AustLit

Have you ever thought about energy – the stuff that lights up our lives and powers our wonderful world?
 
'How does renewable energy work? Where does electricity come from? Why are fossil fuels bad for our environment? Renowned picture book creator Philip Bunting answers all these questions and more in this entertaining and enlightening look at the various ways we use energy to power the world around us.

'Superpower is packed with engaging and entertaining information for kids and their families, including helpful tips on easy ways to reduce energy consumption in our day-to-day lives. Learn the history of energy through time, discover how energy is produced and delve into the many forms of renewable energy available to us today.

'With a positive outlook and a generous dollop of humour, Superpower shows that using renewable energy and taking care of our environment can be both fun and rewarding.

'So get set to take a walk on the bright side and meet the sustainable super powers energising our future.' (Publication summary)

'We share our planet with some truly weird and wonderful creatures, from blobfish to pink fairy armadillos, who all (let’s be honest) seem pretty pointless. But what do these creatures actually do?! 

'A witty, quirky, colourfully-illustrated book featuring some very silly animals. With a humorous, sardonic tone throughout, it contains funny labelled diagrams and some excellent made-up Latin names (n.b. the jellyfish’s scientific name is not actually wibblious wobblious ouchii…) but, importantly, it conveys genuinely fascinating facts about these animals, who are perhaps not so pointless after all. ' (Publication summary)

'When visiting the zoo, whatever you do, DON’T WAKE THE PANDA! Join in the fantastic fun as one grumpy panda sets off a frenzy of wild partying.' (Publication summary)

'Good mums come in many different shapes and species.

'Get set to meet some of Mother Nature's most marvellous mums.

'Philip Bunting celebrates mothers with this laugh-out-loud book that combines his signature humour and glorious illustrations with fascinating facts about the what motherhood looks like across the animal kingdom.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When her parents announce their impending separation, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day—in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed and nothing is quite making sense.

'Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

'It Sounded Better in My Head is a tender, funny and joyful novel about longing, confusion, feeling left out and finding out what really matters—from an exciting new voice in Australian YA writing.' (Publication summary)

From the creator of I Just Ate My Friend, comes this warm and funny story about friendship, and its limits — or lack thereof.

'Benz, are we friends?'

'Yes, Baz, we are best friends'

'For how long?'

'For ever and ever.'

'But will they be?

'With her trademark humour, lightness of touch, and beautifully expressive illustrations, Heidi McKinnon explores friendship and its boundaries. And this one might even have a happy ending! (Maybe.)'  (Publication summary)

'Sixteen-year-old Therese lives in a small town on a small island. Her Aunt Kath calls her Tiger. Her friends call her Resey. The boy she loves calls her Champ. She’s a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Therese has always had her feet on the ground. She’s running through high school, but someone in her life is about to fall … And when he does, her perfect world falls with him. For the first time in her life, Therese can’t stand being on the ground. Girl Running, Boy Falling is a raw read about a girl and boy—who are beautifully flawed.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'When Marlowe gets a heart transplant and a second chance at life, all she wants is to thank her donor’s family. Maybe then she can move on. Maybe then she’ll discover who she is if she’s no longer The Dying Girl.

'But with a little brother who dresses like every day is Halloween, a vegan warrior for a mother and an all-out war with the hot butcher’s apprentice next door, Marlowe’s life is already pretty complicated. And her second chance is about to take an unexpected turn.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'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)

'Second-hand bookshops are full of mysteries

'This is a love story.

'It's the story of Howling Books, where readers write letters to strangers, to lovers, to poets, to words.

'It's the story of Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie. They were best friends once, before Rachel moved to the sea.

'Now, she's back, working at the bookstore, grieving for her brother Cal. She's looking for the future in the books people love, and the words that they leave behind.

'Sometimes you need the poets

'The new novel from the award-winning author of Graffiti Moon.' (Publication summary)

'Will the secrets of LaRoux Industries finally be exposed by Gideon Marchant, an eighteen-year-old computer hacker and an urban warrior, and fellow rebel and thief Sofia Quinn?

'A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now-infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness LaRoux Industries' corruption. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were the only survivors of the Icarus shipwreck, forced to live a double life after their rescue.

'Now, at the centre of the galaxy on Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players in the fight against LRI.

'Gideon Marchant is an underworld hacker known as the Knave of Hearts, ready to abseil his way past the best security measures on the planet to expose LRI's atrocities. Sofia Quinn, charming con artist, can work her way into any stronghold without missing a beat. When a foiled attempt to infiltrate LRI headquarters forces them into a fragile alliance, it's impossible to know who's playing whom - and whether they can ever learn to trust each other.

'With their lives, loves and loyalties at stake, only by joining forces with the Icarus survivors and Avon's protectors do they stand a chance of taking down the most powerful corporation in the galaxy - before LRI's secrets destroy them all.

'The New York Times bestselling Starbound trilogy comes to a close with this dazzling final instalment about the power of courage and hope in humanity's darkest hour.' (Publication summary)

'No one goes to bed without their faithful bear. But this irresistible story has a surprise in store!' (Publication summary)

'Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

'Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

'Flynn is leading the rebellion against the powerful conglomerate that rules Avon. These corporations terraform uninhabitable planets across the universe and recruit colonists with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon.

'Desperate for any advantage, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape together.

'The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.' (Publication summary)

'It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets to the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

'Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

'Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder - would they be better off staying in this place forever?

'Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

'The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.'

'Charlie Duskin is running. Fleeing from failures and memories and friends who have given up on her. And she's not only running, she's chasing things - like a father who will talk to her, friends who don't think she's as invisible as a piece of cling wrap, and an experience with a boy in which she doesn't look like an idiot.

'But Charlie Duskin is about to have the best summer of her life. She's about to meet a friend who'll change her forever. She's about to fall in love. She just doesn't know it yet.' (Publication summary)

'Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary, the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.' (From the publisher's website.)

'There's a reason that the number thirteen is bad luck: it sucks to be thirteen. You're definitely not a kid anymore, but your parents still treat you like one. No-one escapes thirteen unscathed - not even the best looking, most popular people with straight white teeth. The best you can do is be true to yourself, even when everything's changing. Girl v the World is a funny and inspiring series about thirteen-year-old girls taking on the world. Because you've got to be strong to take it on! Edi lives a weird double life. At school, it seems like everyone loves her, but at home, her parents barely notice she exist – except when her marks aren’t good enough. So when Edi hooks up with her crush Archie, she can hardly believe her luck. Archie is super cute, and his family are the exact opposite to hers – warm and welcoming. Edi finally has the family she’s always wanted and she loves Archie more than anything. But does Archie feel the same way?' (Publication summary)