Cirrus@Austlit

'Meet our very clever dog. He always knows just what we're saying to him. He knows, but does he always obey?'

'A funny story about a clever (but not always obedient) dog, from a father-daughter team of dog lovers.'

'From playing in the park to dinnertime, bath time and bedtime - this very smart dog knows what's going on!' (Source: Publisher's website)

'The Gestapo called her The White Mouse - and they wanted her, dead or alive. Nancy Wake was an Australian who joined the French Resistance during World War II and became the most wanted woman in France. Parachuting behind enemy lines, blowing up bridges and smuggling refugees across borders, Nancy fought fiercely against the enemy and became the most decorated Australian woman in any war.' (Publication summary)

'Douglas Mawson is a true Australian hero, and one of the great Antarctic explorers. He was the first man to reach the South Magnetic Pole, and led Australia s first Antarctic expedition. This is a story of adventure and survival, as Mawson faces enormous challenges and triumphs. Kids will be gripped by this extraordinary true story!' (Publisher's blurb)

'Australia's most remarkable bird is immortalised in an enchanting new book for children.

'When Edith met a cheeky young young lyrebird on her garden path, she could not guess that he would one day be known as 'A Miracle of the Dandenongs'.

'This true story, retold by Jackie Kerin and beautifully illustrated by Peter Gouldthorpe, celebrates a memorable friendship between a gardener and one of Australia's most extraordinary birds.' (Publication summary)

November 2011 marks the centenary of Scott's expedition to find the South Pole. No Return: Captain Scott's Race to the Pole is a stunning retelling of Captain Scott's quest to become the first man to reach the South Pole.

In the age of discovery, Antarctica remained an unknown quantity amongst the world's scientists and explorers. Robert Falcon Scott was amongst the pioneers who penetrated the ice and cruel weather. This book tells the story of his journey from England, the year-long preparations, which included enduring the harsh winter and euphoric explorations in the spring - culminating in the ill-fated final march to his goal, only to be beaten by the Norwegians and to suffer terrible loss - and (Publisher website).

'The Dog on the Tuckerbox is the story of Lady and her master Bill.

'It is the story of Australia's pioneers, the bullockies who worked the rough tracks, and of one dog's unwavering loyalty to her master.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Queenie was found in India. She was captured and taken to Melbourne Zoo, where she gave rides, was teased and retaliated in kind. She was the star of the zoo. When she killed her keeper she was destroyed even though she was loved by many.'  (Publication summary)

'At rare intervals great floods fill the desert basin of Lake Eyre in Central Australia, and for a while wildlife teems along the shore. But the miracle is short-lived. In the fierce summer heat the lake shrinks, the water turns to brine and the fish die. Birds such as pelicans then face a vast flight across the desert to the southern coast, and many die along the way. Pannikin and Pinta is the story of a pelican family that sets out on that heroic journey.' (Source: Publisher's website)

'What is the wonder thing that cannot be replaced? Why, water. Minimal, lyrical text plus arrestingly old fashioned linocuts reinforce the message.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.