AustLit

'RUNT is a heartfelt and hilarious contemporary Australian family feature film, set in the country town of Upson Downs. It tells the story of eleven-year-old Annie Shearer and her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt, who try to save their family farm by competing in the Agility Course Grand Championships at the prestigious Krumpets Dog Show in London. Annie lives on the struggling sheep farm with her brother Max, her parents Bryan and Susie, and Annie’s grandma Dolly.'

Source: Screenwest.

'A heart-warming, funny, beautifully told story for readers of all ages from the bestselling author of Jasper Jones and Honeybee.

''You don't have to carry the weight of the world in your tool belt.'

'Annie Shearer likes to fix things. She lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond.

'After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when greedy local landowner Earl Robert-Barren puts her family's home at risk, Annie directs Runt's extraordinary talents towards a different pursuit - winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London.

'However, two things stand in her way.

'There is Fergus Fink, a vain and villainous dog handler determined to prevent Annie from upstaging him.

'And a curious predicament: Runt will only obey Annie's commands if nobody else is watching.

'Though she's used to fixing problems on her own, Annie enlists the help of her quirky family. There's Susie, her vibrantly fashionable mother, who is the worst baker in the nation. Her father, Bryan, who inherited the family farm and has a hidden passion for flower cultivation. Her teenage brother Max, an aspiring daredevil. And her grandmother Dolly, a one time champion sportswoman who, years after the death of her husband Wally, is now looking for love. Each make sacrifices and employ their own unique skills to get Annie and Runt to London.

'With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds and the fastest dogs in the world to save her farm.

'Runt is a heartwarming and hilarious tale of kindness, friendship, hurdles, hoops, tunnels, see-saws, and, above all, being yourself and bringing out the best in others.' (Publication summary)

'The highly anticipated new novel by the bestselling author of Jasper Jones.

'Find out who you are, and live that life.'

'Late in the night, fourteen-year-old Sam Watson steps onto a quiet overpass, climbs over the rail and looks down at the road far below.

'At the other end of the same bridge, an old man, Vic, smokes his last cigarette.

'The two see each other across the void. A fateful connection is made, and an unlikely friendship blooms. Slowly, we learn what led Sam and Vic to the bridge that night. Bonded by their suffering, each privately commits to the impossible task of saving the other.

'Honeybee is a heart-breaking, life-affirming novel that throws us headlong into a world of petty thefts, extortion plots, botched bank robberies, daring dog rescues and one spectacular drag show.

'At the heart of Honeybee is Sam: a solitary, resilient young person battling to navigate the world as their true self; ensnared by a loyalty to a troubled mother, scarred by the volatility of a domineering step-father, and confounded by the kindness of new alliances.

'Honeybee is a tender, profoundly moving novel brimming with vivid characters and luminous words. It's about two lives forever changed by a chance encounter -- one offering hope, the other redemption. It's about when to persevere, and when to be merciful, as Sam learns when to let go, and when to hold on.' (Publication summary)

'In the heart of the Western Australian gold rush a woman risks everything to find her missing husband.'

Source: Screen Australia.

'Meet Liam Mckenzie, a lonely twelve-year-old boy whose alter ego is the Masked Avenger, a superhero with powers so potent, so fast, not even he can fully comprehend their extent. Dressed in his superhero outfit and accompanied by his best friend, Richie the Power-Beagle, the Masked Avenger roams his neighbourhood late at night fixing sprinklers and putting away forgotten rubbish bins.

But all is not well on the quiet street. The Masked Avenger is concerned about Joan, a woman who lives down the end of the street and weighed down by her troubles. The Masked Avenger believes the Amber Amulet can save Joan, and over a secret mission late one evening, they meet face-to-face, and an extraordinary friendship is formed.' Source: www.barkinggecko.com.au (Sighted 14/09/2012).

'Late on a hot summer night in the tail end of 1965, Charlie Bucktin, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleep-out. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress.

'Jasper takes him through town and to his secret glade in the bush, and it's here that Charlie bears witness to Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion as he locks horns with his tempestuous mother; falls nervously in love and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend, Jeffrey Lu.

'And in vainly attempting to restore the parts that have been shaken loose, Charlie learns to discern the truth from the myth, and why white lies creep like a curse. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Warren is a guide dog with an inflated ego. He has always known that he was destined for great things. He was born with a good heart. He was going to help people. A Working Dog, with Big Responsibilities …

Warren’s particular views of the world, together with outstanding illustrations by Sonia Martinez, make this a stand-out book for readers of all ages.' (Publication summary)