AustLit

'Hey, you! Yes, you with the nose. Do you like adventure stories? Yes? Oh. Maybe try another book.

'This one is about me - Vognox the Viking - and I REALLY don't like adventures. There isn't a single exciting thing in here.

'Well, okay, there is that bit when I almost get sucked into a giant whirlpool.

'And the part where I'm chased by a dragon.

'Join three friends as they use their imagination, settle playground scores and alter the entire course of history in the process!

'Sid's schoolyard nemesis, Zachary Black, has stolen the most awesome comic Sid and his evil-genius neighbour, the Mighty Professor Skeletron, have ever made. Zachary sets Sid a challenge – beat him in an arm wrestle and the comic is theirs once again.

'Sid and Skeletron calculate Sid's chance of victory as 1 in 10 so they create a Time Rescrambler in order to allow Sid to take the challenge ten times . . . and eventually win! But on one occasion, Sid's sister, Wendy, hits the rewind button too hard and the trio are transported to the Mongolian plains in the year 1180. To make matters worse, the device falls into the hands of a great warrior.

'Will they save the world, or will life as we know it no longer exist?' (Publication summary)

'Join three oddball friends as they try to solve everyday challenges through the application of ‘science' – and in doing so, alter the entire course of history!

'It's Book Week and Sid's teacher, Mr. Pilchard, is furious. His class came last in the Poetry contest, mostly because of Sid's appalling effort. He gives Sid an ultimatum – write the winning entry in the story contest or be fed to the guinea pigs. Sid takes him seriously. He's seen Mr Pilchard do worse.

'Sid turns to his neighbour, Professor Skeletron (who also happens to be a 12-year-old evil genius) for help, and together they consult his psychic cat. Skeletron's cat reveals a ‘Complete Works of Shakespeare' in his laundry basket. The solution is obvious! Copy a Shakespeare story, but give it a sci-fi twist. Sid's bound to win. Shakespeare was the best writer in history. And it works! Sid does win. But unfortunately his story (an alien invasion take on Romeo and Juliet) is too good. It comes true! The team have no choice, they must find a way to travel back in time and change the past.

'Will they save the world, or will they make an enormous mess and change the world forever?' (Publication summary)

'On the Night of the Oni, a curse is triggered, and the samurai and the ninja tumble into battle once again!

'The samurai have been given the honour of protecting Lord Kaba-Sama from the frightful oni. But when the ninja play a cheeky trick, Kaba-Sama's greatest fear comes true – the oni is released. Only the bravest warrior can save them now.

'Hop on your horse and wax your wakizashi – another mega Samurai vs Ninja battle is about to begin!' (Publication summary)

'When a traditional festival goes explosively wrong, the samurai and the ninja are thrown into battle once again!

'The samurai and ninja have made a massive mistake. The ghosts of their ancestors have returned, and are now ruling the sparring clans with an iron fist. The only option to reclaim power? A fearsome fight to end them all.

'Kiss your katana and chisel your chopsticks – another epic Samurai vs Ninja battle is about to begin!' (Publication summary)

'When the Great Bear is stolen from Edo Castle, the samurai and the ninja face battle once again!

'The shogun has promised that whoever finds his most prized possession will be named ruler of the Hidden Valley. The race is on and the samurai and ninja will do anything to find it first!

'Nab your nunchucks and shine your shuriken – another great Samurai vs Ninja battle is about to begin!' (Publisher's abstract)

'Get ready for the greatest battle of all time!

'In the Edo Period of Japan, two teams fight for supremacy – the serious samurai and the scheming ninjas. To determine who is the best, a deadly contest is held. The prize is the Golden Egg, the most magnificent treasure in all of Japan. But when the ninjas cheat, the samurai will stop at nothing to get revenge.

'Tighten your topknot and sharpen your sword – the Samurai vs Ninja battle is about to begin!' (Publisher's abstract)

'There's nothing normal about Uncle Chunk. He's eccentric, unpredictable and full of deep dark secrets.

'So what's he doing turning up at Billy's house? He hasn't been seen for years. Has he just popped in, or is there more to this mystery than meets a were-dragon's eye?

'And that's not the only thing Billy's got to worry about. Miss Hicks the werewolf has returned to school and his nemesis Scratchhook is watching his every move . . .

Could this be the end of Billy the dragon?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Billy's teenage sister has been kidnapped by werewolves. And only Billy the dragon can save her.

Along with his best friend Jeanie, Benny the were-hamster and two highly trained were-chickens, Billy takes on his ultimate nemesis – Scratchhook the Shadow Shifter.

'But will this motley crew be enough to defeat the strongest Shifter of them all?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Billy is in serious trouble. He's struggling with his shapeshifting lessons, there's a werewolf out to get him and he's got the school soccer trials tomorrow.

'His best friend Jeanie is there to help, but how do you catch a werewolf when you don't know who it is?

'In a world where shop owners can turn into hamsters and teachers are trying to eat you, who can a ten-year-old were-dragon trust? ' (Publisher's blurb)

'A new, laugh-out-loud series from the author and illustrator of Saurus Street. When 9-year-old Billy Fincher visits his local pet shop and gets bitten by a lizard, strange things start to happen. He develops unusual symptoms, which include turning green, breathing fire and growing wings. Knowing these changes will not go down well at school, Billy tries to keep his new identity under wraps, but things go slightly amiss after he sets his math teacher's hair alight. While attempting to lay low at home, Billy gets trapped by his parents, who think he's an oversized exotic lizard, and ship him off to the zoo. Being a dragon turns out to be a little more complicated than Billy expected!' (Publisher's blurb)

'Saurus St is just like any other street . . . except for the dinosaurs! Captain Saurus is a local legend. He was a pirate that had a dinosaur-bone leg and a magic glass eye that carries a terrible curse. It can bring dinosaur bones back to life! When Jack and Toby find the eyeball while camping, they unleash an avalanche of dinosaurs of every shape and size. To reverse the curse the kids have to solve the Captain’s cunning clues . . . quickly!' (Publisher's blurb)

'Saurus St is just like any other street . . . except for the dinosaurs! Thomas’s grandparents live in the oldest house on Saurus Street. There’s no electricity, and the only toilet is a creaky old cabin in the garden. Thomas is terrified of that toilet. When he gets too close and falls down the hole, he discovers a dinosaur-sized secret that will change Saurus Street forever. Terrifying pterosaurs, squiggling squid and massive meteors are all part of the greatest adventure since the Cretaceous Period!' (Publisher's blurb)