AustLit

'A glorious celebration of happiness from multi-award-winning author-illustrator Emma Quay

'Happy on the inside,

inside-out.

Happy all over -

splash it all about.

'From Emma Quay, the award-winning and much-loved creator of Rudie Nudie, comes an irresistible and joyous celebration of all the small joys to be found in the everyday.' (Publication summary)

'The inspiring story of the nursing hero who survived a wartime massacre and dedicated her life to saving others - from the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of Flinders, The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, Hudson Fysh and Banjo

'Bangka Island, 1942: Australian Army nurse Vivian Bullwinkel was just twenty-six when Japanese soldiers marched her and her fellow nurses into the shallow waters of a remote beach to be executed.

'Miraculously, Vivian would be the lone survivor - and she committed the rest of her long life to an exceptional peacetime career which she lived in tribute to her lost friends. The Lieutenant-Colonel would also be the first woman to be honoured with a statue at the Australian War Memorial for her extraordinary bravery and service - a country girl who become one of the highest ranking women in the Australian army, and who spent her life caring for others.

'Growing up in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Vivian started work at a local hospital and joined the Australian Army Nursing Service in World War II. When the Japanese attacked Singapore in 1942, she and sixty-four other nurses were ordered to evacuate, but soon their ship was bombed by enemy aircraft. Some of the women drowned, but Viv made it to Radji Beach on Bangka Island, off Sumatra, with twenty-one of her nursing colleagues.

'There Japanese soldiers forced the women to wade back into the sea, and as Vivian felt a bullet slam into her back, she fell face down into the water then waited to die as the soldiers bayonetted survivors. Somehow Vivian lived.

'For the next three and a half years Viv was a prisoner of war in a series of brutal Japanese camps where she helped other inmates survive the horror. When peace was restored, she went on to become a giant of Australian nursing - and was a key driver of Operation Babylift, the mass rescue of young orphans during the Vietnam War. For her extraordinary efforts, Vivian was awarded numerous honours, but she never forgot her fallen colleagues, whose lives she paid tribute to with her service to nursing.

'From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of Flinders, The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, Banks and Hudson Fysh, Sister Viv tells the astonishing story of the courage, sacrifice, service, and love of an Australian nursing hero who survived against the odds and dedicated her life to the care of others.' (Publication summary)

'It took an ocean to learn it's not how fast you paddle but how deep inside you dig.

'254 days, 12,700 kilometres, sea sickness, sharks, crocodiles and ocean. Bonnie Hancock broke numerous records on her fastest ever circumnavigation by paddle around Australia but that wasn't the achievement she is most proud of. Testing the limits of her mental and physical toughness, she learned what it means to overcome adversity and how important teamwork and perspective truly are. What looks distressing from the rocky shore or storm-tossed waves can be inspiring when you look to the heavens.

'The Girl Who Touched the Stars is a love story, a travelogue and an exhilarating exploration of human ambition coming face to face with the beauty and power of nature. But most of all it's a lesson in overcoming self-doubt, trusting others and finding your true self. Bonnie demonstrates vividly and honestly the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of reaching for the stars.' (Publication summary)

'An ode to the mother/baby relationship and ties to family and land

'Being your miimi (mother) is the most precious gift life can give.

'When you were born you opened my heart as wide as the ocean.

'Join Miimi (Mother) as she shares stories with her Buwaarr (baby) about the environment, language and totems; passing on the wisdom of Gumbaynggirr culture and a mother's hopes for baby's future.

'A lyrical and heart-stirring series by Gumbaynggirr artist Melissa Greenwood, creator of Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth, My Little Barlaagany (Sunshine) and Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean.' (Publication summary)

'The hilarious and unmissable new series about Gilbert, a boy whose best friend is an imaginary giant fluffy bunny called Fluff, from the creator who brought us The Odds, Funny Kid and Bored.

'Sometimes it's better to clean up your own mess ...

'Fluff and Gilbert have made an enormous mess.

'It's bedlam and they really don't want to get their hands dirty, but then they have a brilliant idea and go into business.

'Can Fluff and Gilbert's enterprise become a global cleaning empire and literally clean up?

'From the creator of Funny Kid and The Odds comes a seriously messy adventure!' (Publication summary)

'Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy.

'Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they're needed most ... the place where the perfect book will find its way home.

'Now Mim has arrived in wonderful Venice, city of canals, palaces, bridges, boats and ... quarrels. Gondolier battles, cat nappings and laundry theft are just the beginning. The Magnifico family and the Forte family are at war.

'Mim knows they're here to help the feuding families. To show them a better way to behave. To bring an end to the vicious vendetta.

'If only Mim could find each of them the right book. If only they'd all stop reading the wrong books.' (Publication summary)

'A First Nations Elder shares his extraordinary story of finding kindness in the midst of prejudice, and joy in living life to the full

'Welcome to my story. It's a simple story of a simple person, who's lived a long life now with some struggles along the way. I didn't learn a lot in school, not in the classroom, anyway. But I learned a lot from life.'

'Vince Copley was born on a government mission into poverty in 1936. By the time he was fifteen, five of his family had died. But at a home for Aboriginal boys, he befriended future leaders Charles Perkins, John Moriarty and Gordon Briscoe. They were friendships that would last a lifetime.

'Always remember you're as good as anybody else,' his mother, Kate, often told him. And he was, becoming a champion footballer and premiership-winning coach. But change was in the air, and Vince knew he had more to contribute. So he teamed up with Charlie Perkins, his 'brother' from the boys' home, to help make life better for his people. At every step, with his beloved wife, Brenda, Vince found light in the darkness, the friendly face in the crowd, the small moments and little things that make the world go round.

'In The Wonder of Little Things, Vince tells his story with humour, humility and wisdom. Written with his friend Lea McInerney over many cups of tea, it is an Australian classic in the making, a plain-speaking account of hardship, courage and optimism told without self-pity or big-noting.

'Vince's love of life will make you smile, his heartache will make you cry, and his determination to enjoy life in the face of adversity will inspire you to find the wonder in little things every day.'(Publication summary)

'A no-holds-barred collection of Australian boxing yarns by one of Australia's bestselling storytellers and boxing aficionado, Grantlee Kieza

'Boxing has given Australian sport some of our most inspiring champions and captivating tales. Stories of underdogs overcoming heartbreaks and hurdles, of endless courage and dedication, triumph and tragedy, of bitter feuds and fatal showdowns, and of tough Australian battlers who became giants in the ring.

'Some of our most celebrated sporting legends have been fighters - from the heroes Les Darcy and Dave Sands, to the iconic Lionel Rose and Johnny Famechon, to the huge modern drawcards such as Jeff Fenech, George Kambosos, Kostya and Tim Tszyu, and the flamboyant female stars Sharon Anyos and Ebanie Bridges.

'For many, tenacity and sheer grit ran like molten steel in their veins - Lionel Rose rising from poverty in the bush to being mobbed by a quarter of a million people after his 1968 world title win. Jai Opetaia ignoring agony to win a world title with a broken jaw in 2022. Jeff Horn, a bullied schoolboy, out-toughing Filipino Manny Pacquiao, one of the most ferocious sluggers of all time.

'From the first brawls in old Sydney Town, the travelling boxing tents across the country and the first black world heavyweight champion to today's most celebrated fighters, Australia's pre-eminent boxing journalist and former assistant trainer to some of the ring's most talented champions presents our nation's greatest boxing stories.' (Publication summary)

'The hilarious and unmissable new series about Gilbert, a boy whose best friend is an imaginary giant fluffy bunny called Fluff, from the creator who brought us The Odds, Funny Kid and Bored.

'For Gilbert Morris, the day begins badly with his undies flapping on the school gate and his name written across them in big black letters!

'When your dad's missing in outer space and the school bully is on your case, there's only one thing to do- call on your best friend for help.

'But what if your best friend is totally furry and completely out of the  ordinary?' (Publication summary)

'A new heartwarming novel set in 1950s Australia from bestselling author Katrina Nannestad

'Nettie Sweeney has a dad, three big sisters, a farm full of cows and a cat called Mittens. But it's not enough. She longs for a mother. One with a gentle touch and sparkles in her eyes. Instead, she has Aunty Edith with slappy hands, a sharp tongue and the disturbing belief that peas are proper food.

'When Dad marries Alice, all Nettie's dreams come true. The Sweeney home overflows with laughter, love and, in time, a baby brother. Billy. The light of Nettie's life.

'Then tragedy strikes. The Sweeney family crumbles. Nettie tries to make things right, but has she made everything so much worse?

'From multi-award-winning Australian author Katrina Nannestad comes a heartbreakingly beautiful and uplifting historical novel. Life and death. Weddings and flood. Coronation joy and post-war grief. Nettie Sweeney and her community experience it all. Together. With humour, kindness and love.' (Publication summary)

'Brand-new picture books inspired by much-loved Australian kids' TV institution, Play School.

'Maurice is getting ready to start big school. He's excited and a bit nervous too.

'His friends are here to take this step with him, to make new friends and begin their learning adventure together.

'The Play School Mindfully Me series helps children and their carers tackle life's challenges together - big or small.' (Publication summary)

'It's snow time! Laugh your head off with the super-popular Funny Kid series!

'Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

'When Max and his friends holiday at a ski resort for the rich and famous, Max realises that everything he could ever need to be happy is all here in one place and he's determined to fit in quick-smart!

'Max is the funny kid, but will his jokes work in the snow?

'Frozen pyjamas, fast cars, falling gracefully off cliffs, a wild mountain man, impossible chair lifts and a high-end fashion parade from lost property are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends in this brand-new Funny Kid adventure.

'FUNNY KID is the mega-bestselling series from author-illustrator Matt Stanton that has everyone laughing!' (Publication summary)