Booklists

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

In Broome, a small pearling town in the heart of an ancient land, Ubby, a smart, street-wise Aboriginal girl, is the leader of a rag-tag gang, known as the Underdogs. The gang's efforts to locate Sai Fong, the Dragon Summoner, have been halted by the ambitious pearling master, Paul Donappleton. Old myths and smoky legends from an ancient scroll begin to take on new meaning and it becomes a race to unravel the truth.

It is the late 1940s and Broome, a small pearling town in the heart of an ancient land, is still recovering from WWII. Ubby and her gang of Underdogs cross into the Forbidden Zone on the Broome coastline in a desperate bid to locate their missing friend Sai Fong who has disappeared without a trace. What they encounter is worse than anything they could ever have imagined. To survive, the Underdogs must call upon the local gangs to unite, solve the mystery of the Dragon Summoner, and make contact with the mysterious Phoenix Dragon to fight the battle of all battles against an evil and unearthly enemy. What is at stake is the future of humanity itself. The third and final installment in the Ubby's Underdogs graphic novel series.

In Broome in the 1940s, the pearling town is recovering from World War II. Ubby, a street-wise Aboriginal girl, leads a rag-tag gang known as the Underdogs. When Ubby recruits Sai Fong, a Chinese girl off the boat from Shanghai, they are thrown into a series of bizarre adventures full of myths and legends, and secrets never before exposed.

If you had a crazy family, a bag of frozen peas, seventy Hawaiian shirts, a tyre-swan, a shoplifter, a social cling-on, a scarily attractive girl, a cool dude, a crazy activity coordinator and a fully volcanic island, you could have written this novel. But, relax, all you need to do is read it.

Boyfriend Brad is invited to sing in Las Vegas, so they all, including the squabbling siblings, accompany him on another family trip. Dad gets separated from the rest of the family and finds unexpected fame in this hilarious family adventure. Some derogatory language used in context.

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.

An adolescent male, his family and his sister's new boyfriend, Brad, set off on a road trip to Queensland. Humour, fighting siblings and mishaps all the way leave you wondering if they will ever make it.

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world-- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever... Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

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.

Robert Hoge was born with a giant tumor on his forehead, severly distorted facial features, and legs that were twisted and useless. His mother was so horrified she initially refused to look at her son, let alone bring him home. But home he went, to a life that was, against all odds, filled with joy, optimism, and general boyhood naughtiness. Ugly is Robert's account of his life, from his birth to the arrival of his own daughter. It's a story of an extraordinary person living an ordinary life, which given the incredible hardships he had to overcome, is possibly his greatest achievement of all. Usually read by students in year 9, 10 and above.

Join maverick inventor Steve Mushin as he tackles climate change with an avalanche of mind-bending, scientifically plausible inventions to rewild cities and save the planet. Jump into his brain as he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometer), brainstorms bio-materials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems, and develops a deadly serious plan for future cities. A tour-de-force of extreme problem solving for anyone who loves big ideas.

This verse novel tells the beautiful and tragic story of the lives of Japanese settlers in Manchuria during World War II through the eyes of twelve-year-old Natsu. After her father is conscripted into the Japanese army, Natsu and her little sister, Asa, are left orphaned and destitute, and her whole village is forced to flee the Soviet Army. Living in a constant state of fear and hunger, Natsu and Asa are left adrift in a hostile and unforgiving world, with nothing but their tenacious will to survive.

Ireland in the 1840s is devastated by famine. Three children are left to fend for themselves when tragedy strikes their family. They must find their great aunts.

Eighteen-year-old Julianne De Marchi is different. As in - she has an electrical undercurrent beneath her skin that stings and surges like a live wire. She can use it-to spark a fire, maybe even end a life - but she doesn't understand what it is. And she can barely control it, especially when she's anxious. Ryan Walsh was on track for a stellar football career when his knee blew out. Now he's a soldier - part of an experimental privatised military unit that has identified Jules De Marchi as a threat. Is it because of the weird undercurrent she's tried so hard to hide? Or because of her mother Angie's history as an activist against bio-engineering and big business? It's no coincidence that Ryan and Jules are in the same place at the same time - he's under orders to follow her, after all. But then an explosive attack on a city building by an unknown enemy throws them together in the most violent and unexpected way. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

It's 1965, and an old Tattersalls barrel starts rolling marbles to randomly conscript young Australian men to fight in the war in Vietnam. Melbourne housewife Jean McLean is outraged, as are her artist friends Clif and Marlene Pugh, who live in the country with their wombat, Hooper. Determined to wreck the system, Jean forms the Save Our Sons movement's Victorian branch, and she and her supporters take to the streets to protest. Meanwhile, in the small country town of Katunga, Bill Cantwell joins the Australian Army, and in Saigon, young Mai Ho is writing letters to South Vietnamese soldiers from her school desk. And when Hooper's call-up papers arrive, he mysteriously goes underground... Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Kidnapping and suspense highlight this story of two children who have to rely on courage and resourcefulness to escape from a bleak house.

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

Mia and Jules are desperate to warn their home planet about the impending invasion from the Undying. They escape the Undying's ancient spacecraft, crash land back on Earth managing to avoid being killed, only to find that no one will believe them about the alien threat in orbit. When they realise that no one is going to take them seriously, they must take things into their own hands. All they need to do is escape the powerful International Alliance, avoid being killed by aliens, prevent a horrific plague, while racing across Europe to save the people they love...no pressure. Mature themes, Usually read by students in Year 9, 10 and above.

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. For Jules Addison the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance. In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Bastien Bonlivre is a boy with a big imagination, determined to finish the story his parents started. Olivier Odieux and his villainous brothers are masterminding their greatest plot yet. What connects these two stories is a dangerous secret, a hidden mystery and an unexpected race across Paris for the truth. Can Bastien and his friends, Alice, Theo and Sami, be brave enough to stop Olivier stealing the ending they deserve?

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

Virginia has fallen out of love with her boyfriend, Froggy, and her brother has been arrested for a crime that the whole family thought was behind them. Virginia is struggling to cope with all this, but then she meets Sebastian. They decide not to talk about anything personal, just to hang out for the summer having fun. But soon they discover that they can't run from the truth forever. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Turia Pitt is living proof that, with the right mindset, we truly can achieve anything. This is her story. Told against the backdrop of a never-ending series of impressive physical feats, not least her incredible recovery after the fire - this book unmasks the real Turia: funny, fierce, intelligent, flawed. Featuring new material about confidence, goal-setting, happiness and her latest challenge, motherhood. The novel shines a light on the grace, humour and inner-stell that gets Turia through each day

Unnecessary Drama is a funny and romantic coming-of-age story set in a student share house in Melbourne. The story focuses on Brooke's initial experiences living out of home while starting her first year of university. Rule-oriented and organised, Brooke is ready for anything, until she discovers her second housemate is really her friend-turned-enemy from high school, Jesse. She vows to ignore him. However, dealing with anxieties, mishaps and the unexpected complications of life might make this promise harder to keep than she thought. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Harper Holt has just about had it with moving. Every six months or even less, Harper's family moves to a different place, and she can hardly ever settle down. However, when something devastating happens, Harper's life is tipped upside down and she realises what she had and how much she wishes to go back to the way things always were.

Fifteen year old Megan has not spoken aloud since the accidental death of her friend, Hana. There are things locked inside her head that she cannot, must not, let out. She is targeted by the school bullies but, when Jasmine arrives, Megan finds an unexpected ally. Megan and Jasmine's closeness brings unexpected feelings to the fore and relationships become tense. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa - and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp - people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simultaneously providing much-needed organs for transplanting might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished. Cam is made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds; he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles to find identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam's fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he will have to question humanity itself. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Connor, Risa and Lev are running for their lives. Unwinding: the process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive. Unwinding is now a common, and accepted, practice in society. Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their 18th birthday, they can't be harmed - but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, is wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love - she's lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful. Fat girls always have to be careful. Then a cute new girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness - except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny, flirtatious, and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back. There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's an awkward Tolkien super-fan, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Excellent book outlining the tips and techniques involved in creating cartoons. Includes links to a website for extra information, pictures and templates. Written in an easy to follow manner allowing even lesser artistic types to gain skills.

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

Any 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.