Cirrus@Austlit

'Edward is Katie's best friend. They do everything together, but best of all, they love playing in the old summerhouse.

'One day Mum comes hurrying down and grabs Katie by the hand, leaving Edward all alone.

'Edward knows Katie will come for him, so he settles down and watches what happens through the window …' (Publication summary)

'Nine-year-old city newspaper seller Roddy becomes involved in the infamous Battle of Brisbane in 1942: when American and Australian servicemen fought against each other, rioting in the streets of the city for two days.

'When Roddy helps an American serviceman who’s been involved in the fighting, he never expects that the battle will become covered up – a wartime secret. Never to be reported in the newspapers he sells. Or that his actions will result in a new life for him after the war – all the way to the USA.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Can a dragon make the toymakers' luck change? Can a dragon pull Santa's sleigh? And will the dragon family get their Christmas feast? Find out in these three entertaining, original stories for Christmas, gorgeously illustrated, featuring everyone's favourite magical creatures: dragons! Great for sharing aloud or for children to read by themselves.' (Publication summary)

'Two beautiful traditional Scottish fairy tales, The Selkie Bride and In the Kingdom of the Seals, are brought to enchanting and haunting new life by two creators who are themselves eerily linked to the magical world of the shape-shifting selkies, who are seals in the water and humans on land. For Kate's ancestors were the McPhees, who, legend says, are descended from the union of Dougal McPhee and his melancholy selkie bride, while Fiona's McDonald ancestors, lairds of the Western Isles, have a strange connection to the McPhees as well, a connection she only discovered while working on the book!' (Publication summary)