AustLit

AustLit's note: beautifully illustrated by Blak Douglas, this illustrated science book covers astronomy, engineering, forensic science, chemistry, land management and ecology among First Nations people. Author Corey Tutt made a conscious decision to highlight women within the book.

Publisher's blurb:

Have you ever wondered what the stars can tell us? Did you know the seasons can be predicted just by looking at subtle changes in nature? Maybe you have wondered about the origins of glue or if forensic science is possible without a crime scene investigation. Australia's First peoples have the longest continuing culture on Earth and their innovation will amaze you as you leaf through the pages of this book, learning fascinating facts and discovering the answers to life's questions.

In consultation with communities, Corey tells us of many deadly feats – from bush medicine to bush trackers – that are today considered 'science', and introduces us to many amazing scientists, both past and present. The breadth of ‘sciences’ is incredible with six main chapters covering astronomy, engineering, forensic science, chemistry, land management and ecology. The first scientists passed on the lessons of the land, sea and sky to the future scientists of today through stories, song and dance, and many of these lessons are now shared in this book.

AustLit's note: the young female protagonist of this book loves mathematics, and sees its patterns throughout her everyday life.

Publisher's blurb:

A STEM-themed picture book celebrating the love of learning, the magic of mathematics and the joy of finding a kindred spirit, from two award-winning creators.

From the parallel lines of moonlight pouring through her bedroom blinds, to counting daisy petals in the garden, Maddie adores maths. If only she had a friend who marvelled at it as she does. Then Dad takes Maddie, along with her new classmate Priya, to the observatory where the unfathomable numbers of stars take their breath away.

AustLit's note: This book focuses on female scientists from around the world, from the position that each one was 'once a little kid with a huge dream'.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

Boss ladies conquer in this celebration of inspiring and empowered female scientists from around the world. At the top of their fields of astronomy, quantum physics, neuroscience, vaccinology, primatology and more, boss ladies, including Mae Jemison, Merritt Moore and Kiara Nirghin, answer big questions and invent grand solutions.

'Every boss lady was once a little kid with a huge dream. Let their trials and triumphs inspire you to work hard at what you love, and to believe in yourself, no matter whether you fail or succeed.

AustLit's note: The scientists covered in this book are largely male (e.g., Sir Isaac Newton), but the protagonist is female, and the book positions her as an active participant in science.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

A funny story about gravity that explains why apples fall from trees, from an exciting new partnership in picture books.

Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he got hit on the head by an apple. People might tell you this is the moment gravity was first discovered, but the truth is people had been discovering gravity long before Isaac. You might have even discovered it yourself ... Ouch!

Have you ever wondered how gravity works? Or what life would be like without gravity? Find out in this fun introduction to the idea that what goes up must come down!

AustLit's note: Although not all the people covered in this text are scientists, many are, and the text as a whole encourages understanding and appreciation of the earth sciences, in particular.

Publisher's blurb:

Explore our planet, meet the Earth Shakers.

Our world is WONDERFUL - and it's worth protecting.

This book takes you on a breathtaking tour of our planet - from towering mountaintops, through grasslands, jungles, rivers, deserts, polar wildernesses and into the blue ocean - to discover the incredible variety of life that calls it home. Along the way, read the stories of 35 inspiring Earth Shakers - children and adults, from tree-planters to scientists, from all around the world - who have taken action to protect it.

Plus, find lots of practical tips and handy resources inside that give you the tools to make a positive change today.

AustLit's note: not only does this book centre a young female inventor, it also shows her challenging those in power who doubt her abilities.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

'My invention is ready!' exclaimed Nell. 'I need to show it to the people in the Big City, and Uncle said he could take me there tomorrow.' 'It won't work,' scoffed Little Brother, with his mouth full of fish.

Little Nell has worked hard to make an invention that will help clean up the pollution in the Big City. But she soon discovers that it can be hard for a girl to get the attention of the people in charge. A wonderful picture book about a little girl with a determined spirit who just needs a bit of help to make the world a better place for everyone.

AustLit's note: this book centres on a young girl who actively seeks answers to scientific questions. Notably, the adults in her life are active in responding and supporting her curiosity.

Publisher's blurb:

Abigail is a curious little girl. She likes to discover the answers to really BIG questions. One night, she thinks of a question that's SO BIG she can't sleep until she knows the answer.

'Daddy,' she asks as he tucks her into bed, 'where did the sun and all the planets come from?'

To find out the answer, Daddy invites Abigail on a magical journey through time and space. Together they explore the birth of all living things.

By the next morning, Abigail has thought of another big question ...

AustLit's note: this book features a protagonist whose mother is a scientist, but who has noticed that all the scientists in books and films are 'mad', and who seeks to challenge that trope.

Publisher's blurb:

'My mummy is a scientist... but I'm afraid she might be mad.'

'My mummy has a really cool job. She's a scientist and does all kinds of amazing experiments! But scientists in all the stories I read and watch are mad... does that mean my mummy is mad too?

AustLit's note: the young female protagonist of this book, by Biripi author Adam Duncan, has to use her knowledge of Country and the bush to find her missing brother.

Publisher's blurb:

On a starless night Little Brother leaves the safety of the campfire and is captured by the fearsome bunyip. Big Sister will need everything she has learnt about the bush and her Country to rescue Little Brother and escape the bunyip.

Part Sky Country creation story, part exciting adventure tale, The Bunyip and the Stars is the first in a series of five picture books featuring stories from Australia inspired by the National Museum of Australia's new immersive play space for children - the Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre.

AustLit's note: both the cover illustration and internal illustrations throughout this book show girl characters engaging in engineering.

Publisher's blurb:

'Young children love engineering; they enjoy creating and building their worlds. Young Engineers explores the natural links between play and engineering to facilitate early engineering engagement. Through familiar play-based scenarios it introduces children to the work of engineers and things that engineers make. The colourful illustrations and rhyming text give engineering context and meaning and bring the worlds of young and older engineers closer together.'

AustLit's note: the female protagonist of this novel dreams of winning a Nobel Prize, and actively engages in science experiments.

Publisher's blurb:

A time-travel adventure for young budding scientists

Ten-year-old Mary has always wanted to win a Nobel Prize. She loves running her own science experiments at home. But how can she become a real scientist and win the greatest prize of all?

One day Mary stumbles on a secret meeting of Nobel Prize winners. Swearing her to secrecy, Dr Barry Marshall agrees to be her guide as she travels around the world and through time to learn the secrets behind some of the most fascinating and important scientific discoveries. They talk space and time with Albert Einstein, radiation with Marie Curie, DNA with Crick, Watson and Wilkins – and much more.

How to Win a Nobel Prize is a funny, fascinating adventure story for ages 9 to 12, and includes experiments that young scientists can do themselves at school or at home.

AustLit's note: the emotional centre of this story is the protagonist's love for (and methodical search for) trees grown from seeds taken to the moon.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

A tender Australian story about searching for the impossible in the places where magic and science meet.

For Carina Sugden, there is nothing more special than a moon tree - a tree grown from the seeds taken on the 1971 Apollo mission into space. Her father taught her everything she knows about them. But he passed away before they found one together.

When Mum relocates the family to a small town in the Otway Ranges, Carina becomes determined to find a moon tree on her own. Like a scientist, she methodically searches the forest behind her new house. But after a mysterious encounter with a black cockatoo, Carina realises there's magic in this forest. And if magic really exists, anything is possible, like seeing her dad one last time...

Meet Me at the Moon Tree is a heart-healing book about believing in magic, in science, and in the power of love.

AustLit's note: the Wednesday Weeks books challenge the 'science vs. magic' tope to show a girl protagonist who wants to study science but must also deal with magic.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

In a world of magic, can science save the day?

Wednesday Weeks never wanted to be a sorcerer’s apprentice. She’d rather study science than magic. But when her cloak-wearing, staff-wielding grandpa is captured by a power-hungry goblin king, Wednesday must find a way to embrace her magical heritage and rescue him from the dreaded Tower of Shadows.

Luckily, she’s not alone. Her best friend Alfie is a prime-number fan and robotics expert who’s all-in on Wednesday’s epic plan involving parallel universes, swords of power, and a wise-cracking talking skull.

But it’s going to take more than science, magic, and the world’s cutest robot to take down this bad guy. Because the goblin king is playing for the ultimate prize – and Wednesday and Alfie just walked into his trap…

AustLit's note: the first in the series Edie's Experiments, this book features a science-loving girl who approaches all problems as experiments.

Publisher's blurb:

A new school, a classroom full of potential new friends and a science kit. What could possibly go wrong?

I’m Edie and I love science. So I when I started at a new school, I decided it could be one giant experiment.

Can I give you some advice? Avoid sliming your entire classroom. You could end up in trouble with your teacher, your new classmates and the principal.

Between the great slime fiasco, the apology cookie surprise and the wrinkle cream mix-up, I’ve discovered making friends isn’t an exact science!

AustLit's notes: three science geniuses are accepted to a mysterious academy, where they need to use their intelligence to survive.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

Junior science geniuses Augustine, Celeste and Oscar can't believe their luck when they're accepted into an elite and mysterious science academy summer camp run by the elusive Inventor Quark.

From the moment they step inside the gates of Quark's Academy at the end of Molecule Drive, they know they're in for a week they'll never forget. But things at the academy are not quite what they seem, and the three quickly realise that they'll need to put their squabbles aside and their heads together if they're ever to get out of there alive...

AustLit's note: the first in the Curiosity Club, this book features a young girl who starts from the perspective that STEM is not 'cool', but slowly comes to explore her curiosity.

Publisher's blurb:

'Where do you run when your former best friend tips their lunch straight into your lap?'

When Alice Chang starts out at her new school, everything isn't quite as rosy as she'd dreamed. First, she falls out with previous best friend, Gigi, and then she learns that the only after-school club still available is GAS (Girls Achieving at STEM) which Alice considers extremely uncool. However, with the help of an inspirational teacher and two new best friends, Alice discovers that being cool isn't always what it looks like in teen magazines and that being yourself and being smart can be the coolest thing of all.

AustLit's note: this series of short biographies includes scientists such as Fiona Wood, Georgia Ward-Fear, Gisela Kaplan, Michelle Simmons, Emma Johnston, Veena Sahajwalla, Suzy Urbaniak, and Maddy McAllister.

Publisher's blurb:

An inspiring and unique series for children aged 9-13 years that celebrates Australia’s leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The Aussie STEM Stars series tell the inspirational stories of our (often unsung, even unknown!) STEM heroes quietly making a huge contribution to humans and the planet.

AustLit's note: this graphic novel stars a young female science genius who is on a mission to save her school.

Publisher's blurb:

Violet is a science genius.

Izzy believes in aliens.

Leonardo da Pinch is a talking crab.

Together, they’re on a mission to save their school, only, today’s the sort of day when ANYTHING could happen (including an outer space invasion and explosions!) It’s time to get DOWN TO BUSINESS with some wacky science in a GRAPHIC NOVEL that will leave you sitting on the edge of your (toilet) seat!

AustLit's note: this book, set in a high school on a rusting ocean liner, shows the female protagonist dealing with an intersection of magic and science.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

A rusting ocean liner.

Thirty students learning to resurrect the dead.

A murderous monster on the loose . . .

Just a typical day at PROMETHEUS HIGH.

Athena Strange's first semester at Prometheus High starts with a bang. But when her lessons in reanimation, robotics and skulkers move too slowly and she has trouble making friends, Athena decides to take matters into her own hands.

But on a ship where science and magic collide, and the monster under your bed is probably very real . . . will Athena be able to hold her head above water?

AustLit's note: this novel is told through a series of letters written by a science-loving teenager girl to American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988), who jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his work in the development of quantum electrodynamics.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

Richard Feynman was a Nobel prize-winning physicist. Catherine is a science-loving 15-year-old. Richard helped build the atom bomb. Catherine's just trying to survive school.

When your life is falling apart around you, is talking to a dead physicist normal?

Catherine thinks so, but it isn't until her life begins unravelling that she learns who she can really trust.

AustLit's note: this novel features an adolescent girl pursuing science in a drought-stricken small town.

Teaching resources available.

Publisher's blurb:

Times are tough in the small town of Yallaroo where Ally Simpson has lived her whole life. The whole area is in drought and people are going broke or moving away. So when Ally hears about a competition to win the trip of a lifetime to visit the Smithsonian Museum in the USA, she knows she’s got to do everything she can to try and win.

'Ally enlists her best friends Harmony and Ping to help her plan the most impressive experiment she can imagine: to send a video camera to the edge of space, and prove once and for all that the earth is round. At first, Ally is pretty sure she’s got the whole competition stitched up. But then, as one disaster after another derails her plans, she begins to learn the importance of staying grounded even while she’s aiming for the sky…

AustLit's note: although this series is steampunk fantasy set in nienteenth-century Melbourne, it does position its teenage protagonist (the daughter of a professor) as a keen inventor.

The series includes four novellas.

AustLit's note: the key protagonist of this novel, teenage Stacey, is focused on her studies, particularly science, but must also come to terms with 'things that science may never explain'.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

'Remember daughter, the world is a lot bigger than anyone knows. There are things that science may never explain. Maybe some things that shouldn’t be explained.

'Stacey and Laney are twins – mirror images of each other – and yet they’re as different as the sun and the moon. Stacey works hard at school, determined to get out of their small town. Laney skips school and sneaks out of the house to meet her boyfriend. But when Laney disappears one night, Stacey can’t believe she’s just run off without telling her.

'As the days pass and Laney doesn’t return, Stacey starts dreaming of her twin. The dreams are dark and terrifying, difficult to understand and hard to shake, but at least they tell Stacey one key thing – Laney is alive. It’s hard for Stacey to know what’s real and what’s imagined and even harder to know who to trust. All she knows for sure is that Laney needs her help.

'Stacey is the only one who can find her sister. Will she find her in time?'

AustLit's note: set in a small town, this novel follows protagonist Hester through her school life, with a focus on her studies in science (and clashes with a fundamentalist classmate) and mathematics.

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

I'd grown up being told that if I found myself tempted to behave in an unkind way, I just had to ask myself, "What would Jesus do?" And then do that. Something hard pinged off the back of my seat and bounced down the aisle. So the question was, what would Jesus do if the Jameson sisters started chucking Jaffas at his head?

It is 1984 and fifteen-year-old Hester Jones is not having a good year. Her best friend has moved away and, even though Natalie and Lynda are allowing her to hang out with them, Hester's struggling to keep up with her cool new friends. Plus, she has the most embarrassing dad in the world, who's never, ever going to let her go to the birthday bash Natalie's planning. Worst of all, her Science teacher's making her work on a project about evolution with that weird Joshua Mason...

When everything goes wrong and the world stops making sense, Hester has to decide: is it better to be a sheep, or a goat?

AustLit's note: this novel shows the developing relationship between a teenage boy with a fondness for magic tricks and a teenage girl with a passion for science. Each chapter is headed with a science-themed title (e.g., 'the eccentric orbits of binary stars').

Teaching notes available.

Publisher's blurb:

Joshua is good at magic tricks, ignoring his homework, and not thinking about life after year twelve. He's not so good at talking to Sophia, the genius in his class who he's had a crush on for years. But with their time together in high school running out, he has to do something about it, soon - because if he's learned one thing, it's that timing is everything, Sophia is smart enough to know that geniuses like her can end up as socially inept recluses.

'In fact, maybe she's halfway there already, what with the panic attacks and her best (and only) friend Elsie drifting away. All Sophia can do is seek refuge in what she understands best: maths, science, logic. But there's no logical explanation for the odd, almost magical things happening around her. And there are some things no amount of study can prepare you for...

The Very Blue Thingamajig hatches from an egg one day, but compared with the other thingamajigs, he is very plain. Then one morning he wakes up with a twisty, twirly tail, and every morning after that he wakes up with a new feature.

Recommended for ages 3-5.

Based on the #1 hit children's song, this picture book encourages everyone to love who they are, inside and out.

Taryn Brumfitt is the fiercely passionate thought leader behind the Body Image Movement and director of Embrace the documentary. She is determined to inspire everyBODY to celebrate their body, regardless of size, colour, ethnicity, gender or ability.

Recommended for ages 3-7.

You're not the boss of many things because you're still little and still learning. You're not the boss of anyone else, you've got to let them be themselves.

But you ARE the boss of one thing...

Recommended for ages 3-7.

I love hands!
Hands that are white and hands that are brown,
Freckles mean sunshine has sent kisses down.
Short fingers, long fingers, bendy or straight,
Hands to clap, or high-five your mate.

Bold and beautiful, loud and proud, All Bodies are Good Bodies is an uplifting book about different body features and types. Through playful rhyme, it promotes the development of body acceptance and celebrates inclusivity and individuality.

Recommended for ages 3-7.

Macca the Alpaca desperately wants to be cool, just like his friends. Will a new hair-do cut it? Maybe a trip to the gym will work out? Or perhaps he needs the latest accessories? Macca’s makeover shows him what it is that makes him truly special.

Recommended for ages 3-7.

My body is strong.
My body can do amazing things.
My body is my own.

Freedom is loving your body with all its "imperfections" and being the perfectly imperfect you! Love Your Body encourages young girls to admire and celebrate their bodies for all the amazing things they can do, and help girls see that they are so much more than their bodies.

Recommended for ages 6-8+.

All boys think that they have the best mum in the world. But I’m lucky, because I know it. That’s not because everyone else’s mum isn’t good, I’m sure they are wonderful. But my mum is as soft as a pillow and that has to be the most special thing in the whole wide world.

My Mum’s a Pillow encourages everyone to feel that they are beautiful just the way they are. The things that make us different are what make us wonderful.

Recommended for ages 3-7.

Little Miss Jessica doesn't look like other kids.

Starting school can be daunting, especially if you don't look like everyone else. Being different can sometimes make us feel sad or alone, but learning to accept our differences can be a wonderful experience, not just for us, but also our friends and family. Come on an adventure with Little Miss Jessica as she learns what it's like to be different. You can follow Jessica and her friends on their first day at school and discover a world where being different is actually a great thing! Little Miss Jessica and her new school friends realise that their differences are the exact thing that bring them together.

Recommended for ages 6-8+.

At first upset about having to wear glasses and an eye patch to correct her lazy eye, five-year-old Becca soon discovers that her new accessories allow her to take on such roles as a ballerina-pirate and a private eye.

Recommended for ages 5-8+.

Emma has thousands of freckles, but sometimes she wishes she didn't. Grandma has a special story from long ago to share with Emma. A story about a beautiful island with a mist that dances off the ocean and stars that speak to you from faraway places. Emma is amazed to learn that freckles can be more special than she could ever imagine. A magical story of self-acceptance based on the Gaelic myth of how people got their freckles.

Recommended for ages 4-8.

Some kids are good at footy, or handball, or tennis. Not Matt, though. Matt is an expert at tuckshop. In the dog-eat-pie world of the playground, someone like Matt can go a long way. But, of course, being the best at anything does have its problems.

Recommended for ages 8-12.

The other kids playing were bigger you see, 'Why is there no one the same size as me?' Without all the kids he'd played with and known, Alfie felt small, not to mention alone. Another endearing book by David Hardy (author of Alfie's Search for Destiny), Alfie's Big Wish tells the story of a little boy who is determined to find a friend who truly knows and understands him. Despite his best efforts, Alfie spends a whole day playing alone. Exhausted and dispirited, he falls asleep only to find, in the morning, that wishes made on stars sometimes really do come true.

Recommended for ages 5-8.

Talented ten-year-olds Emily, Bella, Chloe and Grace are sick of adults trying to turn them into helpless princesses.

'When maths whiz Emily Martin's mother enters her in the local beauty pageant, it's the last straw - the four friends form the Anti-Princess Club, with the motto WE DON'T NEED RESCUING. Can they use their awesome skills to show the world that girls want to be valued for more than what they see in the mirror?

Recommended for ages 8-12.

Ruby Who? is about wishing for things, wishing you were someone else, but then realising it's better to be content with what you have and more importantly, who you are. Teachers, schools and parents find that it's very difficult to discuss body image with children and how to be happy with who they are. Ruby Who? is a story that tackles these issues. Ruby Who? reinforces the message that having more, and being like others doesn't make you happy!

Recommended for ages 8-12.

My Private Pectus is a serious yet comical portrayal of teenager Jack McDermott's struggle to discover who he is, what he's meant to look like, and how much he should care about what other people think. Jack's chest deformity is symbolic of the body image issues young men face daily in schools today.

Recommended for ages 13-18.

Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but it’s not. Especially if you’re one of the Smokies, a bunch of radical teens who’ve decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.)

Recommended for ages 13-18.

You know all those movies where teenagers have, like, THE SUMMER OF THEIR LIVES? This summer is probably not going to be that.

The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone. Not when her Dad is AWOL for Christmas and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s shaky confidence. And her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved.

But Maisie’s got something to prove. As she writes down all the ways this summer is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back…

Recommended for ages 13-18.

Web is nine parts flesh, one part sulphur. And she's on a mission to save Aurora. But Aurora, the incredible shrinking girl, is already Death's best friend, and slips through Web's fingers like water. It's a bizarre love triangle, where there really are monsters under the bed. And not only can imaginary things hurt you, they can kill you.

Katherine was severely burnt in an accident when she was two years old. Now 17, she lives with her mother and 22-year-old sister. Their father left the family when they were very young. This is a moving and well-written tale of emotional and physical damage and Katherine's need to overcome her fears.

Recommended for ages 14-18.

Kate, a quiet boarder, making some risky choices to pursue the experimental music she loves.

Clem, shrugging off her old swim-team persona, exploring her first sexual relationship, and trying to keep her annoying twin, Iris, at arm's length.

Ady, grappling with a chaotic family, and wondering who her real friends are; she's not the confident A-lister she appears to be.

When St Hilda's establishes a Year 10 Wellness Program in response to the era of cyber-bullying, the three girls are thrown together and an unlikely friendship is sparked. One thing they have in common: each is targeted by PSST, a site devoted to gossip and slander that must have a source within St Hilda's.

Who can you trust when rumour is the new truth?

Recommended for ages 13-18.

Welcome to my world. I'm Amal Abdel-Hakim, a seventeen year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim still trying to come to grips with my various identity hyphens. It's hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind in the latest Cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in-group.

Try wearing a veil on your head and practising the bum's up position at lunchtime and you know you're in for a tough time at school. Luckily my friends support me, although they've got a few troubles of their own. Simone is blonde and gorgeous but has serious image issues and Leila's really intelligent but her parents are more interested in her getting a marriage certificate that her high school certificate! And I thought I had problems...

Recommended for ages 13-18.

Tara Moss has worn many labels in her time, including 'author', 'model', 'gold-digger', 'commentator', 'inspiration', 'dumb blonde', 'feminist' and 'mother', among many others.

Now, in her first work of non-fiction, she blends memoir and social analysis to examine the common fictions about women. She traces key moments in her life - from small-town tomboy in Canada, to international fashion model in the 90s, to bestselling author taking a polygraph test in 2002 to prove she writes her own work - and weaves her own experiences into a broader look at everyday sexism and issues surrounding the under-representation of women, modern motherhood, body image and the portrayal of women in politics, entertainment, advertising and the media.

Deeply personal and revealing, this is more than just Tara Moss's own story. At once insightful, challenging and entertaining, she asks how we can change the old fictions, one woman at a time.

Recommended for ages 14-18.

Young women’s bodies are relentlessly scrutinised and judged, so for most, the appearance of facial hair is a traumatic experience – unnatural, unfeminine, unwanted. But what happens when a female-assigned person decides to embrace their facial hair? In How to Be Between, Bastian Fox Phelan explores how something as seemingly trivial as facial hair can act as a catalyst for a never-ending series of questions about the self. What happens when we accept our bodies as they are? What freedoms are gained by deciding to pursue an authentic sense of self, and what are the costs? As Bastian navigates adolescence and young adulthood, they meet many people who ask, ‘Who, or what, are you?’

Recommended for ages 14-18.

Carly's Top Title

This picture book highlights the things that children see that adults do not. Unlike everyone around them, the young protagonist notices Pete, a homeless man on the street, and wants to engage with him. This book explores the sense of community that can exist when people help each other. This book is perfect for introducing the topic of homelessness with young children and exploring how you can help someone who doesn’t have a home.

This story explores how children interact with homelessness through the eyes of a young child.

Age recommendation: 3-8 y/o

A story that champions the need for belonging and finding our own perfect place, Ted is a great introduction into the concept of home as a construct; somewhere we feel safe and acknowledged. Ted, who has been ignored at the pet shop for too long, decides to take matters into his own hands and goes off in search of his perfect home. This picture book teaches the importance of a home filled with care and acceptance.

This story explores homelessness and the desire to belong through the eyes of a dog named Ted.

Age recommendation: 3-6 y/o

Mutt Dog explores the experience of homelessness, sleeping on the streets and staying at a half way house, from the perspective of a stray dog. Mutt the Dog belongs to no one, but he longs for a place to belong. This story explores the feeling of homelessness; the exhaustion, hunger, and loneliness that comes with life on the streets; and the importance of finding a place to belong.

This story explores homelessness and sleeping rough through the perspective of Mutt Dog.

Age recommendation: 3-6 y/o 

This picture book explores our sensory connections to home and how we adapt to change when we have fond memories of a previous home. Luna, a homeless cat, has washed up on a strange shore after leaving a dangerous home. But she soon finds unexpected friends, safety, and a new home. This story is perfect for discussions around precarious housing, displacement, or moving and can inspire conversations around how we adapt to change.

This story explores homelessness, displacement, and how we adapt to change through the perspective of Luna the cat.

Age recommendation: 5-10 y/o 

A slightly different conceptualisation of homelessness, Amira's Magpie tells the story of a young girl who has had to flee her home. Amira is currently living in a compound where she has befriended a magpie. She imagines that the magpie is flying back and forth between her and her old home where her beloved grandfather still lives, bringing news and a sense of connection.

This story explores the displacement and sense of homelessness that comes with the experience of seeking asylum in a far away country through the eyes of Amira, a young girl who misses her home and her grandfather.

Age recommendation: 5-12 y/o

A dystopian black and white visual masterpiece that explores the greed and wealth disparity between the 'faceless few' of Block City and Ruben, a young boy who survives on his own. Ruben meets Koji, a young girl like him. They share what little they have and reveal their own maps of the city and their homes within it. This story highlights the way we each interpret place and create safety in a world that feels vast and hostile.

This story explores homelessness, greed, and oppression through the perspective of Ruben and Koji, two homeless children.

Age recommendation: 8-12 y/o

This picture book explores feelings of loss and displacement in accessible language for young children. Hello Twigs, How Are You Feeling? examines the feelings of Stump who is suddenly homeless. Stump tries to return to the tree, but his twiggy friends have a different idea to help their friend. 

This story explores the feelings associated with homelessness from the perspective of a stump.

Age recommendation: 3-6 y/o

This is a touching story of a homeless pup taken in by a family and his subsequent adventures. This picture book is based on a true story of a dingo-dog hybrid named Hooch who established his reputation as a 'cheeky dog' and is set in an Indigenous Community.

This story explores homelessness through a puppy who is adopted.

Age recommendation: 3-6 y/o

Note: hard to find.

A black and white picture book that centres on Granny O'Grady who lives with her grey tabby cat, Albert, in a tiny terrace. The council tell Granny O'Grady she has to leave her inner city home because they want to bulldoze her house for a carpark. But Granny O'Grady refuses to leave without a fight. Granny Stayput is based on a true story of a woman who refused to budge from her house when a carpark was planned.

This story explores the impacts of gentrification and the housing precarity of older women through Granny O'Grady.

Age recommendation: 5-10 y/o

Note: hard to find.

This picture book paints a portrait of an urban homeless community. Space Travellers features a mother and son who have been socially displaced. Mandy and Zac sleep at night in a rocket-shaped sculpture in the city park. The reality of their daily lives is is placed in contrast to Zac's daydreams as he imagines that this structure is a real space ship and that he and his mum are space travellers.

This story explores homelessness, sleeping rough, and the stories we create to keep us going from the perspective of Zac, a young homeless boy with an active imagination.

Age recommendation: 3-8 y/o

Note: hard to find.

Carly's Top Title

'It takes me a few beats to realise that homelessness comes in lots of shades'.

As Queenie and her mum navigate precarious housing during COVID, moving between seven different forms of home, Queenie learns that homelessness is a broad spectrum of living conditions and is caused by multiple factors that are often outside the control of the individual. Throughout this novel, Queenie starts to build her understanding and literacy surrounding homelessness. She also utilises song writing as a means to process her emotions surrounding her experiences of losing her home.

This novel explores precarious housing and homelessness literacy during a post-COVID era from the first person perspective of Queenie, a twelve-year-old girl in Brisbane.

Age recommendation: 8-12 y/o

A Cardboard Palace explores the homeless camps in Paris and the exploitation of young children as thieves. Jorge is proud of the ‘cardboard palace’ he has created for himself in the shanty town he calls home. With his shanty town due to be bulldozed and the growing pressure of making more money, Jorge struggles to navigate life on the streets. Webster’s novel explores the cycles of poverty, child trafficking, abuse and the power of kindness as Jorge tries to save his home and his friends.

This novel explores sleeping rough, child trafficking, and stealing through the first person perspective of Jorge, an eleven-year-old boy in Paris.

Age recommendation: 8-14 y/o

'Ludo helps other people. It's how he was brought up. When Dad is elected to Federal Parliament, Ludo grabs the chance to make Australia an even better place. But he soon discovers it's not the homeless of the national capital who most need his help - it's the rich and powerful.' (Publisher's blurb)

This story explores activism and politics around homelessness from the perspective of Ludo, a young boy.

Age recommendation: 8-12 y/o

Jackie French’s Somewhere Around the Corner opens a portal to another time, exploring the connections between homelessness in 1994 Sydney and The Great Depression. For young Barbara, who has escaped the foster system and is newly homeless, the shift in time teaches her that home is about safety, support, and connection - not material belongings. Barbara’s trip to the past teaches her that she belongs in her time, not the past, and the power of chosen family.

This novel explores foster care, homelessness, and chosen family through the third person view of Barbara, a young girl from Sydney.

Age recommendation: 8-14 y/o

Daisy All Alone is the perfect introduction to precarious housing and the way this can affect children. Set in Australia during the Depression, this novel is aimed at younger readers and explores Daisy’s journey through various housing situations.

This novel explores precarious housing and orphanages through the third-person perspective of Daisy, a young girl in Sydney.

Age recommendation: 6-9 y/o

'Fifteen-year-old Peter Sinclair's father is a paranoid schizophrenic, afraid of helicopters, police, and life itself. When Peter's mother leaves home one day and doesn't return, Pete and his father soon find themselves living hand-to-mouth, estranged from family, and teetering on the brink of homelessness. Based on a real experience, this is a haunting and ultimately redemptive story of illness, love, and a boy's indomitable spirit to survive.

Pete's dad is being pursued by a secret organisation and both their lives are in danger. That's why they never stay in the same place long, and always stay out of sight. Pete knows he leads an unusual life for a twelve year old boy, but he's never dared to ask questions before. Now he needs some answers. He's clever, he starts to piece the scraps of information together, but he isn't prepared for the truth.' (Publisher's blurb)

This novel explores precarious housing, relationship breakdown, and mental illness.

Age recommendation: 9-11 y/o

Barnfield, a foster home that oversees homeless children, is to be torn down to make room for a freeway. Four children, the last residents and hence the 'left overs' set out to find a place where they can be together by writing an advertisement for a real home with a proper family.

This novel explores foster care, gentrification, and the consequences of pushing people to the outskirts of society.

Age recommendation: 9-11 y/o

Note: hard to find.

Carly's Top Title

'Tiny is an eighteen-year-old girl living on the streets in Sydney, running from her small-town past. She finds short-term accommodation at Hope Lane – a shelter for the homeless – where she meets Nola, a high school student on volunteer placement. Both girls share their love of words through the Hope Lane writing group. Can they share their secrets, too?' (Publisher's blurb)

This novel explores teenage homelessness, sleeping rough, homeless shelters, drug addiction, and teenage pregnancy through the alternating third person perspective of two teenagers, Tiny and Nola, with vastly different lived experiences in Sydney.

Age recommendation: 14+

'Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he’s ever known. Now Sam’s trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he’s caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing – each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie. But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.' (Publisher's blurb)

This novel explores teenage homelessness, precarious housing, breaking and entering, and estranged family relationships through the third-person perspective of Sam, a teenager in Sydney.

Age recommendation: 14+

Written as an interview between our protagonist and an author who is helping her tell her story, this dialogic novel explores the link between abuse and homelessness and is based on a true story.

'The shadow girl never imagined she'd live on the streets. After her parents disappear, life with her aunt and uncle takes a sinister turn. Terrified that the authorities will believe her uncle over her, she flees. She tricks her way into a new school and pretends to have a loving family. No one knows she sleeps in rail yards, sand dunes and abandoned houses. At school she meets the author she will call on years later. Together they piece together the story of how she survived, who helped her, and the friend she wishes she could have saved.' (Publisher's blurb)

This novel explores teenage homelessness, sleeping rough, and escaping abuse through the perspective of the shadow girl and the author who is helping her tell her story.

Age recommendation: 13-18 y/o

'Weary of his life with his alcoholic, abusive father, sixteen-year-old Billy packs a few belongings and hits the road, hoping for something better than what he left behind. He finds a home in an abandoned freight train outside a small town, where he falls in love with rich, restless Caitlin and befriends a fellow train resident, "Old Bill," who slowly reveals a tragic past. When Billy is given a gift that changes everything, he learns not only to how forge his own path in life, but the real meaning of family.’ (Publisher's blurb - Simon & Schuster ed.)

Written in free verse, this book explores escaping abuse and sleeping rough through the interchanging first-person perspectives of Billy, a sixteen-year-old who is newly homeless, Caitlin, a teenager from a wealthy family, and Old Bill, an older homeless man.

Age recommendation: 12-17 y/o

'With the intensity of The Handmaid's Tale, the drama of Divergent and the political intrigue of The Darkest Minds series, this is a captivating, fast-paced thriller set in a dystopian world not so different from our own.

Sixteen-year-old Ally is one of 400 homeless young people who have been promised new and better lives in exchange for their votes. The once homeless children and teenagers are now warm and fed. But they are forced to work for the new administration – and their new home is really a prison. When Ally's boyfriend Bon vanishes into thin air, her search for him leads her to discovering that the homeless kids are really lab rats intended for scientific testing. And as Ally delves deeper into her search for Bon, she learns the frightening truth behind his disappearance.' (Publisher's blurb)

This novel explores teenage homelessness and the relationship between government and homelessness through a dystopian lens from the first person perspective of Ally, a sixteen-year-old who is homeless.

Age recommendation: 14+

'All three teens are looking for something…they just aren’t sure what that something is. When the unlikely trio go on a road-trip with only their love of late post-punk guitar legend Rowland S. Howard in common, something happens. They leave on Friday as strangers, but return home Monday forever changed…and maybe even a little in love. But what if the one you’re falling for is in love with another? The trio are about to discover that love is a strange, fluid thing that comes in many shapes and forms…and most importantly, it does not discriminate'. (Publisher's blurb)

This novel explores the impact homelessness has on friendships, connection, and our sense of community.

'Ah, the teenage years. Angst, zits, too tight jeans and sweat. So much sweat. Suffocation from deodorant, bruises from bullies and the sense that one day you're going to be someone who changes the world. Until you end up homeless in a red station wagon, sleeping by your mother's side atop boxes of your belongs. Yes, nothing quite like those fledgling years into adulthood.

In this collection of poetry nobody asked for are hilarious failures, overly sentimental musings, sweaty palms and stuttering debates. Written by a teen, for teens, filled with teenage thoughts. In other words it's probably hot garbage but the kind you enjoy. Like your favourite soap drama. Will it survive the shower? Can it really clean those stains? Was it scented? Sometimes we need a good soap drama in short, written form. Something to remind us we're all human, not a perfect walking super brand advertisement. Fallible, stumbling, not always logical, sacks of hormones with a vertebrae – that's us.' (Publisher's blurb)

This is a book of poetry that explores the intersection between being a teenager and recently homeless with a heady dose of humour and angst.

Age recommendation: 13-18 y/o

Note: hard to find.

Darby's top title: This UQP publication sophisticatedly demonstrates how DFV and poverty/homelessness can mutually reinforce one another, thus creating cycles of violence and disadvantage. It is also accompanied by a comprehensive set of teaching resources.

'Isaac is running from his old life when he steps off the bus in a small town. He doesn’t plan on sticking around and has nowhere to stay, but a local café owner's kindness offers him a chance to change his story. Then Isaac meets Sophie and learns he’s not the only one wanting to repaint his life.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Nate’s had it tough. An abusive father. His mother dead. He’s done things he regrets. But he’s never met anyone like Gem. She’s a tiny piece of wonderful and she’ll change everything he knows about himself. Is this the beginning of happiness? Or is there more hardship around the corner?' (Publisher's blurb

'A story of survival, resurgence, and what it means to be bigger than where you come from. With themes of friendship, coming-of-age, family abuse, survival, creativity, courage and diversity, Can the Real JR Stand Up, Please? is a warm-hearted hopeful story about being true to yourself and learning to be brave.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Sixteen-year-old Nate McKee is doing his best to be invisible. He’s worried about a lot of things—how his dad treats Nance and his twin half-brothers; the hydro crop in his bedroom; his reckless friend, Merrick. Nate hangs out at the local youth centre and fills his notebooks with things he can’t say. But when some of his pages are stolen, and his words are graffitied at the centre, Nate realises he has allies. He might be able to make a difference, change his life, and claim his future. Or can he?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music - because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence. When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Fifteen-year-old Matthew Cassidy is an up-and-coming rugby star. The talent scouts are circling him, his school team has reached the finals for the first time ever, and he's determined to one day play professionally. Despite everything, Matt really only wants one thing in life—a Dad. However, when Matt receives an anonymous card on his 15th birthday, he tracks down the mysterious writer and discovers his Dad is alive and in jail. Meanwhile, Matt is facing another dilemma: a crush on blue-eyed Kelly Sinclair. The only problem is her boyfriend. Captain of an opposing team and Matt's mortal enemy, he regularly hurts Kelly. Matt tries to rescue her from a cycle of domestic abuse, but this is not as simple as it seems, as he tries to fight his own feelings for Kelly and the violent nature of her boyfriend.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Seventeen-year-old Iliad Piper is named after war and angry at the world. Growing up with a violent father and abused mother, she doesn’t know how to do relationships, family or friends. A love-hate friendship with Max turns into a prank war, and she nearly destroys her first true friendship with misfit Mia. Ily takes off her armour for nobody, until she meets Jared, someone who's as complicated as she is.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Tess is trapped in a desperate situation - her violent partner now threatening not just Tess, but their daughter as well. A chance meeting offers a way out, and a road trip back to the heart of Tess's past, and the family she's left behind. But can she ever trust again?' (Publisher's blurb)

Darby's top title: This book explores a difficult yet all to prevalent family dynamic; namely, one in which a child is subjected to domestic and family violence at the hands of a parent's new partner. Peony witnesses or is subjected to DFV on multiple occasions throughout the book but, with the help of a trusted friend, overcomes the adversity she faces.

'Peony lives with her sister and grandfather on a fruit farm outside the city. In a world where real bees are extinct, the quickest, bravest kids climb the fruit trees and pollinate the flowers by hand. All Peony really wants is to be a bee. Life on the farm is a scrabble, but there is enough to eat and a place to sleep, and there is love. Then Peony's mother arrives to take her away from everything she has ever known, and all Peony's grit and quick thinking might not be enough to keep her safe.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Wen Zhou is the daughter and only child of Chinese immigrants whose move to the lucky country has proven to be not so lucky. Wen and her friend, Henry Xiao - whose mum and dad are also poor immigrants - both dream of escape from their unhappy circumstances, and they form a plan to sit an entrance exam to a selective high school far from home. But when tragedy strikes, it will take all of Wen's resilience and resourcefulness to get herself and Henry through the storm that follows.' (Publisher's blurb)

'When eleven-year-old Ebony meets enigmatic Teena, they instantly become much more than the 'default' friends Ebony has grown used to having. Only when the girls come to trust one another fully do they unlock each other's troubling secrets, enabling their friendship to deepen. Running from the Tiger is a tale of trust, friendship and the power that can be found once we stop running.' (Publisher's blurb)

Darby's top title: Through the use of metaphor, this book conveys the importance of confiding in trusted adults during times of storm and stress. It simultaneously enables educators to address DFV in a sensitive manner and establishes them as trusted individuals who children experiencing DFV can turn to.

'Flick is just like any other youngster. She loves to chase butterflies and jump in autumn leaves. But life at the end of Holyrood Lane is often violent and unpredictable due to the constant storms that plague her home, causing her to cringe with dread and flee whenever they strike. Visually arresting, emotionally incisive, and ultimately uplifting, this beautifully crafted picture book provides a sensitive glimpse into one aspect of domestic violence and how it can affect young lives.' (Publisher's blurb)

'This book aims to help children voice their concerns and their fears, and to express these with an adult or adults they trust such as a family member, teacher, caregiver or the police. Too often children in these environments blame themselves for the violence in their homes and take on the burden of shame and guilt. This book aims to reassure children that family violence is never ever their fault and that there is also hope that things might change.' (Publisher's blurb)

The Rainbow Hijab follows the tale of a young girl who upon losing her favourite hijab uncovers the value it holds. Will things ever be the same without her colourful companion?

Young Charlie is a true-blue young Aussie, and so is his friend Khaled. They spend time together on their scooters, as well as chatting about the things that they share, and the things that make them different. My Muslim Mate, written by exciting new author Amal Abou-Eid, is the story of how, through talking and learning about each other's cultures, friendships can flourish and lives can work together harmoniously.

Tayta’s life changed a lot when she immigrated from Lebanon.  She learnt to speak a new language, got a job in a factory and learnt to drive a car.  But one thing that never changed, was the food she cooked for her family.

'On Sundays, Tayta prepares a traditional breakfast for her family.  As she cooks and prepares the food, the things she sees, the sounds she hears and the food she eats remind her of her childhood and her old life in Lebanon.

Night Lights recounts the childhood memories of cousins exploring their grandparents’ home deep in the Malaysian countryside. In a time without the glare and distraction of modern technology, they discover the brilliance of nature by moon and candlelight.

Like a turtle, Salih carries his home on his back. He must cross a raging sea in search of a safe home. Salih paints his happiest memories and sends them as messages in bottles.

Will someone find them and understand? Will Salih find a new home?

11-year-old Ali and 8-year-old Asiya are excited to welcome Ramadan this year with beautiful decorations at home. But then something unexpected happens which makes them return their store-bought decorations even before they get to use them. How will they welcome Ramadan now?

A warm, child-centred exploration of family, history and connectedness.

Six-year-old Asiya loves to go to Nanu's house. Best among all of Nanu's treasures is the big old chest filled with quilts that tell the stories of the women in Asyia's family.

A beautifully woven tale about the bonds of love, culture and memory.

Maryam and Sarah are two sisters who love Allah. Together with their mummy and their daddy, whom they love dearly, they will take you on an adventure; one filled with joy and endless laughter!

Discover the beauty of their home country. And uncover the values, beautiful and powerful, as taught by the Most Merciful.

This beautifully illustrated book is a great source of learning for young children exploring all about Islam and being a Muslim. With the use of child friendly language and captivating visuals, your little ones will enjoy learning all about Islam from A to Z. This alphabet book is a great way to engage children from all ages to discover and learn about Islam and Muslims.

Noura Saves the Planet is about a young girl who, while bored on her school holidays, is encouraged by her mum to go on an adventure in search of ways to better shape her world. Noura's understanding of "saving the planet" is challenged by the fact that she knows she can't venture too far from home, so she comes across good deeds that she can do locally.

Hawa and the Birdwatching Adventure is a heartwarming story about friendship and learning sabr, (patience). 

Join Hawa and her Lil Muslim friends as they go on an adventure in search of the rare Golden Winged Grosbeak bird. Will Hawa get a chance to spot the bird she’s been praying to see?

Lara Zany is Potts Court Primary School's offcial Friendship Matchmaker. She is certain her Friendship Rules work. She can take the Loneliest Loser (LL) and help them make a best friend. Until Emily Wong shows up and breaks all the Rules. Now Emily has challenged Lara to a competition and Lara's rules are about to be tested...

Layla's mind goes a million miles a minute, so does her mouth – unfortunately her better judgement can take a while to catch up! Although she believes she was justified for doing what she did, a suspension certainly isn't the way she would have wished to begin her time at her fancy new high school. Despite the setback, Layla's determined to show everyone that she does deserve her scholarship and sets her sights on winning a big invention competition. But where to begin?

Melek always finds answers, some are under her super hijab. For others she needs the help of newcomer Tien who draws fantastic worlds as an escape, or the dress-ups-guru Lily, and sometimes even soccer-mad Zac who NEVER agrees with her. Melek solves all problems, even rescuing Zac in the pool. And luckily her fashionista mother designs club colour-coded hijabs for footy fans. When it's the Book Character Parade, Melek can't find a book with a girl character in a hijab. With the help of her school friends, Melek makes one. Then Melek's next challenge is to arrange an Aussie Rules Girls' football match.

It's moving day! The chaos of moving to a new house and adapting to change can be daunting. But how can anyone focus on that when the new house has such a beautiful garden? And this is not just any garden. No. This garden has a secret - the mystery of the oak tree!

Eight year old Ibrahim and friends win a Quran competition, where the prize sees them scoring tickets to watch an exciting football game after their class is paid a visit by Hakeem Mohammed, a star football player from the California Spartans.

Read about the heroes during the Islamic Golden Age who made outstanding contributions to Science, Arts and Education. Learn about inspirational women who never backed down and left their mark in this world. Be inspired by people who were curious about the world until the day they died.

When their parents have to travel to Beirut unexpectedly, twelve-year-old Akeal and his six siblings are horrified to be left behind in Melbourne with the dreaded Aunt Amel as their babysitter. Things do not go well, and Akeal's naughty little sister, Huda, hatches a bold plan to escape. After stealing Aunt Amel's credit card to buy plane tickets to Lebanon, Huda persuades her reluctant favourite brother to come with her. So begins Huda and Akeal's hair-raising and action-packed journey to reunite with their parents half a world away, in a city they've grown up dreaming about but have never seen.

Ayesha and her friends Sara and Jess jump at the chance of accompanying Ayesha's uncle on a trip from Australia to Istanbul. But when Ayesha discovers a mysterious note as a result of visiting an old bookshop, their relaxing holiday starts to get a whole lot more complicated! Ayesha finds herself trying to uncover a hundred-year-old Ibn Arabi mystery, while trying to avoid creepy villains, and still making sure that she gets to eat the best doner kebab Istanbul has to offer. It's all in a day's sleuthing when you're Ayesha Dean. Lucky she can count on her best friends to always have her back!

(Note: This is book one in a series.)

Maryam Musa loves using her devices. A lot! Until one day her dad takes them all away and replaces them with this diary. Phone GONE! iPad GONE! Laptop GONE! Something weird is happening because suddenly EVERYONE from school stops communicating completely! Social media is totally DEAD!!

These summer holidays are full of drama and chaos and life without devices is proving to be more interesting than Maryam or her twin brother David could've ever imagined.

(Note: This is book one in a series.)

Welcome to my world. I'm Amal Abdel-Hakim, a seventeen year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim still trying to come to grips with my various identity hyphens. It's hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind in the latest Cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in-group. Try wearing a veil on your head and practising the bum's up position at lunchtime and you know you're in for a tough time at school. Luckily my friends support me, although they've got a few troubles of their own. Simone is blonde and gorgeous but has serious image issues and Leila's really intelligent but her parents are more interested in her getting a marriage certificate that her high school certificate! And I thought I had problems ...

When Michael meets Mina, they are at a rally for refugees - standing on opposite sides. Mina fled Afghanistan with her mother via a refugee camp, a leaky boat and a detention centre. Michael's parents have founded a new political party called Aussie Values. They want to stop the boats. Mina wants to stop the hate. When Mina wins a scholarship to Michael's private school, their lives crash together blindingly. A novel for anyone who wants to fight for love, and against injustice.

(Teaching resources available.)

Meet Tariq Nader, leader of ‘The Wolf Pack’ at Punchbowl High, who has been commanded by the new principal to join a football competition with his mates in order to rehabilitate the public image of their school. When the team is formed, Tariq learns there’s a major catch – half of the team is made up of white boys from Cronulla, aka enemy territory – and he must compete with their strongest player for captaincy of the team.

Tara wears hijab even though her parents hate it, and in a swipe right world she’s looking for the ‘will go to the ends of the earth for you’ type of love. Or, she would be, if she hadn’t sworn off boys to focus on getting into med. Besides, what’s wrong with just crushing on the assassins, mages and thieves in the fantasy books she reads?

'When a bomb threat on her first day of university throws her together with totally annoying party king and oh-so-entitled politician’s son Alex, things get complicated. Tara needs to decide if she’s happy reading about heroes, or if she’s ready to step up and be one herself.

Teenage sleuth Ayesha Dean is in Portugal, the land of delicious custard tarts, gorgeous sunsets, and piri-piri chicken. But a bungled good deed abruptly lands her on the wrong side of the law. If she tells all, she risks gaol. If she delves further into a mysterious death, she risks her life. If only this Australian could simply eat her way out of trouble. But no such luck.

This time Ayesha Dean is in WAY over her head!

Fifteen-year-old Sabiha has a lot to deal with: her mother's mental health issues, her interfering aunt, her mother's new boyfriend, her live-in grandfather and his chess buddy, not to mention her arrogant cousin Adnan. They all want to marry her off, have her become a strict Muslim and speak Bosnian. And Sabiha's friends are not always friendly. She gets bullied by girlfriends and is anxious about boyfriends, when she just wants to fit in. But two boys, Brian and Jesse, become the allies of this fierce and funny girl.

A hilarious and heartwarming memoir of growing up and becoming oneself in an Egyptian Muslim family.

Soos’ family is muddy. Their skin is brown – kids say Soos is mud-coloured. Their culture and religion are puzzling to those around them. In their white majority neighbourhood, Soos, Mohamed and Aisha are bullied by racists. Their parents are discriminated against at work.

Soos, the baby of the family – her name means ‘little tooth’ – is working out how to balance her parents’ strict rules with having friendships, crushes and a normal teenage life.