'A compulsively readable novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky So Heavy.

'The worst thing that could happen would be for my life to go back to how it was before Katie died.

'Hannah's world has imploded, all thanks to her older sister Katie. Her mum is depressed, her dad's injured and she has to go to compulsory therapy sessions. Hannah should feel terrible but for the first time in ages, she feels a glimmer of hope and isn't afraid anymore. Is it because the elusive Josh is taking an interest in her? Or does it run deeper than that?

'In a family torn apart by guilt, one girl's struggle to come to terms with years of harassment shows how deep previous scars can run.

'The Protected is an honest and searing portrayal of loss and grief that conveys the repercussions of bullying to the modern-day teenager.' (Publication summary)

'What do you do when everybody says you're someone you're not?

'Alex wants change. Massive change. More radical than you could imagine.

'Her mother is not happy, in fact she's imploding. Her dad walked out.

'Alex has turned vegetarian, ditched one school, enrolled in another, thrown out her clothes. And created a new identity. An identity that changes her world.

'And Alex—the other Alex—has a lot to say about it.

'Alex As Well is a confronting and heartfelt story of adolescent experience—of questioning identity, discovering sexuality, navigating friendships and finding a place to belong. Alex is a strong, vulnerable, confident, shy and determined character, one you will never forget.

'With the same tenderness and insight as YA stars such as John Green and David Levithan, Alyssa Brugman has crafted a knockout story about identity, sexuality and family that speaks effortlessly to a universal teen experience.' (Publisher's blurb)

'On remote Rollrock Island, the sea-witch Misskaella discovers she can draw a girl from the heart of a seal. So, for a price, any man might buy himself a bride; an irresistibly enchanting sea-wife. But what cost will be borne by the people of Rollrock - the men, the women, the children - once Misskaella sets her heart on doing such a thing?'

Source: Publisher's website.

'Laurence Augustine Rainbow is born into an ordinary family, and seems set for an ordinary life. But as the world changes around him, so does the happiness of his own family.

'Unique, dark and ultimately uplifting, this is a beautiful story of one family - and one boy - trying to hold their heads above water in a world quietly gone mad.' (from the publisher's website.)

'Once, in a street not very far from yours, there lived a girl called Anonymity Jones.

'Anonymity's life is falling apart. Her father has left to have a mid-life crisis, her mother's new boyfriend is a definite worry, her Europe-bound sister has changed her name (just to make a point) and all her girl friends are now girlfriends, with boyfriends.

'And then there's the art teacher.

'Anonymity is losing control, and it's decision time. Does she hang on, get out, or get even?' (From the publisher's website.)

'Secrets, lies, murder and betrayal.

'Micah Wilkins is a liar. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Did they kiss? Did she see him the night he died? And is she really hiding a family secret? Where does the actual truth lie?

'Liar is a breathtaking roller-coaster read that will have you up all night, desperately seeking for something true.' (From the publisher's website.)

'do you remember the water buffalo at the end of our street?

or the deep-sea diver we found near the underpass?

do you know why dogs bark in the middle of the night?

Shaun Tan, creator of The Arrival, The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight.'

Source: Back cover.

'You let your sister burn.

'When Vinnie’s sister is killed, he runs away from the accusing eyes of his father to the isolation of the bush. There, he must answer a question … was it his fault?

'In 1941, German soldier Erich is sent miles away from his family after being captured and interned in an Australian prisoner-of-war camp. Despite everything he’s grown up believing, Erich must learn to co-exist with his sworn enemy and, in doing so, question his father’s expectations that have defined his existence.

'Amid the rain soaked forests of South Western Australia, these two young men’s lives collide across the years, changing them both as they struggle to escape their painful memories of fireshadow.

'Some battles are imposed on us, some fought within.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Charlie is fifteen. She's just moved to a new school and nothing is going right. She's hanging around with a girl she can't stand, her mother is a grief-stricken, wine-sodden mess, and she has no one to talk to except the pages of her diary. Everything seems hopeless. And then she meets Kate.

'Kate is sixteen, she's a singer, and she's wonderful. She's everything Charlie isn't, and she makes Charlie's life seem bearable. But when Kate announces she's leaving, Charlie is desperate. Desperate enough to do anything - anything - to get Kate to stay.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.