AustLit

'Louie's big brother, Rocky, has big dreams and wants to chase them. But Louie doesn't want him to forget where he belongs . . .

'A heartfelt story about the bond between two brothers and their special connection to country. Illustrated by CBCA award-winning picture-book creator Dub Leffler, and written by acclaimed singer/storyteller Phil Walleystack and award-winning children's author Raewyn Caisley.' (Publication summary)

'Hi! I'm Eve.
'I live at a roadhouse in the Nullarbor. We don't get many visitors. But today my cousin Will is coming. We'll have so much fun!'  (Publication summary)

'Sam likes to pull things apart and put them back together, and think about how things work. But he is sometimes so busy doing this, he forgets his chores on the family farm.

'Then one day he creates something truly wonderful . . .

'An inspirational story about discovery, invention and the importance of dreams.' (Publication summary)

'Have you ever wanted to have a cat for a pet, a very large cat? Need another player for cricket? How about Scruffy, the dog? How cute are Penguins? What would you do to help save one? A very wet kitten and an even wetter goldfish, will they stay in the family?

'A wonderful collection of heartfelt stories all about pets and animals.' (Publication summary)

'A moving celebration of the Australian outback and the special connection between grandparent and grandchild.

'Eve thought that living in the middle of nowhere was better than living anywhere else in the world...

'Only one thing made Eve sad. She hadn't seen Nan since they left the city long ago.

'Eve lives in a roadhouse in the middle of the Nullabor and when her Nan visits one day, Eve shows her all the things that are special about where she lives.' (Publication summary)

'Childhood, family relations and the seaside all provide the backdrop to Joe's story.

'When Joe and his dad go to Great-Uncle Alan's beach house after the old man's death, Joe discovers a boat in the garage. He longs to take it out on the sea, and he gets his wish when he goes fishing with Dad and Great-Uncle Alan's elderly friend Bob. After the fun of the fishing, and eating the fish on the beach, the men decide that the boat should now belong to Joe.' (Publication summary)
 

'In the pool Kate can focus on doing what she loves best - finding her rhythm, staying perfectly balanced, functioning as smoothly as a machine. And there's nobody relying on her.

'Why can't Kate's dad, a soccer coach, understand that she prefers the pool to the soccer pitch?

'At least her cousin Melvin, with his rose-coloured sunnies and dazzling jewellery, believes in everyone having 'free style'.

'And the Dolphins' swimming coach seems to understand her...or does he?' (Publication summary)
 

'Hayley wants to play netball, but there are not enough girls to form a team. Mum's got the solution - boys! When three boys put their hands up to play for St Pat's, the other team is afraid the boys will prove too strong, even if they haven't got any experience. The local paper stirs things up and Brett thinks he's leading a small revolution, but Seamus doesn't want to know. And what's the thing between Alex and Duncan?

'When the team receives their worst blow yet, they wonder if it was all a waste of time. Or was it perhaps the most incredible thing they've ever done?' (Publication summary)

'TENNIS STAR is the story of twelve-year-old Nathan Taylor, who everybody says looks like his hero Richard Krafter. After unexpected success at the District Final, Nathan begins to take himself a little too seriously. On and off court, Nathan’s attention-seeking and aggressiveness begins to alienate his friends and disappoint his family. Soon he must decide what the most important things are about tennis, and life – playing to succeed at any price, or playing for the love of the game and the friendship it fosters ... ' (Publication summary)

'Twelve-year-old Christian Phillips doesn’t think he will make the junior rugby team. When his parents give him a pair of footy boots before the trial – a gift from his late grandfather, a staunch Wallabies fan – Christian is still not convinced. Shocked when he makes the team, and relegated to the wing, Christian soon realises his idea of teamwork is a little different from that of the coach and other boys. Christian spends most games waiting for a pass and decides conforming is easier than challenging the culture of the team. But when they have to face the brutal Scots team on their home turf, a new leader emerges ..' (Publication summary)

'Star full forward for the Bushrangers, Jack Bird, was always going to follow in his big brother Tom's footsteps and one day play for Collingwood.

'But when his own grandfather, a footy dinosaur, takes over as coach and gives his spot away to Ernie Long, Jack can't understand why his own grandfather would put him on the bench, and it's a huge relief when Mum decides they should get out of town for the weekend.

'In Melbourne for the Anzac Day match Jack finds footy works its magic and when Tom gives him a lesson in family history he's almost ready to see his grandfather in a new light.

'Jack thinks he knows what he has to do, but will he be brave enough? ' (Publication summary)

'Sledging, ball tampering, refusing to walk – they’re just not cricket as far as Nick Pearce is concerned. But then neither are the team-mates he meets when he signs up with his father’s old club. Whoever heard of a goth spin bowler for one thing? Nick wants to keep the spirit of cricket alive, but who’s going to support him? What about the guy at the Bradman museum, or his teacher, or maybe the bloke who sprang the tough questions on him in the cricket chat room? To make things worse, Nick’s own father seems to be part of the group who think sledging’s an Aussie art form, and wheere do you start when it comes to trying to change your own dad?' (Publication summary)

'Crystal longs to be a mermaid, so her mother makes her a flashing, silver tail which she wears at the swimming pool. But it isn't like being a proper mermaid - that is until she decides to wear her tail to bed one night.' (Publication summary)

'Suddenly the gorilla in Kerry's video game is rolling straight out of the screen and into her living room, full-sized and alive! Mayhem follows until Kerry can work out a way of trapping the gorilla back into the fantasy of the video game.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.