AustLit

'Australian bushfires roar above Wombat’s home. He is fortunate that his burrow is deep below ground and he is safe. He snuggles under his crazy quilt and drinks his tea. Soon his frightened friend Wallaby shows up at his door. “Oh Wombat! I c-c-can’t reach my home! M-m-may I stay with you awhile?”

'Wombat pauses only for a tick of the clock, and says, “Come in!”

'Then, one by one, five uniquely Australian animals – the Wallaby, a Kookaburra, a Platypus, a Koala, and a Sugar Glider – seek refuge from the fires, and Wombat welcomes them all. When you have the heart of a wombat, there’s always room for one more!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The day I created a boy started out like any other.

'Katie didn't mean to create a boy. A boy like a long-lost Hemsworth brother: six-foot tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer's day; whose lips taste like cookie dough and whose skin smells like springtime.

'A boy who is completely devoted to Katie.

'He was meant to be perfect.

'But he was never meant to exist.' (Publication summary)

'You know all those movies where teenagers have, like, THE SUMMER OF THEIR LIVES? This summer is probably not going to be that.

'The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone. Not when her Dad is AWOL for Christmas and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s shaky confidence. And her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved.

'But Maisie’s got something to prove. As she writes down all the ways this summer is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

' After tiring of the needs of overly demanding princesses, Prince Henrik devises a test to find a girl who s not so sensitive, using a very thin mattress and an entire packet of frozen peas. His dream girl shows up unexpectedly in the form of his old friend Pippa, who is all too happy to pitch a tent or play a hard game of hockey, after which she finds the perfect use for that packet of peas! In this twist on the fairy tale, Tony Wilson and Sue DeGenarro deliver a freshly humorous take on one prince s search for the just-right girl of his dreams.' (Publication summary)

'Joshua is good at magic tricks, ignoring his homework, and not thinking about life after year twelve. He's not so good at talking to Sophia, the genius in his class who he's had a crush on for years. But with their time together in high school running out, he has to do something about it, soon - because if he's learned one thing, it's that timing is everything, Sophia is smart enough to know that geniuses like her can end up as socially inept recluses.

'In fact, maybe she's halfway there already, what with the panic attacks and her best (and only) friend Elsie drifting away. All Sophia can do is seek refuge in what she understands best: maths, science, logic. But there's no logical explanation for the odd, almost magical things happening around her. And there are some things no amount of study can prepare you for... ' (Synopsis)

'Seventeen-year-old Alba is an aspiring comic-book artist, pastry enthusiast and eternal optimist. She thinks life in her tiny town is awesome (if predictable) and she never wants it to change.

'Unfortunately Alba's just finished year 12 – so the only thing she can predict is that everything's going to change.

'Even so, Alba didn't see the end of the world coming. Apart from a questionable television psychic, no-one did. And for some reason, the world seems to be taking this guy seriously.

'As the tiny town is besieged by doomsday enthusiasts, Alba's life is thrown into chaos. The childhood friend she thought was gone forever unexpectedly reappears; the boy who has been her best friend forever is determined to leave; and even her latest comic book creation, Cinnamon Girl, is out of control.

'It could be the very last summer of Alba's life, but impending Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.* Alba is about to discover that when it comes to her heart, there may not be infinite time to get things right…' (Publication summary)

'SAM KINNISON IS A GEEK, AND HE'S TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT.

'He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft - and until Princess Leia turns up in his bedroom, worry about girls he won't.

'Then Camilla Carter turns up instead. She's beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his plan. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a plan of her own - and he seems to be part of it.

'Sam believes that everything he needs to know he can learn from the movies. But perhaps he's been watching the wrong ones.

'Life in Outer Space is Melissa Keil's brilliantly sweet and funny debut YA novel. It's also the first book ever to be signed up through the Ampersand Project, Hardie Grant Egmont's initiative for emerging YA writers.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Fish come in all sorts of shapes, colours and sizes. And many of them can do amazing things!

'Can you imagine fish that leap and glide, fish that crawl on land and fish with flashing lights?

'They’re all here in Fabulous Fishes!' (Publisher's blurb)

'Angela Throgmorton decides it is high time that Old Tom helped around the house. But Old Tom has other ideas...Who is that mysterious figure disappearing into the night? Join Angela and Old Tom on a wild chase through the dark streets, with Angela determined to unmask the Man of Mystery! '  (Publication summary)

'Angela Throgmorton lives with her mangy cat, the troublesome but lovable Old Tom. One morning Angela receives some exciting news: she's won an all-expenses paid luxury holiday--for one. Angela is sad to leave Old Tom, but there is plenty of food in the freezer and he needs to clean his room anyway. Angela visits museums and royal gardens, she rides on boats and trains, and she photographs everything so she can share the pictures with Old Tom when she gets home. But everywhere she goes, she sees something that reminds her of her beloved pet. The lonelier she gets, the more she misses Old Tom. Then a wonderful surprise turns Angela's solo adventure into a delightful holiday for two.' (Booktopia)

'Through a series of recollections, Where in the World tells the compelling story of Ari, an eleven-year-old boy with a gift for music.

'For such a young boy, Ari has already had to face some big issues in his life: emigrating from Germany to Australia with his mother, leaving behind his beloved grandfather, whom he and his mother have lived with since the death of Ari's father in a car accident; developing a relationship with his new stepfather, Jamie; and learning how to deal with his musical talent, the expectations it places on him, and what it will mean for his future. By remembering his early travels around Europe with his mother, and translating his memories of people and places into pieces of music, Ari grows to realise that life is composed of many kinds of journeys - figurative as well as literal - and accepting those journeys is part of finding your place in the world.

'With beautifully drawn characters, this is a gentle and moving book. ' (Publication summary)