2023 Frankfurt Rights Guide, Allen & Unwin, Books for Children & Young Adults

CONTENTS

BOARD BOOKS

1 MY YELLOW BLANKY / Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Tom Jellett

PICTURE BOOKS

2 THE SE LITTLE FEET / Hayley Rawsthorne, illustrated by Briony Stewart

3 FEELINGS ARE WILD / Sophy Williams, illustrated by Gavin Scott

4 PIN K SANTA / Tanya Hennessy, illustrated by Ben Whitehouse

5 WHERE WILL THE SLEEPY SHEEP SLEEP? / David Metzenthen, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

6 BEACH SONG / Ros Moriarty, illustrated by Samantha Campbell

7 MY DAD IS THE BEST / Nic McPickle, illustrated by Tommy Doyle

8 LAST-PLACE LIN / Wai Chim, illustrated by Freda Chiu

9 WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT / Lian Tanner, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

10 THE MOST AMAZING THING / Ian Hayward Robinson, illustrated by Matt Shanks

11 A FRIEND FOR RUBY / Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Marc McBride

12 LET’S GO, FLO! / Rebekah Ballagh

13 MR CHICKEN GOES TO MARS / Leigh Hobbs

14 FOOTPRINT / Phil Cummings, illustrated by Sally Soweol Han

PICTURE BOOKS NON-FICTION

15 TREE / Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

16 HOW TO MEASURE THE OCEAN / Inda Ahmad Zahri

17 WALKING THE ROCK COUNTRY IN KAKADU / Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long

18 YOUR BRAIN IS A LUMP OF GOO / Idan Ben-Barak, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

19 IS MY COMPUTER READING MY MIND? / Dr Matt Agnew

CONTENTS

GRAPHIC NOVELS NON-FICTION

20 ULTRAWILD / Steve Mushin

GRAPHIC NOVELS

22 WHEN THE WORLD WAS SOFT / Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation

ILLUSTRATED JUNIOR FICTION

23 JAWSOME SERIES / Rebecca Timmis

24 MISS MARY-KATE MARTIN’S GUIDE TO MONSTERS SERIES / Karen Foxlee, illustrated by Freda Chiu

MIDDLE GRADE ILLUSTRATED FICTION

26 DRAGONS OF HALLOW TITLES / Lian Tanner

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

28 FLIGHT OF THE KĀHU / Shelley Burne-Field

29 LANDOVEL SERIES / Emily Rodda

30 HONEY AND THE VALLEY OF HORSES / Wendy Orr

31 THE APPRENCTICE WITNESSER / Bren MacDibble

32 PICASSO AND THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH / Anna Fienberg

33 SMOKE & MIRRORS / Barry Jonsberg

34 MAWSON: THE HERO WITHIN / Joanna Grochowicz

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

35 BLOOD MOON BRIDE / Demet Divaroren 36 WE DIDN’T THINK IT THROUGH / Gary Lonesborough

37 I’M NOT REALLY HERE / Gary Lonesborough

NOTES

MY YELLOW BLANKY

Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Tom Jellett

A gorgeous board book that beautifully captures the experience of having a favourite blanky and what happens on the day it finally must be washed... A wonderful journey full of love, desperate searching, joyous discovery and the restoration of all the gloriously comforting aromas.

This is Yellow Blanky. We go everywhere together.

What a joy Yellow Blanky is! Any moment can include a warm reassuring snuggle. And it smells like all the best things in the whole world – it smells of Mummy and mashed banana and Pickett, the dog. Then Yellow Blanky is missing! Then found! But it’s lost its beautiful smells... which WILL NOT DO AT ALL!

Sofie Laguna’s many books for young people include When You’re Older, illustrated by Judy Watson, and The Song of Lewis Carmichael and The Glow both illustrated by Marc McBride. Sofie has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Awards, and twice awarded Honour Book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. She is also a highly acclaimed author for adults. www.sofielaguna.com Tom Jellett has illustrated many books for children including Whale in the Bath by Kylie Westaway and The Gobbledygook is Eating a Book by Justine Clarke and Arthur Baysting. Tom was included in the Editorial and Book category for Illustrators 53; twice exhibited at the Society of Illustrators, NY; included in Communication Arts Illustration Annual 2012, 3x3 Children’s Show No. 9, and was Highly Commended in the 2013 Illustrators Australia Awards. www.tomjellett.com

THESE LITTLE FEET

Hayley Rawsthorne, illustrated by Briony Stewart

In the classic tradition of Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes and Kissed by the Moon, These Little Feet will take you and your little one on a joyous journey of love, hope and dreams for the future. The perfect gift for newborns and new parents. These little feet, so tiny and new. The places they’ll go, the dances they’ll do. The mountains they’ll climb, the dreams they’ll pursue. These little feet, so tiny and new. A delightful celebration of love, hope and promise, this beautiful picture book perfectly captures the precious dreams of childhood and parenting.

This is Hayley Rawsthorne’s first book. Briony Stewart is an illustrator and writer from WA, whose bestselling and award-winning books include Bedtime, Sorted by Jimmy Rees, We Love You Magoo, Mina and the Whole Wide World by Sherryl Clark (Prime Minister’s Literary Award Winner 2022), and Accidentally Kelly Street www.brionystewart.com

PICTURE BOOK BOOK

FEELINGS ARE WILD

Sophy Williams, illustrated by Gavin Scott

AGES 3–5

If there’s one thing parents can count on, it’s kids having big feelings! A gentle, loving book to read and share from the creators of The ABC of Cuddles.

It’s true!

Feelings are WILD!

But whether we are grumpy or glad, brave or sad, with a big hug, a kind word, or a little time we can embrace all our wild and wonderful emotions.

A warm and playful counting book, from one to ten and back down again, to help little kids understand their big feelings.

Sophy Williams is a Melbourne-based writer and publisher, and the author of The ABC of Cuddles. Gavin Scott is a UK-based illustrator who spent much of his childhood drawing and painting animals and birds. He lives in Somerset with his family. www.gavin-scott.co.uk

PINK SANTA

Tanya Hennessy, illustrated by Ben Whitehouse

A joyous and inclusive celebration of the season, from bestselling children’s author Tanya Hennessy!

Then Santa appeared. ‘Hey, what’s all this noise? It’s time we got going. The sleigh’s full of toys.’

With a trembling hoof, Rudie pointed and said, ‘I’m SO sorry, Santa! Your suit is… NOT RED.’

‘Tis the night before Christmas and all is calm in Santa’s workshop. The presents are wrapped and the sleigh is polished. All that’s left to do is wash Santa’s iconic red-and-white suit…What could possibly go wrong?

Christmas is gonna be FABULOUS!

Tanya Hennessy is a much-loved comedian, writer, radio announcer, social media sensation and author of bestselling adult title Am I Doing This Right? and junior fiction Stevie Louise titles. In 2017 Tanya won the Junkee Award for Breakthrough Artist, was nominated for Cosmo Woman of the Year, selected to perform at Australia’s first VIDCON and won best radio documentary at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards. Talented and hilarious, Tanya is a true multi-media star. Ben Whitehouse is a character designer and children’s book illustrator from the UK. At the moment, he lives in Germany with his family.

WHERE WILL THE SLEEPY SHEEP SLEEP? David Metzenthen, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

A gorgeous, funny, tongue-twisting picture book perfect for bedtime reading.

Do you think the sleepy sheep will sleep on top of this wild and windy hill? Baah!

No-o-o, this windy hill is far too high and wild for a sleepy sheep to sleep on!

Do you think the sleepy sheep will sleep deep down in this steep and stony valley? Baah!

No-o-o, this valley is far too deep, steep, and stony for a sleepy sheep to sleep in!

So where will the sleepy sheep end up sleeping?

David Metzenthen was an advertising copywriter before turning to fiction. David is a surfer, keen fly fisherman, and a tree hugger from way back. He tries to write stories that will explain and entertain and be worthy of the reader’s time. The natural world is where he likes to be, and he is a supporter of various environmental foundations. David is inspired by Australia and hopes always to feel that way. Jonathan Bentley is the illustrator of over 40 picture books (six of which he wrote), including Ella and the Ocean (Winner Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2020), Windows and The Second Sky by Patrick Guest (CBCA Shortlist 2018), Mo & Crow by Jo Kasch and Where is Bear? www.jonathanbentleybooks.com

BEACH SONG

Ros Moriarty, illustrated by Samantha Campbell

A beautiful, expressive story that celebrates a child’s love of the beach.

When I duck and dive through the towering waves I see what the dolphin sees – seaweed that sways in the rush and ebb of the ocean’s rolling swell. I leap like the dolphin leaps.

When I ride the thunder of a foamy crest, I see what the seal sees – the lunge of the sea and a torrent of froth that spins its swirls of white in the blue. I surf like the seal surfs.

A meditative and lyrical text that celebrates how the natural world can cue feelings and emotions from the bestselling author of 10 Scared Fish and Kangaroos Hop and the highly acclaimed illustrator of Bidhi Galing.

Ros Moriarty has spent most of her professional life as creative and managing director of Australia’s leading Indigenous design studio, Balarinji, a business she established with her husband in 1983. Balarinji has fostered the careers of Indigenous artists and designers from all over Australia, and has returned royalties to NT artists since 1995. Ros also co-founded the not-for-profit Moriarty Foundation, which includes Indi Kindi, a groundbreaking early years solution for children under five in remote Aboriginal communities. Author of eight books for very young readers, the acclaimed memoir Listening to Country, and an Indigenous colouring-in book, Colouring Country Samantha Campbell is descended from the Dagoman people from Katherine and as a child lived in remote Aboriginal communities across the Top End. Samantha studied Graphic Design in Melbourne and worked as a freelance Graphic Designer for four years before illustrating her first children’s book, Alfred’s War. Since then, she has illustrated numerous picture books including Freedom Day, Aunty’s Wedding and My Deadly Boots.

MY DAD IS THE BEST Nic McPickle, illustrated by Tommy Doyle

Whether big or small, scaled or furry, dads always know how to make us laugh!

On a scale of 1 to Dad, my dad is off the charts. He tells bad jokes. He sings old songs. He blames the dog for all his farts. Is it just my dad? Or is it other dads too?

Does your dad say this stuff to you?

My Dad is the Best captures the fun-loving and heartwarming bond between father and child, from groan-inducing dad jokes to all those precious moments spent together.

Filled with dynamic and bold illustrations, this book is perfect for dads of all shapes, sizes and species.

DRAFT SPREAD

Tommy Doyle is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Melbourne, Australia. Originally from Montreal, he relocated down under in 2007. Illustration is a big passion of his and he finds that it is an effective and creative way to communicate a message or an emotion. His work is bold and rich in simplicity. Tommy loves playing with shapes and textures, mixing digital and traditional mediums.

Nic McPickle is a fun-loving children’s author based in Melbourne. Nic is the author of Fire Truck Santa and is hometown-famous on the relish and preserves circuit. Nic has yet to meet the real Santa Claus.

LAST-PLACE LIN

Wai Chim, illustrated by Freda Chiu

Lin is excited about her first school sports day until she comes last. A relatable picture book about endurance and resilience from the award-winning author Wai Chim.

It’s Sports Day! Everyone has a different House colour. I’m in the Red House. Go Red! It’s time for the sack race. On your marks, get set, go! But not everyone can come first. Sometimes winning means finishing, even if you finish last.

A reassuring celebration of the spirit to keep going.

Wai Chim is the Chinese-American-Australian author of a number of children’s and YA titles including Freedom Swimmer and most recently The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling, which was a Kirkus Prize Finalist and short-listed for the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Last-Place Lin is her first picture book and was inspired by her time on Australian Survivor: Brains vs Brawn www.waichim.com Freda Chiu is an author and illustrator from Sydney. Outside her art practice, Freda lectures in Illustration at the University of Technology Sydney. Her debut picture book, A Trip to the Hospital, was short-listed for the CBCA Award for New Illustrator and the IBBY Australia Ena Noël Awards. www.fredachiu.com

WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT

Lian Tanner, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley

A cosy picture book about finding warmth and connection in community from the awardwinning team behind Ella and the Ocean.

The night was frosty dark but we were snug and cosy in the kitchen. When suddenly SNAP! the lights went out and the dark came flooding in around us.

A power failure turns into a family adventure one cold night in winter. ‘We are explorers’ said Mama ‘in the night country’. ‘We can give piggybacks and sing brave songs,’ said Dad.

A reassuring story about navigating uncertainty.

Lian Tanner is an a multi award-winning children’s author and playwright. She is a master storyteller brilliant at vividly exciting fantasy adventure series including The Keepers, The Rogues, and The Hidden along with other MG and picture book titles. Her work is acclaimed, sold and loved around the world. www.liantanner.com.au.

Jonathan Bentley is the illustrator of over forty wonderful picture books (six of which he wrote), including Ella and the Ocean (Winner Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2020), Windows and The Second Sky by Patrick Guest (CBCA Shortlist 2018), Tales from a Tall Forest by Shaun Micallef, First Day by Andrew Daddo, Blue Sky Yellow Kite by Janet A Holmes, Mo & Crow by Jo Kasch and Where is Bear? www.jonathanbentleybooks.com

THE MOST AMAZING THING

Ian Hayward Robinson, illustrated by Matt Shanks

A story about wonder and hope that explores the meaning of life in ways that we can all understand.

‘What is the most amazing thing? asks Henry.

‘Life,’ says his sister.

‘The mind,’ says his brother.

‘The universe,’ says his father.

Henry can see these things are amazing, but are they the MOST amazing thing?

Philosopher and primary school teacher Ian Hayward Robinson teams up with the bestselling illustrator of Rosie the Rhinoceros, Matt Shanks, to show young readers that while the world is full of wonders, the search for meaning is an individual quest.

Ian Hayward Robinson is a former head of Professional Writing and Editing at Chisholm Institute where he taught for 14 years; a trained primary school teacher who worked for many years in curriculum and teacher development for the Victorian Department of Education; has written over two dozen mathematics textbooks for primary schools; was a tutor in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne and taught Philosophy of Education at Coburg Teachers College; and is President Emeritus of the Rationalist Society of Australia. He has had two full-length plays performed at La Mama in Melbourne and won several one-act-play awards. The Most Amazing Thing is his first picture book.

Matt Shanks’s early fascination for the combination of words and pictures saw him complete a Bachelor of Design at the University of Sydney in 2003. It took him ten years, while working as a Creative Director at some of Melbourne’s best design agencies, to realise that this ‘watercolour hobby’ of his needed to be shared with more than just his wife and cat. Matt has now illustrated several picture books and lives in Melbourne.

A FRIEND FOR RUBY

Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Marc McBride

When Ruby sees an amazing creature on the beach on her way home from school, she is hopeful she’s found a new friend.

That week, Nell had stolen the apple from her lunchbox. Joan had called her Funny face. Nobody had chosen her for the dancing circle.

Walking along the beach, Ruby finds a strange creature on the shore. She takes it home, feeds it and makes a bed of straw for it in her cubby – but a cubby is no place for a creature from the sea who longs to be reunited with their family.

Ruby must draw on all her resources to help the creature find their way home – and perhaps, along the way, she might just find an unexpected friendship, and someone to dance with.

Sofie Laguna’s many books for young people include When You’re Older, illustrated by Judy Watson, and The Song of Lewis Carmichael and The Glow both illustrated by Marc McBride. Sofie has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Awards, and twice awarded Honour Book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA). She is also a highly acclaimed author for adults. www.sofielaguna.com.

Marc McBride is the illustrator of Emily Rodda’s bestselling Deltora Quest series, which has sold over 18 million copies worldwide. He has illustrated more than 200 book covers, ten picture books and countless magazines, and has had work exhibited with the New York Society of Illustrators International Show. He won Aurealis Awards for the Deltora Quest series, as well as World of Monsters, which he wrote and illustrated.

www.marcmcbride.com

A whimsical tale of friendship, compassion and resourcefulness, from a wonderfully talented team.

PICTURE BOOK

LET’S GO, FLO!

Rebekah Ballagh

From bestselling author Rebekah Ballagh, Let’s Go, Flo! is an interactive story that playfully incorporates the teaching of key executive functioning skills to help kids regulate behaviour, develop social skills and become well rounded little humans.

Flo is an endearing character who faces some tricky challenges before, during and after a busy day at school.

Readers help Flo pack her school bag, find focus in the classroom, tie her shoes, mix colours in art class, learn a breathing skill, cope with change, find ingredients to make dinner with Dad and get ready for bed at the end of the day.

The book includes extensive backmatter for parents, caregivers and teachers about executive functions with suggestions on how to help your child develop their focus, memory and other key skills.

Rebekah Ballagh is a qualified counsellor, self-development coach, trainer, speaker and the creator of the popular Instagram community @journey_to_wellness_

MR CHICKEN GOES TO MARS

Leigh Hobbs

Mr Chicken’s most ambitious journey yet will take him to the outer reaches of the known universe!

Mr Chicken is very curious. He loves meeting new people and travelling to new places. He’s been to Paris, London, Rome and all over Australia, but one day, he realises that he has never been to outer space. Never one to wait around, Mr Chicken blasts off immediately and you, the adventurous reader, are invited to join him!

On the way you’ll meet astronauts in a space station, Martians heading for Earth, and survive being sucked into a black hole and showered by meteors!

Leigh Hobbs is a star in Australian children’s publishing. He has won every major Australian children’s choice award there is, was the Australian Children’s Laureate for two years, and in 2019 was one of five Australian Legends of Children’s Literature featured by Australia Post on a stamp. He is best-known for his children’s books featuring Old Tom, Horrible Harriet, Mr Badger, Fiona the Pig, the Freaks of 4F and Mr Chicken, many of which have been adapted for screen or stage. Meet Leigh and his favourite characters here: vimeo.com/leighhobbs www.leighhobbs.com.au

PICTURE BOOK FOOTPRINT

Phil Cummings, illustrated by Sally Soweol Han

A unique, lyrical picture book that empowers children to think about the natural environment in a mindful and positive way from one of Australia’s most prolific writers and an exciting upand-coming illustrator.

Take the time, a moment or two To ponder what lies in front of you.

Breathe... Yes, breathe.

Always hopeful and empowering, Footprint invites readers into conversations about mindfulness, nature, and caring for the environment.

Phil Cummings is the author of over seventy books for children, from picture books to novels. His work is highly acclaimed, published throughout the world and includes a number of CBCA Notable Book honours. His picture book, BOY, won the 2017 Children’s Peace Literature Award, was shortlisted in the 2018 CBCA awards and named an outstanding book for children with disabilities by IBBY, the International Board of Books for Young people. Recently, Phil has been involved in co-writing musicals for children which have been performed across the globe. He was a teacher for twenty-two years but now writes full time. www.philcummings.com Sally Soweol Han is a Sydney-based illustrator with a passion and flair for children’s books. She is the author and illustrator of Tiny Wonders, and has illustrated Sunshine at Bedtime by Clare Helen Welsh and Spellhound by Lian Tanner.

TREE

Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

A journey of wonder and discovery that explores life in and around a mighty tree from the bottom of its roots up to the tips of its upper branches.

Can you see the forest on this misty-morning mountain?

Can you see where the tree stands?

It is the tallest in this forest of tall trees. This tree is older than those who find it, younger than the land it grows from.

Every day, its roots drink in water. Every day, its leaves use light to make energy. Between sapwood and heartwood, water rises and energy flows. The tree grows.

In the vein of Iceberg – marrying deep scientific research, lyrical language and stunning illustrations –multi-award-winning highly acclaimed creators Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft return.

Claire Saxby’s work has won several awards including CBCA Honour Book, a NSW Premier’s Literary Award, a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, an Environment Award for Children’s Literature, an Educational Publishing Award and the Whitley Award multiple times. She is widely curious about just about everything and passionate about encouraging curiosity and wonder. www.clairesaxby.com Jess Racklyeft works mainly in watercolours and ink and her illustrations often combine collage – either on paper or digitally assembled. Jess has since written and/ or illustrated nearly 30 titles and won several illustration accolades including CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Iceberg and another two CBCA Picture Book Notables. www.jessesmess.com

On ICEBERG: Rights sold: North American English and French (Groundwood); French ex NA (Editions Circonflexe)

WINNER: 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year

SHORTLISTED: 2022 Children’s Literature Award – Adelaide Festival Awards

‘A visual and literary masterpiece.’ Children’s Books Daily

HOW TO MEASURE THE OCEAN Inda Ahmad Zahri

A dynamic picture book that blends nature, maths and wonder, inspired by a child’s curiosity about infinite possibilities and by the beauty of numbers – alongside the creator’s life-long love affair with the ocean.

The ocean can be difficult to measure. You can’t lift it onto scales to see how heavy it is.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. You can work most things out, once you know what you’re measuring.

A joyful ode to the ocean explored through an innovative blend of science, maths and creativity, perfect for stimulating young minds.

Inda Ahmad Zahri writes and illustrates stories that are often imbued with her fervent wish for a kinder world. Originally from Kuala Lumpur, she now splits her time between her garden home in Meanjin/Brisbane and a sandy spot in the Middle East. She counts books, languages, Malaysian rice dishes and the ocean as some of her greatest loves. Inda’s debut book, Salih, was a Notable Book in the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Awards. She has written several other picture books and received an ASA/CA Mentorship Award in 2021 to develop a middle grade novel. The Month That Makes the Year was her first author-illustrator title. Inda is also a surgical doctor, a vocation that has taught her to be meticulous while embracing chaos, and to appreciate the gentler moments in life. www.indabinda.com

WALKING THE ROCK COUNTRY IN KAKADU

Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long

Walk with us through one of the Top End’s stunning rock country, in Kakadu National Park, learning about the plants, animals and Kundjeyhmi culture along the way.

Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long – the team behind the CBCA-shortlisted Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest – share their knowledge and love of the Top End in this enchanting and accessible book about one of Australia’s most ancient and beautiful ecosystems. It offers a fascinating, collaborative way to vicariously experience one of the unique habitats of Kakadu National Park.

Diane Lucas grew up exploring the bush in New South Wales. She moved to Kakadu in her late twenties, worked as a schoolteacher on an Aboriginal outstation and in turn was taught many things about the bush. She was encouraged by the elders to write about the land and get stories to children. They have supported her efforts as an educator with her children’s books, the first being Walking with the Seasons in Kakadu. Since then she has had seven other publications.

Ben Tyler is a Bininj entrepreneur and founder of bush food brand Kakadu Kitchen. He currently lives in Darwin on Larrakia country. On his breaks he returns home to visit his mum and family at their remote family outstation at Patonga Homestead, located beside the Jim Jim Creek in Kakadu National Park. The community includes close relatives from Tiwi Islands and has always been a place that welcomes family, friends and visitors into their busy, noisy, joyful billabong home. Emma Long has exhibited regularly in exhibitions across the Northern Territory. She is inspired by the fresh, raw beauty of nature and feels most at home in the bush with a brush in hand. Emma lives in Darwin and continues to work as an illustrator and an art educator.

YOUR BRAIN IS A LUMP OF GOO

Idan Ben-Barak, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

A funny exploration of the biggest and most mysterious organ in the human body from the award-winning author of Do Not Lick This Book.

Hi, I’m your brain.

Here are some things you should know about me: I’m about the size of a pineapple.

I sit behind your eyes. I look like a big walnut (but gooey). I’m not a computer. So, what do I do? Oh, just about everything. Read on and find out.

A fun-filled book made by brains, about brains, for brains.

Idan Ben-Barak writes science books, usually for children They’ve been translated into over twenty languages and won several awards. He lives in Melbourne with his family. Sometimes, after they go to bed, he plays his guitar a bit. Idan has degrees in microbiology and in the history and philosophy of science, a diploma in library studies, and a day job that has very little to do with any of the above www.idanbb.com.

Christopher Nielsen is an Australian author/illustrator specialising in bringing joy and wonder to children through his art and storytelling. His illustration is inspired by a deep passion for mid-century culture and design. In 2018 his first picture book saw him shortlisted for the CBCA Crichton Award for best new illustrator, and in 2022 his book Just One Bee received the CBCA Honour Award for Picture Book of the Year.

IS MY COMPUTER READING MY MIND? Dr Matt Agnew

THE REAL FACTS ABOUT ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

What is an algorithm? And can it help me eat pizza? Is my television watching me? All this and many more important questions about artificial intelligence are explained by Dr Matt for anyone interested in technology and how it works. How do we know what is intelligent (us) and what is definitely not intelligent? With a PhD in astrophysics and a Masters in Artificial Intelligence, Dr Matt is a self-proclaimed ‘science nerd’ and is passionate about communicating science in an interesting and accessible way.

Dr Matt Agnew is a communications powerhouse that helps makes science fun and accessible for everyone. He has a PhD in Astrophysics, a Masters Degree in Artificial Intelligence and a background in the oil and gas industry. His breadth of technical knowledge spans both academic research and engineering in mechanical and piping disciplines. He is also experienced in the field as a construction and facilities engineer. Matt’s excited about artificial intelligence and its applications to solving real world problems and he uses creative thinking to solve problems and to advance and evolve ideas. Matt was born in Adelaide, raised in Perth and is now living in Melbourne.

GRAPHIC NOVEL ULTRAWILD

Steve Mushin

Mind-bendingly original and full of intricate illustrations, Ultrawild is totally unique, containing over one hundred outrageously funny, scientifically plausible inventions for rewilding cities and saving the planet.

Join maverick inventor Steve Mushin as he tackles climate change with an avalanche of mindbending, scientifically plausible inventions to rewild cities and save the planet.

Jump into his brain as he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometre), brainstorms biomaterials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems and develops a deadly serious plan to transform cities into jungles, rewilding them into carbon-sucking mega-habitats for all species, and as fast as possible.

Bursting with amazing ideas and incredible illustrations, this tour-de-force of extreme problem-solving will inspire, challenge and provide hours of enjoyment for young and old.

Through marvellously designed and hilarious engineering ideas, Mushin shares his vision for super-high-tech urban rewilding, covering the science of climate change, futuristic materials and foods, bio reactors, soil, forest ecosystems, mechanical flight, solar thermal power and working out just how fast we could actually turn roads into jungles, absorb carbon and reverse climate change.

Developed over seven years, Ultrawild is an optimistic book about creative thinking, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and the potential for massive change. Filled with laugh-out-loud design-ridiculousness, it aims to empower and excite a new generation of designers, scientists, engineers and ultra-wild thinkers.

‘If this book does not fire your imagination, nothing will. Steve Mushin doesn’t hold back when thinking about our green future; humanity needs all the ideas it can get to bring climate change under control, and this book is packed with them!’

Professor James Renwick, climate scientist

Steve Mushin is an industrial designer, artist and inventor who collaborates with scientists and engineers to solve perplexing problems that no one else seems to know what to do about – like what can be done with explosive cow gas or how to make bikes fly or cities transform into jungles as fast as possible. Steve has exhibited large-scale design drawings and models around Australia and in Japan, and is in great demand as a speaker and workshop facilitator in schools and galleries. In 2015 Steve ``received an Australian Design Honours award for his work in sustainable futures thinking. Ultrawild is Steve’s first book.

WHEN THE WORLD WAS SOFT Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation

A ground-breaking graphic novel telling Yindjibarndi cultural stories in an immediate and engaging way for a contemporary audience.

Our grandmothers and grandfathers sing our songs and tell our stories every day, just like our old people long ago sang songs and told stories to their children. And now we are sharing them with you.

Long ago when the world was soft, the beginning of time that Yindjibarndi call Ngurra Nyujunggamu, Minkala and the Marrga Creation Spirits lifted up the sky from the soft clay world and created everything that lives.

Yindjibarndi believe all creation is written in our landscape and was sung long ago, filling our Ngurra (Country) with sacred meanings and deep religious significance. At the dawn of time, Ngurra Nyujunggamu, the world was soft as clay and the sky was very low. Our Creator, Mingkala, sang the songs from which all life and Ngurra evolved. These are some of our stories.

Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation is based in Roeboroune, in WA’s Pilbara region. Its purpose is to collect, sustain and promote knowledge of Yindjibarndi culture – our ngurra, wanda, and animals, our language, genealogy, mythology, social history, and biography to sustain our Yindjibarndi identity, self-esteem, respect and other values we consider vital to our lives. We do this for our children and our future generations so that they too, are inspired to contribute to our Australian national community.

Juluwarlu’s cultural recording and archiving project was started by Lorraine Coppin in the Ngurrawaana Community on the Yindjibarndi tablelands in 1998 with elder Woodley King and his grandson, Michael Woodley.

AGES 6–10

JAWSOME SERIES Rebecca Timmis

If you don’t like this series you can BITE ME. Jawsome is awesome.

Something FISHY is going on in Chumville …

By day, Finley and his mates are ordinary shark kids. But by night, they are secretly the super-famous rock band JAWSOME!

But not everything is cruisy. Can Jawsome get to the bottom of an ocean of shady shark-nanigans while keeping their secret identities watertight?

With fabulous illustrations on every page, non-stop adventure and lots of laughs, Jawsome is perfect for emerging readers (and shark enthusiasts of all ages)!

“The best graphic novels need to be action-packed with an engaging interplay of text and illustrations. Ideally, they should also be funny. Rebecca Timmis’s Jawsome ticks all these boxes and more.” Books + Publishing

Rebecca Timmis is an author and illustrator and her writing has been shortlisted for the Text Prize and the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. www.rjtimmis.net

MISS

MARY-KATE

MARTIN’S GUIDE TO MONSTERS

Karen Foxlee, illustrated by Freda Chiu

Miss Mary-Kate Martin might be anxious, but she’s not scared of monsters. Travelling the globe with her famous archaeologist mother, Mary-Kate helps solve legendary problems in this fun fantasy adventure series.

THE BOTHER WITH THE BONKILLYKNOCK BEAST

January 2024

Mary-Kate and her granny are going to stay at a very quiet castle near a very quiet Loch in the Scottish village of Bonkillyknock. The perfect destination for reading beside fireplaces, going for long walks in galoshes and drinking cups of tea with Granny’s old friends. At least, that’s what Mary-Kate thinks.

However, this is no ordinary reunion — it’s a World Society of Monster Hunters’ conference. So, when an ear-shattering howl interrupts the convention, Mary-Kate isn’t too anxious. After all, the experts are on hand to investigate. But when the castle kitchen is turned upside-down and the experts suspect the usually secretive Loch Morgavie monster, Mary-Kate isn’t sure the clues add up. Could there be some other kind of beastly problem bothering Bonkillyknock Castle?

Miss Mary-Kate Martin might only be a beginner, but she’s determined to get to the end of this monstrous mystery in the third exciting instalment in the Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters series.

On The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm:

“A deliciously thrilling mystery, full of heart, wisdom, wit and ingenuity.”

Edwina Wyatt

“Easily one of the most charming books for young readers I have come across … A perfect balance of fun, fantasy, humour and innocence.”

Katrina Nannestad

“I loved this magical story which was full of suspense and adventure. Karen Foxlee is a master storyteller.”

Good Reading

SHORTLISTED:

Best Children’s Fiction, Aurealis Awards, 2022; Dymocks Book of the Year for Younger Readers, 2022

THE WRATH OF THE WOOLINGTON WYRM

June 2022

‘There are those who hunt monsters to harm them and there are those who hunt monsters to help them. Which one are you?’

Something unusual is happening in Woolington. Strange noises and earth tremors have the locals frightened.

Miss Mary-Kate Martin accompanies her archaeologist mother to the village of Woolington, home of the legendary Woolington Wyrm, where builders have discovered some interesting bones. Could there be any truth in the myth of the beast who lives in the ancient well?

With her creative coping mechanisms and the help of local girl Arabella Woolington and her stubborn pony Pickles, Mary-Kate is determined to get to the bottom of this mythic mystery.

THE TROUBLE WITH THE TWO-HEADED HYDRA

November 2022

Mary-Kate and her mother are visiting Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island filled with history and surrounded by the shimmering Aegean Sea. An ancient mosaic has been unearthed at the local sardine processing plant and Professor Martin must investigate, leaving Mary-Kate to enjoy a few days of sunshine and antiquity.

But a message asking for help changes everything. A wrecked boat and smashed jetty have recently disrupted life on this tranquil island and point to a monster-sized mystery. Could the local legend of the Two-Headed Hydra be more than a story? If so, what could make this historically serene sea creature so angry?

Accompanied by her new local friend Nikos, Miss Mary-Kate Martin is determined to find answers. She might be scared of heights, but there is no problem too big for her to solve.

Karen Foxlee’s first novel for children, Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, was published internationally to much acclaim while her second novel for younger readers, A Most Magical Girl, won the Readings Children’s Fiction Prize and was short-listed for the CBCA Awards. Her next book, Lenny’s Book of Everything won multiple awards including the NSW Premier’s Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Indies Book Award, was a CBCA Honour Book and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Her latest middle-grade novel, Dragon Skin, was a CBCA Honour Book and short-listed for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the Aurealis Awards and the Indie Book Awards. www.karenfoxlee.com Freda Chiu is an author and illustrator from Sydney. As well as illustrating children’s books, her work spans comics, editorial and retail graphics. Outside her art practice, Freda lectures in Illustration at the University of Technology Sydney. Her books include A Trip to the Hospital and Last-Place Lin. www.fredachiu.com

RIGHTS SOLD: UK Commonwealth ex Canada (Pushkin); French (Michel Lafon); Russian (Goodwin/MTS)

SPELLHOUND: A DRAGONS OF HALLOW BOOK

Lian Tanner

An illustrated whimsical fantasy quest novel filled with snappy dragons, adorable minch-wiggins and an extremely large, loveable puppy with mysterious magical powers.

There are Three Great Secrets in Hallow, a country that loves secrets almost as much as it loves green jellybabies. No, I’m not going to tell you anything more about them. I am a loyal citizen of Hallow, and would never betray—

Oh, you have jellybabies? Green ones?

Well, I suppose I could tell you a little more.

Come closer. Open your ears and your heart, and pass the green jellybabies.

“Full of twists and turns and secrets, like the very best kind of book!

I loved it!”

Deborah Abela

“Constant laughs, a fresh new world and characters to cheer: this book made me beam.”

Jaclyn Moriarty

“Full of secrets and mystery, with wonder on every page.”

Kate Temple

“This highly engaging fantasy adventure is set in a unique magical world filled with delightful, quirky characters.”

Books + Publishing

Flax, a minch-wiggin who lives in the Floating Forest, has inherited the rather nerve-wracking title Destroyer-of-Dragons, along with a bag of magical string, a small sharp sword and a terrible secret. She’s fallen to the world below and accidentally taken the Floating Forest’s only Spellhound pup with her, and he has a dark and terrible secret of his own.

Meanwhile, on Hallow, the child Queen is sick of being bossed around by her aunt the Regent, and being kept in the dark about the dragon that took her parents. She is also tired of being so very alone. So one night when she hears a little puppy crying for its mother, she can’t resist. Surely, a Queen would be allowed to have a puppy?

So, what do a minch-wiggin, a Queen, and a rather large magical pup have in common? They need to find the dragon that has turned their worlds upside-down… even if it means revealing all they want to keep hidden.

Lian Tanner is an a multi-award-winning children’s author and playwright. She is a master storyteller brilliant at vividly exciting fantasy adventure series including The Keepers, The Hidden, and The Rogues; the funny junior fiction mysteries A Clue for Clara and Rita’s Revenge and picture books Ella and the Ocean and When the Lights Went Out, both illustrated by Jonathan Bentley. Her work is highly acclaimed, awarded, bestselling and loved around the world. www.liantanner.com.au

AGES 7–11

FLEDGEWITCH: A DRAGONS OF HALLOW BOOK

There are no witches, no dragons and no secrets in Quill, so how can Brim be trapped in the School for the Prevention of Witches with Rose, a royal dragon with an injured foot, and a large mystery to untangle?

This is the First Law of Quill, carved in stone outside every town hall, and learnt by every schoolchild: There shall be No Witches.

And this is the Second Law of Quill, carved in stone, etc etc: There shall be No Dragons.

I am sure you have already spotted the problem. It is all very well to say ‘no witches’ and ‘no dragons’. But what if there are secret witches and secret dragons?

This is the Third Law of Quill: There shall be NO SECRETS.

Ten-year-old Brim has been sent to the Quillian School for Prevention of Witches, but she’s sure it’s a mistake. It’s true that she has tiny feathers sprouting from her elbows, and that she’s the only person who remembers the odd-looking calf that has been following her. But she can’t do magic, she’s not wicked, and she would absolutely never give away her heartbeat in exchange for great power.

Meanwhile, Queen Rose of Hallow has received reports of a secret weapon in the mountains of Quill; a weapon that might be aimed at Hallow. Her uncle the Regent is away, so Rose goes to investigate. Alone. Luckily, she’s not just a twelve-year-old girl with red hair and a wilful nature. She is also a dragon.

Before long, Rose and Brim find themselves trapped in Quill, in the worst possible danger. Nothing to see here. Just a witch, a dragon and a lot of secrets.

A bewitching adventure brimming with bravery, betrayal, and one very forgettable horned glob!

FLIGHT OF THE KĀHU

Shelley Burne-Field

An exciting an action-packed animal story, featuring two kāhu sisters who must save their injured baby brother –before a coming flood destroys their home.

Poto is the perfect fledgling – the apple of her father’s eye and a natural hunter, flyer – anything a hawk is supposed to be good at, Poto can do best of all. She can’t understand why her sister Whetū gets annoyed with her –it’s not her fault she’s good at everything! As for her baby brother Ari, he’s so weird and annoying.

After their mother is killed by a flock of magpies, Poto and Whetū have to get an injured Ari to safety before a coming earthquake arrives which will unleash a flood and destroy their home. With the help of a rag tag bunch of birds, they journey through the valley, keeping an eye out for an evil flock of magpies who are on a mission to take back the land for their own. They overcome trials and tribulations, and learn more about each other in the process.

Can they stop Tū the makipai and her evil flock from ruining the harmony of the valley? Will aroha win out over hate? And will Poto realise that everyone has something special to offer, even if they can’t do everything quite like she does?

Flight of the Kāhu is a cracking children’s adventure story in the vein of Watership Down, from emerging author Shelley Burne-Field.

Shelley Burne-Field (Sāmoa, Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Rārua, Pākehā) is a kaituhituhi from Te Matau-a-Māui Hawke’s Bay. She writes articles and creative non-fiction as well as fiction of all sorts, including short stories. This is her first children’s story. She is an alumni of the Master of Creative Writing from Auckland University 2020 and also Te Papa Tupu mentoring programme. Her story ‘Speaking in Tongues’ was the only New Zealand Finalist in the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Her work is now in print in anthologies around the world, and has appeared in Newsroom and on Radio New Zealand. Her story ‘Pinching out Dahlias’ is the most read short story published in Reading Room. Shelley is a proud member of the New Zealand Society of Authors.

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

LANDOVEL SERIES Emily Rodda

EXCITING NEW SERIES!

Landovel: A compulsive, engaging and brilliantly plotted three book series from the master of fantasy quests, Emily Rodda.

Derry knows no other life than that of a child slave on Cram’s Rock –a pirates’ lair between the Lands of El. Shunned by the other slaves for being Cram’s poison taster, and trying to make sense of the brief flashes of memory he has of his earlier life, his only solace are the books he has access to in Cram’s stolen library, including his favourite, the Legends of El. But even that must remain a secret, as Derry’s ability to read is forbidden in luddite True Landovel. So Derry keeps himself to himself, with no friends and no future beyond surviving another day. Until the day everything changes, when a traveller arrives at Cram’s Rock on the run from the mythical El executioners. In desperation, she leaves a magical notebook with Derry, a notebook full of secrets that reveal themselves throughout the series, along with Derry’s destiny – and past.

When the slaves of Cram’s Rock are rescued and taken to the more progressive Free Landovel, Derry and three companions, Cat, Straw and Num, are chosen for a dangerous quest to True Landovel to stop its plan of war against Free Landovel, and to search for the elusive rebel leader, Hant – who may or may not be dead. Years earlier, Hant, with his beloved V alongside him, fought to expose True Landovel’s corruption and the lies its King spun about the mysterious El in order to live richly while oppressing the commonfolk with fear and starvation.

As Derry and his companions journey towards the King’s palace, they make a new friend called Nissa. Together they witness the disturbing truth of life in True Landovel and become increasingly suspicious of who they can trust, including each other. There are El living among the mortals, and the King’s loathsome Redguards to fear. Soon after reaching The Scarlet City, the companions are separated in a riot and each run … to a different fate. Derry finds himself with King Greville, equipped only with the secret notebook, his quiet wisdom, fearlessness and a growing outrage. Without his companions to help him, Derry must quickly choose who he can trust. Can he save the Lands of El?

Emily Rodda is one of Australia’s best-known children’s authors. She has written or co-authored over 100 books including the award-winning Rowan of Rin series and the outstandingly successful Deltora Quest series, which has been translated into 28 languages. Her books have received many Children’s Choice awards, and she has won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year (Younger Readers) Award six times. In 2019 she was awarded the highest honour in the Australia Day Honours list, Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

HONEY AND THE VALLEY OF HORSES

Wendy Orr

A warm, family-friendly adventure with a touch of fantasy. Honey and her family seek the quiet comfort of a magical valley so they can escape the wide world and rebuild their resilience. A beautifully restorative novel from a multi-award-winning author.

When Honey was four and her brother Rumi was a tiny baby, a terrible illness swept the world. Grumpa died and a fog of grief fell over the family, so they loaded up their converted ice-cream-van-camper and drove away from the sad wide world. High in the mountains, they crossed a bridge to follow a mysterious herd of enchanted horses into a sheltered valley. The bridge and the track disappeared behind them – and now they are trapped in paradise.

They must become self-sufficient, so they all learn to fish, grow vegetables and experiment with edible bush plants. The creek water is fresh and clear, and the van’s solar panels give them power, but no messages from the outside world are ever received. It seems likely that no one beyond the valley has been left alive. But when her father falls desperately ill, Honey is sure there must still be people in the big wide world who can help. She is determined to draw on her resourcefulness, self-belief and courage, but will this be enough to find a way out of the valley?

A highly compelling adventure with a magical element and a courageous heroine.

Books+Publishing

Wendy Orr was born in Canada, and grew up in France, Canada and the USA. After high school, she studied occupational therapy in England, married an Australian farmer and moved to Australia. They had a son and daughter, and now live on five acres of bush near the sea. Her books have won awards in Australia and around the world, and have been translated into twenty-six languages. www. wendyorr.com August

RIGHTS SOLD: North American English (Pajama Press)

“This middle grade narrative by a master storyteller is an utter delight.”

THE APPRENTICE WITNESSER

Bren MacDibble

A brilliant ‘voice book’ with intriguing world-building, full of wonder, peril, persistence, despair and triumph –and ending with love and hope. From the multi awardwinning, bestselling author of How to Bee, The Dog Runner and The Raven’s Song.

I smile and I want to capture this moment of me looking at him, coz I think this might be one of those acts of love. So many little moments in the lives of ordinary people that make them feel good. That’s what my photos are. Little moments. All the good moments, the kind moments, the moments of care and love that, if you add them all together, make a life sweet.

Bastienne Scull is a young orphan who lives with Lodyma Darsey, the local Witnesser of Miracles – who investigates what’s behind miraculous events and spins them into stories she tells at the night markets in exchange for food.

After her husband and oldest son died of a sickness that continues to sweep the land, Lodyma sent her 15-year-old son Osmin into the hills to live with the mountain men. That was ten years ago and she doesn’t know if he’s alive or dead. And she’s taken Bastienne as an apprentice to fill the void of her lost family.

One day, two young boys arrive in town asking Lodyma to go on a mysterious mission to a monastery. And when Lodyma and Bastienne arrive, what they discover will change their lives.

A wonderful novel, full of hope, courage, resilience and family.

Bren MacDibble was raised on farms all over New Zealand. After 20 years in Melbourne, Bren sold everything and spent two years living and working in a bus travelling around Australia. In 2018, How to Bee won the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers, the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Award

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature, and the New Zealand Book Awards Wright Family Foundation

Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. In 2019 The Dog Runner won the New Zealand Book Awards Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. The Raven’s Song, co-written with Zana Fraillon was shortlisted for the CBCA Award for Younger Readers. www.macdibble.com

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION AGES 10–14

PICASSO AND THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH Anna

Fienberg

A sweetly moving story about friendship and finding happiness for readers who loved Dragon Skin or Lenny’s Book of Everything.

Frances is in a new house in a new neighbourhood and going to a new school, but no amount of new can make her forget the old, sad secret dragging at her heart. Not the pictures of bacteria that she draws with painstaking precision, not even Picasso, the puppy with the long soft ears and the cute black circle like a target on his bottom. Then Frances meets Kit, the tall, quiet boy with the twocoloured eyes. Kit is a real artist. His coloured pencils fill page after page of exercise books. He sees wonder in the rocks and ferns and sky. Though Kit has worries of his own.

But when secrets are spilled, Frances’s life turns grey and drab. Not even Picasso’s wet nose can brighten her up. Frances and Kit will need to face the truth of their pasts to find colour in their world again. After all, don’t the most brilliant sunsets need a cloudy sky?

A beautiful novel about finding the remarkable in the ordinary and celebrating the wonder of every day from the award-winning author of Tashi titles and Borrowed Light

“Marvellous, mind-opening, and deeply moving. The best book yet from this irresistible author” Morris Gleitzman

“A beautifully written novel that encompasses such big things … Frances, Kit and Picasso will stay with me for quite a while” Karen Foxlee

“I loved this book with my whole heart. It’s truly beautiful. And a gift to readers, young and old” Maryam Master

Anna Fienberg has written more than 40 well-loved books for children and young adults that have been published all over the world. Her career began when she worked as an editor for School Magazine, a NSW literary journal for children, which published her first story. She went on to win many awards for her novels and picture books, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia award for The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels, the Victorian Premier’s Prize for Ariel, Zed and the Secret of Life, and the CBCA Honour Book for Horrendo’s Curse and Borrowed Light, the latter also chosen as an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Her ever-popular Tashi books, illustrated by Kim Gamble, have sold over 1 million copies in ANZ.

SMOKE & MIRRORS Barry Jonsberg

Grace McKellon isn’t a ‘people person’. All she needs is her magic tricks and her wise-cracking grandmother – until a new friend comes along and promises to make her a social media star. A wonderful and intriguing middle fiction novel from an internationally acclaimed, bestselling Australian author.

Grace only cares about two things: performing magic and her cantankerous gran. Gran shares her prickly personality and spiky sense of humour, and she’s the only one Grace lets into her tightly locked heart – until she meets Simon, an older student who promises to help her turn her magic tricks into a small business and social media stardom.

When Gran is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Grace moves in to become her primary carer. With the help of Simon and some sleight of hand, Grace must do what she can to bring joy back into their lives. And when she confronts her worst fear, she realises maybe her heart doesn’t need to stay locked away after all.

A funny, compelling and thought-provoking story from the author of the bestselling books My Life As An Alphabet and A Song Only I Can Hear.

Barry Jonsberg is the internationally popular author of 22 novels, for which he’s won many awards, including: WINNER Victorian Premier’s, Queensland Premier’s, Gold Inky, Territory Reads, Adelaide Festival, German Readers’ Choice Leserpreis, Children’s Peace Literature Awards; SHORTLISTED CBCA (three times), Prime Minister’s (twice), NSW Premier’s, WA Premier’s, Indie Awards. Barry’s titles have been published in 18 countries, translated into 12 languages and My Life as an Alphabet was adapted into the award winning feature film H is for Happiness. Barry was also a high school teacher of English for 38 years.

www.barryjonsberg.com

MAWSON: THE HERO WITHIN

Joanna Grochowicz

Douglas Mawson undertook one of the most extraordinary feats of endurance in the history of polar exploration. His amazing story is brought vividly to life in compelling narrative non-fiction by the acclaimed author of Into the White, Amundsen’s Way and Shackleton’s Endurance. Antarctica. Winter 1912. Hunkering down in the windiest place on earth, 18 young Australians eagerly await a chance to prove themselves as polar explorers. The spring sledging season will bring adventure, danger, and the discovery of new lands under the command of Douglas Mawson. But tragedy also lies in wait.

Douglas Mawson’s tale is legendary, an epic struggle between one man’s self-belief and the worst conditions the hostile polar environment can throw at him. His journey represents not only a feat of physical endurance but also a triumph of friendship and the human spirit’s ability to conjure hope when luck has all but run out.

On Amundsen’s Way:

“While the extensive research underpinning the book is apparent, it is the narrative voice that carries us forward”

New Zealand Review of Books

On Shackleton’s Endurance:

“The engaging and dynamic writing will hook even readers who typically do not gravitate toward nonfiction.”

Kirkus

Joanna Grochowicz is a polar historian and author. Fast-paced and exquisitely written, her novels of early exploration reveal in fascinating detail the human aspirations and tragedies that have shaped our understanding of the polar regions. Drawing on diaries, letters and expedition narratives from archives and personal collections around the world, Grochowicz brings to light new and often overlooked elements of heroic age exploration. Realistic portrayals of historical figures and the interplay of personalities lend her work a grittiness and authenticity that is not often present in historical writing for children and young adults. www.joannagrochowicz.com

BLOOD MOON BRIDE Demet Divaroren

An intriguing and compelling fantasy featuring a courageous young woman fighting for justice, from the acclaimed and award-winning author of Living on Hope Street.

Ma’s tears wet my neck as I backed into our hut. I lay her down on the mattress and slumped into Pa’s chair. His tobacco smell curled around me. I breathed him in as my tears fell and anger bubbled under my skin. I was to be a Blood Moon Bride.

Magic is outlawed in Manama Valley. Village boys are recruited to defend the Valley’s borders and every three winters, on the night of the Blood Moon, young women must enter forced marriages, to breed children for the Valley’s advancement and prosperity. But when the enemy rebels grow stronger and more village boys are lost each winter, Governor Kahya foresees a decline in population; so he decrees that girls of just fifteen must become Blood Moon Brides.

Rehya, a hunter and a daughter, lives in this world, ruled by a tight-fisted patriarchy where freedom of thought is punishable with rehabilitation at The Nest, and education is reserved for city folk. She does not want to be a bride but when her Pa dies, shattering their plans of escape, she is paraded ‘for sale’ in front of suitors on Show Day. She is appalled by the ritual and the old man who selects her as his wife – and rebels.

Her punishment is that she is sent to The Nest to be…rehabilitated. There she uncovers terrible truths about the Assessor and the Governor and she must risk everything to fight for justice and to restore magic and healing to the world.

On Living on Hope Street

WINNER: 2018 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Young Adult

SHORTLISTED: 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Award, Young Adult Fiction

“Living on Hope Street is a bighearted, compassionate work. Divaroren is a ferociously good storyteller and every character breathes life, every character convinces. This book is an absolute joy to read” Christos Tsiolkas

Demet Divaroren is the author of Living on Hope Street, which won the 2018 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for Writing for Young Adults and was shortlisted for a 2018 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. She is the co-editor of the Growing Up Muslim in Australia anthology which was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council’s Book of the Year awards. Her writing has appeared in Griffith REVIEW, New Australian Stories, Island magazine, The Age Epicure, The Big Issue, From the Outer and Best Summer Stories. Demet appears as a panellist, guest speaker and workshop leader at literary festivals, universities and schools across Melbourne and teaches creative writing at Victoria Polytechnic.

WE DIDN’T THINK IT THROUGH Gary Lonesborough

From the author of the highly acclaimed debut The Boy from the Mish, comes a compelling coming-of-age novel about sixteen-year-old Jamie Langton finding his future and navigating the challenges of racism, family and friendship in a small Australian town.

The thought comes to me: This is how I die. Dally is going to lose control and crash us into a pole or a house and we will be killed on impact.

Jamie lives in Dalton’s Bay with Aunty Dawn and Uncle Bobby. He spends his downtime hanging out with his mates, Dally and Lenny. Mark Cassidy and his white mates take every opportunity they can to bully Jamie and his friends. On Lenny’s last night in town before moving to Sydney, after another episode of racist harassment, Jamie, Dally and Lenny decide to retaliate by vandalising Cassidy’s car. And when they discover the keys are in the ignition… Dally changes the plan. Soon they are all in the stolen car cruising through town, aiming to take it for a quick spin, then dump it.

But it’s a bad plan. Jamie ends up in the juvenile justice system where he must find a way to mend his relationships with himself, his friends, his family and his future.

On The Boy From the Mish:

WINNER: 2022 IBBY Australia Ena Noël Award; 2021 Favourite Australian Debut Book, Booktopia FAB Awards

HIGHLY COMMENDED: 2022 Book of the Year for Older Children, Australian Book Industry Awards

SHORTLISTED: 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards; 2022 Book of the Year: Older Readers, CBCA Awards; 2022 Young Adult Book of the Year, Indie Book Awards; 2022 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards; 2021 Readings Young Adult Book Prize

“The Boy from the Mish is an extraordinary debut novel, and I loved this tender, beautiful story with all my heart.” Nina Kenwood

“A lightning bolt to the soul.” Will Kostakis

“Honest. Funny. Beautiful. This book is all the things.” Gabbie Stroud

I’M NOT REALLY HERE Gary Lonesborough

Jonah is the new kid in a country town. When he joins the school's rugby team to be closer to his crush, Harley, it feels like a fresh start – but he still has to navigate new friendships, old family secrets, and the same body image issues he’s always had. A wonderful coming-of-age queer romance from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Boy from the Mish.

Footsteps approach behind me. I turn and see an Aboriginal boy arriving at the doorway. He’s tall, taller than me. He’s got curly hair. His body is fit. His chest is chiselled and bare and he’s wearing only football shorts.

When 17-year-old Jonah arrives in a new town – Patience –with his dad and twin brothers, Zeke and Luke, it feels like a foreign place. A new town means he needs to make new friends. Which isn’t always easy Especially when he’s wrestling with his body image. And his memories of his mother.

When he joins the school rugby team so he can spend more time with his new-crush, Harley, he feels like he’s moving closer to something good. But even though he knows what he wants, it doesn’t mean he’s ready.

Emotionally compelling, honest and featuring warm and authentically vulnerable characters, I’m Not Really Here is a fabulous novel about navigating family and friendships and love.

Gary Lonesborough is a Yuin man, who grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family. Gary was always writing as a child, and continued his creative journey when he moved to Sydney to study at film school. Gary has experience working in Aboriginal health, the disability sector, and the film industry. He was Bega Valley Shire Council Young Citizen of the Year, won the Patrick White Young Indigenous Writers’ Award, and has received a Copyright Agency First Nations Fellowship. The Boy from the Mish was Gary’s debut YA novel and was published in the US in 2022 under the title Ready When You Are

NOTES

NOTES

E NQUIRIES

Carey Schroeter

Rights and International Sales Manager

Books for Children and Young Adults

Email: careys@allenandunwin.com

Phone: +61 2 8425 0113

Allen & Unwin

83 Alexander St

Crows Nest NSW 2065

AUSTRALIA

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