Cirrus@Austlit

'The poignant story of an old gargoyle, forced off his rooftop to make way for a new urban development in a barren cityscape, and the child who encounters him on an overcrowded train, from one of Australia's most critically acclaimed writers for children.

'He's old, this gargoyle. Very old. Older than me. Older than anyone. He looks tired. If I had a seat, I would give it to him.

'He shuffles past me and stands near the door and watches the city smushing past.

'I think I hear him sigh. An echoey, achy, hollow sort of sigh, like the wind when it gusts down lanes and through tunnels and in and out of the big drains that stretch under the city.

'This is the moving story of an old gargoyle, forced off his rooftop to make way for a new development in a barren cityscape, and the child who encounters him on an overcrowded train. When the gargoyle is ordered off the train, he leaves his suitcase behind. The child opens the case and unleashes the gargoyle's many memories of the city and its inhabitants. When the case crumbles, leaving nothing but a small seed, the child decides to find a place to bring the gargoyle, and the soul of the city, back.

'A unforgettable story about conservation, ageing and legacies which will leave a forever imprint on your heart.' (Publication summary)

'A hilarious, fully illustrated tale about an unlikely friendship between a girl and an octopus that is perfect for newly independent readers, from one of Australia's most respected writers for children and an award-winning illustrator.

'FOUND!

'One octopus!

'Likes to eat tuna sandwiches.

'Goes by the name of 'Oswald'.

'It all began when Etta decided to take a bath . . . And realised she wasn't alone. On the floor lay a brown suitcase with Oswald written on it in fancy writing. And in the bath sat Oswald. Etta had never had an octopus in her bath before.

'Etta feels sure someone must be missing their octopus and is determined to return Oswald, but he seems a little less enthusiastic.

'When a rude lady with a net and a stick turns up to claim him, Etta must decide where Oswald really belongs.' (Publication summary)

'A wonderful children's novel by two stellar writers featuring Shelby and Phoenix, living 100 years apart yet unexpectedly joined across time - and each make the discovery of a lifetime that has the potential to upend their worlds.

'We've been told over and over we're the generation that waits for the world to recover. We endure the heat. We endure the storms, the wrecking floods, the long droughts, the days of smoke as fire burns, coz this is what the honoured earth does when she's trying to recover.

'Shelby and her best friend Davy live quiet low-tech lives in a closed community that is made up of exactly three hundred and fifty kind, ethical people living on exactly seven hundred hectares.

'When they climb through a hole in the perimeter fence to venture into the surrounding jungle, what they find is more astonishing than anything they could have imagined.

'And when Shelby realises the terrible danger that is unfolding, it will take all of her daring and determination to ensure the past does not repeat itself.

'Intriguing, absorbing and spine-tinglingly good, The Raven's Song is a brilliant novel by two esteemed writers at the height of their powers.' (Publication summary)