December 2006

Following is a selection of fiction by some of the major Australian authors.  Most of the titles included are contemporary but there are also a number of classics.  The list includes many books which have been short listed for the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards and have also received other commendations however, because of lack of space, I have mentioned only the CBC Awards and a few other major international awards.  The books listed are for both Elementary and Secondary levels.  Please take the age suggestions as just a rough guide. Many of these titles are also available as audio cassettes or CDs.  Titles newly included on this list are marked with •

Please Note   All prices are in Australian dollars and include the new 10% GST tax. However this GST does not apply to exports from Australia.

Send orders by mail, fax or email to Austral Ed.  Freight is sent by the most economical method, depending on urgency.

Recommended by Kate Shepherd

Linda Aronson

• Kelp  pb $16.95  The very funny story of Emily Tait who is only fourteen but longs to be a business tycoon.  She can see business opportunities everywhere especially in the family seaweed business that her eccentric family run on an island off the coast of Australia.  (11 – 15 years)

Allan Baillie
The China Coin  pb $14.95  Based on his own experiences when he and his family went to China, this story is set in a small village in China at the time of Tiananmen Square.  (10 up)

Duncan Ball
His books about Selby the dog that talks are very popular with children in the 8 to 10 age range, often winning awards when children themselves are the judges.  Selby's Secret, Selby Speaks, Selby Screams, Selby Surfs, Selby Spacedog, Selby Splits, Selby Snaps, Selby Snowbound, Selby Supersnoop, Selby's Stardom, Selby Sorcerer, Selby Shemozzle, • Selby Scrambled and • Selby Shattered pb $12.95 each.     He has also written a number of books about Emily Eyefinger, a girl who has a finger at the end of her finger which leads to many strange and funny situations.  Emily Eyefinger, • Emily Eyefinger and the City in the Sky, Emily Eyefinger  and the Puzzle in the Jungle, Emily Eyefinger  and the Balloon Bandits, Emily Eyefinger and the Black Volcano, Emily Eyefinger and the Devil Bones, Emily Eyefinger and the Ghost Ship, Emily Eyefinger and the Lost Treasure, and Emily Eyefinger, Secret Agent. pb $11.95 each

Catherine Bateson
Rain May and Captain Daniel pb $16.95   Daniel writes his account of his new friendship with Rain in the form of a Star Trek journal.  Rain corresponds with her mother through fridge poems.  A highly entertaining account of a strong friendship between two eleven year olds in the country.    (9 - 13 years)
Painted Love letters  pb 16.95   A moving account of a family coping with the death of their much loved father.  (12 years up)

Milie and the Night Heron   by Catherine Bateson  pb $16.95

Shifts and changes in life are not easy but can sometimes bring more friends and a different perspective on the world, as Millie discovers.  This is a sensitive story about a girl who is not an extrovert but is determined to keep a strong sense of herself.  (9 - 12 years)

Peter Carey
The Big Bahzooley   pb  $13.95   His first book for children is a marvellously inventive story, a sparkling mix of fantasy, reality and humour.  (8 - 11)

Michael Gerard Bauer

The Running Man pb $18.95   A story about the relationship that gradually develops when a young teenage artist draws a portrait of a reclusive and disturbed neighbour who was a Vietnam vet.  A moving story about our perceptions of others.     (13 years up)

• Don’t call Me Ishmael!   pb $16.95

This book written with a flair and vigour and love of language which is invigorating and very, very funny. When Ishmael becomes involved in an attempt to set up a debating team, it looks disastrous but is hilarious as the team gradually learn to work together.    (11 – 16 years)

J.C.Burke

• The Story of Tom Brennan  pb $16.95

Tom Brennan’s older brother causes a car accident in which two of his close friends are killed and his cousin becomes a quadriplegic.  This is the very moving and believable story of Tom Brennan’s struggle to come to terms with the accident, its effect on his close family and on Tom’s identity.  It is extremely well written.  (14 years up)

Isobelle Carmody
The Gathering  pb $19.95 Joint Winner of the 1994 CBC Awards for Older Readers.  Her fantasy books are exciting, well written and are highly regarded by teachers and students.  Also Obernewtyn,  The Farseekers, The Ashling  and The Keeping Place  pb $19.95  each make up the quartet of the Obernewtyn Chronicles.  Also Scatterlings  pb $16.95  (13 up)
Dreamwalker pb $16.95  created with illustrator Steven Woolman is a striking graphic novel.  It is a fantasy story which looks at the way stories are created.  It has a highly dramatic visual presentation.

Brian Caswell
Merryll of the Stones pb $18.95  A splendid story of time travel and magic, set in Wales and Australia. (12 up)
A Cage of Butterflies pb $18.95 A gripping science fiction novel involving a group of children with unusual brain formation and an international drug company.  (12 up) 
Only the Heart  by Brian Caswell and David Phu An Chiem  pb $18.95  Very moving story of the flight from Vietnam of Toan and Linh and their efforts to come to terms with new country, their background and the memories that haunt them.   It is the most perceptive, searing and unforgettable account I have read.   (13 up) 
The Full Story pb $18.95  for older readers is a moving companion story of the relationship between a Vietnamese Australian struggling to work out his own life in Australia and his Australian girlfriend. (14 years up)

Judith Clarke
The Heroic Life of Al Capsella  pb $18.95     Al tries to be normal but he faces a pair of crippling obstacles - his parents.  (13 up)
The Lost Day  pb $16.95  Vinny and his friends are now 19, at university or working, full of confidence and enjoying life to the full.  But Vinny disappears for one day and this brief but terrifying experience with a darker side of life is one that shocks everyone.
Wolf on the Fold pb $16.95  Winner of the 2001 CBC Book of the Year: Older readers  This collection of six stories covers three generations of a family and each story is linked in some way with the theme of fear. 

Her latest is One Whole and Perfect Day  pb  $16.95

Bryce Courtenay
The Power of One pb $24.95 has been an international bestseller and is extremely popular in particular with Year 9 boys.   (15 up)   Told by an excellent story teller, this is the story  of a young boy who learns from the boxing ring that small can beat big and sets out to be the welterweight champion.  It is set in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred and has a strong message against racism.  
The Power of One  - Young Readers' Edition pb $18.95 is the story of Pekay's life till he goes to high school.    (11 - 15 years)

Gary Crew
Gary Crew has taught secondary English for many years and maybe that is one reason why his books are always intense and challenging.
The Inner Circle   pb $16.95  An aboriginal boy and a white boy tell of their developing friendship in alternating chapters and of course from differing viewpoints.   (13 up)
Strange Objects   pb $17.95   Winner of the CBC Book of the Year Award Older readers 1991.  An unusual psychological thriller which uses diary entries, newspaper clippings etc to tell the story.    (14 up)
Angel's Gate   pb $17.95 can be read as a murder story but for those who wish to search, it is a complex novel. (13 up)

Max Dann
• Jason Prince  by Max Dann   pb $11.95
This is a highly ironic story about Jason who is extraordinarily rich and has so many servants that he has never had to think for himself.  However once he meets Grace, and discovers the delights of playing with her and using his own brain, he takes advantage of all his opportunities.  Another Aussie Bite.     (7 - 10 years)
• One Night at Lottie's House pb $11.95  Another very entertaining story in the Aussie Bites series.    (6 - 9 years)

Terry Denton
Gasp! The Breathtaking Adventures of a Fish Left Home Alone   pb $14.95  The hilarious adventures of a naughty and greedy fish who breaks his fish bowl and, with only 27 pages to go, realises that he "is a fish out of water".  Gasp!  Denton is a clever, witty writer and illustrator and the high drama of this very simply story will appeal to beginner readers and older ESL students.    (7 - 13 years)
The sequels are Splat! The Explosive Adventures of a Fish Not Home Alone and
Zapt! The Electrifying Adventures of a Fish Left Home Alone  pb $14.95 each
And the latest Squish! An Eat-Your-Own-Adventure for Mad Fish!  pb  $14.95

Nick Earls
After January  pb $18.95
A sophisticated look at first love in the limbo time spent at the beach after exams and before results.  Written with wry humour and descriptive flair.  For young adults.
48 Shades of Brown   pb $19.95   A hilarious story about Dan, a charming if slightly scatty young man and his attempts to cope with his final year at school while at the same time endeavouring to hide his total lack of knowledge about any home survival skills as he shares a house with his 22 year old aunt Jacq and her captivating university friend Naomi.  Winner of the 2000 CBC Older Readers Book of the Year Award.   (15 up)

Vashti Farrer
My Story  Plagues and Federation  The Diary of Kitty Barnes  The Rocks, Sydney 1901 pb $18.00   A fascinating period of history.  Kitty Barnes describes in her diary the bubonic plague caused by the plague of rats infesting the area where they live.  She also describes the events leading to the Federation of Australia and the horrors of the Boer War where her brother is fighting.   (11- 15 years)

Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Tashi, Tashi and the Giants, Tashi and the Ghosts, Tashi and the Genie, Tashi and the Demons, Tashi and the Baba Yaga , Tashi and the Big Stinker, Tashi and the Dancing Shoes, Tashi and The Haunted House, Tashi and the Royal Tomb, Tashi and the Forbidden Room and • Tashi Lost in the City all with illustrations by Kim Gamble pb $11.95  each   Tashi is a charming if extraordinary character who tells magical stories to his friend Jack.   (6 - 8 years)
Horrendo's Curse  with illustrations by Kim Gamble  pb $13.95   The story of Horrendo's rollicking adventures and ordeals as he and his friends are captured and taken on a pirate ship.  Horrendo can only speak in compliments which makes for some very funny situations.   (8 - 12 years)                                                             

Elaine Forrestal
Someone Like Me  pb $14.95   Winner of the 1998 CBC Award for Younger Readers.  Tas gets into a lot of trouble for an ordinary kid.  Why do certain kids pick on him and why does he react so fiercely?  An absorbing well written story.      (7 - 11)
Graffiti on the Fence pb $14.95  The exploits of the local skateboarding trio infuriate Lallie an elderly neighbour but when Helz gets to know her they are both surprised.  (8 - 11)
A Glass full of Giggles pb $12.95  A collection of amusing short stories. (8 - 10 )

Jackie French
Somewhere around the Corner  pb $16.95  Barbara is suddenly transported back to 1932 in the years of the Depression.  A vivid picture of the difficulties of the times as well as the strength and love of the family with whom she stays. 
Walking the Boundaries  pb $14.95  Another historical time-slip novel which looks at the importance of the land.   (10 - 14)
Daughter of the Regiment    pb $14.95   A hole in the air in the chook house enables Harry to have a glimpse back in time, to see Cissie who lived more than 150 years ago near the farm where he lives.   A compelling historical time-slip story.    (8 - 12 years)
Lady Dance  pb $14.95  A most unusual story about the horrors of the plague set in medieval times.    (9 - 14 years)
Hitler's Daughter   pb $14.95  When Anna makes up a compelling story about Hitler's daughter, Mark finds the story disturbing and questions if children can be blamed if their parents do something evil.  Thought provoking.  Winner of the 2000 CBC Younger Readers Book of the year Award.   (9 - 14 years)
Soldier on the Hill pb $16.95  A vivid picture of life in a small Australian country in 1942 as the Japanese were moving closer to Australian shores.
How the Finnegan's Saved the Ship  pb $14.95   The story of the eventful trip to Australia in 1913 of Mrs Finnegan and her seven children.  At the end of the book there are some interesting historical notes on Irish immigration to Australia.
Ride the Wild Wind: The Golden Pony and other Stories   pb $14.95 This is a collection of horse stories with a difference as Jackie French is writing not just about horses but about the bond that has developed over thousands of years between people and horses.   (8 - 12 years)
Dark Wind Blowing pb $16.95  is a tense drama with a time span of just one day.  A disturbed student threatens teachers and fellow students with a test-tube allegedly containing a deadly virus.  It makes a gripping read as well as giving us much to discuss and think about.   (10 - 14 years)

Her latest is  • The Goat Who Sailed the World  pb $15.00  This book has two narrators, a young twelve year old boy called Isaac Manley and a much travelled and superior Goat.  This narrative device gives us two very different perspectives on Cooks’ amazing voyage around the world from 1768 to 1771, when Australia was discovered and the ship was almost wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef.  Very entertaining.   (8 – 14 years)

• They Came on Viking Ships is her latest pb $15.95

Simon French
Where in the World   pb $14.95
A deceptively simple but beautifully constructed book about Ari, a talented young musician and how he and his mother settle into life in Australia.  (8 -14 years)

May Gibbs
The Complete Adentures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie  hardback $34.95  pb $14.95
An Australian Classic.  The story of the many adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, gumnut babies, who are always under threat from the wicked banksia men.  Delightful illustrations, especially in the hard back edition with a number of colour plates.

Libby Gleeson
Love Me, Love Me Not   pb $14.95 is a collection of stories about the relationships and feelings of ten Year 8 students.  The stories are separate but linked since all the students are in the same class.  (13 up)
Skating on Sand pb $14.95   For younger readers, Hannah is determined to learn to skate but it's not easy on a holiday in the bush.  The sequel Hannah Plus One won the Younger Readers 1997 CBC Book of the Year Award.   The latest in the series are Hannah and the Tomorrow Room  and  Hannah the Famous    pb $14.95  each (6 - 9 years)
My Story: The Rum Rebellion The Diary of David Bellamy  Sydney Town, 1807 - 1809  hardback or pb $18.00  A well written absorbing story of one year in the life of David Bellamy.

Morris Gleitzman
An extremely popular author in Australia who used to write for television, especially comedy.  Children love all his books. 
In Misery Guts and Worry Warts (pb $14.95) Keith persuades his parents to shift from dismal dreary England to Australia but still finds there are problems in the land of his dreams.  The latest in the series is Puppy Fat  $12.95
Also Blabbermouth, Stickybeak $14.95 each and Gift of the Gab  $14.95.  Rowena has problems in that she is unable to speak but her problem is small in comparison with the problems some other people have and don't even realise. (8 - 14). 
My own favourite is Two Weeks with the Queen which interweaves humour and tragedy  $14.95.  (11 up)
The Other Facts of Life pb $16.95 was originally written for a television series called The Winners. At times biting satirical humour on an environmental theme.    (11 up) 
Belly Flop pb $14.95  Against a setting of severe drought in a small country town, Gleitzman succeeds in writing a very funny book but the glimpses we get of the anger, bitterness and frustration that simmer just beneath the surface layer of humour are all the more potent.  The sequel is Water Wings pb  $14.95   (8 - 13)
Toad Rage   pb $14.95  Gleitzman is back to his best.  This is a very funny story about Limpy the cane toad who is determined to change humans' opinions of cane toads so he sets off on a dangerous and hilarious adventure. Toad Heaven  and Toad Away are the sequels.   pb $14.95     (8 - 14 years)
Teacher's Pet  pb $14.95  Life is full of difficulties for Ginger as she is allergic to the cats which are very much part of her family and she is perhaps also allergic to the new school principal.   (8 - 13 years)
• Boy Overboard  by Morris Gleitzman pb $16.95        Also as 2 audio cassettes  $14.95
Gleitzman has succeeded in writing a comic/tragic account of a refugee family from  Afghanistan.  Jamal and Bibi are ordinary kids who love soccer and kids will relate to their plight as they are forced to flee Afghanistan.   Amazingly enough it is often very funny but in class discussions there will be so much that can be discussed.   (9 years up)
• Girl Underground pb $16.95  is the sequel.  Jamal and Bibi are now in Australia in a dentention camp for refugees.  Bridget and Menzies decide to rescue them.  There are many crazy situations but Gleitzman will succeed in making children laugh and cry.

• Once  pb $16.95  His most recent is about a Jewish boy who finally comes to understand that the Nazis really are trying to kill him and thousands of other men, women and children, and especially the Jews.  Once again Gleitzman uses a mixture of humour and tragedy.  (11 – 14 years) 

His latest is • Doubting Thomas  pb $16.95 about Thomas who has an embarrassing secret.     

Andy Griffiths
Just Tricking, Just Annoying, Just Stupid, Just Crazy  and Just Disgusting illustrated by Terry Denton  pb $14.95  each Very funny stories with an irreverent, infectious humour which kids love, especially boys.  Each of these comes with excellent Teachers' Notes which Andy has written and which are free.  (9  - 11 years)

Phillip Gwynne 
Deadly Unna?  pb $18.95   A perceptive and highly entertaining book describing the growing friendship between Blacky, a white teenager and Dumby Red an Aboriginal young man from out of town and how it is affected by the narrowness and pervasive racism of a country town. Winner of the 1999 CBC Book of the Year Award.    The sequel is Nukkin Ya    pb $19.95   (13 up)
The Worst Team Ever by Phillip Gwynne, illustrated by Craig Smith   pb $11.95   Jimmy can't believe the new football team that he has joined - no pep talks, no training drills, no enthusiasm.  Are they really the worst football team ever? A short simply written story in the excellent Aussie Bites series for young readers.  (7 - 11 years)

Steven Herrick
Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair  pb $18.95  A highly successful verse novel.  Humorous, engaging, sad and full of vitality this is the story of 16 year old Jack and his friends, his family, his hopes and his fears.
A Place like This  pb $18.95  The sequel in which Jack and the love of his life Annabel decide to take a year off university and just wander.  Excellent.
The Spangled Drongo  pb $16.95  A similar verse narrative format but directed at a younger age group.  Twelve year Sam is mad about soccer and then to his surprise discovers a girl, who is also mad about soccer.   (9 - 13 years)
Tom Jones Saves the World is written from Tom's view point.  His family has just shifted into a trendy suburb which is enclosed by a high wall and he hates it. pb $16.95  (8 - 12 years)

By the River   by Steven Herrick  pb $16.95  This is another verse novel for young adults by performance poet Steven Herrick.  Harry writes about his memories of growing up in a country town in a close knit family.  The death of his mother when he was just seven years old had a powerful effect.    (12 up)

Odo Hirsch
Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman  illus by Andrew McLean  pb $14.95
A very unusual story which explores a world of theatre and the imagination with charm and humour.   (9 - 14)
Hazel Green pb $14.95  Hazel Green is a spirited heroine and the Yak is an introverted boy who is a mathematical whiz who make a formidable team.   Sequels are Something's Fishy Hazel Green , Have Courage, Hazel Green  and the latest • Think Smart, Hazel Green!  each pb  $14.95  (8 - 12 years)
Bartlett and the Ice Voyage  pb $14.95  A charming and engaging adventure story about an indulged young queen and an unlikely explorer whose inventiveness, desperation and perseverance succeeds against all odds in bringing back to the young queen the delights of a fresh melidrop fruit.   Sequels are Bartlett and the City of Flames, Bartlett and the Forest of Plenty and the latest • Bartlett and the Island of Kings  pb $14.95  each  (7 - 12)

Elizabeth Honey
45 & 47 Stella Street and everything that happened pb $14.95   A lively diary of the crazy happenings in Stella Street written in the words of 11 year old Henni Octon.
Don't Pat the Wombat  pb $14.95  A school camp in the bush sets the scene for an absorbing portrayal of students and teachers.  Funny and believable.    (7 - 11)
Honey Sandwich  pb $13.95  Elizabeth Honey has illustrated and written the poems for this very lively and entertaining book.     (7 - 11 years)

Paul Jennings
Jennings is Australia's most popular author, even outselling Roald Dahl.  His stories are funny, quirky and often have a strange twist to the ending.
• Rascal Stories   by Paul Jennings  illustrated by Bob Lea  pb $9.95 each
Rascal the Dragon, Rascal's Trick, Rascal in Trouble and Rascal Takes Off
Rascal the Dragon is an engaging young stray dragon who has been adopted by a young boy and his father in much the same way that a family would take in a stray puppy.  The stories are enjoyable, humorous and very simply written for children just beginning to read.  Also would be good for ESL.   (5 - 7 years)
The Cabbage Patch Fib, its sequel The Cabbage Patch War pb $12.95 each have large print and are ideal for those just beginning to read.  The Cabbage Patch Pong and The Cabbage Patch Curse are the latest quirky stories in this series.   (6 - 10 years)
Unbearable, Unbelievable, Uncanny, Unmentionable, Unreal, Quirky Tales, Undone, Uncovered  and Unseen Round the Twist  all pb $14.95 each  (8 - 15) years  
The Gizmo, The Gizmo Again , Come Back Gizmo and Sink the Gizmo are single short stories with the usual bizarre twist and illustrations.  pb $12.95
The Paw Thing, Singenpoo Strikes Again, Singenpoo Shoots Through and •Singenpoo's Secret Weapon  pb $12.95  Wacky stories about Singenpoo the remarkable cat who can read and even play Scrabble. Large print, simple text and illustrations.   All  four stories also available in one volume  pb $19.95   (7 - 10 years)
Also recent titles Sucked In  pb $12.95  Spit it Out pb $14.95 and Tongue-tied pb $14.95

• His latest novel How Hedley Hopkins Did a Dare, robbed a grave, made a new friend  is based very much on Paul Jennings’ own life growing up in Australia in the fifties.  His family were English immigrants and he felt that he was an outsider.   pb $16.95

Catherine Jinks
Pagan's Crusade  A wonderfully refreshing historical novel which doesn't need a time/slip device to bring vividly to life 12th century Jerusalem at the time of the Crusades.    Pagan in Exile is the sequel where the even more violent and vigorous action takes place in medieval France.  Pagan's Vows is set in a monastery as Roland and Pagan take monastic vows and develops into an exciting medieval thriller.  The last in the series Pagan's Scribe is told through the eyes of the bookish young Isidore giving a different perspective on Pagan and Roland.  pb $16.95 each title  (11 years up)

Pagan’s Daughter   pb $19.95   Babylonne is a feisty character whose life is fraught with danger as it seems that in whichever city she is, the city is besieged.  This was an extremely violent period of history and Jinks describes the brutality of the frequent battles and sieges between the Cathars in the south of France and the French lords.  (13 - 17 years)

Victor Kelleher
One of Australia's most popular fantasy and science fiction writer.
Master of the Grove (Winner of the 1983 CBC Book of the Year Award) pb $18.95,  The Red King  pb $17.95, Brother Night  pb $16.95
Papio  pb $14.95  is the dramatic story of two children who rescue a pair of baboons from an experimental research station in Central Africa.  (All 12 up) 
Taronga  pb $18.95  is a bleak but compelling view of the future after a nuclear holocaust. (13 up)
The Gorilla Suit pb $10.95   In the Aussie Nibbles series a very funny story about the consequences for a young boy when he dresses up in a gorilla suit.  (7 - 10 years)

Diana Kidd
Onion Tears pb $12.95   The moving story of a Vietnamese boat girl in Australia and how she is finally able to cry real tears, not just tears that come when she peels onions. (7 - 14)
Also I love you, Jason Delaney  pb $13.95  Ali thinks her life will only begin when she has her first boyfriend and the waiting is very frustrating. (8 - 12)

Robyn Klein
Hating Alison Ashley  pb $17.95 is a very funny story of two girls who take an instant dislike to each other and why. (8 - 12)   Also available as a play,  pb $17.95.
Boss of the Pool pb $15.00 is about the satisfaction Shelley feels when she succeeds in teaching a mentally handicapped boy to swim (8 - 13).  Also available as a play  pb $15.95.
Came back to show you I could fly  pb $18.95 is the moving story of a friendship between between an 11 year old boy and Angie, 17 years old, and struggling to free herself of a drug dependency.  Winner of the CBC Award for Older Readers 1990. 
People might Hear You  pb $17.95 is also for older readers.  
The Listmaker. pb $17.95   Twelve year old Sarah makes lists.  A portrayal of families and their idiosyncracies. (11 - 14)

Alison Lester
The Quicksand Pony  pb $14.95  Set in the Australian bush, this adventure story involves a young girl's search for her beloved pony, a mustering trip and a mystery.   (8 - 13 years)
Also The Snow Pony pb $15.95   Set in the Snowy Mountains, this is a story about a farming family trying to survive a severe drought and a girl's love and trust in a wild pony.    (9 - 14 years)

Morris Lurie
The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race pb $14.95    The very funny story of a hippopotamus race like no other.  Great to read aloud.   (6 - 10 years)

Maureen McCarthy
Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude  pb $19.95    Marvellous story about the lives of three young women in their first year at University in Melbourne.  Conflicting emotions, desires and shifting relationships are powerfully portrayed in this very moving story which brings tears of laughter, sadness and delight.
Cross my Heart pb $19.95 is a road story set in outback Australia. 
Chain of Hearts  pb $22.95.  This deals with Sophie a rebellious 17 year old who is sent as a last resort to her aunt in the country.  There the past gradually emerges in a way that helps her deal with the present.
Flash Jack pb $17.95 is about a 13 year old boy's summer which he thought would be disastrous after burglars steal all his stuff.   (11 - 15 years)
When you wake and find me gone  by Maureen McCarthy   pb $22.95  Kit is just twenty years old and enjoying her new independence when she makes a trip to Ireland to understand more of her background and becomes enmeshed in the bitterness, hatred and complexities of the long Irish struggle for independence.  (14 years up)

David McRobbie
See How they Run  pb $18.95  An ordinary family, suddenly put under a witness protection scheme are forced to flee.  The strain on everyone is immense. (12 up)
Fergus McPhail  pb $17.95  This is a very funny novel about a fifteen year old boy whose family shifts from Brisbane to Melbourne and his trials and tribulations as he and the family try to settle into a very different environment.   (12 - 17 years)

Geoffrey McSkimming
In the Cairo Jim Adventures series, McSkimming combines hilarity with history, and myth with magic.  He takes great delight in telling the story with much exaggeration, verbal puns, jokes and comic situations.  He has built up a considerable following for the exploits of Cairo Jim and for his female companion, Jocelyn Osgood.
Cairo Jim & Doris in Search of the Martenarten, Cairo Jim on the Trail to Chacha Muchos, Cairo Jim & the Sunken Sarcophagus of Sekheret, Cairo Jim & the Quest for the Quetzal Queen, Cairo Jim & the Alabastron of Forgotten Gods, Cairo Jim amidst the Petticoats of Artemis, Cairo Jim and the Lagoon of Tidal Magnificence, Cairo Jim and the Tyrannical Bauble of Tiberius, Cairo Jim and the Chaos from Crete and Cairo Jim and the Rorting of Rameses' Regalia.  Jocelyn Osgood Adventures are Ascent into Asgard, After the Puce Empress and and Cairo Jim and Jocelyn Osgood in Bedlam from Bollywood and the latest  • Cairo Jim at the Crossroads of Orpheus .  All pb $14.95 each

Melina Marchetta
Looking for Alibrandi  pb $22.00  Film Tie-in,  pb $19.95   It has been a bestseller with adolescents and adults because of its vitality and exuberance.  Josephine is an Australian, of Italian background and this is the story of her final school year.  Winner of the CBC Award 1993.  (13 years up)
Saving Francesca  pb $19.95  The most enjoyable story of Francesca and the ups and downs of her year eleven at a Catholic Boys school which is accepting girls into Year eleven for the first time.  It is fascinating look at the effect of girls on the culture of a boys school and also the way the girls are changed.   (13 years up)

• On the Jellicoe Road  pb $24.95 An ambitious new novel for 13 years up.

John Marsden
John Marsden is Australia's most popular author for teenage readers. 
So Much to Tell You pb $14.95   Written in diary form, this is the story of a girl who has been so traumatised that she refuses to speak aloud.  It was John Marsden's first novel and it won the CBC Award for Older Readers 1988. (13 up)   Also available as a play $10.95.   The sequel is  Take my Word for it pb $14.95. 
Letters from the inside pb $14.95 is a similarly challenging novel for older readers which presents a very bleak view of the world.
Staying alive in Year 5 pb $12.95  Scott and his friends are just staying alive in Year 5 until their surprising new teacher comes along.   Also an audio cassette  $21.95   (8 - 12)
Looking for Trouble  pb $12.95  Tony and his mates are good fun but they always seem to be looking for trouble ... and finding it.  Also audio cassette  $21.95.
The Tomorrow when the War Began series is an extraordinarily popular series about a group of teenagers who are forced to fend for themselves and to fight for their country when Australia is invaded by a foreign power.  It is gripping, compulsive reading.   By far the most popular books ever written in Australia for young adults.   Tomorrow when the War Began pb $14.95,  The Dead of the Night pb $14.95 and The Third Day the Frost pb $14.95.  Darkness be my Friend  pb $14.95, Burning for Revenge  pb $14.95 and The Night is for Hunting  pb $14.95 and the final title in the series The Other Side of Dawn   pb $14.95.    (12 - 18 years)
While I Live: The Ellie Chronicles  by John Marsden  hardback  29.95 pb $14.95   A continuation of the Tomorrow when the war began series sees Ellie back on the farm and trying to take up her life again. However there is a disaster and Ellie has to take on a role of responsibility, ingenuity, and caring way beyond what should be expected  of someone of her age.

Incurable: The Ellie Chronicles  hardback $29.95 pb $14.95 

• Circle of Flight: The Ellie Chronicles hardback $29.95 is the latest in this series.

Christobel Mattingley
No Gun for Asmir  pb $16.95  describes what is happening in war torn Sarajevo.   A Muslim mother and two children escape to become refugees without knowing what has happened to the father left behind in Sarajevo.  The story is told from the point of view of Asmir, the elder boy and is based on a real life story.  (9 - 13)
Ginger  pb $11.95  One of the popular Aussie Bites series for beginner readers.

David Metzenthen
Johnny Hart's Heroes pb $17.95  A story of determination during a tough period of drought in the Australian outback.
Fort Island  pb $1195  One of the popular Aussie Bites series for beginner readers.  This is an adventure story about a sailing trip which becomes dangerous.  (7 - 10 years)
• Anton Rocks On   pb $12.95  Anton is so short that he is regularly called Ant and life at high school is tough but he perseveres and through his determination and his love for his guitar he manages to turn his life around.   One of the Aussie Chomps.  (7 - 10 years) as is The Really Really High Diving Tower pb $12.95    (8 - 12 years)
Stony Heart Country pb $18.95   Aaron's father is a city consultant brought in to sack country workers making life very difficult for Aaron at the local high school.
Boys of Blood and Stone  pb $18.95   Metzenthen skilfully contrasts and links the lives of Andy Lansell killed in France in the First World War 1918 and of Henry Lyon, a keen surfer, whose life changes when by chance he stops at a country town where his path crosses that of Andy Lansell.   (13 years up)

• Tiff and the Trout              by David Metzenthen              pb $16.95

Tiff loves trout fishing and just about everything about the high mountain country where she lives.  However her life changes when her parents separate and she has to make some difficult choices.         (9 - 11 years)

James Moloney
Dougy  pb $18.95  is an uncompromising but realistic story examining racial tensions in a small Queensland country town.  The story of the family is continued in Gracey  pb $18.95 who is a talented athlete but has to come to terms with her Aboriginality when she moves to a school in the city.  (11 - 17)  Also Angela  pb $18.95  Angela is Gracey's closest friend from school but their lives separate while they are at University.
Swashbuckler pb $16.95  There is a reason behind Peter's determined pursuit of a variety of swashbuckling roles.  A moving story, at times sad and funny.  Winner of the 1996 CBC Younger Readers Award.   Sequel is Buzzard, Breath & Brains  pb $16.95      (8 - 11)
House on River Terrace  pb $18.95  An interesting plot which looks at history and the ways it can be manipulated and also looks at the pressures involved in having a parent in political life.  For older readers.
Bridge to Wiseman's Cove  pb $18.95  A complex moving novel which won the CBC Book of the Year Award for 1997.    (14 years up)
Touch Me  pb $18.95  Xavier is a young man for whom being picked for the first Rugby team at achool means everything until he meets and fall in love with Nuala Magee, an unpredictable, witty and engaging girl.      (14 years up) 
Black Taxi pb $16.95  A crime/adventure with many humorous twists of plot that come when Rosie gets to look after her grandfather's black Mercedes.  It's good to have a determined, sensible, fun-loving and life affirming heroine. (13 years up)

• His latest Lost Property pb $19.95  explores the themes of individuality and sense of worth. (13 years up)
The Best Model Maker in the World, A Box of Chicks and Moving House pb $11.95 each are all in the very popular Aussie Bites series for young readers.

Ruth Park
Ruth Park is one of Australia's most well loved authors for adults and children.
The delightful Adventures of the Muddle-Headed Wombat illus by Noela Young  pb $14.95  hb $34.95  The adventures of the muddle-headed wombat are a long time favourite with young children.    (6 - 11)
Playing Beatie Bow pb $16.95  An excellent time-slip story in which Abigail finds herself in the old Rocks area of Sydney in the 1870s.  Winner of the Book of the Year Award 1981.  (10 - 15 years)

Emily Rodda
These amusing fantasy stories are very popular with children    (8 - 11)
Pigs Might Fly  pb $14.95,  The Time Keeper  pb $16.00  and The Best Kept Secret pb $14.95  All stories for younger readers with a fantasy element.
Rowan of Rin  pb $15.00  contains many of the elements of the traditional fantasy - the quest, the dragon, misty swamps and walls of spiders. It won the Younger Readers, 1994 CBC Award.    Sequels are Rowan and the Travellers and Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal, Rowan and the Zebak  and the latest Rowan and the Bukshah   pb $15.00. each   (7 - 10 years)
Bob the Builder and the Elves  pb $12.95  Bob is appalled when his house is infested with elves who keep his house much too tidy and make him fairy bread and polish his boots.  A very funny story.  (7 - 10)
Deltora Quest series involves a traditional fantasy quest to find the seven gems which make up the Belt of Deltora.  Each book involves a perilous quest for Lief, Barda and Jasmine through seven very different lands to obtain the gems to free Deltora from the tyranny of the evil Shadow Lord.            (8 - 12 years)
Deltora Quest 1
1  The Forests of Silence       2  The Lake of Tears       3  City of the Rats
4  The Shifting Sands            5  Dread Mountain          6 The Maze of the Beast
7  The Valley of the Lost       8  Return to Del          pb $14.95  each  
Deltora Quest 2         pb $15.00 each book
1. Cavern of the Fear   2.  The Isle of Illusion   3. The Shadowlands                (8 - 13 years)
•  Deltora Quest 3    
1.  Dragon's Nest    2.  Shadowgate  3. Isle of the Dead   4.  The Sister of the South  Deltora is threatened again, this time by four vile creations of sorcery, the Four Sisters.   pb $ 15.00 each book

• Tales of Deltora illustrated by Marc McBride  hardback $30.00 give the essential stories of the history of Deltora as told by Josef, the Palace Librarian in the time of King Lief.

Gillian Rubinstein
A very talented author whose first book Space Demons has been extremely popular.
Space Demons  pb $15.00 is about the ultimate in computer games.  Also available as a play  pb $15.95.   A sequel, set in Japan is called Shinkei    pb $15.00   (10 - 14)
The Giant's Tooth  For younger readers and shortlisted for the CBC Awards 1994.  Sequel is The Fairy's Wings  pb $9.95 each
Answers to Brut  pb  $16.95   When the children's well loved bull terrier disappears, their hunt for him leads them to a disturbing and sinister world.  (9 - 14 years)
Galax-arena is a gripping and thought-provoking futuristic story. pb $16.95 

Randolph Stow
Midnite  pb $14.95  A wonderful parody of the early colonial and bushranging times in Western Australia.  A story for all ages. It has been adapted as a play by Richard Tulloch.  Midnite A Play  pb $14.95

Colin Thiele
Thiele's novels have been well known and loved for some forty years.  His stories have humour, adventure and a very strong sense of place. 
Uncle Gustav's Ghosts  pb $12.95  My favourite.  Set in the Barossa Valley of South Australia amongst the German emigrants which was Colin Thiele's own background, it is hilarious, exciting and features a variety of ghosts, including poltergeists.  (10 - 14)

February Dragon pb $12.95  Realistic and exciting story about a bushfire.  (9 – 14 years)
Jodies's Journey  pb $14.95 describes a girl's courageous struggle against arthritis.
Storm Boy illus by Robert Ingpen pb $16.95 The well known story of the friendship between a boy and a pelican Mr Percival.  It has been reprinted with the original illustrations capturing the beautiful desolation of the sand dunes of this coastline. (6 - 12 )
Pannikin & Pinta illus by Peter Gouldthorpe harxdback $27.95 is a story of an epic journey of a family of pelicans away from a drought in the arid north of Australia.  (7 - 11)

Richard Tulloch
Weird Stuff  pb $14.95   Brian Hobble discovers that the mystery pen enables him to write fluently and with passion.  It is great fun but it is also great to use in discussions of various writing styles.  The equally funny sequel Freaky Stuff is due in March.     (10 - 14 years)

Ethel Turner
Seven Little Australians  pb $16.95  The well loved story of a family of 7 children, a little on the larrikin side.  It is still amazingly fresh and engaging even though it was written in 1894.  Great to read aloud.   (8 years up)

Nadia Wheatley
Nadia Wheatley is one of the most accomplished Australian children's book authors.
Five Times Dizzy is the delightful story of how Mareka helps her grandmother, who is homesick for Greece, feel happy and become an important part of the neighbourhood in suburban Sydney.   Winner of the CBC Book of the Year Award 1983.  This title and Dancing in the Anzac Deli are now combined in one volume  pb $16.95   (8 - 13)
My Story: A Banner Bold   The Diary of Rosa Aarons Ballarat Goldfield 1854 hardback and pb $18.00  A vivid description through the eyes of Rosa Aarons of the dramatic events of the Eureka Stockade, the miners' uprising against unfair treatment at the Goldfields.    (10 - 16 years)

Tim Winton
Well known for his adult novels, Tim Winton's novels for teenagers have been a runaway success.    Lockie Leonard Human Torpedo  pb $17.95  Written in colloquial language, this is a funny story of first love, of fitting into a new town with a poetry reading police sergeant as a father, and of surfing.  The sequel is Lockie Leonard Scumbuster  pb $14.95   Lockie Leonard Legend  has a sombre note as Lockie's mother lapses into depression and the rest of the family are at a loss to know how to cope. pb $14.95  (12 up)
Blueback: A Fable for all Ages   pb $14.95  Tim Winton's love for the ocean and the creatures in it is reflected in this beautifully written story of Abel and his mother whose lives revolve round the ocean.  (9 up)

                                           Collections

• And the ‘Roo Jumped Over the Moon: Australian Stories and Poems for Children  compiled by Robin Morrow  Illustrated by Stephen Michael King  pb $15.00

This appealing collection contains stories and poems about the Australian bush and wildlife and also about the cities and towns and beaches.    (8 – 12 years)

• 100 Australian Poems for Children edited by Clare Scott-Mitchell and Kathlyn Griffith Illustrated by Gregory Rogers  hardback $19.95 pb $14.95

These poems reflect life in Australia, from settlement days to modern times.  There are poems by children as well as by adults.  There are also many poems by Aboriginal poets.  Many of the poems are humorous and many are about animals.  The black and white illustrations are by well-known illustrator Gregory Rogers.       

If you would like to order any of the books listed, send orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email. All prices are in Australian dollars.

For additional lists of recommended books and newsletters from Austral Ed, visit our website       www.australed.iinet.net.au

© Kate Shepherd 2008.