Cirrus@Austlit

Miss Mary-Kate Martin travels the globe with her family helping solve monstrous problems in this fun fantasy adventure from the multi-award-winning author of Dragon Skin and Lenny's Book of Everything.

'Funny and fast-paced. A thrilling combination of courage, kindness and a cleverness of the heart.' Anna Fienberg, bestselling co-author of Tashi

'Mary-Kate and her granny are going to stay at a very quiet castle near a very quiet Loch in the Scottish village of Bonkillyknock. The perfect destination for reading beside fireplaces, going for long walks in galoshes and drinking cups of tea with Granny's old friends. At least, that's what Mary-Kate thinks.

'However, this is no ordinary reunion - it's a World Society of Monster Hunters' conference. So, when an ear-shattering howl interrupts the convention, Mary-Kate isn't too anxious. After all, the experts are on hand to investigate.

'But when the castle kitchen is turned upside-down and the experts suspect the usually secretive Loch Morgavie monster, Mary-Kate isn't sure the clues add up. Could there be some other kind of beastly problem bothering Bonkillyknock Castle? 

'Miss Mary-Kate Martin might only be a beginner, but she's determined to get to the end of this monstrous mystery in the third exciting instalment in the Miss Mary-Kate Martin's Guide to Monsters series.' (Publication summary)

'Miss Mary-Kate Martin might be anxious, but she's not scared of monsters. Travelling the globe with her famous archaeologist mother, Mary-Kate helps solve legendary problems in this fun fantasy adventure suitable for fans of the Travelling Bookshop or the Magnolia Moon series.

'Mary-Kate and her mother are visiting Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island filled with history and surrounded by the shimmering Aegean Sea. An ancient mosaic has been unearthed at the local sardine processing plant and Professor Martin must investigate, leaving Mary-Kate to enjoy a few days of sunshine and antiquity.

'But a message asking for help changes everything. A wrecked boat and smashed jetty have recently disrupted life on this tranquil island and point to a monster-sized mystery. Could the local legend of the Two-Headed Hydra be more than a story? If so, what could make this historically serene sea creature so angry?

'Armed with her glitter pens and strawberry-scented notebook, Miss Mary-Kate Martin is determined to find answers. She might be scared of heights, but there is no problem too big for her to solve.

'The second mystery story in this delightful fantasy-adventure series from the award-winning and bestselling author of Lenny's Book of Everything and Dragon Skin, with lively line illustrations by Freda Chiu.'  (Publication summary)

Miss Mary-Kate Martin might be anxious, but she's not scared of monsters. Travelling the globe with her famous archaeologist mother, Mary-Kate helps solve legendary problems in this fun fantasy adventure suitable for fans of the Travelling Bookshop or the Magnolia Moon series.

'There are those that hunt monsters to harm them and there are those that hunt monsters to help them. Which one are you?

'Dressed in sparkly red shoes and carrying her strawberry-scented notebook, Mary-Kate is accompanying her archaeologist mother to the tranquil English countryside to investigate some interesting bones found in an old well. But once they arrive, they realise that the village of Woolington is not as peaceful as it seems. Mysterious noises, earth tremors and a terrifying legend have the locals frightened.

'Could there be any truth in the myth of the beastly worm who lives in the ancient well? And if so, why would it return? Mary-Kate might be anxious but she is not afraid to get to the bottom of this monstrous mystery.

'A delightful fantasy-adventure from the award-winning and bestselling author of Lenny's Book of Everything and Dragon Skin, with lively line illustrations by Freda Chiu.  (Publication summary)

'From the bestselling and multi-award-winning author of Lenny's Book of Everything comes a magical tale about a girl who saves a dragon and rescues her family.

How to save a dragon:
1) Assemble equipment. Water, Weet-Bix, sugar, syringe, sticky tape, scissors.
2) Believe in everything.

'Pip never wants to go home. She likes to sit at the waterhole at dusk and remember Mika, her best friend. At home her mother's not the same since her boyfriend moved in. They don't laugh anymore and Pip has to go to bed early, turn off her light and pretend she doesn't exist. When she finds a half-dead creature at the waterhole, everything changes. She knows she has to save this small dragon and return it to where it comes from. But how?

'A story about surviving and saving those you love, by the multi-award-winning author of Lenny's Book of Everything.

''I'm in love with this book. Dragon Skin is surprising, beautiful, unique. The characters are wonderfully drawn - tough but vulnerable, hurt but hopeful, damaged but strong. They've lodged themselves in my heart forever.' Katrina Nannestad, award-winning author of We Are Wolves' (Publication summary)

'In a very fine house, on a very grand street, Lived the tiniest mouse you could possibly meet. The youngest of twelve, he was timid and slight, But he was always, ALWAYS very polite. 

When tiny Horatio Squeak is invited to a mysterious party at the top of the stairs, he finds himself in the unexpected company of kittens with dreadfully bright teeth and dreadfully sharp claws. Despite their intimidating appearance, the kittens are welcoming hosts who seem to enjoy Horatio's company. But when they spot a bird in the window, they cannot resist the urge to catch it. As Horatio watches on with horror, he finds the courage to speak out and save the scared bird. With his newfound bravery, Horatio returns home feeling stronger and not nearly so small.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'“I knew my brother. I knew when he talked too much about Timothy his imaginary pet eagle. He was scared. 'Whatever you do,' I said to Davey on the walk to school, 'Do not tell people about your eagle. Do not tell Miss Schweitzer about your eagle.' He looked crestfallen. His shoulders slumped. He looked to make sure Timothy hadn't fallen off.”

'Lenny, small and sharp, has a younger brother Davey who won't stop growing—and at seven is as tall as a man. Raised by their single mother, who works two jobs and is made almost entirely out of worries, they have food and a roof over their heads, but not much else. The bright spot every week is the arrival of the latest issue of Burrell's Build-It-at-Home Encyclopedia. Through the encyclopedia, Lenny and Davey experience the wonders of the world—beetles, birds, quasars, quartz—and dream about a life of freedom and adventure, visiting places like Saskatchewan and Yellowknife, and the gleaming lakes of the Northwest Territories. But as her brother's health deteriorates, Lenny comes to accept the inevitable truth; Davey will never make it to Great Bear Lake. An outstanding novel about heartbreak and healing by an award-winning author.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time - and two most magical girls on an unforgettable adventure.

'Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being 'proper' isn't always easy - especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter...

'After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They're keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn't believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest.

'The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty - an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel's aunts seem very fond of - and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it...

'This sparkling and enchanting story is sure to bewitch you, so curl up in front of the fire, and prepare to be swept away...' (Publication summary)

'A luminous retelling of the Snow Queen, this is the story of unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard who doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

'As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

'A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.' (Publisher's blurb)