AustLit

'There are as many mistruths as there are truths about James Co ok and his famous first Voyage of discovery, including his secret orders to find the mythical 'Great Southern Continent'.

'This book shows a new side to this voyage.

'Cook may never have stumbled onto the South East coast of Australia at all, if it had not been for a young Raiatean master Navigator named Tupaia. He came on board the ship Endeavour when it was in Tahitian waters, and essentially piloted the ship through much of the Pacific. He facilitated communication with the First Nation peoples they met, particularly in New Zealand, and on more than one occasion, saved Cook and his entourage from being massacred.

'This book does not document all that happened on that voyage. I t puts into perspective the importance of Tupaia to the voyage that changed the course of history, and altered forever the lives of many people throughout the Pacific.' (Publication summary)

'Growing up on a farm in country Victoria, all Rachel wants is to help people. When war comes, she travels to distant Europe and the Middle East, working tirelessly to care for wounded and sick soldiers from the battlefields of Gallipoli and the Western Front.

'Inspired by the life of Rachel Pratt, a World War I Australian army nurse who was awarded the Military Medal for bravery, this is an incredible story of bravery and sacrifice.' (Publication summary)

'From the oceans and coastal plains to the African Veldt, we share this earth with many unique and wonderful creatures. This book celebrates Mark Wilson’s lifelong passion for endangered wildlife and the preservation of habitat.

' A New Prayer for the Animals is a message of hope for animals across the world. The book contains information on each of the animals and includes at the end, a brief description of how they are threatened.' (Publication summary) 

'Molly and her father have emigrated to Australia to try their luck as gold prospectors in Ballarat, Victoria. Life on the diggings is hard and Molly misses her mother, who died before they left England.

'A Chinese teenager, Chen, shows Molly and her Papa how to pan for gold and helps them when their food and money run out. Not everyone on the goldfields is friendly, however. Chen and other Chinese diggers are often bullied and the police lock up miners who haven't paid the exorbitant gold licence fee. Before long, Molly, Papa and Chen are caught up in a protest that will become known as the Eureka Rebellion - a legendary battle that will profoundly affect them all.

'From award-winning author and illustrator Mark Wilson, this powerful story is inspired by real people and historical events.' (Publication summary)

'Join two children as they journey through the history of Southeast Asia - the fascinating lands linked to each other and Australia by the seas and monsoon winds. Share with them the discovery of a world filled with traders, adventurers and conquerors, the struggles for independence they witness, and the exciting arrival of the new millennium with its hopes and challenges.

'This is a story that started 70,000 years ago - a history that includes all of us.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'John is a child convict, transported to New South Wales for stealing a shirt. Life is grim in the fledgling colony and when food runs short, John once again has to steal to survive. Starving and alone, he is taken in by Australia's first schoolteacher, Isabella Rosson. In her simple classroom, John learns to read and write and soon becomes her star pupil - until he is discovered by the soldiers and again sent away in chains.

'Yet John never forgets Isabella's lessons, the power of words - and the hope for a brighter future.

'Inspired by the life of convict Isabella Rosson, the first teacher in the colony at Port Jackson, and John Hudson, the youngest First Fleet convict, this touching story is illustrated with Mark Wilson's vividly realistic and evocative artwork.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'When a Bedouin boy, Omar, is separated from his family in Libya during WW2, he makes his way to the coast to look for them. Tired and hungry, Omar is taken in and cared for by two Australia soldiers, Bluey and Albert, as they struggle to survive during the Siege of Tobruk.

'When Bluey disappears during a patrol, Omar is determined to find him, and uses all his knowledge of the desert as he searches for his friend. This is a story of friendship found in the most unusual of places, and a boy's determination against all the odds.'  (Publication summary)

'The new title in the critically acclaimed series that explores Australia's early Colonial secret history

'In 1798 orphaned Barney Bean now has a flourishing farm in the New South Wales colony and everything he ever dreamed of ... except his childhood friend Elsie.

'But when Elsie falls ill and Barney rushes to be by her side, he finally learns the deadly secret she has been hiding.

'Who is this strange and beautiful girl who will not speak? And could France ever attack the isolated colony?

'Written by award-winning author Jackie French and superbly illustrated by Mark Wilson,this fourth book in The Secret Histories series explores extraordinary and untold stories from Australia's past, including the female French botanist who could only work disguised as a man, French and English spies, and wars between two empires that threatened even a far-off colony.' (Publication summary)

'Flapper, VC is based on the true story of an Australian carrier pigeon during World War II. Raised and trained in Australia, Flapper is sent off to war in the Pacific. While on patrol deep in the jungle, Flapper's unit find themselves surrounded by enemy troops. With no other means of communication, the men's only hope of survival is Flapper, who has to evade enemy snipers and machine guns to get a message through to save the patrol.

'Flapper was awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross for his actions that day, and his medal is proudly displayed at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

'This memorable tale, illustrated with Mark Wilson's beautifully crafted and evocative artwork, is a moving story of animals in war.' (Publication summary)

'Beth is a child convict, caught stealing on the streets of London and sent to Australia on the First Fleet. Through Beth's story, we discover the unbearable hardships those first convicts suffered, not only on the long journey to Sydney Cove but also in the two years of near-famine following their arrival. The story also explores the new arrivals' relationship with the Indigenous population, and the devastation that the Europeans brought with them.

'But through Beth's experiences we also see the sense of hope that many in the new colony held for the future, and how they survived - and in some cases thrived.' (Publication summary)

'The best thing about living in the Kimberley is fossicking around in the bush. Eleven-year-old Binnu sees himself as one of the community's most accurate and deadly hunters, and with his 'ging' in his pocket he's prepared for anything. When, unthinkingly, he kills a native cockatoo he brings all kinds of trouble down on himself. Grandfather, as ancient as the land itself, is the only person who can help him, so the two of them begin their trek up into the tropical gorges to put things right. Will Binnu ever be free of that which haunts him?' (Publication summary)

'In the warm tropical waters off the north Australian coast, a very special whale is born: Migaloo, the only all-white humpback whale in the world. As he and his pod make their annual migration to Antarctica, Migaloo discovers the beauty, wonder and danger of a whale's journey.

'Mark Wilson's exquisite illustrations capture the grace and intelligence of these extraordinary creatures, who enchant whale-watchers around the world. ' (Publication summary)

'In 1915 Banjo Paterson wrote as an open letter to the troops a poem he titled We're All Australians Now'

'Australia takes her pen in hand,

to write a line to you,

to let you fellows understand,

How proud we are of you.'

'Illustrated by Mark Wilson (A DAY tO REMEMBER by Jackie French), this moving and beautiful picture book follows in the tradition of previous A & R classics such as MULGA BILL'S BICYCLE and tHE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER and is a timely contribution to our WWI Centenary publishing program.' (Publication summary)

'"Bandy jerked her head. I felt her shiver and neigh to the other horses. Then a hand went up in the distance, and the soldiers urged their horses into a canter." When the shadow of war descends on Australia in 1914, a boy and his horse set off for war in the Middle East. With water rations gone, they charge the enemy across six kilometres of open ground to reach the wells at Beersheba. In one moment of dash and bravura, both Jason's and Bandy's destinies are set as the battle unfolds, with heroic and tragic consequences. ' (Publication summary)

'A heartfelt story of the bond of love and devotion between a man and his dog in war.

'Matthew, a young Australian soldier, smuggles his beloved dog, Digger, onto the troop ship when he leaves to fight in World War One. At the front, Matthew works as a stretcher-bearer and Digger helps him rescue the wounded. Together, they face the triumphs and tragedies of the Western Front.

'Based on the true story of Driver, a puppy that was smuggled onto an Australian troop ship during World War One, this heartfelt story shows that the bond of love and devotion between a man and his dog cannot be broken, even by the tragedy of war.' (Publication summary)

'A deeply moving story about an abandoned pup in Afghanistan who touches the lives of two very different people - a girl struggling to get an education in the face of fierce opposition, and an Australian soldier who ultimately gives his life in the service of his country. A companion to My Mother's Eyes, Angel of Kokoda and Vietnam Diary, this story deals with the complexities of the war in Afghanistan in an accessible way, addressing the tragedy of war but ending on a note of hope.' (Publication summary)

'Little Dolphin celebrates the level of intelligence and compassion that scientists are only now realising Dolphins possess, and explores the life of a young dolphin as it approaches adulthood. We follow little dolphin from her difficult birth to her escape through the shark net that traps her mother. She is adopted by a pod that teach her the clicks and whistles of the dolphin language, They also teach her how to use tools (sea sponges) as few other creatures, apart from humans, can do. But when the time comes for her to leave the bay, the little dolphin finds she must use all her skills to help another dolphin that is drowning. Little Dolphin explores the new-found knowledge we have of these ancient sea mammals. Scientists believe that the system of clicks and whistles dolphins use is a language almost as extensive as our own.' (Publisher's blurb)