Cirrus@Austlit

' 'I was Prime Minister for three years and three days.Three years and three days of resilience.Three years and three days of changing the nation.Three years and three days for you to judge.'

'On Wednesday 23rd June 2010, with the government in turmoil, Julia Gillard asked then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a leadership ballot.

'The next day, Julia Gillard became Australia's 27th Prime Minister, and our first female leader. Australia was alive to the historic possibilities. Here was a new approach for a new time.

'It was to last three extraordinary years.

'This is Julia Gillard's chronicle of that turbulent time - a strikingly candid self-portrait of a political leader seeking to realise her ideals. It is her story of what it was like - in the face of government in-fighting and often hostile media - to manage a hung parliament, build a diverse and robust economy, create an equitable and world-class education system, ensure a dignified future for Australians with disabilities, all while attending to our international obligations and building strategic alliances for our future. This is a politician driven by a sense of purpose - from campus days with the Australian Union of Students, to a career in the law, to her often gritty, occasionally glittering rise up the ranks of the Australian Labor Party.

'Refreshingly honest, peppered with a wry humour and personal insights, Julia Gillard does not shy away from her mistakes, admitting freely to errors, misjudgements, and policy failures as well as detailing her political successes. Here is an account of what was hidden behind the resilience and dignified courage Gillard showed as prime minister - her view of the vicious hate campaigns directed against her, and a reflection on what it means - and what it takes - to be a woman leader in contemporary politics.' (Publication abstract)

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'All the children in the street are writing down a special Christmas wish. But what is Ruby's wish? What does she wish for at Christmas time?

'Ruby thinks of all the things that make Christmas special . . . ' (Publication summary)

'Dan had to go, He felt he had no choice, but leaving home was never going to be easy . . .

'Dan and his brother Eddie take off for the coast, in search of their lost mother, in search of a better life . . . but it's a long road they face and Dan must use all his wits to get them there in one piece.

'When they are taken under the wings of a group of would-be soldiers marching over the mountains to join up for the Great War, Dan and Eddie's journey becomes something quite unexpected. The experiences they share will shape their future beyond recognition.

'This extraordinary rite of passage is a powerful, heart-rending story - Robert Newton at his very best.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Tim, Hannah, Sunita, Joe and Polly are all off to school for the first time. Would you like to meet them and see how they go? There are new friends to make, fun ways to learn, and lots of different things to discover.

'From Jane Godwin and Anna Walker comes this beautiful book focussing on the experiences and feelings of five very different children as they begin at school for the first time.

'Jane's simple words and ideas combine with Anna's gentle and detailed illustrations to help children feel comfortable about taking this big step.' (Publication summary)