AustLit

'Bridget 'Bee' Ballentine is 12 and starting her first year of high school in the beach suburb Crescent Bay.

'Still reeling from the departure of her mother for an ashram in India, Bee talks to Buddha and begs for her first period not to arrive. She's not ready to become a woman yet, whatever that means.

'Although Bee's yet to find her tribe at school, her best friend forever is surfer Leon McKay, also known as the hottest boy in Year Eight. As long as Leon has her back, Bee can survive the mean girls, her meddling step-mum, Kath, and her swimming nemesis, The Piranha.

'Over one blistering summer, set against the backdrop of bushfires, smoke haze and water restrictions, Bee will grow up, show up, and make a name for herself.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When a Manly school sets out to bring a country class to the city for a beach visit, three very different kids find each other and themselves.

'Noah is fearless in the surf. Being at the beach makes him feel free. So where does his courage go when his best mate pushes him around?

'Lottie loves collecting facts about bugs, but she wishes her dad would stop filling their lonely house with junk. She doesn’t know what to do about it.

'Jack wants to be a cricket star, but first he has to get to school and look after his little sister. Especially if he wants to go on the class trip and see the ocean for the first time.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'WARNING: These stories might give you nightmares!

'A brand new addition to Hinkler's bestselling 'Cool' series, just in time for Halloween tricks comes 101 Cool Hair-raising Horrors! Get ready to scare yourself and your friends silly with 101 short, scary stories, perfect for sleepovers and telling around the campfire in the dark.

'With brand new tales and classic urban legends covering topics from ghosts and ghouls to creepy clowns and terrifying toys to all your favourite monsters, these stories are sure to chill you to the bones and keep you up at night.

'Don't forget to check under the bed tonight...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'‘Books can save anyone. If they’re the right ones.’

'Tiny is an eighteen-year-old girl living on the streets in Sydney, running from her small-town past. She finds short-term accommodation at Hope Lane – a shelter for the homeless – where she meets Nola, a high school student on volunteer placement.

'Both girls share their love of words through the Hope Lane writing group. Can they share their secrets, too? ' (Publication summary)

'It's the most elite school sporting event in the country. Nine rowers, 2000 gruelling metres and one chance for glory in the ultimate team sport. Sit forward ... ROW.

'Tall, gifted and the offspring of Olympians, superstar siblings Leni and Cristian Popescu are set to row Harley Grammar to victory in the Head of the River.

With six months until the big race, the twins can't lose. Or can they?

'When Cristian is seduced by the easy route of performance-enhancing drugs, and Leni is suffocated with self-doubt, their bright futures start to fade. Juggling family, high expectations, study, break-ups, new relationships and wild parties, the pressure starts to build.

'As the final moments tick down to the big race, who’ll make it to the start line? And who'll plummet from grace?' (Publication summary)

'Kate Elliot isn't trying to fit in - that's the whole point of being a goth, isn't it?

'Everything about her - from her hair to her clothes - screams different and the girls at her school give her a wide berth. How can Kate be herself, really herself, when she's hiding her big secret? The one that landed her in boarding school in the first place. She's buried it down deep but it always seems to surface.

'But then sometimes your soul mates sneak up on you in the most unlikely of places. Like Norris Grammar Boarding School for Girls, where's she's serving a life sentence, no parole, because her parents kicked her out.

'So, how do you take that first step and reveal your secrets when you're not sure that people want to see the real you?' (From the publisher's website.)