Booklists

In the first half of the nineteenth century, seventy-three thousand convicts were transported to the British penal colony of Van Diemen's Land. This is an enthralling journey through the personal histories and daily lives of the men, women and children who played a vital role in the building of the settlements, as well as the running of the newly established colony.

Beneath the earth, a malignant force lies waiting, greedy for freedom from its ancient prison. As the Old Kingdom falls once more into a realm of darkness and terror, the people look desperately to the Abhorsen, the scourge of the Dead, to save them. Yet Abhorsen Sabriel is lost, missing in Ancelstierre.Only Lirael has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. Final book in the Old Kingdom trilogy.

Abraham Lincoln is fondly remembered as an American President with an unwavering sense of justice and willingness to fight for his beliefs. Follow Lincoln's journey from humble beginnings as a poor Illinois rail splitter to his election as America's 16th President, and into the dark days of the Civil War leading to his tragic assassination.

Colin has an IQ around 200 and no social skills and Hassan understands people and social etiquette stuff so their friendship is the perfect balance. When the nineteenth of Colin's girlfriends (all called Katherine) breaks up with him, the boys decide a road trip is in order. When they end up in Gutshot, Tennessee, they meet a mother and daughter who provide all of the necessary ingredients for some problem solving to occur.

A collection of thirteen short stories providing an eclectic mix of Garth Nix's writing spanning several years. Included are an Old Kingdom story, an Arthurian legend, a war story, a western, a traditional tale with a twist and a very funny, choose-your-own-adventure spoof.

In 1960 England, Isabella is forced to flee her home when her father's strong opinions lead to take a stand against the army. She takes refuge in Amsterdam with an elderly printer, who is brave enough to print topics which stir religious intolerance. This results in a dangerous journey to help him escape certain death for his books.

If you love numbers and like to laugh, then you'll enjoy finding out the crucial role that numbers play in our understanding of sport, space, computers, cooking, and a whole lot in between. This book decodes barcodes, explains why we say 'as sixes and sevens' when we're discombobulated, shows how many people you need in a room before there'll be a birthday in common, and why the number seventy is weird and what can be done about it. A whole lot more weird and wonderful stuff.

A classic story of slavery and a runaway boy's exploits. Huckleberry Finn had a tough life with his drunken father until an adventure with Tom Sawyer changed everything. When Huck's dad returns and kidnaps him, he must escape down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave, Jim. They face trouble at every turn, from floods and gunfights to armed bandits and the long arm of the law. Through it all, the friends stick together.

Out of his smoke-filled rooms in Baker Street stalks a figure who causes criminals to quake in their boots and rush from their dens of iniquity. This collection of twelve mysteries reveals the clever mind of the brilliant consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, as he works with his sidekick, Dr Watson.

Roderick doesn't want to be a knight. When Queen Emily sends her knights on a grand quest, Sir Roderick wants to stay behind. Reluctantly, he ventures forth beyond the Forest of Gilderang (filled with fearsome creatures) to the Circle of Mountains, home to giant cockroaches. En route, he meets an invisible girl, a talking bear and the most famous sorcerer in the land.

On the banks of the Mississippi, Tom Sawyer and his friends seek out adventure at every turn. One fateful night, they witness a murder and the boys swear never to reveal their secret. They run away to be pirates and search for hidden treasure. But, Tom gets trapped in a cave with the murderer.

Nazis are still invading Poland and Felix joins a group of partisans who are targeting the Nazis troops. Felix becomes the doctor's assistant, until he is left to fend for himself, at the same time as becoming a surrogate parents to both Jewish and German young children.

Ariel, lives in a settlement called New Horizon. His community is heavily controlled, with strict rules and a constant emphasis on obedience and loyalty. The residents are told that the world outside is dangerous, filled with threats like the Hollow Ones, which are emotionless, masked humanoids that once were people but now serve a mysterious power. Ariel is a loyal follower of the settlement's ideology until a tragic event forces him to flee. He embarks on a dangerous journey across a devastated landscape, where he meets other children who are also on the run.

CJ was one of the popular, cool kids at his old school. Now, everything has changed. He is known as Callum, banished to the country to live with grandparents he has never met and who don't seem to want him there. Things are no better at school but worse still is the secret that Callum carries with him night and day.

School is over for Alex Delaney and he's waiting for his tertiary offer which is only seventeen days away. The waiting is killing him. He's not expecting much from January, just bodysurfing and TV, but mainly waiting. So, he's not ready for the girl who cuts past him on a wave. January is about to change.

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.

In June 2018 the Thai soccer team the Wild Boars went on a walk into a cave after practice. After unexpected rains, they became trapped deep in the cave system, unable to escape, with no communication to the outside world, no food and no fresh water. For 17 days they remained in the caves as an international cave diving team, including the authors, Australians Richard Harris and Craig Challen worked on a plan to rescue the team. With the lives of the soccer team and the rescuers in danger, they built trust and showed incredible resilience to rescue each member of the team.

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.

Fifteen year old Matt works as a cabin boy aboard the Aurora,a luxury airship that is part passenger cruise ship. When wealthy Kate and her chaperone come aboard, Matt discovers that she is determined to prove her grandfather's claims that he saw strange creatures flying in the sky in the area the year before. His diary describes them as huge, furry beasts with batlike wings and sharp claws. A storm forces the damaged Aurora to set down on a seemingly deserted island.

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.

Conor Broekhart was born to fly. In an age when many dreamed of flying, it became his destiny. When a cruel and cunning betrayal destroys his family, Conor must win the race for flight to save his family and right a terrible wrong.

Sixteen-year-old Alexandra Jennings is thrust into the fantasy world of Medora after walking through a mysterious doorway on her first day at a new school. Stranded and desperate to return home, she learns only the missing Professor Marselle can help. While waiting, Alex enrols at Akarnae Academy, a school for gifted teens, where she begins to adapt and make friends. But dark forces stir, and Alex finds herself at the centre of a dangerous mystery. As the fate of the Medorans rests on her shoulders, she must decide: will she risk everything, including her way home to save a world she's just begun to love?

John and Philippa discover they have super-human powers as young djinn. Mum sends them off to urbane, snobby Uncle Nimrod to learn their full powers in exotic Egypt. This places them in extreme danger. Incidental strong language in context.

Matthew (Moose) Flanagan lives on the island of Alcatraz. His father is one of the guards. His older sister, Natalie, is autistic and, in an effort to protect her, Moose now owes prisoner 85, Al Capone, who has managed to secure her a place at a special school. The price Moose might have to pay reveals itself quite spectacularly.

In Alanna the first adventure, Alanna wants to become the first female knight so she poses as a boy and takes her place among the pages at the palace.

This fascinating biography details the life and achievements of Albert Einstein, a scientist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of physics. Einstein's famous Theory of Relativity changed the world's understanding of space and created a whole new kind of science to study cosmology.

Albert Einstein's name is synonymous with genius. He revolutionised the way we understand the universe and paved the way for diverse technology such as lasers, cell phones, electron microscopes and DVD players. Follow Einstein's journey from his childhood through to his groundbreaking writings that won him the Nobel Prize.

Sophie and Josh Newman find their lives intertwined with Nicholas Flamel and the powerful book he protects, the Book of Abraham the Mage, that enables the holder to save or destroy the world.

As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society's biggest events: the Schuylers' grand ball. Eliza can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious young colonel and General George Washington's right-hand man. When Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history. A fictionalised version of what might have been, featuring figures from the Tony winning Broadway musical.

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.

Inspired by his nearly-deaf mother and a father who developed a 'visible alphabet' of all the possible sounds a human can make, Alexander Graham Bell spent most of his life trying to improve the way people communicated. His most famous invention, the telephone, has made him one of the most well-known names of all time.

Jake helps her new step-sister and step-brother to protect an alien from another dimension.

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.

The life of an English country vet is revealed in the funny and sad situations that James Herriot finds on his rounds.

Christobel, fourteen and heiress to a fortune, is bored and lonely until she decides to dress as a boy and rescue her servant's son who has been kidnapped. It becomes a dangerous game set in the crime and disease-ridden slums of The Rocks.

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.

All Arkie knows is that things are changing, the vacant block of land is being built on and everyone is talking about going to high school.

Fall in love with Two Hearts-romantic fiction for young hearts. Piper is the daughter of two famous Hollywood actors and is sick of being followed by the paparazzi everywhere they go. So when she gets the opportunity to spend six months attending a regular high school, something she's never done before, she grabs it with both hands. Piper moves in with her childhood friends, twins Chloe and Cooper, and they all agree to keep Piper's true identity a secret. Piper finds herself in a confusing new world. The cutest boy at school, Cruz, takes an interest in her, and the coolest girl suddenly wants to become friends. But why? Despite Chloe and Cooper's warnings, Piper is drawn to Cruz and his friends, who she's adamant are not as shallow as they may appear.

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

Navigating a month of school and an upcoming soccer championship while fasting for Ramadan can be tough. Luckily Hassan has a winning combo of family, friends and faith and his goals in sight!

It's fifteen years since readers were first introduced to Felix in Once and across six celebrated books, our brave young hero has survived many unforgettable and emotional journeys. Now comes the seventh and final part of Felix's story, bringing to a powerful climax a series that countless young readers around the world will remember - Always.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there's still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad's wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she'll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends. Life couldn't be more perfect! At least, that's what Lara Jean thinks... until she gets some unexpected news. Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans -- but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

A collection of ten, strange stories, including one about a person who swam so much, he grew fins.

Edie is a little bit different. She has a disability called cerebral palsy, so she talks slowly and falls over a lot. Edie is Excited with a capital E to star secondary school with best friend Oscar who is the fish to her chips or the banana to her custard. So, when they are put in different classes and Oscar makes new friends, Edie is devastated. But her shaky world is about to change. Edie gets an unusual part in the school play which sets off a series of events that change her life forever. Following her dreams to become an actress will result in a year that is Amazing with a capital A.

Australia's early explorers were an odd bunch. Some were incredibly brave, others extremely foolhardy. Some formed friendships with Aborigines and respected their rights and traditions, others treated them very badly. Some gained fame and fortune, others lost their lives. All had a thirst for discovery.

Australia is home to both an ancient, Indigenous culture and a young European influence. While their coexistence has been far from peaceful, both groups have proven to be tenacious, resourceful and resilient. Australia is the only country founded solely to contain convicts.

Australia is one of the best places to watch the unique bird families that share our natural and urban environments. Find out how they evolved, how they survive and adapt in the face of human progress, and how they interact with each other.

Australia has unique, ancient landscapes, plants and animals. Humans have not always realised how incredible the natural wealth is and have exploited the environments, greatly affecting the flora and fauna. Australia has one of the worst extinction rates in the world but it's not too late to save our wild places.

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.

Maurice the cat and his friends, a motley group of rats, have gained super intelligence overnight and quickly start scamming human villages with a Pied Piper of Hamelin ruse.

Twelve year old Alice Makin is living in a tiny flat in post-war London where many people's homes have been destroyed. Reggie and the man he calls his grandfather come to live upstairs. Alice and Reggie become friends and realise that they share a special talent for making things that they think happen. This is not their only connection and as the story unfolds Alice learns about who she really is.

In the third of the Dark Materials trilogy, Lyra and Will, whose fates are bound together, are separated. They must find each other for ahead of them lies the greatest war that has ever been. This text includes representations that may be contrary to some religious beliefs.

Amelia Earhart's sense of daring was evident from a very young age. She knew the risks of flying but was eager to promote women's abilities and to contribute to the world around her. She became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic. Her sudden disappearance over the Pacific remains one of aviation's most haunting, unsolved mysteries.

An anthology covering a wide range of human experiences.

Among Believers explores the richness and diversity of the world's mainstream religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism. More than 350 remarkable photographs document worship and the rites of passage rooted in a country's culture, religious festivals, feasts and fasts, meditation, education, sacred foods and places of pilgrimage.

The magicians rule London, not altogether harmoniously. One magician's plot to take power, the hint of a resistance movement and a young apprentice magician's first magical exploits have this book moving at a fast pace.

Bold, secretive and utterly uncompromising, renowned Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen will stop at nothing to execute his latest plan - to be the first to reach the southernmost point on the globe. Haunted by the prospect of his rival Captain Scott scooping the prize, Amundsen pushes himself and his men beyond the bounds of human experience and ever deeper into the Antarctic unknown. Can Amundsen count on the loyalty of his men to the very end? How will history view Roald Amundsen?

Beginning in 1490, Anacaona keeps a record of her life as a possible successor to the supreme chief of Xaragua, as wife of the chief of Maguana and as a warrior battling the first white men to arrive in the West Indies, ravenous for gold.

A novel in diary form in which the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II describes the privileged life her family led up until the time of World War I and the tragic events that befell them.

Australians from a wide range of cultural backgrounds served together during the First World War. They wore the same uniform and experienced the same conditions and hardships. For many, wartime service gave them the equality that was not available in Australian society, either before or after the war. These stories about multicultural ANZACS draw on the Australian War Memorial's diverse collection, and include private records, photographs, works of art and relics.

When Zelder translates three ancient spells she becomes the target of the sinister swordsman called the stalker. She and her brother, would-be swordsman Corram, must cheat death to stop the whole world being destroyed.

Eric Bogle's famous but depressing anti-war song about the Battle of Gallipoli was written in 1971, inspired by the Vietnam War and the lukewarm response of the Australian public to the returning soldiers. It explores the futility of war with haunting power. The accompanying illustrations are graphic and certainly do not glorify war. A timely story for every generation.

"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.

In Quentaris, a beautiful, young man is saved from attack by Eely who everyone thinks is unattractive and simple-minded. The young man has lost something and Eely helps him find it and begins to realise the importance of inner beauty.

Kari knows a lot about his jungle home but he doesn't know why there is fighting in the village of Kokoda. When Kari finds a wounded Australian soldier, he knows he cannot leave him. They must retreat along the Kokoda Track with the enemy following.

Angela is the angelic twin and Diabola is the opposite, a pair of twins who can drive their normal parents, the Cuthbertson-Joneses, to distraction. Angela is perfect but, that Diabola, she could just be wicked or she may be a genius.

Giovanna's father is the Jester in Duke Ubertini's palace. When, at the Duke's insistence, Giovanna's dad performs a new play, a play in which he mocks the Prince of the neighbouring land, he sets in motion a series of events that puts the lives of Giovanna and her new friend, Raffaele, in grave danger. In this alternate reality Renaissance Italy, we learn that words have a powerful and long-lasting impact.

Menace and mystery lie in wait for Anila Tandy who secures a job drawing birds for an English naturalist, travelling on a river boat up the Ganges River. Anila will use this journey to search for her father, missing for years and presumed dead. Anila must test herself in the man's world of India, in the late 1700s.

In the by the Numbers series, we dive deep into the world of animals and insects. From the smallest known species of snake to the sleepiest mammals, Animal Facts By the Numbers provides readers of all ages with the ultimate animal trivia knowledge.

Short stories about animals involved in Australian armed conflicts, from WWI to more recent times. The animals display bravery under fire, mateship and loyalty, the same attributes shown by the ANZACs.

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.

In 1901, Robert Scott made his first trip to Antarctica. This is the incredible story of Scott's adventures and the animals he saw along the way.

As life for German Jews becomes ever more dangerous, Anna's parents make the desperate decision to send her to England. But the war follows her to Kent, and soon Anna finds herself caught up in a web of secrecy and betrayal. How can she prove whose side she's on when she can't tell anyone the truth? But actions speak louder than words, and Anna has a risky plan.

A colourful, engaging picture book containing a collection of poems about living in an Aboriginal community.

Anne Frank is a young Jewish girl in Germany when Adolf Hitler rose to power and began his program to eradicate Jewish people. Anne and her family are forced to take refuge in a small annexe for two years.

Loads of information are packed into each title of this series about world inventors and innovative thinkers, including time lines, sidebars, a glossary, maps, rare photographs, and world-class writing that makes these books accessible and dramatic.

Life for Jonah and Manx means fishing for mullet at the lake, watching their school mates party on Friday night and wishing they had the courage to talk to Ella and Rachel. But, their lakeside town is being sold off and, now, life doesn't seem so simple. Manx holds a grudge against the wealthy blow-ins from the city and Jonah just wants his parents to stop arguing. One memorable night at the lake will change everything. A verse novel.

Do you want to understand racism and racial justice in Australia? Then this book is for you. Created especially for Australian high school students, it covers three actionable, tangible areas for change - Self, School and Society.

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.

What the friends first thought would be an adventure soon turns to disaster. The day after landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, more than 2000 Anzacs are dead. As the campaign drags on, life for Wally and Roy becomes a battle of endurance against a plucky enemy, a hostile landscape, flies, fleas, cold and disease.

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.

Oscar Dunleavy, who used to make the world's most perfect apple tarts, is missing, presumed dead. No one seems too surprised, except for Meg, his best friend, and his little brother Stevie. Surrounded by grief and confusion, Meg and Stevie are determined to find out what happened to Oscar, and together they learn about loyalty and friendship and the power of never giving up hope.

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.

Archie's first hand experience of being in London during the Great War of 1914-1918 is told through his scrapbook.

Nineteen-year-old twins, Justine and Perry, embark on a holiday to North America. Perry has a brain condition that can cause him to become distressed and behave in inappropriate ways, and after the death of their father, Justine has become his sole carer. This trip will mark a shift in their relationship, towards independence, and an opportunity for their absent mother to atone for past mistakes.

Bee Ballentine is starting her first year of high school at beachside Crescent Bay. Still reeling from the departure of her mother who left for an ashram in India, Bee talks to Buddha and begs for her first period not to arrive. She's not ready to become a woman yet, whatever that means. Although Bee has yet to find her group at school, her best friend forever is Leon Mckay, the hottest boy in Year 8. As long as Leon has her back Bee can survive the mean girls, her meddling step-mum Kath, her swimming nemesis, The Piranha. LISTEN ON BOOK BITES! You can listen to Pip Harry 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#are-you-there-buddha-pip-harry

Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She's just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends -- Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn't have religion, and that she isn't going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don't know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything -- family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush. Margaret is funny and real, and her thoughts and feelings are oh-so-relatable -- you'll feel like she's talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.

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.

Ariel's writer mother sends misbehaving characters to an island school for Rebellious Characters. This summer, she sends Ariel and Zed. A cast of eccentric characters includes an insomniac Sleeping Beauty. A tale of action and self-discovery.

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.

Lately, nothing is going right for thirteen year old Arnie. Ever since it happened, his family, especially his mother, has been behaving strangely. At school, he is accused of cheating and now Jacko has challenged him to a fight. He has to get his life sorted out and deal with what happened.

One evening, while relaxing at his gentleman's club, Phileas Fogg rashly bets that he can travel the entire globe in 80 days. The unflappable Englishman is determined not to lose this extraordinary wager as he sets off for Dover with his not so cool-headed, French manservant, Passepartout.

The Arrival gives us great insight into the process of leaving your homeland and trying to find a new place in the world. The journey can be frightening, inspiring and emotional for all displaced persons. Many stories are told through Tan's illustrations.

A look at some of the traditions from which Indigenous art has come, with an emphasis on the continuous links between Indigenous art, place and The Dreaming. It shows the extraordinary diversity that has always been a feature of Australian Indigenous art.

Villainous twelve year old, Artemis Fowl, holds a leprechaun to ransom and gets more than he bargained for.

Artemis has frequently used high-tech fairy magic to mastermind the most devious criminal activity of the new century. Now, at a conference in Iceland, Artemis has gathered the fairies to present his latest idea to save the world from global warming. But Artemis is behaving strangely - he seems different. Something terrible has happened to him.

Is this armageddon time for artemis fowl . . . Opal Koboi, power-crazed pixie, is plotting to exterminate mankind and become fairy queen. If she succeeds, the spirits of long-dead fairy warriors will rise from the earth, inhabit the nearest available bodies and wreak mass destruction. But what happens if those nearest bodies include crows, or deer, or badgers - or two curious little boys by the names of Myles and Beckett Fowl? Yes, it's true. Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl's four-year-old brothers could be involved in destroying the human race. Can Artemis and Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police stop Opal and prevent the end of the world?

From an island stuck in time comes an army of vindictive imps bent on destroying humans. Teenage genius, Artemis Fowl, must stop the demons who have sworn revenge on humans. He uses his wit and sarcasm in this tale of murder and deceit.

Artemis Fowl, that magnet for trouble, with fairy ally, Captain Holly Short, by his side must successfully complete this mission to save his gravely ill mother. He must travel back through time and steal the cure from the clutches of a young criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl. It will take all Artemis' ingenuity to foil himself.

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.

In this sequel, Artemus embarks on a daring plan to fight the Lower Elements and to rescue his father.

Artemis Fowl has always resented going to school, preferring instead to plot his next crime. So when the young criminal genius learns that his father is being held prisoner by the Russian Mafiya, he cuts class and braves the sub-zero temperatures of the Arctic Circle to rescue him.

Artemis promises his father that he'll stop his law-breaking ways but he is up for one last, tiny crime. Unfortunately, Artemis doesn't count on the operation being a total failure. Artemis is set up and forced to enlist the help of his faerie friends.

Artemis Fowl is going straight...as soon as he pulls off the most brilliant criminal feat of his career. But his last job plan goes awry, leaving his loyal bodyguard, Butler, mortally injured. Artemis's only hope of saving his friend is to enlist the help of his old rival, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. It is going to take a miracle to save Butler, and Artemis's luck may have just run out.

For the first time, rabid fans will be able to see what Foaly's tin hat looks like; discover just how "Beet" Root got his name; and of course, follow their favorite criminal mastermind as he plots and connives in action-packed, full-color panels.

Opal Koboi, pixie and archenemy of the fairies, is under close surveillance lying in a coma. This is just a treacherous plot and Artemis Fowl, the brilliant criminal mastermind, although now devoid of faerie knowledge, must save the day.

Evil pixie, Opal Koboi, is back and she's more dangerous than ever. This time she doesn't just want power over the fairy People - this time she wants the humans too. Captain Holly Short is the only fairy with a hope of stopping her, but as Holly knows, it takes one genius criminal mastermind to fight another. But the 14-year-old genius that Holly is thinking of doesn't even remember that fairies exist. How is she going to convince Artemis Fowl to help her stop Opal? Gold usually does the trick, and this time is should be no different. Or is Artemis changing?

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.

With a third of Australians born and around half with one parent born overseas, migration stories are a crucial part of our national experience. In her verse novel, Ask No Questions, Eva Collins writes spare affecting lines about her own experience as a teenager when her parents decided to emigrate from Poland to Australia. She captures the loss and gain, grief and celebration with great poignancy. Simply written but deeply moving, Ask No Questions is accessible poetry that is particularly suited for young adult readers.

The universal understanding is that goblins are blood thirsty, uncivilised monsters, and elves are artistically refined and polite. Be prepared for a confrontational truth as Brangwain Spurge, elfin emissary, is catapulted across the Bonecruel Mountains into the goblin territory of Tenebrion. His mission is to infiltrate and spy on the evil goblin government under the pretence of delivering a gift, and return alive.

It is 1665 and Hannah has come from the country to assist her sister in sweet making at the Sugared Plum sweet shop. The plague has also come to London so Hannah's life is now full of dangers as well as the sights and sounds of the crowded city.

From rusting rocket ships to crumbling opulent palaces belonging to former dictators, this atlas journeys across fifty remarkable sites across the world. No longer in their heyday, these sites are abandoned and eerily different to what they once were. Each site has its own story to share.

Talking about the weather used to be small talk. Now, it's the hottest topic on Earth. We can't survive without Earth's atmosphere yet, most of the time, we ignore it. Our atmosphere is treated as a rubbish dump for our greenhouse gas emissions. Slowly but surely, what we are doing is changing the Earth's climate. In small chunks, this book cuts through the many voices raised around climate change to tell the story of our atmosphere, what is putting our climate at risk and what we can do about it.

Our heroes are back. Kind of. First, the bad news: an ancient evil - you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal - is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They've just got to take care of a few small distractions first. Like the clan of gremps who'd like to rearrange their favourite faces. And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who'll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri. Then there's Kal's long-lost sister, who's not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted. Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion's most unforgettable heroes - and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

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.

Imagine a world without wi-fi or clothes lines or lawnmowers or Vegemite or dual-flush toilets or even mousetraps. Weird, huh? These are just a few of the many inventions that have been created by clever Australians to solve some of life's difficult problems. Suitable for Stage 2 and Stage 3.

Australian history joins with science to bring the world of the explorer to life. Each chapter contains an historical section plus a related project and some quirky but interesting facts. Trying to stay alive and keeping an eye on the weather are just as applicable today as they were two hundred years ago. Tales of tragedy, conflict and death, loyalty, amazing perseverance and wonderment.

Ever wondered what all those tiny bugs are that you see when you look very closely at a rosebud on a rosebush? Ever wanted to be able to identify a bird just from hearing its song? Want to learn how to keep a pet ant lion? All that and more is to be found within this informative book. Features personal accounts from the author's experiences with many of the species mentioned.

This history of bushranging in Australia gives details about many bushrangers.

This book captures the range and diversity of the wondrous Australian wildlife from prehistory. The book includes over 70 animals that lived in Australia at various times during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras (i.e from 250 million years ago), from sea creatures to amphibians, dinosaurs, reptiles, birds and mammals. With meticulous attention to the environment and flora of each period, the book presents a succession of the huge animals that marched, flew and swam across our landscape, from the terrifying Daspletosaurus to the more sedentary Diprotodon.

Ellie is not looking forward to a year in a new home or attending a new school, Avalon High, whose students are not as they appear to be.

Describing contemporary artworks and the intentions of the artists. The relevance of these works for today's kids is revealed.

When both of Eddie's parents catch a disease that makes them turn yellow and smell of hot-water bottles, it's agreed that he should go to stay at Awful End with relatives. Sadly, the relatives are Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud.

What happens when the truth gets lost? Where wild animals and people meet, tragedy can strike. But when a tiny baby is stolen by a dingo, people simply cannot accept such a thing. Prejudice and gossip grip the nation, and the tragedy transforms into a fight for the truth. This is a true Australian story of innocence, ignorance, and the perils of mob thinking.