Booklists

Mystery abounds and friendship blooms as 12 year old Hal travels with his Uncle Nat on the final journey of the historic royal coal-fired steam locomotive, the Highland Falcon. What Hal didn't expect was discovering there was a stowaway. The twists and turns of adventure aboard a train full of notable aristocrats and society highlights such as actress Sierra Knight, Prince and Princess of Scotland,, Lady Elizabeth Lansbury, Countess of Arundel, Baron Wolfgang Essenbach and son Milo, take a dramatic turn when Lady Lansbury's pearl earings and Lydia Pickle's diamond brooch go missing and the realisation that there is a thief on board! Can Hal, his new friend and Uncle Nat put the clues together before Inspector Clyde and Sergeant Prattle or will the thief get away under the very nose of Hadrian the royal guard. A journey of a lifetime from London to Scotland return is the only time to solve this mystery.

My name is Jeanie and I am nearly 8. I have 3 grandmothers and one of them is called Bad Nana. She is a little bit naughty, definitely embarrassing and whenever she is around there is trouble, BIG trouble.

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.

Billie loves hanging out with Rebecca's older sisters. They make her feel so grown-up. But is Billie grown-up enough to handle the scary movies they like.

Billie's party is going to be the best ever. She has lots of fun games planned. But what if Billie's friends don't like her party, or what if they don't come.

Billie has kicked her new soccer ball over Grumpy Gertie's fence. Her friends say Gertie will never give it back. Can Billie find a way to befriend Gertie and get her ball?

Billie really wants to win the school hat parade. She has made lots of amazing hats! But when Billie gets stuck in bed with a horrible cold, will her hat parade plans be ruined?

Billie wants to save the planet, and she has a super-dooper new idea: to build a beehive! But why is Jack so upset about her plan?

Boots was waiting... Waiting for his farmer. When he came, he served him well. With themes of love, loss, old age, hardship and resilience, and references to drought, flood, bushfire and war. A moving and relatable, lyrical, but simple story told by the shoes we wear, of the love and the paths one Australian cattle farmer trod.

Summer loves sport. Her dream is to charge down the field towards an open goal, or soar through the air over the basket. But instead she always seems to be the last one picked. That is until the day her life changes forever...

The Emperor Nero believes that 'treasure is for spending'. With his gold almost gone, he sends a freed gladiator, Spartapuss, loyal servant to master Clawdius, on a secret mission in search of a treasure cavern at the source of the river Nile. The journey through the land of the 'Purramids' to the Kingdom of Kush is full of shocks, crocs and magic, courtesy of Cleocatra's Kushion. A rollicking tale with many puns taken from Roman History.

Oh, no! In Trash vs. Trucks, the second book in the Down in the Dumps series, the trucks are planning to move Nana's beautiful home at the Westerfield Waste Transfer and Recycling Center. And to a trash barge of all places, too! Nana isn't about to give up her beloved dump without a fight, but she'll need a plan first. Will Nana and her trash friends be able to save their home and stop the trucks from taking apart everything they've worked so hard to build.

Ellie wants to be an engineer when she is older. She has her own workshop, tool belt and notepad for keeping track of her sketches and completed projects. Her best friend Kit has a birthday approaching and Ellie always engineers and builds Kit's gifts. So this year Ellie decides to build a really special project as a gift.

One marvellous cat called Coco, A best friend called Addie, a sprinkle of magic and a nine-year-old undercover pastry chef! Now you have the recipe for a great story.

Stella's mum died when she was eight, and the more she wonders about who her mother was and what her life was like, the less things actually add up. Once she has convinced herself that her mother just might have been a mermaid, she starts to plan a way to find out for sure. And when her best friend laughs at her for admitting her theory, Stella knows there's no turning back. She is going to find out, one way or another.

Gorski. the vampire bat is in a flap. Following a frightful event his fangs are shrinking and he faints at the sight of blood! Can he find a cure or will things go from bat to worst?

When young Anna inherits a dilapidated once-grand hotel from her Great Aunt Mathilde, she's determined to restore it to its former glory. But this is no ordinary hotel - all of her staff and guests are animals! Anna soon rises to the challenge. Whether it's a flamingo, a penguin or a hippo knocking at the door, Anna is ready to welcome them all - with the help of her trusty sidekicks T Bear the doorman, Squeak the friendly mouse elevator, and Lemmy the lemur receptionist ... As she soon finds out, though, running an animal hotel is no easy task. Can Anna make Hotel Flamingo a success once more?

Welcome to a fantastic world populated by singing turtles, boys who wrestle wolves, and a host of other beloved characters who have lived on for centuries in the traditional tales of Japan. Drawn from Japanese folklore passed down from generation to generation, the six enchanting stories collected in this volume have been lovingly retold for today's readers. Vibrantly illustrated and full of thrilling adventures, funny discoveries, and important lessons, they're sure to become story time favourites.

Kip is desperate for a best friend. She has difficulty at school with bullies and the teacher is not too nice either. She gets 'gifted' a kitten like creature and names his Buffel. She loves him and will do anything for him. Buffel listens to Kip, which isn't something she gets a lot of. So, when Buffel gets kidnapped, Kip will do anything to get him back. Kip will have to use all her ingenuity and bravery to get Buffel home. Luckily she has made a new class friend, who helps her on the rescue mission. This story is an action-adventurous mystery, with a touch of magic, taking the reader from the mountains to the sea. Kip's unique and believable voice provides a solid scaffold for this zany world where armadillos can become car wheels, and squirrels do their own ironing.

Adam and Justin from LankyBox have been kidnapped. The evil villain wants to destroy the internet. Can Foxxy, Boxy and Rocky conquer their fears and successfully come to their rescue?

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.

Into the Woods is one seriously mixed-up fairytale musical. FACT! So, this is one seriously mixed-up Lily D tale! For starters, Lily D is not excited about the musical. No way! And then she chooses to play a totally made up character! So weird! But it is when the doctor reports Lily D's tonsillitis is back again that things turn totally upside-down. Everyone around Lily D seems to be performing fairytale characters! Spooky and cool! All of this makes Lily D wonder, can fairytales really help her to be brave?

Lily D V.A.P (Very Amazing Performer) is back! She loves singing, ballet, acrobatics, tap and drama. When Lily D trains for the role of Lost Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz, she goes out of her way to experience new things. From getting lost on the way to school, trying out a new sport to making a new friend, will all of her efforts to walk in Dorothy's shoes really help Lily D to understand that here is no place like home?

Lily D V.A.P (Very Amazing Performer) loves to put her acting talent to the test by walking in the shoes of the characters she is to portray. So when Lily D trains for the role of Orphan Annie, she insists on doing everything for herself. From making her own school uniform, trading her favourite possessions and sleeping out in a tent, will all her efforts to walk in Orphan Annie's shoes really help Lily D to understand what it is like to be all alone in the world, with only hope to hold on to?

Romeo and Juliet, from Shakespeare's play, were madly in love, but couldn't be together. Tragic fact! So when Lily D trains for the role of Juliet, she tries to learn what it's like to love someone you're not supposed to. She saves a star-crossed friendship, learns about real loyalty, and even walks in another character's shoes. But can Lily D figure out whether true love really can conquer all?

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

Meet Elton John, the piano wizard who rocketed to stardom with his music. As a child, Elton started playing his grandmother's piano in Harrow, London. He could pick tunes out by ear and was soon attending lessons at the Royal Academy. After answering an advertisement in a newspaper, Elton teamed up with a lyric-writing buddy: Bernie Taupin. The rest was history. Elton's songwriting talent, musical skill, and dazzling outfits have made him one of the all-time greats. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the musician's life.

Lottie Luna is a werewolf, she's super fast, super strong and has x-ray vision but she doesn't really like anyone to know about her skills. When her friend Marjory's birthday is approaching Lottie wants to use her powers to give her the biggest surprise ever...

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.

The year is 2424, Max and his robot pet dog Oscar are off to solve a mysterious artefact, a film strip. A 400 year old unseen film is very valuable and soon others are keen to get their hands on it. Max and Oscar will need to use all their tricks to keep the film out of the wrong hands and find out what it contains.

The photos in an ancient mobile phone hold a secret. Max and Oscar face the fight of their lives to keep their discovery safe from some very greedy hands

The year is 2424, Max and his robot pet dog Oscar are off to solve a mysterious artefact, a tape cassette. The cassette contains a very valuable piece of music history and is now worth millions of dollars. Max and Oscar will need to use all their tricks to keep the tape away from Dr Grizzlowe and put it back safely in the museum.

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.

Max lives with his mum and his grandfather, Gus. Once upon a time, Gus had a thriving business, designing and making cars, but nasty Adolphus Grabber robbed him of his business, his designs, and his beloved car, Arabella. Driven by love and a sense of fairness, Max sets out to prove, to himself and to his grandfather, that cheats never prosper.

As the daughter of worldwide, famous, musical superstars, Melody Trumpet was supposed to be an extraordinarily gifted musician to carry on the Trumpet legacy. But, as was first discovered when Melody screamed her first out-of-tune note as baby, this wasn't to be! Ten years on, Melody has been kept away from the eyes and ears of the world safely tucked away in Trumpet Manor. Will she find her voice? If only secrets could stay hidden...!

The gang are off on another adventure to find the next missing piece of the Evoker King. What they find is buzzare! Harper and her friends tackle a real-life ecological crisis. The bees around their school and the Stonesword Library are disappearing - and a splinter of the Evoker King has taken on the form of a bee colony with a hive mind! Could there be a connection with the rip they've seen growing bigger and darker in the Minecraft sky? And will their actions make things better or worse?

Mr Walker lives in a grand hotel, he is a special dog and it is his job to welcome everyone. The hotel is having a special party and a famous chef will be staying at the hotel and helping to cook for the event, but the hotel already has a chef. Will the two chefs be able to work together in one kitchen? Can Mr Walker help bring peace back to the hotel?

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.

Yuer and her grandfather spend a lot of time together in the hutongs, or alleyways, of Beijing. As we follow these two in their everyday life, we meet some of the unusual people of the neighbourhood and their unusual stories. The past and the present come together in these disappearing neighbourhoods of one of the world's largest cities

In the third and final book of The Odds trilogy, Kip leads her father and all her odd imaginary friends to the world of the imaginatorium; a building where all her imaginary friends can stay forever, so can she if she doesn't want to go back to the real world. Inside there are strange new characters, secret doors and terrifying fears. Who holds the key to getting back out? Will Kip, her dad and her friends want to leave? What are the weird dots appearing everywhere? Going into this mysterious building was easy, but will leaving be just as easy?

Ivan is a mighty silver back even if he does look a bit sad and dull in his cage at the nearly forgotten shopping mall circus. He has spent most of his life around humans and in a cage, but he knows he is something special and something to be proud of, he just can't find the inspiration to act the part anymore. That is until he meets little Ruby, a baby elephant. The sad circus owner hopes that adding a baby elephant to the show will bring people back, but Ivan can not stand by and see more animals brought into a life of captivity.

One day, Dad came home with one of those old cameras, the kind that uses film. But, Dad didn't take photos of the things that people usually photograph.

I'm called an asylum seeker but that's not my name. A little girl and her mother have fled their homeland, making the long and treacherous journey by boat to seek asylum and a new beginning.

In this second edition of the Trilby series, Trilby Moffat makes a terrifying discovery: her mother has disappeared into the Passage of Time. Now Trilby must make her way through this strange and treacherous tunnel, filled with extinct animals, forgotten treasures and a very dark and scary person in a tall black hat. Fortunately for Trilby she is not alone, she has the help of a guild of ancient children. Told by Benjamin, a very intelligent thylacine, we are taken on another fantastic adventure of mystery, cake, cryptic clues, cake, amazing facts, cake and more cake. Once they arrive on the Island of Time, Trilby must attend a strange festival, of which she is the guest of honour, with Colin, the most dastardly adult known to children, attempting to get rid of Trilby for good. Will Trilby keep her new job as The Keeper of Time? Will she find her mother? Will she eat more cake? Is there a safer way to play Race Against Time? Are those cats always so rude?

What would you do if you were out in the middle of nowhere facing a medical emergency? Dawson, a quiet and cautious boy faces this exact situation. Sam, Dawson and Emma are on a road trip with their dad along the Oodnadatta Track. They have stopped at Farina once a vibrant farming and mining area, now a ghost town full of crumbling buildings Dawson's outgoing sisters start a game of tip, despite their Dad's warnings. As they run through the ruins Dad falls and inures his leg. Unable to move the three children have to organise help. Luckily some fellow travellers stop and they managed to call the Royal Flying Doctor Service. But until they arrive Dawson has to give first aid to his seriously injured Dad. Is he up to the challenge? Will his Dad survive?

Louie can not resist the challenge of nurturing a small and sickly baby donkey when it is brought home from his uncle's farm. Everyone tells Louie the animal will surely die, but Louie is determined to do everything he can to make sure it survives. Winslow the donkey brings various people from the neighbourhood around, and not all of them are so sure that a backyard donkey is for the best.

Brian's life is falling apart. His dad has left, he has to move house, start at a new school and to make matters worse the school bully notices him straight away. What can Brian do to solve these problems? And will his shameful secret come out?

Mim roams the world in a travelling bookshop, led by a horse called Flossy, with her father and brother. They never know where they will end up, only that Flossy will stop where they are most needed. When Mim and her family arrive in Paris, she meets an artist, Pierre, who cannot part with any of his portraits. Mim knows she needs to help Pierre, but it might take a while to find just the right book.

Yacoub and his cat Tinka travel Australia in Yacoub's large transport truck. Life can be a little bit lonely but they have each other and fond memories. A life on the road means everywhere is home, as long as they have each other. An unexpected series of events separates the two friends and they must find their way back to each other somehow.

Welcome to a fantastic world populated by lonely dragons, adventuresome boys, magical elves, and a host of other beloved characters who have lived on for centuries in the traditional tales of Japan. Drawn from folklore passed down from generation to generation, the ten enchanting Japanese children's stories collected in this volume have been lovingly retold just for today's readers. Vibrantly illustrated and full of thrilling adventures, funny discoveries, and important lessons, they're sure to become story time favourites.

It is Christmastime, but Flick and Bridie are not in a celebratory mood, because they miss their Granny Aggie. Their mother has an idea - to make gingerbread houses with gingerbread men included. And, to make it even more exciting, Flick has to make sure her little baby sister Bridie doesn't wish any extra things get included in the Christmas celebrations. How is Flick going to keep the strange goings-on a secret from the adults in her neighbourhood, especially when they are at the Christmas celebration in her home?

Magical Ms Wiz has become ordinary Mrs Arnold. How can Class Three persuade her to come out of retirement and save their school? This is the tenth title in the Ms Wiz series.

It's a catastrophe! Alice and her worst enemy Jimmy both have their birthday parties on the same day. How will their friends decide which party to go to? There is only one obvious solution- a cake-off, who ever wins gets to have their party. Come on a hilarious journey with Alice and Jimmy to see who makes the best cake.

Zelda Stitch is trying to be a great teacher and to not use her magic, but trouble is brewing. She has a broken arm which alarmingly randomly lets off blasts of magic. One of her students has discovered she also has magical powers, and the PE teacher is seriously mean. With school camp quickly approaching will Zelda be able to become a hero or will she cause everything she cares about to vanish?

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.