AustLit

'Ever get the feeling your life would qualify for National Disaster Relief? Say hello to Erin Costello.

Erin's pretty much your average teenage girl ... except that her mother has all the maternal instincts of a black widow spider, and her dad is out of work and completely clueless. That's probably why they're divorced. Not that anyone except Erin seems to care. Certainly not Erin's sucky little brother Ben, who's too busy making money, or her best friend, Rami, who is turning into a fanatical environmental activist - with the emphasis on mental. And definitely not Creepazoid - Erin's mum's new boyfriend - who may or may not be a drug-dealing pervert disguised as a mild-mannered PE teacher! It's an eventful year for Erin Costello, but is her imagination running wild?' (Publisher's blurb)

'Tilly, Zara and Mieke have always spent each summer together at Indigo Bay. But this year Tilly and Zara will have to spend the first week together without Mieke. Tilly isn't sure how she'll get along with golden girl Zara. Mieke has always been a buffer between them.

'But what Tilly doesn't know is that Zara is battling hidden demons, and has her own concerns. Will they survive this summer unscathed?' (Publisher's blurb)

'"Life never starts when you think it will. When I turned 15, I figured I'd be tossed the keys to the city, make out with a hottie, and have a modest parade thrown in my honour. But all that happened was that I got out of doing the washing up. The day we moved to Sydney was supposed to be the start of the new Mia Mannix - confident, charming, taller. But so far, it sucked".

'Mia Mannix has made a deal: in return for moving from the social backwater of the Snowy Mountains to life in the fast lane in Sydney, she's promised her dad she'd give up music and concentrate on "real" art.

'But that was before she discovered new friends, a cool record store and a ridiculously hot rockstar.

'She's With the Band is for every girl who's ever wanted to start a band, had a crush on the wrong boy, or made a promise she couldn't keep.' (Publisher's blurb)

'"I solemnly swear that I will never, ever be friends with Mackenzie Woodrow as long as we both shall live," said Jem. "Excellent," said Mackenzie. Jem is a nerd, smart and forthright. Mackenzie is a golden girl, excelling at schoolwork, sport and drama, and popular with everyone. One night, at the Year 10 camp, Jem and Mackenzie strike up an unlikely friendship and are soon spending all their time together. But when camp ends, can Mackenzie and Jem maintain their bond at school, with all its unspoken rules, fierce cliques and easy misunderstandings?

'A lively and poignant story about the intensity of true friendship.' (Publisher's blurb)

'"I did meet a Boy," Midge snaps. "He has wavy brown hair, and he's English. I met him at the Library. We had romantic picnics by the river and we kissed. A lot."

'Midge has never had a boyfriend - so she makes one up. Then she is paired for the Major Project with George, the New Boy, who doodles dragons, tucks in his shirt, has a mysterious past and an unseemly interest in secrets. Soon Midge's white lie turns into a web of deceit as she fabricates emails from her imaginary boyfriend, and even a MySpace page.

'Then one day, Midge comes face-to-face with her imaginary boyfriend in the school corridor. Tall, brown wavy hair, English accent - he's exactly as she'd described him - right down to his name. Ben catches on quickly and rescues her from certain humiliation - kissing her in front of all her friends. He seems the answer to her prayers. A dream come true. The Perfect Boyfriend! But he turns out to be not quite perfect after all, and before long Midge finds herself in all sorts of trouble.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Saph's life is pretty perfect. At 16, she's already doing what she loves: dancing in a cheerleading squad for a professional basketball team. So when she gets a Valentine from her secret crush, all her dreams seem to be within reach. But the harder Saph dances after her dreams, the more her real life starts to get in the way. Worst of all, the Valentine turns out to be a hoax. Humiliated and angry, Saph and her best friend, Summer, are determined to get revenge.' (Publication summary)

'Janey couldn't wait to see her friends' faces. Imagine, she thought. I have a stalker. Like I'm some kind of A-list celeb or something.

'Who is the sinister 'Fellini', tracking Janey Gordon through cyberspace? And why is he posting warnings to her MySpace page?

'Sixteen-year-old Janey is all alone in the world apart from her trio of best friends ... until she discovers a mysterious letter that leads her to long-lost family, thousands of miles away in Italy.

'So she heads off on a Roman holiday with a suitcase full of glam outfits courtesy of her fashion-addict bestie, Ness, and a list of must-see locations from her film-buff buddy, Em. It should be a time of sun, food, shopping and cute guys - but there's someone shadowing every step she takes.

'Living the sweet life can be a dangerous thing ...' (Publication summary)

'Holly hates her name, her looks and her life. She isn't in with the right crowd and she has little hope of dating the gorgeous Raph McDonald. With Cassie staying, she has to move out of her bedroom into the tiny, smelly spare room, and she feels her life couldn't be more unfair. So when Demi, the coolest girl in school, invites Holly on a make-over shopping spree, she jumps at the chance. Even Cass can see that Holly is stretching her wings. But will she fly or fall?

'Before long Holly learns that appearances can be deceptive and friendship can blossom in unexpected places ...' (Publisher's blurb)

'Just remember, Isla, when you're searching for happiness, it knows all the best hiding places. (Gran McGonnigle)

'Isla McBay is not delighted to have left Scotland for sunny Australia. For starters, she can't swim - not great for pool parties. She misses her gran and her friends, her dad's giving her unbelievably irritating driving lessons, and she's constantly fighting with her younger sister, Terry, who always does everything first. Even her photography class with dreamy Sam Doyle and annoying yet intriguing Jack Ferris can't cure Isla's homesickness...

'Then Terry comes to Isla with a serious problem, forcing Isla to make a choice: will she be the better sister Terry needs her to be - or will she close her eyes to what's really important?' (Publication summary)

'When her dad breaks his leg, Skye has to lead the muster on her family's cattle station in the Kimberley. She's never been the boss on a muster before and her job gets harder with the surprise arrival of her high-maintenance fashionista best friend from boarding school. On the upside there is the very handsome Dan, a young jackaroo. But while Skye is a great horse rider and a seasoned cattle wrangler, she's ill-equipped to handle the human element and in this beautiful yet harsh country, jealousy, hot-tempers and inexperience may cost her more than she could have imagined. It will certainly be a cattle muster Skye will never forget...

'A compelling tale of cow-wrangling, crocodiles, campfires, silent tears and stolen kisses that unfolds beneath the big sky over a dramatic and unforgiving landscape.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Everything I know about love I learned in one short year. Somehow I'd coasted along all my life and then I fell in love twice, bam bam, just like that, and it left my heart spinning...

'Ruby-lee is cynical about love; after all, she's watched her sister Shandra call off her wedding three times a week. But when Shandra volunteers her to babysit her friend's seven month old baby, Ruby-lee discovers just what love means. First she's overcome by powerful feelings for tiny Maisy, then she starts spending time with Maisy's dad, Spence. She even begins to imagine a future together, as a family. But where will Ruby-lee's fantasies lead? And what sort of trouble could they get her into? When it looks like Ruby-lee might lose everything, she has to discover what love truly is to find her own heart.' (Publication summary)

''I was very clear about my future from here - first, nail my floor routine; next, qualify for the state squad, and finally, compete at the Australian Championships. It was all so sharp - my path lit with a spotlight that put everything else in dreary shadows.'

'Jade is a girl who knows what she wants. She knows how to get it too. But when a knee injury interrupts her plans, she feels lost and unsure. It's a bad time to get her annoyed.

'When a sexist remark gets her blood boiling, Jade thinks she's found something to fight for. If she sets up a race to prove that girls aren't soft, then maybe she'll also prove to herself that she can still find The Zone. But will her single-minded approach to proving her point win her the race, and the boy? Or will she learn that maybe - just maybe - winning isn't everything?' (Publication summary)

'Mia thinks boys are immature. They only talk about cars and sports. They only think about sex.

'Will has no idea what girls talk about. He wishes he were a fly on the wall. He wishes he had a tape recorder and a hidden microphone ....

'Fifteen Love is a funny up-and-down story about a boy and a girl, a viola and a tennis racquet; about family and friends, flirting and true love.' (Publication summary)

'India can see the future, and Poppy has a past. And when they discover old letters in the school attic it seems destiny has a plan for them. Who is the mysterious Swoosie? What does she have to do with Poppy's high-school sweetheart parents, and India's mum? Meanwhile plans for the reunion of the class of '89 are underway, and there's a lot of bad hair going round.

'Does the past have the power to change the future and can the future heal the past? India and Poppy are about to find out.' (From the publisher's website.)

'Let me begin by saying that it started with a dream. My dream. I wanted to sail around the world. Solo.

Edie Sparks has grand plans. She' s building a boat to sail solo around the world, but she needs cash, and fast. So when her uncle offers her good money to work on his island pearl farm for six weeks she jumps at the chance. All she has to do is babysit her little cousi - how hard could it be?

But soon Edie is wrangling a monster-brat, arguing with her uncle and being wooed by two handsome boys. The work is hard and thankless and an isolated island off the coast of Far North Queensland turns out to be not as idyllic as it sounds.

One island, one girl, two boys (and a brat to babysit) - Thirteen Pearls is perfect for girls with a sense of adventure and romance.' (Publisher's blurb)