Cirrus@Austlit

'"Me and Ben had been mates since we was boys and if it come to it I knew I would have to be on his side."

Bobby Blue is caught between loyalty to his only friend, Ben Tobin, and his boss, Daniel Collins, the new Constable at Mount Hay. 'Ben was not a big man but he was strong and quick as a snake. He had his own breed of pony that was just like him, stocky and reliable on their feet.' Bobby understands the people and the ways of Mount Hay; Collins studies the country as an archaeologist might, bringing his coastal values to the hinterland. Bobby says, 'I do not think Daniel would have understood Ben in a million years.' Increasingly bewildered and goaded to action by his wife, Constable Collins takes up his shotgun and his Webley pistol to deal with Ben. Bobby's love for Collins' wilful young daughter Irie is exposed, leading to tragic consequences for them all.

Miller's exquisite depictions of the country of the Queensland highlands form the background of this simply told but deeply significant novel of friendship, love, loyalty and the tragic consequences of misunderstanding and mistrust. Coal Creek is a wonderfully satisfying novel with a gratifying resolution. It carries all the wisdom and emotional depth we have come to expect from Miller's richly evocative novels.' (Publisher's blurb)

From Ross Watkins, the illustrator of The Boy Who Grew Into a Tree, and Liz Anelli, comes this moving picture book about family, the failings of memory and the strength of love. Told in stunning prose, with poignant artwork, this book is a celebration of what we hold dearest.

'Once there was a boy who had to leave home ... and find another. In his bag he carried a book, a bottle and a blanket. In his teacup he held some earth from where he used to play. This is one boys story of leaving his homeland, surviving a long journey by sea ... and finding a safe, new place to call home.' (Publication summary)

'Because he was the king, he could make the sheep do whatever he wanted, whenever he pleased. But he just couldn't make them like him. A royal romp about a little pig with a lot to learn, from best-selling picture book creator Nick Bland.' (Publisher's blurb)

'The Tribe is a collection of three novellas portraying significant aspects in the life of an extended Muslim Lebanese-Australian family with its roots in the suburb of Lakemba in Western Sydney.The first novella describes the family house, and the three generations who live, often in some discord, in its rooms; the second explores the marriage of the boy’s uncle, and the threatened appearance of an estranged branch of the family at the ceremony. The third rounds off the circle, describing the death of the family matriarch, the boy’s grandmother. Together they offer an intimate insight into a community negotiating the conflict between tradition and modernity, and the complex tribal affiliations of the extended family.' (Publisher's blurb)

'On August 20, a group of young explorers were charged with a dangerous mission. They were to travel across wild country to deliver a valuable parcel.

'The journey would be punishing. It would test the resolve of the brave young explorers. Most of all, it would provide us all with a pair of unlikely heroes to admire and remember for many years to come.

'This is their story.

'The Great Expedition is a delightful parody about five children attempting to cross the park to deliver cake to Grandma.' (Publication summary)

'It's Jeremy's birthday - the day he's been looking forward to for ages, but when his little brother Oliver disappears and everyone stops everything to look for him, suddenly Jeremy's birthday isn't so much fun anymore. ' (Publisher's blurb)