AustLit

'Third instalment of the fast-paced middle-grade adventure series, following adventurologist Pearly Woe!

'Pearly Woe is a worrier.

'On remote Mammút Island off the coast of Iceland, Pearly’s worrying is put to the ultimate test when she and Pig are winched from a helicopter onto the island to complete a five-day survival challenge – alone.

'But they are not alone. And that is not the only surprise in store for Pearly and Pig as Mammút Island reveals its many secrets.' (Publication summary)

'L.M. Montgomery meets Ruth Park in a story of friendship, hope and resilience.

'You have a big heart. And people blessed with a big heart have a choice to make. Do they fill that heart with light and love or do they fill it with darkness and hate? This is your choice to make, Matilda. Make it wisely.

'Tilda Moss refuses to believe her papa has abandoned her and left her, alone and orphaned, in Brushwood Convent and Home for Girls, no matter what Sister Agatha says. A promise is a promise and Papa promised he would be back for her as soon as he returns from the war.

'But Tilda is convinced the dreadful Sister Agatha is out to get her. Why is she so hateful all the time? She insists that Matilda declare to all at the convent that she is an orphan. She is not an orphan and she will never say it! Something is amiss and Tilda and her best friend Annie need to find out what before it is too late.' (Publication summary)

'A delightful addition to the Nature Storybooks series, The Echidna Near My Place tells the story of a child and their nana, and the echidna they love to follow around

'Nana and I walk through the paddock most days. And you know what? An echidna lives here. We don’t always see it. But I’m always looking for it.

'As a young child and their nana go for walks together, they follow a short-beaked echidna keenly observing and discussing what its life might be life. Learn with them about what echidnas eat, where they live, and how they protect themselves.

'A wonderful addition to the acclaimed and award-winning Nature Storybook series, which provides memorable reading experiences, combining narrative and factual forms.' (Publication summary)

'A fast-paced junior fiction adventure starring a plucky new heroine that has to face her fears to save her parents, her friend and the day!

'Pearly Woe is a worrier. She worries about everything, especially that she’ll never be brave enough to become a member of the top-secret group of stealth adventurers – The Adventurologists’ Guild. Pearly also has a special talent – she can talk to animals. Her favourite animal to talk to is her pet pig, called Pig. But with her parents missing, Pig pig-napped and Pearly a stowaway on an icebreaker heading for Antarctica, Pearly’s worries just got REAL.' (Publication summary)

'Chance is in Year 7 and thinks she has it all - a loving mother, dog Tiges, best friend and almost-sister next door. But when a reality TV team makes over her house, she discovers newspaper cuttings from the past that cause her to question the world as she knows it and everyone in it. Then she finds herself caught between two realities, identities and worlds. Face-to-face with the truth, Chance has a very difficult decision to make, which almost splits her in two. This powerful story explores what is true and what is fake in today’s world. And while Chance is all about the truth, she ponders whether "Maybe being truthful was really just a big lie."'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Have you ever wondered why Henny Penny thought the sky was falling? Well, here’s a story that might just give you the answer. Told from Fox’s point of view this magical tale links fairy story and nursery rhyme characters in a delightful, funny and quirky way. All Fox wants is a tasty meal to fill his hungry belly. But he keeps wandering into the WRONG stories. No dinner for him – just more trouble! Will Fox ever find the RIGHT story?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Beware the deep, dark forest! You should never, ever go in there . . . Rosie has always followed this rule until the day her pup Tinky goes missing in the woods. So Rosie decides to trek into this dangerous, muddy place. But there are many obstacles along the way - including a huge grey wolf, a scary ravine and a ferocious troll!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Mackenzie da Luca's mother is missing - she's vanished without a trace in the jungles of Panama. Now, 116 days later Mackenzie and her dad are in those same jungles. Her dad is desperate to find out what's happened to his wife. And Mackenzie is desperate to make sure he doesn't ...' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Platypus leaves his burrow in the riverbank and dives into the cool green pool. It is dusk and he is hungry. Platypus is always busy, always moving, looking for his next meal. Follow platypus as he plays, swims, dives and scurries around his riverbank home. ' (Publication summary)

'"It's as if the wooden chest is luring me, urging me to open it - daring me almost. Open me up. Look inside. Come on, just for a second; it won't hurt."

'Celina O'Malley was sixteen years old when she disappeared. Now, almost forty years later, Bayley is sleeping in Celina's room, wearing her clothes, hearing her voice. What does Celina want? And who will suffer because of it? A ghost story. A love story. A story of revenge.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Bruno was too excited for his jam toast. Today was his Big Day. Today, Bruno was going for a swim. A swim in the sea - the big blue sea. But will he be brave enough?' (Publisher's blurb)

'What do you do when life's spinning out of control?

'Cooper Jones longs for the time when life was simple. When all he needed to worry about was whether to change his undies or make do. Now, suddenly, his life has become all too complicated. Cooper is plagued with thoughts about the father he has never known - the man he suspects as being a cowardly loser; the man he suspects he is starting to take after. Then there's Mum. She has been acting weirder than normal, as if Cooper growing a few centimetres is a criminal offence. What is going on there?

'When the gorgeous Abeba arrives in Wangaroo Bay, Cooper's anguish cranks up a notch, as he realises that he's not the only one whose life is complicated. Set against the backdrop of a fiery summer, Cooper needs to realise that when life is spinning out of control, sometimes you just need to get a grip.' (From the publisher's website.)

'A story about a boy staying with his prickly cactus-devotee relatives, who discovers one of their plants is not only rare – it's totally freaky!

'When Jayden's parents go off on their second honeymoon, he's forced to stay with his eccentric and prickly cactus-devotee relatives. But Jayden's boredom turns to distress when his aunt and uncle bring home an unusual cactus. There's just something spooky about it. And when it starts shaking and increasing in size, he knows his instincts are right. Jayden soon discovers that it's an extremely rare and dangerous cactus that houses a nest of tarantula eggs!

Source: Publisher's blurb.