AustLit

'Tabitha and the Raincloud is about those yucky days when things seem to go wrong from the moment you wake up. When Tabitha wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, she finds a big raincloud next to her taking up most of the space. She tells it to go away, but it won't budge. Things get worse. At breakfast, the cloud rains all over her scrambled eggs. At school, she tries to draw a giraffe, but the raincloud distracts her and her art teacher compliments her on her dinosaur Aaagh By lunchtime, Tabitha is so stormy that none of her friends want to sit next to her. Tabitha realises she needs to change her attitude. It's not the raincloud that's making her day unpleasant, but how she's choosing to react to it. So, Tabitha fetches her umbrella, raincoat and boots from her locker and starts dancing in the rain. It's not long before her friends join her and they're all having fun together This is a story of resilience, choices, optimism and perseverance. It's a gentle reminder that we all have raincloudy days but we'll get through them. And sometimes, we can bring the sunshine out a little bit faster if we remember to dance in the rain.'   (Publication summary)

'Olivia and her dog Barkley are inseparable. He’s her sidekick, her partner in crime-fighting — they’re the perfect pair. But then, Barkley dies and Olivia is heartbroken. Gradually, however, she realizes that Barkley wouldn’t want her to be unhappy for the rest of her life. So she comes up with a clever plan to get her happiness back.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Book lives at the library and desperately wants to go outside, but is intimidated by all the things that might happen ‘out there’. Meanwhile, Emma loves visiting the library and delights in the many adventures to be had in the stories she finds there. When Emma meets Book, they find they are just what each other needs. Children and parents alike will enjoy this story about being brave, taking risks, and living to tell the tale!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A book sits abandoned on a living room shelf. While the Blossburn family happily gets on with other things like watching TV and playing video games, the book aches to be read. The longer it sits abandoned, the more it aches. At last the book can't take it any longer. Slowly it starts to swell. Then it starts to leak! At first it's only a small trickle, but eventually the Blossburns can no longer ignore the octopus, crabs and other marine life that are swirling around their suburban home. And when pirates sail out of the book, the family must band together to reclaim their living room. Can J.J. and his parents find a way to get the characters back in the book? And in the process, will they discover that sometimes books are the best fun of all? The Leaky Story is an action-packed adventure into the wonderful world of books, the power of the imagination, the art of storytelling and the importance of family.' (Publication summary)