Booklists

Twelve-year-old Amal loves learning and dreams of becoming a teacher. Then something unimaginable happens. After an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, she is forced to work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt. At the opulent and corrupt Khan estate, Amal realises she will have to find a way to work with others in order to bring about change, and to achieve her dreams.

A beautifully illustrated collection of twelve classical stories, which will whisk you away to the magical world of Ballet. Dance with the Nutcracker Prince, soar with the Firebird and delight in the drama of Romeo and Juliet.

Livy has visited her maternal grandmother before, on her farm outside of Melbourne, Victoria - but, she was only five years old then, and she can't seem to remember much. Ten year old Livy returns from the USA to visit again, with her family and new baby sister Beth-Ann. Her grandmother shows her around, reminding her of all the fun they had last time she stayed, but only Livy seems to recall a 'wrong chicken'...

Stella Rodriguez learns the hard way that caring for a black hole can be a rather complicated thing. They are fantastic at swallowing stuff - all the stuff she no longer wants around, like scratchy sweaters and her brother Cosmo's annoying toy. More importantly Stella finds that she can get rid of other things, things that remind her of her dad, who died recently, things that remind her to be sad. It's gets even more interesting when the black hole accidentally swallows something far too precious to lose and Stella has to go deep inside on an epic, interstellar adventure to save her whole world. Who knew that have a pet black hole could be so much trouble?

Patricia is called Sweet Pea by everyone except for Daisy Mae, the eccentric old lady who lives in between Sweet Pea's two houses. When her parents decided to separate, Sweet Pea's mother thought it would be a great idea for her dad to move in two doors up and decorate her new bedroom at dad's exactly the same as the one she's always known and loved at home. It probably wasn't as great an idea as her mum thought. With the town gossiping about the reasons for her parents' divorce, a few too many misunderstandings with her best friend, and trying to succeed at the secret mission crazy old Flora Mae has given her, Sweet Pea might not be feeling too sweet at all.

Molly and her father have emigrated to Australia to try their luck as gold prospectors in Ballarat, Victoria. Life on the diggings is hard and Molly misses her mother, who died before they left England. A Chinese teenager, Chen, shows Molly and her Papa how to pan for gold and helps them when their food and money run out. Not everyone on the goldfields is friendly, however. Chen and other Chinese diggers are often bullied and the police lock up miners who haven't paid the exorbitant gold licence fee. Before long, Molly, Papa and Chen are caught up in a protest that will become known as the Eureka Rebellion - a legendary battle that will profoundly affect them all.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

After Hercules proves he's a true hero and regains his godship, all seems right in the world. That is, until Zeus tells Meg that she can't be with Hercules because she's, well, mortal. Luckily, Hera has a solution, offering Meg a chance to prove herself worthy of a spot on Mt. Olympus--as a god. All Meg has to do is complete a mysterious quest. The mission? Oh, just to rescue her ex's current wife from the Underworld. The ex-boyfriend she saved by selling her soul to Hades. The ex-boyfriend who immediately moved on to someone else while she was stuck in the Underworld. Can Meg put her past behind her and use her quick-wit to defeat monsters and gods alike, including the nefarious Hades? Will she finally figure out her place and contribution to the world? Or will her fear of commitment have her running away from an eternity of godhood with Herc?

With the start of eighth grade, Jo March decides it's time to get serious about her writing and joins the school newspaper. But even with her new friend Freddie cheering her on, becoming a hard-hitting journalist is a lot harder than Jo imagined. That's not all that's tough. Jo and her sisters - Meg, Beth, and Amy - are getting used to a new normal at home, with their dad deployed overseas and their mom, a nurse, working overtime. And while it helps to hang out with Laurie, the boy who just moved next door, things get complicated when he tells Jo he has feelings for her. Feelings that Jo doesn't have for him...or for any boy. Feelings she's never shared with anyone before. Feelings that Jo might have for Freddie. What does it take to figure out who you are? Jo March is about to find out.

The course of true love never did run smooth... A magical retelling of the classic love story of Hermia, Helen, Demetrius and Lysander - and of the impish fairy Puck, who meddles in their tangled web of love with hilarious consequences. This series gives young readers the chance to discover Shakespeare for themselves. Also included are useful notes on the themes within the stories and a background to the Globe Theatre.

We know Snow White meets and falls in love with a handsome prince. We know the Evil Queen, Snow White's stepmother, wants her dead. We know a mirror breaks the news to the Queen that she is not, in fact, the fairest of them all. But what happens if it's the prince who falls under the queen's spell and it's a feisty Snow White who has to save the day?

The hilarious tale of two couples, one in love and one in hatred. This series gives young readers the chance to discover Shakespeare for themselves. Also included are useful notes on the themes within the stories and a background to the Globe Theatre.

A beautifully written, romantic story, weaving Aboriginal myth with ancient folklore.

It should be simple -- a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess', it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over. With a desperate fairy's last curse infiltrating her mind, Princess Aurora will have to navigate a dangerous and magical landscape deep in the depths of her dreams. Soon she stumbles upon Phillip, a charming prince eager to join her quest. But with Maleficent's agents following her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are, and moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

Five years after the (twisted) events of the film, Ariel is now the queen of Atlantica, and Ursula is running Eric's kingdom on land. But when the sea witch threatens Atlantica once more, Ariel finds herself returning to a world (and a prince) she thought she'd left behind forever...

A classic story of pirates, evil princes, sorcerers and true love.

Red can't remember the cyclone, doesn't remember her name, where she lived or who her parents are. Is there anyone left in Sydney she can trust to help her discover who she is and why she needs to get to Melbourne so urgently.

The classic tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet, two young lovers from warring families. This series gives young readers the chance to discover Shakespeare for themselves. Also included are useful notes on the themes within the stories and a background to the Globe Theatre.

Clem Timmins has lost it all, her house, her possessions and her clothes. Now living in a tiny flat with her dad, she has to go to a new school, far from what she knows. On Clem's first day, she meets Ellie and, to fit in, Clem reveals a secret she immediately regrets sharing. When Clem receives a letter she doesn't want to read, it becomes clear that she can't run from her past forever, especially when the truth appears right in front of her face.

Clem is slowly rebuilding her life after a house fire destroyed everything. She's about to start high school with her two best friends and she's finally settled into living with her dad in their tiny flat. But when her mum unexpectedly moves in, Clem feels like there's no space for her. Then she meets Matt, a funny and rebellious fourteen-year-old with family troubles of his own. When everything starts to unravel, Clem must decide which secrets to keep and which to share.

Any two titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Abby Smart is planning to have the most awesome year ever. She's the leader of the Smart Girls Club and after winning the talent quest, her dream to be a musical singer looks like it might come true. And then Stella turns up, fluttering her mascara eyelashes. She's way too cool for little old Kangaroo Valley. Worst of all, she's making Abby's friends like ridiculous things such as makeup and new music! Abby's plans to have a great year are being turned into dog food. Will Abby follow her friends, or follow her dreams? Because she can't have both. After all, Smart Girls don't wear mascara!

Harry Harvard and Jesse Harrison have a major problem. Their friend Rocky Rockman's prehistoric pet bird is living in Average Park and tourists are coming from all around the world just to see him.

What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she's the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king's visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king -- and the prince -- out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella's own Fairy Godmother. Faced with questions of love and loyalty to the kingdom, Cinderella must find a way to stop the villains of past and present . . . before it's too late.

The compelling story of the Italian composer Bellini's rise to fame and his forbidden love.

A classic tale of romance from Shakespeare. This series gives young readers the chance to discover Shakespeare for themselves. Also included are useful notes on the themes within the stories and a background to the Globe Theatre.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Alice is different than other eighteen-year-old ladies in Kexford, which is perfectly fine with her. She'd rather spend golden afternoons with her trusty camera or in her aunt Vivian's lively salon. But when Alice develops photographs she has recently taken about town, familiar faces of old suddenly appear in the place of her actual subjects-the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar. There's something eerily off about them, even for Wonderland creatures. And as Alice develops a self-portrait, she finds the most disturbing image of all-a badly-injured dark-haired girl asking for Alice's help. Mary Ann. Returning to the place of nonsense from her childhood, Alice finds herself on a mission to stop the Queen of Hearts' tyrannical rule and to find her place in both worlds. But will she able to do so... before the End of Time?

When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish. To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war. What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.