Cirrus@Austlit

'Astrid is about to start her last year at high school. And her first.

'When her dad loses his job, Astrid’s homeschooling comes to an end. Until now, she has lived within the confines of a tightly controlled, contracted world where there's no room for anything … except following her father’s rules and pretending that everything is normal.

'As Astrid, and her mum, tentatively expand their world, they struggle to break free of their ingrained wariness and self-doubt. But with hope, new friends, and the strength of a promise, Astrid has a chance to find out what she wants, who she loves, and who she really is.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Expert marine biologist Anita Thomas has written an accessible, informative guide to marine biology, full of adventure for everyone who loves the sea, and our planet!

'My name is Emma, and I am a marine biologist. A marine biologist is a scientist that studies life in the sea.

'Did you know that 70 per cent of our planet is covered by oceans?

'Follow a week in the adventures of a marine biologist, and learn about our magical, mysterious watery world. Full of amazing facts, incredible creatures, and beautifully illustrated, this book gives you insights into: ·whale monitoring and how these enormous creatures talk to each other, how clownfish populations are increasing with the help of hatcheries, how giant cuttlefish are the chameleons of the sea and communicate by changing their skin colour,· discovering a new species of sea snakes, how humans are building reefs to help protect diverse marine life from extinction, and how surfing teaches how to ride the waves and understand the ocean.' (Publication summary)

'Tegan Masters is dead. 

'She’s sixteen and she’s dead and she’s standing in the parking lot of the Marybelle Motor Lodge, the single most depressing motel in all of New Jersey and the place where Tegan spent what she remembers as the worst weekend of her life.

'Tegan isn’t particularly happy about this. At all.

'In the front office, she meets Zelda, an annoyingly cute teen angel with a snarky sense of humour and an epic set of wings. According to Zelda, Tegan is in heaven, where every person inhabits an exact replica of their happiest memory.

'But reconciling with her past, might just lead Tegan, and Zelda, to a happily-ever-afterlife ...'  (Publication summary)

'Acclaimed author, Zanni Louise and illustrator Judy Watson have created "an Australian Winnie-the-Pooh" with a collection of warm and whimsical stories in a beautifully produced hardback edition.

'Hazel is nine years old, as long as her bunk bed and as kind as a marshmallow. She and her friends - Odette, a pademelon, Walter the wombat, Tiny, a honey possum and Poky – an echidna who changes colour depending on Hazel’s mood – live together in a treehouse in the bush. Every day brings new adventures, sometimes mistakes ... and always, always, imagination and friendship.'  (Publication summary)

'From the bestselling author-illustrator, Charles Fuge, comes an endearing story of Little Wombat and his friends celebrating Christmas on the beach.

'It’s Christmas and Little Wombat and his friends are so excited to celebrate! They have a fun-filled Christmas day planned with carols, decorating and, of course, a big Christmas lunch at the beach. But with no Christmas tree in sight, the friends find something, or someone, else to decorate!

'A heart-warming Christmas story celebrating friendship and family.' (Publication summary) 

'The magic (and occasional mayhem) of siblings - perfect for someone celebrating a new arrival, and for everyone wanting to celebrate family

'First there was me, then there was you.

'A heart-warming story of two siblings that captures the friendship, imagination and occasional rivalry between a boy and his new sister as they grow up together.' (Publication summary) 

'A delightful bedtime story, and a classic-in-the-making, from award-winning creators Meg McKinlay and Karen Blair.

'Meg McKinlay and Karen Blair celebrate the bonding rituals of bedtime with this delightful story. A sloshy bath, soft pyjamas, finding teddy, a song for singing, a huggily hug - and especially a story!' (Publication summary)

'A favourite nursery rhyme, re-imagined with wit and whimsy by one of Australia's most loved and best-selling illustrators, and the co-creator of Where is the Green Sheep?

'The first of a series of re-imagined rhymes by Judy Horacek.

'Hey ...
Hey diddle ...
Hey diddle diddle ...
Join in the laughter as we meet a cat with a fiddle, a moon-jumping cow and their playful friends in this re-imagined telling of a nursery rhyme favourite, by best-selling author and illustrator Judy Horacek.' (Publication summary)

'More Ducky the Spy laugh-out-loud hilarity in this perfectly pitched graphic novel from award-winning creator of Frank's Red Hat, Sean E Avery

'Mr Pig’s giant pumpkin, Brunhilda (Hildy for short), in trouble.
A powerful device stolen from a secret lab.
A once-evil cat turned loyal friend ...
All in a day’s adventuring for and Donny “The Distraction” Donkey'  (Publication summary)

'By popular demand, a bind-up edition of four hilarious tie-in editions of the smash-hit television series Little Lunch.

'What's better than fifteen minutes of Little Lunch? Four lots of fifteen minutes of Little Lunch!

Little Lunch: Triple the Laughs contains four TV tie-in editions of the smash-hit TV series. The books are Triple Snack Pack, Triple the Treats, Triple the Trouble and Triple the Laughs. One volume, four books, and twelve hilarious stories.' (Publication summary)

'The second book in the 11 Ruby Road series set in the roaring 1920s - perfect period fiction for middle-grade readers and for fans of the Our Australian Girl series.

'It is 1925 and Bert Mueller and his German-Australian family have moved from Ipswich to their new house at 11 Ruby Road. Bert’s father has been deported to Germany after the Great War, and with Dad still absent, Bert is unsure about moving away. But the city means opportunity and jobs for his mother and older siblings. And for the grown-ups , it also means fun - dressing up, going out, and all that jazz. Bert loves jazz too, but he’s too young for the clubs, and instead his time is spent at his new school where the kids play cricket, not music.

'But with the help of a Gramophone, Bert has a solution. He will start his own jazz club, and 11 Ruby Road has the perfect spot to host it. But as prejudice about Bert and his German family start to affect their new life, Bert has to find a way to save his jazz club and his family.' (Publication summary)

'From acclaimed authors Kate Foster and Kate Gordon, a special story about being kind to others... and yourself.

'There are people everywhere who need help, who might seem okay on the outside but aren’t on the inside. People whose whole entire day can be changed ...

'Josh wants a friend but he doesn’t know how to find somewhere to belong …

'Ollie wants to express herself but doesn’t want to be noticed …

'Small Acts introduces two kids with great hearts who know that helping others can start with one small act of kindness. Josh has a plan to start with just that. So does Ollie. What Josh and Ollie don’t know yet is that they need each other to make their plans work.' (Publication summary)

'The perfect book to share to talk about competitiveness. The Mini and Milo stories are designed for both parent and teacher led discussion, and also as humorous, heart-warming stories to be enjoyed again and again

'Mini is wild about winning. When she is one plum short for her entry into the annual cooking competition, she asks her best friend Milo for his last plum. Milo doesn’t want to hand it over but Mini is determined to have it. Will Mini manage to make her plum pie, or will she find another, very special, ingredient?

'Mini and Milo are endearing, charming and relatable and together they learn to deal with life’s big and small problems … building resilience and insight through trial and error and friendship. Written with heart and humour by family dispute specialist, mindset coach and mum, Venita Dimos, and brilliantly illustrated by Natashia Curtin, Mini and Milo will become your best friends too!'  (Publication summary)

'From the bestselling team, Katrina Germein and Tom Jellett, comes the spookiest addition to the 'My Dad' series. Guaranteed to put you in good spirits!

'Dad’s ghoul, calm and collected and he takes scare of that trick-or-treating business in this dead funny booooo-k. Because when you’ve got it, haunt it. Come on in. The ghost is clear!'  (Publication summary)

'From the creators of An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree, Jackie Hosking’s lyrical rhymes and Nathaniel Eckstrom’s charming illustrations are the perfect match to get you into the Christmas spirit.

'It’s Christmas Eve but Santa is stuck in a gum tree! How will he deliver the presents?
Luckily, an enthusiastic cast of Aussie animals are up for the challenge. But despite their Christmas spirit, unsticking Santa is harder than they thought! Maybe they need a new plan …' (Publication summary)

'Look up. Way up, into the clear blue. Those two tiny specks are a wedge-tailed eagle and her mate.

'Wedge-tailed Eagle explores the family life of these remarkable birds. The largest raptor in Australia, wedge-tailed eagles are powerful hunters, who mate for life, bringing many new clutches of chicks into the world in their lifetime. Award-winning author Claire Saxby leads us through a mating season, while Christina Booth’s illustrations capture the majesty, power and gentleness of these magnificent birds of prey.' (Publication summary)