AustLit

'Flit longs to have a white Christmas with snowbirds, ice-skating and sleigh bells. You can't have these in the warm south so he travels far to the northern hemisphere where he hopes to have the perfect Christmas. It's not that easy and Flit learns to share with others. His Christmas holds all the magic he wished for, but it's still not right. Back home he delights in his southern hemisphere Christmas with family and friends.' (Publication summary)

'When boisterous big-sister Hester finds her pernickity little-brother Lester sitting sadly in the forest, she's keen to put things right. Making a little brother happy isn't always easy - even with a very active imagination! But as they embark on an imaginary adventure, Lester learns something important. Hester and Lester is about the power of imagination, and a special sibling bond. It's a lovely story - the children are completely engrossed in their imaginative play building a castle out of bits and pieces in the back yard. So engrossed, that they see the castle as real and see themselves as being right in it.' (Publication summary)

'When Betty Guard steps ashore in Sydney, in 1834, she meets with a heroine's welcome. Her survival during a four-month kidnapping ordeal amongst Taranaki Maori is hailed as nothing short of a miracle. But questions about what really happened slowly surface within the lite governing circles of the raw new town of Sydney.

'Jacky Guard, ex-convict turned whaler, had taken Betty as his wife to his New Zealand whaling station when she was fourteen. After several years and two children, the family is returning from a visit to Sydney when their barque is wrecked near Mount Taranaki. A battle with local Maori follows, and Betty and her children are captured. Her husband goes to seek a ransom, but instead England engages in its first armed conflict with New Zealand Maori when he is persuaded to return with two naval ships. After her violent rescue, Betty's life amongst the tribe comes under intense scrutiny. Based on real events, this is the compelling story of a marriage, of love and duty, and the quest for freedom in a pioneering age.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.