AustLit

'Young Fidelia Knight arrives in Melbourne in 1874, alone except for her treasured companion, Samuel Johnson; well, half of him.

'To escape servitude, Fidelia hides each night in the renowned Coles Book Arcade. She loves words, you see, and wants to know them all.

'What she overhears in Coles sets her on a path that will change the lives of everyone she meets, starting with Jasper Godwin, the hopelessly underqualified manager of the new Billings Better Bookstore.

'Fidelia’s thirst for knowledge is contagious. She tutors two orphan boys and two illiterate women, inspiring them to unlock their creativity; and her exploration of colonial Melbourne takes her to some unusual places.

'Nothing daunts this diminutive genius, except the mystery of what really happened to her parents on the voyage from England, in Fin J. Ross' Billings Better Bookstore & Brasserie. With illustrations by award-winning author-illustrator, Judith Rossell.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'Pink was born to stand out

'Pink is a small dinosaur who stands out from the crowd. Hide-and-seek is her favourite game, but her colour means she's always the first one to be found. She doesn't want to be pink anymore ... until her difference helps her friends find their way home again.

'An adorable new picture book about accepting yourself and finding your strengths, from award-winning author Margaret Wild and award-winning illustrator Judith Rossell.' (Publication summary)

'Stella Montgomery is in disgrace, and the Aunts have decided there is only one thing to be done. She is to be sent to Wakestone Hall, a grim and dreadful boarding school where the disobedient are tamed and the wilful are made meek.

Life at school is lonely and miserable, and when a friend disappears, Stella is determined to find her - no matter the dangers that certainly lie ahead…Soon Stella is thrown deeper into the mysteries of Wakestone… and her own past.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'And there in the stable this special baby was born, just as the angel Gabriel had said.

'In this beautiful picture book, Australia's most-loved children's illustrators have chosen their favourite Nativity scene to illustrate.Featuring the work of Gaye Chapman, Bettina Guthridge, Wayne Harris, Sally Heinrich, Ann James, Stephen Michael King, Caroline Magerl, Beth Norling, Cheryl Orsini, Sally Rippin, Gregory Rogers, Judith Rossell and Anna Walker.'(Production summary)

'Children, listen and take heed,
As this little book you read.
All your evil ways amend,
Or you will meet a dreadful end.

'From the bestselling world of Stella Montgomery comes an illustrated alphabet of startling cautionary tales for the discerning young reader.

'Filled with uncommon facts for the novice conversationalist, prudent advice for house and garden, and rigorous lessons in etiquette and manners, A Garden of Lilies will transform any wayward child into the very picture of Victorian decorum and grace.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The highly anticipated sequel to 2014's runaway bestseller WITHERING-BY-SEA When Stella Montgomery returned to the Hotel Majestic cold and wet but exhilarated by adventure, the Aunts were furious. Now they are sending Stella away to the old family home at Wormwood Mire, where she must live with two strange cousins and their governess. But within the overgrown grounds of the mouldering house, dark secrets slither and skulk, and soon Stella must be brave once more if she's to find out who - or what - she really is ... From bestselling writer-illustrator Judith Rossell comes the thrilling and magical sequel to her multi-award-winning novel, WITHERING-BY-SEA. ' (Publication summary)

'Bogtrotter doesn't ever stop running, until the day he meets the frog.

'Every morning Bogtrotter runs across the bog, up the bog, down the bog and around the bog until it's time to go home. Sometimes he wishes things would change, but he doesn't know how or what or why. Until one afternoon, when he picks a flower for the first time in his life.' (Publication summary)

'High on a cliff above the gloomy coastal town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful Aunts. But one night, Stella sees something she shouldn't have ... Something that will set in motion an adventure more terrifying and more wonderful than she could ever have hoped for ...' (publication blurb).

A thrilling and gripping Victorian fantasy-adventure series about eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery.

'Peter is going to the zoo and he wants his friend Ahmed to come, too. To get to Peter, Ahmed just has to ride his camel through the desert, catch a bus to the airport, hop on a jumbo jet...' (Publication summary)

'The problem with being a sleepwalking dog is you don′t have a clue where you are when you wake up!

'When Skoz wakes up feeling all cosy and warm, he′s relieved to be safe in his kennel for once. But, hang on, is that the roar of a crowd Skoz hears?

'Soon Skoz is the star of the show -- like it or not. Will he survive the Patadogian jumping snakes? And can he avoid the mouth of the biggest cat he′s ever seen? (From the publisher's website.)

'Sometimes a day out doesn't go according to plan.

'But when one little duck wants to make a big splash all by himself, the wrong way to do things turns out to be just right!

'A charming book about spreading your wings and finding your own way in the world.' (From the publisher's website.)

'The problem with being a sleepwalking dog is you don't have a clue where you are when you wake up!

'When Skoz finds himself falling from a great height -- with no parachute -- he has no idea how he got there. It's going to take more than an emergency flying lesson from a very cranky bird to keep Skoz airborne. But if he doesn't get his ears flapping soon, it'll be SPLAT!

'Want to know more about everyone's favourite sleepwalking dog?

'Head to harpercollins.com.au and andrewdaddo.com, where you can write a review, download an activity pack and more!

'Skoz's hilarious adventures continue in Skoz the Dog: All at Sea, and watch out for more wacky sleepwalking tales coming soon.

'Oh boy oh boy oh bowowow!' (Publication summary)