Cirrus@Austlit

'A heart-warming, funny, beautifully told story for readers of all ages from the bestselling author of Jasper Jones and Honeybee.

''You don't have to carry the weight of the world in your tool belt.'

'Annie Shearer likes to fix things. She lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond.

'After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when greedy local landowner Earl Robert-Barren puts her family's home at risk, Annie directs Runt's extraordinary talents towards a different pursuit - winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London.

'However, two things stand in her way.

'There is Fergus Fink, a vain and villainous dog handler determined to prevent Annie from upstaging him.

'And a curious predicament: Runt will only obey Annie's commands if nobody else is watching.

'Though she's used to fixing problems on her own, Annie enlists the help of her quirky family. There's Susie, her vibrantly fashionable mother, who is the worst baker in the nation. Her father, Bryan, who inherited the family farm and has a hidden passion for flower cultivation. Her teenage brother Max, an aspiring daredevil. And her grandmother Dolly, a one time champion sportswoman who, years after the death of her husband Wally, is now looking for love. Each make sacrifices and employ their own unique skills to get Annie and Runt to London.

'With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds and the fastest dogs in the world to save her farm.

'Runt is a heartwarming and hilarious tale of kindness, friendship, hurdles, hoops, tunnels, see-saws, and, above all, being yourself and bringing out the best in others.' (Publication summary)

'Every kid wants to laugh, but Max is the boy who can make it happen.

'As he and his classmates head off on a camping trip, the new boy, Tyson, decides to play some jokes of his own.

'Max is the funny kid ... and now there's a prank war to be won!

'Monsters in the lake, smuggling ducks, dig-your-own toilets, capsizing canoes, absolutely not falling in love and beans that give you the runs are just some of the things in store for Max and his friends in this brand-new adventure.' (Publication summary)

'Wolf Girl and her pack are back for another hackle-raising adventure!

'When Gwen and her dogs jump on a train bound for the mountains, they are surprised to find the carriages are full of weird and wonderful animals!

'With the help of new and old friends, Gwen is determined to give the wild creatures their freedom, even if it means risking her own...'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Andy and Terry have added 13 new levels to their treehouse and now it's even more out of this world than before!

'There's a soap bubble blaster, a GRABINATOR (it can grab anything from anywhere at any time), a time-wasting level, a toilet paper factory (because you can never have too much toilet paper), a room full of mechanical grandparents, a super long legs level, an extraterrestrial observation centre and the best bookshop-in-a-treehouse-in-a-tree-in-a-forest-in-a-book in the whole world!

'Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!' (Publication summary)

'Andy and Terry's treehouse now has 13 new storeys, including a tiny-horse level, a pyjama-party room, an Underpants Museum, a photo-bombing booth, a waiting room, a Door of Doom, a circus, a giant-robot-fighting arena, a traffic school, a water-ski park filled with flesh-eating piranhas and a treehouse visitor centre with a 24-hour information desk, a penguin-powered flying treehouse tour bus and a gift shop.

Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.