AustLit

'Twelve-year-old Will Haddon and his twin friends, Dar and Juno, find a safe full of money and human bones in an old house that’s sticking out of a rapidly receding lake amid the worst drought in history. Their mission to identify the body reveals secrets that will rewrite the history of their town and the story of their lives. 

'When Will was five, his dad, a young cop, went missing just days before Old Scarborough was drowned beneath a man-made lake for a hydroelectric scheme. Old Scarborough’s residents were promised new houses, jobs, tourist dollars and a fresh start, but hardly any of it materialised. Neither did Will’s dad. And he’s not the only person to go missing from this bad-luck town.

'Will, Dar and Juno are forced on a dangerous journey to discover the truth in a town that wants the past to stay buried' (Publication summary)   

'A new nailbiter from the bestselling author of Two Wolves.

'If your mum was a cop and your dad was a crim who needed your help to commit a crime, would you do it to save him? At what cost?

'Nash Hall's dad is a criminal who just can't seem to go straight. He wants Nash to help him commit a robbery. A big one. The trouble is, Nash's mum is a cop. And the robbery is at Nash's school. But Dad owes a lot of money to some very dangerous people and if Nash doesn't help him do the job, it could cost both their lives.'  (Publication summary)

'Celebrating 100 years of the iconic character and Aussie legend Ginger Meggs, these four brand new and original stories are written by Tristan Bancks, the great-great nephew of creator Jimmy Bancks, and illustrated in full colour by the current Ginger Meggs comic-strip cartoonist, Jason Chatfield.

'Kids and grown-ups alike will revel in the rambunctious adventures and comical capers of the ginger kid who never gets old.' (Publication summary)

'Sima and her family are pressed to the rough, cold ground among fifty others. They lie next to the tall fence designed to keep them in. The wires are cut one by one.

'When they make their escape, a guard raises the alarm. Shouting, smoke bombs, people tackled to the ground. In the chaos Sima loses her parents.

'Dad told her to run, so she does, hiding in a school and triggering a lockdown. A boy, Dan, finds her hiding in the toilet block.

'What should he do? Help her? Dob her in? She's breaking the law, but is it right to lock kids up? And if he helps, should Sima trust him? Or run?

'THIS MOMENT, THESE DECISIONS, WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF THEIR LIVES. ' (Publication summary)

'Have you ever tried to eat a car? Has your guinea pig ever been taken hostage? Does your mum always have jobs for you to do around the house? Has your grandmother asked you to help her commit a crime? Have you ever been attacked by a tribe of killer possums? Is your ice-cream man the angriest ice-cream man in Australia? And could your bum possibly save the world? 

'I'm Tom Weekly and this is my life.' (Publication summary)

'In the middle of the night, Sam is woken by angry voices from the apartment above. He goes to the window to see what’s happening – only to hear a struggle, and see a body fall from the sixth-floor balcony. Pushed, Sam thinks. Sam goes to wake his father, Harry, a crime reporter, but Harry is gone. And when Sam goes downstairs, the body is gone, too. But someone has seen Sam, and knows what he’s witnessed. The next twenty-four hours could be his last.' (Publication Summary)

'Tom Weekly's life just gets weirder and weirder - this is one runaway car ride you won't want to miss!

'Have you ever been trapped inside a runaway car? Have you broken a world record? Is there someone in your class who will stop at nothing to kiss you? Have you ever tricked your dog into doing your homework? Or found something seriously disgusting in your food? Have you sold head lice for fun and profit? Or has your mum ever used raspberry and white chocolate muffins as weapons of minor destruction?

'I’m Tom Weekly and all of these things have happened to me. I’ve captured them here in stories, jokes, cartoons, quizzes and lists. Believe me, real life is weirder than anything you can make up. ' (Publication summary)

'Have you ever done a runner from the dentist? Are you petrified of clowns? Have giant headlice tried to attack and eat you? Do you ever chew on your grandfather's toenails for short story inspiration? And have you come up with a genius way to never do homework again? All of these things have happened to me. I'm Tom Weekly. My life is an exploding chicken and the book in your hands is my attempt to glue it back together again.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'This book is 100% gluten free, 100% fat free, 100% organic and 35% fact free. It has no added sugar and contains absolutely NO NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS AT ALL! May contain traces of NUTS!

'Have you ever helped your pop escape from a nursing home? Does your teacher have a problem with his bowels? Is your sister an evil genius and criminal mastermind? Have you ever mined your teeth for cash? Do you want to know where all the lost socks go? Is there a girl or boy at school who's in love with you and wants to kiss you? And do you know anyone with the worst case of nits in world history?

'I do. I'm Tom Weekly and this is the third book in my life story. Welcome to my weird, funny, sometimes kinda gross adventures.' (Publication summary)

'Is your grandpa super-angry? Has your Nan ever tried to climb Mt Everest? Have you started your own playground freak show? And have you risked your life to save your pet rat from certain destruction?

'I have. I'm Tom Weekly and inside the covers of this book you'll find out about all this and learn the secret of my weirdest body part. But I guarantee that won't gross you out anywhere near as much as the story of how Stella Holling, the strangest girl in my class, tricked me into kissing her.' (Publisher's blurb)

'A Cherokee Indian grandfather tells his grandson that there is a battle raging inside him, inside all of us. A terrible battle between two wolves. One wolf is bad – pride, jealousy, greed. The other wolf is good – kindness, hope, truth. The child asks, ‘Who will win?' The grandfather answers simply, ‘The one you feed.'

'One afternoon, police officers show up at Ben Silver's front door. Minutes after they leave, his parents arrive home. Ben and his little sister Olive are bundled into the car and told they're going on a holiday. But are they?

'It doesn't take long for Ben to realise that his parents are in trouble. Ben's always dreamt of becoming a detective – his dad even calls him ‘Cop'. Now Ben gathers evidence and tries to uncover what his parents have done.

'The problem is, if he figures it out, what does he do? Tell someone? Or keep the secret and live life on the run?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Noob needs to develop his superpowers. And all superheroes can fly, right? But it's a long way down from the garage. And he doesn't have a cape...' (Publication summary)