Booklists

Luke Manchett is 16 years old with a place on the rugby team and the prettiest girl in Year 11 in his sights. Then his estranged father suddenly dies and he finds out that he is to inherit six million dollars! But if he wants the cash, he must accept the Host. A collection of malignant ghosts who his Necromancer father had trapped and enslaved! Now the Host is angry, the Host is strong, and the Host is out for revenge! Has Luke got what it takes to fight these horrifying spirits and save himself and his world?

Tick and his friends are still trying to work out how to defeat Mistress Jane, but when there are 13 realities from which to draw trouble, the battle is 13 times as hard.

Tick, Sophia and Paul have agreed to work with Master George as realitants, protecting the 12 realities from Reginald Chu and his desire for total domination of all the realities. But Mistress Jane, in her warped 13th reality, has other ideas. And when Chu decides he needs either Tick or Jane to fulfill his plans, the unlikely duo find themselves having to work together for the greater good. But what is it about Tick that has everyone, even Master George, determined to stop him?

Early in the twentieth century, scientists interested in quantum physics made a momentous discovery. Now, 13 year old Tick has received a letter that invites him to solve twelve clues in order to stop reality from 'splitting at the seams'. Along the way, Tick has to face up to some of his biggest fears and suspend his disbelief. The obvious reward might be saving many lives, but the unexpected rewards include seeing how awesome his dad really is and making some real friends for the first time in his life.

International antiquities fraud and Computer Crime come together in Sydney. Can Jazz and Phoenix save their friend's father and themselves from some very dangerous people?

Jazz always wanted to be a detective, and now she has no choice! Her best friend Anika has been kidnapped over a 20 year old mystery. Can the annoying school rebel help her link the clues, within the first 48 hours?

Benjamin and Janie are trying to live a safe, normal life in America. But, they have the power to prevent nuclear disaster and sinister forces are circling. The advice of a mysterious, unscrupulous magician propels them into danger and towards the land of the dead. When their friend, Jin Lo, washes up on a remote island and finds herself on the trail of a deadly threat in China, they must somehow reach her to help.

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.

Any five 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 of the screen.

Any five 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 of the screen.

Have you heard these most bizarre tales from around Australia? Did a UFO drag a family's car off the road in the middle of the outback? How did rocks rain from the sky in WA? And what became of the prime minister who went into the surf and was never seen again? Explore the strangest tales, most incredible encounters and creepiest urban legends in Australia's history. Read about the investigations and weigh up the facts, do you believe the official explanations for these weird and wonderful events?

A new virus is spreading through a world still weary from the last pandemic. This virus is different. For the survivors of this deadly new virus, a new way of seeing the world and a soul unburdened by jealousies and selfishness. Survivors are treated with contempt or worse because happiness is bad for big business. Three characters from very different backgrounds find themselves on a collision course as the world is split between those aggressively seeking a cure and those willing to stop a cure at all cost.

Maeve Chambers does not have any special gifts. That is, until she finds a dusty old pack of tarot cards. She finds herself able to give readings with uncanny accuracy. When she reads for an ex-friend, a strange card appears and begins a series of events that ensure Maeve faces her inner demons and a power much older and more powerful than even the cards have proven to be.

"Call me Bathsheba." The whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt. Led by the formidable Captain Alexandra, they fight a never-ending war against men. Then the whales attack a man ship, and instead of easy prey they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself... With their relentless Captain leading the chase, they embark on the final hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of whales and men.

Antonio lives with his parents in the tower of an old house. In the same area lives a recluse actor called Theodore Guzman. Antonio draws him out by presenting a play. In turn, Guzman leads Antonio into the magical world of theatre.

In 1952, after her parents are identified as communists, Janie must move from Los Angeles to the safety of London. The war has ended but it's a tense time, and Janie is uncomfortable at her new school. She notices Benjamin, a curiously defiant boy, who dreams of becoming a spy. When his father, an apothecary, is kidnapped, Benjamin and Janie are embroiled in a plot involving real espionage and nuclear threats.

It's two years since Janie Scott last saw Benjamin Burrows, the mysterious apothecary's defiant son who stole her heart. Benjamin has been experimenting with a new formula, allowing him to communicate with Janie across the globe. When a mystery threatens them all, Janie, Benjamin and their friend, Pip, are thrown into a desperate chase around the world to find one another, while trying to unravel the mystery.

Jessica has been accepted to star in a YouTube reality program where one day a week, she is filmed from wake up until midnight. She and four other applicants are chosen and allocated their days, Monday-Friday. Jess is the Monday star. Her 'hook' is that her mother was the first of 13 women murdered by a serial killer dubbed the The Magpie Man and Jess has vowed to catch him. This show is just the exposure she needs.

Alex Rider is in hospital, recovering from a rifle shot that had been aimed at his heart. The complications begin when a fellow patient is targeted for an abduction.

Evie, Lucy and Gemma are all in hospital for different reasons, and find themselves in a ward together. Despite a rocky start, they gradually become friends. When one of them witnesses a crime from the window, all three band together to solve the mystery and help build each others happiness while doing so. A coming of age novel for anyone in that space between childhood and adolescence.

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.

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch. And Ty's squad isn't even his biggest problem. That'd be Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley, the girl he's just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler's squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

Is this the end? What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course. Wait... Not. So. Fast. When we last saw Squad 312, they were working together seamlessly (aka freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally. But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It's complicated. Cue Zila, Fin and Scarlett (AND MAGELLAN!) making friends, making enemies and making history? Sure, no problem. Cue Tyler, Kal and Auri joining forces with two of the galaxy's most hated villains? Um, okay, yeah. That too. Actually saving the galaxy, though? Now that will take a miracle. The squad you love may be out of time, but are they out of luck? Find out in the epic finale to the bestselling and award-winning Aurora Cycle series!

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.

Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and high-stacking around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. In this first adventure, Barnaby is swept up in a world of crooked doctors, poor and ill-advised patients, strange tonics and very expensive furs.

In Dickensian times, people were terrified of being buried alive, so they were left in their coffin with a wire, attached to a bell, tied to the little finger. Anyone still alive could wiggle their finger to summon help. One night, Barnaby takes a shortcut through a graveyard and is horrified to hear the tinkling of little bells.

Barnaby Grimes delivers letters and packages all over London. In the competitive world of early photography, the rewards are immense but so are the risks. After an experiment goes disastrously wrong, Barnaby finds himself on the trail of a mad chemist with a talent for disappearing into thin air.

After collecting a strange parcel from a deserted ship in the fog of the docks and delivering it to the local schoolmaster, Barnaby thinks he's earned a moment to sit on the rooftops and eat his favourite pasty. But, he soon realises that all is not well at the school.

Returning home from his lavish eighteenth birthday party, Bruce Wayne stops a criminal's getaway - disobeying the police and crashing his car during the chase. Sentenced to community service in Gotham City's Arkham Asylum, he encounters some of the the city's most dangerous and mentally disturbed criminals. Among these, Bruce meets the intriguing Madeleine who has ties to the Nightwalker gang that is terrorizing Gotham City. She's a mystery Bruce has to unravel but can he trust her? The Nightwalkers target the rich, and Bruce's name is next on their list.

Bestsellers. Award-winners. Superstars. This anthology has them all. With brilliantly entertaining short stories from beloved young adult authors Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson and Danielle Binks, this all-new collection will show the world exactly how much there is to love about Aussie YA.

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favourite, the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognised as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favourite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie, that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined.

Poirot, the Belgian detective, again finds himself plunged into a world of intrigue when an uninvited stranger, coated in dust from head to foot and with a gaunt face, stands staring at him and then collapses in his doorway. Poirot must uncover the truth and solve the mystery of the piece of paper the stranger clutched with figure 4s scribbled over it. Beautifully illustrated by Alain Paillou.

Thirteen year old Oskari is sent into the Finnish wilderness, armed only with a bow and arrow, to survive in an ancient test of manhood. But, he stumbles upon an escape pod from a burning airliner. Terrorists have shot down the President of the United States. To survive, this improbable duo must trust each other and become a team capable of overcoming the danger that is imminent.

Ebony Marshall is in her final year of high school. She can't wait to leave quiet, little Dainsfield, where she's known only as Black due to her name. But, there's another reason. Everyone says Black is cursed. Three friends have died in tragic accidents. Now, it's easier to be on her own. When her formal date ends up in intensive care, the gibes and rejection escalate. Black is in danger. She has to fight for her life, find help when uncertain of who to trust, and strike out at the superstition and hysteria.

Saffie Grundig decides to find out about her older sister, Ruby, and the secrets she is keeping. What's really going on at the sleazy Comedy House where Ruby has a cleaning job. Saffie, assisted by retired TV actor, Sarge, begins her investigations.

The man in the photo is so blurry it's impossible to make out what he really looks like. The Diamond Brothers - Tim, the world's worst private detective, and his wise-cracking younger brother Nick - have been hired to find the blurred man.

This book includes three stories, The shortest horror story every written, The monkey's ear and Burnt.

When Sherlock Holmes' right-hand man, Dr Watson, goes missing everyone is in shock. Enola Holmes, Sherlock's sister, is determined to investigate and find Watson. With her knowledge of floral language, she notices the arrangements delivered to Mrs Watson are symbols for death. Enola is a resourceful sleuth who needs to use her courage, wits, and cunning to solve the mystery before it is too late, all the while avoiding discovery by her brother.

Enola Holmes's lonely London days are shaken up when her dear landlady, Mrs. Tupper, is kidnapped! As Enola pursues clues in her search for Mrs. Tupper, she finds that Florence Nightingale and her own brother - Sherlock Holmes - are involved. Soon Enola finds herself jumping out of windows, deciphering a mysterious code, and putting her hidden dagger to use - and she won't rest until poor Mrs. Tupper is safe at home!

Daisy and George find themselves caught up in a world of mystery and glamour when they try to unmask the jewel thief before it's too late.

As Enola searches for the missing Lady Blanchefleur del Campo, she discovers that her brother Sherlock is just as diligently searching for Enola herself. He needs her help to decipher a message from their long-lost mother. Sherlock, Enola, and their brother, Mycroft, must solve a triple mystery: What has happened to their mother? And to Lady Blanchefleur? And what does either have to do with Mycroft, who holds Enola's future in his hands?

Enola is hiding from her brothers in London. Her mother is still missing, from book one, and while she is trying to work out what has happened to her mother, she hears about the disappearance of a young girl and knows that her bag of tricks, so well developed thanks to the lessons provided by observing her big brother, will help her solve the case.

If you love a mystery and know who Sherlock Holmes is, then you will love this story of his lesser known 14 year old sister, Enola. When her mother vanishes, she calls on her older brothers to help her solve the mystery. However, instead of helping, they start talking about ridiculous things like needlepoint lessons and new frocks. Enola realises she will need to disappear herself if she is going to find her mother.

Enola is thrown into a tailspin when she receives a desperate message from her old friend, Lady Cecily. Enola knows she must help her friend before it's too late - but she doesn't know how! This complicated case has Enola hunting down clues all over London until she finally discovers the awful truth: Lady Cecily is being held prisoner! Enola must risk her own freedom and join forces with her brother, the famed Sherlock Holmes, to free Cecily. Can Enola trust her brother, and can they save Cecily in time?

On Israeli's West Bank, a cat sneaks into a small Palestinian house that has just been commandeered by two Israeli soldiers. The house seems empty until the cat realises that a little boy is hiding beneath the floorboards. This is no ordinary cat and she wonders what to do. When the boy's teacher comes looking for him, tensions rise quickly and, as Israeli tanks approach, the cat realises she must diffuse the situation.

It's 1979 and the sky is falling. Skylab, that is. Somewhere high above Frankie Avery, one of the world's first space stations is tumbling to Earth. And rushing back with it are old memories. Things twelve-year-old Frankie thought she'd forgotten. Things her mum won't talk about, and which her little brother Newt never knew. Only ... did he? Does he? Because as Skylab circles closer, Newt starts acting strangely. And while the world watches the sky, Frankie keeps her own eyes on Newt. Because if anyone's going to keep him safe, it's her. It always has been. But maybe this is something bigger than splinters and spiders and sleepwalking. Maybe a space station isn't the only thing heading straight for calamity.

Irian, Ulana and their Clan have made the cave their home ever since they used fire to drive off the Beast, a sabre-toothed tiger that had been preying on them. Protected by an ongoing fire at the cave mouth, they continue to keep the Beast at bay until one fateful night when the fire goes out! What happens next shatters the Clan and leaves Ulana badly injured and Irian too traumatised even to speak. Alone and adrift in their dangerous prehistoric world, they have little hope of survival. What saves them is a chance meeting with a prickly old woman called Trug. Grudgingly, she takes them on a strange, unexpected journey of discovery, flinging them into the many wonders and hard realities of ancient times. And that hazardous journey will eventually lead them full circle: back to the challenge of the cave, and the enduring reality of the Beast.

Danika Glynn is used to struggling to survive. When the tyrannous king launches an attack on her city, she risks her life in a daring escape and joins a crew of refugees, who seek Magnetic Valley, a legendary safe haven. Danika also grapples with her burgeoning magical abilities and, when she meets the mysterious Lukas, she must balance her feelings against her crew's safety.

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.

Danika and her crew of escaped refugees are seeking the safety of the Magnetic Valley and trying to evade the king's most lethal hunter. They must cross the smugglers' territory, the Borderlands, which are lawless and steeped in ancient magic. When one of the crew is badly wounded, Danika seeks the smugglers' help and accepts a bargain that might prove deadly. But, it is Lukas who hides the most dangerous secret.

Danika Glynn and her crew of refugees finally reach the Magnetic Valley. But, they don't know whether it will provide the safe refuge and land of freedom they imagine. When a runaway girl is shot down before their eyes, Danika and her friends realise that this new land is no paradise. They must try to fit in at all costs, even if revealing their secrets will mean a death sentence.

It's 200 years since Cinderella found her prince, but the fairytale is over. Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she's tiny until the night she's sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball are forfeit. But Sophia doesn't want to be chosen - she's in love with her best friend, Erin, and hates the idea of being traded like cattle. And when Sophia's night at the ball goes horribly wrong, she must run for her life. Alone and terrified, she finds herself hiding in Cinderella's tomb. And there she meets someone who will show her that she has the power to remake her world ...

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.

Sin is dying. He has been poisoned by his blue blood. The traitor who poisoned him has escaped and is set on revenge. The Covert Operations Group (COG) tasks Sin, his friend Zonda Chubb and their frenemy Velvet Von Darque with recapturing the traitor WHATEVER THE COST. They must battle skypirates and the terrifying CLOCKILL to complete their mission. Can Sin survive long enough to save his friends, himself and the day?

Eva and her family are constantly on the run from a Mexican drug cartel. They are regularly moving locations, changing identities and always looking over their shoulders. The reasons for this are unclear to Eva. She just knows that her scientist father did something to make the cartel want him dead. One day, the people they are hiding from track them down, a life and death chase begins and Eva discovers there is a lot more to the story...

J.K. Rowling's five-film Fantastic Beasts adventure series continues with the original screenplay for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all nonmagical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Thank heavens, Macey knows something about boys to guide the girls through the labyrinth of lies and deception that young people use to protect themselves. Life is complicated for the girls of the famous, secret spy school when boys appear on the premises and the girls are sure they are not to be trusted. Cammie must decide if Zach is the real thing even though she is still very confused after Josh.

Celia and Alice share their secrets, hopes and increasing horror via email about the killer on the loose, abducting schoolgirls just like Celia. As the police scramble to investigate, who can the teenage girls trust.

When Aiden is lost in the forest, he is drawn into the mystery of a boy who disappeared in the same forest two years before.

Miss Muffet, yes the one in that nursery rhyme, doesn't have one problem - she has thousands, all of them with 8 legs. Harry Pigg is on the case and unfortunately he hates spiders, but he needs the work.

The Curse of the King chronicles the adventures of Jack McKinley and his friends as they face their greatest challenge yet the long-lost Statue of Zeus. In their struggle to undo what's been done and unlock the secrets of this Wonder of the Ancient World, our heroes must confront gods, relive old battles, and face down their own destiny to save themselves and the world from destruction.

Fero isn't a spy. But, he looks exactly like Troy Maschenov, a ruthless enemy agent. What starts out as mistaken identity quickly turns into a complicated and dangerous plan. Fero is recruited to fight for his country. He has to impersonate Troy, enter enemy territory, hunt down a missing agent and bring her home in time to prevent a devastating terror attack. Hastily trained, loaded up with gadgets and smuggled across the border, Fero discovers the truth about espionage. Getting in is easy. Getting out alive is hard.

Everyone's talking about Corey Armstrong... Twenty-five years ago, on a dark winter's night, teenager Corey Armstrong was left to die by a hit and run driver on Danger Road. Now Corey's the subject of a podcast that's putting his hometown on the map, but with the series almost over, the case remains unsolved. When brothers Alex and Leo decide to try to find out what happened to Corey, they learn more about his world than they could have imagined. Everyone's talking about the popular footballer, but the question remains: did anyone really know him? As Alex and Leo sink deeper into the past, they uncover old secrets, ready to resurface, and realise that someone in town must know something which means someone they know might be the killer. Will bringing up the past jeopardise the brothers' own futures? And could bringing a cold case back to life prove fatal?

Joshua and his cousin, Zoe, see two men fighting and hear a gunshot. The police believe the murder is linked to armed robberies in the area. The cousins decision to investigate places them in danger.

Jinx and MacKenna are thrown into survival mode as they fight their way across a war-torn country to rescue their little brother Charles. They will question themselves, their ideas and the integrity of everyone around them, before they get to the bottom of the political conspiracy that caused the civil war. Their only hope for survival, and rescuing Charles, might be following Dr. Doomsday's Guide.

Poirot, the amazing Belgian detective, is on vacation. But, some dirty business finds him as he falls foul of a murder on a Nile River steamer, followed quickly by two obviously connected murders. An elegant setting for a very sophisticated group of players, with an ingenious plot and some clever deduction on the part of our hero. Plus, a little romance on the side for glamour. Beautifully illustrated by Frank Leclercq.

Deep in a Derbyshire valley live two girls, twins, so alike that even their family can't tell them apart. But tragedy is waiting. When the valley is sold to be flooded for a huge dam, the villagers are forced to leave their homes and the twins' lives change for ever. Deep secrets are uncovered and desires, love and grief rise to the surface.

It's been three months since Henry disappeared and Chloe wants answers as badly as Mason wants her to just back off and leave him alone. The evidence mounts and friendships are tested in this gripping YA thriller set in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

For as long as she can remember, Pepper Stark has wanted one thing: to join her father, the Captain, aboard the magnificent RMS Aquitania on a voyage to New York. She has never been allowed to set foot on her father's ship - until now. From the decadent food to the star-studded passenger list, travelling First Class on Aquitania is every bit as glamorous as Pepper had imagined. And most dazzling of all is American stage sensation Perdita West, wearing the world-famous Saffron Diamond around her neck. When the priceless jewel disappears mid-voyage, Pepper unexpectedly finds herself entangled in the crime.

Any five 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 of the screen.

Mama, if I was to dig a hole in our garden, would I find a diamond? No, darling, there are no diamonds here. Where are diamonds, then? Oh, in other countries. In Africa for example ... A powerful parable that explores how the desire for endless riches perpetuates chains of inequality and corruption.

A new version of this much-loved anthology features an exclusive, new tale - written by Naomi Alderman, author of The Power - that will star the Thirteenth Doctor, as she battles to save the universe with her three close and trusted friends. Other authors featured are: Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman, Alex Scarrow, Charlie Higson, Derek Landy, Neil Gaiman, and Holly Black.

Cameron and his mum have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that's what Cameron has been told. When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, in the middle of nowhere, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren't possible. Soon, he's questioning everything he thought he knew and, even, his sanity. Cameron must uncover the dark secrets buried in the past, before they tear him apart.

When Cammie visits Macey in Boston to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president, they get trapped in a kidnappers' plot, with only their espionage skills to save them. Cammie can't shake the memory of Boston and even the Gallagher Academy doesn't feel safe. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every corner as Cammie and her friends struggle to find out who is after Macey.

A mysterious bequest sends Rosy and Jaz on a race against time to identify thirteen strange and wonderful objects - which turn out to tell the story of medicine, from the superstitions of ancient Egypt to the modern-day ethical dilemmas of genetic testing. Can unicorns cure leprosy? What secrets of the brain did Michelangelo conceal in his Sistine Chapel paintings? Did a zombie discover the cure for scurvy? Does homeopathy actually work? Why did an Australian scientist decide to drink dangerous bacteria? Is grapefruit evil? Did the bumps on Ned Kelly's head predict his fate? And how exactly did parachuting cats save a village from the plague?

Twin sisters Amber and Jeanie are accepted into an exclusive boarding school - as long as they don't tell anyone, including the vice principal that they are twins. As they get to know the school, they quickly realise it is a mansion of secrets and danger - students in the past have vanished without a trace!

After the discovery of Millie's body, Greenwich Private College grinds to a complete halt as gloom and despair sets in. As students begin to leave the school, Jeanie continues to investigate more into the school's dark past, while Amber's dreams reveal a dark, namless entity.

Alex Rider survives a bullfight, a high-speed bicycle chase through Amsterdam and even being the target in a human video-game, only to face his most disturbing challenge yet.

Relaxing in France, reluctant MI6 agent Alex Rider is finally able to feel like any ordinary fourteen year old. But, a sudden, ruthless attack on his hosts plunges him back into violence and mystery. Alex is determined to track down his friends' attackers, even if he must do it alone. But, it leads to a long-buried secret and a discovery more terrible than anything he could have imagined. Alex has ninety minutes to save the world.

Allie and her family move into a new home. The last thing they expect is an unwanted guest. But Bethan's room seems to be inhabited by a ghost who writes on the walls. Layers of paint, experts on psychic phenomena and Feng Shui don't help.

Eleanor Jones stirs up more mystery and danger in this fast-paced YA mystery. Things have settled down in Cooinda and Eleanor Jones is getting used to her new normal - spending time with her friends, going to school, and working on a project at the local old age home. But just as things start to feel calm, a series of events once again rock Eleanor's world- Troy's ex-girlfriend is back in town and, during a visit to the old age home, Eleanor's buddy Nance admits to witnessing a murder, swearing Eleanor to secrecy. In an effort to definitely not be concerned about Troy's ex, Eleanor throws herself into solving the mystery of the murder Nance spoke about. Enlisting the help of new friend and genealogy expert Jem to research Nance's past, Eleanor soon realises that digging into old secrets can sometimes be incredibly dangerous indeed.

Eleanor Jones has just started at her ninth high school in less than five years. Since she and her mum are always moving on, Eleanor likes to stay on the outer, to stay invisible. So maybe it's just bad luck that the very first person she talks to at Cooinda Secondary College, Angus Marshall, is stabbed and left for dead the same day. The last message on Angus's phone is from Eleanor Jones. After being interviewed by the police, Eleanor realises they don't have all the facts and decides to investigate. In trying to understand what happened to Angus, Eleanor inadvertently becomes involved with an eclectic group of fellow students - all of whom have their own reasons to want to solve the mystery. As they slowly unravel Angus's secrets, Eleanor discovers the true meaning of friendship - and uncovers a danger lurking at the heart of the town...

Eleanor Jones isn't looking for trouble. But someone is starting fires in Cooinda - and the first one looks like a murder. Eleanor is determined not to get involved, but when she receives a note warning her to 'keep quiet' she can't help but work out who sent it. Who had motive to murder Eleanor's neighbour? Could it really be one of her classmates? And are the fires connected to the car thefts in town? The more Eleanor tries to do the right thing, the more danger she finds herself in...

The gothic tale of Michael Rogers, likeable, charming and unable to settle, who secretly marries a young, American heiress, Ellie. Together, they build Michael's modern and exotic dream house but evil encroaches on their isolated paradise. There may be supernatural forces at work or it may be Michael's paranoia, but it is a dark and scary tale. Beautifully Illustrated by Frank Leclercq.

Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock's doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn't true. The Earl's note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, so Enola goes undercover, soon finding out that this is not the first of the Earl's wives to die suddenly and vaguely - and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl's home in the middle of the night.

Enola Holmes is a young girl from the 1890's trying to solve a mystery case before her brother Sherlock solves it first. A fast past mystery full of historical notes about friendships, disguises and sibling relationships.

Any five 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 of the screen.

Jake and Alex. Best mates. One terrible mistake. Two lives that will never be the same. Told in reverse, this powerful and gritty novel moves through the wreckage of a broken friendship, back to the moment when everything changed.

Everyone seems to know who Fero is, except Fero. He's either a ruthless boy soldier from Besmar or an innocent teen recruit from Kamau. Whatever, he's running out of time to decide. If he doesn't help a renegade spy steal a politician's briefcase, his two countries could end up in a full blown nuclear war, the kind that no one wins. Sequel to The cut out.

The world's worst private detective is saved by his little brother.

One December night, fourteen year old Alex goes to bed. He wakes up to find himself in the wrong bedroom, in an unfamiliar house, in a different part of the country and it's the middle of June. Six months have disappeared overnight. At breakfast, he doesn't know the family and, in the mirror, another face stares back at him. A boy named Flip. Unless Alex finds out what's happened and how to get back to his own life, he may be trapped forever inside another person's body.

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters by her best friend, Decker. By then, her heart had stopped beating and her brain had stopped working. Delaney is declared officially dead. Then, she starts breathing and the doctors are mystified. Outwardly, Delaney has completely recovered but she knows something is wrong. Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying.

No sooner have they arrived in Paris than the brothers are up to their necks in danger. There's a nasty smell in the air and it's not the cheese. If Nick and Tim aren't careful, their dream holiday could end up being a nightmare from which they'll never wake up.

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.

Friday is not running away. Yes, she did get on a train to Norway without telling anyone where she was going - but she had to help Binky. He may or may not have been attacked by a polar bear. Now he's facing court martial for dereliction of duty. Obviously, Friday had to drop everything and travel 3000 kilometres to solve the case. The fact that it's easier to handle her feelings for Ian Wainscott if there's a continent between them is just a coincidence. When Friday arrives in Oslo, there are so many mysteries to solve. Is someone trying to keep Binky and Princess Ingrid apart? How can a painting leave a museum when all the doors are sealed? And will Melanie persuade Friday to go to the royal ball without wearing a brown cardigan? If Friday survives her trip to the remote Global Seed Vault, we may find out.

Friday Barnes has a new case and it's personal. Her mother, a physicist, has been kidnapped. When a beautiful, rich, new student, Princess Ingrid of Norway arrives, Highcrest Academy is thrown into chaos. Despite heightened security, things start to go missing. And the Princess has her eye on Ian Wainscott. Friday must crack the case of her missing mother, reign in a royal brat and unmask the elusive thief.

When four former headmasters arrive at Highcrest Academy to take part in the school's anniversary celebrations, the students are warned to be on their best behaviour. Unfortunately, no one told the headmasters to stay out of mischief too! Which means Friday Barnes soon has a case to solve. But unravelling the truth isn't easy when the whole school is being forced to eat paleo because the cook is on a diet; her best friend's brother won't stop blubbering about the terrible boat accident he may or may not have caused; and Friday is being trailed by a mysterious admirer- or is it a stalker? Can Friday find the facts among the mayhem? She'd better. The fate of Highcrest depends on it!

Friday's Mum, the Nobel Prize winning physicist, has been accused of espionage. The police think she's been selling secrets about the CERN Hadron Super Collider. Friday knows her mother isn't capable of such a thing - this is a woman who can't even operate a dishwasher. She's got to smuggle herself into Switzerland to clear her Mum's name. Fortunately, Melanie is a master of disguise. After an extremely extreme make-over, Friday arrives at CERN and finds axolotls in the water coolers, graffiti in the great hall and most baffling of all - her sister has fallen in love with an engineer! Can Friday solve these mysteries? Can she keep her family out of prison? And can she recognise Ian if he shaves his head?

Friday Barnes is forced to face her biggest fear, her own emotions. She must wave goodbye to Ian as he takes off to join his father in the Cayman Islands. But, when your dad is a white-collar criminal, family reunions never go to plan. Ian is kidnapped en route and it's up to Friday to rescue him. On her return to school, the Headmaster has a treat in store, a four-week camp for students to learn wilderness survival skills. Camp Courage is even worse than Friday imagined. All her book smarts aren't much help when she's got wood to chop, potatoes to peel and latrines to dig.

When Friday Barnes solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to the most exclusive boarding school in the country. But, she is shocked to discover her new school is actually a hotbed of crime. Friday must solve the mystery of the disappearing homework and the Yeti in the school swamp. And Friday must work out why good-looking Ian Wainscott who seems to hate her, loves playing pranks on her.

When Princess Ingrid is kidnapped, along with her fiance, Binky Pelly, it's all over the international news. The King of Norway is distraught. The people of Norway are bewildered. And Ingrid' bodyguard is fired. So, he calls on his least favourite Interpol agent for help - Friday Barnes. The trail soon leads them to New York City, where finding a princess is harder than finding a tiara in a haystack. Can Friday unravel the mystery of the disappearing lovebirds? And when a Manhattan rockstar's book of handwritten lyrics goes missing, it's up to Friday to restore this priceless artefact to its rightful home.

Someone stole the Mona Lisa. Okay, it was over a hundred years ago, but a recently uncovered letter reveals that the thief forged a copy. That means that the painting in the Louvre now is a fake. And the real Mona Lisa could be anywhere! Friday Barnes needs to find the truth - and the real painting. She's going undercover as an art student, along with her partner-in-crime-solving, Melanie, and her staggeringly good-looking boyfrenemy, Ian. As they watch the comings and goings of France's most famous art gallery, they see some very strange things. Amid digital pickpockets, guerrilla graffiti and projectile perfume, Friday soon discovers that the Paris art scene is a hotbed of crime.

Friday's days at Highcrest are numbered! The new headmaster is turning everything upside down. Friday's irritatingly high IQ has her fast-tracked to graduation while a pair of incriminating pants puts Ian on the rocky road to expulsion. When a rumour emerges of embezzled gold stashed on the school grounds, Friday is determined to uncover the truth. But some big questions remain- Can she stay out of detention long enough to solve the mystery? Will Melanie survive without Friday to tell her what class she's in? And will Friday ever get that first kiss with Ian? With implosions and explosions everywhere, Friday Barnes will have to use her head and get a grip on her beating heart in order to find the gold that lies within.

It's two years later . . . Friday steps out of prison, a shell of her former self. She's still wearing the same brown cardigan, but she swears she's never solving mysteries again! Yeah right - who is she kidding? She can't suppress her brilliant deductive mind and is soon drawn back into the intrigues of Highcrest Academy. Then Uncle Bernie rings, pleading with Friday to fly to Italy and help him protect the Uffizi Galleries from a team of art thieves - and she can't say "no" to family. Even if it means travelling to the city where Ian, her ex-boyfriend/nemesis is living. Will Friday be able to protect Italy's finest artworks? Will Melanie stay awake long enough to help her? And will Ian still be as gorgeous as a Greek god and twice as annoying?

Friday Barnes has been deported to Switzerland. With their in-school detective gone, Highcrest Academy has descended into chaos. Someone's fired all the teachers and the Headmaster claims it wasn't him. When suspicion falls on Ian Wainscott, Friday won't stand by and let her favourite nemesis take the blame. Apart from probably being innocent, he's also seriously good-looking. Friday must try to save Ian's scholarship and find the pranksters before they bring down the school.

Friday Barnes is being attacked on all counts. When she gets involved in her frenemy Ian Wainscott's family dispute, it appears her knack for uncovering the truth may ruin their friendship once and for all. No one said high school would be easy.

When Friday Barnes cracked the case of the mysterious swamp yeti, she didn't expect to be placed under arrest. Now with the law on her back and Ian Wainscott in her face, Friday is not so sure boarding school was the smartest choice. From a missing or not-so-missing calculator to the appearance of strange holes in the school field, she is up to her pork-pie hat in crimes. There's also a new boy called Christopher.

Lola's been selected to play a new virtual reality game, but she breaks the one rule: not to recreate people or places from real life. Soon she's skipping school to play. But Lolas secrets begin to surface inside her game; how is she going to play her way out of this?

Ella wishes she could have gone to a NYE party with her friend; instead, she arrives at her aunt's house to find that something isn't right. At all. Ella is determined to find out what really happened, but she has more than a few obstacles in her way.

George and Annie are off on another cosmic adventure inspired by the Mars Expedition in the fifth book of the George's Secret Key series from Stephen and Lucy Hawking. George and his best friend, Annie, have been selected as junior astronauts for a program that trains young people for a future trip to Mars. This is everything they've ever wanted -- and now they get to be a part of up-to-the minute space discoveries and meet a bunch of new friends who are as fascinated by the universe as they are. But when they arrive at space camp, George and Annie quickly learn that strange things are happening -- on Earth as well as up in the skies. Mysterious space missions are happening in secret, and the astronaut training they're undertaking gets scarier and scarier...

George and Annie are off on another cosmic adventure to figure out why strange things are happening on Earth in the fourth book of the George's Secret Key series from Stephen and Lucy Hawking. George and his best friend Annie haven't had any space adventures for a while and they're missing the excitement. But not for long, because seriously strange things have started happening. Banks are handing out free money, supermarkets aren't able to charge for their produce so people are getting free food, and aircrafts are refusing to fly. It looks like the world's biggest and best computers have all been hacked. And no one knows why... It's up to George and Annie to travel further into space than ever before in order to find out what--or who--is behind it.

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.

Get even follows four high school students , Bree, Olivia, Kitty and Margot who have nothing in common however someone wants to get revenge on them. This fast pace revenge story has lots of twists and turns and chapter cliffhangers.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that's been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing. Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father's actions

Luna is reserved and fearful when the family moves to a new place that dad is keen to restore. It happens to be a crumbling tower and her younger sister loves it because it is a fairy tale castle. When Aurora begins a friendship with a girl, Tansy who lived in the past according to a local legend, emotions build between them all because of the wretched tower. Can Luna, mum or dad make things better for the way Aurora is behaving?

A young British boy called Bill narrowly survives the sinking of his yacht in a huge storm off the coast of Morocco. After many days alone at sea in a small boat he rescues another survivor, clinging for her life to a barrel. She is a girl called Aya, from the nomadic Berber tribe, whose migrant ship was destroyed by the same storm. Through endless days, a mere speck on the vast, empty sea - hungry, sunburned, and with no idea what will happen next - Aya recounts the tales of Shahrazad of the Arabian Nights, who told 1001 stories to quell the murderous desire of the Persian King. As hope of rescue begins to fade, from Aya's tales of magic, brave heroes, wily thieves, greedy kings and cruel sultans, they find the strength they need to stay alive.

Agatha has always been made to feel different because of the condition she was born with. Despite this, she patrols the sea wall with pride, even though there are some in her clan who question her right to be there. Jaimie is selected to be different. The clan choose a life path for him that may make him an outcast. He is a reluctant Angler, full of self doubt and afraid of the sea. When disaster strikes, the pair must embark on a terrifying journey to a land where forgotten magic and dark secrets lurk in every shadow. Everything has been taken from them What will they do to get it back?

So many ghosts are haunting the streets of Melbourne. When a plague of Lingerers, Moaners, Thugs and Weepers descend, Anton Marin and Rani need to work overtime to keep the people safe and send the ghosts on their way. When his long lost Aunt reappears through a portal to the Elsewhere, Anton is unsure if he can trust her, even more so when he realises her connection to the blood thirsty Trespassers, The ragged Sisters.

The brothers are hired to investigate a death threat made to world-famous pop singer and actress, Minerva. However, the Greek celebrity seems to have plenty of enemies so it is hard to prove who actually wants her dead.

When thirteen year old Andrew Ferguson goes to stay in an old house in Ireland, he is immediately plunged into the mysteries of Irish legend.

Harriet's best friend at the ballet academy is suffering from an eating disorder. The ghost of a ballerina who died tragically young attempts to contact the girls to save Marianne from death.

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.

When Lily Frost's parents move to a country town called Gideon, things are dire. Lily has left her best friend and knows no one. But, someone seems to know her and it isn't exactly welcoming. Lily is thrown into the path of cute local boy, Danny, but he's not giving anything away. It's up to Lily to make sense of the watery footprints on her floor and the cold air that constantly seeps into her bones.

In eighteenth century Devon, Caleb, travels with his father, living off the earnings from their Punch and Judy show. When his father is wrongly arrested for stealing and transported to the Colonies, Caleb is left alone. After a desperate journey in search of an aunt he's never met, he receives a strange, cold welcome. Then, a body washes up on the nearby beach and Caleb is caught up in a terrifying net of lies and intrigue. Soon, he and his new family are in mortal danger.

'Once upon a time, in a dark city far away, there lived a boy called Walter, who had nothing but his name to call his own...' The handwritten book, with its strangely vivid illustrations, has been hidden in the old house for a long, long time. Tonight, four kids and their teacher will find it. Tonight, at last, the haunting story of Walter and the mysterious, tragic girl called Sparrow will be read - right to the very end...

Hayley tends to her bees and follows the rules in the only world she has ever known. Until she witnesses the impossible: a drip from the ceiling. A drip? It doesn't make sense. Yet she hears it, catches it. Tastes it. Curiosity is a hook. What starts as a drip leads to a lie, a death, a boy, a beast, and too many awful questions.

Can Harry Pigg find and save Santa before it's too late. Why would anyone want to kidnap such a great guy.

Morrigan Crow and her friends have survived their first year as proud scholars of the elite Wundrous Society, helped bring down the nefarious Ghastly Market, and proven themselves loyal to Unit 919. Now Morrigan faces a new, exciting challenge: to master the mysterious Wretched Arts of the Accomplished Wundersmith, and control the power that threatens to consume her. But a strange and frightening illness has taken hold of Nevermoor, turning infected Wunimals into mindless, vicious unnimals on the hunt. As victims of the Hollowpox multiply, panic spreads. And with the city she loves in a state of fear, Morrigan quickly realises it's up to her to find a cure for the Hollowpox, even if it will put her - and everyone in Nevermoor - in more danger than she ever imagined.

Short stories with twisted endings and horror themes including Bath night, Killer camera, Light moves, The night bus, Harriet's horrible dream, Scared, A career in computer games, The man with the yellow face and The monkey's ear.

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.

Following the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, Sherlock Holmes is on the case, intent on finding out the truth behind the family's curse and the existence of the terrifying Hound of the Baskervilles. The new heir, Henry Baskerville, has already been warned against claiming his inheritance, will he be the next to fall prey to the family's curse or will Holmes be able to crack the case before there is more death? Based on the most famous of all Holmes' cases this graphic novel captures the terror and suspense surrounding the Hound and the curse that continues to hunt the Baskervilles.

Clovis, Eve and Tom decide to play with a Ouija board in an abandoned house on Halloween night. What they encounter sends them on a race to discover who the ghost is and why it needs their help.

Lewis Barnavelt discovers there is a wizard in his family when he comes to live with his Uncle Jonathan. Experimenting with Uncle Jonathan's spells Lewis uncovers the mystery behind the ticking that can be heard throughout the house, sometimes loud sometimes quiet, sometimes slow, sometimes fast. It's an evil clock and it could destroy humankind. It is up to the Barnavelts to find where the clock is hidden in the walls - and stop it. Tick tock, a deadly clock... a terrifying race against time...

The trials of high school start to feel like modern day witch hunt for Samantha Mather, who has all the wrong connections to Salem's past. To say Sam is unwelcome in Salem would be an understatement. She is the target of the Descendants, a mysterious group of girls whose ancestors were persecuted in the Witch Trials. Complicating her life further is Elijah, an inconveniently handsome resident ghost, and her cute new neighbour, Jaxon. When a centuries old curse is rekindled, Sam finds herself in the centre of it. Can she stop history repeating itself?

Neil is a young gamekeeper. When his boss is mysteriously hurt, Neil is left to look after the woods and pheasants on his own. There have been rumours of a panther on the loose and Neil has to survive nights alone, before the truth is revealed by the light of the hunter's moon.

Nick's got a bad feeling and it's not indigestion. It's a dangerous life being the younger brother of the world's worst private detective. Tim invites him to a school reunion on a remote island and the guests start dying one by one.

A deadly blaze. A desperate girl. Three days to crack the case. Everyone knows the story. Jamie George was the golden child. Her sister, Morgan, was nothing but trouble. When their house mysteriously burned down, Jamie barely survived. Morgan wasn't so lucky. Three years later, teen podcaster Zoe Gale receives an urgent message. Jamie needs help. She's received a threat written in blood and a demand for cash. Instead of paying up, Jamie wants Zoe to unmask the blackmailer. Zoe's tangled with dangerous people before. And there's something about Jamie she just doesn't trust. But soon she's digging up secrets someone would kill to keep buried ...

Behind the facade of a genteel, private school, the Gallagher Academy operates as a school for highly-trained spies. Girls are fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man with a stick of uncooked spaghetti. But, that doesn't stop these likeable teenagers obsessing about boys and experimenting with make-up and high heels. Cameron's life is even more complicated than that of the average teenager.

Chelsea knows that her sister is dead. But she also knows that Angelica never really went away. Ever since that tragic day, Angelica has been around. Talking to her. Listening to her. Being her truest friend. No one else can see Angelica, and Chelsea has learned to lie about her existence, because nobody else would believe it. It's their secret... until Chelsea makes a new friend and Angelica becomes jealous. Jealous enough to hurt someone. Chelsea's biggest secret has become her biggest fear.

It's 1972 in Gibber's Creek, and across the nation, the catchcry is, 'It's time'. As political ideals drift from disaster to the dismissal, it's also time for Jed Kelly to choose between past love, Nicholas, the local Labor member, and Sam from the Halfway to Eternity commune. It's time too for Matilda Thompson to face her ghosts and the life that took a young girl from the slums of Grinder's Alley to being the formidable matriarch of Gibber's Creek. During this period of extraordinary social change and idealism, modern Australia would be born. And although the nation would dream of a better world, it would continue to struggle with opposing ideas of exactly what that better world might be.

Jayden Jones is missing. Everyone thinks he ran away. His best friend, Zoe Gale, knows they're wrong. Zoe's search leads her to The 17 - a secret group chat, used by anonymous teens to blackmail the powerless. To join, you have to put on a mask and record yourself completing a challenge. The challenges are always illegal. Sometimes dangerous. Maybe deadly. Who are The 17? What have they done to Jayden? And what will they do to silence Zoe? A rollercoaster of suspense and twists from the author of the Liars series. LISTEN ON BOOK BITES! You can listen to Jack Heath read the first chapter of this book on the PRC's Book bites podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or The Arts Unit website! Copy and paste this URL into your browser to start listening! https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/listen-the-arts-unit/literature-and-language-arts/book-bites/7-9-book-list#if-you-tell-anyone-you-re-next-jack-heath

Ebo: alone. His sister left months ago. Now his brother has disappeared too, and Ebo knows it can only be to make the hazardous journey to Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his sister.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London's first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect. The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father's law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley. Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened. Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie's own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Lil and her sister Mella have always been close. But one day, after a fight, Mella goes missing. Four months later, and no sign of Mella, a mysterious girl named Alice turns up in Lil's life. In the midst of the worst storm in Welsh history, Alice and Lil work together to bring Mella home.

Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers have taken over. After her parents are murdered by sorcerers when she was little she is sent to live and work with her Uncle who is a tailor. One day, two sorcerers go to steal from her Uncle's shop and Fiora impulsively decides to stand up to them. This sparks her journey in joining the underground resistance - The Incorruptibles.

As Scarlet Bergen leaves her home to be trained in her psychic Solitaire abilities at the Arcadia Institute she can't forsee how much her life will change. As she delves into the mystery surrounding her mother, more truths and conspiracies will be uncovered.

Dear Iris, If all goes well I will be in touch by this evening. If you hear nothing, contact Glassy Bay International Travellers' Hostel and ask after me. Use our real names. Your Mama xxx Missing people. Mysterious deaths. A growing attraction between two girls caught up in the search for the truth. Somehow, they're all connected. But in order to find out how - and in order to even meet each other - Iris and Lena will have to go into the mouth of the wolf... LISTEN ON BOOK BITES! You can listen to Erin Gough read the first chapter of this book on the PRC's Book bites podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or The Arts Unit website! Copy and paste this URL into your browser to start listening! https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/listen-the-arts-unit/literature-and-language-arts/book-bites/7-9-book-list#into-the-mouth-of-the-wolf-erin-gough

Fourteen year old Kat Jones' life has been on hold since the death of her mother. When Kat is woken by an intruder looming over her bed, she is saved by her neighbour, Edwina, whom she believes betrayed her dying mother. And Kat certainly doesn't want Hercules, the world's ugliest guard dog, in her life. But, to stop the prowler, Kat will need to accept Edwina's help, develop friendships and learn to trust again.

Hugo is an orphan, clock keeper and thief, living in a Parisian railway station at the turn of the nineteenth century. The story, in words and pictures, includes the invention of the earliest moving pictures and automatons. A hidden message from a dead father is the key to this spellbinding mystery.

Holly Fitzgerald has inexplicably woken up inside the body of an LA teenager called trinity Byrne in 1980 - trapping Trinity in Holly's forty year old body back in Melbourne 2020. Mind. Officially. Blown. Holly finds herself navigating a brand new body, family and cute boy next door - not to mention rock band that might just make it, and potential kidnapper. Meanwhile, lies intersect with truth, hurtling both Holly and Trinity towards a dangerous fate as the connections between them grow deeper and stranger than either of them could have ever imagined. "

It's May 1910 and 16 year old Linda Duke has just received a strange message: a playing card, the Jack of Spades, in an envelope that was sent from Paris, where her widowed father, Professor Charles Duke, a noted but impractical Shakespearean scholar, has gone on a research trip. In the code devised by her late French mother Madeleine, who was a dedicated card-player, 'Jack of Spades' means treachery and danger. Her father knows that. But it is not his handwriting on the envelope. Linda is convinced he is in great danger, and being both brave and determined, decides to set out immediately to Paris to look for him.

Jake Atlas and his family are on the run. They're on a mission to stop the mysterious People of the Snake from hiding the secret of humankind. But the international police are chasing Jake and his family through one of the jungles of Honduras - one of the most dangerous places in the world. Can they make it out alive and discover the hidden mystery of human kind?

When a fierce quake strikes the remote island of Bluehaven, and her father disappears, Jane Doe is thrown headfirst into an epic quest to bring him home. But this ain't no ordinary rescue mission. Her father is lost in a place between worlds; a dangerous labyrinth of shifting rooms, infernal booby traps and secret gateways. And Jane has to find him fast, because someone else is searching for him, too. A man who knows her father's secrets. A man who has an army. With a pyromaniac named Violet and the enigmatic Hickory by her side, Jane is about to discover that this adventure is even bigger on the inside than it looks ..

Set in post-war Britain in 1949, fourteen year old Henry has no friends and misses his war-hero father. He resents his stepfather and stepsister, and escapes by going to the cinema, his passion. When Henry develops an old camera film, he uncovers a mystery and events spiral until Henry's life resembles the drama of the big screen.

After a break-in at their London home, Kat Wolfe and her veterinary-surgeon mum decide it's time to move to the country. Dr Wolfe's new job in idyllic Bluebell Bay comes with a condition: they have to adopt Tiny, a huge, near-wild Savannah, who resists Kat's best attempts at cat whispering. When she starts a pet-sitting agency to make pocket money, her troubles escalate. The owner of her first client, an Amazon parrot, vanishes from his fortified, gadget-filled mansion, leaving a half-packed suitcase and a mysterious parcel. The only person who shares Kat's conviction that he's the victim of foul play is Harper Lamb, the American daughter of a palaeontology professor. A language and coding whizz, Harper is laid up with two broken legs thanks to her racehorse. What starts out as mystery-solving holiday fun quickly turns deadly for Wolfe and Lamb. When all clues point to an army base, can they count on their unruly animal friends to save the day - and their lives?

When a landslide on the Jurassic Coast reveals a rare 'dragon' dinosaur, best friends Kat Wolfe and Harper Lamb are thrilled, especially when stars and scientists come flocking to sleepy Bluebell Bay. But after they begin investigating a suspicious death, events spiral quickly out of control for detectives Wolfe and Lamb. Worse still, Kat's wild cat is in trouble. Can they solve the mystery - and save the cat's life - before it's too late?

Ancient Roman province of Britannia, AD 84. Twelve-year-old orphan Livia has to keep a promise made to her late father: to take a mysterious key to her estranged uncle Marcus. She sets out with the key, her old horse Pegasus and her father's doctoring kit, only to learn that her uncle has left for a town further north. By the time she reaches it, her uncle has gone, and she can't find out where-until a boy named Mato informs her that he knows. But he refuses to tell her unless she takes him with her. As the two young people journey on the trail of Livia's uncle, they start to suspect that the key holds a very dangerous secret. And now Livia and Mato must keep their wits about them, in a deadly game of cat and mouse. But figuring out who is friend, and who is foe, is the greatest challenge of all...

Includes two macabre and twisted tales. Killer camera, in which everything Jamie photographs either breaks or dies, and Night moves, where Henry's new computer has a life of its own and gambles with the lives of others.

Solve the puzzle. Save the world. Simple, right? Step into the shoes of Arlo Banks, and return to a world of secrets and spies. This time, he's on the trail of a shadowy group determined to stop the young sleuth in his tracks. From the bright lights of Hollywood to the snowy alps, from prison breaks to car chases, Arlo must use all his skill and cunning to solve murders, catch killers and - just maybe - stop the end of the world. You choose what path you take, what puzzles you solve, and what answers you choose in this interactive high-stakes mystery.

Renowned detective Hercule Poirot has been secretly summoned to an exclusive estate to solve the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport. With 2 confessions and an unexpected second body, Poirot will have to piece together a tangled web of clues before the real killer can be identified.

Darkus Knightley's father was London's top private detective until he went into a coma four years ago. Now, he has woken up to discover his thirteen year old son has inherited the family talent. With a bestselling book seemingly making people do terrible things, and clues pointing to the involvement of a shadowy organisation known as the Combination, Alan needs the help of his tweed-wearing, brainiac son to investigate.

When the vuvv first landed, it came as a surprise to aspiring artist Adam and the rest of planet Earth, but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Can it really be called an invasion when the vuvv generously offered free advanced technology and cures for every illness imaginable? As it turns out, yes. With his parents' jobs replaced by alien tech and no money for food, clean water, or the vuvv's miraculous medicine, Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe, have to get creative to survive. And since the vuvv crave anything they deem "classic" Earth culture (doo-wop music, still-life paintings of fruit, true love), recording 1950s-style dates for the vuvv to watch in a pay-per-minute format seems like a brilliant idea. But it's hard for Adam and Chloe to sell true love when they hate each other more with every passing episode. Soon enough, Adam must decide how far he's willing to go - and what he's willing to sacrifice - to give the vuvv what they want.

Under the burnt timber of the church, the police have found the body of Merv Ignatious, the man who so viciously attacked Jed Kelly when she was fifteen, and tried to kill her and her unborn child in last year's bushfire. And also in the church, lie skeletons from many years ago.

Lee Raven, boy thief, has stolen something he really didn't mean to. Now he faces a perilous flight through London and the murky sewers below as he tries to escape capture. Lee has stolen the Book of Nebo, a book that has existed for thousands of years and tells every story and legend known to man.

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.

This is not a threat. I have no demands. This is a statement of fact. Leave...or die. Jarli has lost a day. His missing memories may reveal the identity of Viper who just announced a plan to DESTROY the town of Kelton. Meanwhile, Doug is trapped in Vipers hidden prison. Hes been given up for dead by his family and friends...but he has a daring plan to ESCAPE. Jarli and his friends are close to unmasking Viper, but the master criminal has spies everywhere. Can Jarli tell his friends from his enemies in time to thwart Vipers final, terrible scheme? The TRUTH wont set them free...

Jarli and his friends are trapped in a hospital, held hostage by the villainous Viper and his venomous crew of armed mercenaries. Can Jarli outwit Viper and help his friends escape? A thrilling edge of your seat read.

Life had just begun to settle down for Jarli. After his Truth App went viral and set the mysterious crime lord Viper against him, he's been trying to lay low. But when a small plane crashes into one of his schoolmate's house and all of the crew and passengers have disappeared, his life is thrown into chaos once again as he tries to unravel the mystery behind the crash - and protect his life!

Jarli is attempting to have a normal life, but it's hard when you've created the Truth App, which can tell when someone is lying by analysing their voice. When Jarli and his best friend enter a robobattle, he's approached by government bodyguards for the Minister of Defence. They want Jarli to appear at a press conference to prove the Minister isn't lying but then Jarli is framed for a crime he didn't commit, and someone has hacked the truth app, making it impossible to prove his innocence. Jarli will have to rely on his friends and quick thinking to clear his name and save his life!

THE TRUTH APP is the latest craze in the town of Kelton. It listens to everyone around you and tells you if they're lying. When the app goes viral, its teenage creator, Jarli, becomes famous overnight. But being a celebrity can be dangerous. Especially when you've just exposed everyone's deepest, darkest secrets. Now everyone is out to get Jarli. Kids at school. Teachers. The police. Even his own family. And the secret network of criminals based in Kelton have just added Jarli to their hit list. The TRUTH doesn't always set you free...

A prophecy has been spoken. A monster has awoken. As the conquering hold of the United Regions continues to spread, time is running out for Lintang, Captain Shafira and the crew of the Winda to find allies in their quest for peace. But when they arrive in war-torn Kaneko Brown, the local rebels are too scared to help. The Vierzans have summoned a category ten mythie that devours the star of anyone who dares stand against them. Worse, the mythie has been prophesied to mean the end of Captain Shafira. Lintang must find a way to stop the most dangerous mythie in the guidebook or she'll lose her beloved captain forever.

The time has come to visit the forbidden island of Allay. But first Lintang needs to find her captain, and it seems the only way to get to the Winda is to join - then escape - the Vierzan navy. Only then will Captain Shafira set sail for Allay, where the crew of the Winda must uncover what really happened to the country's missing ruler. When disaster strikes, and Lintang is separated from her captain again, she and her friends must sneak through the heart of Allay, battle terrifying new mythies and overcome Captain Shafira's enemies to return to where they belong. Lintang was left behind once. She won't let it happen again.

Lintang dreams of having adventures on the High Seas. When a deadly mythie attacks the same day the infamous Captain Shafira visits her island, Lintang gets her chance, defending her village with the bravery that earns her a place on the pirate queen's ship. But they've barely left the island when Lintang discovers her best friend, Bayani, has stowed away. Telling Captain Shafira means betraying her friend, but keeping Bayani's secret risks everything...including their lives.

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.

The clock is ticking... Andy and three other kids wake up in a locked room. The room has no windows, but it has a locked door, with a countdown clock above it. They have less than an hour to figure out how to get out of this room. But when they do...? There's another locked room, and more locked doors. And they can't go back.

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.

As a supernatural outbreak baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests against the psychic agencies, Lockwood and Co continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. A new haunting in an old school involves bloody handprints and the appearance of a glowing boy. But, ghosts seem to be the least of their concerns when living assassins attack during a carnival in the centre of the city.

Anthony, Lucy, and George of Lockwood & Co are searching for the mysterious Dr Bickerstaff to find the secret of communicating with the dead. A rival agency also wants the commission and the search becomes a challenge. The loser must publicly admit defeat. A fearsome phantom seems a real challenge until the whispering skull that Lucy has brought along becomes the key to saving life, limb and friendships.

Psychic Investigation Agencies have sprung up everywhere to deal with a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. Ambitious agent, Lucy Carlyle, arrives in London, hoping for a notable career. Instead, she joins the smallest most ramshackle agency, run by charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When a case goes horribly wrong, the agency must salvage its reputation. This means spending the night in a haunted house and trying to escape alive.

Bella and Connie have been close friends for years and they continue to support each other as they start high school and come out of the lockdowns imposed due to the pandemic. Connie's cousin, Mish, has shown up under some mysterious circumstances and the girls are forced to welcome the older girl into their friendship. Mish is not a good fit and does not want to be a good fit. Bella and Connie need to find the balance between doing what they think is right, while trying not to attract the wrath of Mish.

Twig is all alone after his dad goes missing. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer. Life is good, as long as they have each other. But then Twig wakes up in the Afterlife. With just a handful of vague memories, a key, a raven, and a mysterious atlas to guide him, he tries to piece together what happened, and to find his way home . . .

When Luke goes missing, his friends are dragged into the terrifying world of Malice, the underground comic. The evil Tall Jake takes children into a fantasy world where they can really die. It takes heroes like Seth and the loyalty of Kady to survive the violent, brutal comic-book pages. Be prepared to be very scared.

Fanny Price, a talented but unwanted guest at Mansfield Park, relies on her uncle Sir Thomas' protection to avoid being cast out by her cruel relatives. When Sir Thomas dies in a suspicious accident, Fanny discovers evidence of murder, but revealing it could cost her everything. Pressured by her friend and secret love Edmund to stay quiet, Fanny chooses instead to seek justice. Her investigation pulls her into the Bertram family's shadowy art business and the dazzling world of London society, complicated further by the arrival of the charming Crawfords and their bold proposal. With unexpected help from Lizzie Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, Fanny uncovers secrets that change everything, about the family, the murder, and herself. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

After surviving a shipwreck in 1766, Billy Marvel finds work in a London theatre. His family flourishes for generations as brilliant actors until 1900, when young Leontes Marvel is banished from the stage. Nearly a century later, Joseph Jarvis runs away from school and seeks refuge with an eccentric uncle in London. A gripping adventure and an intriguing invitation to decipher how the two narratives interconnect.

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.

Tanmar's older brother is dead, her mum's gone away and her dad avoids talking about the things that really matter. Plagued by nightmares about her brother, Tamar has no interest in school or friends. When she discovers an old handwritten sheet of music and plays the tune, Tamar meets gifted violinist, Nathaniel, a man from her house's past. She is unwittingly drawn into a journey through time and music.

When a piece of glass angel smashes in front of him, Chris doesn't take any notice. Not even when a stranger tells him it's a warning. But, when Chris and his girlfriend are trapped on the moors, strange things start to happen.

Mackenzie's world has been turned upside down with the disappearance of her mother following a scientific journey photographing bats in Panama. Her father's sudden and rash decision for Mackenzie to join him in searching for Maggie where she was last seen becomes even more unsettling when he becomes ill and Mackenzie must decide what to do when she comes across some potentially helpful information.

Suitable for mature readers. We follow the growing relationship between a young pickpocket and 'the creature', as together they pursue the elusive Dr Frankenstein. Set in 1800s London.

The Ravens sorority are witches. They need to protect themselves and their secret. After the last semester's disaster, they are determined to restore the balance and get back to being the ruling sorority on campus. When magic starts to go wrong, and a rival sorority is gaining power, their future could be in jeopardy. Scarlett, Vivi and their sisters need to protect their coven and Westerly from an unknown evil.

Seventeen-year-old Kay left her sleepy hometown after the devastating death of her friend, Ivy. But when her parents go on holiday without her, Kay is forced to come back to stay with her cousin. And her return comes with a bang. Because when Kay arrives, it's to find an anonymous letter on her bed. The letter tells her that there will be a thrill on Tuesday, a wreckage on Wednesday, treachery on Thursday, a fire on Friday, sabotage on Saturday, a stabbing on Sunday and her murder on Monday. And if Kay can't figure out who is behind the threats, the worst day of the week is about to get deadly.

Short stories with twisted endings and horror themes including The hitchhiker, The sound of murder, Burned, Flight, Howard's end, The elevator, The phone goes dead, Twist cottage and The shortest horror story ever written.

Colonel Protheroe, the much-loathed magistrate of St Mary Mead, has been found shot through the head. It isn't his murder that raises eyebrows, it's the scandalous secrets his death exposes. Miss Marple has her work cut out to find the right trail to the killer who obviously has something to hide. Beautifully illustrated by Norma.

When the wife of the expedition leader of a large archaeological dig in Mesopotamia starts receiving letters from her dead husband, she is terrified. When she turns up dead in a room that nobody could have entered, it is up to Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective, and the nurse to find the answer. Beautifully illustrated by Chandre.

13 year old Grace loves her new charity shop coat. It is perfect! Except for one tiny thing. When she wears it, she sees visions of the previous owner's life....and their murder! Grace and her best friend, Suzy, decide to investigate but digging up the past reveals secrets some people want kept hidden. Can Grace solve a fifty-year-old murder or will she become the killer's next victim?

This is what happens when you put a pair of unemployed teenagers in charge of a murder investigation. What we lack in investigative skills we make up for in free time. Heidi's meant to be having the time of her life on exchange in Switzerland, but instead she's cold, alone and on an involuntary dairy-free diet. So when she hears the news of her brother Felix's death, she's quick to jump on the first plane home to Perth. To be completely honest, Felix wasn't that much of a brother, so Heidi's not that sad - but she's not exactly happy either. Thanks to an epic betrayal by her (ex) best friend and (ex) boyfriend, Heidi has absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. No one, that is, except Patrick, the wisecracking younger brother of Felix's widow, who convinces her that they need to investigate her brother's mysterious demise. Can Heidi and Patrick get to the bottom of Felix's death - and do they really want to?

When Ben's Dad leaves home, Ben and his Mum move to the country to find a better life. Their neighbour, Luke, bullies Ben remorselessly about his city ways and his pet crow, Joe. When Luke threatens to hurt Joe, the crows take their own revenge.

The murder of a wealthy widow in a small English village leads Hercule Poirot into a strange mystery involving a determined, curious spinster, the local doctor and a wide range of suspects. All have possible motives and mysterious, sinister relationships. Beautifully illustrated by Bruno Lachard.

By the time Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective, receives Monsieur Renauld's urgent plea, the millionaire has been stabbed to death and is lying in a newly dug grave on the golf links adjoining his estate. The suspects are many - the ignored wife, the embittered son and the demanding mistress. The police think they have the culprit but Poirot begs to differ. Beautifully illustrated by Marc Piskic.

"What happens when your closest family are the prime suspects in a murder mystery? Spending a weekend visiting her step-grandmother and hanging out with relatives at the family farm isn't 14 year-old Ruth's idea of fun, especially when there is no internet or phone reception, and there is the added complication of trying to suppress her crush on her sort-of-cousin 15 year-old Dylan. But when the sudden and suspicious death of step-grandmother GG keeps the extended family trapped at the farmhouse, it gives Ruth and Dylan a chance to solve the murder mystery themselves." LISTEN ON BOOK BITES! You can listen to Kate Emery read the first chapter of this book on the PRC's Book bites podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or The Arts Unit website! Copy and paste this URL into your browser to start listening! https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/listen-the-arts-unit/literature-and-language-arts/book-bites/7-9-book-list#my-family-and-other-suspects-kate-emery

Aboard the luxurious Blue Train running from London to the Riviera, a pampered millionaire's daughter, Ruth Kettering, is found murdered and her expensive jewels stolen. There is talk of the infamous jewel thief, the Marquis, but Poirot's suspicion falls closer to home and Ruth's unhappy marriage. The Belgian detective is not to be trifled with. Beautifully illustrated by Marc Piskic.

After a frightening car accident, Izzy's mum is in a coma. Her family is in pieces. Her best friend at school has dumped her. And her nightmares are haunted by a shadowy man stealing all the colours from her world. She's trying so hard to be brave, but Izzy thinks everything is her fault. Then she meets her new neighbour, Toby, paralysed after a skateboarding accident, and together they find a nest of cygnets who need rescuing. Particularly the odd one out, called Spike. Will saving Spike save Izzy? Will she and Toby solve the mystery of the colour thief and bring hope and happiness back to Izzy's life? Written with insight, compassion and empathy - an authentic story about real life and how to survive it.

Shey can't resist exploring the locked room in Uncle Ruben's house. Looking through a pair of antique opera glasses, Shey is transported to a strange land depicted in one of Ruben's paintings where there are lots of clues to be followed.

Two eccentric classmates deduce a range of cryptic clues from a magician's notebook which allow them to solve a kidnapping and set to rest a story of displacement.

The evil corporation, Nightrise, has amassed an immense amount of power and the devastating force of the Old Ones is about to be unleashed around the globe. To stop this from happening, Matt and three of the Gatekeepers head to Hong Kong to meet the final Gatekeeper, a girl named Scarlet, whose fate is inextricably joined to their own.

The Armstrongs are both predator and prey, hunting for clues to help them fight the Darkening-King, while constantly watching their backs. This time it's not just the world of the Hidden searching for them: the Josser world is intent on capturing the family too. Leading the search is the curious Mr Fox and his agents in grey, and they've found an ally who knows Ned's every move. As the world of the Hidden begins to fall apart, its horde of Demons and Darklings threatens to spill out of the shadows at any moment. With his trusty mouse and Familiar, Lucy and George, Ned must travel from the snow-swept forests of Siberia to the cliffs of Dover in a desperate attempt to rally allies for a final stand. Fearsome enemies will become allies and old allies enemies, as Ned prepares himself for the final battle.

Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family--and destroyed the hero, Nick. But her success has come at a terrible cost. She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend--and maybe more--is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn't even know her name. Only Joan remembers that a greater and more dangerous enemy is still out there. When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world, she finds herself on the run with Nick--as Aaron closes in. Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself

Alex Rider is trying to get his life back on track after the traumatic events of his last mission. But even Alex can't fight the past especially when it holds a deadly secret.

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 the Newington Emerald is stolen at the height of a conjured storm, eighteen year old Lady Truthful Newington goes to London to search for the magical heirloom. But, as a well-bred young lady cannot hunt the metropolis for a stolen jewel, she has to disguise herself as a man. Lady Truthful is soon caught up in a dangerous adventure where she must risk her life, her reputation and her heart. Her father's life and even the fate of England may depend upon her recovering the Newington Emerald.

Three stories in one book - The night bus, The hitchhiker and The man with the yellow face - including the scariest passengers on the Halloween night bus, the hitchhiker harbouring the deadly secret and the mysterious man replacing Peter in Peter's passport photo.

Viola can't go out in the sun. If she does, it will kill her. Even fluorescent lights can do her harm. So, her parents invest in night vision goggles and let her roam the nearby forest at night for fun. When Viola sees something that she will not ignore, she has a choice to make. But, choices come with consequences and hers may have dangerous implications. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Penny Hope used to be brave, but that was before she met the Fear Maker. Years later, he still haunts her nightmares -- a tall, thin man with red eyes, in a haunted house in the woods, who devours human souls and leaves their eyes hollow and empty. Penny's beloved grandma tells her to write down these nightmares as poems in her notebook. But then Penny starts seeing blank-eyed people in the waking world, too. She's the only one who notices. As more people around her fall prey to the Fear Maker, Penny must gather her courage once and for all to save the souls of those she loves. With the help of a magic garden and a new friend, she ventures to the Fear Maker's house. But the house is a labyrinth of shadows and tricks -- and the Fear Maker's fun is just beginning. Can a pocketful of sunflower seeds and a notebook filled with poems be enough to defeat a master of nightmares? And if Penny sets foot in the Fear Maker's house, will she ever leave?

Alex Rider is sent by MI6 Special Operations to infiltrate a new and sinister organization known only as Nightshade. Alex is on his own, with the fate of thousands of people resting in his hands.

Alex Rider must again rely on his wits, courage and intelligence when a new villain emerges and his life is turned upside down. The evil Nightshade cult is out for revenge and has Alex in their sights. Danger is everywhere as Alex fights to survive.

Alif had exciting summer plans: working on her father's archaeological dig site in the desert with four close friends ... and a very cute research assistant. Then the sandstorm hit. With their camp wiped away, Alif and the others find themselves lost on the sands, seemingly doomed, until they discover the oasis. It has everything they need: food, water, shade and mysterious ruins that hide a deadly secret. As reality starts to shift around them, they question what's real and what's a mirage. The answers turn Alif and her friends against each other and they start to wonder if they are really saved. While it was easy to walk into the oasis, it might be impossible to leave. A supernatural thriller.

Having escaped from Hong Kong, the five gatekeepers - Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scarlett - are scattered in a hostile and dangerous world. As they struggle to re-group and plan their next move, the malevolent King of the Old Ones gathers his forces in Oblivion: a desolate landscape where the last survivors of humanity must fight the ultimate battle.

Sixteen-year-old Regina seeks romance, adventure, and approval. Of course, getting approval from a mother like Cora is next to impossible. For Regina, friendships have always been a rare commodity. Could it be that Regina has finally found a true friend? Or is it too good to be true? As Regina struggles to find her own identity and create her own destiny, she discovers that her fate might just be to become everything she despises.

When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn't know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that's exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organisation dead set on kidnapping her. Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie "The Chameleon" can't hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers, or even her own heart.

Wealthy Rachel Armstrong was struck on the back of the head by a heavy, iron poker and died instantly. Everything points to her estranged, adopted son, Jacko. His alibi that he was picked up by a stranger cannot be confirmed. Jacko is sentenced and dies in prison. But, one day, the stranger returns and the case is reopened because Jacko couldn't have done it. Beautifully illustrated by Chandre.

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan-an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie's summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home. Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It's a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

Rico is unusual. His head gets mixed up but Rico is brilliant at noticing little things - like the strange goings-on in the next apartment block. When his new and only friend, the gifted, anxious Oscar is kidnapped, Rico gets a chance to put all his special skills to the test in a violent, dangerous adventure.

Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged. Bartholomew Kettle and his sister live by these words. They are Peculiars, half-human, half-faery, and hated by both. But, one day, when a mysterious lady magically whisks away a little boy, Bartholomew forgets the rules. And gets himself noticed.

When Kasumi leaves her remote village for the teeming city of Edo, her life is transformed. She has been chosen by a samurai to become a lady-in-waiting to his new wife. Kasumi is surprised as she has no skills for this role and, worst of all, she is always in trouble for speaking her mind. Surely, this will get her into trouble with her new mistress. When Kasumi learns of a secret that puts them both in danger, she must solve the mystery, behind the danger they face, in order to save herself and her mistress.

Includes two macabre and twisted stories, The phone goes dead, in which David seems to have a hotline to heaven and hell, and Bath night, in which the Victorian bath tub presents Isabel with more of a blood bath than a bubble bath.

Beatrice May Ross, otherwise known as Bee, is in her element working at the taxidermy department at the Museum of Natural History. But, her summer job is full of surprises. For starters, there's a dead body, a mysterious benefactor, a large stuffed tiger and a pocketful of glass eyes. Bee must sift through the clues to discover whether a murder has been committed.

Two of the world's most powerful men, both of whom had sons at Point Blanc Academy, meet 'accidental' deaths. Fourteen year old Alex Rider, reluctant M16 spy, must infiltrate the academy as a pupil to find the truth.

Two of the world's most powerful men, both of whom had sons at Point Blanc Academy, meet 'accidental' deaths. Fourteen year old Alex Rider, reluctant M16 spy, must infiltrate the academy as a pupil to find the truth.

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.

When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates. Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case - and her feelings for Darcy-become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed.

Jenna is excited to be chosen to act in a movie about a princess, amazed when her mother gives her permission to fly off for the filming and confused when she realises she is the spitting image of the missing Princess of Scandia.

Thirteen year old Nick Diamond is in prison, framed for a jewel heist. Nick finds himself sharing a cell with public enemy number one, Johnny Powers. Nick's only chance of clearing his name is to nail the Fence, a master criminal.

When her grandmother dies, Deirdre is left alone in a crumbling block of flats. Looking out the window one misty night, she sees a boy who seems familiar. Together, he and Deirdre must discover the secret of the old building, before it collapses and the secret is lost forever.

A missing neighbour, a mysterious boy, a murder? Fifteen year old Annie is off to her basketball game in her sleepy New Zealand town when she sees a raincoat floating down the river. This starts a chain of events that will rock Annie's world. Police want to investigate her neighbour for murder, but before they can, he blows up his own house and goes on the run. Strangers come to town, including a dark-haired cowboy with the most amazing horse Annie has ever seen. As her world begins to crumble around her, Annie sets out to uncover the secret that could rip her small community apart.

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.

Will and Maddie are imprisoned at Chateau des Falaises. Baron Lassigny is scheming to recruit them as spies for hire, but Maddie raises the stakes when she challenges Lassigny's garrison commander to a duel on horseback. Will is horrified - especially when he realises the treacherous baron won't fight fair. If Maddie can survive the duel, they still need to escape the heavily guarded chateau and rescue the kidnapped prince they were sent to retrieve. It will take all their ingenuity, courage and determination to triumph this time - and to solve the mystery of who betrayed them.

King Philippe of Gallica appeals to King Duncan for help. His son is being held hostage by a power-hungry baron, and Philippe wants Duncan to send a Ranger to rescue the boy. Will and Maddie are perfect for the task. Travelling as father and daughter to allay suspicion, they will pose as entertainers to infiltrate the Chateau des Falaises, where the prince is being held. But travelling through Gallica has its own risks: armed bandits, wild weather and even a mysterious follower all have to be faced and overcome. Will they ever find the prince? And if they do, how will they rescue him from the evil Baron Lassigny?

In this eerie mystery, Eddie Haite becomes involved in monitoring the behaviour of radiation-affected rats on a remote tropical South Pacific island. Their roles appear reversed and the man who runs the lab seems to be going slowly mad.

Shelby and her best friend Davey live quiet low-tech lives in a closed community, in a world healing itself after a global pandemic that had an unimaginable impact on humanity. When they climb through a hole in the perimeter fence to venture into the surrounding jungle, they find the past and the present about to collide to threaten the future. It will take all of Shelby's daring and determination to ensure the past does not repeat itself.

At first glance, The Ravens seem like typical sorority sisters. These girls are the most admired at Westerly College. Looks can be deceiving, and these are not just girls but a coven of witches. With a new intake of Littles and a painful secret returning to haunt them, the girls will need to put rivalry aside to save a fellow sister.

Taylor and Sierra have been best friends their whole lives. But, Taylor's fed up because Sierra always gets what and who she wants. So, when Sierra asks her friends to cover for her while she meets Jacob, a guy she's chatted to online, Taylor 's refuses to show any interest. But, Sierra doesn't come back for one, two, three days. When Taylor finally tells Sierra's mum that her daughter is missing, Taylor and her friends are thrown into a dark world they never even knew existed.

Two boys from the Ugarapul tribe of Green Tree Frog are focused on winning the mission's biggest race. Will the boys be strong enough to win the race?

Robin is a skilled archer but when his archery gets him in trouble with the leader of the town gangsters, he heads for the Sherwood Forest to stay alive. However, unlike his classic counterpart, this twenty-first century Robin uses his computer hacking skills to steal from the rich and give to the poor.

There was no going back; there was no choice, anymore. I'd chosen out and this was it: hot-cold, dry-wet, bright-dark and lonely. Hayley has gone rogue. She's left everything she's ever known - her friends, her bees, her whole world - all because her curiosity was too big to fit within the walls of the underwater home she was forced to flee. But what is this new world she's come to? Has Hayley finally found where she can belong? Or will she have to keep running?

When Ian Rider died at the hands of the assassin, Yassen Gregorovich, Alex was thrust into the world of international espionage and vowed revenge. Yet, years ago, it was Alex's father who trained and mentored Yassen, turning him into the killer he would eventually become. In some ways, Alex and Yassen are mirror images of each other but they are mortal enemies.This is Yassen's story. A journey down a darkened path.

Three sinister stories with chilling twists, including Scared, where the countryside hates Gary as much as he hates it; A career in computer games, in which Kevin's computer seems to break all the rules, and Howard's end, that might be heaven or hell.

Get ready for a terrifying spin on some of literature's most beloved tales-no story is safe! From Captain Hook's run-in with dark magic to Sherlock Holmes narrowly escaping graveyard spirits to a happily never after for Cinderella, this horror anthology is anything but a bedtime story. In this terrifying new collection for young readers, the best-loved stories from the literary canon are revisited and reimagined with a deadly twist by some of the top authors working in middle grade today. Featuring tales from authors Jonathan Maberry and Kelley Armstrong, Carlos Hernandez, Lisa Morton, Maurice Broaddus, and many others, this collection will haunt you long after you turn the last page.

Alex Rider is determined to find out more about his father. He travels to Italy where he manages to infiltrate the world of Claudia Rothman, a member of the crime organization, Scorpia.

Alex Rider wants his life back. But, when you're the world's most successful spy, there's only one way out. One bullet. One life. The ends starts here.

Teenage spy, Alex, travels to Venice to discover the truth about his past. But, the truth lies with a criminal organisation known as Scorpia, and Alex must make a choice to work for MI6 once more or betray everything he believes in.

Dale lives in Axe Falls, a town of mysterious disappearances, terrifying visions and unusual events. A family trip turns spooky when Dale finds an old handwritten book, starting with the words: Do not stop reading; my life depends on it. But when ghosts from the book start stalking him through the forest, Dale starts to wonder...

Meet Tommy and Tuppence, two likeable 1920s' upper class detectives, in their globetrotting quest to locate their missing client and some very important papers. This is a devious plot that goes back to the sinking of the Lusitania. The story includes international intrigue, secret treaties, disguises and blackmail. Beautifully illustrated by Frank Leclercq.

Anthony Cade is looking for adventure and a bit of quick cash. The good-natured drifter accepts a messenger job from an old friend. It sounds perfectly simple to deliver the provocative memoirs of a recently deceased European count but the murder of someone shadowing Anthony leads to the discovery of dark deeds and terrible secrets at Chimneys, a rambling estate. Beautifully illustrated by Laurence Suhner.

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.

It's 1916 and sixteen-year-old Jean McLain is working in a Post Office in a quiet village in England. Jean wins the national Morse code competition and that sets her on an adventure to help the British army as a secret signaller in France. Jean begins her time in France on a British army base as part of an all-female signaller team, sending and decoding messages to and from the battle front. Soon she finds herself right on the battlefields in a trench as the British army begins to make the final push towards Germany. Based on true events, this story of adventure, courage and unshakable loyalty restores women and girls to their place in history that the British authorities have tried to erase.

Ever since MI6 recognized his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. From a routine visit to the dentist that turns into a chase through the streets of London, to a school trip with a deadly twist, no day has ever been ordinary for the teenage super-spy. This collection of seven thrilling adventures features familiar and new assailants from the best-loved world of Alex Rider, and also includes three, brand new and action-packed adventures.

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate-including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father's partner and protégé-to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London's Barton Street. But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery that points to foul play, and the killer might be family. Obviously, the girls must investigate. It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won't bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father's murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort-and it might even lead to love.

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.

PSS 118 is just your typical school, except that it is a rickety old spaceship orbiting Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. Jack's dad used to be the science teacher, until he got fired for tinkering with the ship. Now Jack wants to get through the last day of school without anything going wrong.. But when the school is mysteriously attacked, Jack discovers that his dad has built humanity's first light speed engine and given Jack control of it. Jack catapults it hundreds of light years away and right into the clutches of the first aliens humans have ever seen. School hasn't just got out, it has gone clear across the galaxy. Now it is up to Jack and his friends to get everyone home.

Premonition is a band hoping to make it big but they need somewhere to practise. Tom suggests the old warehouse but Billy has a bad feeling about it. Tom is angry, thinking Billy is putting it on but, as anger grows, a shadow falls over the band.

Henrietta can burst into flames. Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when, instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers. Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorising humanity. Her fellow trainees are handsome young men, eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one. As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city - and the one she loves?

13-year-old Tom scrapes a living as a pick-pocket on the street of London until the day his friends are caught and sent to a brutal workhouse. Frantic to save them, Tom takes up an offer from the enigmatic Corsair to train at an elite boarding school for thieves. Tom is swept into the world of the Shadow League where his street smarts give him an edge - and make him dangerous enemies. But the more he learns about this place, the harder it is for him to leave and rescue his friends. Dark forces are at work. And Tom is the only one who knows it.

Layla is a young singer who is just hitting the big time. But, with all of the excitement of her growing fame comes the eerie presence of an unknown heckler who begins to follow all her performances. She doesn't know who he is or why he's doing it. And, she just wants it to stop.

After years living in Britain, Paige and her mum move to the small American town where Paige's dad is from. They find a big, though rundown, home waiting for them and some friendly townsfolk. Yet, the house has secrets which are revealed to Paige through handwritten letters in the mailbox. A serial killer ravaged the town 28 years ago and then disappeared. It seems that the house, the killer, and Paige have a connection!

"We can't wait three days. There is a man coming to kill us." A Man with a silver hand. It's 1918 and the Great War is entering its final phase. In Northern France, young Aimee has just found out that her mother is part of a spy network working with the British. After reluctantly befriending Marius, a young German boy who has been left behind by his countrymen, she must try and help him get back behind German lines while they evade a traitor she helped to discover.

When Morrigan is invited into Nevermoor's wealthy Silver District, she discovers a world of extravagance and a family mystery she's eager to unravel. She could never imagine where it will lead: a white wedding, a golden dragon and a red pool of blood. Embroiled in suspicion and danger, Morrigan leaps headfirst into a murder investigation, while also grappling with her ever-growing Wundersmith powers. And although her friends are there to help, she fears that could change if they learn she's keeping a terrible secret of her own. As shadowy forces awaken in Nevermoor, can Morrigan find a killer and solve the mystery in her own past... before the clock strikes midnight?

Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive. When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical. A deal is struck to switch places -- but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.

Trying to return to his normal life as a schoolboy, four weeks after his last MI6 adventure, Alex Rider is recruited right off the soccer field to check out some suspicious goings-on at Wimbledon.

Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture. Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

As the Skulduggery Pleasant series nears its end (again), relive the adventure in this lavishly illustrated compendium of all things Skulduggery. Featuring a unique run-down of the books so far, it also includes an invaluable reference tool for the dizzying cast of characters, as well as bonuses, surprises, and a dark story all of its own. The Grimoire is an essential book for any Skulduggery fan.

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.

In 1962, three sorcerers converged to do battle in a hidden chamber near a disused platform in the London Underground. Prophecy foretold that the victor would hold the very fate of humanity in their hands. Since then, nothing. Now, the people who are trying to find out exactly what happened all those years ago are being murdered there is a killer coming after them, a killer with a plan and their only hope for survival lies with Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain. Because when the end of the world comes knocking, our first line of defence must always be sarcasm. Unstoppable, withering sarcasm.

A brand new Skulduggery Pleasant novella for World Book Day: a hilarious and thrilling standalone story in the internationally bestselling series - perfect for new readers, and essential for Skulduggery fans! Three ancient gods are freed from their prison with only one desire: to destroy the planet and everyone on it. To save us all, Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain must go undercover in a Dublin school. Skulduggery has to blend in with the teaching staff, while Valkyrie has to pass for an ordinary schoolgirl. Above all else, no matter what happens, they both must act completely and utterly normal. We are so dead.

On a desperate journey to recover her sister's lost soul, Valkyrie Cain goes up against the High Sanctuary itself, and there's nothing Skulduggery Pleasant can do to stop her. With Abyssinia's grand plan about to kick off in a night of magic, terror, and bloodshed, it falls to Omen Darkly to save the lives of thousands of innocent people. And as the madness unfolds around him, as hidden enemies step into the light, and as Valkyrie is sucked into a desperate, lawless quest of her own, he has no choice but to become the hero he never really wanted to be or die in the attempt.

Valkyrie Cain must undertake a dangerous rescue mission to retrieve Skulduggery from a hellish dimension, ruled by the Faceless Ones. There's no time for her to take a breather afterwards, though. There's the matter of the Desolation Engine, a bomb that could wipe out thousands, that has fallen into the wrong hands

The death bringer has risen. Skullduggery has seven days to uncover the necromancers' secret before it is too late. The clock is ticking.

Infected by a rare strain of magic, normal people are developing unstable magic powers, endangering their own and other peoples' lives. Their only hope lies with the Sanctuary, which has its own problems. Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain must find out what's causing the infection and prevent the takeover of the Sanctuary by international sorcerers. And, normal teenager Kitana and her friends are infected and will tear the city apart unless they can be stopped.

War has finally come between Sanctuaries and Skulduggery must team up with Valkyrie and the rest of the dead men to stop it.

For years, Valkyrie Cain has struggled to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle, time and time again, by Skulduggery Pleasant's side, and always emerging triumphant. But now the very thing that Valkyrie fights for is in danger, as a ruthless killer snatches her little sister in order to lure Valkyrie into a final confrontation. With Skulduggery racing to catch up and young sorcerer Omen scrambling along behind, Valkyrie only has twelve hours to find Alice before it is too late. The clock is ticking!

Skulduggery Pleasant is back and reunited with his original head. But, all is not well in the magical world. Foreign powers are conspiring to take over the Irish Sanctuary and, for another thing, Valkyrie has discovered she might be the sorceress set to destroy the world.

With Serpine dead, the world is safe once more. At least, that's what Valkyrie and Skulduggery think until the notorious Baron Vengeous makes a bloody escape from prison, and dead bodies and vampires start appearing all over Ireland. With just about everyone out to kill Valkyrie, the daring detective duo face their biggest challenge yet.

Valkyrie Cain has been out of action for years, recovering from the war against her alter-ego Darquesse. But bad people still want to do bad things, and Skulduggery Pleasant is still there to stop them. So when Skulduggery learns of a plot to resurrect a terrifying evil, he persuades Valkyrie to join him for just twenty-four hours. But they need someone else. Someone inconspicuous, someone who can go undercover. Enter Omen Darkly. Not a warrior. Not a detective. And definitely not the chosen one.

At the funeral of her gothic novelist uncle, fourteen year old Stephanie glimpses an overdressed, bespectacled figure hidden under a broad brimmed hat. When her uncle's will is read, she inherits a mansion and a fortune. She unites with the weird and witty skeleton, Skulduggery Pleasant, sighted at the funeral and joins forces with him to save the world from the Faceless Ones.

To avert catastrophe, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are sent on a secret mission that takes them away from everything they know, to a forsaken land of magic and grim, unrelenting terror.

A Skulduggery short story. Fifteen year old Ryan is running away from home, looking for escape and adventure. Ryan hasn't gone far before he is set upon by a bunch of scary, nihilistic punk-sorcerers who need him to set off a doomsday device that will destroy the planet and everyone on it. Skulduggery and Valkyrie only have a few hours to figure out what's going on, while saving Ryan and, incidentally, the whole world.

Third bone-breaking, belly-busting adventure in the series. If you've read the previous Skulduggery books then you know what the Faceless Ones are. You can probably take a wild guess that things in this book are going to get awfully sticky for our skeletal hero and his young sidekick.

On a dark and stormy night... A pair of ghost-hunting journalists arrive at the most haunted house in Britain -- the Hollow Hotel. They are here to interview the Dark King of television magic, Romeo Gideon. Instead, they discover the body of a murdered man hanging from the rafters -- the work of a killer who wields actual magic as viciously as he does his blade. With the storm closing in, all exit routes cut off, and the killer taking them out one by one, their only hope lies with the two mysterious Irish detectives who seem quite at home with all this bloodshed Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain have only hours to figure out who the killer is in a hotel filled with the tortured spirits of the dead, the anguished wails of the dying, and the relentless whines of the living.

Kieran finds the body of a homeless person floating in the Thames River. The police regard the death as an unfortunate accident but Kieran is obsessed with CSI and determined to find the murderer. Kieran's methodical note taking, his outstanding artistic abilities and unshakeable perseverance eventually provide many answers, not only to the murder but also to secrets in his own family.

Alone in Sydney, Alex is recruited by the Australian government to infiltrate an organised people-smuggling ring, the violent criminal underworld of the Snakeheads.

Drew isn't worried when his little brother, Martin, digs up a bone in the garden. Bu, Martin finds more bones in the shape of a hand, which then starts leaving spooky messages for Drew.

Luke Miggs wants more than small town life: the grind of chores on the family farm, playing lacklustre footy, beers with mates. Like maybe doing something about his crush on Amanda Hunt, a barmaid at the local pub who's smart, funny and ambitious. Or maybe playing footy in the big league. At eighteen it can't be too late, can it? There's his place in the Curlews, at least, although the team's little more than a bunch of battlers who play for the beers afterwards. If only they could take their footy seriously, like the reigning champions, the Little Reach Scorpions, who have dominated the competition for ten years. By the looks of this season, nothing is going to change. But when Adam Pride emerges from the night and tells the Curlews he wants to play for them, everything begins to change. A story of friendship, family, and coming of age, and how the choices of our past can come back to shape our future.

Tim is broke. When a mysterious stranger offers him money for his overcoat, it seems like a stroke of good fortune. But there are worse things than being broke, being shot for one. The Diamond Brothers could soon share the fate of the stranger.

Nolan Hawker has been training at The Peak, a secret spy school that dispatches elite operatives to protect the innocent. His first mission is to go undercover at Blu Xpanse, an oceanic lab where a brilliant geneticist is making super-sized cockroach-like creatures that may have the potential to save the world. But Nolan isn't the only one with a secret identity - a Swarm agent has also infiltrated Blu Xpanse and Nolan has only days to uncover their identity and stop their doomsday plan.

Nolan Hawker is invited to attend the Peak, the world's most dangerous school. There he learns to crack codes, fly planes and deceive enemies so he can someday infiltrate the deadly anarchist group, Swarm. But Swarm is already inside the Peak, and they have a plan - the kind that no-one walks away from. Does Nolan have what it takes to save his friends, his school, the world? LISTEN ON BOOK BITES! You can listen to Jack Heath read the first chapter of this book on the PRC's Book bites podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or The Arts Unit website! Copy and paste this URL into your browser to start listening! https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/listen-the-arts-unit/literature-and-language-arts/book-bites/7-9-book-list#spy-academy-1-the-peak-jack-heath

Maybe Archie Coombes has been watching too many horror movies. All of a sudden, the most ordinary things have taken on a sinister edge: a penny on a doormat. A man in a brown suit under a streetlamp. the persistent sound of an axe chopping in the middle of the night. He keeps telling himself hat this is Seaham, a sleepy seaside town where nothing ever happens. Or at least nothing did, until his dad's construction company opened up the cliff beneath the old - some say cursed - Langdon Place. Soon, though, he and his friends can't deny it: More and more of the adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it's up to the kids to stop it before it's too late...

Three loyal teenagers witness a murder and theft of a priceless dinosaur fossil. They are not supposed to be in the National Park at night and are in great danger. An international crime gang is not going to let them get in its way.

Fourteen year old Alex Rider's guardian dies in suspicious circumstances. Within days Alex goes from schoolboy to superspy. He must take up his uncle's mission and find out the truth behind multi-millionaire Herod Sayle's act of charity.

Fourteen year old Alex Rider's guardian dies in suspicious circumstances. Within days, Alex goes from schoolboy to superspy. He must take up his uncle's mission and find out the truth behind multi-millionaire Herod Sayle's act of charity.

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.

Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger, better than everyone around him. But he wasn't raised to show off, and drawing attention to himself could be dangerous. Plus, it's not like he's earned his powers . . . yet. Lately it's difficult to hold back and keep his heroics in the shadows. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he discovers a dark secret lurking in Smallville. Teaming up with his best friend, Lana Lang, he throws himself into the pursuit of the truth. What evil lies below the surface of his small town? And what will it cost Clark to step into the light to become the future Man of Steel?

Mhairi is walking to Scotland. She has to get there, has to find safety in her grandmother's house. But all she has is a gun with no bullets and her precious identity papers. In this dystopian new world, the journey from the African continent to the top of the UK is fraught with danger. When Mhairi comes across a lone, mute boy she finds kindness within her to help him to safety as well, even though this could jeopardise everything she is working towards.

When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited into the top-secret Mobius Programme. Plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, Swift and Hawk race from London to an isolated, sinister island in the North Atlantic, straight into the hands of a deadly enemy...

Dom's almost there, the end is in sight and the Debt wants proof that Dom has what it takes to become one of them. Dom is desperate to be rid of his debt, but can he kill another person to prove himself. He is alone, so terribly alone.

Rey Tanic is not like other 14 year olds. His dad is a mafia boss. His dad also in jail. When Rey's life explodes, every decision he makes will shape the rest of his life. How far does the apple really fall from the tree?

A collection of ten gripping short stories about fear and hope. A boy helps his sister by disguising her birthmark on her first day of school. A seventeen-year-old awakens to find himself trapped in an elderly body. A teenage girl discovers her boyfriend has a life-threatening virus the day after they share their first kiss. A high school student tries to communicate to his hospitalised brother who is in a vegetative state. Brian Falkner serves up bite-sized tales of fear - fear of rejection, fear of dying, fear of disease, fear of the unknown, fear of exclusion, fear of being caught and fear of embarrassment - showing how that stubborn seed of hope hungers our darkest moments.

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.

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.

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.

When her best friend's sister is snatched, Rae is determined to find answers. She travels to the royal court and unexpectedly begins serving the new princess. This alliance draws her deep into a dangerous quest for answers about the Snatchers. As each strand of the web is unravelled, Rae slips further into danger.

A high stakes murder trial includes a perfect murder, a faceless witness and thirteen year old Theodore as the only person who knows the whole truth.

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.

When Theodore's best friend, April, goes missing in the middle of the night, fear ripples through the town. The police run out of leads and Theo uses his legal and investigative mind to track her down.

Big trouble is brewing for Theodore Boone. While all of Strattenburg anxiously awaits the new trial of infamous murder suspect Pete Duffy, problems arise for their own kid lawyer. There's been a robbery and Theo is the accused. His reputation is on the line and, with the evidence building against him and dangerous threats looming, Theo will do whatever it takes to prove his innocence. Even if it means breaking a few rules.

Theodore Boone is back in action. All of Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue and Theo finds himself right in the thick of it. The county commission is fighting hard to change the landscape of the town and Theo is strongly opposed to the plans. But, when he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, no one, not even Theo, is prepared for the risks and potential harm. Torn between his conscience and the law, Theo will do whatever it takes to stand up for what is right.

On a field trip to Washington, DC, Theo spots a familiar face on the Metro. He sees accused murderer and fugitive Pete Duffy, who jumped bail and was never seen again. Theo's quick thinking helps bring Duffy back to Strattenburg to stand trial. But, now that Duffy knows who he is, Theo is in greater danger than he's ever been in before. Even when everything is on the line, Theodore Boone will stop at nothing to make sure a killer is brought to justice.

Thirteen year old Theodore Boone knows every judge, police officer and court clerk in Strattenburg. But, even a future star lawyer like Theo has to deal with statewide, standardised testing. When an anonymous tip leads the school board to investigate a suspicious increase in scores at another local middle school, Theo finds himself thrust in the middle of a cheating scandal. With insider knowledge and his future on the line, Theo must follow his keen instincts to do what's right.

Harry Pigg, the only surviving brother from the Big Bad Wolf attacks, has set up business as a private in Grimmtown, only things aren't going too well. Down on his luck, with bills to pay and no clients in sight the outlook is poor. But then in walks local businessman Aladdin who needs someone to help him track down an old lamp.

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.

In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass's mum has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Senor Hugo. The ransom...the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it's too late. Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Senor Hugo's chocolate success. If you're tempted, take a taste, but just remember...this book is not good for you.

A run-down camp in the woods with no phone reception and 10 students with untested powers- what could possibly go wrong? Something is definitely not right at Camp Buttress and who is the ghost that keeps appearing and what is he trying to tell them? Fionn, Celine and their friends together with their teachers try to solve the mystery- and survive.

Cass may be in grave danger. She's eaten the dreaded time travel chocolate. I won't even begin to tell you what trouble this delicacy has caused in the past. If only Cass could leave the past behind but it appears she is literally stuck in it. Meanwhile, Max-Ernest is worried for his best friend. Can our expert hypochondriac diagnose Cass's condition before it's too late and will he have what it takes to save the survivalist.

In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch's life shattered to bits. His brother, Oliver - dead. His sweetheart, Mary - gone. His chance to break free of Geneva -lost. Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead. But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair's horror further damages the already troubled relationship. Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay...

Once upon a time Fairy tales were real and the women in them strong and powerful. The Authorities want you to forget those stories and the lives of the women in them. In fact they want you to forget that magic ever existed. Now the fairy tales depict weak women who rely on the protection of men, wear long tight dresses and always tie their hair back in tight braids. Nesta didn't grow up in the city and Nesta knows the truth. That truth makes her dangerous, but does she have what it takes to rescue her grandmother and bring down the authorities?

Three books in one - The French confection, The blurred man, I know what you did last Wednesday.

Hermux, a watchmaker and an unlikely hero, finds himself in a world of danger and intrigue.

Three friends are living on a heap of trash, a lifetime of sifting rubbish. One day they find something extraordinary. From that moment on they are hunted without mercy. But they can't run forever. The reality of a slum society in the modern world combined with an action packed mystery.

Two spooky stories including one about Twist Cottage, where all the previous owners have died in mysterious circumstances, and Harriet's horrible dream, the story of Harriet who is having a nightmare and doesn't seem to be able to wake up.

Millie Osborne is an errand girl for King's company, the famous troupe of actors who, beset by misfortune, have decided to put on a spectacular performance of Hamlet to announce their comeback. When mysterious Oliver Parry arrives to audition for Hamlet, Millie is intrigued and wonders why he is so secretive. She investigates and Millie uncovers secret identities, betrayal, lies, revenge and, perhaps, even murder.

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organisation called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle's elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie -- and her country -- forever.

A world of water is all seventeen-year-old Tempe has ever known. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet, its people had to learn to survive living on the water. Relics of the old world hold great value, so Tempe spends her days diving through drowned cities to scavenge anything of value to trade for notes. But it's not food or riches Tempe is after, but the chance to buy back her dead sister's life for 24 hours. But it's not a heartfelt reunion Tempe is after. Her sister died keeping a terrible secret, and she wants answers.

Bren Own was born and bred in a small port town. Map may appear to be dull and unadventurous to young Bren in 1599 before the arrival of a Dutch ship. A dying sailor and strange gift change his life forever. Bren will travel far and make new friends. There will be challenges and mysteries. There are codes and legends to unravel and danger in all corners. This is an adventure story set during the Age of Discovery.

Meet the brave young women from tales of yore...Vasilisa who must try to outwit the fearsome witch Baba-Yaga. Katie Crackernuts who sets out to save her sister from dark magic. Flora, the gardener's daughter, who marries a giant serpent to save a prince. Fairer-Than-A-Fairy, a princess who is kidnapped by an evil one-eyed enchantress. Lullala, in love with a prince cursed to be a lion by day and a man by night. Rosemary, a Scottish lass whose baby is stolen by the wicked faery folk of the Sidhe. Ursula, a princess replaced by a walking, talking automaton.These are not your usual passive princess, waiting forlornly for their prince to come.

Alfred is keen to give up bogling, since he almost lost his last apprentice, Birdie. When children start disappearing, Alfred and Jem join forces, waging an underground war. They even seek help from Birdie, dragging her away from the safe home with Miss Eames. Together they learn that there's only one thing more terrifying than facing a whole plague of bogles - and that's facing some of the sinister people from Jem's past.

The plague of child-eating bogles in London means that Ned's now working as an apprentice to Alfred, the bogler. Alongside Jem and Birdie, Ned must lure bogles out of their lairs so that Alfred can kill them. This means spending a lot of time in murky underground waterways - especially when Alfred is hired to stamp out a deadly infestation. But times are changing, as magic and folklore give way to the machine age.

Monsters have been infesting London's dark places for centuries, eating every child who gets too close. That's why ten-year-old Birdie McAdam works for Alfred Bunce, the bogler. With her beautiful voice and dainty looks, Birdie is the bait that draws bogles from their lairs so that Alfred can kill them.

Fairy-Tale Survival Rule No. 52: No matter how difficult the obstacles or all-powerful the evil villain, one can rest assured that the hero of the story never dies. The sidekicks though...they should be worried. Rexi Hood is proud to be an outlaw. After all, she's the daughter of the infamous Robin Hood. But sidekick? Accomplice? Sorry, that wasn't in her story description. Yeah, she and Princess Dorthea of Emerald have been inseparable since they teamed up to fight the wickedest witch. But if Rexi doesn't figure out how to break the curse that binds them, forget being overshadowed by the spirited princess, Rexi's going to become a Forgotten, wiped from the pages of Story and reduced to a puddle of ink. Not happening. No way in Spell.

Witches only exist in stories. Everyone knows that. But when four friends are caught in the woods at dusk, their worst nightmare may just become their reality.

Todd is running late for school when he witnesses a ruthless attack and robbery on Mr Wilson, a local shopkeeper. Something is vaguely familiar about the attacker and, when Todd finally recognises him, Todd's life and that of his friends are in danger.

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.

Wish and Xar are outlaws on the run, hunted by Warriors, Wizards and worst of all by WITCHES ... Can they find the ingredients for the spell to get rid of Witches before the Kingwitch gets his talons on the Magic-that-Works-on-Iron? Their next Quest is the most terrifying and treacherous of all ... and someone is going to betray them. Are you ready to KNOCK THREE TIMES?

The No.1 bestselling series from the author of How to Train Your Dragon. Can Xar and Wish unite their worlds in time to save the Wildwoods? Will it be Never... or Forever? The final book in the magical The Wizards of Once series. Xar and Wish have found the ingredients for the Spell-to-get-rid-of-Witches. Now the Kingwitch is calling them to the lake of the lost. But first they must mix the potion in the Cup of Second Chances ... Can they defeat the hungry Tatzelwerm monster and escape with the cup? And will the spell be strong enough to lift the CURSE OF THE WILDWOODS... or will Witches reign FOREVER?

Tamara Bennett is going to be the first journalist to strictly report only good news. Finished with high school, Tamara is ready to say goodbye to her sleepy little town and part-time job at the local paper. But things take an unexpected turn when Tamara arrives home to find her house ransacked and her life in danger. What is the mysterious note her attacker wants - and why is he willing to kill for it? A tragic boating accident five years ago holds the clue that could keep Tamara alive. But how can she find the truth when she can't tell who's lying?

Morrigan Crow has been invited to join the prestigious Wundrous Society, a place that promised her friendship, protection and belonging for life. She's hoping for an education full of wunder, imagination and discovery - but all the Society want to teach her is how evil Wundersmiths are. And someone is blackmailing Morrigan's unit, turning her last few loyal friends against her. Has Morrigan escaped from being the cursed child of Wintersea only to become the most hated figure in Nevermoor? Worst of all, people have started to go missing. The fantastical city of Nevermoor, once a place of magic and safety, is now riddled with fear and suspicion...

A class trip to the natural history museum turns dangerous, or perhaps deadly when Cass accidentally breaks a finger off a priceless mummy. Forced to atone for this crime, Cass and her friends go to work for the mummy exhibit's curator, only to be blamed when tragedy strikes. To clear their names the trio must travel deep into a land of majestic pyramids, dusty tombs, mysterious hieroglyphs, and the walking dead.

The Austin family find themselves endangered by the Alphabat gang's evil use of lasers.