AustLit

'See the world through the eyes of a toddler, with this perfect new picture book from much-loved pair Lisa Shanahan and Leila Rudge.

'The sun is up and so is one gorgeous munchkin, ready to welcome the world!

'With a delicious rhyming text and scrumptious illustrations, here is a joyous celebration of all the small wonders waiting to be discovered, in a single ordinary day.'(Publication summary) 

'A cultural history of Australia told through our fiction.

'Australia's novels lie at the heart of the country. Capturing everyday lives and exceptional dreams, they have held up a mirror to the nation, reflecting the good and the bad. In this companion book to the ABC TV series, Carl Reinecke looks at the history of Australian culture through the books we have read and the stories we have told.

'Touching on colonial invasion, the bush myth, world wars, mass migration, the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and the emergence of a modern, global, multicultural nation Carl examines how these pivotal events and persuasive ideas have shaped some of Australia's most influential novels, and how these books, in turn, made us.

'In a panoramic account of Australian fiction stretching from Marcus Clarke to Melissa Lucashenko, Patrick White to Peter Carey, and Henry Handel Richardson to Michelle de Kretser, this is a new history of key authors and compelling books that have kept us reading and made a difference for over 200 years.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'An outback story of red dirt, kelpies and the future of a family farm.

'Life on the land is often boom or bust, forever at the mercy of Mother Nature.

'Aticia 'Teesh' Grey took on the manager's role on her family's West Pilbara cattle station a few years after picking up her first team of kelpies. Almost immediately she was faced with a severe and devastating drought that forced her to question everything she thought she knew about the fragile country of her home.

'Through the heartbreaking rollercoaster journey that followed, Teesh's loyal canine companions proved invaluable as she and her family worked towards securing the property's future. The versatility of these amazing dogs took the station in directions no one anticipated.

'In 2020, Teesh got the chance to showcase the potential of working dogs more widely. Joining the ABC TV series Muster Dogs, Teesh and four other farming families took on the challenge of training new kelpie pups and testing their worth on the properties they run. Through this experience they showed the bonds that are formed between human and dog and vividly demonstrated a positive environmental future for farming in rural Australia.

'This is a story of love, laughter, loss and hope, as Teesh finds her feet in an ever-changing world with the help of the dogs who have stood by her side through it all.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'The epic story of legendary band Yothu Yindi and 'Treaty', the song that gave voice to a movement

'WITH INTRODUCTIONS BY YALMAY YUNUPINGU & WITIYANA MARIKA

'Words are easy, words are cheap / Much cheaper than our priceless land / But promises can disappear / Just like writing in the sand -- From Yothu Yindi's 1992 ARIA Song of the Year, 'Treaty'

'Sometimes a musical revolution can erupt from the most unlikely of places. Long before they were ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, Yothu Yindi were a bunch of Yolngu (Aboriginal people of East Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) mates rocking out in the remote Top End. Soon they were creating some of the coolest new music in the country, splicing traditional sounds with electric, and spreading a message of unity.

'Then, after singer Mandawuy Yunupiu penned the hit song 'Treaty' with Paul Kelly and Peter Garrett, and a remix dropped in 1991, Yothu Yindi shot out of Arnhem Land and into the hearts of music lovers across Australia and the world.

'Writing in the Sand, by Yothu Yindi's authorised biographer, Matt Garrick, is the epic story of one of Australia's most original bands and how 'Treaty' gave voice to Indigenous Australia's hard-fought struggle for recognition. Featuring photos from the band's archives never previously published, the book is based on extensive interviews with current and former band members, including mainstays Witiyana Marika, Stu Kellaway and Jodie Cockatoo, as well as family members such as Yalmay Yunupiu, Mandawuy's widow, and collaborators and fellow artists like Garrett, Kelly, Neil Finn, Joy McKean, Bart Willoughby and Andrew Farriss.

'Funny, poetic, heartfelt and steeped in the sights, smells and unique rhythms of East Arnhem Land, Writing in the Sand is a must-read for anyone who cares about Australian music, and Aboriginal culture and recognition, all of which were brilliantly woven together by one of the most exciting bands of our time.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'From Afghanistan to gold -- an extraordinary tale of tragedy, resilience and triumph

'In 2012, Combat Engineer Curtis McGrath was serving in the Australian Army in Afghanistan when, in the line of duty, he stepped on a land mine. Seriously injured but still conscious and aware he'd bleed out and die within minutes, Curtis, as the unit's chief first-aid officer, directed his comrades to apply tourniquets and administer an IV and morphine. Then, as he was stretchered to a helicopter, fearing he would never see his family again, he joked that he planned to become a Paralympian.

'Just months later, Curtis was up and walking on prosthetic legs, motivated by the opportunity to march with his unit in their welcome-home ceremony. Kayaking gave him a new sense of purpose and, in 2013, he and his father, Paul, paddled more than 700 kilometres from Sydney to Brisbane to raise funds for Mates4Mates, which supports current and former Defence Force members. A year later, Curtis captained the Australian team at the inaugural Invictus Games in London, founded by Prince Harry for wounded, injured or ill veterans. Then, within four years of his injury, Curtis won gold at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

'Now a ten-time world champion gold medallist, Curtis recently stormed to victory at the Tokyo Paralympics to bring home two more Paralympic gold medals for Australia. Passionate about the power of sport to transform lives, he's ready at last to share his extraordinary story, and how he has approached every setback and challenge with courage, resilience, humour and grit.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'A glorious new picture book from the bestselling creators of What Do You Call Your Grandpa? and What Do You Call Your Grandma?

'In every corner of the globe,
as years begin and end,
there are many ways to celebrate
with family and friends.

'From bestselling duo Ashleigh Barton and Martina Heiduczek comes a joyous book that explores the many different ways we celebrate the close of one year and the beginning of another.' (Publication summary)

'It's been almost a decade since the Fart Monster first entered the world, now he's back in this hilarious new book from bestselling creators Tim Miller and Matt Stanton

'When you've got a problem, who do you call?

'The fart monster has spent years releasing a barrage of bottom bazookas onto the world. Now, in a surprising twist, he's here to help put an end to those roars from the rear!

'Follow along at home as the fart monster leads us through his DIY guide to easing the common fart.' (Publication summary)

'Award-winning writer Katrina Nannestad transports us to Russia and the Great Patriotic War and into the life of Sasha, a soldier at only six years old ...

'Wood splinters and Mama screams and the nearest soldier seizes her roughly by the arms. My sister pokes her bruised face out from beneath the table and shouts, 'Run, Sasha! Run!'

'So I run. I run like a rabbit.

'It's spring, 1942. The sky is blue, the air is warm and sweet with the scent of flowers.

'And then everything is gone.

'The flowers, the proud geese, the pretty wooden houses, the friendly neighbours. Only Sasha remains.

'But one small boy, alone in war-torn Russia, cannot survive.

'One small boy without a family cannot survive.

'One small boy without his home cannot survive.

'What that small boy needs is an army.' (Publication summary)

'It's a dangerous thing, your imagination.

'The sequel to the bestselling graphic novel, THE ODDS

'The Woman in the Suit is here. She wants to know about the ten odd characters who escaped Kip's imagination and now live with Kip and her dad in their two-bedroom apartment.

'She's asking questions Kip doesn't want to answer.

'NOW THE ODDS ARE ON THE RUN!

'The problem is ... the rabbit and the ninja are duelling, Racer's trying to drive, the rooster wants to leave and the unicorn and the cat are not getting along. Kip is hiding secrets from her dad, the dinosaur keeps giving her a fright and the Woman in the Suit seems to know their every move.

'From million-copy bestseller Matt Stanton comes another hilarious and heart-filled story about imagination, anxiety and accepting ourselves.' (Publication summary)

'Us firefighters do more than fight fires. We also assist those who have just gone through what's probably the worst experience of their lives.'

'The devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires threw the importance of our volunteer firefighters into sharp focus. But these brave men and women don't just step up to protect life and property in fires; they are also there to help in road accidents, plane crashes, natural disasters like cyclones and floods - and, yes, they even rescue pets that have got themselves into strife.

'In this collection of first-hand stories, ranging from the 1880s to 2020, our courageous volunteer firies take us right up to the frontlines and reveal the stark realities of the dangers they face to keep our communities safe.

'This book serves as a tribute to the thousands of volunteer firies across Australia who roll up their sleeves and selflessly put their lives on the line to assist their fellow human beings.'(Publication summary)

'The right book might just change your life ...

'Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they're needed most ... the place where the perfect book will find its way home.

'Now Mim has arrived in a pretty Dutch village where she meets Willemina, a kind and gentle child, who is being bullied by a girl named Gerda.

'Mim knows they're here to help Willemina. To change her life. To make her strong and brave and happy.

'If only Dad would find her the right book. If only he would stop giving everyone else the wrong book!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

What goes on tour stays on tour - unless you're the the first woman roadie in the world
'At just fifteen, Tana Douglas ran away to the circus that was rock 'n' roll in the 1970s, taking a job with a young and upcoming band called AC/DC. While still a teenager she headed to the UK and later the US to work for a who's who of bands and artists. Life on the road was exhilarating, hard work, occasionally surreal but never dull, particularly when you're the only woman in the road crew and the #metoo movement is still 40 years away.

'Whether wrangling Iggy Pop across Europe, climbing trusses while seven months pregnant, drinking shots of JD with Bon Scott backstage at Wembley, or donning a tailor-made suit to do lights for Elton at Windsor Castle, Tana did it all.

'Loud is rock 'n' roll like you've never seen it before, by a woman who not only survived the all-male world on the road but climbed to the top and lived to tell the tale.

'AC/DC Deep Purple ELO Elton John Ice Cube Ice-T Iggy Pop INXS Iron Maiden Lenny Kravitz Neil Diamond Ozzy Osbourne Patti Smith Pearl Jam Rage Against the Machine Red Hot Chili Peppers Santana Status Quo Suzi Quatro The Offspring The Police The Runaways The Who Vanda & Young and more!' (Publication summary)

'Losing your religion is harder than it looks ...

'From devout ten-year-old performing the part of Jesus in a primary school play to blaspheming, undergraduate atheist, Monica Dux and her attitude to the Catholic Church changed profoundly over a decade. Eventually, she calmed down and was just 'lapsed'. Then, on a family trip to Rome, her young daughter expressed a desire to be baptised. Monica found herself re-examining her own childhood and how Catholicism had shaped her. Was it really out of her system or was it in her blood for life?

'In Lapsed, Monica sets out to find the answer. Her investigations lead her to test a miracle cure in Lourdes and visit the grave of a headless Saint who claimed to be married to Christ (and wore a wedding ring made of his foreskin to prove it). She speaks to canon lawyers, abuse survivors and even a nun who insists that the Virgin Mary starts her car every morning.

'With wry humour and razor-sharp observations, Lapsed is the story of one woman's attempt to exorcise her religious upbringing, and to answer the question, is Catholicism like a blood group and, if so, is it possible to get a total transfusion?'

Source : publisher's blurb