilogy will captivate parents and children alike – and indignant fairytale authors too.

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10. The Girl, The Dog and the Writer in Rome
Katrina Nannestead

He’s the world’s vaguest novelist. She’s a shy and unusual child. Together, they’re travelling the world, one book a time.

For the first ten years of Freja’s life, she and her mother Clementine have roamed the Arctic in search of zoological wonders. Happy, content, together. Freja and Clem. Clem and Freja. But now, everything is changing, and Clementine must send Freja away to live with her old friend Tobias, a bestselling crime writer and, quite possibly, the most absent-minded man on earth. Tobias isn’t used to life with a child, and Freja isn’t used to people at all, but together they’ll stumble into an Italian adventure so big that it will change things forever … Award-winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad returns with a delicious new series about family, friendship and finding yourself. Ages: 8+

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TEEN FICTION / YOUNG ADULT

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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3. La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1)
Philip Pullman

Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . .

Philip Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with this magnificent first volume of The Book of Dust.

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4. Turtles All the Way Down
John Green

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred thousand dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

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5. Monster
Michael Grant

It’s been four years since a meteor hit Perdido Beach and everyone disappeared. Everyone, except the kids trapped in the FAYZ – an invisible dome that was created by an alien virus. Inside the FAYZ, animals began to mutate and teens developed dangerous powers. The terrifying new world was plagued with hunger, lies, and fear of the unknown.

Now the dome is gone and meteors are hitting earth with an even deadlier virus. Humans will mutate into monsters and the whole world will be exposed. As some teens begin to morph into heroes, they will find that others have become dangerously out of control … and that the world is on the brink of a monstrous battle between good and evil.

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6. Gone
Michael Grant

‘One minute, the teacher was there, the next, he was gone. There. Gone.’

In the blink of an eye all the adults disappear in a small town in southern California and no one knows why. First a car crash, a house up in flames, then a complete communication meltdown…

Suddenly cut off from the outside world, those that are left are trapped, and there’s no help on the way. They must do all they can to survive. Chaos rules the streets. Gangs begin to form. Sides are chosen…strong or weak. Cruel or humane. A new world order is rising, and, even scarier, some survivors have power – power that no one has ever seen before…

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7. Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer (Book #1)
Rick Riordan

My name is Magnus Chase. I’m orphaned and living rough on the streets of Boston. And things are about to get much worse.

My day started out normally enough. I was sleeping under a bridge when some guy kicked me awake and said, ‘They’re after you.’ Next thing I know, I’m reunited with my obnoxious uncle, who casually informs me that my long-lost father is a Norse god.

Nothing normal about that. And it turns out the gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Apparently, if I can’t find the sword my father lost two thousand years ago, there will be doom. Doomsday, to be precise.

A fire giant attacking the city?
Immortal warriors hacking each other to pieces?
Unkillable wolves with glowing eyes?

It’s all coming up.

But first I’m going to die. This is the story of how my life goes downhill from there . . .

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8. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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9. The Hate U Give
Angela Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

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10. Take Three Girls
Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood

ADY – not the confident A-Lister she appears to be.
KATE – brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
CLEM – disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.

All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda’s antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try – but sometimes all it takes is three girls.

Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging. Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny. 3 award-winning authors. 1 compelling book.

PICTURE STORY

1. Here We Are
Oliver Jeffers

Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.

Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.

Here We Are is the utterly heartfelt new book from Oliver Jeffers. We’re glad you found it.

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2. The Very Noisy Baby
Alison Lester

Here is the story of a very noisy baby.

She could bellow like a buffalo
And roar like a lion
And howl like a wolf for a very long time.

The baby loves to make all kinds of sounds. She’s really very loud.
But when some animals in the town go missing, can the very noisy baby help?

Find out in this wonderfully boisterous story, full of action, fun (and noise!).

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3. The Second Sky
Patrick Guest

The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds.

But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert’s quest to find his place in the world.

Great things happen when you reach for the sky.

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4. Koala Bare
Jackie French

For too long koalas have been called bears.

But this koala is out to prove to the world that he is BARE!

And that never, ever, ever can a koala be called a bear …

From the internationally renowned author of the bestselling Diary of a Wombat comes a hilariously funny picture book that Jackie French has created with talented new illustrator, Matt Shanks.

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5. No One Likes a Fart
Zoe Foster Blake

Fart is excited! He’s desperate to make friends and have fun. But no one likes a fart. Not even a fart with a heart. Too smelly. Too embarrassing. Too gross.

A sweet, funny story about accepting yourself and finding a friend who loves you just the way you are. Mostly, though, it’s about a fart. And fart jokes. Loooots of fart jokes.

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6. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Adapted by Peter Bently. Illustrated by Steven Lenton

A special 32 page picture book adaptation of Dodie Smith’s much-loved story, perfect for younger children aged 4+. When Missis and Pongo’s darling Dalmatian puppies are stolen, they know just who to suspect . . . the evil Cruella de Vil! She’s enough to scare the spots off a pup and she would love nothing more than to turn them into a spotty fur coat! With the help of some fearless furry friends, the parents set off on a brave rescue attempt. But can the Dalmatians parents rescue their precious pups in time?

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7. River Rose and the Magical Christmas
Kelly Clarkson

It’s Christmas Eve, and River Rose wants to stay up all night to hand-deliver a letter to Santa. She can’t wait to finally meet the man in red until . . . Oh no! River Rose and her dog, Joplin, have fallen asleep and been swept off on another magical adventure. This time, they’re off to the North Pole to let Santa know what River Rose really wants for Christmas.

This joyous new holiday story perfectly captures the spirit of the season and comes complete with a link for readers to listen to a brand-new, original Christmas song written and performed by the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson herself.

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8. Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris
Kate Knapp

Ruby and her grandmother Babushka are off to Paris for a holiday! When they arrive they go and meet Babushka’s brother, Monsieur Gaspar Galushka, who loves hats as much as Ruby loves red shoes. And with Monsieur is his grandson, Felix, who becomes Ruby’s guide while she is in Paris. together the two young hares zip around Paris on Felix’s racy red scooter taking in all of the beautiful sights that Paris has to offer. It is the adventure of a lifetime, filled with memories that Ruby will treasure forever. Ages:4-8

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9. The Little Reindeer
Nicola Killen

An enchanting Christmas story about a magical yet unlikely friendship between a little girl and a lost reindeer, lovingly told and illustrated with red foil highlights and interactive die cuts.

When a jingling sound wakes her from her sleep, a little girl’s dreams come true when she meets a lost reindeer in the forest. They set off on a magical adventure and it becomes a Christmas never to forget. Nicola Killen’s evocative illustrations are sure to enchant in this beautiful book with die cut pages, foil, and flashes of festive red.

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10. The Ugly Five
Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler

Who’s that singing on the savanna? It’s the top-five ugly animals in Africa!

The wildebeest, warthog, vulture, hyena and marabou stork swagger proudly across the savanna, rejoicing in their ugliness–and delighting their babies, who think they’re perfect just the way they are.

Inspired by the real-life Ugly Five safari animals, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s brand-new picture book is a jubilant celebration of animals who are often rather unloved.

The funny, heart-warming rhyme is a joy to read aloud, while bold, comical illustrations bring the savanna spectacularly to life.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. Bad Dad
David Walliams

Dads come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

There are fat ones and thin ones, tall ones and short ones.
There are young ones and old ones, clever ones and stupid ones.
There are silly ones and serious ones, loud ones and quiet ones.
Of course, there are good dads, and bad dads . . .

A high-speed cops and robbers adventure with heart and soul about a father and son taking on the villainous Mr Big – and winning!

This riches-to-rags story will have you on the edge of your seat and howling with laughter!

Bad Dad is a fast and furious, heart-warming story of a father and son on an adventure – and a thrilling mission to break an innocent man into prison!

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2. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s there that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart. Except for Morrigan, who doesn’t seem to have any special talent at all.

To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

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3. The Getaway (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12)
Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley and his family are getting out of town. With the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much needed rest and relaxation. A few days in paradise should do wonders for Greg and his frazzled family. But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Sunburn, stomach troubles, and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family’s vacation. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

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4. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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5. Harry Potter & the Cursed Child Parts 1 and 2 (Playscript)
JK Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

The playscript for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was originally released as a ‘special rehearsal edition’ alongside the opening of Jack Thorne’s play in London’s West End in summer 2016. Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, the play opened to rapturous reviews from theatre goers and critics alike, while the official playscript became an immediate global bestseller.

This revised paperback edition updates the ‘special rehearsal edition’ with the conclusive and final dialogue from the play, which has subtly changed since its rehearsals, as well as a conversation piece between director John Tiffany and writer Jack Thorne, who share stories and insights about reading playscripts. This edition also includes useful background information including the Potter family tree and a timeline of events from the Wizarding World prior to the beginning of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

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6. Explorer
Katherine Rundell

Fred awoke to find that a snake was watching him and that there was an aeroplane in the trees. It was on fire. Being on fire was a quality it shared with much of the surrounding jungle.

After crashing hundreds of miles from civilisation in the Amazon rainforest, Fred, Con, Lila and Max are utterly alone and in grave danger. They have no food, no water and no chance of being rescued. But they are alive and they have hope. As they negotiate the wild jungle they begin to find signs that something – someone – has been there before them. Could there possibly be a way out after all?

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7. The Wizards of Once
Cressida Cowell

Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests. Until the Warriors came…

Xar is a Wizard boy who has no Magic, and will do anything to get it. Wish is a Warrior girl, but she owns a banned Magical Object, and she will do anything to conceal it.

In this whirlwind adventure, Xar and Wish must forget their differences if they’re going to make it to the dungeons at Warrior Fort.  Where something that has been sleeping for hundreds of years is stirring…

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8. Crush Catastrophe (Dork Diaries #12)
Rachel Renee Russell

In Nikki’s newest diary, it’s the countdown to the end of the school year, and Nikki’s juggling some big questions about how she’ll spend her summer.

She’s also facing an unexpected crush catastrophe – there’s a new kid interested in Nikki, but the last thing she wants to do is accidentally hurt Brandon! It all comes down to a big decision Nikki has to make, and drama like she’s never faced before!

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9. The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome
Katrina Nannestad

He’s the world’s vaguest novelist. She’s a shy and unusual child. Together, they’re travelling the world, one book a time.

For the first ten years of Freja’s life, she and her mother Clementine have roamed the Arctic in search of zoological wonders. Happy, content, together. Freja and Clem. Clem and Freja. But now, everything is changing, and Clementine must send Freja away to live with her old friend Tobias, a bestselling crime writer and, quite possibly, the most absent-minded man on earth. Tobias isn’t used to life with a child, and Freja isn’t used to people at all, but together they’ll stumble into an Italian adventure so big that it will change things forever … Award-winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad returns with a delicious new series about family, friendship and finding yourself. Ages: 8+

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10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated edition)
JK Rowling & Jim Kay

An extraordinary creative achievement by an extraordinary talent, Jim Kay’s inspired reimagining of J.K. Rowling’s classic series has captured a devoted following worldwide. This stunning new fully illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban brings more breathtaking scenes and unforgettable characters – including Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Professor Trelawney. With paint, pencil and pixels, Kay conjures the wizarding world as we have never seen it before. Fizzing with magic and brimming with humour, this full-colour edition will captivate fans and new readers alike as Harry, now in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, faces Dementors, death omens and – of course – danger.

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TEEN & YA

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Take Three Girls
Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood

ADY – not the confident A-Lister she appears to be.
KATE – brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
CLEM – disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.

All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda’s antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try – but sometimes all it takes is three girls.

Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging. Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny. 3 award-winning authors. 1 compelling book.

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3. La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust Part 1)
Philip Pullman

Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . .

Philip Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with this magnificent first volume of The Book of Dust.

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4. Turtles All the Way Down
John Green

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred thousand dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

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5. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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6. Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3) Rick Riordan

Loki the trickster god is free from his chains. Now he’s readying Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, armed with a host of giants and zombies, to sail against the Norse gods and begin the final battle of Ragnarok. It’s up to Magnus Chase and his friends to stop Loki’s plans, but to do so they will have to sail across the oceans of Midgard, Jotunheim and Niflheim in a desperate race to reach Naglfar before it’s ready to sail on Midsummer’s Day.

Along the way, they will face angry sea gods, hostile giants, and an evil fire-breathing dragon who happens to be a former acquaintance. But Magnus’s biggest challenge will be facing his own inner demons. To defeat Loki, Magnus will need to use words, not force. This will require finding a magical elixir so deadly that it will either make Magnus Chase powerful enough to out-talk the silver-tongued Loki, or destroy Magnus utterly.

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7. Gone
Michael Grant

‘One minute, the teacher was there, the next, he was gone. There. Gone.’

In the blink of an eye all the adults disappear in a small town in southern California and no one knows why. First a car crash, a house up in flames, then a complete communication meltdown…

Suddenly cut off from the outside world, those that are left are trapped, and there’s no help on the way. They must do all they can to survive. Chaos rules the streets. Gangs begin to form. Sides are chosen…strong or weak. Cruel or humane. A new world order is rising, and, even scarier, some survivors have power – power that no one has ever seen before…

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8. Untidy Towns
Kate O’Donnell

Seventeen-year-old Adelaide is sick of being expected to succeed on other people’s terms. She knows she just has to stick it out at school for one more year and then she’ll be free. Instead, she runs away from her fancy boarding school back to her sleepy hometown to read and dream.

But there are no free rides. When Addie’s grandad gets her a job at the local historical society, she soon finds out that it’s dusty and dull, just like her new life. Things change when she starts hanging out with Jarrod, a boy who seems full of possibilities. But it turns out he’s as stuck as she is. And Addie realises that when you want something in life, you’ve actually got to do something about it.

A heartfelt story about love, friendship and finding your own way.

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9. Monster
Michael Grant

It’s been four years since a meteor hit Perdido Beach and everyone disappeared. Everyone, except the kids trapped in the FAYZ – an invisible dome that was created by an alien virus. Inside the FAYZ, animals began to mutate and teens developed dangerous powers. The terrifying new world was plagued with hunger, lies, and fear of the unknown.

Now the dome is gone and meteors are hitting earth with an even deadlier virus. Humans will mutate into monsters and the whole world will be exposed. As some teens begin to morph into heroes, they will find that others have become dangerously out of control … and that the world is on the brink of a monstrous battle between good and evil.

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10. They Both Die at the End
Adam Silvera

On September 5th, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: they’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: there’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure – to live a lifetime in a single day.

Another beautiful, heartbreaking and life-affirming book from the brilliant Adam Silvera, author of History Is All You Left Me.

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PICTURE STORY

1. The Second Sky
Patrick Guest

The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds.

But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert’s quest to find his place in the world.

Great things happen when you reach for the sky.

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2. Koala Bare
Jackie French

For too long koalas have been called bears.

But this koala is out to prove to the world that he is BARE!

And that never, ever, ever can a koala be called a bear …

From the internationally renowned author of the bestselling Diary of a Wombat comes a hilariously funny picture book that Jackie French has created with talented new illustrator, Matt Shanks.

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3. Magic Beach
Alison Lester

Imagine a perfect beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, build sandcastles, beachcomb, explore rock pools, muck about in boats, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Imagine a beach where adventure begins.

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4. A Perfectly Posh Pink Afternoon Tea
Coral Vass

Annabelle Mae and her friends are set to have the most delightfully posh afternoon tea. But when the no-good Darcy and Dean get up to mischief, Annabelle doesn’t let them spoil the fun!

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5. Out
Angela May George

I’m called an asylum seeker; but that’s not my name … 

A little girl flees her homeland, making a long and treacherous boat journey with her mother to seek asylum in Australia. Starting a new life is challenging, but they work hard to create a new home. Told from the little girl’s point of view, the story is both heartbreaking and triumphant, allowing timely and sensitive discussion of what drives people to become refugees and the challenges they face.

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6. Amazing Monster Detectoscope
Graham Base

When our hero uses his Amazing Monster DetectoScope he finds that the house is infested with monsters! Can he find the courage to face his fears? This whimsical take on facing childhood fears features intricate paper engineering and a whole host of hilariously hideous beasties lying in wait beyond the DetectoScope viewfinder.

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7. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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8. Go Home Cheeky Animals
Johanna Bell

***Winner of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards : Early Childhood Book of the Year 2017***

At Canteen Creek where we live, there are cheeky dogs everywhere. But when the cheeky goats, donkeys, buffaloes and camels make mischief in the camp, the dogs just lie there – until those pesky animals really go too far. Then the cheeky camp dogs roar into action!

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9. There’s a Big Green Frog in the Toilet (Book + CD)
Anh Do & Simon Mellor

There’s a big green frog in the toilet and it’s looking up at me.

There’s a big green frog in the toilet and I’m busting for a wee!

Sing along to find out what happens when a frog won’t budge in this funny story from Anh Do, Simon Mellor and Heath McKenzie!

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10. I’m Australian Too
Mem Fox

I’m Australian! How about you? Many people from many places have come across the seas, to make Australia their home. How Australian is that?

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
(Jessica Townsend)

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s there that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart. Except for Morrigan, who doesn’t seem to have any special talent at all.

To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests – or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.

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2. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated  edition)
J.K. Rowling & Jim Kay

An extraordinary creative achievement by an extraordinary talent, Jim Kay’s inspired reimagining of J.K. Rowling’s classic series has captured a devoted following worldwide. This stunning new fully illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban brings more breathtaking scenes and unforgettable characters – including Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Professor Trelawney. With paint, pencil and pixels, Kay conjures the wizarding world as we have never seen it before. Fizzing with magic and brimming with humour, this full-colour edition will captivate fans and new readers alike as Harry, now in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, faces Dementors, death omens and – of course – danger.

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4. The Wizards of Once
Cressida Cowell

Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests. Until the Warriors came…

Xar is a Wizard boy who has no Magic, and will do anything to get it. Wish is a Warrior girl, but she owns a banned Magical Object, and she will do anything to conceal it.

In this whirlwind adventure, Xar and Wish must forget their differences if they’re going to make it to the dungeons at Warrior Fort.  Where something that has been sleeping for hundreds of years is stirring…

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5. Maybe
Morris Gleitzman

1946. Europe is in ruins. Millions of people dream of finding happiness somewhere else.

Fourteen-year-old Felix is one of them. When he’s offered a journey to somewhere far away, he seizes the opportunity. So does someone very dear to him, even though she wasn’t actually invited.

They have high hopes for their new land, and their dramatic arrival there makes them want to stay. But before Felix and Anya can embrace the love and friendship of their new world, they must confront the murderous urge for revenge still alive in the old.

Felix knows he hasn’t faced anything like this before.

He may not survive, but he’s hoping he will.

Maybe.

The next powerful episode in the life of Felix, hero of Morris Gleitzman’s multi-award-winning Once, Then, Now, After and Soon.

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6. Quests for Glory (School for Good and Evil #4)
Soman Chainani

The first book in a second School for Good and Evil trilogy. Join your favourite students from the School for Good and Evil as they begin a new era and set off on their quests in the Endless Woods With every end comes a new beginning. Before they can graduate, the students at the school for Good and Evil must complete their Quests for Glory. The quests are both dangerous and unpredictable, and the stakes are high: success brings eternal adoration, and failure means obscurity forever. If Good and Evil can’t find a way to work together, can either side survive? Agatha, Tedros and Sophie are back in this action-packed fourth adventure in the School for Good and Evil series.

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7. The 13-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Where it all began…

Andy and Terry’s 13-storey treehouse is the most amazing treehouse in the world! It’s got a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of man-eating sharks, a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you’re hungry.

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8. Spooky Weird! (Weido #9)
Anh Do

Halloween’s coming up, and Bella and Weir are busy working on their costumes. But everything will be turned upside-down when Weir Do finds out his family are moving away!

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9. The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories #1)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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10. Toto
Michael Morgpurgo

When a twister descends on their Kansas farm, Toto and his owner Dorothy hide in the house – only to be plucked into the air and whisked away!

Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an unforgettable re-telling of a classic story, from Toto’s perspective, and is a must for every bookshelf.

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TEEN / YOUNG ADULT

1. Turtles All The Way Down
John Green

2. Take Three Girls
Cathy Crowley, Fiona Wood, Simmone Howell

ADY – not the confident A-Lister she appears to be.
KATE – brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
CLEM – disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.

All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda’s antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try – but sometimes all it takes is three girls.

Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging. Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny. 3 award-winning authors. 1 compelling book.

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3. Magnus Chase And The Ship Of The Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3)
Rick Riordan

Loki the trickster god is free from his chains. Now he’s readying Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, armed with a host of giants and zombies, to sail against the Norse gods and begin the final battle of Ragnarok. It’s up to Magnus Chase and his friends to stop Loki’s plans, but to do so they will have to sail across the oceans of Midgard, Jotunheim and Niflheim in a desperate race to reach Naglfar before it’s ready to sail on Midsummer’s Day.

Along the way, they will face angry sea gods, hostile giants, and an evil fire-breathing dragon who happens to be a former acquaintance. But Magnus’s biggest challenge will be facing his own inner demons. To defeat Loki, Magnus will need to use words, not force. This will require finding a magical elixir so deadly that it will either make Magnus Chase powerful enough to out-talk the silver-tongued Loki, or destroy Magnus utterly.

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4. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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5. Falling From Grace
Jane Godwin

There’s a storm at Point Nepean, and the ocean has swept into the bay. Kip is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Annie is scared. David is looking. And Grace is gone.

Enter Ted – with his vintage guitars and wild ideas, he’s unlike anyone Kip has ever met. As each day passes and a search is mounted, Kip cannot help asking questions – of himself, of the people around him, of everything that happened on the night of the storm. But the biggest questions facing Kip are: Where is Grace?

And who is Ted?

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6. La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume 1
Philip Pullman

Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. Across the River Thames (which Malcolm navigates often using his beloved canoe, a boat by the name of La Belle Sauvage) is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them; a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua . . .

Philip Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with this magnificent first volume of The Book of Dust.

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7. Warcross
Marie Lu

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game – it’s a way of life. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships – only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

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8. Everything Everything
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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9. Mirror, Mirror
Cara Delevingne

Friend. Lover. Victim. Traitor.
When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Sixteen-year-old friends Red, Leo, Rose, and Naomi are misfits; still figuring out who they are and who they want to be. Life isn’t perfect, but music brings them together, and they are excited about what the future holds for their band, Mirror, Mirror. That is until Naomi vanishes before being pulled unconscious out of the river.

She’s left fighting for her life in a coma. The police claim it was a failed suicide attempt, but her friends aren’t convinced. Will Naomi ever wake up? What – or perhaps who – led her to that hospital bed? And how did Red, the self-styled protector of the group, fail to spot the warning signs?

While Rose turns to wild partying and Leo is shrouded by black moods, Red sets out to uncover the truth. It’s a journey that will cause Red’s world to crack, exposing the group’s darkest secrets. Nothing will ever be the same again, because once a mirror is shattered, it can’t be fixed.

Cara Delevingne, the voice of her generation, explores identity, friendship and betrayal in this gripping and powerful coming-of-age story. For fans of We Were Liars, Thirteen Reasons Why and The Girls.

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10. Sisters
Raina Telgemeier

The companion to Raina Telgemeier’s bestselling graphic memoir, SMILE. Raina can’t wait to be a big sister, but once Amara is born she realizes things won’t be quite what she had expected…or hoped. Despite Amara’s cuteness, she is a cranky, grouchy baby and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years but when a baby brother enters the picture and their parents’ relationship starts to struggle, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

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PICTURE STORY

1. Koala Bare
Jackie French

For too long koalas have been called bears.

But this koala is out to prove to the world that he is BARE!

And that never, ever, ever can a koala be called a bear …

From the internationally renowned author of the bestselling Diary of a Wombat comes a hilariously funny picture book that Jackie French has created with talented new illustrator, Matt Shanks.

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2. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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3. Everybunny Dance!
Ellie Sandall

Bunnies dance, play, sing, and make a new friend in this delightful picture book.

Nobody is watching. 
Now’s the perfect chance.
Ready bunny,
Steady bunny,
EVERYBUNNY DANCE!

Thus begins a whimsical celebration of movement, which will have children jumping out of their seats to dance, play, and sing with these cheerful bunnies-and one not-so-scary fox.

Everybunny is invited to join together in this joyous display of playful creativity.

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4. Wynken, Blynken and Nod
Eugene Field

This classic bedtime poem appears in this illustrated edition in a moonlit Dutch landscape – the sailing boat is a shoe, the sea a sea of dew, the stars are herring, the moon speaks to the fishermen. There is ample fuel for a small child’s imagination and the three children, dressed in nightclothes are off on an adventure. The luminosity of the moonlit sea is captured in muted shades of blue that create a soothing mood. This poem, though well-known to grandparents, will be fresh for young children and it is the perfect bedtime story which will lull with its rhythms and create a sense of a safe, solid adult world, while allowing the imagination to soar and dreams to be pleasant.

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5. Magic Beach
Alison Lester

Imagine a perfect beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, build sandcastles, beachcomb, explore rock pools, muck about in boats, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Imagine a beach where adventure begins.

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6. Madeline Finn and the Library Dog
Lisa Papp

Madeline Finn DOES NOT like to read. Not books. Not magazines. Not even the menu on the ice cream truck. But Madeline Finn DOES want a gold star from her teacher. Stars are for good readers. Stars are for understanding words. And saying them out loud. Fortunately, Madeline Finn meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading out loud to Bonnie isnÕt so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesnÕt mind. Madeline Finn can pet her until she figures the word out. As it turns out, it’s fun to read when you’re not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that itÕs okay to go slow. And to keep trying. Just like the sticker says.

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7. You and Me, Me and You
Miguel Tanco

The wonder of being a dad is on display in this touching tribute to fathers. After all, the connection between a father and child yields a lifetime of learning and love.

In You and Me, Me and You, that special bond is honored through poignant, tenderly rendered illustrated vignettes: a father and son walk together, discuss life amid a city’s bustle, play, and, perhaps most profoundly, grow, side by side. Bright pops of Pantone yellow infuse each spread with joy, and a cloth spine adds an irresistible specialness. At once a treasured Father’s Day gift and a year-round I love you, parents and children will delight in this celebration of a supremely meaningful relationship.

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8. Leaf
Sandra Dieckmann

Crow saw it first. The strange white creature, carried upon the dark waves towards the shore…

When a polar bear arrives unexpectedly in the woods, the other animals fear and avoid him, suspecting him to be dangerous – and his odd habit of collecting leaves only adds to their distrust. Then one day, they watch as he attempts to fly over the water with wings made of colourful leaves… trying to get back home. Perhaps he isn’t so different after all?

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9. Quick Quack Quentin
Kes Gray & Jim Field

Quentin was a duck with a very quick quack.

‘QUCK!’ said Quentin. ‘What’s wrong with me?’

Quentin’s quack has lost its A. Do any of the other animals have one to spare? Not likely! APES don’t want to be PES. SNAKES don’t want to be SNKES. PANDAS don’t want to be PNDAS or even PANDS. Will Quentin be stuck with a very quick QUCK?!

Brilliant for reading out loud and teaching children about vowels and animals.

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10. Under the Love Umbrella
Davina Bell

Whatever you fear, come close my dear
You’re tucked in safe for always here
And I will never not be near
Because of our love umbrella.

From this award-winning creative duo comes a stunning celebration of the joy and comfort that love can bring – wherever we roam in the big, wild world.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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2. Dog Man 3: A Tale of Two Kitties
Dav Pilkey

Dog Man needs to dry up the drool, dust away the dander, and roll out of the refuse if he’s going to impress the Chief, and he needs to do it fast! Petey the cat is out of the bag, and his criminal curiosity is taking the city by storm. Can the canine crime biter unleash justice on this ruffian in time to save the city, or will Petey get away with the purrfect crime?

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3. Toto
Michael Morgpurgo

When a twister descends on their Kansas farm, Toto and his owner Dorothy hide in the house – only to be plucked into the air and whisked away!

Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an unforgettable re-telling of a classic story, from Toto’s perspective, and is a must for every bookshelf.

---

4. The Explorer
Katherine Rundell

Fred awoke to find that a snake was watching him and that there was an aeroplane in the trees. It was on fire. Being on fire was a quality it shared with much of the surrounding jungle.

After crashing hundreds of miles from civilisation in the Amazon rainforest, Fred, Con, Lila and Max are utterly alone and in grave danger. They have no food, no water and no chance of being rescued. But they are alive and they have hope. As they negotiate the wild jungle they begin to find signs that something – someone – has been there before them. Could there possibly be a way out after all?

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5. The Wizards of Once
Cressida Cowell

Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests. Until the Warriors came…

Xar is a Wizard boy who has no Magic, and will do anything to get it. Wish is a Warrior girl, but she owns a banned Magical Object, and she will do anything to conceal it.

In this whirlwind adventure, Xar and Wish must forget their differences if they’re going to make it to the dungeons at Warrior Fort.  Where something that has been sleeping for hundreds of years is stirring…

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6. Billy and the Minpins
Roald Dahl

Billy’s mum says he must never go out through the garden gate and explore the dark forest beyond. So, one day, that’s exactly what he does! There he meets the Minpins, tiny tree-dwelling people whose children are the size of matchsticks. They live in fear of the terrible, galloping gruncher. Will it gobble Billy too – or can he find a way to defeat the hungry beast?

From Matilda to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG, the collaboration between Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake has captured millions of children’s imaginations for nearly forty years. Billy and the Minpins, this new interpretation of Roald Dahl’s very last story (originally published in 1991), is just as magical.

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7. The Wonderling
Mira Bartok

In this extraordinary debut novel with its deft nod to Dickensian heroes and rogues, Mira Bartók tells the story of Arthur, a shy, fox-like foundling with only one ear and a desperate desire to belong, as he seeks his destiny.

Welcome to the Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, an institution run by evil Miss Carbunkle, a cunning villainess who believes her terrified young charges exist only to serve and suffer. Part animal and part human, the groundlings toil in classroom and factory, forbidden to enjoy anything regular children have, most particularly singing and music.

For the Wonderling, an innocent-hearted, one-eared, fox-like eleven-year-old with only a number rather than a proper name – a 13 etched on a medallion around his neck – it is the only home he has ever known. But unexpected courage leads him to acquire the loyalty of a young bird groundling named Trinket, who gives the Home’s loneliest inhabitant two incredible gifts: a real name – Arthur, like the good king in the old stories – and a best friend. Using Trinket’s ingenious invention, the pair escape over the wall and embark on an adventure that will take them out into the wider world and ultimately down the path of sweet Arthur’s true destiny.

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8. The World’s Worst Children 2
David Walliams

The brilliant follow-up to David Walliams’ bestseller The World’s Worst Children! Ten more stories about a brand new gang of hilariously horrible kids from everyone’s favourite children’s author, illustrated in glorious full colour by Tony Ross. If you thought you had read about the World’s Worst Children already, you’re in for a rather nasty shock. The beastly boys and gruesome girls in this book are even ruder, even more disgusting and WORSE than you could ever imagine!

This gorgeous collection of ten stories from the master himself, David Walliams, will make you snort with laughter and thank your lucky stars that you don’t know anyone like Gruesome Griselda or Fussy Frankie in real life. It also features a special appearance from fan-favourite Raj! Gloriously illustrated in full colour throughout by artistic genius Tony Ross, The World’s Worst Children 2 is a side-splitting companion to David’s blockbuster hit, The World’s Worst Children.

Ages 9+

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9. Charlie and the War Against the Grannies
Alan Brough

I didn’t want Mrs Cyclopolos to explode. I just wanted a paper round.

My name is Charlie Ian Duncan. I will be 12 on 2 February. I have written this history of my war with the grannies because I need everyone to know that I didn’t mean for Mrs Cyclopolos to blow up. I just wanted a paper round.

When I say ‘my war with the grannies’, I really mean the war I waged alongside my best friend Hils, my second-best-friend Rashid, Peter the Iraqi who isn’t afraid of anything (well apart from one thing), Warren and his magical bike TwelveSpeed and those crazy people we met underground.

The grannies started it when I asked them about a paper round and they sprayed me in the face with rooster brand chilli sauce and made me think that I was dead. Hils and I decided to go to war with them but then I discovered one of the grannies had a glass eye and I wasn’t sure if it was okay to go to war against someone with a glass eye but then I discovered that the granny with the glass eye could pinch bricks in half, turn her snot-covered hankies into deadly throwing weapons and possessed a truly terrible device called the Gnashing Gnet.

It’s all true.

Especially the bit about me not wanting anyone to blow up.

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10. Alien vs Bad Guys (The Bad Guys #6)
Aaron Blabey

One by one, the Bad Guys are vanishing. Taken by a creature with way too many teeth and far too many bottoms. Is this the end? Maybe. But will it be funny? You bet your butts it will!

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TEEN / YA

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6)
Sarah J. Maas

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since Aelin shattered the glass castle, since Chaol’s men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

Now he and Nesryn sail for Antica – the stronghold of the southern continent’s mighty empire and of the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme. It’s Chaol’s one shot at recovery, and with war looming back home, Dorian and Aelin’s survival could depend on Chaol and Nesryn convincing Antica’s rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover there will change them both – and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

Discover the untold story of Chaol’s journey to the southern continent in this companion novella to the Throne of Glass series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas.

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3. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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4. Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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5. Everything Everything
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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6. Geek Girl
Holly Smale

Harriet Manners knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a “jiffy” lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. She knows that bats always turn left when exiting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her. So when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her best friend’s dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of impossibly handsome model Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

Veering from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, Harriet begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn’t seem to like her any more than the real world did. As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything? The award-winning debut by bestselling author Holly Smale.

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7. Take Three Girls
Cathy Crowley, Fiona Wood, Simmone Howell

ADY – not the confident A-Lister she appears to be.
KATE – brainy boarder taking risks to pursue the music she loves.
CLEM – disenchanted swim-star losing her heart to the wrong boy.

All are targeted by PSST, a toxic website that deals in gossip and lies. St Hilda’s antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try – but sometimes all it takes is three girls.

Exploring friendship, feminism, identity and belonging. Take Three Girls is honest, raw and funny. 3 award-winning authors.
1 compelling book.

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8. Third Witch
Jackie French

Following on from OPHELIA, QUEEN OF DENMARK and I AM JULIET, this is the third title in the series for young people that focuses on the reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s classic and enduring plays.

‘I didn’t mean to do it’.

Annie is not a witch, but when her mistress Lady Macbeth calls for a potion to ‘stiffen Macbeth’s sinews’, Annie is caught up in plots that lead to murder, kingship and betrayal. Annie must also not only choose between Rab the Blacksmith and Murdoch, Thane of Greymouth, but discover where her loyalty lies.

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9. Unwind
Neal Shusterman

Connor’s parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family’s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together through desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing all the while that their lives are hanging in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthdays, they can’t be harmed. But when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away…

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10. All Rights Reserved
Gregory Scott Katsoulis

‘Sorry’ is a flat ten dollars and a legal admission of guilt.
Every nod and every scream is $0.99 per second.

Speth Jime is anxious to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood. The moment she turns fifteen, Speth must pay for every word she speaks and even every gesture of affection. She’s been raised to know the consequences of falling into debt, and can’t begin to imagine the pain of having her eyes shocked for speaking words that she’s unable to afford.

But when Speth’s friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family’s crippling debt, Speth can’t express her shock and dismay without breaking her Last Day contract and sending her family into Collection. Backed into a corner, Speth finds a loophole: rather than read her speech, she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again.

Speth’s unexpected defiance of tradition sparks a media frenzy, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps, and threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city around them.

In a world where every word and gesture is copyrighted, patented or trademarked, one girl elects to remain silent rather than pay to speak, and her defiant and unexpected silence threatens to unravel the very fabric of society.

PICTURE STORY

1. Kissed By The Moon
Alison Lester

May you, my baby, sleep softly at night, and when dawn lights the world, may you wake up to birdsong.

Part poem, part lullaby, this gentle story celebrates a baby’s wonder at our beautiful world. From much-loved Australian Children’s Laureate Alison Lester comes a timeless book to share and to treasure.

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2. In My Room
Jo Witek

In her room, one little girl can be anything she wants to be and go anywhere she wishes to go, all with the power of her imagination (and paper, markers, and crayons, of course!). She can go on safari or sail the seven seas. She can be a doctor, teacher, or high-powered businesswoman. The sky’s the limit! And when the day is over, she can become a little girl again, safe in her room. Like the classic Where the Wild Things Are, this latest addition to the Growing Hearts series celebrates imagination as a means to try on different identities and work through difficult emotions, all while having fun.

The Growing Hearts series celebrates the milestones of a toddler’s emotional development, from conquering fears and expressing feelings to welcoming a new sibling.

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3. Why I Love My Daddy
Daniel Howarth

Everyone’s daddy is the best. And who better to tell the world than children themselves?

This charming book combines endearing things said by children about their fathers with gentle illustrations of familiar animals. The text is amusing and insightful, with reasons why
daddies are loved by their children ranging from ‘because he tickles me’ to ‘because he is my best friend’.

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4. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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5. Home in the Rain
Bob Graham

Francie’s going to have a new baby sister very soon. But what will her name be? Francie has so many ideas! On a long drive home with Mum, in the pouring rain, maybe they’ll find one that’s just right…

A beautifully observed celebration of the way inspiration can, and often does happen in the most ordinary and unlikely of places.

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6. Mighty Mighty Construction Site
Sherri Duskey Rinker

All of our favorite trucks are back on the construction site-this time with a focus on team-building, friendship, and working together to make a big task seem small!

Down in the big construction site, tough trucks stir in the morning light! They’re eager to get things underway. There’s a brand-new job to start today …but this new job is the biggest they’ve ever seen, and Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane Truck, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer will need the help of new construction friends to get it done. Together, there’s nothing they can’t do!

Playful rhyming text and vibrant illustrations by the bestselling team behind Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Sitemake this book a surefire favorite for construction fans everywhere.

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7. Ruby Red Shoes
Kate Knapp

Ruby Red Shoes lives in a colourful caravan with her grandmother. Ruby is gentle and kind and cares for all living things, including plants and trees, animals and people. Ruby is also particularly fond of strawberry jam and peppermint tea.

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8. Magic Beach (20th anniversary edition)
Alison Lester

Imagine a beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, make sandcastles, hunt for treasures, explore rock-pools, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Imagine a beach where adventure begins…

A bestseller and a favourite with families for twenty years, Magic Beach is now a true Australian classic.

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9. A Thousand Hugs from Daddy
Anna Pignataro

In your arms its safe and snug, you always give a thousand hugs. And Im as happy as can be one hug is not enough for me! A Thousand Hugs from Daddy is a beautiful book filled with cuddles!

There are hugs for play, there are hugs for bravery, there are hugs for love and happiness, and there are always hugs for bedtime.

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10. Guff
Aaron Blabey

This is my Guff.
He’s really nice.
I’ve known him since I was little.
And I still know him even now I’m big

A funny and delightful picture book for anyone who’s ever had a little fabric friend.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new storeys. Prepare for more zany fun and crazy adventures!

The seventh book in the bestselling series from Australia’s most popular children’s author and illustrator.

Join Andy and Terry in their ridiculous 91-storey treehouse! Go for a spin in the world’s most powerful whirlpool, take a ride in a submarine sandwich, get marooned on a desert island, hang out in a giant spider web, visit the fortune teller’s tent to get your fortune told by Madame Know-it-all and decide whether or not to push the mysterious big red button. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

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2. Three Times Lucky
Sheila Turnage

Meet Mo LoBeau: natural-born detective.

Mo’s summer is looking good.  But that’s before the murder, the kidnapping, the car crash, and the hurricane.  If ever there was a time for Mo to put her detective skills to work, this is it.

Good thing Mo’s always been lucky.

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3. Charlie and the War Against the Grannies
Alan Brough

I didn’t want Mrs Cyclopolos to explode. I just wanted a paper round.

My name is Charlie Ian Duncan. I will be 12 on 2 February. I have written this history of my war with the grannies because I need everyone to know that I didn’t mean for Mrs Cyclopolos to blow up. I just wanted a paper round.

When I say ‘my war with the grannies’, I really mean the war I waged alongside my best friend Hils, my second-best-friend Rashid, Peter the Iraqi who isn’t afraid of anything (well apart from one thing), Warren and his magical bike TwelveSpeed and those crazy people we met underground.

The grannies started it when I asked them about a paper round and they sprayed me in the face with rooster brand chilli sauce and made me think that I was dead. Hils and I decided to go to war with them but then I discovered one of the grannies had a glass eye and I wasn’t sure if it was okay to go to war against someone with a glass eye but then I discovered that the granny with the glass eye could pinch bricks in half, turn her snot-covered hankies into deadly throwing weapons and possessed a truly terrible device called the Gnashing Gnet.

It’s all true.

Especially the bit about me not wanting anyone to blow up.

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4. The 13-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Where it all began…

Andy and Terry’s 13-storey treehouse is the most amazing treehouse in the world! It’s got a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a tank full of man-eating sharks, a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you’re hungry.

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5. Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches
Alan Brough

It begins with an interrupted story. Then, a mysterious box that speaks and sings. Add unusually unusual teachers, incredible lurking from the Lurker, an insect orchestra and a bungling burglar and it’s up to Charlie and Hils to save three innocent bugs from the forces of evil.

Another hilarious adventure starring Charlie and Hils from comedian, actor, singer and dancer (it’s true!), Alan Brough.

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6. A Most Magical Girl
Karen Foxlee

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time – and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being ‘proper’ isn’t always easy – especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter…

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They’re keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn’t believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty – an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel’s aunts seem very fond of – and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . .

This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away . . .

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7. Funny Kid for President
Matt Stanton

Meet the funny kid! Because every kid loves to laugh.

Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

He’s the class clown, the punch line and he’s even volunteered his bottom to be the butt of the joke.

Max is the funny kid … and he’s running for class president.

Poop scandals, stalker ducks, surprise debates, psycho sports teachers, tell-all interviews and the great library vomit-a-geddon are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends at Redhill Middle School this election season.

For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and Big Nate, FUNNY KID is the hilarious new series from bestselling children’s author Matt Stanton.

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8. Worlds Collide (Land of Stories #6)
Chris Colfer

In the highly anticipated finale, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters – heroes and villains – are no longer confined within their world!

With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale world?

Breathtaking action mixed with laugh-out-loud moments and lots of heart will make this a gripping conclusion for fans old and new.

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9. Spooky Weird! (Weido #9)
Anh Do

Halloween’s coming up, and Bella and Weir are busy working on their costumes. But everything will be turned upside-down when Weir Do finds out his family are moving away!

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10. Grandpa’s Great Escape
David Walliams

Jack’s Grandpa…

• wears his slippers to the supermarket

• serves up tinned tongue for dinner

• and often doesn’t remember Jack’s name

But he can still take to the skies in a speeding Spitfire and save the day…

Grandpa’s Great Escape is the story of the bond between a small boy and his beloved Grandpa – this book takes readers on an incredible journey with Spitfires over London and Great Escapes through the city in a high octane adventure full of comedy and heart.

This spectacular flight of the imagination is destined to become a much-loved favourite for all the family.

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TEEN / YA

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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3. Refuge: Many Dreams One Land
Jackie French

When a boat carrying a group of asylum seekers is sunk by a freak wave, Faris wakes from the shipwreck in an Australia he’s always dreamed of. There are kangaroos grazing under orange trees and the sky is always blue.

On a nearby beach, Faris meets a group of young people who have come from far different times and places. They are also seeking refuge, and each has their own story of why they had to leave their own story of why they had to leave their country to make a new life for themselves. It is only when Faris chooses to return to ‘real life’ and find his father in Australia that he learns the extraordinary truth about the friends he made in the golden beach.

From one of Australia’s best-loved authors comes a remarkable story about Australia’s long history of migration and the people who make up our country.

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4. Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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5. The Fall
Tristan Bancks

In the middle of the night, Sam is woken by angry voices from the apartment above.

He goes to the window to see what’s happening – only to hear a struggle, and see a body fall
from the sixth-floor balcony. Pushed, Sam thinks.

Sam goes to wake his father Harry, a crime reporter, but Harry is gone. And when Sam goes downstairs, the body is gone, too. But someone has seen Sam, and knows what he’s witnessed.

The next twenty-four hours could be his last.

 

Ages 10+

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6. The Sun is Also a Star
Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

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7. Geek Girl 
Holly Smale

Harriet Manners knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a “jiffy” lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. She knows that bats always turn left when exiting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her. So when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her best friend’s dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of impossibly handsome model Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

Veering from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, Harriet begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn’t seem to like her any more than the real world did. As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything? The award-winning debut by bestselling author Holly Smale.

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8. The Dark Prophecy (Trials of Apollo #2)
Rick Riordan

The god Apollo, cast down to earth and trapped in the form of a gawky teenage boy as punishment, must set off on the second of his harrowing (and hilarious) trials.

He and his companions seek the ancient oracles – restoring them is the only way for Apollo to reclaim his place on Mount Olympus – but this is easier said than done.

Somewhere in the American Midwest is a haunted cave that may hold answers for Apollo in his quest to become a god again . . . if it doesn’t kill him or drive him insane first. Standing in Apollo’s way is the second member of the evil Triumvirate – a Roman emperor whose love of bloodshed and spectacle makes even Nero look tame.

To survive the encounter, Apollo will need the help of a now-mortal goddess, a bronze dragon, and some familiar demigod faces from Camp Half-Blood. With them by his side, can Apollo face down the greatest challenge of his four thousand years of existence?

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9. Everything Everything
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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10. Tell it to the Moon (The Moonlight Dreamers #2)
Siobhan Curham

Tell It to the Moon continues the story of Moonlight Dreamers Amber, Maali, Sky and Rose, who are not like everyone else and don’t want to be: becoming friends gives them the courage to be themselves. After failing to find her surrogate mother, Amber is left unsure of who she is and what she wants to do; Maali’s spiritual faith is tested when her father becomes ill; Sky, previously home-schooled, struggles to adapt to the pressures of the school system; and after having found the courage to come out, Rose begins to pursue her dream of becoming a patissier. Once again the four girls band together to help one another overcome their individual challenges and fulfill their dreams in this fabulous and heart-warming celebration of friendship.

An inspirational feel-good novel celebrating friendship and focusing on being true to yourself and following your dreams.

The third year of our Children’s Book Week Story Writing Competition and we were yet again blown away by the number and quality of the entries we received.  We absolutely love that the community is embracing story writing and feel very lucky to be able to read through your highly imaginative creations.  

We were delighted to have such a fantastic turn out for the prizes presentation on Saturday 26 August, with the fabulous Alan Brough ably assisting.  You all asked such insightful questions of him – he was very impressed – and we were all thoroughly entertained by his reading from Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches.  We’re all looking forward to the third installment of the Charlie series some time next year – hopefully he can come up with a better title than ‘Charlie and the <insert title here>‘ by then!!   

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Unfortunately, there can only be a few winners and our judging task was a difficult one as usual, but we are pleased to announce the 2017 winners as follows:

LOWER PRIMARY (Prep – Yr 3)

Shortlisted

Niah Barker – Life Saving Foxes    

Lulu Bowman – Arabella Finds Her Power

Caleb Hatch – The Dream World

Jude Shannon – Andy Man

WINNERS

Lachlan Burnett – The Rainy Day

Noah Sier – The Chicken Fish

Jasmine Burnett – Starcloud and the Unicorns

Zali Horner – Time Travel!

UPPER PRIMARY (Yr 3 – 6)

Shortlisted

Hayden Bowes – Cookie Cutter Rises

Sash Horner – Open Minded

Emma O’Neill – Captive

Lauren Sinclair – The Great Barrier Reef

Sienna Whyte – The Little Fighter

Honourable Mention

Charlotte Dungey – My Second Mother

RUNNERS-UP

Faith Hatch – The Dragon War

Sarah Norris – The Intruder

WINNER

Mia Davies – Hope

LOWER SECONDARY (Yr 7 – 9)

Shortlisted 

Tara Bull – Missing in Venice

Alex Tepaske – Finally Detected

Emily Van Shaik – Unleashed

WINNERS

Tayla Basso – On Top of the World

Adam Houben – Waves

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We have uploaded the winning entries, so click on the links if you’d like to have a read. And you can see the winners of previous years here – 2015 and 2016.

If you didn’t win a prize this year, don’t be disheartened – keep working at your stories and illustrations, and read lots for inspiration – next year might be your year!!  As Alan told us today, sometimes you just have to start writing SOMETHING, even if it turns out to be not very good – at least it gives you something to work at until you get to your best story.

We have prepared a certificate for every entrant – you can collect yours in store – just ask our friendly staff.

Please note: we will dispose of any certificates and stories not collected by the end of October.

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Thanks for helping us celebrate
Children’s Book Week 2017
– we can’t wait to see what you’ll have for us next year!!

PICTURE STORY

1. In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
Jo Witek

Starring the same little girl in the same charming illustration style as Hello In There!, In My Heart explores emotions–happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness and more. Unlike other feelings books that tend to oversimplify, In My Heart lyrically explains what an emotion feels like, physically, inside. For example: When I get really angry, my heart feels like it’s going to explode! Don’t come near me! My heart is yelling, hot and loud. This is when my heart is mad.

Toddlers will be empowered by this new vocabulary and able to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. On the cover and the right side of each spread, a die-cut heart decreases in size, creating a multi-coloured heart the depth of the entire book.

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2. All I Want For Christmas is Rain
Cori Brook

An Australian Christmas is threatened when drought takes hold.

A little girl has only one wishfor rain.

Will her wish come true?

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3. Chip
Kylie Howarth

Chip, like most other gulls, is wild about chips. He likes fat chips, skinny chips, sandy or crunchy or soggy chips. But, most of all, he loves Joe’s chips from Joe’s Chip Van beside the sea.

Chip, like most other gulls, can be a little intrusive on his search for chips. So, one day, Joe erects a sign near his van warning people not to feed the seagulls. Chip is devastated, so he plans a way to get back into Joe’s good books, thus gaining access once more to his favourite food.

Will Chip succeed, or has he gone too far this time?

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4. Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas
Aaron Blabey

‘Hey there guys.
Would you like a banana?
What’s wrong with you, Brian?
You’re a Piranha.’ 

Brian is a piranha. He is also a vegetarian. But do you think he can convince his family to join him?

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5. The Very Sleepy Bear 
Nick Bland

On a Jingle Jangle Mountain, as the snow fell on the rocks A sleepy bear was being followed by a very sneaky fox. But Bear was in a hurry, he was running very late Winter had arrived and it was time to hibernate!

The Very Cranky Bear is back and he has a mischievous fox to contend with…

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6. What The Ladybird Heard On Holiday
Julia Donaldson

Those two bad men, Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh, are back! They may be in the city instead of the farm, but they haven’t changed their thieving ways. In fact, they’ve got even more ambitious. They’re planning to steal a monkey from the zoo and use it to pinch the Queen’s crown. It’s a pity for them that a certain crime-busting ladybird is holidaying in the very same city… and she’s got a good idea that will ensure the dastardly pair won’t get away with it!

With a whole host of noisy new zoo-animal characters to meet and even a cameo from the Queen, What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday, from stellar picture book partnership Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, is a sure-fire hit.

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7. Rainbow Fish
Marcus Pfister

The Rainbow Fish, with his shimmering scales, is the most beautiful fish in the ocean but he is proud and vain and none of the other fish want to be his friend – until he learns to give away some of his most prized possessions.

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8. Guess How Much I Love You (20th anniversary edition)
Sam McBratney

Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not always an easy thing to measure!

Now new and existing fans can relive this cherished classic with this lavish edition, celebrating two decades of delighting readers since its initial creation.

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9. Guff
Aaron Blabey

This is my Guff.
He’s really nice.
I’ve known him since I was little.
And I still know him even now I’m big

A funny and delightful picture book for anyone who’s ever had a little fabric friend.

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10. Be Brave Little Penguin
Andreae Giles

Little Penguin Pip-Pip would love to join in with all his friends swimming in the sea, but there’s just one problem . . . he’s scared of water. Can Pip-Pip overcome his fears and finally take the plunge? This irresistible story shows that sometimes all it takes is a little bit of encouragement – and a whole lot of heart – to finally make that leap!Illustrated with humour and warmth by Guy Parker Rees, this touching tale will soon become a new family favourite.

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JUNIOR FICTION

1. Worlds Collide (Land of Stories #6)
Chris Colfer

In the highly anticipated finale, Conner and Alex must brave the impossible. All of the Land of Stories fairy tale characters – heroes and villains – are no longer confined within their world!

With mayhem brewing in the Big Apple, Conner and Alex will have to win their biggest battle yet. Can the twins restore order between the human and fairy-tale world?

Breathtaking action mixed with laugh-out-loud moments and lots of heart will make this a gripping conclusion for fans old and new.

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2. Funny Kid for President
Matt Stanton

Meet the funny kid! Because every kid loves to laugh.

Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

He’s the class clown, the punch line and he’s even volunteered his bottom to be the butt of the joke.

Max is the funny kid … and he’s running for class president.

Poop scandals, stalker ducks, surprise debates, psycho sports teachers, tell-all interviews and the great library vomit-a-geddon are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends at Redhill Middle School this election season.

For fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates and Big Nate, FUNNY KID is the hilarious new series from bestselling children’s author Matt Stanton.

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3. A Most Magical Girl 
Karen Foxlee

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time – and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being ‘proper’ isn’t always easy – especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter…

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They’re keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn’t believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty – an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel’s aunts seem very fond of – and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . .

This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away . . .

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4. The World’s Worst Children 2
David Walliams

The brilliant follow-up to David Walliams’ bestseller The World’s Worst Children! Ten more stories about a brand new gang of hilariously horrible kids from everyone’s favourite children’s author, illustrated in glorious full colour by Tony Ross. If you thought you had read about the World’s Worst Children already, you’re in for a rather nasty shock. The beastly boys and gruesome girls in this book are even ruder, even more disgusting and WORSE than you could ever imagine!

This gorgeous collection of ten stories from the master himself, David Walliams, will make you snort with laughter and thank your lucky stars that you don’t know anyone like Gruesome Griselda or Fussy Frankie in real life. It also features a special appearance from fan-favourite Raj! Gloriously illustrated in full colour throughout by artistic genius Tony Ross, The World’s Worst Children 2 is a side-splitting companion to David’s blockbuster hit, The World’s Worst Children.

Ages 9+

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5. The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories #1)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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6. Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches
Alan Brough

It begins with an interrupted story. Then, a mysterious box that speaks and sings. Add unusually unusual teachers, incredible lurking from the Lurker, an insect orchestra and a bungling burglar and it’s up to Charlie and Hils to save three innocent bugs from the forces of evil.

Another hilarious adventure starring Charlie and Hils from comedian, actor, singer and dancer (it’s true!), Alan Brough.

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7. Polly and Buster
Sally Rippin

Who ever heard of a witch and a monster being friends?

Everyone knows that witches don’t mix with monsters. Witches are educated, clever, sophisticated. But monsters? Monsters are just uncouth. Some are even dangerous.

But Polly the witch and Buster the feelings monster have been best friends forever.
It’s the sort of friendship that makes your heart squeeze with happiness.
Somehow, they’ve managed to keep their friendship a secret.
Until one day, when everything changes …

Ages 7-10 yo

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8. The World’s Worst Children
David Walliams

Are you ready to meet the World’s Worst Children? Five beastly boys and five gruesome girls!

• Like Sofia Sofa – a TV super-fan so stuck to the sofa that she’s turning into one!

• Or Dribbling Drew – a boy whose drool gets him into trouble on a school trip!

• And not forgetting Blubbering Bertha – a girl who bawls and tells terrible tales!Also featuring a special appearance from fan-favourite Raj!

From Number One bestselling author David Walliams comes this collection of wickedly funny, deliciously mischievous tales, illustrated in glorious colour by the artistic genius Tony Ross.

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9. The Enchantress Returns (Land of Stories #2)
Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended. But one night, they learn the famed Enchantress has kidnapped their mother. Against the will of their grandmother (the one and only Fairy Godmother), the twins must find their own way into the Land of Stories to rescue their mother and save the fairy tale world from the greatest threat it’s ever faced.

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10. Minecraft: The Island
Max Brooks

Minecraft: The Island, the first and only official Minecraft novel, will tell the story of a new hero stranded in the world of Minecraft, who must survive the harsh, unfamiliar environment and unravel the secrets of the island.

Minecraft: The Island by Max Brooks, bestselling author of World War Z, is the first official Minecraft novel.

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TEEN FICTION / YOUNG ADULT

1. Wonder
R.J. Palacio

‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.’

Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things – eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary – inside. But ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren’t stared at wherever they go.

Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he’s being sent to a real school – and he’s dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted – but can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all?

Wonder is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

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2. Everything Everything 
Nicola Yoon

Risk everything . . . for love.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her. But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realizes there’s more to life than just being alive. You only get one chance at first love. And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

Everything, Everthing is an innovative, inspiring and heartbreakingly romantic novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations and more . . .

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3. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories
R.J. Palacio

Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. Previously only available in ebook, now they’ll be published all together–complete with an introduction from the author on how she came to write them–in a gorgeous hardcover package!

These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

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4. Resurrection (Skulduggery Pleasant #10)
Derek Landy

The skeleton detective is coming back to life… again! It’s the tenth, triumphant novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and it will rearrange your world.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie are back in the tenth instalment in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasantseries – an incredible and unexpected treat for the legions of fans around the world.

We can’t say much but we can say this: Skulduggery and Valkyrie are going to team up with beloved characters from the first 9 books as well as an all-new cast, including new teen co-star Omen Darkly, for an adventure that takes the story to truly global proportions… while answering questions that go right back to the beginning.

And Derek says this: “I was halfway through Last Stand of Dead Men, I think, when I realised that I had more stories to tell. I told myself that if Skulduggery and Valkyrie survived the series, I would leave the option open of returning to their world. There were still secrets I need to reveal, after all, and there were still horrors they had to face. They survived the first series. But they’re really going to wish they hadn’t.”

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5. The Sun is Also A Star 
Nicola Yoon

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

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6. One of Us is Lying
Karen McManus

On Thursday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investi­gators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Thursday, he died. But on Friday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they just the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

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7. The Maze Runner 
James Dashner

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he’s not alone. He’s surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade – a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they came to be there – or what’s happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything – even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out.

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8. Divergent
Veronica Roth

In sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior’s world, society is divided into five factions – Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) – each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, in the attempt to form a “perfect society.” At the age of sixteen, teens must choose the faction to which they will devote their lives.

On her Choosing Day, Beatrice renames herself Tris, rejects her family?s Abnegation faction, and chooses Dauntless, the faction of daredevils and adrenaline junkies whose lives are devoted to courageousness and chasing out weakness. After surviving a brutal initiation, Tris finds romance with a super-hot, super-fearless Dauntless boy named Tobias, but also discovers unrest and growing conflict in their seemingly “perfect society.” To survive and save those they love, Tris and Tobias must use their strengths to uncover the truths about their identities, their families, and the order of their society itself.

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9. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Graphic Novel Edition)
Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding.

The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.

Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?

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10. Delirium
Lauren Oliver

The first book in Lauren Oliver’s New York Times bestselling trilogy about forbidden love, revolution, and the power to choose. Now with a brand-new cover and an exclusive-to-this-book sneak peek at her next novel for teens: the ambitious, wholly original masterwork Replica.

In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn’t about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government’s radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

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We’re holding our story writing competition to celebrate Children’s Book Week again this year.  We had some fantastic entries last year, which you can have a look at here.

There are Farrell’s book vouchers up for grabs as prizes – to be awarded by our guest author, ALAN BROUGH!!  (see below) – so be sure to get your entry in if you’d like to be in the running.  We will also share the winning entries here on our website.

There are four different age groups and conditions:

1. Lower Primary – Prep to Year 2/3
   (if you’re in Year 3, you can choose which group you’d like to enter)

   • Picture story format

2. Upper Primary – Year 3/4 to Year 6

   • Picture story or short story format (Limit 2 pages / 1000 words)

3. Lower Secondary – Years 7 – 9

   • Short story format (Limit 2 pages / 1000 words)

4. Upper Secondary – Years 10 – 12

   • Short story format (Limit to 3 pages / 1500 words)

A note re page / word limits – as our entry numbers have been steadily growing annually, we will this year need to exclude any entries that exceed the limits.  A good opportunity for some of you to hone your editing skills, perhaps !!

In all groups, there is a limit of one entry per person.

Hard copy entries can be dropped in our competition box in store (we are happy to return them after the competition if you wish to come and collect them again).  Electronic entries can be submitted to events@farrells.com.au with the Subject: CBW Story Comp.  Please use either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Please ensure you include your name, age and group of entry, and contact information (phone and email).

Entries close Sunday 16 July.

GUEST AUTHOR VISIT: Alan Brough

We are super excited to announce our visiting author for our Children’s Book Week celebrations this year…. Alan Brough!!

Saturday 26 August
From 3pm IN STORE

To all our junior fiction readers out there, Alan is the author of the hilarious and crazy Charlie books – Charlie and the War Against the Grannies and the newly released second book, Charlie and the Cockroaches (and for a lot of our parents, he’s “that funny guy from Spicks and Specks”…).

Alan will be joining us to help present prizes to the winners of the Story Writing Competition, speak about being an author and of course to sign some of his books!

Join us for lots of laughs and a celebration of all the great things about reading, writing and books!

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So what will you write about?

• You could use the Children’s Book Week theme from this year – “Escape to Everywhere” – as a starting point.

• Think about some favourite books you love to read and see if you can create something similar.

• For those of you writing picture story books, have a look at this fun interactive book about how to write a story or perhaps try out the Scholastic Story Starter.  (Be sure to get Mum and Dad’s okay to use the computer).

• For Groups 2-4, have a look at Andy Griffith’s Once Upon A Slime for some tips on writing or check out this YouTube video of him speaking with a school group about how to write.

• Ask your school librarian or teacher for some ideas.

• Be creative!  Your imagination is a unique and wonderful thing – so put it to good use!

We can’t wait to see what wonderful creative stories you share with us.

Happy Writing!

1. Really Weird! (Weirdo #8) (Anh Do)

Grandma Do is visiting, just in time for Grandparents Day, a trip to the farm AND the school dance! Life is about to get REALLY weird for Weir Do… because Grandma Do is the weirdest one of all! It wont be easy… but it will be funny!

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2. Frankie Fish and The Sonic Suitcase (Peter Helliar)

Twelve-year-old Frankie Fish hates visiting his grandparents. Grandad Fish is cranky, and yells a lot, and has a creepy hook for a hand – plus he NEVER lets Frankie go inside his shed. But after a teensy tiny prank goes wrong at school, Frankie is packed off to Old-People Jail for the whole holidays.

What Frankie doesn’t know is that Grandad has been building a home-made TIME MACHINE in the Forbidden Shed, and the old man has big plans to get his missing hand back. But when Grandad goes back in time, he changes history and accidentally wipes out Frankie’s entire family – Nanna, Mum, Dad, even his annoying sister Saint Lou. Somehow, everyone is gone but Frankie and Grandad! And it’s only a matter of time until Frankie disappears too…

As the last Fish men standing, Frankie and Granddad must race back in time to undo this terrible mistake. But can they stand each other long enough to put the past back together again? And even if they manage the impossible – will Grandad’s wonky time-machine ever get them home?

In his first ever kids’ book, Australian comedian Peter Helliar takes young readers on a hilarious time-travel adventure about mega mischief, missing limbs, and a grandad with a wicked secret…

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3. The Wishing Spell (Land Of Stories#1) (Chris Colfer)

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change.

When the twins’ grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they’re about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

But as Alex and Conner soon discover, the stories they know so well haven’t ended in this magical land – Goldilocks is now a wanted fugitive, Red Riding Hood has her own kingdom, and Queen Cinderella is about to become a mother!

The twins know they must get back home somehow. But with the legendary Evil Queen hot on their trail, will they ever find the way

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell brings readers on a thrilling quest filled with magic spells, laugh-out-loud humour and page-turning adventure.  This fast-paced adventure series uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales from author Chris Colfer, star of television’s Glee.

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4. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (J.K. Rowling)

An approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander’s masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the Wizarding World.

In this comprehensively updated edition, eagle-eyed readers will spot a number of new beasts and an intriguing new author’s note. Scamander’s years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books – the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail …Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents.

A brand new edition of this essential companion to the Harry Potter stories, with a new foreword from J.K. Rowling, an irresistible new jacket by Jonny Duddle, illustrations by Tomislav Tomic and six new beasts!

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5. Weirdo (Anh Do)

My parents could have given me any first name at all, like John, Kevin, Shmevin …ANYTHING. Instead Im stuck with the worst name since Mrs Face called her son Bum. Meet Weir Do. No, thats not a typo, thats his name! Weir Dos the new kid in school. With an unforgettable name, a crazy family and some seriously weird habits, fitting in wont be easy …but it will be funny!

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6. Unleashed (Dogman #2) (Dav Pilkey)

Dog Man is back and he’s got a bone to pick with the world’s fiercest feline felon!

Dog Man, the newest hero from the creator of Captain Underpants, is still learning a few tricks of the trade. If only the Chief would throw him a bone every once in a while . . .

Petey the cat is out of the bag, and his criminal curiosity is taking the city by storm. Can the canine crime biter unleash justice on this ruffian in time to save the city, or will Petey get away with the purrfect crime?

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7. Rooftoppers (Katherine Rundell)

My mother is still alive, and she is going to come for me one day.

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means it’s still possible. You should never ignore a possible.

So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has – the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie’s mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

A beautiful novel about a group of urchins living on the rooftops of Victorian Paris, which is a tribute to believing in the impossible.

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8. Hotdog (Anh Do)

Meet Hotdog , the sausage dog, and his friends!

Theres Kev, the goofy cat, whos always dressed up in some silly costume, and Lizzie, the gutsy lizard, who eats bug burgers for breakfast!

Together theyre going on a mad adventure to help a baby bird find its missing mum!

Hotdog and his friends will go to any lengths, and dizzying heights, to find her!

But can they handle dirty nappies and karate-chopping roosters along the way?

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9. Dogman (Dav Pilkey)

There’s a new breed of justice in town, and he’s ready to sniff out criminals — as soon as he stops chasing his own tail!

George and Harold have created a new hero who digs into deception, claws after crooks, and rolls over robbers. When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, and Dog Man is born. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound has a real nose for justice. But can he resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

New from the creator of Captain Underpants, it’s Dog Man, the crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!

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10. Olga And The Smelly Thing From Nowhere (Elise Gravel)

I love animals. I get along with them JUST FINE.