AustLit

'Lin's excited about her first school sports day until she comes last. A relatable picture book about endurance and resilience from the award-winning author and Australian Survivor contestant, Wai Chim.

'It's Sports Day! Everyone has a different House colour.
I'm in the Red House. Go Red!
It's time for the sack race. On your marks, get set, go!
But not everyone can come first.Sometimes winning means finishing, even if you finish last.

'A reassuring celebration of the spirit to keep going, from award-winning author Wai Chim and acclaimed illustrator Freda Chiu.'(Publication summary)

'A novel about growing up in a migrant Asian family with a mother who is suffering from mental illness, from the highly commended author of Freedom Swimmer.

'Anna Chiu has her hands pretty full looking after her brother and sister and helping out at her dad's restaurant, all while her mum stays in bed. Dad's new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren't right at home, she's starting to feel like she could just be a normal teen.

'But when Mum finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as Mum's condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.

'A nourishing tale about the crevices of culture, mental wellness and family, and the surprising power of a good dumpling.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Shaozhen has no intention of staying in his remote Henan village and becoming another poor farmer: he’ll finish school, and then, hopefully, work in a factory in one of the major cities, just like his father. But when Shaozhen returns home for the summer holidays, imagining days filled with nothing but playing basketball with his friends, he’s in for a shock. The worst drought in over sixty years threatens the crops that the entire village relies on for income. As the water situation becomes dire, Shaozhen realises he must come up with a plan. But will it be enough to save his family and friends and secure the future of his village?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ming survived the famine that killed his parents during China's 'Great Leap Forward', and lives a hard but adequate life, working in the fields with his fellow villagers...When a group of city boys come to the village as part of a government re-education program, Ming and his friends aren't sure what to make of the new arrivals. They're intellectuals not used to hard labour and village life. But despite his reservations, Ming befriends a charming city boy called Li. The two couldn't be more different, but slowly they form a bond over evening swims and dreamlike discussions...But as the bitterness of life under the Party begins to take its toll on both boys, they begin to imagine the impossible: freedom.' (Publication summary)

'From a talented voice in children's storytelling comes the final heart-warming tale in the humorous Chook Chook trilogy set against the backdrop of China.

'It's Chinese New Year and for Mei and her family things are looking grim. It's been another bad harvest and a disappointing year for their farm. And now, the government is building a major freeway that will rip right through their village and tear their little farm apart.

'One by one, Mei's neighbours are convinced to sell their land and despite Ma's and stepfather Jin's best efforts to fight, it looks like their farm will be next.

'What can Mei and her beloved chickens, Little and Lo, do to save their farm and keep the family together? As the deadline for bulldozing draws near, villagers young and old will come to realise that it takes a village to save a farm.' (Publication summary)

"'Why can't things just go back to normal? The way they were before?' I whispered in the dark. With chickens Little and Lo now an accepted part of the family, Mei is happier than ever. That is, until Ma decides to marry the one-eyed butcher. Now Mei has a new dad, a new brother and new pets to contend with. As if that isn't enough, her brother Guo decides to leave the farm and study in the city. Mei's not so sure there's a place for her and her chickens in the little farmhouse anymore. So when Little and Lo get into trouble, she knows she has to escape. Can one girl and two chickens find their way alone in the big city?" (Source: Asia Bookroom)

'From a new voice in children's storytelling comes a heartfelt tale of love, loss and the power of kindness set against the backdrop of rural China. Since the death of Mei's father, her ma has refused to keep animals on the family farm. So when Mei finds two baby chickens, she shares her delightful discovery with no one but her older brother Guo. Mei does her best to keep her newfound friends a secret, but all does not go as planned.

'When Ma sells the chooks to the fearsome one-eyed butcher, their fates seem sealed. Is there anything Mei can do to save her beloved chooks from the butcher's knife?' 

Source: Publisher's blurb.