AustLit

(Publication summary)

'A powerful story of one girl's experience of 2019's Cyclone Veronica in Western Australia.

'Mia is used to cyclone build-ups, but the noise and energy of the wild rain squalls keep her awake half the night. What if the cyclone hits before Mum gets back? As wild winds batter the coast, Mia knows she must keep calm. The animals need her.

'Thirteen-year-old Mia lives on a bush block in the Pilbara, where she assists her mother's work as a vet and equine therapist. Although she is used to the seasonal cyclones that threaten the West Australian coast, nothing can prepare her for the ferocity of Cyclone Veronica when she finds herself home alone and needing to protect their property and the animals she loves.

'When her friend Nick arrives, pleading for help, and her favourite horse is injured, will Mia be able to withstand the greatest challenge of her life? As the storm intensifies, can she save her beloved animals?'  (Publication summary)

'Skye Blackburn-Lang is an entomologist and food scientist who has combined her two specialities and high energy entrepreneurial spirit to become a world leader in developing nutritious superfoods for a sustainable future from insects and their larvae â" without the Yuck! factor.

'From the time Skye was very young, she was passionate about all things creepy crawly and dreamed of becoming an entomologist when she was just four years old!

'After finishing her university studies, she first worked in a pet food company developing nutritious food for cats but very soon created her own businesses introducing children and adults to the world of insects. She developed insect life cycle kits and butterfly sessions, becoming a regular and extremely popular speaker at schools, invited to show and talk about her insects at public and private events. She has appeared on television, on the childrenâs reality show Camp Orange, and has also worked with production companies that require her services and live insects in TV shows, films and advertisements. Her creepy-crawlies have become rock stars!

'After visiting Thailand and seeing insects cooked up as yummy treats, she is now famous for producing amazing food â" from ice cream, to muesli to choc chip cookies, made from protein and nutrient-rich insects that she farms herself. Food for the future!'  (Publication summary)

'There were 136,000 Australian horses sent to fight during the First World War. Just one came home. From the high country of Victoria to the desert sand of Egypt, from the waters off Gallipoli to the battlefields of France, this is the extraordinary story of Sandy, the only returning warhorse.

'The fourth and final book in the Light series, which began with Lighthouse Girl and includes the CBCA shortlisted Light Horse Boy.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Aussie STEM Stars is an inspiring children’s series that celebrates Australia’s experts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

'The second book is about Munjed Al Muderis, a refugee to Australia who went on to become the world-leading pioneer of surgical osseointegration.

'“I admire the way Munjed works tirelessly to give back to others less fortunate than himself. I hope that by sharing ways Munjed has over-come obstacles in his life journey, that readers will be inspired to seek ways to remain positive when they are also faced with hardship.” ~ Dianne Wolfer, author'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'A tiny dog, the runt of the litter, is born on a remote cattle station. She shouldn’t have survived, but when Elsie finds, names and loves her, the pup becomes a cherished companion. Life is perfect … until War arrives.

'With Japanese air raids moving closer, Elsie’s family leaves the Pilbara for the south and safety. But the small dog has to stay behind. After travelling far from home with drovers and a flying doctor, she becomes a hospital dog and experiences the impact of war on north-western Australia. She witnesses wonderful and terrible things and gives courage to many different humans.

'But through all her adventures and many names, the little dog remembers Elsie, who girl who loved her best of all. Will she ever find her again?' (Publication summary)

'From fighting for the right to vote to nursing conscripted young men, Rose’s life changes forever when World War I arrives in the peaceful English village of Harefield. With an influx of wounded Australian soldiers, the villagers rally around to provide care and comfort, despite suffering their own casualties and grieving for their own losses. Training to nurse Australian soldiers like Jim the Light Horse boy is hard work, but with it comes much for Rose to treasure – in the gaining of a vocation, in confidence won and in finding new love in a new land.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Nanna’s button tin is very special. It has buttons of all shapes and sizes and they all have a different story to tell. But today, one button in particular is needed. A button for teddy. A beautiful story about memories and the stories that shape a family. ' (Synopsis)

'Isabel is on a plane heading back to her island birthplace in Papua New Guinea. Izzy is looking forward to seeing her family again, but there's another tragic reason for the trip. Izzy's twin brother, Ray, died in a freak diving accident, and Izzy and her mum are taking his ashes home for traditional death ceremonies.

'After they arrive, Izzy realises things have changed since their last visit. Logging threatens the community's way of life and sharks no longer answer the song of the shark callers.

'Izzy's cousin Noah explains that the clan needs someone to undertake a traditional diving ritual. The person must be a twin from the shark calling lineage. The dive will be perilous.

'And Izzy is the last twin.

'Will she have the courage to attempt the dive? And what deep, dark secrets will the ocean reveal if she does?' (Publication summary)

'This is a delightful, illustrated junior reader in the ongoing Walker Stories series.

'Annie loves snails, but she soon learns that some pets just cannot be locked up, as the hot ice-cream container she has placed them in is not a suitable home for snails.

'Full of fun family adventures and with the charming and inquisitive Annie as the main character, this novel will best suit girl readers 6 and up. ' (Publication summary)

'My granny and her friends go to the beach, and I go too. When they hit the surf, they duck and dive and twist and turn. It looks like lots of fun. But I don't want to go in the water. There are strange things under the waves.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Based on the true story of Fay Howe, this gentle tale brings to life the hardships of those left at home during wartime. Drawing on fascinating archival material, and interweaving fact with fiction ... Dianne Wolfer and ... Brian Simmonds deftly recreate this period in Australian history from the perspective of a young girl.'

Fremantle Press website, www.fremantlepress.com.au (Sighted 23/02/2009)