Snuggle up with a good book this winter holidays.

by Michael Speechley
Harvey owned a heap of stuff, but could always use more. The ORANGE 430 was the latest and the greatest. Harvey wasn’t sure what it did, but he had to have it!
A cheeky picture book for anyone who’s bought a thingy or whatsit . . . and doesn’t quite know why. In his debut picture book, Michael Speechley explores our obsession with stuff in a fun and edifying way.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Ursula Dubosarsky
Andrew Joyner (Illustrator )
From an extraordinary novelist and an award-winning illustrator comes this lyrical and unforgettable story about a boy and the untameable wildness of a hand-reared joey.
“This is a story about a boy called Pender and a kangaroo called Brindabella, about how they became friends, and all the things that happened to them because of it.”
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Margaret Wild,
Freya Blackwood (Illustrator)
This is a story about hope, kindness and redemption set in a grey dystopian world. When a great feather drifts from the leaden sky, two children recognize its extraordinariness and take it to the village for its protection. The villagers, however, want to encase it, upon which the feather loses its radiance. The children take it home and care for it through the night.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Aaron Blabey
Life is cursed for the people of the village of Twee. The ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon haunts their every waking hour and they’ve had enough! But then one day, the brave and practical young Herbert Kettle has the most extraordinary idea . . . The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Katrina Nannestad
He’s the world’s vaguest novelist. She’s a shy and unusual child. Together, they’re travelling the world, one book a time.’QUITE SIMPLY THE BEST SORT OF READING PLEASURE FROM THE FIRST PAGE TO THE LAST’- Raven’s Parlour Bookstore For the first ten years of Freja’s life, she and her mother Clementine have roamed the Arctic in search of zoological wonders.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Linda Newbery
When thirteen-year-old Polly befriends two suffragettes in the top floor flat at 6 Chelsea Walk, she finds herself questioning the views of those around her. The Votes for Women campaign strikes a chord with Polly and she becomes determined to join the suffragettes’ protest march, even if it means clashing with her family… http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Mark Greenwood,
Andrew McLean (Illustrator)
In 1942, Sergeant “Griff” Griffin was a prisoner of war. With Christmas approaching, he decided to make a book for the children cooped up in nearby Changi Prison. The book was said to contain the secrets to happiness. But the enemy was suspicious …
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Heath McKenzie
Ollie is building THE PERFECT CUBBY HOUSE!
Everyone has some great ideas, and pretty soon, the whole family is involved!
A fun and funny story about the importance of family and togetherness and always having a plan!
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Cathy Cassidy
Ever since Lexie’s mum vanished, her world hasn’t stopped spinning. A new home, a new school – even a new family but Lexie never gives up hope that her mum will come back and writes her letters every day to tell her all about her new life.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Phillip Gwynne
4 boys, 4 stories, 4 great Australian writers in an important new series.
Stuff happens sometimes.
Everyday stuff.
At school, at home, with sport, with mates.
For Ned it happened with a new teacher.
For Sean it happened starting at a new school.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Heather Vogel Frederick
The book clubis about to get
a makeover….
Even if Megan would rather be at the mall, Cassidy is late for hockey practice, Emma’s already read every book in existence, and Jess is missing her mother too much to care, the new book club is scheduled to meet every month.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Sigi Cohen,
James Foley (Illustrator)
“My dead bunny’s name is Brad;
his odour is extremely bad.
He visits me when I’m in bed,
but Bradley wasn’t always dead …”
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Elizabeth Fensham
From one of Australia’s most-loved and prolific authors comes a funny and endearing tale about a boy called Eric and his dog Ugly. My Dog Gets a Job picks up where the very successful My Dog Doesn’t Like Me left off. At almost ten years of age, Eric is now the responsible owner of his dog Ugly.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Shirin Yim Bridges,
Sophie Blackall (Illustrator)
Ruby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family. Based upon the inspirational story of the author’s grandmother and accompanied by richly detailed illustrations, Ruby’s Wish is an engaging portrait of a young girl who strives for more and a family who rewards her hard work and courage.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Merv Lamington,
Allison Langton (Illustrator)
Meet Florence, a flamboyant fur seal who lives on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Unlike the other seals, Florence has plans. Big plans. She’s going to be a world-famous singer. But does Florence have what it takes to become a real SEALPRANO?
Based on a true story, The Singing Seal is for anyone who has ever felt small but dreamt big.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by David Walliams,
Tony Ross (Illustrations)
The new hilarious story from Number One bestselling author David Walliams, brilliantly illustrated by Tony Ross.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Margaret Wild,
Mandy Ord (Illustrator)
A soulful and heartwarming story about what happens when a pavement artist’s drawing comes to life.
Barnaby is a pavement artist. This morning he started drawing me. I have a head that can think, eyes that can see, ears that can hear and legs that can run. Best of all, I have a heart that can feel. Thank you, Barnaby.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Stacy Gregg
An enchanting and empowering standalone story from the author of The Princess and the Foal.
Twelve-year-old Hilly has landed her dream job, riding on the set of Brunhilda, an epic film based on the fearless warrior of Icelandic legend. Norse fire ritual tells that on mid-summer’s day, animals and humans can shape-shift and one night Hilly finds herself connected to the young warrior and her fire stallion.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Katrina Nannestad
HE’S A VAGUE NOVELIST. SHE’S A SHY AND UNUSUAL CHILD. TOGETHER, THEY’RE TRAVELLING THE WORLD, ONE BOOK AT A TIME. Freja, Tobias and Finnegan are back for an all-new adventure through the countryside of Provence.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Mark Pett,
Gary Rubinstein
Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake…
Meet Beatrice Bottomwell: a nine-year-old girl who has never (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Daniel Gray-Barnett
On an ordinary day, in an even more ordinary town, it was Albert’s birthday.
When Grandma Z roars into town on her motorcycle, Albert is swept up in a very extraordinary adventure. Life may never be the same again!
This glorious debut from Daniel Gray-Barnett is filled with wonder, imagination, and a wild, magical spirit that will thrill young and old.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Elizabeth Fensham
ifteen-year-old Peter Sinclair’s father is a paranoid schizophrenic, afraid of helicopters, police, and life itself. When Peter’s mother leaves home one day and doesn’t return, Pete and his father soon find themselves living hand-to-mouth, estranged from family, and teetering on the brink of homelessness.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Cressida Cowell
THE STORY CONTINUES in the seventh volume of Hiccup’s How to Train Your Dragon memoirs …Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived. But it wasn’t always like that. Hiccup’s memoirs look back to when Hiccup was just an ordinary boy, and finding it very hard to be a Hero.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Jessica Sanders
Carol Rossetti (Illustrator)
What if every young girl loved her body? Freedom is loving your body with all its “imperfections” and being the perfectly imperfect you! This book encourages young girls to admire and celebrate their bodies for all the amazing things they can do, and to help girls see that they are so much more than than their bodies. It introduces the language of self-love and self-care to help build resilience, while representing and celebrating diverse bodies, encouraging girls to appreciate their uniqueness.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Elizabeth Fensham
‘You can’t imagine how strange it is to realise that there is no one left living who knew you,’ said Miss McAllister. ‘It makes you wonder if you really are alive.’
‘We know you,’ I replied.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

By: Gregg Dreise
Feel the rhythm of the music, from your heart down to your feet.
Enjoy the movements of melodies, as clapsticks keep a strong beat.
This is my culture. This is me.
Beautifully written and illustrated, My Culture and Me is a heartfelt and stirring story of cherishing and sustaining Indigenous cultures.
http://www.booktopia.com.au

by Elizabeth Fensham
My dog doesn’t like me. It’s a fact. When I got back from running away, I explained this to my family.
Eric is very disappointed in the dog he got for his eighth birthday. He thought the dog, named Ugly (because he is just that), was going to be his ‘best friend’.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Christopher Cheng,
Bruce Whatley
One tall tree on the mountain once marked Grandfather’s farm. Now there is a busy city and Grandfather lives with us in our apartment. once he told stories but now he stays silent. Until one day, in the city market, I find something precious… something that brings Grandfather’s memories alive again.
http://www.goodreads.com.au

by Cathy Cassidy
The must-have second book in the brilliant Lost and Found series from Cathy Cassidy, bestselling author of the Chocolate Box Girls.
Forced to flee his home in Syria for safety in England, Sami attempts to begin a new life but struggles to overcome the pain of the past.
http://www.goodreads.com.au