AustLit

'Join Loui on his knowledge filled adventure with Poppy John and learn all about native Australian plants and trees, birds and bees, animals and insects in this colourful heart-warming story.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Hamish McGruff is a mischievous little scruff who thinks he is tough. He's not afraid of croaking frogs, or spiders and snails underneath logs. Hamish is ever so brave out in the ocean with its big rolling waves.

'But when the storm clouds roll in...
thunder crashes...
lightning crackles...
and Hamish whimpers and hides.

'He is afraid of the dark and the crashes and booms are terribly scary. Can a friend help Hamish come up with a plan for the next thunder storm? A delightful story about friendship and finding the courage to overcome fear.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'This book helps girls and boys find their inner strength and happiness within, by learning how to be in control of their own choices which best suits them. On the way they will have fun finding the hidden protective crystal which will keep them safe when needed.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'A wonderful tale is taken from an original memory of a historic event in Ukraine during 1932-1933. 

'It tells of a family crisis, sadness, love, friendship and hope through  the eyes of four brown hens and their Ukrainian owner Baba Helen.  

'A child’s history story like no other.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'This is an enchanting illustrated book of fairy tales – but not the kind you read to children at bedtime. They are strictly for the grown-ups. Often dark, the stories visit places where things don’t end happily ever after, where a single decision can haunt you forever. But there are also tales to make you laugh out loud, stories of sweet revenge and scenes of sheer delight in the world of magic and the fey.

'All the stories, lyrics and poems have something in common, a contemporary edge. Even those set in earlier times have a modern sensibility that reflects the 21st century and celebrates Australian landscapes, characters and voices.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Walk into a fairy tale world that’s not quite what you might expect.

'Lara’s life of lonely drudgery changes when she gains an unlikely friend and learns that acts of kindness can bring their own rewards. High-born Niamh knows the kennel boy is her soulmate, but when she seeks help from the Otherworld, her future takes a surprising turn. Bella runs away from home on a stormy night and finds shelter in a strange old house, where she meets a shy kitchen hand, his autocratic mother, and a mouse. Young soldier Katrin makes her weary way homeward after a terrible defeat. A chance encounter with an old woman plunges Katrin into an adventure involving dogs, treasure and a lost tinder box.

'These four tales celebrate courage and kindness. They are about being to true to yourself and recognising the good in others.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Join Franki on his knowledge filled adventure with Poppy John and learn all about native Australian plants and trees, birds and bees, animals and insects.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lily dreams of a beautiful world beyond her life in a pond, and awakens to find beauty and light shining from inside herself.

'Lily’s journey explores the themes of friendship and self-discovery, having faith in oneself and being kind to others.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'France is classic fairytale territory. Not just because it’s where many of the most well-known and beloved fairy tales were first written down in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, or because it’s where the term ‘conte de fées’ was invented. France, with its fascinating regional cultures, glorious castles, gorgeous countryside and tumultuous history, lives and breathes fairy tale in a uniquely powerful way.
'French Fairy Tales gathers five stories from different parts of France: some well-known, others newly translated into English. Full of adventure, magic, mystery and romance, with a light-hearted dash of humour and a sprinkling of surprise, these stories feature unforgettable characters: tragic shape-shifters, monstrous creatures, mischievous tricksters, witty youth – and many different kinds of fairies!
'Chosen, translated and superbly retold by award-winning French-Australian writer Sophie Masson and enchantingly visualised by acclaimed illustrator Lorena Carrington, these stories will transport readers into the potently magical heart of the French fairy tale tradition. (Publication summary)

'With colourful illustrations, this book is the perfect way to introduce your little one to the basics of numbers and counting.

'A collaboration between Karen and Chelsea.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'You can do one night, Jo reminds herself as she follows five women into the Australian bush.

'Where are they going to sleep? And pee?

'Jo probably should have let her husband Frank know. Just in case. Because you never know what can happen in the wild.

***

'While on her three-month marriage-and-motherhood sabbatical in the country, Jo bumps into an old friend Fiona who invites her on a 'sacred', silent walk to mark her 57th birthday - the first since her husband Ben died.

'The last thing Jo wants is to share anything about herself - these are Fiona's friends, not hers. And what's she going to say? That her young adult children have made life choices she doesn't understand? That she has no idea who she is anymore? That everything is falling apart - even her happy marriage to Frank?

'But the unexpected intrusion of a stranger into their secret location unleashes powerful and conflicting emotions in each woman, provoking conversations and confidences that stray into the shadowlands of motherhood, the mysteries of midlife, the future of monogamy and mother Earth.

'Under the canopy of the open night sky, around a small, tended fire, the women share wise counsel, spill their secrets and offer up their stories, each exposing corners of truth the others need to hear.

'Unbecoming is a funny, heartbreaking and provocative homage to the midlife unravelling as women on the brink of elderhood speak honestly about their lives and wonder what the hell to do with vaginas that are not ready to be put out to pasture just yet.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'An enchanting collection of little known fairy tales about young women who prevail because of their kindness and compassion.

1. Snow-White & Rose Red save an enchanted bear from an ungrateful goblin
2. Marushka is sent to find strawberries in the snow by her cruel step-sister but wins the help of the Twelve Months
3. Ailsa climbs Mischanter Mountain to rescue her sister, armed with nothing more than her sewing kit and her parents' blessing
4. Reinhilda outwits a witch and saves her sweetheart
5. A kind henwife helps Morag find a home for her family with the help of a magic pot
6. Agnes and a young Romany woman together overcome the curse of an enchanted cup
7. Brigid honours a promise she made, even though it takes her to the underworld and back

'With an introduction by Isobelle Carmody, Snow White, Rose Red & Other Tales of Kind Young Women contains tales from Germany, Slovenia, Ireland and the Scottish Travellers. It will transform the way you think about fairy tales.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lucien St John has been working deep undercover for two years, trying to bring charismatic oligarch Karl Cheknov to justice. An opportunity finally presents itself as an invitation to one of Karl's famous week long house parties. The problem is, Lucien must bring his bride to be ... a fictional bride to be created purely for his cover.

'Former operative, Jade Walker, is pulled into active duty to fill the role, reluctantly. She knows the mission has become Lucien's obsession, changing the man she once knew.

'The agents discover they are under constant surveillance, meaning their passionate performance must be equally convincing, both in and out of the bedroom.

'As the full extent of Karl's crimes becomes clear, the mission turns deadly. Lucien and Jade must put aside their differences and work together.

'Knowing one wrong move, or word, could be their last.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Alphabet Job Buddies presents the alphabet to young readers in an entertaining way that will help children remember the sound that certain letters make and what they look like. In addition to this, the book has the potential to be a great educational tool for exploring gender roles in society.'

Source: Publisher's blurb (2017 ed.).

'A glass jar washes into a tide pool and excites the imagination of three resident hermit crabs. Three Hermit Crabs Kara Lauder Dr Mick Guinea Illustrated by Sunshine Follow Larry, Babs and Brin as they find it is best to keep the shell you are in. By Kara Lauder & Dr MickGuinea.' (Publication summary)

'Covert operative, Jane Preston, is on her first solo mission, assigned to protect four year old Amelia Foster, the victim of a kidnap attempt. Jane is instantly captivated by her young charge.

'Amelia’s widowed father is another matter. Philanthropist, Paul Foster, is stern, cold and a workaholic. The man is an impenetrable fortress, seemingly unable to express a single emotion except anger.

'Another kidnap attempt leaves Jane convinced the threats aren’t random. Paul claims the motive is greed. Something just doesn’t ring true. What is the true mystery? Why can’t Paul seem to connect with his own beautiful daughter?

'Even while her feelings for the solitary widower grow, Jane can’t ignore the truth. Paul is hiding something from them all.' (Publication summary)

'A Serenity Press romance novelette written by an Australian author. Previously featured in the 2018 Serenity Press romance anthology "Destination Romance". There is a romantic destination for everyone, proving that love is all around us.' (Publication summary)