Booklists

Mabel and Me discover what makes them the best of friends after a walk together and encounters with a ballerina and a French photographer.

Mabel is put to bed before the dancing party that her parents are having, but the music creeps up the stairs and before long Mabel is dancing too.

Machines clank, rattle, whine, whoosh, whiz, thump and grind. In these quirky poems, find your favourite machine and solve the puzzle with a clue in each illustration.

Mackenzie Arnold loves playing football with the Seaport Strikers. She's now the team's goalkeeper and is starting to like it. But when a classmate bets Macca that she can't keep a clean sheet against the Strikers' strongest competitors in the biggest game of the season, can she come through? A new friend and teammate from Argentina brings added skill to the team, but not everyone is happy. Can Macca bring the team together and stop the ball getting past her?

Mackenzie Arnold loves playing football with the Seaport Strikers. She also loves skating and hanging out with her friends. But when Macca is late for training one too many times, injures herself skating and has an unexpected run-in with a local resident, Coach questions her commitment to the team and benches her for a big game. When the strikers' goalie is too sick to play, Macca puts on the gloves and steps up. Will she be able to prove that football is something she's serious about?

The complete tales of Madeline who has many adventures.

Mabel lives with her parents in The Mermaid Hotel, by the sea. Mabel likes to keep an eye on the comings and goings of all the guests. Then one day a particularly in-ter-est-ing old lady comes to stay. There is something very suspicious about her, with her growly voice and her heavy trunks and her beady-eyed tortoise. And why does no one know her REAL name? There can only be one answer, Mabel decides ... this guest is a SUPERVILLAIN. But even supervillains have a soft side, and as an unlikely friendship grows between the pair, their fantastical exploits take them well beyond the corridors of their seaside home.

Maddy doesn't have a special place in her family. She's not the youngest, or the oldest, or the cutest. She's just quiet little Maddy, lost in the middle of her big, boisterous family. But, Silky the cat knows how special she is.

Something is wrong with Madeline and one night she wakes up in terrible pain. It's her appendix. So, off she goes to hospital to have it taken out. Her school friends miss her but they visit her in hospital.

The Spanish Ambassador has moved next door, and Madeline knows right away that his son is bad news. He's mean to animals. One day, Pepito goes too far.

Miss Clavel and the twelve little girls travel to Rome in the spring. As well as the warming sun, glorious sights and delicious food, Madeline finds herself embroiled in an adventure involving a thief, a chase and many, many cats.

Madeline and Pepito have run off to join the carnival with a band of travelling gypsies. At first they're having the time of their lives, but then they get homesick.

Madeline and her favourite companion in mischief, Pepito, embark on their wildest adventure yet. When ghostly moans lead them to the attic of the old house in Paris, they discover Felix de La Morte, who has lingered there for hundreds of years, waiting for the return of a certain comet. With the comet due to return the very next day, the poor fellow's telescope has been stolen by mean Lord Cucuface, and it is up to Madeline and Pepito to get it back. A nighttime trip across Paris, a midnight apparition, and all is happily resolved in time for the three new friends to view the comet on a starry night.

Some surprises are still in store, even for Madeline.

Pepito has moved to England. To help celebrate his birthday, Miss Clavel and the girls pay him a visit. When his mother won't let Pepito keep one of his birthday presents Madeline is more than willing to help out.

One last wonderful story to treasure about the mischievous Madeline. Here readers will learn Madeline's last name, join her and the girls for horseback rides and a tour of the worlds greatest store and get a hint of what lies in Miss Madeline's future.

Pepito is the Spanish Ambassador's son and he lives next door to Madeline until his father moves to London. To cheer him up, Miss Clavel takes her charges to London and, then, the fun begins.

The 'always be polite' book of Madeline.

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.

Madeline, a friendly and caring mermaid, risks her life to stop an outbreak of magical war in the ocean's depths.

'Twas the night before Christmas and only brave Madeline is up and about, competently running the household until she hears a knock at the door.

Discover Madeline and her house.

When mischievous Madeline falls into the River Seine, a courageous canine saves her from drowning. Now, Madeline has a cherished pet but she doesn't know how the other little girls will feel about it.

The cousins have many adventures in the strange lands at the top of the magic faraway tree, with all their unusual friends who live in the tree.

When the girl next door gets really angry, she zaps people with her magic finger with alarming results. Her teacher grows whiskers and a tail and as for the Greggs. They'll never look at a duck in the same way again.

Jake sometimes gets scared so mum comes up with a play to help him. Mum's suggestion works for Jake and helps someone else with a problem, too.

When Jimbo plays the violin, the noise is so terrible that the birds fly away and the people move away from the town. Eventually, the violin decides to take charge.

Julie wishes she had a garden so her mother takes her to visit Monet's garden at Givenchy. A wonderful introduction to the artist, Claude Monet.

The boy has to polish the wands and catch the rabbits pulled out of the magician's hat. His favourite job is working the puppets. When one goes missing, he is transported to a another land where he has an adventure with familiar characters.

We live in an amazing world, surrounded by magnificent creatures, great and small. They make this earth a magical place to live.

Wonderfully original and off-beat stories, cleverly linked by a spider, in which five children each show their talents.

A tribute to a much-loved grandfather, celebrating First Nations Australian culture, country and the circle of life. Told in Kriol and English. 'This book has the memories I had of my grandfather from when I was small until he left us. He taught me many things about culture and country. I'm happy to pass this story on to my family and to put it in this book.'

Maisie's Dad is a truck driver and Maisie and her invisible friend, Lucy, wait patiently for Dad's return and his amazing stories. Maisie likes her dog and sleeping in. She helps her mother in their shop but doesn't like being an angel. When it seems that Dad and Christmas will never come, and Mum banishes Lucy, Maisie hides in her bedroom.

The GDC alien community is in danger and needs help. When Space Captain Star Girl and three other captains are sent on a rescue mission to the GDC's space station, they know it's make or break. Can they break the evil spell, make it to agents' year and save the alien community?

Six farmyard acquaintances set out to make a new friend but that turns out to be a bit of a failure. Along the way, however, they do discover what real friendship is and where to find it. A beautiful picture book translated from the original German.

Annie finally has a horse of her own, but now she has to both keep the horse and ride it, neither of which prove easy to do.

Maku is a proud, young Indigenous Australian who is always on the move. He looks to his culture, family and the world around him for new and old ideas to put into his movie plan for his homework project.

Mama Ocean had eyes that sparkled, like sunlight on the sea, and tresses which tumbled and trailed through the tides. But something is troubling Mama Ocean. Who will help her?

Contains fascinating factual information about mammals with plenty of descriptions and images.

Discover what mammals are, how they live, what they eat, why seals have fur, how dolphins send messages to each other and many more interesting facts. Excellent contents and index pages help you find all this information and more.

A well-presented guide to mammals that gives the scientific and generic name, size and occurrence of each species. Maps show where the mammals live and there are beautiful, colour photographs of their physical appearance.

One day, Mr Gaskitt puts on all his clothes, Mrs Gaskitt picks up a robber in her taxi, Gus and Gloria have trouble with a teacher, Horace, the cat, goes to a friend's house to watch TV and the car radio gets things wrong.

The story of a respected indigenous role model, Mandawuy Yunupingu, who has been a school principal and a rock star. Includes great photos, a glossary and a personal profile.

Mang, a beautiful old orangutan, remembers what life was like living in the lush rainforests of Borneo before he was captured and then sent to a zoo.

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.

Both Mango and Bambang are left star-struck when Bambang's cousin comes to town with Hollywood actress Minter Verbena. But when disaster strikes, Bambang is the true star of the show.

Mango and Bambang are a dynamic duo. They are a little girl called Mango and her best friend, Bambang, who just happens to be a tapir. Together, they search for a hobby for Bambang and join forces to defeat the evil Dr Cynthia Prickle-Posset, who is determined to steal Bambang for her Museum of the Unusual.

Mango Allsorts, a busy little urbanite, and Bambang, a lost tapir and definitely not a pig, are unlikely friends. Mango is an irrepressible girl with a wonderful optimism and a very hectic schedule that includes karate, diving, playing chess and the clarinet. Bambang is a stranger in a big city. Everything is large and scary, confusing and intimidating. But, together, they are a remarkable duo, bringing a little magic and adventure into each other's life.

When a small but mischievous tapir guest comes to stay in the busy city with Mango Allsorts and Bambang, things soon get into a rather troublesome tangle.

A secluded area of mangroves and the water life the trees support are about to change forever. This book looks at the cost to nature of our modern culture.

When war devastates their country, a boy and his parents are forced to flee to another country. Food is scarce. When father goes to the bazaar to buy bread, he comes home with a map instead. The boy and his mother are furious because they are so hungry.

Different maps are introduced with explanations of how they work. Simple explanations and beautiful illustrations provide interesting information about compass points, map keys and scales, colours and contours.

What would you take on an adventure with you? The ants are preparing to march, and every ant packs something practical, but one ant chooses to take a book ... what good will that be on a long journey? Join Australian Children's Laureate Ursula Dubosarsky to find out! This story is also available to download from the ACLF website and you can read along with Ursula as she shares her story with us. https://www.childrenslaureate.org.au/read-with-ursula

Jamie and Tom are tracking some fresh dinosaur footprints. They think that a large herd is moving towards the river but, as the boys approach the marshy area, they notice some smaller footprints going a different way. They discover a baby Ankylosaurus stuck up to its middle in the mud and must find a way to save it. But, when its mother appears with her huge clubbed tail, the boys know they are in grave danger.

Marcie's parents run a caravan park in the small seaside town of Snorkel Bay in South Australia. Three mysterious things happen to her. Her dad moved out. Her gran gave her an unusual Christmas present. George, her grandmother's cat has a secret. This is a summer holiday Marcie will never forget. Read about these adventures of Marcie-the girl whose favourite thing is asking questions.

Marge is back and this time she's taking the Button family on a train journey. When Mum and Dad go out for a 'romantic' (i.e boring!) dinner, Marge takes the kids on an adventure of their own. Jakey's always longed to drive a train and with Marge around to turn ordinary life extraordinary, there's a good chance his wish might come true!

Marge and the Pirate Baby is a collection of three short stories about the best babysitter ever. Marge has colourful hair and a knack for making everything fun but can she save the day from the pirate baby?

It's nearly a year since Marigold was rescued by Left Shoe and she is happily part of the Sandburrow family. Only two things trouble her, her poor eyesight and fear of the dark. An encounter with a goanna helps Marigold to face her fear.

The story tells of the travels and responsibilities of Wagarl, the big boss of all snakes, and how he keeps the waterways clean in Noongar country.

Marlow Brown dreams of being a scientist, but when her chaotic home experiments drive Mum crazy, Marlow runs the risk of being banned from experimenting altogether. Surely there must be something she can do to keep on Mum's good side while still continuing her dream.

One morning, deep in the forest, a beautiful baby panda was born. The panda was different to all the others, as he had dazzling orange fur. "I will call you Marmalade," his mummy whispered. Meet Marmalade, the little panda who goes on a big adventure as he sets off to explore the forest one day to find where he belongs.

Marshall Armstrong is new to our school. He looks different to me. His ear looks like a shell, his laces are straight, not criss-crossed like mine, and his eyes are always looking at the blackboard. Marshall Armstrong definitely does not fit into our school.

Meet Marshmallow Pie a big fluffy cat with an even bigger personality...... The rumours are true, I'm staring in a movie! Hollywood is very exciting. My human, Amelia, and I are spending every single day with my amazing new friend Madison, who's showing me all the fanciest places and teaching me all about being a star. This is the life! So why does Amelia seem so unsure.......?

Rhyming text and bright illustrations help make this a lively investigation into the planets of our solar system.

This is a story of Sydney in order of who did what first. Through a series of unexpected firsts, trace the events, people and places that have shaped Sydney, however unintentionally.

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.

Marvin can't get to sleep. It's late, the ground is hard in Nick Tuffle's garden, he's full of cake and he's drunk too much punch. Then, he hears a low humming noise, feels the earth shudder and sees a bright flash, sort of the same colour as the green icing on Nick's birthday cake. When he sees a flying birthday cake, candles aglow, Marvin wonders if he's dreaming.

While his teacher, Mrs North, is on holidays, Marvin is looking after her dog. Marvin has become the luckiest boy in school. He'll get to sniff about Mrs North's house and rummage in her fridge. Well, that's what Stuart and Nick, his best friends, would like to do. But, Marvin is serious. After all, he's getting paid and will get a bonus if everything goes smoothly. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Today is Thursday. Today is hole day. Everyone is wearing their holiest clothes, even the class teacher, Mrs North. But, the principal announces that a surprise visitor, a very important person, is coming to the school. There's no time to change. And, with all the television cameras pointed, Marvin just might get to solve his biggest maths problem to date.

Marvin Redpost is yet again caught in a dilemma. He's been told that he'll turn into a girl if he kisses his elbow. After accidentally doing just that, Marvin wonders if it's really going to happen to him. When his voice starts to change and he longs to have pigtails, Marvin is worried.

Marvin has red hair and blue eyes. He's also left-handed. One day, at school, while writing a report, Marvin realises that nothing adds up. His parents have brown hair and brown eyes. He begins to wonder if he really is Marvin Redpost. He sets out to get things straight but Marvin soon realises that, sometimes, the truth isn't all it's cracked up to be.

When he goes home with Casey Happleton one day after school, Marvin is amazed to discover that she lives in an old fire station. But, that's not all that surprises him. Casey has a secret she wants to share. She has a crystal with super, magical powers, a crystal that makes all your wishes come true.

Suicide Hill is the ultimate test of bravery. Few have conquered the treacherously steep slope. And, rumour has it that Marvin will be taking it on. Only Marvin isn't so sure. His new mountain bike is so enormous, he can barely climb up on to it and changing gears is out of the question. If he succeeds, Marvin will be a hero. If he doesn't, then everyone is about to witness the biggest wipeout ever.

Everyone's laughing at Marvin Redpost. He's the grossest kid in school because he picks his nose. Well, that's the rumour the class bully, Clarence, has started and no-one argues with Clarence, not even Marvin's so-called best friends. Marvin must work out how to turn things around.

Mary MacKillop (1842-1909) is Australia's first saint. This is her story from ordinary girl to saint. "We must teach more by example that by word."

Cloaked in a riot of colour, pattern and texture are a dozen animals, from stick and leaf insects found in Australia, to Gaboon vipers that have all mastered the art of fading into the background. Clever and beautiful hide and seek spreads that put the readers new knowledge to the test. The secrets of animal camouflage.

From what are rocks made? From where do plastics come? For what are they used? Why can I see through glass? Simple explanations and beautiful illustrations help readers find the answers to these and other questions about matter.

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.

Matilda Mudpuddle's x-ray vision lasts for exactly one month. Find out how Matilda uses this amazing skill.

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.

Matilda eats olives and goes back in time to the Olympic Games in Athens, in the days when togas were worn and instead of medal you had crowns from the olive trees.

When Monique, a young nurse, steps into the home of an elderly patient, she sees rooms filled with the most vivid colour she's ever seen. Her patient is the artist Henri Matisse and they become good friends. When Monique enters a convent as a nursing nun, she discovers that her religious order is very poor and doesn't have it's own chapel. Matisse helps by developing a sketch by Monique into a brilliant set of stained-glass chapel windows, and uses his influence to raise enough money to build the chapel.

Matty loves football. He's South Sydney's number one fan and the star scorer in his own local team. He knows he can help his team to the semifinals and beyond. But, things don't go to plan and now it seems Matty won't be able to help his team to victory after all. But, help can come from surprising places and people.

Max wants to be a knight. Too bad there's more chance of finding a friendly dragon than THAT dream coming true. But when Max's uncle Budrick is kidnapped by the cruel King Ghastly, it might finally be Max's time to be a hero! Joined by a band of brave adventurers - the Midknights - and a cowardly goose, Max sets out on a thrilling quest to save the realm of Byjovia.

Roll up, roll up, for Max the magnificent and his famous show: putting off bedtime for as long as possible. Cheer as he makes a cookie disappear, gasp as he asks for ten bedtime stories.

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

Max has an old piece of paper called a postage stamp, and it's more than 400 years old! But before long it leads Max into some very sticky situations.

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.

Molly is over the moon when she's given Max, an Old English Sheepdog puppy, and soon the two are inseparable. Max pines for Molly when she's at school, and longs for her to come home and play, so when he spies an open window one day he sets off to find her. But the world is a scary place for a puppy on his own and soon Max is alone and 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.

Maxi is stoked to hear that Juniors from a British ocean swimming club are coming to visit Buckler. If the trip is a success, he and his mates will visit their club in England next year! Maxi is keen for it to be perfect, but someone sneaky is trying to wreck their plans and is writing mean lies online. Can Maxi patch things up before their beach rescue demonstration becomes a beach battle?

Maxi joins Buckler Ocean Swimming Club to have a bit of fun with his mates. But then a big prize for the Junior Ocean Challenge is announced. The winner will get money for their club and a day with legendary lifeguard Mick Hawk! Maxi would do anything to win. Especially as it might help save Buckler. Will his hard work and determination pay off, or will Maxi's arch-enemy ruin his chances?

When Maxi and his friends discover that someone has been dumping rubbish into the ocean near Bondi, they are furious. Who would do such a thing, and why won't anyone take them seriously when they report it? Luckily, Maxi has a plan - but exposing the polluter will hurt someone he cares about. Can Maxi find a way out of this messy situation?

Short books about boys playing cricket. The Kreepy Crawlies are using strange and creepy tricks to win and Maxx is getting angry. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing cricket. Maxx takes it up with the umpire - the other team are cheating. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

All about boys playing cricket. During a bizarre season of cricket, Maxx's team are experiencing a hammering with the cricket ball at the hands of the opposition and Maxx and his little brother, Rexx, have to prove how tough they are.

Short books about boys playing cricket. The other team seem ridiculously hostile or is it just over-enthusiasm. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing cricket. Super sledger, Thrasher Thatcher, has the batters, fielders, even the umpires laughing. Maxx won't win if he can't withstand this level of sledging. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing cricket. There's nothing spookier than a snake draped over your middle stump. Rexx has nearly had enough. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing cricket. Rexx believes Maxx can beat the Outhouse Rodents but their last trick was pretty devastating. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing cricket. The Dodgy Duffers are the world's most boring cricket team, but they could win if they put all Maxx's team to sleep. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. Maxx is about to kick the winning goal when his opposition squash him between two sumo wrestlers. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. Maxx's team need a miracle goal. Maxx's reverse-checkside-banana-torpedo kick might deliver it. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. Maxx's season playing with the Stone Valley saints is about football, it's about heroism, it's about moments of triumph, it's about pain. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Maxx Rumble experiences grand final footy fever when the Stone Valley Saints make it to the final game, but the Rodents are up to their usual tricks. They will stop at nothing to win the game, even substituting a fake umpire.

Short books about boys playing football. Maxx and the Stone Valley Saints have to triumph even if he gets slammed in the process. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. At the end o f every quarter it's hard to predict, even at the end of the game, it's hard to say who is the winner of this match. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. Maxx has been stretched beyond all recognition but it may be the only way he can stop the terrible trio. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. It's hard to believe all these incredible things could happen and you could still win. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

Short books about boys playing football. Maxx has stopped breathing. This could be the end for Maxx Rumble, super cricketer. Includes zany, imaginative illustrations.

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.

Grand finals are different. Things go haywire. They go crazy. They go completely insane. And then they get totally weird. The Stone Valley Saints badly want to win against the rottenest team in history.

Eight teams, three weeks and one winner, that's the soccer knockout competition. The Saints want to be that winner, but before they even reach the second round, they must beat a team of geniuses.

Lots of bad things happen on the sporting field, but this is the worst: battling with my own brother.

Twelve-year old Maya sees colour bleed from the world, werehyenas staking suburban streets and a scary man who stalks her in her dreams. While her best friends try to find a reasonable explanation, Maya sees connections with her dad's fantastical stories. When he disappears, Maya is thrust into a world both strange and familiar as she races to find her father, the guardian of the veil between the human world and the Dark, and the Lord of Shadows, the man from her nightmares who is determined to destroy the human world. Maya will need to unlock her own hidden powers, save her father and the world, all before Comic-Con and the end of summer.

You choose! Supreme ruler of the world or misfortune for life? You are an ordinary kid - or so you think. Strange things start to happen. You make a rabbit appear from underneath your teacher's hat. Then you dream about a mystical diamond and a mysterious old woman with long white hair. It turns out you have magical powers. Do you try to keep your talents hidden, or do you go off to Magic School?

Master of the maze or eternity in a nightmare labyrinth! You decide to try the lame-looking Maze of Doom at the fun fair. But once inside, you realise that this is no ordinary amusement. The maze is massive and there are traps and mysterious creatures at every turn. Then you come across an old fortune-telling machine, which predicts an eerie future. Will you discover the maze's secrets and riches, or will you be trapped inside forever?

In the cleft of a rock, on the crest of a hill, grows a tree that belongs to no-one and to everyone. When a little baby girl in a sling is found swinging in the branches, the villagers name her Tiranamba Adesimbo Mbobo. They love her as their own but Tiranamba never speaks a word. When the life-saving tree is threatened, Tiranamba finds her voice.

Arthur wants an ordinary family life, but instead he has a brother who acts quite differently to other brothers and sisters. This causes Arthur no end of embarrassment. When Arthur has had enough, he tries to run away only to find a polar bear on the doorstep. What can a polar bear do for Arthur and his family? When the spider-fearing polar bear Mr P moves in life changes for Arthur.

A son hero worships his brave father and loves spending a day at the beach with him. But, sometimes even the bravest of the brave need a helping hand. Fabulous illustrations with interesting use of perspective.

A thought-provoking take on the story of a young girl who has come into the house, eaten the porridge, broken the chair and fallen asleep in the bed. Two stories, the fantasy and a modern street context, give dimension to a traditional tale.

A peaceful natural existence is transformed by the encroaching modern society, changing the landscape and the sole occupant.

A humorous tale, with cartoon style line drawings, of a dog and his family during a day out at the beach.

Sunny Meerkat comes from a large and close family. One day, he decides that it's time to leave home and see the world.

What's a group of meerkats called? Where do they live? What do they eat? In this book, you'll find the answers and lots more about the fascinating lives of meerkats.

Don Bradman was Australia's greatest cricketer. This is the story of how he first came to play for Australia, and how his record-breaking feats in the Ashes series became a source of pride and hope during the hard years of the Great Depression.

Dame Nellie Melba was Australia's first classical music star. The beauty of her singing was celebrated around the globe. She was appointed Dame Commander, OBE, for her enormous fundraising efforts during World War I. Today, she is commemorated on Australia's one hundred dollar banknote. This is the story of how she rose to fame, and how she brought opera to Australians in the city and the bush.

In the early twentieth century, Reverend John Flynn saw the potential for aeroplanes to bring urgent medical care to people in outback Australia. He campaigned for more than ten years to make his big idea a reality. That big idea became the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Today, the Service, a not-for-profit organisation, provides emergency and primary health care across Australia.

Discover the coolest, fastest and most amazing bikes on the road with colour, full-page photographs of speedy scooters, choppers, cruisers, sport bikes, quad and motocross bikes.

With huge Hummers and stretch limousines, racing Ferraris and stunning Lamborghinis, this colourful book has big, full-colour photographs of the coolest, fastest and most exciting cars.

Discover the world of machines with big, full-colour photographs on every page.

With big, full-colour photographs, discover the machines and vehicles used in rescues, and find items on each page.

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.

Explore the exciting world of space, with big, full-colour photographs of rocket launchers, satellites, space telescopes, shuttles, lunar rovers and other amazing spacecraft.

Huge tractors, massive combine harvesters, foragers, balers and lots more are featured in colour, full-page photographs of gigantic machinery.

From massive diggers, loggers and loaders to gigantic dumpers and bulldozers, this bright and busy book is full of big, full-colour photographs.

Deep in the mists of time, far from the world we know, is an ancient stone castle. This castle sits on a huge black rock jutting out of a raging sea. The castle is a school where the naughtiest children in the world are sent. There is zero chance of escape. It is here that the scariest, yuckiest, most monstrous monsters you can think of get squished together into one. Who would dare to fight such a creature? Meet Larker, one small girl ready to take on Mega Monster.

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...!

Annie is helping Grandma clear out her old shed for a garage sale. There are many dusty old things, long forgotten and unused. But, they hold special memories for Grandma. And, it seems the shed has something to say and it wants Grandma and Annie to listen.

A young girl grieves for her mother. She clings to familiar things to remind her of happier times but a broken doll highlights her hurt and begins the healing sequence.

One night, Mercy awakes to the sound of the toaster scraping along the kitchen counter. This can only mean one thing, someone is making her favourite food, toast. When Mercy heads for the kitchen, she finds a little man in a ten-gallon hat but he's not making toast.

Every weekend, Mr Watson takes his pig for a ride in his pink convertible car. One Saturday, their elderly neighbour, Baby Lincoln, stows away in the backseat. When Baby reveals her presence, a surprised Mr Watson takes his eyes off the road and Mercy seizes her chance. She jumps into his lap and grabs the wheel.

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.

Mercy's appetite leads her straight to the bed of freshly-planted pansies in Eugenia Lincoln's garden. Animal Control Officer Francis Poulet is called to sort things out. But, as she soon discovers, not just anyone can think like a pig, especially when that pig is porcine wonder, Mercy Watson.

After the Watsons tuck Mercy into bed with a sweet song and a kiss, she feels all warm inside as if she has just eaten hot toast with a great deal of butter. However, Mercy is afraid of the dark so she snuggles into bed with the couple. Moments later, all three are rudely awakened as their bed falls into a hole that has opened in the floor beneath them.

Mercy Watson, that glistening pig, isn't too interested in learning about Halloween, even when Mrs Watson shows her a pink princess dress that she can wear. But, then food treats are mentioned and Mercy is suddenly all ears.

Mr and Mrs Watson and their porcine wonder, Mercy, are on their way to the drive-in theatre. Mercy is more excited by the prospect of real butter on bottomless buckets of popcorn. Trouble occurs when Mercy, with snout in the air, follows the irresistible scent of butter to cars with their windows down.

When Elektra's class learns how to dive down and collect magic mermaid fire, Elektra is keen to get more than everybody else. She will have to swim away from the safety of the reef, deep down to the bottom of the dark and scary sea.

Electra and her school friends are off on an overnight trip to Craggy Island. Electra is upset to discover the older mermaids are laughing because she has legs instead of a tail. The girls are even meaner when they tell Electra and her friends that the island caves, where they plan to have a midnight feast, are haunted. But, Electra shows that legs can be very useful.

Electra is a human mermaid, a mermaid with legs instead of a tail. Abandoned as a tiny baby, she was found by the merpeople of Mermaid Island who decided to adopt her. They gave her sea-powder so that she could live and breathe underwater. Elecktra is always getting into trouble, usually because she longs for excitement and adventure.

It's New Year on Mermaid Island. Electra and her dolphin friend, Splash, swim to the grotto to help decorate it for the party. But, Electra and Splash make a big mess and are sent away to behave. They discover tunnels at the back of the grotto which lead to the deep sea. All the tunnels are safely blocked up except one.

Electra has had a great idea. It's been a year since her best dolphin friend, Splash, came to live on Mermaid Island so she's going to throw him a party. But, when Splash meets some other wild dolphins, Electra is scared that he will want to swim away with them for ever.

Electra is very excited. Two of the older mermaids, Keri and Marina, have asked her if she would like to go camping with them on Craggy Island. But, the adventure comes to an abrupt end when Electra's mum tells her that she's too young and she can't go.

Electra is excited about Gran's birthday party and knows the perfect present, a baby sea mouse. But, a scary snake has been spotted in the caves where the baby sea mice live. Only a super brave mermaid would swim out there now.

When Electra hears of hidden treasure in the caves near Mermaid Island, she is very excited and wants to hunt for it. On the way, she finds a rare, dwarf seahorse surrounded by stinging jellyfish, and bravely saves him. Electra doesn't know that the tiny seahorse will later lead her to safety and to a very special surprise.

Electra is having a brilliant time playing scary tricks on all her mermaid friends, and when Sparkle, the baby seahorse, joins in they have even more fun. But not everyone finds Electra's tricks very funny and when she tries to warn her friends about something truly dangerous, no one will listen to her.

Electra really wants to explore the shipwreck near Mermaid Island. She thinks she might find objects that would help her discover things about the human world she came from. But Maris, her adopted mermaid mum, won't let her go as it's too dangerous. Electra won't let that stop her.

Pearl is planning a sea-sational party for her birthday, but a chance encounter with a shooting star changes everything. All of a sudden Pearl can do something she never thought possible. Pearl's new powers could be a curse or a blessing.

Tammy is safe at home, but her heart is with her father at the warfront. While her mother knits socks for the soldiers, Tammy slips a message inside each pair. But will her one special message find her father, and bring him safely home?

Mia's family is very poor, living in a house made from recycled bits and pieces. When her dog, Poco, disappears, Mia takes the family horse and heads off into the mountain meadows. There, the snow is clean and the sky is clear and Mia finds a kind of lily she's never seen before.

Keeping a mouse or rat is a big responsibility. They rely on you for food, water and a safe place to live. If your mouse or rat is sick or injured, you need to ensure that it gets proper care. Find out all you need to know about having a mouse or rat as a pet.

Maud is grumpy and she and Ernie are arguing all the time. It seems to Ernie that being his sidekick just isn't important to Maud anymore. Then, Valiant Vera advises that if the two trainee superheroes can't work together, they will be thrown out of the Superheroes Society. Ernie and Maud must learn teamwork before it's too late.

A story of a little gold book, written long ago, and the journey it takes over the years before arriving at its new home in the library.

When the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Mieko's village was ruined and her hand was badly injured. She also lost the legendary fifth treasure, beauty in the heart. She is sent to a new school where her bravery and patience may help.

Matilda eats some spinach that makes her extraordinarily strong for one month. She spends the month setting a few bullies right and saving the day on several occasions.

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 greatest rivalry of them all! Mitch Starc's biggest dream is to one day wear the baggy green and play for Australia. Now it seems his dream has come true early! So what's Mitch's problem? He's pretty sure his team will be FLOGGED by the English side. He just CAN'T get the hang of bowling. His dad is EMBARRASSING him (and unfortunately his dad is the COACH!). His cricket whites have turned PINK! Can it get any WORSE?!

There is a new kid in town and he wants Mitch's wicketkeeping spot. The gloves are on! Get ready for a mighty Clash of the Keepers! Mitchell Starc and Marshall Spark have got loads in common. They both like keeping. They both like opening the batting. Even their names sound the same! So what's driving Mitch bananas?

Mitch Starc is facing his mightiest test yet. Lights on, fights on! Its time for the epic Day/Night Decider! Mitch is getting ready for the biggest game of his life. But Coach has a surprise in store for Mitch and his team: theyre going to be playing at night, under lights! And with a pink ball! So what else does Mitch have to deal with? The Wombats have just had the WORST TEAM PHOTO ever taken! Mitch has a cockroach ON HIS HEAD! His best mate is planning a party... and that means TROUBLE! Theres only ONE MORE GAME for Mitch to achieve his cricket dream. Can Mitch and his team end the season on a high?

Mitch and his cricket team the Wander Hill Wombats have finally managed to get runs on the board and win some matches. But they have just had the most disastrous training session. No-one in the side can catch the ball, Mitch's bowling is getting worse, someone in the team has poo shoes and now the Wombats are famous and Mitch is not happy about it. Surely it can not get any more embarrassing can it?

It's finals fever for Mitch Starc and his U10s cricket team! So will they be NOT OUT or KNOCKED OUT? Mitch can't believe that his team actually has a shot at playing in the finals. But now the Wombats are up against a tough opposition who look keen and play mean, and will do whatever it takes to knock the Wombats out! What else has Mitch got to worry about? He's pretty sure that his LUCKY STREAK is about to RUN OUT.One of his teammates is busy playing tennis... in the TOILET! The Wombats new team MASCOT has just EXPLODED! They MUST WIN the match, or MITCH'S cricket season is OVER How hard can that be?!

Mike is proud of his spikey hair. Small for his age, his spikes make Mike look taller and very grown up. To his horror, he discovers he has lice. The great hat parade is only two days away and he longs to win a prize for the best hat. But, Mike can't stop scratching long enough to make one.

Military helicopters perform a variety of missions for armed forces around the world. Some of these helicopters are capable of speeds approaching three hundred and twenty kilometres per hour. Discover the history, technology and future of the world's fastest military helicopters.

Millie was always so good, or was she? Millie eats all her vegetables and puts away her toys, or does she? She's always kind to her baby brother, or is she? But no matter what Millie does, her parents still love her.

Nine year old Cassie Bannerman loves animals, especially her dog Ripper, who is always by her side. When Ben Stoppard moves into Abbotts Hill with his family and their English sheepdog, Cassie is determined to befriend them. Ben and Cassie and the two dogs take part in the RSPCA annual fundraiser, and help round up a naughty runaway pup.

Milly's mulberry tree is the centre of her world. He loves the magic and joy it provides her every year as she grows up. When her adult life takes her far away she still dreams of her tree and it inspires her every day.

Milo's life is almost entirely unremarkable. He lives in a solid kennel in a reasonable part of town. Every other day, he has a job delivering parcels. Milo's life is turned upside down by an argument with his friend Snombo, followed by a strange wild storm that leaves him and his kennel in a precarious place. So, begins Milo's surprisingly remarkable journey back to his friends.

The warm and humorous story of a family in an isolated community. Dad tells lots of scary stories but one night he scares himself.

Mina wants her own bedroom more than anything else in the whole wide world. And it's almost ready. But when Mina's parents take in an unexpected house guest, they give her room away. At first Mina is too upset to speak. She doesn't care that the new boy, Azzami, needs a place to stay. Then she sees his drawings, and for the first time really thinks about the life of the quiet boy in front of her.

Captain Teggs and his crew of astrosaurs are on another mission when they almost crash into a deserted space station. It is a dinosaur prison that has been hit by a meteor and abandoned. When they Investigate, they are captured by two dastardly prisoners hiding in the wreckage. The master criminals have a body-swap machine and they want to use it on the astrosaurs.

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?

Ming and his father travel to the Great Wall to learn more about the creation of the longest structure ever build by humans. On their way, they take a wrong turn, leading to a great adventure as Ming and his father get to tour the wall and encounter all sorts of important figures, including the emperor who had the Great Wall built. When the emperor runs into a tricky situation at the beacon tower, it's up to Ming and some important information to save the day.

Any two books from this series may be read as Challenge books and up to five more can be read as personal choice books. Go to the online booklists for the PRC ID of the individual books in this series.

Sophia is determined that she and Clara will have a glorious victory in the school cross country. When the big day arrives and the race favourite's magic shoes go missing, it comes as a big surprise to Sophia when they turn up in her bag!

Sshh... NOT for parents! You can keep a SECRET, right? Clara and I have a herd of tiny, talking, glitter-twinkly, flying horses - and they're REAL! It's true. Those naughty Miniwings get us into so much TROUBLE. Who would have thought Book Week could end up such a magical MESS!

Sshh... NOT for parents! You can keep a SECRET, right? Clara and I have a herd of tiny, talking, oopsie-whoopsie, flying horses - and they're REAL! It's true. Those naughty Miniwings get us into so much TROUBLE, especially that RAZZLY-DAZZLY UNICORN, Moonlight!

Sshh... NOT for parents! You can keep a SECRET, right? Clara and I have a herd of tiny, talking, splishy-splashy, flying horses and they're REAL! It's true. Those naughty Miniwings get us into so much TROUBLE. Who would have thought a weekend at Nana's could lead to a complete KITTY CATASTROPHE!

Sshh... NOT for parents! You can keep a SECRET, right? Clara and I have a herd of tiny, talking, whizzie-whooshy, flying horses and they're REAL! Its true. Those naughty Miniwings get us into so much TROUBLE. Who would have thought a computer game could lead to such classroom CHAOS!

Minnie Pearl and her parents own the Undersea Bazaar where all the fashionable mermaids shop. Minnie helps in the shop when she's not attending school and learning what to do if she should ever encounter a human. When the wide-smiling Manta Ray opens her Marine Emporium next door, everything changes. All the mermaids flock to Manta's shop and Minnie determines to save the family business.

Minou, a pampered cat, has a lovely life as Madame Violette sees to her every need. All seems wonderful until tragedy strikes and Minou suddenly finds herself on her own.

Magical tale of a small boy, Billy, who journeys into the forest and encounters the Minpins who are extraordinary, little people. They are in fear of an evil creature and Billy must help them defeat it.

Minton, the salamander, has a spirit of adventure and makes use of whatever is washed ashore on his island. His building skills and imagination provide the means to explore. Soon, he and turtle are sailing, flying, driving, trucking, going underwater and hot air ballooning.

Minton loves anything that moves and he's always ready for action. His friend, Turtle, is not so brave but, together, they have wild adventures. Find out what happens when they zoom through town and operate a dump truck.

As Bouncer, the acrobat, has lost her bounce, Minton makes an aeroplane to fly her all the way back to the city.

Minton and Turtle have landed in the coldest place on earth and found Hector, the hottest boy who ever lived. Now, Minton must build a hot-air balloon so they can get home.

Minton can't wait to make a boat so that he and his friend, Turtle, can sail to an island on the horizon. There, they meet Bouncer, the acrobat, who has been stranded since she made the most gigantic, enormous jump and flew right out of the city and over the ocean.

Minton loves anything that moves but his friend, Turtle, is not so brave. Find out what happens when they set sail and take to the skies.

Minton, the salamander, loves all machines that move and he finds just what he needs to make them. Minton wants to be a truck driver. When there's sand to move and building to be done, Minton and Turtle are ready for a hard day's work.

Minton, that very popular salamander, is on the move again in another delightful picture book adventure. This time, Minton makes a submarine to explore under the sea.

Minton loves anything that moves but his friend, Turtle, is not so adventurous. Find out what happens when they explore the deepest ocean and soar above the clouds.

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.

Jack and his family go everywhere on foot until his mother gets a cleaning job and saves up the money for a car. They are all very excited about the trips they can do now they have a car. But, the excitement disappears on the second day when the car is gone.

After a mostly successful week, business at David's and Bernice's detective agency is a bit slow. Fortunately, the circus is coming to town. But, David's detective sensibility suspects there is mischief afoot and, during the first performance of the circus, he notices something is awry. He is convinced there is a mystery here that requires investigation.

Misha is messy and her older brother, Paul, can't stand sharing their cluttered room. He begins to rebuild the old treehouse in the yard so she can make her mess there instead.

Mary-Kate is accompanying her archaeologist mother on one of her digs to investigate some interesting bones found in a well. The locals are afraid - there are mysterious noises, earth tremors and a terrifying legend. Is there a beast that lives in the well? Mary-Kate might be anxious but she is not afraid to get to the bottom of this monstrous mystery.

Frankie, Felix and Freddie fox are driving their parents wild. They are always arguing or being nasty. Their parents decide that some fresh air will do them good. And it did. In the forest they found Miss Molly's School of Kindness. The foxes aren't sure at first, but learn to be kind to others, themselves and the planet. Come and visit Miss Molly's School with the foxes to see what you could learn, and maybe your parents too!

Tiny Miss Wolf runs the school library and does it very well, despite a few problems with lizards, rats and cockroaches. She is lucky to have the loyal help of the three Porker children, until one day Miss Wolf arrives to find something terrible.

Scarlett is excited to be moving to the countryside, especially as it means she will finally get a pet. She chooses Bootle, a ginger kitten with four white socks, and the two of them become inseparable. Then Scarlett has to start at her new school. Bootle tries following Scarlett to school each day. But when there's a downpour, he gets lost. Scarlett will need to find him but she has no idea where he could be.

Carlomagno, the chief of police in Buenos Aires, has an emergency on his hands when a mongoose vanishes from the zoo. He calls on his brainy cousin Alberta to help him crack the case.

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.

Jack joined the Global Protection Force for two reasons: to thwart evil around the world and to rescue his brother, Max, who went missing while working as a GPF agent. The GPF refused to share any details with Jack about Max's whereabouts, but on two previous missions, Jack had collected clues that pointed to Max is being in Egypt. Now Jack has reason to believe that King Tut's diadem -- a crown thought to have magical powers -- is the cause of Max's disappearance. The crown was so important that King Tut was buried with it on his head, but when the boy-pharaoh's tomb was opened in 1922, an assistant archaeologist named Omar Massri stole the artefact. Could a descendant of Massri somehow be involved in Max's disappearance? Jack and his old friend Kate must prevent an ancient and terrible curse of the pharaohs from wreaking havoc, or else Egypt -- and Jack's brother -- could be doomed.

Bindi, Robert and their wildlife warrior pals have been invited to speak at a climate change conference in Finland. But when the conference organiser, Professor Tikkanen, mysteriously disappears the night before the conference begins, Bindi and Robert realise they have two missions.

When Mr Cleghorn finds an abandoned seal pup on a rock in the middle of the sea, he decides he can't leave it. He brings it home to his flat. This is the story of what happened to Mr Cleghorn and Charlie, the seal, in their determination to find a home for Charlie and, incidentally, happiness for them both.

Mr Whistler is a joyful man, always very finely dressed, and who is forever challenged by an urge to sing and dance. When he arrives at the train station he cannot help but dance along to the music in his head to the delight of his fellow commuters. But as the train approaches, just where did he put that train ticket.

Amy has always loved cats and is thrilled when she spots a tiny little black kitten in her garden. Although she has no collar, she looks too well cared for to be a stray. Misty starts to spend more and more time with Amy but, just as she starts to think of the kitten as hers, the real owners show up.

'Have you ever had an itch? Imagine having a never-ending itch? Mitchell was born with eczema, a skin condition which causes him to itch all the time. There are some things that make it worse and some things that help. Things that don't help are friends at school calling him names or not wanting to be near him in case they 'catch' it. But Mitchell is strong, courageous, determined and with the help of his parents can educate his friends, so they can understand that eczema doesn't make Mitchell who he is. Do you want to learn more? Check out this story and be prepared to be amazed.

Mo is no ordinary mobile phone. She can't do what she should but she can tell the future and there's danger ahead. Mo is on the run from an alien planet. When Shane offers to mind her while she's on Earth, he gets more than he bargained for.

Mo is content. He has a house and a wall to protect him. When persistent Crow arrives and breaks down Mo's wall, he is awakened to the world beyond the wall. A tale of the power of friendship.

Mokie and Bik live on a boat with Laddie, the dog, Slow, the sleepy turtle, and Ruby who sings all day. Dad is on his ship at sea, Mum is busy arting. But, underfoot or overboard, the twins have twice as much fun as anyone else.

Molly feels lost after the death of her dog, Lucy, so her dad creates a colourful Memory Jar with her, to always remind her of the good times.

A humorous look at palindromes, although with some American spelling. Bob is surrounded by palindromes, indeed he is one himself. Palindromes are everywhere and there seems to be no escape from them.

At very short notice, the Irwins are called on to help run an ecolodge in Madagascar for a fortnight. They arrive to find the place deserted, and realise they have a lot of work to do before a bus load of tourists arrive.

It's time for the Big Boomer Fishing Contest and Ben's family is taking part. His cousin, Andy, wants to come too but Dad thinks Andy is clumsy and will fall overboard. But, Andy surprises them all and so do two, big fish.

Mr and Mrs Snottygobble want a beautiful garden so they can win the garden competition. When a monster hole appears in their garden, they don't know how to get rid of it.

Monster Hunting isn't as easy as it looks. And Jack should know. Because an ogre has just appeared in his garden and tried to EAT HIS AUNT. After defeating the ogre, Jack finds himself apprenticed to a grumpy monster hunter called Stoop and heading off to Cornwall, where more ogres are causing havoc. All he has are his wits, his catapult and a magical book called Monster Hunting for Beginners. Jack's a bit worried he might not be the hero everyone's waiting for. But then again, how many terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters can there really be?

When Bernie follows his mum to her new top secret job, he finds himself on Monster Island, where extinct and mythical creatures are alive. Bernie and his newfound friend Ivy must solve the mysteries of where all the mushrooms come from, and who is spying on the island with drones. Danger is around every corner in this action-packed adventure.

If you have ever wondered why a sock mysteriously disappears after the wash or why your shoelaces get tangled into tricky knots, then you probably have a monster problem. Or, more specifically, two monster problems with a gobblesock living behind your washing machine and a shoelace monster under your bed.

Halley, Koby and Mimi have been sent a nanny to look after them while their parents are away. The only problem is that their nanny is actually a monster. Their monster, Grah, is enormous, hairy, dust and does not talk. The children begin to wonder if others have monster nannies as well. With no parents around the children must all help each other to solve the many mysteries surrounding the monsters and help them if they can.

Oscar is not looking forward to Grandad looking after him. It means endless rounds of chess or Monopoly, instead of war games on his computer. When he finds Dad's ancient laptop in the study, Oscar logs on to something called Project X and creates a real live warrior, who is programmed to obey Oscar's every command. But, Monstroso's wires are more than a little crossed and Oscar is in all sorts of trouble.

This is the first time that Deenie will fast for Ramada. She shares the reasons why her family and other Muslims fast during this time and shares the joy and warmth of the special occasion.

Amelie has always loved dogs, but she never dreamed that she'd end up with two of them! Their puppy, Monty, has only been with them for a few months when her family offer to take in her grandad's beloved Daisy as he has to go into a care home. Amelie promises Grandad they will look after the old dachshund brilliantly. But when Daisy arrives, she is obviously unhappy and scared. Meanwhile, Monty doesn't understand why there is another dog in his house. And with Amelie making such a fuss over the new arrival, he soon starts to feel very unwanted. Doesn't Amelie care about him any more?

Everyone loves Bring-and-Buy Day, when Trader Jolly visits the island with all the supplies Monty and his friends need. But this Bring-and-Buy Day is different. Instead of Jolly, there's a sneaky new trader called Beady Bold. And he's arrived with a boatload of trouble. The yum-yams are yummy, but they're hiding a very scary secret.

Scary Mary, the pirate, is looking for a new island home. An accidental brush with magic has turned Monty's Island into a beacon of red and white stripes. Monty, Tawny and their friends will need to find a way to save their home.

For his Grade Five project, Williams must design a moon station. He has just one week to finish it and wonders if his parents can do a good enough job to win him a prize.

Moon knew it was unusual to see a green turtle. Out of all the sea turtles in the world, they were the species that was most at risk. But when the turtle beckoned her to come, Moon knew it wanted to show her something.

This collection of poems, rhymes and raps is full of fun. It features eye catching art work from Australia's best illustrators. The raps and rhymes are designed to be performed, try reading some of them without turning into a rapper.

When Apollo 11 blasts off for the moon, the whole world is watching. On the other side of the planet, Billy, Mickey and Buzz decide to be astronauts too. Dream astronaut dreams, and celebrate Australia's role in one of humanity's greatest achievements, the moon landing of 1969. Moonwalkers is a joyous story of imagination and play - the greatest bedtime story ever told.

With his attempts at home decorating, detective work and photography, the Brown family soon find that Paddington causes his own particular brand of chaos.

The adventures of the muddle-headed wombat on a rainy day, in the snow, in springtime and on the river combined in one book.

An illustrated collection of poems from an Australian poet.

The Chinese mid-autumn festival is celebrated with a parade through streets with colourful lanterns. Mei-Ling has trouble choosing her lantern because she wants it to be the most beautiful lantern in the parade.

A discontented, brown frog discovers the advantage of an unobtrusive skin colour in this appealing story about self-acceptance.

Mama loves all her little monsters no matter how disgusting their personal habits or special talents are. Hair balls wrapped in seaweed are pretty disgusting.

Three naughty boys, Rashid, Samuel and Miguel, plague visitors to the mosque at Cordoba with their tricks. As punishment, the boys are forced to work in the mosque gardens. Later, the three friends reunite to save the church.

Let's dream of what we can become, Mother Earth. Explore this collection of beautifully illustrated poems about nature to celebrate the wonder of our precious world.

Most motorcycles can go pretty fast. However, some are designed to reach incredibly fast speeds. Find out about the history of motorcycles, the technology behind the fastest bikes and what the future holds for the world's fastest motorcycles.

Climb to the highest peaks and discover why so few creatures can live at the top of the world. Learn about the different ways that mountains are formed, why mountains are one of the world's most challenging habitats and the feats of world-famous mountaineers.

A reckless, young mouse, named Ralph, makes friends with a boy in room 215 of the Mountain View Inn and discovers the joys of motorcycling.

All the mice are preparing for a grand opera show. It is a race to see if they can get everything done from learning their lines to making sure the toilets are clean before opening night.

Mowser, the cat, lives at the far end of England in a town called Mousehole, with Old Tom, the fisherman. They lead a very pleasant life until the day they have to brave the Storm-Cat to bring food to the children at Christmastime.

Mr Badger is in charge of special events at a splendid, old London hotel. When he and his assistant, Miss Pims, prepare for Miss Sylvia Smothers-Carruthers' seventh birthday party, little does Mr Badger know just what is in store for Sylvia, and for him.

Mr Badger is in charge of special guests at the Boubles Grand Hotel. He is used to dealing with all sorts of guests. But, on the day of the Philatelic Society's Annual Dinner, an extremely difficult guest arrives, demanding the Royal Suite. Mr Badger wonders just who this tall and troublesome woman is, and why she look a little familiar.

Life is certainly full of surprises at the Boubles Grand Hotel where Mr Badger is in charge of special people and events. When he discovers a mirror that is anything but ordinary, he learns more about his favourite hotel than he would ever have dreamed possible.

For longer than anyone can remember, Algernon has been standing absolutely still in his own special spot at the Boubles Grand Hotel. Everyone is shocked when he disappears. Mr Badger needs to solve the mystery of the missing ape.

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.

Two busking clowns get into a dispute over who owns the territory they work. Their competitive antics provide much humour in this glorious romp that explores resolving conflict.

Elmo and his sister love to play in the jungle house next door until mean Mr Birdsnest moves in and the garden is out of bounds. But when Granny goes missing, the children decide to go to the rescue even if it means going into Mr Birdsnest's house.

Eccentric Mr Bliss, a man notable for his immensely tall hats and the girabbit in his garden, takes the whimsical decision to buy a motor car. But, his first drive to visit friends quickly becomes a catalogue of disasters. Some of these could be blamed on Mr Bliss's style of driving but even he could not anticipate being hijacked by three bears.

Australia is big, but so is Mr Chicken. He can't wait to go everywhere, see everything and meet everyone. Luckily, a helpful marsupial from Tourist Information helps Mr Chicken organise his hectic itinerary. This book is dedicated to the many children, teachers and librarians Leigh Hobbs met as the 2016-2017 Australian Children's Laureate. Collect all of Mr Chicken's adventures: Mr Chicken Goes to Paris, Mr Chicken Lands on London and Mr Chicken Arriva a Roma.

Mr Chicken flies to Paris to see his friend, Yvette. He visits all the tourist attractions such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, and he loves the French food. When it comes time to fly home, Mr Chicken finds he has a big problem.

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.

Henry is in the pet shop to get himself a new pet but he doesn't want anything ordinary, like a kitten or a puppy. To his mum's dismay, he chooses Mr Eight, a giant octopus, who is more than the usual handful. And, he has a troubled past.

George is one hundred years old but he is learning to read with his pal, Harry.

Bill is having a bad day. Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem difficult. Bill tries to get rid of him but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger. Then, they both stop and a surprising thing happens.

True friendship is impoppable and this is why Mr Impoppable is liked by all. Are we sure Impoppable is actually a word? Without a doubt Mr Impoppable puts Gerald to the test of finding friendship in rather impractical ways!

Something is making a weird noise under the house at night. It's not a possum or a rat. Tom can't wait to find out what it is.

All Mr Noah wants is a bit of peace and quiet but God has told him to build an ark and take on board two kinds of every animal. With all the animals on board, life suddenly becomes very noisy for Mr Noah.

He has a dashing hat, a packed lunch of fish finger sandwiches and is very keen for adventure. Mr Penguin has opened his own business as Professional Adventurer. The phone rings! Boudicca Bones, owner of the Museum of Extraordinary Objects, urgently requires Mr Penguin's help in finding a long lost treasure hidden somewhere in the museum. With the help of his trusty spider friend, Colin, Mr Penguin springs into action. What follows is a hilarious adventure as they unravel the clues of great- great- great- grandfather's treasure map through the halls of the tumbled down museum. In their quest to find the lost treasure they stumble upon secret tunnels, hidden rainforests and the discovery that not everything or everyone seems to be what they appear to be! Mr Penguin learns that being a Professional Adventurer is exciting but can it also be dangerous!

Once upon a time, the letters of the alphabet decided to write a story about an island left off the map of the world, where a little girl named Betsy K. Glory meets the mysterious Mr Tiger. Together, they embark on an adventure filled with magical Gongalong berries, mermaids, giants, princesses, frogs and toads to try and make wishable-delicious ice cream. But will their wishes come true? This book is published in blue print to assist readers with dyslexia.

Mr Trim is neat and tidy with a neat and tidy class. When he's sick, he's replaced by Miss Jumble who untidies everything.

Lily's teacher, Mr Tripp, says everyone is good at something. Lily can hold her breath for ages. Jessie can do a cartwheel with one hand and Jamie is good at drawing frogs. Mr Tripp is good at two things. He can tell really good jokes and he has a clever nose. But, when Ricky Rider's pet rat escapes from its cage, Mr Tripp must be brave and sniff it out.

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?

Mr Chicken is very curious. He loves meeting new people and travelling to new places. He's been to Paris, London, Rome and all over Australia, but one day, he realises that he has never been to outer space. Mr Chicken is on his way to Mars and you, the adventurous reader, are invited to join him!

Mrs Millie loves to grow flowers but they never win any prizes, so she paints pictures of beautiful, exotic flowers instead. Suddenly her painting comes to life, and is trailing out the window leading to adventure.

Mrs Pepperpot has an enormous, little problem. She shrinks and finds herself facing all sorts of funny situations of giant-sized proportions. Whether it's a brown bear or a moose on the loose, clever Mrs Pepperpot is always ready.

No magic, please! was the School Inspector's request when Ms Wiz became Head Teacher at St Barnabas School. But when Ms Wiz is around magic is never far away. Soon lessons fly out of the window, Ms Wiz is banned and Class 3 are stranded on a tropical island.

Caroline and Little Musha face another evening in front of the television, until Ms Wiz and her pet rat agree to baby-sit - and instead of watching TV, they go into it. Little Musha gets to mash a quiz show host, Caroline becomes a star, and as for Ms Wiz, well she always make the news!

Hollywood is full of strange people, but none as strange as Ms Wiz. When When she and Shelly Kelly win a trip to Hollywood, they meet their favorite stars, Mel, Courtney, Brad, and Leonardo, warts and all.

The lights are low, the music is romantic, and Ms Wiz is dancing with a tall, dark-haired stranger ... with long white fangs. The children of Class 3 go into action when they discover that Ms Wiz is falling in love with Dracula.

Ms Wiz's paranormal powers are at work in style in these stories. Somehow, she must prevent the closure of St Barnabas' School, stop Herbert the rat from meeting a sticky end at the pet-hating Harris household, and travel with Podge, Caroline and Jack to the Kingdom of Paranormal Magic and Utter Eternal Mystery, to meet her very unusual family.

Ms Wiz is at it again. Podge is learning an instrument but he's terrible. Then, he meets a street singer playing the ukulele, it's Ms Wiz of course. When he joins her band, he finds himself in a TV talent competition. Also, Lizzie's cat is missing, stolen by fur-nappers, and Ms Wiz turns her into a cat to get it back.

Ms Wiz goes live. Caroline and Little Musha are babysat by Ms Wiz - and they go into the TV. Power-Crazy Ms Wiz, Mr Harris wants to shape up Podge, and take him away from St Barnabas, so Ms Wiz goes to the Prime Minister to prevent 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.

Ms Wiz's husband Brian, can just about cope with having a paranormal operative for a wife, and a magic baby - but he can't stand living with a talking rat. Poor Herbert must find a new home. Worse still, Herbert's fallen in love with a street rat - and a family is already on the way.

Things are certainly livened up at St Barnabas School when Ms Wiz arrives. She has a magic rat, a rather rude owl, and some very special powers. But when Podges dad is turned into a warthog and the School Inspector loses his trousers, Class Three has to admit, Ms Wiz spells trouble!

The muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a tiny, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic, tabby cat make music together.

The irresistible muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a tiny, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic, tabby cat have an invention. But, you will have to read the story to find out who invented it, and exactly what the invention is.

The irresistible, muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a good-natured, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic tabby cat, go to school.

The irresistible, muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a practical mouse and a vain, neurotic tabby cat, have fun in the snow.

The irresistible, muddle-headed wombat and his mates, a practical, little mouse and a vain, neurotic tabby cat, welcom in the springtime.

The irresistible wombat and his mates, a good-natured, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic tabby cat, have more adventures.

The irresistible, muddle-headed wombat can be a little naughty because he is so forgetful but his friends, a tiny, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic tabby cat, would be surprised if he behaved very badly.

The irresistible muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a tiny, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic, tabby cat are going to have very busy day helping with the big clean up.

The irresistible muddle-headed wombat and his mates, a good-natured, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic tabby cat, are on holiday.

The muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a practical, little mouse and a vain, neurotic, tabby cat, have fun on the river.

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 last recorded adventure of the irresistible muddle-headed wombat and his friends, a tiny, practical mouse and a vain, neurotic, tabby cat.

The delightful adventures of the lovabubble wombat and his friends, Mouse and Tabby, are put together in one book.

Mudpuddle Farm is made up of many animals, each with their own personality. In the first of two stories, we meet Pintsize, a feisty and adventurous pig, who overhears his owner utter the words, and pigs might fly. Pintsize decides that he will take on this challenge to fly with hilarious results. The second story focuses on Jigger the sheep dog whose one day off is spent planning how to get to the small creatures hiding in the 'about to be mown' corn field, and how, somehow, they manage to outsmart him each year.

Stomper can't see the point and really doesn't like Mule School with its lessons in conforming to mule behaviour. He certainly doesn't seem very good at the important lessons. Then one day, Stomper proves the value of thinking for yourself and the routine at Mule School changes.

The story of Mum Shirl, an Australian Indigenous woman, who unselfishly helped Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Includes great photographs, newspaper clippings and a biography.

Find out why these mysterious corpses were mummified and the science behind the myths. Mummies provide a fascinating window on the past of cultures worldwide. Lots of facts and captivating photos.

Ella's family have a big secret . . . her mummy is a fairy! She can do amazing spells with her computawand to make delicious cupcakes, create the perfect birthday party and cause chaos at the supermarket. But sometimes the spells go a bit wrong and that's when Ella comes to the rescue!

Giants live on top of Mount Grumble, hidden from humans below. But, not all of them are big. Muncle Trogg is so small that he's laughed at by the others for being human-sized. Fed up, he decides to take a look at the 'Smallings' that he's meant to look like. But, what he discovers is very surprising indeed.

Muncle Trogg is a tiny giant who lives on Mount Grumble. When his home threatens to erupt, Emily, a Smalling, and Muncle Trogg enlist the wisest animal of all, the flying donkey, to convince the giants to listen to them.

Mungo reads his favourite book every night, an adventure about pirates. One night, when reading the book, Mungo discovers that the captain is nowhere to be found and he can dive in and take the captain's place.

Meet your favourite new duo: MURRAY AND BUN! Murray is a cat. Murray loves snoozing, fluffy blankets, and peace and quiet. Bun is a bun. Bun loves everything! And together they are unstoppable! Sometimes Murray's enchanted cat flap leads to the garden - but mostly it leads to ADVENTURE! And when Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap and find themselves in a land of vikings, they are given a very important mission: to travel to Troll Island and rescue Eggrik the Viking - if he hasn't already been gobbled up by the trolls, that is.

Since ancient times, people have been fascinated by how things work. This series features the design and technology of machines that are part of our daily lives, and explains where and how they are used, and the materials from which they are made.

Liam's mother hangs a saucepan lid to a tree to stop him from being destructive. In time the tree is well decorated with noisy household objects. Liam is inspired by a storm to create even more melodic music.

Taj longs to take his young camel, Mustara, with explorer Ernest Giles' expedition to find a way across the Australian desert. But, like a storm in the ocean, the desert can turn wild, and Mustara is thought to be too young and not strong enough. Taj and Mustara must prove their strength and courage.

Michael Rosen's witty and clever verses are brought to life by Quentin Blake's detailed art in a beautifully produced book. An audio version of the book is available. Gems include 'Don't put mustard in your custard'.

Anne Bell writes with love about Australia, the country and the city, the old and the new, young people and old timers. She has a keen sense of history, an eye for details and an ear for the music of words.

Indie Kidd is potty about pets and her school project is crawling with them. Pore over these crazy pages for Indie's animal advice and pet stories. There are freaky facts, too, such as alligators having a food radar in their cheeks and a group of hippos being known as a bloat.

Drackie lives on Vampire Island, where every night is dark and stormy. Soon he'll be old enough to turn into a bat and live in his own castle. Drackie has just had the best birthday ever. His parents have given hima vampire toad called Fang. Then the unthinkable happens, Fang is toad-napped and a ransom of $100,000 is asked for by the International Society of Toad Thieves. The only clue is a bright pink feather. A clue that leads to Auntie Chook. But who is Auntie Chook? And why doesn't anyone in Drackie's family wish to talk about her?

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

If you've ever wanted to go on a magical adventure or been to an unusual party, then you'll love the five stories included in this book.

David is a loner who finally finds a best friend. Despite Vincent being a half-vampire, eating fresh worms, centipede sandwiches and crispy pigs' ears, the two boys form an instant friendship. But, the friendship is not without problems.

Lento is so excited you are reading his book. He has a big story to tell you. First, though, he needs a little nap. But if you snooze, you lose. Enter Fox, stage right, to steal the show.

Bradley takes us on a tour of his home suburb, La Perouse. Includes great photos, maps and extra information about the local history and places of interest.

At King Arthur's School for Knights, Horace's homework is to catch and kill a dragon. The task is especially difficult for Horace as his dad is a dragon.

Lizzie is a very special little girl with an extraordinary dad, and both are trying to cope with the loss of Lizzie's mum. Lizzie is growing up very fast while dad is acting very strangely. Mr Poop parades the streets encouraging dad to go in The Great Human Bird Competition; Auntie Doreen and Mr Mint try to help Lizzie in their own ways; meanwhile, Lizzie and dad make themselves beautiful.

Tariq loves his funny, clever Dad more than anything. His Dad drives a taxi and can make anything you like out of wood. When his Dad is selected to give a talk at school about his job, Tariq is worried about his Dad's accent and the mean Tom Morley. But, Tariq's dad is cleverer than Tariq thinks.

When daddy snores, walls rumble and things tumble and poor mum has to try to find another comfortable place to sleep. The hamster doesn't like the noise and certainly doesn't want to share his bed with mum. There must be a cure.

Notes from a mother dinosaur to her husband, who is off searching for food for the family. This nurturing dino describes her new babies and their day by day existence, with its prehistoric difficulties.

A great book for dinosaur enthusiasts. The descriptions and drawings of twenty six dinosaurs provide interesting facts and details. Each letter of the alphabet, clearly written in lower and upper case, corresponds with a dinosaur name, which is shown phonetically to assist pronunciation.

At almost ten years of age, Eric is now the responsible owner of his dog Ugly. But when Ugly is involved in a series of mishaps including the theft of a roast chook and a bedroom decorated with duck poo, it is clear Eric needs to do something to keep his dog out of trouble. Luckily, Eric knows exactly how to solve the problem...Ugly needs a job. But how can Eric find a job for a dog, even if his dog is a genius?

Eric Bright and his doggy best mate, Ugly, have a big challenge. They are attempting to solve the serious problem looming over Eric's mean and miserable big sister, Gretchen. It's lucky that Ugly is the friendliest dog ever. He's surely going to rescue Eric's sister. He's a star companion pooch, working with the kids at school. On top of that, he will win almost every category at the upcoming pet show. Surely.. This is a paw-some tale about friendship, compassion and what it takes to be a real hero.

This book is a celebration of school teachers and the great variety of other people in children's lives who teach important life lessons in other ways on other days.

This easy to use guide to computers and how they work will have you quickly coding in Scratch jr - a free downloadable app. Step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. There are 7 detailed projects, from simple coding to building a game. Beginner coders will love this book.

Welcome to the 1980s -- a time when crimped hair and perms were cool, kids listened to cassette tapes, thought dancing on your head was the ultimate, and synth-pop ruled the school. My Folks Grew Up in the '80s is a stroll down memory lane for the kidz who grew up then, and a hilarious chance to share the decade's downright weirdness with a whole new generation.

This is the true story of two lives brought together by chance. Arthur Cooper, working in intelligence for the British Government in pre-war Hong Kong, rescues a small gibbon and names him Tertius. Together they escape to a safe place - but is it for always?

Charlie's gran is different - she doesn't go to the football, make cakes or work in the garden. The story of Charlie and his gran is one of love and complete acceptance told through soft, watercolour illustrations.

Imagine standing at the edge of the sea, closing your eyes and remembering the wise words of your grandmother. Love knows no boundaries in this inspiring story about the special moments shared in a relationship between a granddaughter and her grandmother.

Dani is the happiest person she knows, especially when she makes a best friend when she starts school. They share friendship bracelets, sit together in class and have sleepovers. But how will Dani return to her happiness when Ella moves away.

When Henry dies, his wife can't see why they should stop doing things together, as they've always done. In fact, she can't help going a little bit over the top, imagining all sorts of wonderful outings, including dinosaur rides and dolphin-drawn water ski sessions.

A colourful introduction to the Hindu religion and celebrations, with a festival calendar and glossary.

Respected elder, Jane Christophesen, reveals the beauty of the changing seasons in Kakadu National Park to her granddaughter, Tarrah, as Tarrah and her family collect bush tucker, hunt and fish.

When a little wanderer goes out walking with her gran and her brother, she doesn't see many of the things that are too tall or too fast. But, the small child can see other things, such as the tiny insects, the lizard hiding under the brush, the insect that looks like a twig and the fuzzy zigzag pencil lines, scribbled on the bark of a tree.

A treasure map, a map of a face, a map of a neighbourhood, a family tree and even a map of a heart are included in these maps of life. Children will be inspired to draw some maps for themselves.

Cecil's mum wears long black boots and an even longer sword, and she makes her enemies walk the plank. All Cecil wants is a normal life. But with parent-teacher night coming soon, Cecil is worried. Will his mum embarrass him in front of all of his friends? Will people realise that his family isn't normal? When flood waters rise and Bandicoot Flats Central School is in danger, who will save the students and teachers from the perils of the deepening waters? And is Cecil's mum really a pirate?

Lizzie Flynn has nothing but her name when she boards the Rajah, a ship sailing from England to the penal colony of Australia. She has been sentenced to seven years for stealing a shawl. On board, the convict women are given a useful bag containing fabric, needle and thread.

The world is a very different place when you are deaf. The power of sight and the beauty of colours and textures are heightened. How will things change when technology allows a deaf child to hear?

Amelia Arbuckle and her family are moving away. Amelia is sad because they are moving away from Granny. Amelia visits her granny every day before moving and together they have amazing adventures and lots of laughs.

A young girl leaves her war-ravaged homeland and arrives in Australia. Everything looks and sounds strange, even the wind. She doesn't speak the language and feels intimidated and lonely. To cope, the girl wraps herself in a beloved blanket and takes comfort in the memories of her homeland. One day at the park, a local girl smiles and waves at her.

Mum and Dad go away and Uncle Ted comes to babysit. Soon, chaos reigns as the guinea pig escapes, Grandad disappears and Minal Cricket gets his head stuck in the railing.

A delightful selection of simple poems for the young to read. Beautiful illustrations complement the translations, with each poem in English and its original language. Languages include Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian, Jamaican, Iranian, Samoan and more.

Although now aging, Issa, is the best African desert guide in the region. During a journey he discovers a camel protecting a baby girl during a sandstorm. Issa raises the child, sharing his love and understanding of the desert and together they continue to guide travellers, even as Issa goes blind. When they save a group of travellers during a sandstorm, the truth of her past is revealed.

Secret Agent, Jack Stalwart, must find the stolen Mona Lisa before it gets taken out of France.