AustLit

'LOTTIE is fascinated with death. She collects birds, lizards and other small dead animals she finds, trying preserve them, to hold onto the life they once had. Her aunt tries to put a stop to this worrying obsession, but her father can see a scientist’s mind at work, and he introduces her to the art of taxidermy.

'For Lottie, the beauty and tenderness she finds in her preserved creatures provide a way for her to feel close to the mother she lost.

'The Art of Taxidermy is an exquisitely imagined verse novel about sadness and loss, and the way art and beauty can help us make sense of it all.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Introducing Rob Fitzgerald: thirteen years old and determined to impress the new girl at school, but it's a difficult task for a super-shy kid who is prone to panic attacks that include vomit, and genuine terror that can last all day. An anonymous texter is sending Rob challenges and they might just help. Or not.

'Beautifully moving and full of heart and humour, A Song Only I Can Hear is a delightful novel about dreaming big, being brave and marching to the beat of your own drum.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'1946. Europe is in ruins. Millions of people dream of finding happiness somewhere else.

'Fourteen year old Felix is one of them. When he’s offered a journey to Australia, he seizes the opportunity. So does someone very dear to him, even though she wasn’t actually invited.

'They have high hopes for Australia, and their dramatic arrival there makes them want to stay. But before Felix and Anya can embrace the love and friendship of their new land, they must confront the murderous urge for revenge still alive in the old.

'Felix knows he hasn’t faced anything like this before.

'He may not survive, but he’s hoping he will. Maybe.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'I don't know if you've ever seen a house burn, but it's not like anything else ......

'Clem Timmins has lost everything - her clothes, her possessions, her house and her mum. Now living in a tiny flat with her dad, Clem has to start a new school and make new friends.

'On her first day, Clem tells Ellie that her mum died in a house fire and immediately regrets it when Ellie latches on and confides that her own mother is dying of cancer.

'When Clem receives a letter she doesn't want to read, it becomes clear she can't run from her past forever, especially when the truth appears right in front of her face.'

Source: Publisher's blurb

'It′s 1939, and for Georg, son of an English academic living in Germany, life is full of cream cakes and loving parents. It is also a time when his teacher measures the pupils′ heads to see which of them have the most "Aryan"-shaped heads. But when a university graduation ceremony turns into a pro-Nazi demonstration, Georg is smuggled out of Germany to war-torn London and then across enemy seas to Australia where he must forget his past and who he is in order to survive.

'Hatred is contagious, but Georg finds that kindness can be, too. The companion piece to Hitler's Daughter, Pennies for Hitler examines the life of a child during World War 2, from a different perspective.' (From the publisher's website.)