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Picturebook

Two young pirates come together to look for diamonds and gold, but ultimately find something far more precious: friendship.

The gnarled tree on the hill sometimes turns into a pirate ship. A rope serves as an anchor, a sheet as a sail, and Sam is its fearless captain. But one day another sailor approaches, and he’s not from Sam’s street. Can they bridge their differences to become friends?

Chapter book

Another edge-of-your-seat adventure from the award-winning author of Escape Room, Christopher Edge. A trip to the cinema will never be the same…

When Lucas meets his friends at the local cinema – nicknamed ‘The Black Hole’ – they’re excited about the movie marathon ahead. Non-stop action, blockbuster special effects and all the snacks they can eat. But as the lights go down, Lucas, Ash, Maya, Caitlin and Finn watch in disbelief as a jet-black tidal wave comes crashing out of the cinema screen and the five friends find themselves swept into an epic adventure.

Secret hideouts. Prehistoric monsters. Lost cities. Impossible missions. Being the hero of your own film should feel like fun. But as the cliffhanger scenes they’re pitched into become ever more perilous, Lucas and his friends start to wonder if these movies are really make believe. Can they save the day before the end credits roll? The fate of the world might just depend on it…

Cover illustration by David Dean.

Chapter book

BEFORE THERE WERE PEOPLE, THERE WERE BEASTS . . .

The island of Ramoa was once luscious and populated with mighty beasts. Now though, it is home to barren and tamed cities, where nature is locked out and trouble is brewing.

When Kayla’s beloved animal companion, a rare winged pangron, is stolen, she’s determined to get him back. But to do so, she’ll have to leave her city and journey into the wild and forbidden Beastlands.

There, she meets Rustus, an exiled young warrior, and Alethea, a healer desperately seeking a cure for a mysterious disease. As their quests unite them, they’ll adventure across the lands they know so little about, leading them to discoveries both great and terrifying. Not least that the beasts they’ve always been taught to fear might not be so terrifying after all…

The first instalment in an epic new fantasy adventure series for readers of DRAGON REALM, FIREBORN and SKANDAR AND THE UNICORN THIEF.

Non-fiction

Discover why we must protect the Great Barrier Reef from climate change.
The Great Barrier Reef is a wonderland of colour beneath the waves. The largest coral reef in the world, it is home to a quarter of all ocean life. This beautifully illustrated picture book brings to life this extraordinary underwater world for young children, exploring its dazzling coral gardens and rainbow-coloured sea creatures. Diving into this unique habitat, readers will discover fascinating marine life, how the coral reef helps our oceans and therefore why it is so important that we act to protect this special aquatic landscape from the impact of climate change.

Picturebook

Travel along Melbourne’s twisting Yarra river in a glorious celebration of indigenous culture and Australia’s unique flora and fauna.

Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly and Aboriginal Elder of the Wurundjeri people Aunty Joy Murphy join to tell the indigenous and geographical story of Melbourne’s beautiful Yarra river – from its source to its mouth and from its pre-history to the present day. The writing dazzles with poetic descriptions of the trees, plants and wildlife that thrive in harmony along the iconic waterway, while lush and vibrant acrylic paintings from indigenous illustrator Lisa Kennedy make the mighty Yarra come to life – coursing under a starry sky, drawing people to its sunny shores, mirroring a searing orange sunset.

The end matter includes an author’s note and a glossary of the Woiwurrung words used in the story.

Non-fiction

Mount Everest is undoubtedly one of the most famous mountains on Earth. Hundreds of people clamber to its summit every year, following in Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s footsteps… but there is so much more to this mountain than the people who climb it. With sumptuous and stylish illustrations by Lisk Feng, this dynamic book reveals the great mountain’s ancient origins, the flora and fauna that thrive upon its great flanks, and the rich mythology of Sagarmatha, the Goddess of the Sky.

Picturebook

In a beautifully detailed wordless picture book, a tumbledown building becomes home sweet home for a found family.

A lonely little girl and her grandparent need to fill the run-down apartment in their building. But taking over the rooms above their shop will mean major renovations for the new occupants, and none of the potential renters can envision the potential of the space – until one special couple shows up. With their ingenuity, the little girl’s big heart, and heaps of hard work, the desperate fixer-upper begins to change in lovely and surprising ways.

In this bustling wordless picture book, JonArno Lawson’s touching story and Qin Leng’s gentle illustrations capture all angles of the building’s transformation, as well as the evolving perspectives of the girl and her grandparent. A wordless picture book that celebrates the power of community, the joys of new friends and the magic that happens when you open your heart to others.

Picturebook

When people meet Joe, they often treat him as Amazing Joe or Poor Joe. But can’t he just be . . . Joe?

One-legged Joe is ‘amazing’. He knows this because wherever he goes people always tell him he’s amazing. Amazing for sliding down the slide, for kicking a ball . . . even walking to get an ice cream, or even just eating an ice cream. Of course, being Amazing Joe is better than being Poor Joe . . .

A groundbreaking picture book which explores how we respond to disability.

Chapter book

The bestselling story about love, loss and hope that launched David Almond as one of the best children’s writers of today. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year Award, this unforgettable book now has captivating illustrations by Tom de Freston to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary.

When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister’s illness, Michael’s world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain.

One Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the ramshackle garage of his new home and finds something magical. A strange creature – human? beast? bird? angel? – a being who needs Michael’s help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health.

But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael’s world changes for ever …

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