When 17-year-old Jonah arrives in a new town - Patience - with his dad and younger brothers, 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 local footy 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 warm, I'm Not Really Here is a beautiful novel about navigating family and friendships, and finding a way through grief towards love, from an internationally acclaimed bestselling Indigenous author.
By: Maryam Master
Zee is a loner. She likes to read Oscar Wilde and watch documentaries all day which, according to her parents, is not normal for 13 year olds. So they decide to send her on a five-day holiday camp, hoping she'll make 'at least one friend'.
Now, Zee would rather take a bath in Tabasco sauce than attend a camp called Youth Fusion. But with influencer Tiffanee and super-nerds Jonah and Moses, she soon finds herself in the middle of a hair-rising mystery, hurling her into some fierce detective work and bringing her face to face with the notorious Old Bat Viv.
By: Darren McCallum, Craig Smith (Illustrator)
How do you fix a wobbly bike? Could it be the tyres, the terrain, or maybe it might be a new rider? A joyful, multi-layered story, celebrating the unique culture of Australia’s urban âtop endâ, the precious roles of grandparents in families, the fact that kindness and encouragement, combined with practice, are the key to success, bound together with gentle humour… because laughter is always the best medicine.
A sparkling debut from Darwin author, with illustrations by award-winning Craig Smith, with a plethora of themes: humour, perseverance, learning, practice, diversity, inclusion, family generations.
By: Deborah Frenkel, Danny Snell (Illustrator)
Some cats are house cats. Some are apartment cats.
But Tinka is a truck cat. Tinka lives everywhere.
Along with his human, Yacoub, Tinka travels roads wide and narrow, near and distant. But no matter how much they travel, home feels very far away – for both of them.
Yacoub drives his truck to make a living, learning the landscape of a new country along the way, and longing for connection. When Tinka and Yacoub are unexpectedly separated, they are determined to find their way back to each other – and, in doing so, might find more than they expected...
By: Bec Nanayakkara, Sarah Capon (Illustrator)
Exciting things were happening in Nina's home.
'While we wait,' said Mum, 'let's plant a seed and watch it grow.'
When Nina plants a pumpkin seed, she imagines herself and a little sister playing in the leaves of a large pumpkin plant. Nina's mum is pregnant and it seems that Nina's dreams may soon come true. But despite Nina's loving care, her seedling stops growing as her mother's pregnancy ends early.
As time goes by, her mother is pregnant again, and Nina finds the courage to plant another seed. This time, Nina's seedling grows and grows, and her family embraces a joyful surprise with not one but two rainbow babies
The perfect picture book to share with any growing family.
By: Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson
'Each protest has been a stepping stone to the next battle...'
From the very first protest of January 26th as a Day of Mourning in 1938, to the Pilbara Strike of 1946, to the struggle for the right to vote and be counted; the fight for justice for First Nations people takes many forms.
Always Was, Always Will Be takes a closer look at some of the iconic First Peoples protest movements of the last 200 years, celebrating the strength, wisdom, and bravery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people defending their land and asserting their right to self-determination through history.
Established in 1946, The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) annual award aims to promote quality literature for young Australians, support and encourage a wide range of Australian writers and illustrators, and celebrate contributions to Australian children's literature.
The six categories in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards are Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Books of the Year, Eve Pownall Award and New Illustrator.