Cirrus@Austlit

'"We are the storm and the stillness." Indigo Michael isn't like other kids. And her mum isn't like other mums. Life for people like them isn't meant to have meaning- it's just something to survive in whatever way you can. When her mum abandons her, Aster's Aunt Noni becomes her foster parent. Suddenly Indigo has a new 'family'-one she didn't ask for and isn't even sure she wants. Then she meets Liam. He graffiti's revolutionary words across the world, words that make Indigo want to run towards something, build something, be something. For the first time in a long time, Indigo feels she has made a genuine friend, which makes it even harder when that friendship is betrayed ... This poignant companion novel to the CBCA Award winning Aster's Good, Right Things explores the different shapes of friendship and family, and how a girl who longs for all she's never had, learns what it means to truly belong.' (Publication summary)

'"There is no now and no then, only in between and always Open the box. Come and see." Aberdeen Knopwood wants to make a difference - to help save the planet and express the passion for the environment that burns underneath her skin. But how can a girl who is too scared to stand out actually do something meaningful? Aberdeen's family has been woven into the fabric of Hobart for generations. When her journalist father gifts her an antique chronometer, it leads her to another girl who also knows and loves Hobart. But the Hobart this girl knows is very different to the one Aberdeen grew up in - a newer Hobart, where the stone buildings aren't yet mellowed to soft golds, sea shanties echo from tall sailing ships, and men armed with harpoons hunt whales in the harbour. This girl knows something that Aberdeen is yet to discover: one person really can make a difference. CBCA Award-winning author Kate Gordon invites you to walk the cobbled streets of Hobart in the early 19th century, exploring our desire to change our world for the better, and the enduring legacy--both good and bad--of those who came before...' (Publication summary)

'When pets go missing on the day of the big parade, Penelope Dolores "PD" McPem is on the case! 

'It's West Bay Primary School's annual Pet Parade and Miss Harnett's Year One class is excited to showcase their lovable companions. Budding detective PD McPem is particularly keen to show off her clever canine assistant, Scooter. But the arrival of her new deskmate, Theodora Putkins, and her Rhinoceros Beetle Circus creates havoc when both Scooter and Mary the beetle are nowhere to be found!

'Can PD McPem's Agency for Mysterious Mysteries solve the puzzle of the missing pets before it's too late?' (Publication summary)

'PD (Penelope Delores, when sheaEURO (TM)s in trouble) was enjoying an afternoon with her grandparents, when a most terrible crime was committed, right under her nose!

'The first book focuses on the dreaded recorder, a staple in Australian schools, which PD has just discovered. She starts a Christmas band with her recorder, and dog Scooter accompanying on the barks. PDaEURO (TM)s grandparents are caring for her during the school holidays and doing their aEUROoeannual clean up." PD finds her grandpaaEURO (TM)s old trilby coat and decides to start her own Detective Agency. When the recorder disappears, PD must use her sleuthing skills to uncover the culprit...and no one is above suspicion.' (Publication summary)

'When Daddy told me I was getting a new playmate, I was so excited. I wouldn't mind too much if it was a puppy. Or a little chick. Or maybe a bunny. I hope it's a dinosaur - I love dinosaurs! An imaginative story about anticipating a new arrival.' (Publication summary)

'There was trouble in the hen house, and let me tell you why... When Ellie May, Audrey and Daisy can no longer stand the hot summer days that are cooking their eggs before they're even laid, Farmer John has to come up with an inventive solution... A fun rhyming story about farm life in the Australian summer and some very determined chickens. Recommended for readers 3 to 7 years old.' (Publication summary)

'Discover the hilarious stories behind the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus, straight from Troll's top secret files. Troll takes you through the secrets behind the stories you think you know. For instance, rather than just one Easter Bunny there are 418 rabbits secretly trained in the ancient art of egg-fu. The tooth fairy doesn't look as good in a tutu as you might think either, although he's really a very nice chap. Santa's helpers might not be as elvish as you'd expected (maybe they're a bit more on the automated side?). Explore the clever, funny takes on these legends from award-winning children's author Michelle Worthington, with imaginative illustrations by artist Jasmine Berry.' (Publication summary)

'A DISASTER HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED...THE SCHOOL HAS CLOSED.

'Not Muttonbird Bay Primary, of course, but their neighbour Pademelon Point. When five new kids join Juno Jones' class, Juno must do whatever she can to keep her title as the school's 'Super Reader.' Her greatest rival: Tess Golightly—a warrior maiden and ace reader with a pet Gryphon. Everyone wants to be friends with Tess, but Juno thinks nobody can be that awesome unless they have something to hide...

'Author Kate Gordon (Aster's Good, Right Things) and illustrator Sandy Flett (Edie's Experiments) are back with another hilarious entry in the Juno Jones series.' (Publication summary)

'Allen and his pet Byte are Earth’s newest visitors. The Earthlings seem very friendly to Allen – in fact, they run and scream whenever they see him! Thankfully, Allen has brought some of his favourite alien toys along, so that he can play with the Earthlings. They’re sure to love his supersonic horn and his x-ray laser. Although Allen is having a lot of fun playing, he doesn’t seem to understand that the Earthlings aren’t quite ready to host this kind of guest…' (Publication summary)

'Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. And if she isn’t careful, everyone else will leave her too.

'Each day Aster must do a good, right thing – a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she knows everything will go wrong.
Then she meets Xavier. He wears princess pajamas and has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free…but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?' (Publication summary)

'When Juno Jones's (Former Kid Who Doesn’t Like Reading), first-ever favourite book goes missing, she convinces Miss Tippett to turn their classroom into a courtroom so she can present her evidence, unmask the culprit and—more importantly—get her book back!

'With her list of possible suspects ranging from friends to foes (both human and alien), Juno is sure it’s only a matter of time before the truth is revealed. But as the case unfolds, this book sleuth discovers that not everything is as it seems …'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lying in his bed one night, Liam woke and saw a bright light. It shone through his window and Liam could see, that his room was lit up as bright as could be....

'Join Liam as he investigates the mysterious bright light and his imagination leads him on an amazing adventure.' (Publication summary)

'Muttonbird Bay Primary is once again under threat of closure, and Juno Jones is pretty sure the Alien Lizard Men are involved. But that’s not all ... Shy Vi is missing, Miss Tippett is acting VERY strangely, and everyone keeps turning to Juno Jones to solve the mysteries. And then, suddenly, Perfect Paloma needs Juno’s help ...

'To solve these cases Juno Jones will need to become a Mystery Writer!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A DISASTER HAS HAPPENED! Muttonbird Bay School might be closing. I mean, FOREVER.

'Juno Jones loves her school, but the Men in Suits want to close it down! And there's only only one thing Juno and her classmates can do to stop it... READ! Which is perfectly fine for people like Perfect Paloma, Smelly Bella and Genius George, but Juno Jones is a kid who doesn't like reading.

'It might take the unthinkable to make it happen – to save her school, Juno Jones will need to become a WORD NINJA!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Barefoot Bea hates wearing shoes. She sniffs her nose at a sandal, looks aghast at a gumboot and won't suffer a sneaker. But when Bea's parents decide to take radical action, their dynamic daughter comes up with an ingenious solution!'   (Publication summary)

'Do you know the feeling when you just can't do ANYTHING with your hair, no matter how hard you try? Well Alice has that problem every day, but what can she do about it? At the end of the day is it really worth the worry?' (Synopsis)

'Fergal is a happy lad, not bothered at all by the effect of his putrid stench on everyone around him. When even the rats and cockroaches are driven out of town by his ‘aroma’, Fergal sets out to find somewhere he belongs, and discovers that even a boy like him can find a place to call home …' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Bear is hungry. Tummy-rumbling hungry. But no matter how hard he tries Bear can’t catch his supper, which makes him a very GRUMPY, GROUCHY bear indeed!

Bear gets into a few pickles in this fun rhyming story. He’s a hungry bear  who finds much more than he was looking for,  but ends up with exactly what he needs …' (Source: Publisher's blurb)