AustLit

'Branko and Jelka Kadić are good people. They are honest, hardworking, practicing Catholics and proud Croatians, who are actively involved in their local community. They are doing well to raise and educate their three, happy, Australian-born daughters in a comfortable house in North Altona. Everything about the Kadić family is normal. When sixteen-year-old Danica runs away in the middle of the night, their lives simply stop. Nothing that happened beforehand matters; unless it can explain why their middle child has discarded them, in favour of the rough streets of 1980s Melbourne City.

'Why hasn’t she called to say she is okay? What will people think? What if we never see her again? Why won’t she just come home? These are the questions youngest sister Ana hears over and over, as they all sit, locked together in the kitchen, wondering what went wrong and waiting for Danica. This is a true story. This is Ana’s story.' (Publication summary)

'Growing old may at times seem cruel but Bernadette Smallwood offers a tender, alternative view of enduring love and friendship even when the mind is not what it once was. Her story, Around the Corner, is a collection of vignettes set in an aged care home. It focuses on an aged movie star plagued with dementia, her visiting husband, and another aged resident. Each vignette can be read separately or as a connected series. This is a gentle story which will surely resonate with those that are aged, who have aged family and friends, or those that work as carers for the aged.' (Publication summary)

'Jenny Tomlinson has complex feelings about her unusual childhood in England. She is teaching at a school in Australia when memories of traumatic events, also concerning a dear friend Terry, surface, become intrusive and begin to threaten her emotional well-being. She knows she needs to examine them further and, on returning home, her subsequent quest to prove Terry’s innocence has unexpected repercussions. This authentic and moving novel explores the psychological fallout from false accusations—on both the victims and the accusers—and the power of perseverance, forgiveness and love.' (Publication summary)

'The men in uniform approached him. "Dimm, don't go!" I cried, grabbing the iron bars. Slipping from my hand, a small coffee bean rolled between the bars, ending on the floor next to Dimm. He looked down at it, then up at me and I knew that finally there was no one to compete with for his heart. It was all mine, beating for me and me only. With a vicious leer on his face, one of the guards crushed the tiny bean under his heavy boot. Over the years, I have this scene as a repetitive dream. I live this scene over and over again. Arnya Stefan is a woman haunted by her childhood trauma in communist Bulgaria. Now a writer of 'coffee portraits', she travels to Switzerland in the hope of completing her coffee pilgrimage. Instead she meets another 'coffee animal', Bruno Stein who is possibly the one person who can teach her to "walk in the present, savouring life like a superb, delicious coffee". The Coffee Lovers is a poignant and beautiful examination of freedom, jealousy and guilt, and of finding that one like-minded soul who can heal your past.' (Publication summary)

'Matilda dreams of becoming a healer, like Anne, the old woman teaching her the ancient secrets of the plants. But when the local Lords daughter needs a handmaiden, Matilda is her first choice. Obliged to the Lords family, Matilda leaves the village to become the companion of Lady Christine. While out picking herbs, Matilda is mistaken for the Lady Christine, and kidnapped by Lord Rufus, to be held as ransom in a land dispute. Will Matilda escape from Lord Rufuss manor? Will she be able to continue her dream to become a healer? And what of Lady Christine, who is now forced to become a villager so that Lord Rufus doesnt realise he has the wrong girl? The Healer of Marchmont takes the reader into the world of medieval Lords and Ladies and into the life of a strong willed girl, who dreams of a peaceful life but forces beyond her control threaten that dream.' (Publication summary)

'Sophie George lives with her father in the small town of Orchard Mead and works after school at their post office. She enjoys delivering the mail around the town, mainly because she likes to draw funny pictures based on some of the weirdos that live here. But lately, it's not just the locals who have been acting strange – her Dad has been acting pretty weird too! Sophie's friend Janice is convinced he's a spy, but Sophie thinks that is ridiculous. However, the deeper they dig into her father's life, the more confused Sophie becomes. The evidence all seems to add up: the mysterious phone calls, a Russian connection and a mysterious note. Could Janice be right; is her Dad really a spy?' (Publication summary)

'The latest grossed out tale from Susan Berran, finalist in the 2014 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards. The sixth title in Susan Berran’s Freaky series is as funny and as gross as the last. Just when Sam didn’t think things could get any worse, his best mate, Jared, becomes so sick he has to stay home from school for the entire week, leaving Sam on his own to face the suckiest week of his whole sucktacular life. With Toffee tugging at his nauseating nostril taffy, Abbey being crabby, Booga’s gigantic butt bugle and the rest of the cow-cuddling, sheep-kissing kids. It might be Jared that’s sick but by the end of this week it’s Sam who’s going to need the barf bucket. This book is a great addition to this series which has proved popular in the past, even with kids who consider themselves ‘non-readers’.' (Publication summary)

'The sun was shining brightly in Fairy Valley, but Dreamy Belle was not able to see it. This morning the sunshine had lost its beauty and warmth. Poor Dreamy Belle had just found out that her fairy sister, who was also her best friend, had passed over. Her heart felt very heavy.

'Meet Dreamy Belle, a little fairy from Fairy Valley, and accompany her to the heavenly realms after the sad passing of her beloved fairy sister. Medium, spiritual healer and Reiki practitioner, Gabrielle Bettels-Hoffmann, uses this gentle story to help parents and children who are experiencing difficulties while grieving by explaining the process of ‘passing over’ in a child-related and appropriate way. This is a ‘fairy story’ with a spiritual background and no religious influences.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The time is a far distant future, one and a half millennia after the collapse of our own civilisation. Nicholas Raspero, the descendant of the Barons of Raspero and the possessor of wandlore secrets, has arrived in New Landern, the capital of Anglashia. Almost immediately he is drawn into the underworld when he defeats a group of thugs who attempt to rob him, thus making him an enemy of Jolly, the most powerful gangster in the city. Jolly therefore recruits Angela Ashton, the lovely actress, to act as bait for a trap he has set for Nicholas Raspero. Meanwhile, Nicholas has set his heart on Isabel Grangeshield of Grangeshield House - the wealthiest, most beautiful heiress in New Landern and the most obstinate.

“Isabel looked wide-eyed and open-mouthed through her window, admiring and friendly, pleased with the propriety of the enormous storm, which had everything in the right place; Nicholas stood under the shelter of a marble war monument, his hand on the hilt of his wand, exulting in the drama of the moment; Angela plied her trade with her current client, half-naked by a roaring fire, while pretending to laugh before the background of the thunder. Captain Abner Nevsky was a stone, insensate from an overload of intoxication; Ben paid no attention to the storm, aware of it only as a distraction from the important legal work he was crafting as cleverly as only a lawyer knew how, and the freshly dug earth of Jolly’s grave shone fat and wet and dark with pregnant secrets as the rain splashed over the abyss into which he had fallen. Nothing is ever over, the rain said as it fell, but nothing is ever definite, it also said, more softly.”

'For lovers of steampunk and fantasy, The Last Suitor, will have you cheering for Nicholas Raspero, the wand-fighting hero and wishing that you too, could transport to the world of New Landern, where everyone who has a wand is not afraid to use it in a duel to maintain one’s honour.' (Publication summary)

'The author of ‘Better Out Than In’ and ‘Better Out Than In Number Twos’ is back with a collection of random musings and drawings that will make kids laugh out loud. It includes Adam’s wacky view of topics including ‘Top 5 Dance Moves’, ‘Top 5 Super Powers’ and ‘Things That Look Cute But Will Scratch Your Eyes Out If You Try To Hug Them’. There’s even a recipe for Roast Monkey Butt with Tofu and Apples (No monkeys were harmed in the making of this book though!). It’s random, it’s weird and it’s definitely hilarious!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Victor Krylko, along with his family, survives the horrors of war-torn Europe and finds himself on a ship to Australia with hopes and dreams of a new, peaceful life. While his parents and sister eventually find the niche they crave, Victor’s journey of survival and self-discovery continues. He travels through Australia’s red centre and across the sea to Malaysia and Vietnam. Victor experiences the earthy characters that shaped a nation, sees both the brutality and the integrity of Malaysian pirates, becomes a key figure in commando actions of prewar Vietnam, and finds himself living with a remote tribe of native Australians. An epic adventure tome, Victor’s story is breathtaking in its scope, as he experiences the vast range of human conditions in both peacetime and war.' (Publication summary)

'Four friends, four very different stories. The Rooftop is set against a quintessential Sydney background. At Darlinghurst East Public School, Emma, Maha, Simon and Talia, learn about themselves and each other through the unusual combination of Scripture class and netball. As Mr. Zulman reveals the story of the Exodus to the students, they reveal their own stories to each other: Simon's parents are separated and warring with each other. Talia's dyslexia makes the classroom an everyday struggle. Maha's family is facing deportation back to war-torn Iraq, and, Emma, who has lived all her life in Sydney, begins for the first time to appreciate the value of freedom. Outside of class as the netball season progresses, freedom takes on a new meaning for the four students when on the very day of the netball finals, Maha and her family face the very real prospect of deportation.' (Publication summary)

'This book is based on the remarkable life of Walter William Wakker, aka Wally. Having known Wally since early boyhood, the author felt obliged to share this sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious story. Wally’s tenacious attitude and sense of humour will warm your heart, as he strives to overcome and come to terms with the tragic events which transformed his life at a very early age. To survive, Wally soon realised that he had little choice but to grow-up and to grow-up quickly. Leaving home at the tender age of sixteen, Wally discovered much to his dismay, that his fellow Aussies had begun to shed their unique Australian vernacular and inherent Aussie culture; opting instead to not only adopt foreign mannerisms, but speech and dress as well. Baffled as to the reason or reasons behind this unthinkable betrayal, Wally set forth to discover who or what was behind this treachery. The answer to that question and many others are to be found within the pages of this book so just sit back and enjoy a good laugh and hopefully a good think as the author reveals all, specifically written in light-hearted layman terms for all to understand.' (Publication summary)

'‘The day before her birthday, Annabel said: “I must have the biggest and best cake for my party!’’ Her mother, who always wanted the best for her precious Annabel, organised a special taste– test at Chef Pierre’s Chocolate Emporium. Annabel wolfed down a chocolate sponge cake and grumbled, “Too plain!” Chef Pierre raised an eyebrow and twirled his magnificent moustache.

'He took up his whisk and said: “Watch this! He…Beat- Whipped-Swirled-Twirled and…”Voila! A chewy-gooey chocolate caramel mudcake with butterscotch syrup and every colour sprinkles." “Goodness me!” gasped Annabel’s mother... Annabel bit into the cake. “Hooray” cheered the crowd! “Too plain!” said Annabel, smoothing down her posh, frilly dress.’' (Publication summary)

'Have you ever descried someone as a couch potato or called a dud car a lemon?

How do you think this makes a potato or lemon feel?

'Tiffany finds out it’s not fair to the plants. But there are people who are really nasty to plants- the Topiary Twins, Nettle and Thistle. They do dastardly things. They even keep some plants captive. They are villains of the worst kind. Tiffany discovers Bindi and Dusty Thorn have a green ambulance. They care for plants that have been mistreated and try to stop the vile schemes of the Topiary Twins.

'Do Tiffany, Bindi and Dusty Thorn have what it takes for the ultimate showdown with the Topiary Twins?' (Publisher's abstract)

'It happened when I was little, always when we were alone…but, sometimes he did things that worried me and made me feel strange on the inside…I thought games were supposed to be FUN. This is a gentle book that encourages children to tell someone about any confusing feelings that they might be experiencing, as a way of HEALING.' (Publication summary)

'Connected is a children's picture book for our ultra-connected world. Nathaniel Eckstrom takes us on a whimsical and sensory journey through this quaint little apartment block, exploring its inhabitants, floor by floor and introducing us to its quirky occupants; each very different, but all surprisingly connected. What is it that links each neighbour to the next?' (Publication summary)

'Written as a protest against a proposed $1.2 billion bauxsite mine near the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve at the Cape York Peninsula, this chidren’s book has eighteen vibrant illustrations of the rainforest and its animals. A gentle, wise and old tree encourages a Sugar Glider to look for a new home before the mining comes. Scared and alone, the Sugar Glider starts looking for a new home, despite the fact it is daytime. The tree helps other animals too: A Rhinoceros Beetle climbs its branches and is blown away, far away from the mine site. A Cassowary, a flightless bird that is native to the tropical rainforests of North Eastern Australia, is also featured as a loyal friend to the tree. The tree rustled its leaves thoughtfully. “Once, a long time ago when I was much smaller, another mine threatened us. Some caring humans chained themselves to my mother tree and they save the forest. Perhaps they will help us again.”' (Publication summary)

'Michael held Clarissa’s long slender fingers firmly in his large hand. In spite of the cold, she had taken the one glove off.

'She wanted to feel the skin of his hand next to hers. She had never felt so happy or so safe.

'Still unsure of her actions or how she would even begin to explain herself to Charles, she had no such doubts about Michael Darrington, no uncertainty whatsoever.

'She was in love with him.

'Clarrisa Peterson had no idea when she met this handsome soldier, Michael Darrington, while working as a war volunteer that this union would bound together four people through two wars, tragedy and eventually lead to murder. Four people are devastated when the man they love is killed at war. His mother, his pregnant wife, his brother and his wife’s brother. They band together, determined to bring up the child who would never know his father. But the bonds become suffocating.' (Publication summary)

'An international tale of intrigue and conspiracy.

'Originally conceived as a play set in The White House, this political thriller sees Harry Fromm face a dreadful dilemma: solve two of the biggest problems facing humanity, by betraying humanity.' (Publication summary)