Cirrus@Austlit

'After a rough start to life, living on the streets with his drug addicted mother, 14-year-old Josh finally finds a foster home where he feels safe. But fate has other ideas.

'In the middle of the first night, the house catches fire. Afraid he will be blamed, Josh flees and the other two foster children in the house, 11-year-old Brodie and 3-year-old Jaylee, follow him.

'On the run from the police who are looking for them, and out on the streets again with two younger children to protect, Josh expects life to get tough. But he doesn't expect to be held up at gunpoint by another child, threatened by a dog, and confronted by kidnappers wielding guns. Fighting to survive, they battle on trying to find a safe home again. Will fate intervene again and save them?'  (Publication summary)

'Hardnut Hannigan and the Jewel of the Jungle Harold Hannigans parents knew their baby was different when he fell out of his cot and landed head-first on the floor. From then on, Harold was known as Hardnut Hannigan. Hardnut amazed the world with his extraordinary deeds; he climbed Mount Everest, without an oxygen mask; won an Olympic marathon; swam the English Channel underwater! But, at 12 years old, hed run out of challenges. Then he read about a long-lost, precious jewel in the deeply dangerous jungles of Mongo-Wongo. With his faithful emu Thunderbang and his beloved pooch, Itchybutt, he set off on the greatest adventure of his young life! Would he ever find the Jewel of the Jungle? And even if he did, would he live to tell the tale? Captain Offensnotty and the Giddi-Giddi Zombies Not far into the voyage of The Concrete Slug, the crew discover that Captain Potty Dotty Offensnotty is sneaking off at night to her home sweet home, which she has secretly towed behind the mother ship. While the crew has to survive sleeping fifteen to a bunk, their crafty captain lives a life of luxury, nibbling chocolates and watching television! Enraged, the sailors stage a mutiny, but before they can reach their captain, they must get past her very big and mean cat. Then, the hapless crew are attacked by a sailor-swallowing sea serpent and the ferocious flesh-eating Giddi-Giddi Zombies! Will they survive?' (Publication summary)

'The world's most famous volcanologist Kylie O'Riley is asked by Hilda to recover her husband, Rudy, who has fallen into an active volcano, along with her precious ring and picnic basket. Kylie, who is fearless, brave, and extremely gifted, promises to recover Hilda's treasures. Off she heads to where the mighty Watta-Wopping Volcano is located. There she finds a dragon. Luckily, she can speak Dragonese and is able to persuade it to fly her to Cracka-Cracka Boom-Boom, home of the Gidgee Guy tribe. However, the chief's son, Tumby, fancies Kylie for dinner.

'Will she escape his cooking pot? What about the dangerous exploding Boom-Boom HaHa volcano? Does she find and recover Hilda's missing husband? What about the precious ring and picnic basket? What antique gift does she receive?

'To find out the answers to these and other enthralling questions, read these great books!' (Publication summary)

'The wildest and toughest adventurers in this world - and the next - have failed to find and capture the Abominable Snowman. Famed adventurer, Tasman Wallaroo (known as Tazzie) enters the scene, saying she will 'crush that cruel creep to crumbs!' Training hard until she is as trim and taut as Superwoman after a super make-over, she and her team of 28 shaggy-haired Siberian Cha-Wow-Wows depart the Point of No Return.

'Will Tazzie and her doggies overcome blizzards and sub-zero weather? Will they survive falling into a crevasse? And thousands of ice mites? And frenzied ice mice? Will they overcome frostbite? And starvation? What happens when Tazzie uncovers an igloo? Is this the home of the Abominable Snowman? And how and why is love somehow on the cards?' (Publication summary)

'At bedtime, a small boy checks his bedroom for monsters like Heeby Jeeby, Creepy Critter and the Toe Taster. He looks under his bed, in his cupboard, behind the curtains. Satisfied they are not there he jumps into bed with his teddy bear. Before saying goodnight to his babysitter, she reads him a story about a boy just like him who tames monsters. "I want to be a Big Boss, just like Max in the story," the boy whispers. During sleep the monsters appear. They jiggle and jive with the boy, just like Max in the story his babysitter read. They wiggle their big bottoms and jiggle their jelly bellies, and beat their hairy chests. They howl and yodel and make lots of noise. But who is the big boss? The boy? Or the monsters? And next morning, before school, who is the boss?' (Publication summary)

'When best friends Rory and Trang become the proud owners of a nanny goat, she turns out to be quite a hoof-ful! Jellybean likes escaping, eating everything under the sun and keeping the neighbours awake at night. Still, the boys think she's the best goat ever. Especially when she gives them a surprise bigger than they could ever have imagined!' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Claire's world is turned upside-down when her mother announces suddenly that she is leaving her husband, taking Claire with her. Things go from bad to worse when Claire discovers her mother is planning to move to a house in the country with her new ''boyfriend'' Mac. Far from the comforts of the city, Claire is forced to a attend a one-teacher school and try to make new friends, all the while missing her 'real dad' and feeling isolated, resentful and alone. Will she ever feel happy again? Why can't she just have her family back? Told with honesty and great sensitivity, this warm-hearted novel looks at a child's life during a time of tumultuous change.'

(Publication Summary)