Cirrus@Austlit

'A companion title to the best-selling The Fire Wombat, this is the story of Myrtle, a small turtle who, by heading uphill, tells the other animals that a flood is coming.

'Myrtle the turtle knows everything about the waterhole where she lives in the creek. She can also sense the giant flood that is coming, long before other animals or humans.

'And when Myrtle begins her long, slow climb up the mountain to safety, who will follow her?

'From the award-winning duo of The Fire Wombat, Jackie French and Danny Snell have now created a fascinating and beautifully illustrated story about Myrtle, a Common Long-necked Turtle; reptiles that can predict the weather very accurately.' (Publication summary)

'From amphibians and reptiles to monotremes and pilosa, discover our world of enchanting fauna in this stunning, illustrated book, Wildlife Compendium of the World by Tania McCartney.

'Divided by continent, and with a handy map opener, you can explore some of the wildest, weirdest and cutest animals that call Earth home. Each animal profile includes the Latin name, type, diet, size, weight, conservation status, curious facts about the species, and the collective noun or baby name for that animal.

'Meet a slug that resembles a banana and a fuzzball mammal with 90 strands of hair per follicle. Marvel at an ant that burns like fire, a pig-beaver-hippo-cow-camel hybrid that eats its own poop, and a creature with the shortest lifespan on Earth (five minutes!). Discover that a group of bears is called a sloth and a baby lizard is called a hatchling.'

Source: Publlisher's blurb.

'The thought comes to me: This is how I die. Dally is going to lose control and crash us into a pole or a house and we will be killed on impact.

'The justice system characterises Jamie Langton as a 'danger to society', but he's just an Aboriginal kid, trying to find his way through adolescence.

'Jamie lives in Dalton's Bay with Aunty Dawn and Uncle Bobby. He spends his downtime hanging out with his mates, Dally and Lenny. Mark Cassidy and his white mates - the Footy Heads - take every opportunity they can to bully Jamie and his friends. On Lenny's last night in town before moving to Sydney, after another episode of racist harassment, Jamie, Dally and Lenny decide to retaliate by vandalising Mark Cassidy's car. And when they discover the keys are in the ignition… Dally changes the plan. Soon they are all in Mark Cassidy's stolen car cruising through town, aiming to take it for a quick spin, then dump it.

'But it's a bad plan. And as a consequence, Jamie ends up in the youth justice system where he must find a way to mend his relationships with himself, his friends, his family and his future.' (Publication summary)

'It's got stars so hot they'll sizzle you like a sausage in the Sahara.

'It's got planets so cold they'll freeze you like an ice cream in Alaska.

'It's got asteroids and atoms, moons and meteors, comets and kilonova.

'It's got plenty more but you'll have to see for yourself!

'It's That Book About Space Stuff!

''That Book About Space Stuff' is a richly illustrated, scaffolded text with humourous and helpful pictures to take readers for a journey through space, starting with the Sun and finishing with Spacetime and the Multiverse. This is a must-have for any space enthusiast, young or old!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Celebrating the twentieth anniversary, this is the story of Mothball, one of the world's most famous wombats - and where it all began.

'She is small. She is scared. She is lost.

'She is a baby wombat who needs a home.

'She is Mothball, a wombat destined to become famous.

'This is the (almost) true story of one small wombat who learnt how to train her humans - and inspired the internationally best-selling picture book Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.'(Publication summary) 

'A plucky little dachshund finds a new way of being useful when his life suddenly changes. When the life you know and love is taken away from you, you can go under or adapt to change. Charles is a plucky little dachshund who has spent his life working in an art gallery until one day the government bans dogs from their premises. With the help of his human friends Marty and Bev, Charles learns that he can still be important and keep contributing to other people's happiness. A story for our times of courage, friendship and resilience.'(Publication summary)

'Inspired by an extraordinary true story, Where the Heart Is explores the friendship between Dindim the Magellanic penguin and his rescuer, Joao.

'With gorgeous illustrations and flowing prose, it depicts Dindim’s 8000-mile journey to his Patagonian home, and his longing to return. Young readers will delight in travelling across the ocean with Dindim, meeting whales and albatross! Heartfelt and educational, this is a celebration of the power of friendship and the beauty of the natural world.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Beneath the western mountains, on the open plains of the high Monaro where the skies are blue and big, there lived a little dragon lizard.

'Timpo is the smartest, best-disguised lizard in Narrawallee, the Big Grass Country. Wolfie the spider is his good friend, but there are no other dragon lizards and he is lonely for his own kind.

'Timpo and Wolfie embark on a journey to discover if Timpo is indeed the last dragon left in the valley. Through a landscape of grassland, granite boulders, shiny snow gums, and shady creeks they search, encountering new friends but also facing grave danger. Wolfie must return home with her spiderlings, but Timpo trudges on … will he ever find another dragon lizard?

'Featuring stunning artwork in ink and graphite by artist Mandy Foot, and an author’s essay on the Monaro Grassland Earless Dragon and its grassland habitat, this is a book that will have crossover appeal as a gift book for adults.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'The students of Mount Mayhem primary school are fed up. Their uniform is hideous, the tuckshop sells only healthy food, and the sports cupboard is empty.

'It’s time to find a leader who will speak on their behalf. But who will it be? They need an election!

'Fortunately Ms Sparks is an expert on preferential voting. Voting has never been so much fun.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Have you ever seen a fish that could do a handstand?

'This is the story of a quirky and primitive little fish that is famous for two things: walking on its 'hands' (pectoral fins), and being the first marine fish anywhere in the word to be listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Spotted Handfish has survived since the time of the dinosaurs — until now. Invasive sea stars, pollution and climate change mean that this unique Australian is in real trouble — raise your hand if you want to know more!

'Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish is perfect for primary aged readers.' (Publication summary)