AustLit

'Grace McKellon isn't a 'people person'. All she needs is her magic tricks and her wise-cracking grandmother - until a new friend comes along and promises to make her a social media star. A wonderful and intriguing middle fiction novel from an internationally acclaimed, bestselling Australian author.

'I don't know about love. I suspect the emotion that others apparently feel all the time is just . . . absent from me. Like there's an ingredient missing from the recipe. The possible exception is Gran.

'Grace cares about only two things: performing magic and her cantankerous gran. Gran shares her prickly personality and spiky sense of humour, and she's the only one Grace lets into her tightly locked heart – until she meets Simon, an older student who promises to help her turn her magic tricks into a small business and social media stardom.

'When Gran is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Grace moves in to become her primary carer. With the help of Simon and some sleight of hand, Grace is determined to bring joy back into their lives. And when she confronts her worst fear, she realises maybe her heart doesn't need to stay locked away after all.' (Publication summary)

'From the bestselling multi-award-winning author of My Life as an Alphabet and A Song Only I Can Hear comes another wonderful middle fiction novel that is warm, upbeat, intriguing and wholly absorbing.

'I don't tell Mum and Sam anything about my weekends with Dad. It would be giving them tickets into that world. The world Dad and I have created. And I don't want to do that. It's ours. It's all we have. It's all we've been allowed since my parents got divorced.

'Cate gets to spend every second weekend with her dad, and each time something special and surprising happens. Something that fires the creative spark that Cate channels into her writing.

'And everything is fine until Cate's stepdad, Sam, gets offered his dream job in London and her mum decides they are going to move to England with him?…'

Cate must decide what she wants for herself. She loves both her parents - but she must choose between them.

'A warm and funny novel full of unexpected twists and turns, joy and heartbreak.' (Publication summary)

''We've been worried about Aiden too, Ash,' said Mum. 'He's always been such a ... predictable child. You're not the only one to have noticed the changes in his temperament.'

'Ash and Aiden Delatour are identical twins, living a privileged lifestyle with loving parents. In a world that has fallen apart at the seams, they want for nothing. All they have to do is be there for each other, no matter what.

'But after Aiden suffers a terrible injury, he isn't the same brother Ash always relied on. Something has changed, and it will lead to a discovery that will turn their whole world upside down.' (Publication summary)

'Introducing Rob Fitzgerald: thirteen years old and determined to impress the new girl at school, but it's a difficult task for a super-shy kid who is prone to panic attacks that include vomit, and genuine terror that can last all day. An anonymous texter is sending Rob challenges and they might just help. Or not.

'Beautifully moving and full of heart and humour, A Song Only I Can Hear is a delightful novel about dreaming big, being brave and marching to the beat of your own drum.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Jamie's sister has been kidnapped. And Jamie is convinced he can save her using the principles of game theory. But is strategy the best option when his little sister's life is at stake? A hugely compelling YA thriller.

'Game theory has brought me to this point and I must follow where it leads. Even though this is not a game.

'Jamie is a sixteen-year-old maths whiz. Summerlee, his older sister, is in the grip of a wild phase. Tensions at home run high.

'When Summerlee wins a 7.5-million-dollar lottery, she cuts all ties with her family. But money can cause trouble - big trouble. And when Jamie's younger sister Phoebe is kidnapped for a ransom, the family faces a crisis almost too painful to bear.

'Jamie thinks he can use game theory - the strategy of predicting an opponent's actions - to get Phoebe back. But can he outfox the kidnapper? Or is he putting his own and his sister's life at risk?

'A brilliant, page-turning novel from a superb storyteller.' (Publication summary)

'Michael wants a dog. His mum and dad say no. No way. Never. They say dogs smell and get under your feet. But Michael is never going to give up. Ever.' (Publication summary)

'Pan blinked. Something strange was happening to her mind and body. She felt relaxed, but at the same time, acutely aware of everything. She remembered the Professor's words: she was the cause of the destruction of humanity. And she felt the truth of those words.

'Pandora Jones's problems appear insurmountable. She must convince her team that nothing is as it seems and that they must escape and expose The School to save the world from the plague she unwittingly inflicted on it. The only things Pan has on her side are her gift of intuition, and her belief in the people she cares about.

'But with the clock ticking, can she find a way to stop the plague, and should she do it at any cost?

'Pan and her friends face off against the might of The School as the final pieces fall into place in the hugely compelling Pandora Jones series.' (Publication summary)

'It was difficult to know when nightmares ended and the waking world began.

'Pan is still struggling to distinguish between her dreams and reality. When she wakes in the Infirmary her mind replays the sight of Nate running along the shoreline and the way his body froze and then flopped after he was shot. But her memories hold more questions than answers and she doesn't know who to trust.

'When she forms an unlikely alliance with Jen to try to make sense of everyone's haunting similar memories and the conflicting information about The School, she finds herself with unexpected enemies.

'Pan and Jen are determined to seek the truth - no matter what rules they must break or how terrible the danger they face. But can they even trust each other?

'Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.' (Publication summary)

'Pandora Jones wakes in an infirmary - her body weak, her memory providing only flashes of horrific scenes of death. She soon discovers that her family has succumbed to a plague pandemic which almost wiped out humanity. Pan is one of the survivors who have been admitted to The School - a quarantined, heavily guarded survival-skills facility - to recover their strength, hone their skills and prepare for whatever comes next. Pandora's skill is intuition, but how useful will it be outside the secure walls of The School? And what if it leads her to question where the truth lies...' (Publication summary)

'This isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people [with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish] who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.

'Introducing Candice Phee: twelve years old, hilariously honest and a little ... odd. But she has a big heart, the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to ensure everyone is happy. So she sets about trying to 'fix' all the problems of all the people [and pets] in her life.

'Laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully touching, My Life as an Alphabet is a delightful novel about an unusual girl who goes to great lengths to bring love and laughter into the lives of everyone she cares about.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Sixteen-year-old Carly is interviewing Leah Cartwright for her local history project. But Leah resists, determined instead to tell her own story: that of a lonely child on an isolated farm, a girl whose only escape is into the world of books. And when Adam appears in the orchard Leah discovers a friend. A secret friend.

'Leah draws Carly in with the magic of story - to her present, her past, her secrets, and her unique friendship with Adam.

'Being Here is a beautifully told story about a girl whose rich imagination rescues her from a grim reality, and an unlikely boy who changes everything. A compelling novel about love, faith and consequences.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Blacky's back, smellier than ever. And he's got a new mission for Marcus and Dylan: track down the very last Tassie tiger and save it from extinction. Simple, really.

'But throw in some bumbling thylacine hunters, a bully out to get you, a hairy Scotsman on your trail, and anything can - and will - happen.

'Especially as time is running out.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Keely always looks after her twin brother Aaron. But in the dark forest, it's Aaron who knows just what to do... A touching and beautifully crafted story about a lost child, with a surprise ending. Ages 6+' (Libraries Australia)

'Holly hates her name, her looks and her life. She isn't in with the right crowd and she has little hope of dating the gorgeous Raph McDonald. With Cassie staying, she has to move out of her bedroom into the tiny, smelly spare room, and she feels her life couldn't be more unfair. So when Demi, the coolest girl in school, invites Holly on a make-over shopping spree, she jumps at the chance. Even Cass can see that Holly is stretching her wings. But will she fly or fall?

'Before long Holly learns that appearances can be deceptive and friendship can blossom in unexpected places ...' (Publisher's blurb)

'When Marcus is woken by a dog doing a poo on his bed, he is understandably upset. And Blacky (the dog) has other surprises in store. Soon Marcus and his disruptive friend Dylan are on a mission to rescue God - a sick pygmy bearded dragon - from the local pet shop. But time is running out...

'And then there is Rose who thrives on terrorising her little brother. She is the sister from hell, but revenge will be sweet. Or so Marcus thinks.' (Publisher's blurb)