AustLit

'A dazzling debut about a lonely kid ghost who goes searching for answers about her past in a forgotten coastal town that fizzes with secret magic.

''Find the thing the Witches call a treasure,' says Old Man, 'and you'll get back all those memories you're missing.'

'With a body made of wax, seaweed for hair and polished abalone shells for eyes, Corpse is bound to haunt the Witches' sea shack forever. She has no memory of the kid she was before she was snatched and ended up on the rock-that-doesn't-exist.

'But the delivery of an unexpected message sets Corpse off on a surprising quest, searching for answers to the old and familiar questions that have filled her not-brain since the day she first woke up a ghost. Questions about her name. Questions about her family.

'With only her eight-legged friend Simon for company, Corpse heads into the unknown. There will be danger - cruel Witches, a silver-eyed sea monster and a cunning Merchant with a hungry grin - but Corpse is not afraid. She'll stop at nothing to uncover the truth about her past.

'Only some answers, it turns out, are much closer than she thinks.

'A sparkling adventure story about friendship, family and finding out that there is nothing more powerful than a kid acting with their whole heart. A Girl Called Corpse is one of the most exciting children's fantasy debuts to hit the shelves since Nevermoor.' (Publication summary)

'Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land, inherited from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing and not in a good way, including the house she has dubbed Big Scary. She is embarrassed by the second-hand shoes given to her by the kind neighbours, has trouble understanding the language at school, and with fitting in and making new friends. Her solace is a glasshouse in the garden that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and all the secrets of her memory and imagination.

'Her fragile universe is rocked when tragedy strikes and Ma Ma refuses to face the world outside. Meixing finds herself trapped within the shrinking walls of Big Scary. Her parents said this would be a better life for them all, but it feels like the worst and most heart-breaking experience of Meixing's entire existence. Surviving will take all the resilience and inner belief of this brave girl to turn their world around.

'A Glasshouse of Stars is based on the real childhood experiences of the author, brushed with a light touch of magic realism.' (Publication summary)

'When Mary Pinny dies from a snakebite, she leaves her young daughter, Comity, and husband Herbert in the middle of nowhere. As Stationmaster of the Kinkindele Repeater Station, Herbert Pinny takes great pride in his job; receiving morse messages and passing them down the Wire to the rest of Australia and beyond. But Comity dreams of a different life - where her mother is alive and she has her own horse and a new piano - and sends letters to her grandmother and her snooty aunt full of colourful tales of her imaginary life. That is, until the new station assistant, Quartz Hogg, arrives and brings Comity and her father sharply back down to earth.'

*Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Sometimes you don't always get what you want. Instead of the rocket backpack, you might end up with a terrible suitcase for the very first day of school. And this makes you mad! But sometimes what you think is terrible, might not be so terrible after all, especially when there are rocket ships and new friends involved.

'The Terrible Suitcase is a lovely story about acceptance, making friends and new experiences.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Take two child geniuses (thieves in their spare time), one obsessed assassin, and the richest man in the world to create a compelling, completely unpredictable young adult thriller.

'Fifteen-year-olds Ashley and Benjamin have concocted a daring master plan: to steal billionaire Hammond Buckland's most precious belonging, hidden in the depths of his conspicuous corporate building. But Hammond Buckland has a most elaborate plan of his own - and none of them have counted on Peachey, the hit man with a determination to finish the job - at any cost!' (Publisher's blurb)

'When Danny Cloke writes to his favorite author, he doesn't think he'll end up bargaining with a ghost! But Cyril Spectre turns out to be a spirit with mighty powers, and he's happy to take revenge on Danny's real-life, twenty first century wicked stepmother for all the dreadful things she's made him do, like eating fried-hair sandwiches and cleaning up after her vicious pet hyena, Cuddles. Danny's desperate to stop awful Aunt Mildred, but Cyril's wild magic comes at a price. Too late, Danny realizes what it means to take a turn in the grave.' (Author's website)