Cirrus@Austlit

'Archana and her big brother Aaditya are comfortable around their friends, but not around each other. And Aaditya really isn't interested in their parents being all "Hindu" around them. The last thing he wants is all his friends finding out how "weird" a Diwali ceremony is. Why not let things just slide on by as they are? Why rock the boat? But then the boat gets rocked in a much different way than all of them expected, and everything has to change. But will it be for the better?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Jaiyana is good at Aussie Rules: she can kick, handball, tackle and ruck with the best of them. But she's ' a she, and a Muslim. There are all sorts of people that seem to think she shouldn't play with the boys on a club team, a 'proper' team. There's her traditional-thinking father, there's a well-meaning but worried coach, and there's the boy who was last season's best and fairest. Somehow, she needs to win them over. And try to make the Grand Final.

'It's a lot of pressure, but like her mum says: 'Just do what you do, Jaiyana.'

'And for Jaiyana, it's not just being the best, but also the fairest.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Julia's friend has disappeared; Rose isn't there anymore. She's somewhere, but never there. Julia's unblocked her on Facebook, but that hasn't helped. You see, something has really come between them. If only she could get a message through. If only there was really something there. It's like she's looking into the opposite of a mirror, whatever that is. She hates mirrors, but there are worse things. There are mirrors that look back. So Julia starts writing a story. She disappears. But disappearing's easy, coming back is the hard part.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'"You have to move quickly or they'll find us," Gabriel is whispering to her in the darkened treetops.

'What are these games Rookie finds herself playing? Her real name is Rokaya but she often feels like 'a rookie' for some reason, like she's new, like she has to prove herself to everyone. She doesn't know why. And when her Muslim family move to Australia from New Zealand, things don't seem to get any better. The thing about games is you need to know the rules, but what if they seem to keep changing'

'And are the games we play so real?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Although Jacob goes to the local school and plays footy with his mates, his Jewish traditions seem to be always pulling him away from his friends. And it's like he's constantly misunderstood and missing out. One day, Jacob can't face it anymore and decides to take a stand.

'But before he takes a stand, Jacob needs to know what he stands for. And what exactly he's facing.

'Stuck out in no-man's land was not where he wanted to be...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Kouanda wants to be a 'Jack.' Now that he's in a new school, he wants a new name and a new start. Since his family fled to Australia from Burma as refugees, leaving so much behind, including Poh-poh, his much-adored Grandfather, he has struggled to fit in. Even his best friend Minh, who he shares Buddhism with, doesn't seem to get it. But now there's a chance to do something ... go somewhere... 'I'm too old for adventures,' Poh-poh had once told him. But for Kouanda, the time has arrived...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When bad things happen, when things don't go according to plan, it's easy to say that you need to 'get over it' and 'move on'; it's much harder to actually do it. Esther never wanted to move on, especially not to a country town, especially not during a war. She was dragged there because her father thought it was right. Now he hides in a box all night and looks for heaven in the sky. Why couldn't she be normal, like everyone else? But when she becomes more 'normal', even becoming a member of the mysterious Junior Defence Squadron, things don't get any easier. Particularly when an enemy spy is found.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Growing up in the Jewish quarter of St Kilda - Melbourne's Cool Town - has its scary and funny moments for Zac. His dad is an annoying weirdo, his little sister Ella thinks she's the Queen of the World and their two doggies are lovable but pretty stupid. His Jewishness is ... well ... complicated. The streets are full of a kaleidoscope of hats which mean different things in Cool Town. And then a girl with a scarf on her head and a cute dog turns up and this brings frightening conflict out into the open.

'There are battles, scuffles and rituals and Zac and Ella sort of ... maybe ... possibly become adults. Ultimately, all these dramatic events are more important than what covers your head in Cool Town.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Waleed is a young Iraqi boy caught in a terrible conflict that he cannot understand; he is powerless in the face of forces beyond his control. He is knocked down, pushed around, bumped from one place to the next, and subjected to all the terrors of war. But there is one thing he has control of: himself.

'Triumph is not always about beating your enemies at their game. A great triumph is possible through who you are and how you be.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'It was only a tiny lump in her throat. It felt like nothing at all ' really. But Rachel's otherwise pretty comfortable life is suddenly turned upside down. It isn't fair. She's so strong and healthy; she's an athlete. Then there are tests and hospitals and nurses and doctors and all sorts bother that she didn't ask for, and she wouldn't wish on anyone. And no-one really seems to be able to help.

'Then she meets Rick, who is nothing like her - but, he also - is.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Fingers are often pointed at Ebony. Sometimes the people behind the fingers say things too. They say mean things, things she doesn't always understand, things about who she is and what she is. Maybe she doesn't always 'understand', but she knows what they mean. How come they get to say these things? How come they have the power to point fingers?

'And there's trouble in her family, things are falling apart; and there's always a new school and a new crowd of kids to deal with. How will she hold it all together? Ebony is stronger than she thinks, and has a Destiny to lean on too.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When Amadeo first arrives in Australia with his sister and parents, he's greeted by the promise of 'a better life'. A change. A chance. But Amadeo must adapt quickly to these changes: new place, new people, new school, new freedoms ... all so different from what he's used to. The challenge gets harder when his parents return to the Philippines and he has to make do with the distance, both physical and cultural, that now defines his life. You only really realise what something means to you when it's taken away. Finding something to hold on to becomes all that's left.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Amir has been best friends with Dragan since they were in kinder and the boys are looking forward to starting high school together next year. Even though Amir's parents are Bosnian Muslim and Dragan is of Serbian Orthodox background, the boys think of themselves as Australian and their cultural differences have never mattered . . . until the Balkan war breaks out. Suddenly their families tell them that they are not supposed to be friends because Bosnians and Serbs are fighting overseas. Can they find a way to keep their friendship in the face of their families' opposition?' (Publication summary)