Novel Selection List

NOVEL SELECTION LIST SUGGESTED TITLES FOR RECOMMENDED READING AND SCHOOL NOVEL SELECTION YEARS 5-11 Please note that year levels are suggestions only, titles may be suitable for more than one year level, for example; some titles in lower secondary may also be suitable for middle secondary, etc. Some titles in the Upper Secondary section are adult titles and may contain unsuitable material. Cover

Title & ISBN

A Boat for Bridget

Author

James Roy

Page extent 192

9780702232503

Blurb UPPER PRIMARY TO LOWER SECONDARY Meet Bridget. Bridget's father loves to sail. Her mother loves to garden. Is there a problem? Not until Will's love for the sea draws him back to the thrill and excitement of ocean racing, a world he left behind before Bridget was born.

Themes

Adventure Family Growing Up

Resources

Teachers’ Notes available from UQP.

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php All We Know

Simon French

264

Grade Six is almost over and Arkie knows that nothing is ever going to be the same again. Her best friend has dumped her, her little brother is growing up and her favourite teacher is leaving.

Transitions Change Friendships Growing Up

Anthony Hill

256

Non-fiction short stories of how animals have played a part in Australian warfare since WWI.

Heroes War Courage Friendship

9780143301158

Animal Heroes 9780143003809

Teachers’ Notes

1

Aristotle’s Nostril

Morris Gleitzman

144

Aristotle's a germ who loves life and has a secret ambition to be a doctor. But first he must go on a perilous journey and make an amazing discovery - the nostril next door.

Adventure Courage Knowledge Discovery

Teachers’ Notes

Eoin Colfer

118

The first in the Artemis Fowl series transformed into a full colour graphic novel.

Good vs Evil Fairytales Myths & Legends Friendship Loyalty

Teachers’ Notes

Adventure/fantasy series about a boy genius and his dealings with the fairy underworld

Good vs Evil Fairytales Myths & Legends Friendship Loyalty

Sequel to Benny and Omar. Back in Ireland, Benny becomes friends with the feisty Babe.

Boy-girl relationships Friendship Bullying Overcoming stereotypes

9780143301974

Artemis Fowl – graphic novel 9780141322964

Artemis Fowl – series

Eoin Colfer

Benny and Babe

Eoin Colfer

9780143300564

240

2

Benny and Omar

Eoin Colfer

240

Hilarious story of an unlikely friendship that develops between an Irish boy and a Tunisian boy.

Clash of cultures Trust Loyalty Friendship

Teachers’ Notes as part of the Middle Years set.

Sofie Laguna

204

Bird and Sugar Boy are best friends. Their lives aren't perfect but hanging out together makes is ok. Then Sugar Boy moves to Broome and Bird decides to shoot through.

Friendship Loss Father-son relationships

Teachers’ Notes

9780143300571

Bird and Sugar Boy 9780143004950

Blueback

Tim Winton

168

Cathy Freeman

126

9780143304333

Born to Run 9780143302384

Abel Jackson has lived by the sea at Longboat Bay ever since he could remember. He helps his mother each day and loves to dive. One day he meets Blueback, the biggest and most beautiful fish he's ever seen. When Abel's mother is approached by developers she decides she must do something to protect their fragile piece of coastline. But can Abel and his mother save Blueback and Longboat Bay in time? Cathy’s story, as told in her own words, of growing up, developing a love of running and the challenges she faced along the way.

Unit

Isolation Coastal living The environment Loss of a parent Mother-son relationships Indigenous Teachers’ issues Notes Racism Determination Unit Achieving goals

3

Boy Overboard

Morris Gleitzman

192

A novel looking at the plight of asylum seekers in Australia. Fastpaced, humorous and poignant in true Gleitzman style.

Loss Hope Asylum seekers Different cultures

Allan Baillie

204

When Cat is dropped off at her grandmother's hut in a remote part of the bush, she suddenly finds herself on her own. Piecing together clues, Cat starts making sense of things . . . but not the sort of sense she was hoping for. A gritty, thrilling adventure story.

Bullying Courage Growing up Trust Fear

Pat Flynn

144

Humour School life First relationships Friendships Growing Up

Morris Gleitzman

179

Tony Ross has fallen in love. He isn’t the best-looking guy, he’s not very smart, and girls don’t seem to like him much. But that doesn’t stop Tony from setting out to get a girl. And not just any girl. The most popular girl in school – Ashleigh Simpkin. But things don’t go quite according to plan – especially when his best friend, Kane (who happens to be hot-looking and good at things like kissing) does a pretty darn good job of sabotaging Tony’s plans. Thomas has an embarrassing secret. Is it a rare and special gift or the worst thing that could happen to a boy? A story about best friends, surprising adventures and itchy nipples.

9780141308388

Cat’s Mountain 9780143302292

Don’t Kiss Girls 9780143303121

Doubting Thomas 9780143302612

Lies Truth Family Friendship

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

4

Extreme Adventures (series)

Justin D’Ath

Low level-high action series designed for reluctant and struggling readers. Books can be read independently of each other.

Adventure Responsibility Courage

www.puffin.com.au/extreme

Family Tree, The

Jane Godwin

156

Harry's real name is Harriet, but no one ever calls her that. When Harry is nearly eleven and her stepbrother moves in, everything she cares about starts to change.

Gender Family Blended families Change

Ursula Dubosarsky

144

Fred, Rowley and Rabbit hardly knew each other before the game. But the game changed everything. It took each of them on an adventure – a terrifying, wonderful journey that they would remember for ever.

Fantasy Games Challenges Friendship

Pat Flynn

180

Sequel to Don’t Kiss Girls. Tony Ross dumped Ashleigh, and now he wants her back – but to do that he needs a lot of money, fast! But Tony's plans go from bad to worse as he finds himself fired form a fast-food joint, golf caddying for a psycho psychiatrist and, it top it off, getting the worst haircut in history.

Relationships Friendship School life Growing up

9780141302126

Game of the Goose, The 9780141309231

Get Rich Quick 9780143303930

Teachers’ Notes

5

Ghost in My Suitcase, A

Gabrielle Wang

176

When Celeste travels to China to visit her grandmother, she uncovers an incredible family secret. And with this secret comes danger and adventure. If Celeste is to save her family and friends, she must learn to harness her rare and powerful gift as a ghost catcher.

Morris Gleitzman

192

Companion novel to Boy Overboard. Follows an Australian girl as she learns of the plight of refugees.

Morris Gleitzman

189

Kierin Meehan

228

9780143303794

Girl Underground

Chinese myth and legend Family Loss of a parent Jealousy Friendship Family secrets Travel to China Asylum seekers Friendship Courage Determination

Teachers’ Notes

Short stories revisiting some of Morris’ best loved characters.

Short stories Friendship Loyalty Humour Families

Teachers’ Notes

When her mother takes her to Japan, Hannah would much rather be back in Australia starting secondary school with her friends. But her stay turns out to be nothing like she'd imagined

Japan Different cultures Mystery Friendship

Teachers’ Notes as part of the Middle Years set

9780143300465

Give Peas a Chance 9780143302629

Hannah’s Winter 9780141000442

Teachers’ Notes

6

Hidden Monastery, The

Gabrielle Wang

200

From the moment Peng fell from the stars as a tiny young creature, he and Jax have been connected. But it is not until twelve years later, when Jax stumbles across a mysterious monastery hidden deep in an ancient rainforest park, that he begins to discover his destiny.

Kierin Meehan

275

Miki from Hannah's Winter returns in this beautifully written story, set in Japan, about the past and the present, magic and mythology.

Norman Jorgensen

218

Doug MacLeod

240

Living on a small island off the coast of WA during WWII, Jack and his mate Banjo have the run of the place – and a knack for trouble. From exploding hand grenades to sailing in shark infested waters, there’s nothing these two won’t try. But the war looms ever closer and when a Japanese soldier is suspected to be hiding on the island, the locals band together to hunt him out and administer justice. For Jack and Banjo, nothing could be more exciting and they too get caught up in the adventure. But life isn’t all fun and the entrenched prejudices of the time become only too apparent. A humorous take on traditional fairytales. Kevin is a Troll who kidnaps a human woman to be his wife.

9780143302681

In the Monkey Forest 9780143302162

Jack’s Island 9781921361197

Kevin the Troll 9780143302698

Chinese history Being ChineseAustralian Family Friendship Myths and Legends Magic Japan Mystery History

Teachers’ Notes

War Prejudice Community Responsibility Adventure Family Friendship

Fairytales Humour Quests

7

Krakatoa Lighthouse Allan Baillie

240

9780143303596

Lee Raven: Boy Thief

Zizou Corder

304

Tim Hanna & David Larson

180

Dianne Wolfer

120

9780141322902

Legend of Speed, The

The Javanese seaside fishing village of Anjer is warm and fragrant. A constant flow of traders and other visitors from all over the world keeps it prosperous and vibrant. But the year is 1883, and the conical-shaped peak on the horizon that has started to rumble and give off smoke is Krakatoa – set to explode in the most dramatic way, generating the loudest sound ever historically reported. Who in Anjer can hope to survive the cataclysm? From the mother-daughter team who bought you the Lionboy series. Set in 2045, Lee Raven is a cheeky street kid who makes his money picking pockets and robbing houses. While trying to hide from the police, Lee finds himself inside a very grand house owned by a restorer and keeper of old books, Mr Maggs. Whilst there, Lee accidentally steals a very valuable book that has been given to Mr Maggs for safe keeping. Unbeknownst to Lee, he has stolen the great book of Nebo – a book that holds every story ever told. Suddenly Lee finds himself caught up in a murder mystery. The true story of Burt Munro and his quest to break land speed records

History Natural disaster Courage Family Loss Adventure

Fay lives alone with her father on Breaksea Island, but her isolated life takes a dramatic turn with the outbreak of World War I. Fay collects the messages of lonely soldiers heading to the front line. She is their last hope of getting messages back home. After their departure for the battlefields, she follows their fortunes and continues her long distance conversations with letters and postcards. Then one day, a single, sad telegram arrives, and the

War Australian history Loss Family Isolation Visual literacy

9780143303107

Lighthouse Girl 9781921361531

Living with dyslexia Family Truth and lies Trust Friendship Honour Bravery Adventure Determination Achieving goals Overcoming stereotypes

Film – The World’s Fastest Indian

8

war is brought brutally home. Based on a true story. Adventure fantasy story about a boy who can speak Cat and his quest to rescue his kidnapped parents.

Lionboy (series)

Zizou Corder

Love, Aubrey

Suzanne LaFleur

256

Catherine Bateson

160

9780141327129 July 09

Millie and the Night Heron 9780702235269

After the death of Aubrey’s father and sister, her mother suffers a nervous breakdown and leaves eleven-year-old Aubrey alone at home. After days of living off crackers and cheese, Aubrey is found by her grandmother and convinced to make the journey to Grandma’s home town in Vermont. Through letters to her sister’s imaginary friend, Aubrey keeps her father and sister up to date with the goings on in her life. After a rocky beginning, during which Aubrey refuses to believe that her mother is not coming home, Aubrey begins to accept her new life and makes friends with the girl next door. Just when Aubrey looks like settling down and enjoying her new life, her mother returns and Aubrey must make the decision about whether to stay with Grandma or return to her mother. A beautiful and touching story of grief and hope. Millie lives with her mum, her mum’s best friend Shelly and Shelly’s son. They’re like one big family. When Shelly finds a new boyfriend and moves in with him, Millie’s life begins to change. Millie’s mum gets a job at a university and Millie must start at a new school. On top of all that, Millie’s mum gets a new boyfriend. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Adventure Quests & journeys Trust Friendship Grief Loss of family Mental illness Hope Friendship Courage

Family Change Trust Relationships growing up

Teachers’ Notes available from UQP

9

Miss McAllister’s Ghost

Elizabeth Fensham

279

9780702236464

Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim, The

A gentle story about three siblings who befriend an old woman living in the past. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Cassandra Golds

48

Colourful graphic novel exploring the life of Matthew Flinders and his good friend Trim as they circumnavigate Australia.

Robert Newton

144

Poor Will Thompson is second best at everything and his family is way over the top. He can't deal with it. To make things worse, his sports-mad brother Jack gets all the credit and attention. Will is a nothing and a nobody. As if that's not enough, Will gets words and letters jumbled up in his head.

Growing Up Family Learning difficulties Self esteem Friendship

Morris Gleitzman

150

Felix is a young Jewish boy living in Poland during WWII. As he sets off on his own to find his parents, he gradually senses just how much danger he is in. A touching story with much of Gleitzman’s trademark humour.

WWII Holocaust Friendship Courage Storytelling

9780143302179 My Name is Will Thompson 9780143303343

Once 9780143301950

Friendship Respect History Loss Memories Love Family Adventure History Friendship Different cultures

Teachers’ Notes available from UQP.

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

10

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party

Ying Chang Compestine

252

Nine-year-old Ling is very comfortable with her life; her parents are both dedicated doctors in the best hospital in Wuhan. But when Comrade Li, one of Mao’s political officers, moves into a room in their apartment, Ling begins to witness the gradual disintegration of her world.

Autobiography Chinese history Fear Trust Betrayal Hope

Steven Herrick

174

Jayden Hayden loves words, he learns a new one every day. What he doesn’t love is an embarrassing name or the fact that he doesn’t have a dad. When a father-son day at school is announced, Jayden is determined to find out who is father is once and for all. Could his dad be Jayden Finch – the footballer his mother is obsessed with and his namesake? With the help of his best friend Saskia, Jayden decides to track the footy star down and hopefully find his father all in one go.

Family Fathers and sons Friendships Humour Loyalty

9780143303855

Rhyming Boy 9780702236730

Ruby Clair: The Trouble with Ghosts

Mary K Pershall

140

Morris Gleitzman

132

9780143303756

Second Childhood 9780140365870

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php From the author of Two Weeks in Grade Six comes a great new series for girls. Ruby Clair has always seen things differently, like lights around people and hearing whispery voices in the dark. But she never expected to get a phone call from her cousin Nicola – Nicola died two years ago. Mark's father has always wanted him to be a Somebody. But unless Mark picks up at school, it looks like sheep's poop is where he's heading. Then Mark and his friends discover they've lived before. Not only that – they were Famous and Important People!

Teachers’ Notes available from UQP.

supernatural Friendship School Family Death The afterlife School Growing up Expectations Family Friendship History

Teachers’ Notes Fun in the Classroom

11

Silverfin: Young Bond Graphic Novel

Charlie Higson

160

It's James Bond's first day at Eton and already he's met his first enemy. An enemy who will follow him from the school fields to the remote shores of Loch Silverfin, where a terrifying new breed of warfare threatens to unleash destruction on the world.

Espionage School life Loss of parents Adventure Visual literacy

Sherryl Clark 72

Dawn doesn’t know where she belongs. It’s not with the style queens at school. And it’s not at home, where all her parents do is fight. Even her best friend, Emily, doesn’t seem to want to be best friends any more. A verse novel.

Growing up Self confidence Family Friendships

Elaine Forrestal

Tas leads an ordinary life – until Enya and her mysterious Irish family move in next door. The violence Enya thought she had left behind catches up with her and changes Tas's life for ever.

War Families Friendship

This series follows the lives of Simon ‘Specky’ Magee and his friends as they move through school and Specky develops his love of AFL.

Sport Friendship Family

9780141322537

Sixth Grade Style Queen, Not! 9780143303008

Someone Like Me 9780140380927

Specky Magee (series)

Felice Arena & Garry Lyon

180

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

12

Surfing Mr Petrovic

Colin Bowles 144

Eleven-year-old Tao loves hanging around with his mates. He used to like surfing with his dad, too, until Dad left home to live with a fashion model. When Mr Petrovic enters the scheme of things, he becomes the focus for Tao's anger.

Jen Storer

211

Tan Callahan is a secret spy, always on the look out for a good mystery. But when her parents announce that the family is moving to the country, Tan is worried that there will be no mysteries to investigate. However, when the family arrives, it becomes clear that things are not as boring as they seem. A very funny country adventure that boys and girls alike will enjoy.

Morris Gleitzman

192

Ginger is named after a cat. Ginger tries to be good, but it's not Family easy when your mum puts cat food in your breakfast bowl. It gets Friendship even harder when the school principal starts trying to kill your best School life friend.

Teachers’ Notes

Morris Gleitzman

192

Then is the second story of Felix and Zelda, the sequel to Once. They escaped from the Nazis, but how long can they now survive when there are so many people ready to hand them over for a reward? Thanks to the courage of a kind, brave woman they are able to hide for a time in the open, but Felix knows he has a distinguishing feature that identifies him as a Jew and that it is only a matter of time before he is discovered, which will mean death for them all. Even though he promised Zelda he would never leave her, he knows he has to, before it is too late.

Teachers’ Notes

9780140386417

Tan Callahan’s Secret Spy Files 9780143303305

Teachers’ Pet 9780140387995

Then 9780143303244

Family situations Parent-son relationships Friendship Bullying Consequences Peer pressure Friendship Mystery Sisters Moving house New schools Fitting in

Friendship Courage WWII Holocaust Fear Survival Trust Betrayal

Unit

13

Tiff and the Trout

David Metzenthen

192

Tiff’s mum is moving to the Gold Coast so Tiff must decide if she wants to stay with her dad in the mountains or go to the beach too.

Family situations Change Growing up Parent-child relationships

Diana Kidd

168

When the Rileys move in next door, Lily and Ella become the best of friends. But Lily can't understand why her Dad doesn't like the Rileys.

Reconciliation Racism Indigenous issues Friendship

Humorous and wacky family adventures.

Family Humour Romance Travel

Follow the WORD SPY as she uncovers the secrets of the English language. Full of games, puzzles, facts and riddles, The Word Spy is an entertaining, quirky and enlightening look at the English language.

Language Grammar Punctuation Puzzles Games

9780141306575

Two Hands Together 9780141307480

U.F.O - series

Dave Hackett

Word Spy, The

Ursula Dubosarsky

9780670072279

256

Teachers’ Notes as part of the middle years set.

Teachers’ Notes

14

Worm Story

Morris Gleitzman

142

The hilarious tale of two tiny parasites and their adventurous journey through the human body.

Adventure Biology Friendship

Teachers’ Notes

Allison Lloyd

220

On the edge of the Han Empire, the Great Wall is crumbling. And on the other side, China’s enemies are gathering strength. In the shadow of the wall, two very different boys – Hu and Ren – are thrown together, hoping to win an archery contest. But in the year of the Tiger trouble stalks them…When everything goes wrong, can Hu and Ren work together to save the town ad the empire from destruction?

Friendship Class Chinese history Family Betrayal Trust Father-son relationships Honour Duty

Teachers’ Notes

9780143301967

Year of the Tiger, The 9780143303626

Airman 9780141383361

Eoin Colfer

320

LOWER SECONDARY Conor Broekhart was born to fly. Or more accurately, he was born flying. Little wonder he became what he became. In an age of discovery and invention, many dreamed of flying, but for Conor flight was more than just a dream, it was his destiny. In one dark night on the island of Great Saltee, a cruel and cunning betrayal destroyed his life and stole his future. Now Conor must win the race for flight, to save his family and right a terrible wrong. A swashbuckling adventure from the creator of Artemis Fowl.

Unit

Adventure Courage Love Betrayal Family Loyalty

15

Black Dog Gang, The

Robert Newton

178

9780143302148

Camel Rider

Prue Mason

196

9780143300823

Captain Cook’s Apprentice 9780143004820

Anthony Hill

256

The gang was Mickey's idea. We'd heard the rumours – rats were coming in off the ships and spreading disease. Then the government started offering tuppence a rat, so we decided to get stuck in. But we hadn't counted on someone getting sick. Or on Mickey's dad finding his rats and chaining Mickey up. And what happened next . . . well, it would change things forever.

A compelling adventure of two boys lost in the desert in the Middle East when war breaks out, with only their wits to protect them.

At the age of thirteen, Isaac Manley was employed in his first job as a cabin boy on the Endeavour. Together with Captain Cook and his crew, Isaac would enter history as one of the first people to set foot on the east coast of Australia. This story follows Isaac’s three year journey from England to South America, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia and Africa. Isaac experiences adventure, death, sickness and love and is one of the first Europeans to meet the native peoples of Australia and New Zealand. A fascinating adventure story.

Australian history Early 1900s Sydney Friendship Domestic violence Poverty Loyalty Clash of cultures Overcoming stereotypes Survival Adventure

Teachers’ Notes

History Adventure Loyalty Responsibility Naval life Colonialism Growing Up

Teachers’ Notes

Unit

Teachers’ Notes Unit

Unit

16

Clockwork Forest, The

Doug MacLeod

228

Prue Mason

184

Simon Holt

231

9780143007463

Destination Abudai 9780143304029

Devouring, The 9780141325262

Young Morton lives alone on the edge of a forest. He is a pessimist and his only companions are four toy windup toys: a goat, hen, dog and cat. He likes his life, except that a pesky girl called Hannah keeps intruding. Then one day, a storm hits. Morton’s house is flung into the forest, scattering his treasured windup toys. Morton is determined to risk life and limb to retrieve them. 12-year-old Jaz lives in a town in Queensland with his two sisters and single mother, who struggles to make ends meet. Unexpectedly, Jaz finds out that he is in fact the son of a Middle Eastern man. Jaz flies to Abudai to meet his father, who, he quickly learns, has a very senior role in the Abudai government, is known as the Black Prince, and lives in the Black Palace. It seems like a wonderful dream, but Jaz is soon embroiled in dangerous family politics, and his lack of cultural understanding makes negotiating the pitfalls even more perilous. When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it is clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman’s imaginations, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life. To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

Fairytales Friendship Fear Adventure Good vs Evil

Cultural differences Family Fitting in Women’s rights Single parents Prejudice Stereotyping

Teachers’ notes tbc

Horror genre Fear Courage Mystery Nightmares Friendship Abandonment

17

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

Jeff Kinney

217

Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than Greg Heffley, who finds himself thrust into high school where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. Great for reluctant readers, this is a book in diary form with lots of cartoons.

Identity Personal records School life Friendship Peer groups

James Moloney

160

When Dougy's sister Gracey is picked for the state athletics championships, not everybody in their small bush town is pleased. The championships change everything for Gracey and trigger dramatic events in the town too.

Indigenous issues Racism Family Determination

Matthew Skelton

442

Dual narrative with elements of fantasy. Set in present day Oxford History and 15th century Germany around the development of Gutenberg's Mystery printing press. Quests Fantasy

Laura Scandiffio

180

A collection of non-fiction short stories exploring the theme of escapes throughout history. Great for reluctant readers.

9780143303831

Dougy 9780702224997

Endymion Spring 9780141320342

Escapes! 9780143301332

History War Courage Loyalty

Teachers’ Notes as part of the middle years set.

18

Falling From Grace

Jane Godwin

195

9780143302414

First Book of Samuel, The

Grace and Annie are sisters. When Grace disappears off the coast, thirteen-year-old Kip is the last to see her and quickly becomes a suspect. A tense psychological thriller. Great for co-ed classes.

9780670073900 August 09

Unit

180

On his twelfth birthday, Samuel disappears, leaving it to Theodora to fit the pieces together. If the past had been different, then perhaps Samuel would not have disappeared.

Jewish heritage Families Mystery History

Teachers’ Notes

Maureen McCarthy

192

When burglars break into Jack's house, they take all his stuff. All his brothers do is fight, his mum thinks they all need counselling, his dad's trying to set an example. Jack just wants to get out of that house. So he does. And he meets Diana. And her dog. And her grandma, who wears tiger-skin bikinis.

Friendship Stereotypes Family Adventure

Teachers’ Notes

Morris Gleitzman

180

Eleven-year-old Grace only knows one world – the world of her mum and dad and twin brothers, and the strict religious community they belong to. But when her dad is thrown out of the church for asking questions, Grace is torn. How can she stay in the church and keep her family together?

Family Belief Religion Loss Hope

Teachers’ Notes tbc

9780141311708

Grace

Teachers’ Notes

Ursula Dubosarsky

9780140369953

Flash Jack

Sisters Family Mystery Fear Responsibility

19

How Hedley Hopkins Did a Dare…

Paul Jennings

200

Hedley Hopkins has a few problems: he is the new kid at school, straight off the boat from England in the 1950s. The only friends he has made are the kids at the Loony Bin especially bald headed, long armed Victor. But if he could just fulfil a dare and dig out the hideous skull hidden in a grave in the sand dunes, he could impress the bullies at school and become their friend.

Mary-Anne Fahey

336

Nigel is a cheeky but extremely intelligent young boy who wants nothing more than to gain the attention of his father.

Doug MacLeod

228

The hilarious story of Seth Parrot, the girl of his dreams Miranda and the suburban war between their fathers.

Phillip Gwynne

240

Dogleg Bay is one big retirement home. Hunter Vettori is thirteen, and longs to catch a record-breaking mulloway, leave Dogleg Bay, and become bigger then Rexy Hunt. But, above all, Hunter wants his father back.

9780141306117

I, Nigel Dorking 9780143302476

I’m Being Stalked by a Moonshadow 9780143301981

Jetty Rats 9780143300496

Growing up 1950s Australia Prejudice Indigenous issues Friendship Sexual awakening Father-son relationships Family situations Living with cerebral-palsy Bullying First love Relationships Families Growing up

Teachers’ Notes

Growing up Bereavement Small town life Mother-son relationships Friendship

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

20

Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair

Steven Herrick

Jack is 16. He's obsessed with the beautiful Annabel, the ghost of his mother and nose hair. This is a bitter-sweet comedy written in verse for young adults.

Relationships Growing up Bereavement

9780702228780

Macbeth You Idiot!

Don Henderson

240

Andy Macbeth doesn’t mean to be a terrible person, but his three spooky aunts have predicted great things for him on the school soccer team, and when the gorgeous Fifi starts to take an interest in him and suggests an easy way to ridicule the coach in front of his players and ultimately take his place, the opportunity is too hard to resist.

Shakespeare Betrayal Humour Sport Blind ambition

Li Cunxin

264

At the age of 11 Li was chosen by Madame Mao’s cultural advisors to attend the Beijing Dance Academy. Realizing that this was his chance to escape his peasant life, Li braved loneliness and despair to become one of the greatest dancers in the world.

Determination Courage Responsibility Family Chinese history

Cassandra Golds

322

Heloise lives with her godmother in an isolated cottage. Next door is a sinister museum dedicated to the memory of Mary Child. Bound by her godmother’s strict rules, Heloise lives a life of loneliness without love. The only thing Heloise longs for is a doll. When she discovers a mysterious doll under the floor boards of her room, she thinks that all her dreams have come true. When Heloise’s godmother discovers the doll, Heloise has no choice but to run away in the dead of night. When Heloise finds out that her godmother is ill, she may even die, and Heloise has to make the

Fairy tales Fear Love Trust Journeys Betrayal Identity Storytelling Hope

9780143304289 July 09

Mao’s Last Dancer: Younger Readers’ Edition 9780143301646 Museum of Mary Child, The 9780143304142

Teachers’ Notes

21

My Sister Sif

Ruth Park

224

Christobel Mattingley

144

Anna Feinberg

228

Jackson and his mother Valerie move to suburbia to escape her boss but just when things are beginning to settle, Valerie's boss catches up with them - with disastrous consequences.

Friendship Family Bullying Fitting in Boy-girl friendships

Bryce Courtenay

360

Highly acclaimed adult novel adapted for children.

Racism South Africa Loss Determination Hope

9780702237010

No Gun for Asmir 9780140367294

Number 8 9780143004042

Power of One: Younger Readers’ Edition, The 9780141304892

decision to face her fears and travel back to the awful museum to save her godmother’s life and discover the secret of her being. A beautiful, gothic fairy tale set in 19th Century Europe. Erika Magnus is a 14-year-old stirrer with complete confidence that she alone knows best. So, when her homesick sister Sif longs to return home to the island of Rongo, Erika successfully plots to get her there, and runs away to join her shortly after. Arriving on the island she finds the locals frightened by the changes happening to their world, and the cracks beginning to form in their onceperfect environment. War has come to Asmir's home in Sarajevo. He is torn from his father, his home and everything he has known. He becomes a refugee. This is a story of courage you will never forget.

Family Responsibility The environment Sisters Secrets Refugees War Courage Fear Loss Teachers’ Notes

22

Savvy

Ingrid Law

261

Doug MacLeod

180

9780141324197

Siggy and Amber 9780143304388

For Mibs Beaumont’s family, the day of their thirteenth birthday could be an adventure or a disaster. It’s when they get their savvy – an extra-special talent and know how. Her brother Rocket is Mr Electric, her mum is perfect in every way, her grandpa can move mountains with the force of his emotions. But on Mibs’ special day, her Poppa is in hospital after a terrible car accident and she has to reach him. The only way to get there is to hitch a ride on the Pink Bible Bus. When the bus turns left instead of right, goes south instead of north, Mibs knows their heading in the wrong direction. But one way or another, she will find her way to her Poppa. Siggy is sure he’s seen a ghost. On a walk around Tallis Point, an abandoned Navy base that is forbidden for fear of unexploded bombs, Siggy and his best mate Fergus are scared away by a ghostly apparition. Then Siggy meets Amber, a beautiful, nonblonde girl unlike anyone he has ever met before. Amber is funny, unusual, wears pentacles and Scooby Doo t-shirts and has two mums, just the kind of girl Siggy has been looking for. Siggy desperately wants Amber to be his girlfriend and will do anything to please her – including taking her to see the ghost. When Amber’s parents find out that Siggy has taken her to a site containing unexploded bombs, they are furious and refuse to allow their daughter to ever see Siggy again. Siggy will go to any lengths for Amber, even if it means spending an afternoon in the local tip. This is a very funny story about first love, best friends and mysterious ghosts.

Family Identity Growing up First relationships Talents Humour

friendship, family, relationships, first love, humour, small towns, prejudice

23

Silver Donkey, The

Sonya Hartnett

132

A fable-like story of two children who come to the aid of a soldier during World War 1.

WWI Trust Loyalty Courage Heroes

Teachers’ Notes

Anthony Hill

200

Non-fiction account of the youngest known ANZAC.

WWI Courage Family Mateship Heroes

Teachers’ Notes

Ursula Dubosarsky

168

The long awaited sequel to The First Book of Samuel.

Family Jewish heritage Mystery Current events

Greg Mortenson

240

In 1993, Greg Mortenson tried to climb the second highest mountain in the world. On the way down, he became lost in the mountains of Pakistan and stumbled into a poor village. There, the village chief and his people nursed Greg back to health. Moved by their kindness, he promised to return and build a school for their children. This is the story of that promise's extraordinary result. Despite death threats, a kidnapping, and more, Mortenson has built over sixty schools-especially for girls-in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has dedicated his life to promoting peace through education, one child at a time.

Other cultures Determination Friendship Fear Education War and peace

9780143301578

Soldier Boy 9780141003306

Theodora’s Gift 9780670041169

Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers’ Edition 9780143304630

24

Treasure Hunters

Allan Baillie

212

Pat has joined his father on an old boat off the coast of a troubled Indonesian island to search for treasure. But as they follow a trail of clues to the world's richest shipwreck the violence on the island coils around them.

Family Social responsibility Political unrest Adventure

James Aldridge

316

Set in the 1930s. After the death of her mother, Kitty ceases to speak and her father must make the choice that will decide their future.

Bereavement Friendship Father-daughter relationships

Eoin Colfer

176

The humorous story of a young girl who enters the afterlife but is given a second chance at life to make the right decisions.

Redemption Respect The Afterlife Humour

Margaret Wild, illus. Anne Spudvilas

36

Written phonetically from the point of view of Ben, an isolated boy who lives in fear of the 'woolvs' who prowl the streets.

Visual literacy Language Isolation Fear Courage Hope

9780143300076

Wings of Kitty St Clair, The 9780143004929

Wish List, The 9780143005018

Woolvs in the Sitee 9780143502562

This title is suitable to use over a number of year levels.

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

25

48 Shades of Brown

Nick Earls

300

9780143005933

After January

Nick Earls

208

This January is different. School is over for Alex Delaney and he's waiting for his tertiary offer – only 17 days away. The waiting is killing him. He's not expecting much from January. Bodysurfing, TV, but mainly waiting. So he's not ready for the girl who cuts past him on a wave.

First love Life after school Independence Family Relationships

Catherine Bateson

158

Lulianne is an Airdancer of the Circu Despoir. Egan, a hunter and gardener, has led a very different life in the seclusion and peace of Clan. They meet in the crowded contamination of Tip, where the flames of revolution smoulder. Together anything is possible, and the world they know will be altered forever.

James Roy

152

Futuristic setting Relationships Hope Uprisings Trust Fantasy Growing up Relationships Mystery Family Truth Lies

9780702228230

Air Dancer of Glass, The 9780702233937

Almost Wednesday 9780702232725

MIDDLE SECONDARY When Dan’s parents move overseas, he decides to move in with Love his Aunt Jacq and her friend Naomi. A very funny rites of passage Growing up novel. Family Relationships Life away from home

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php Charlie loves Beck. The thing is, he never told her and now after her bizarre disappearance he's left wondering why. And then his dad returns home from gaol to discover that everything has changed.

Teachers’ Notes Film

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

26

Angela

James Moloney

248

Angela and Gracey were going to be "best friends forever" and make it into the same university. But for Gracey, her Aboriginal heritage takes on a new significance. While Angela falls in love for the first time, Gracey is drawn into black politics and their friendship drifts apart.

Adulthood Growing up Independence Indigenous issues Family secrets

Celeste Walters

205

Family secrets Loneliness Friendship Love Growing Up

Gabrielle Williams

220

Kevin Brooks

325

Forced to board at school while her parents are living in Spain, Catherine finds it difficult to fit in with the other girls. Then Catherine discovers a diary written by her estranged grandmother and finds that the two of them had more in common than she could ever imagine. Catherine uses her grandmother’s words to learn about the past and about herself. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php Beatle never normally goes out on Friday the thirteenth, but this night is an exception, and how can he avoid talking to the attractive girl who is wearing sunglasses and reading a book while waiting for the tram? Not only is her name Destiny, but her surname is McCartney, and since his real name is John Lennon, it seems destined that they will be together. But Beatle already has a girlfriend. Not that he’s in any hurry to tell Destiny about her… Sixteen-year-old Robert lies anaesthetized. A routine procedure has just gone wrong. As Robert slowly wakes, he can hear, he can feel, but he can't scream. The operation isn't over, but life as Robert know it, is. Robert goes on the run, terrified and desperate for answers.

9780702237089

At Seventeen 9780702236204

Beatle Meets Destiny 9780143011491 August 09 Being 9780141383705

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Relationships Family Humour Friendship Truth and lies Growing up Human nature Nature vs nurture Truth Trust Fear

Teachers’ notes

27

Black Jack Anderson

Elaine Forrestal

264

9780143005940

Black Rabbit Summer

Kevin Brooks

438

David Metzenthen

324

9780141384566

Black Water 9780143005612

Boys of Blood and Bone 9780143001300

David Metzenthen

276

This is the first book-length biography of Australia’s most charismatic pirate: the six-foot-three African-American ‘Black Jack Anderson’, who, operating from remote Middle Island, terrorised the coastal waters of Western Australia in the 1820s and 30s.

Australian history Violence Perceptions Adventure Love

For Pete Boland, this is a summer like any other. He is busy doing nothing, happy lazing around in the oppressive heat. Then Nicole calls. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. She invites Pete to the funfair to meet up with the old gang, just for old time’s sake. Little does Pete know, his decision to go could be the biggest mistake of his life. This is a great psychological thriller, filled with suspense. There is a warning on language and there is drug use and sexual references. Set in Queenscliff during WWI. One brother must come to terms with the death of first his mother and then his father, while the other returns from Gallipoli a changed man.

Betrayal Trust Fear Truth Loyalty Violence Bullying

Andy Lansell, killed in the First World War in 1918, lies in a small cemetery in the north of France. Henry Lyon, in a borrowed Volvo station wagon, is driving up to the south coast of New South Wales. The paths of their lives are about to cross.

War Community Family Returned servicemen Brothers Mateship Family Relationships Loyalty Honour Responsibility

Teachers’ Notes Unit

Teachers’ Notes Unit

Teachers’ Notes

28

Break of Day

Tony Palmer

204

9780143004721

Bride’s Farewell, The

Meg Rosoff

9780141383941 August 09

Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove 9780702236280

James Moloney

192

Set during the great Depression through to WWII, this story follows two brothers growing up on a rural farm and later becoming part of the war on the Kokoda track.

War Brothers Returned servicemen Family The Depression Love Betrayal th Role of women Set in 19 century England. On the morning of Pell’s marriage, she steals away in the fog, taking only her beloved horse Jack with Responsibility her. It is soon apparent that her younger adopted brother is 19th century following so she reluctantly agrees to take him with her. Together England they travel the English countryside making their way to the nearest Poverty and city where Pell hopes to use her way with horses to find work. hardship While camping with a band of gypsies, Pell’s horse is stolen and Determination her brother taken to a workhouse. Distraught and determined to Hope find the man who stole her horse, Pell comes across a hunter with whom she begins a relationship. Unable to forget all that she has lost, Pell sets out again to find her brother and along the way finds that her leaving has sent terrible shockwaves through her family. A touching and sad story about a young woman trying to find her place. Self-esteem Carl Matt – even his name mocks him. The people of Wattle Small towns Beach do their best to grind him under foot. Why are the Matts Growing up such pariahs? The answer lies in Wiseman's Cove, a short ride across the strait where Carl finds refuge in the most unlikely place. Family Wiseman's Cove has been waiting for Carl – waiting a long time. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Teachers’ Notes Unit

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

29

Broken Glass

Adrian Stirling

215

Belinda Jeffrey

211

Archimede Fusillo

198

9780143007982

Brown Skin Blue 9780702237133

Bruises 9780143003076

Danny Clarke is growing up in the tiny desert town of Broken Glass. Stifled by the “small town-ness” of it all, Clarkey is desperate for some excitement. When Nile arrives, Clarkey knows instantly that he’s dangerous but is drawn to his unpredictability. Then one night Nile goes too far. Nile is arrested and it is Clarkey who testifies and sends him to jail. Five years later Nile returns. He’s looking for revenge, against Clarkey and against the town. Warning: some themes and language may be unsuitable for some schools. Barry Mundy has grown up in the Top End of Australia, moving around in a caravan with his single mother. He has brown skin, his mother has white, and Barry has no idea who is father is. At the age of seventeen, Barry sets off on his own, desperate to escape the “terrible thing” that happened to him as a child at the hands of a man he once considered a friend. Barry ends up at Humpty Doo, working for Top End Croc Jumping Cruises. Barramundy, as he’s known to the people he works for, is quiet and withdrawn, unable to let anyone in. The crocs he works with are ancient creatures, having survived billions of years of nature throwing them everything she has. But can you really fight against nature? Can Barry find his dad and learn to let go of the secret that is ruling his life? http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php The tension between five boys intensifies as they are all placed in the same bunkhouse during camp.

Violence Friendship Loyalty Menace Responsibility Reputation Courage Contradictions Revenge childhood abuse, life in the Northern Territory, growing up, being on your own, secrets, healing, friendship

Bullying Male relationships Friendship Loyalty Trust

Unit

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Teachers’ Notes

30

Bye, Beautiful

Julia Lawrinson

264

Brian Caswell

192

Mikki and the others live at "the farm" – an advanced learning facility, a think-tank for a bunch of young people with very high IQs. But what is really going on at the farm? And what about the five much younger children known as the Babies, frail as butterflies?

First love Relationships Prejudice Indigenous issues History Sisters Consequences Trust Fear Secrets Lies Truth

Catherine Bateson

136

This energetic verse novel for young adults is at turns lyrical and amusing. It explores with sensitivity the emotional games played by teenagers and their parents and the compelling crossover of fantasy and reality in their daily lives.

Friendship Relationships Trust Family

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Friendship Loyalty Death Bereavement Family Hope Love

Unit

9780143003823

Cage of Butterflies, A 9780702224164

Dangerous Girl, A

Set in the '60's in a small outback town in WA. The daughters of the town Police Chief, fourteen-year-old Sandy and her older sister Marianne, both fall for the same boy - the town heart-throb and part Aboriginal apprentice mechanic. Despite the warnings of those around her, Marianne takes the attraction one step further.

9780702231681

Teachers’ Notes Unit

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php Daredevils 9780702236242

Bill Condon

208

Jack is happy being safe and quiet. Then he meets Thorns. Thorns doesn’t have long to live so in order to make every second count, he has written a list of things to do while he still has the chance. Reluctantly, Jack agrees to help Thorns with his list and ends up making a friend he will remember for the rest of his life. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

31

Darkness, The

Anthony Eaton

192

In the small coastal town of Isolation Bay, a shadow hangs over the lives of Rohan Peters and his mother Eileen. Bound together by small town superstition, their lives are dominated by fear.

Isolation Friendship Family Secrets

Phillip Gwynne

288

Dumby Red and Blacky don't have a lot in common. Dumby's the star of the footy team, he's got a killer smile and the knack with girls, and he's a Nunga. Blacky's a gutless wonder, needs braces, never knows what to say, and he's white. But they're friends.

Racism Ignorance Violence Indigenous issues Friendship family Loyalty Friendship Betrayal Hope Family

Teachers’ notes

Bullying Fear Loyalty Friendship Trust Consequences

Teachers’ Notes

9780702231520

Deadly, Unna? 9780141300498

December Boys, The Michael Noonan 9780702235412

238

Set in 1930s Australia. When a group of close friends leave the dusty outback orphanage where they've grown up for a summer holiday together at the coast, their future is full of possibilities. But the chance that one of them, just one, might gain a real family to live with calls everything they thought they knew about themselves into question.

Destroying Avalon

264

When Avalon begins at a new school she becomes the target of a vicious cyber bullying campaign.

9781921064579

Kate McCaffrey

Film – Australian Rules Film

Unit

32

Devil’s Kiss

Sarwat Chadda

279

Archimede Fusillo

204

Michael Parker

272

9780141325873 July 09

Dons, The 9780141313344

Doppelganger 9780143004684

Billi is fifteen, her mother has died a violent death and Billi has been in the sole care of her strict father ever since. But Billi’s upbringing is not a usual one. Her father is the head of the Knights Templar, an ancient organisation devoted to protecting human kind from evil beings. But the Templar’s numbers are dwindling and Billi is the youngest, and only female, inductee to ever be recruited. Her days now consist of learning ancient histories, hand to hand combat and the ways of the supernatural. But then temptation is placed in Billi’s way, an alternative to her strict life. Billi soon learns that with temptation come consequences – in this case the tenth plague, the death of all first borns. Billi must choose her destiny to save humankind, and death isn’t even the worst option. Paul is trying to escape from his Italian heritage. He's trying to escape from is Nonno. But there is one problem - Nonno is loosing his mind.

A tense thriller. Andrew unwillingly moves between his world and an alternate Sydney, a dark and destroyed world. He discovers that the worlds have become dangerously close - so close that if a kid dies in one world, their doppelganger will die in the other.

occult lore, family, destiny, choices and consequences, good vs evil, religion

Family history ItalianAustralian culture Growing up Alzheimer’s

Teachers’ Notes

Good vs evil Human nature Trust Betrayal Fear Alternate worlds

Teachers’ Notes Unit

33

Finnikin of the Rock

Melina Marchetta

398

Finnikin of the Rock ad his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Anthony Eaton

352

When Vinnie Santiani’s sister is killed, he runs from the world to the isolation of the bush, driven by far and loneliness. In 1941, Erich Pieters leaves his family to fight with Hitler’s Wermacht in the sands of North Africa. These two young men’s lives collide across the years. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Patrick Carlyon

192

An unforgettable and tough journey deep into the heartland of war. Patrick Carlyon digs past the myths to explore the lives and choices of the men – soldiers, politicians and generals alike – who found themselves caught up in a battle fought far from home.

War Mateship Honour Courage History

Maureen McCarthy

252

Kelly is seventeen. She's a scholarship girl, her dad drinks too much and her mum lives in another city. Her house isn't renovated like those of her friends. But Kelly has one thing her friends are envious of – Phil. Then, on a hot afternoon in a dingy little pizza shop, Kelly meets Con. He's unlike anyone she's ever known before.

Gang violence Families Romance Maturity Love Conflict Choices

9780670072811

Fireshadow 9780702233814

Gallipoli Story, The 9780143001430

Ganglands 9780141003320

Fathers and sons Quests Faith Hope Despair Love Responsibility History Bereavement War Courage Fear

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes available from UQP

34

Ghost’s Child, The

Sonya Hartnett

178

Maddy yearns for her life to be mystifying, to be as magical as a fairy story. And then one day, on the beach, she meets the strangest young man she has ever seen.

Fables Love Loss Relationships

David McRobbie

251

Kirsten Murphy

324

Chimney sweep Ben escapes from a tyrannical boss, but his brave new life turns nasty and dangerous. Helen wants nothing more than to stay on the family farm in rural England. Then a devastating change strips her of everything she knows and loves. Amid their struggles, Helen and Ben leave England, bound for Australia. But before they even catch sight of their new land, they face a menace far worse than anything they met in the old country. School is the last thing Luke feels like. His dad’s cancer has returned, his mother is sad and his older brother is annoyingly hanging around. It’s the first day of school for Anna, a new graduate teacher at Luke’s school. As well as the prospect of teaching year 11 English to a group of students more interested in her social life than Macbeth, Anna has to deal with a very persistent ex-boyfriend and a less than helpful mentor. Their worlds collide when Luke’s older brother becomes engaged to Anna’s older sister. Now they have to be student and teacher at school and almost family at home. Can Luke trust Anna to be the one to help him through his panic attacks that seem to be getting worse? And how can Anna help Luke when she’s barely getting by herself? A funny and moving novel about dealing with depression, facing your fears and the importance of having great people around to help you through.

colonial history Journeys Morality Loyalty Lies Betrayal Family humour through adversity, death of a parent, teenage depression, family, love, school life, friendship, hope

9780143011880

Good Arriving, A 9780143004035

Halfway to Good 9780143006275

Teachers’ Notes

35

His Name in Fire

Catherine Bateson

208

9780702234781

Told from three points of view. Each of these characters are confronting a major crisis in their lives and trying to make sense out of them. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

How I Live Now

Meg Rosoff

186

9780141318011

In Ecstasy 9781921361166

Kate McCaffrey

163

Daisy is sent to England from New York to live with her cousins for a perfect summer. Daisy has never met anyone like them before. Especially Edmond. When England is invaded and war breaks out, this summer will change her life. It will change the world too.

Country towns Growing up Relationships Choices Bereavement Unemployment

Violence War Family Growing up Relationships Breakdown of society Sophie and Mia are best friends. At fifteen, the world is beginning Drug use to open up to them. When both girls try ecstasy for the first time, Addiction they can’t believe how good it is. For the first time, Mia feels Friendship confident and beautiful, and attracts the attention of the hottest guy Trust at school. However, their lives, and their friendship, are forever Betrayal changed. Sophie realises early just how dangerous the drug is. Danger Unfortunately, Mia is not so lucky and develops a habit that Rehabilitation almost costs her her life. A confronting look at why teenagers Parent-child take drugs and just how easy it is to become addicted. There is a relationships sexual reference and language warning. Recommended for 15+.

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Teachers’ Notes Unit

36

Jarvis 24

David Metzenthen

264

Nick Earls & Rebecca Sparrow

239

Meg Rosoff

231

9780143010043

Joel and Cat Set the Story Straight 9780143006916

Just in Case 9780141318066

Just Listen 9780141322919

Sarah Dessen 384

16-year-old Marc Jarvis tries to step outside the boundaries of his private school life by taking on work experience in a car yard. Within days Marc has made friends with 24-year-old Mikey, who is gay and has run away from home, and met Electra, a girl who has moved away from her family in Broome to follow her dream to be a world-class sprinter. As he falls in love with Electra, Marc grapples with a world so much less simple than the world of school that he is used to. Joel and Cat hate each other. When Joel arrives late one morning to Year 12 extension English, he is forced to sit next to Cat. For the next week, Joel and Cat have to write a story together. Problems arise early on as Joel sets out to write a Matthew Riley style action-adventure story while Cat has her heart set on a tribute to Jane Austen.

Growing up Life outside school Relationships Bereavement

Fifteen-year-old David Case believes fate is out to get him. In an attempt to outrun all the terrible things that could happen at any minute, David reinvents himself has Justin.

Fate Identity Growing up Choices Consequences

From the outside, Annabel seems to have it all. But everything has fallen apart - her ex-best friend is spreading rumours about her and her family is slowly falling apart. But an unlikely friendship might just force her to face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Teachers’ notes

Different family Teachers’ situations Notes Responsibility Relationships Misunderstandi ng Perceptions Teachers’ Notes Unit

Family Relationships Anorexia Sexual assault Courage Consequences Friendship

37

Kill the Possum

James Moloney

280

9780143004202

King Dork

Frank Portman

325

Kirsten Murphy

264

Joe King is in year twelve. He is the younger brother of two overachieving siblings, has no idea of what he is going to do with his life and has just discovered that the girl he is in love with is going out with his best friend. His ex-best friend.

Scott Westerfeld

286

Sequel to Peeps. Strange things are happening in New York City. But for Moz, Zahler and Pearl, all that matters is their new band. As the city reels under a mysterious epidemic, they join up with a vampire lead singer and a drummer whose fractured mind can sense the coming darkness.

9780141322803

King of Whatever, The 9780143001379

Last Days, The 9780143006206

Dylan Kane has liked Kirsty for a long time, but he has only just found out the secret that she and her brother Tim are keeping from everyone else in school. Every second Sunday their stepfather, Ian, returns their little sister home. And every second Sunday turns into a nightmare for the family as he bullies them all into terrified submission. Tim is becoming increasingly withdrawn, and Kirsty is growing more and more worried about her little sister and her mother, who is on the verge of a breakdown. As Dylan is drawn into the maelstrom of emotion, he becomes determined to help get rid of Ian for good – no matter what it takes. When Tom Henderson finds his father's copy of The Catcher in the Rye, it changes his world. It puts him in the middle of several interlocking conspiracies and at least half a dozen mysteries. Some language and sexual reference warnings.

Fear Intimidation Self-esteem Morality Domestic violence Tension Courage Survival

Teachers’ Notes Unit

Mystery School life Families Death of a parent Music Humour Families Life after school Relationships Friendship Choices Vampires Courage Hope Friendship Relationships

38

Last of the Braves, The

Archimede Fusillo

232

Pat Flynn

286

9780143008989

Line Formation, The 9780702235030

Alex is a gifted artist, having grown up under the tutelage of his artistic mother. All his life, Alex has heard stories of Carravagio, his mother’s favourite painter and obsession. Now his mother is dying and she has impressed on Alex the importance of him taking advantage of his talent and becoming the celebrated artist she could never be. Forced to live with his traditional and religious Italian grandparents, Alex is restless and unable to come to terms with his mother’s imminent death. After many years, Alex’s estranged brother has returned from Brisbane, causing tension within the house. Involved in a loving relationship with a boy from school, Cesare, Alex must also navigate bullying from his peers and disapproval from his grandparents and uncle. As Alex’s mother becomes more obsessed with Carravagio, Alex’s life begins to parallel that of the great painter. Alex begins to spiral into depression, dragging Ces into a world of violence. Ozzie, a League loving lad from rural Queensland, takes up the chance to live in Hope, Texas for a year. When he finds himself the star of the football team, his life seems a world away from the place he came from. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Looking for Alibrandi 9780140293500

Melina Marchetta

276

Josephine Alibrandi is 17, and in her final year of school. Dealing with her mum and the ways of her Nonna are daunting enough as she prepares for her exams. But Josie is about to discover real life gets in the way of her carefully-made plans.

Family Death of a parent Growing up Self-acceptance Sexuality

Teachers’ notes

American culture Relationships Sport Competition Choices

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Italian heritage Family secrets Growing up First relationship Parents

Teachers’ notes Film

39

Lost Property

James Moloney

280

From the outside, Josh's life looks pretty much perfect. He's in a band, he has a gorgeous girlfriend and he does well at school. But Josh's family has been slowly falling apart since his older brother disappeared two years before.

Families Relationships Choices Consequences Hope Growing up

Ian Bone

200

The theme of love is explored through a group of six friends all experiencing different relationships with each other.

Love Relationships Friendship Loss Family

Tohby Riddle

216

Tom and Cain are best friends, music is their life-blood. As they drift through one summer in 1980s Sydney, life begins to take its toll. Tom’s mother leaves the family. Consequently, his family life begins to fall apart. He turns to Cain but even there, the relationship is not was it used to be.

Life outside school Friendship Family Relationships Entering adulthood

Anna Godbersen

464

Described as a 19th Century Gossip Girl, The Luxe is Anna Godbersen’s first novel. Set in 1899, in the heart of New York’s fashionable society, this story follows the exploits of group of high society’s rich and famous. A fantastic read for girls, this book has romance, intrigue, death, glittering parties, mystery and, above all else, revenge.

History Love Romance Friendship Loyalty Betrayal

9780670029433

Love Cuts 9780143000280

Lucky Ones, The 9780143005698

Luxe, The series

Teachers’ Notes

40

Magic Lessons

Justine Larbalestier

275

Sequel to Magic or Madness. A new threat leaves Reason stranded alone in New York City, struggling to control a power she barely understands and fighting to return home.

Magic Consequences Secrets Courage First relationships

Justine Larbalestier

276

Reason Cansino has learned the painful truth about the magic that lives in her blood. Like her mother, grandmother, and new friends, Tom and Jay-Tee, she must make a choice: to use the magic that lies within her, and die young, or refuse to use it and be afflicted with madness.

Magic Consequences Secrets Family Deception Truth

Justine Larbalestier

300

The third in the trilogy. As Reason begins to lose herself in the intoxicating essence of magic, her friends Tom and Jay-Tee must choose between magic and death, or madness.

Magic Power Deception Humanity

Nick Earls

204

Life. This could be the best summer of Kane's life . . . This summer is different because there's a new girl in town. It's different because she's Tanika Bell – occasional bus driver, regular optimist and, it turns out, woman of the world.

Love Families Relationships Humour

9780143005575

Magic or Madness 9780143004028

Magic’s Child 9780143007371

Making Laws for Clouds 9780143000259

41

Mama’s Trippin’

Katy Watson-Kell

206

A 16 year old boy is reunited with his estranged mother in New Zealand only to discover that she has a young daughter and a drug problem.

Substance abuse Growing up Family relationships Trust Betrayal

Sean Condon

284

Michael Sweeney and his friend Dud are just two of the many invisible nothings at their expensive school. So they're pretty much left alone, until they make friends with the new American guy. And before long, Michael Sweeney is somebody. But that's just the beginning of his troubles.

Friendship Growing up Relationships Family

Nick Earls

204

From the moment he hears her voice over the fence, Matt Sherman knows he has to meet Monica Bloom. She's just flown in from Dublin ready for the start of school, but not at all ready, as it turns out, for what the year holds. A scandal at Matt's father's work plays itself out in the media. Matt feels his family changing, his life changing, the certainties of his world slipping away.

First love Expectation Change Families Growing up Responsibility

Paul Jennings

248

Sixteen-year-old Robin lives with his single father in the Victorian alps where they run a snowmobile hire business. Robin lives in fear of his bullying father and believes that it was his (Robin’s) fault that his mother left them when he was a baby, which is why his father hates him and is the cause of all his problems. Robin has a mental condition – a fear of fear. As events unfold he runs from his father, he runs from the girl he loves, he runs into trouble, he runs from himself. His suspicions about his mother’s disappearance grow. Could this be a murder mystery, or is this all part of his tortured mind?

Loss of a parent Violence Fear Father-son relationships Love Relationships Growing up

9781921064074

Michael Sweeney’s Method 9780143006503

Monica Bloom 9780143004783

Nest, The 9780143008002

42

New Kind of Dreaming, A

When the court sent Jamie Riley to Port Barren, he hadn't expected much – thought he'd just serve his time and get out. He hadn't counted on being drawn into the town's murky past, into a web of secrets, lies and murder which might well cost him much more than just his freedom. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Secrets Responsibility Consequences Growing up

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Colin Bowles 110

Sam is a skinny layabout, working at the Sun Picture Stadium for his dad, and dreaming of being a hero, a cowboy, a legend. It's Broome, the year is 1926, and the heat is on.

Teachers’ Notes

Phillip Gwynne

Sequel to Deadly, Unna? Fifteen-year-old Gary Black, 'Blacky', isn't sure what he wants or where he is going. The one thing he does know is that he wants to escape the small country town he's grown up in.

Responsibility Heroism Australia’s multicultural history Pearl diving Coming of age Indigenous issues Relationships Racism Ignorance Small towns

Anthony Eaton

224

9780702232282

Nights in the Sun 9780140265552

Nukkin Ya 9780141309439

Obernewtyn series

Isobelle Carmody

204

In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. But for Elspeth Gordie, born with enhanced mental abilities that would see her sterilised or burned if discovered, it is also dangerous.

Teachers’ Notes

Fantasy Ignorance Discrimination Secrets Courage

43

On the Jellicoe Road

Melina Marchetta

290

Now a senior at the Jellicoe School, Taylor has been made leader of the boarders and is responsible for keeping the upper hand in the territory wars with the cadets and the townies. But what she needs to do, more than anything, is unravel the mystery of her past and find her mother - who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

Family secrets Trust Betrayal Truth Friendship Mystery

Teachers’ Notes

Catherine Bateson

93

Dave is dying. Chrissy, Mum, Nan and Badger are going to be left behind. Because sometimes life is like that.

Dealing with terminal illness Death Bereavement Family

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

9780670070299

Painted Love Letters 9780702232893

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Peeps

Scott Westerfeld

9780143004790

Place Like This, A 9780702229848

Steven Herrick

324

Cal is infected with an insidious parasite. He's only a carrier but he's infected all of his past girlfriends - now they're all bloodthirsty, ravening ghouls. Cal calls them Peeps, we know them as vampires. Now Cal must hunt them down, before they can create even more of their own kind.

Vampires New York Fear Relationships

It's every young person's dream to hit the road. Jack and Annabel set out and find fifty acres of unpicked apples and a farmer who'll let them live in his shed. A brilliant companion to Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair.

Growing up Responsibility Relationships Independence

44

Push, The

Julia Lawrinson

276

The Push is a compelling and dramatic coming-of-age story set in 1950s Sydney. Erica is 18 and working in an office when she meets members of The Push, a group of radical libertarians who challenge her ideas about society, the expectations of women and relationships.

Maureen McCarthy

444

A moving novel about three country girls sharing an inner-city house in their first year of university.

Kirsten Murphy

251

Lucy has her life all planned out. What does not neatly fit into her organised life is a mother with a bombshell, an ex-best friend with an unfortunate liking for low-life boyfriends, a series of badly dressed, metallic-eyeshadowed teachers and a (very) friendly boy next door.

Illness of a family member Friendship Growing up Relationships Forgiveness

Kirsty Eagar

216

19-year-old Carly Lee ahs moved out of her parents’ house and given up uni so she can spend her days surfing and her nights working at a Manly café. She surfs because she loves it more than anything else, and also because she’s trying hard not to think about what happened to her two years ago at schoolies week.

Trust Friendship Relationships Life outside school/home Forgiveness

9780143007272

Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life 9780140281248 Raincheck on Timbuktu 9780141007434

Raw Blue 9780143011453 July 09

Australian history Conservatism vs liberalism Freedom Relationships Expectations of women Sexual revolution Mothers and daughters Friendship Independence Different families

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

45

Runner

256

Set in 1920s Melbourne, a teenage boy holds the job of runner for the infamous gangster Squizzy Taylor.

Melina Marchetta

264

Francesca is at the beginning of her second term in Year Eleven at an all boy's school that has just started accepting girls. She still misses her old friends, and, to make things worse, her mother has had a breakdown and can barely move from her bed.

Family Friendships School life Courage Hope

Steven Herrick

208

The compelling story of 16 year old Billy, who trades the soulless tyranny of his father's home and the tediousness of high school for a life of no fixed address.

Families Independence Responsibility Growing up

Nick Hornby

292

Sam is a typical fifteen-year-old. Sam’s mum gave birth to him when she was only sixteen and Sam has never wanted to slip into the same trap. Then he meets the beautiful Alicia and so begins his first emotional and sexual relationship. Despite always being careful, Alicia falls pregnant and suddenly all Sam’s plans for his future fall apart.

Relationships Parenthood Growing up Family Consequences Responsibility Teenage pregnancy

9780143302070

Saving Francesca 9780143000976

Simple Gift, The 9780702231339

Slam 9780141321400

Self-acceptance Australian history Responsibility Friendship Trust

Robert Newton

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

46

Sleep Rough Tonight

Ian Bone

200

Could he do it? Go into the city without money or food and survive on his wits for the weekend? He wasn't like the Jockey. He hadn't been hardened by twelve months inside. The whole 'sleep rough' idea scared the life out of Alex, but there was no way he'd show it.

Revenge Trust Fear Morality

Tom Sniegoski

277

Sleep has always been Tom Lovett's worst enemy. Overcome by narcoleptic attacks, he can drop off at any moment - his disease stealing days, even weeks, of his life. The one day Tom discovers that his whole life has been a lie. He can’t even trust what's inside his own head.

Identity Secrets Lies Fear Betrayal

9780143000273

Sleeper Code, The 9780143006626

So Yesterday

Scott Westerfeld

256

9780143003267

Something in the World Called Love 9780143008613

Sue Saliba

185

Also available The Sleeper Agenda 9780143006633 Hunter is a “cool hunter” in New York for a big multi-national shoe company. When his boss mysteriously disappears he begins to think that there might be something more to the situation than just cool shoes.

Eighteen-year-old Esma is about to start university and is looking for a way to reinvent herself. Her beloved older sister has left to study overseas, leaving Esma feeling lonely and lost. In an attempt to change her life, Esma goes in search of a share house. On her first visit to 22 Starling St, Esma instantly feels a connection – this is a place she can make home, where she can become someone new and belong to a makeshift family.

Teachers’ Notes

The notion of “cool” Trends Mystery Marketing

Teachers’ Notes

Growing up moving out of home self confidence manipulation love relationships Sadness.

Unit

Unit

47

Song of an Innocent Bystander, The

Ian Bone

264

A complex, mature novel about a violent past that continues to haunt the present for a young woman taken hostage in a siege many years before.

Fear Victims of crime Consequences Politics Terrorism

Teachers’ Notes

Kathryn Lomer

160

A Japanese exchange student experiences life in Australia with a Tasmanian family.

Experiencing different cultures Family secrets Relationships friendship

Teachers’ Notes available from UQP

Teachers’ Notes

9780140299908

Spare Room, The 9780702234774

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Stony Heart Country

David Metzenthen

216

Aaron's father is a city consultant brought in to sack country workers. Aaron Knott is the city kid taken along for the ride. And the ride in the Rocky Rises is always rough.

Changes Responsibility Friendship Relationships Country life

Sonya Hartnett

208

In a dying country town lives a young man fighting the future, a young woman fighting the past, and a long-lost animal that can teach them both the art of survival.

Relationships Friendship Love Hope

9780140279085

Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf 9780143006794

48

Swerve

Phillip Gwynne

216

Sonya Hartnett

240

James Moloney

256

9780143009337 September 09

Thursday’s Child

Hugh is about to finish school. A talented musician, he is about to audition for the prestigious Conservatorium of Music. A few days before the audition, Hugh’s grandfather, Poppy, turns up wanting to drive to Uluru. A closet car fanatic, Hugh can’t resist the offer to drive Poppy’s 1970 Holden Monaro and decides, against his better judgement, to do something unpredictable for a change. Along the way, Hugh learns of his grandfather’s illness, his family’s secrets and that perhaps he doesn’t have to take the path that has been chosen for him. A very funny road trip with a cast of wacky characters. Set in 1920s rural Australia. Harper Flute and her family are struggling to survive the depression.

Family Love Growing up Outback Australia Trust Risk taking

Teachers’ notes tbc

Australian history Country life Survival Loss Secrets

Teachers’ Notes

For Xavier McLachlan, rugby is life. Until he meets Nuala Magee. She's feisty, she's troubled, she's dangerous. What will his mates think? Does he even care? Everything looks different now. Xavier McLachlan is in love.

First love Relationships Friendship Growing up Gender Peer pressure

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

School life Work life Small towns Friendship Relationships Death & bereavement

Unit

9780140297324

Touch Me 9780702236297

http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php Town 9780702236372

James Roy

298

In Town, James Roy uses the short story to explore the lives of the young residents of an Australian town. This town doesn't have a name. But if it seems familiar, it's because we recognise the people who walk the streets. http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

49

Truth About Forever, The

Sarah Dessen 391

9780141322926

Unpolished Gem

Alice Pung

9781863951586

Vampire Academy series

Richelle Mead

304

On the outside, Macy Queen is cool and calm. On the inside, she’s breaking. Silently struggling wit her dad’s death, and spending the summer apart from her oh-so-perfect boyfriend, Macy is smiling her way through – she’s ‘fine’. It’s only when she meets a group of new friends – and artistic, sexy Wes catches her eye – that she realizes she can wear her heart on her sleeve sometimes. Because life doesn’t stop when someone disappears – and even though she’s lost so much, can Macy see what she has to gain? This is an original take on a classic story – how a child of immigrants moves between two cultures. It combines the story of Pung's life growing up in suburban Footscray with the inherited stories of the women in her family – stories of madness, survival and heartbreak.

Lisa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires – ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a Damphir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell bent on making her one of them. Fear made Lissa and Rose run from St Vladimir’s Academy, hidden deep in the forests of Montana. After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back.

Humour Love Loss Bereavement Friendship Courage relationships

Memoir Different cultures Families Growing up Identity Language “The Australian Dream” horror, vampires, friendship, forbidden romances, loyalty, fear, social status, betrayal, myth

Teachers’ Notes Unit

50

Walk in My Shoes

Alwyn Evans 380

9780143002314

Wasted

Colin Bowles 180

Ryan Connell has the world at his feet. So they reckon. But being a teenager isn't as easy as it looks. There are chicks to steal. Rules to break. Lines to cross.

Meg Rosoff

Our main character is an old man at the beginning of the story, looking back to the most enjoyable time in his life, his teenage years spent at St Oswald’s during the 1960s. St Oswald’s is his third boarding school and he wants nothing more than to be free. And then he meets Finn – a wild boy, living alone in a hut on the beach, and everything that our main character wants to be. Drawn to Finn’s life of freedom, he wants nothing more than to be noticed and welcomed as he begins to fall in love with the idea of Finn and everything he represents.

9780141007427

What I Was 9780141383927

Inside the Academy’s iron gates, their world is even more fraught with danger. After a perilous and terrifying escape from war-torn Afghanistan, Gulnessa and her family find themselves in Australia. They are confined in a detention centre for asylum seekers, and forced to prove their refugee status. As days drag into weeks and months, Gulnessa is determined to stay strong.

190

Refugees Courage Fear Family Responsibility Growing up

Teachers’ Notes

Drugs and alcohol Expectations Peer pressure Family Relationships Growing up Love Infatuation Cruelty Friendship Trust Consequences

51

Year the Gypsies Came, The

Linzi Glass

320

9780141320922

Anatomy of Wings

Karen Foxlee 281

9780702236983

Beach, The 9780141031774

Alex Garland 448

Set in 1960s South Africa. 12-year-old Emily looks forward to the house guests that her family take in fro time to time to diffuse the tension in their unhappy home. One summer a family of wanderers - an Australian couple and their two boys - comes to stay, and Emily and her sister Sarah form warm but delicate friendships with the boys. Then tragedy strikes and their lives are changed forever.

UPPER SECONDARY Ten-year-old Jennifer Day lives in a small mining town in Queensland. When her older sister Beth dies suddenly, Jenny goes looking for answers. She goes back through the events that lead up to Beth’s death, trying to figure out who’s to blame. A beautiful look at the world of adults through the eyes of a child.

1960s South Africa Racism Ignorance Unhappy families Sisters Change Growing up

Death and bereavement Sisters Family Teenage rebellion http://www.uqp.uq.edu.au/teacher_notes.php Dangerous friendships Mystery Hope Love Richard is in his early twenties. A perpetual traveller, he is always Travelling looking for the next big adventure. Whilst staying in a seedy hotel Adventure in Bangkok, Richard comes across Daffy, a seemingly crazy man Thai culture yelling in his sleep about a secret beach. There have been rumours Trust of this beach for years, a secret place that you can’t find unless Betrayal taken there, and no one is ever invited. The next morning Richard Danger finds a map pinned to his door and Daffy has slashed his wrists. Fear Along with two French backpackers, Richard decides to follow the Drug use

Teachers’ notes available from UQP

Film available

52

Boat, The

Nam Le

336

Jon Doust

234

9780143009610

Boy on a Wire 9781921361456

map and find this Eden hidden on a remote Thai island. At first, the community of seasoned travellers make the trio welcome and they fall into the gentle rhythm of life on the secluded beach. But the island is not all that it seems. In 1979, Nam Le's family left Vietnam for Australia, an experience that inspires the first and last stories in The Boat. In between, however, Le's imagination lays claim to the world. The Boat takes us from a tourist in Tehran to a teenage hit man in Columbia; from an aging New York artist to a boy coming of age in a small Victorian fishing town; from the city of Hiroshima just before the bomb is dropped to the haunting waste of the South China Sea in the wake of another war. Described as a “dislocated memoir”, this is the story of Jack Muir growing up in a boys’ boarding school in Perth during the 1960s. Jack’s family are from a small country town in WA. After an accident that nearly kills him, Jack’s brother Tom becomes the golden child – intelligent, well mannered and destined for great things. Jack is the opposite and finds it useless to try and compete. It is the family tradition that the men of the Muir family attend “The Grammar”. Although its practices are harsh, and often violent, Jack’s parents will not hear anything against itFunny and raw, this is an honest portrayal of growing up in an often cruel environment and the actions it takes to survive and come out the other side.

Love and attraction Isolation Love Relationships Refugees Parent-child relationships Fear Hope Religious beliefs, family, sexual awakening, friendship, punishment and responsibility, survival

53

Burke’s Soldier

Alan Attwood

464

The story of the infamous journey of Bourke and Wills.

Australian history Courage Determination Friendship

Sonya Hartnett

224

Friendship Self-esteem Family Love Growing up Adolescence Betrayal Mistakes Secrets

Teachers’ Notes

Maureen McCarthy

396

Plum Coyle, on the threshold of adolescence, is striving to be new. Her fourteenth birthday is approaching: her old life and her old body will fall away, and she will become graceful, powerful, at ease. The strength in the objects she stores in a briefcase under her bed will make sure of it. Over the next couple of weeks, Plum's life will change. Her beautiful neighbour Maureen will begin to show her how she might fly. The older brothers she adores will court catastrophe in worlds that she barely knows exist. And her friends - her worst enemies - will tease and test, smelling weakness. They will try to lead her on and take her down. At seventeen, Sophie is a mess. Her best friend is dead and her boyfriend has gone. She's dropped out of school, sleeps through the day, eats all night and refuses to see anyone. But Sophie is about to embark on the strangest journey of her life. It will take her back to the origins of the bitter rift between her mother and her Aunt Fran, to her Uncle Jimmy and the Vietnam War, and finally to the girl in the painting and the story haunting all their lives.

Depression Family secrets Lies Mystery Hope Forgiveness

Teachers’ Notes

9780143000822

Butterfly 9780241015421

Chain of Hearts 9780140281538

54

Cloudstreet

Tim Winton

9780140273984

From separate catastrophes two rural families flee to the city and find themselves sharing a great, breathing, shuddering joint called Cloudstreet, where they begin their lives again from scratch. For twenty years they roister and rankle, laugh and curse until the roof over their heads becomes a home for their hearts.

Family Love Acceptance Hope Loss Relationships

Complete Maus, The Art Speigelman 9780141014081

269

Classic graphic novel that explores the time Art Speigelman's father spent in a concentration camp during WWII.

WWII Holocaust Family history Fear Courage

Don’t Eat This Book

Morgan Spurlock

256

Don't Eat This Book gives the full background story to the experiment that so captivated audiences around the world in the documentary Super Size Me, and explores in further depth the connections between the rise of fast food and obesity.

Fast food Nutrition Politics Big business Health Popular culture

Charles Yale Harrison

192

Drawing on his experiences in the First World War, Charles Yale Harrison tells a stark and poignant story of a young man sent to fight on the Western Front. It is an unimaginably harrowing journey, especially for one not yet old enough to vote.

WWI Fear Courage Heroism War Mateship

9780141020730

Generals Die in Bed 9780143001553

Teachers’ Notes

Teachers’ Notes

55

Gifted

Nikita Lalwani

272

ed. Alice Pung

288

Ruth Park

696

9780141030395

Growing Up Asian in Australia 9781863951913

Harp in the South Trilogy, The 9780143180159

Rumi Vashey is ten years old. Rumi is a gifted child and, as her father sees it, discipline is everything if the family is to have any hope of making its mark on its adoptive country. But Rumi is growing up and numbers no longer occupy her every waking moment: she abandons her homework to seek out friendship and replaces equations with stories from Malory Towers. And, as the pressure at home intensifies, so too does Rumi's desire for love.

Indian culture Expectations Family Father-daughter relationships Love Relationships Self-esteem The author of Unpolished Gem brings you a collection of short Families stories, from various authors, describing the experience of growing Relationships up Asian in Australia. Contributors include famous Australians Work such as Shaun Tan, Jenny Key, Kylie Kwong and Lord Mayor School life John So. Also included are many stories from ordinary Bullying Australians talking about their experiences growing up in schools, Prejudice the home, places of work and making the journey to Australia. Honour This is a fantastic collection that could be used as a whole book, or Responsibility as individual stories. Family heritage Covering a span of over thirty years in the life of the Darcy family, Australian these three iconic novels from Ruth Park take us from first love to history hardship via outback Australia and the streets of Surry Hills. At Family times confronting, often affectionate, this is a remarkable portrait Love of an Australian working-class family of the time. Growing up

Unit

56

Help, The

Kathryn Stockett

464

MJ Hyland

324

9781905490431

How the Light Gets In 9780143001287

Twenty-two year old Skeeter has just returned to her family after graduating from College. She is desperate to be a writer, but this is 1962 in Mississippi and no one will hire her and her mother won’t be happy until Skeeter is married. Aibileen is a black maid raising her seventeenth white child. She is devoted to the child she looks after but fears that she will not be able to save the little girl from the prejudices of her parents. Minnie is Aibileen’s best friend and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She has a reputation for being a fabulous cook but also for talking back so she’s lost yet another job. Surrounded by prejudices that make Skeeter question the white world she lives in, she decides to write about the black women who raise white children but are not allowed to use the same bathrooms as their employers. She calls on Aibileen and Minnie to help round up maids who will tell their stories. This is a dangerous venture and could end in the persecution of everyone involved. Yet these courageous women push on knowing that these stories need to be told. An Australian girl from a poor family is given the opportunity to go on exchange and live with a wealthy American family.

prejudice, race, class, friendship, love, loss, courage, domestic violence, American history

Wealth/poverty Different families Different cultures Decisions & consequences

57

I for Isobel

Amy Witting

176

Born into a world without welcome, Isobel observes it as warily as an alien trying to pass for a native. Isobel is not much at ease with the people she meets, and least of all with herself, until a lucky encounter and a little detective work reveal her identity and her true situation in life.

Identity Mystery Survival Families

172

Follows the life of prominent artist Jimmy Pike as he grew up as part of one of the last nomadic Aboriginal tribes in Australia.

Australian history Aboriginal life Growing up Change

9780140276602

Carolyn 324 Landon & Daryl Tonkin

In 1936, Daryl Tonkin and his brother, find themselves in West Gippsland, Victoria, and set up a timber mill at Jackson's Track. Daryl discovers happiness there, and unexpectedly falls in love. But Daryl is white and Euphie is black, and neither of them is prepared for the conflict their forbidden love ignites.

Community Racism Reconciliation Family Environment Love

Mao’s Last Dancer

Li Cunxin

Autobiography, telling of one man's journey from a poor village in China to the ballet stages of the world.

Chinese history Determination Achieving dreams Hope Family

9780141004136

In the Desert: Jimmy Pat Lowe Pike as a Boy 9780143003083

Jackson’s Track

9780670040247

445

Teachers’ Notes for younger readers’ edition

58

Nine Hours North

Tim Sinclair

204

A verse novel. Adam and Sarah are Australians living and working in Japan. For Adam, their life has become drearily routine. Then he meets Marianne, and she changes everything.

Love Teachers’ First Notes relationships Japanese culture Travel

Sonya Hartnett

188

The year is 1977, and Adrian is nine. He lives with his Gran and his uncle Rory. He loves to draw and he wants a dog; he's afraid of quicksand and self-combustion. There is much he cannot understand. He does not, for instance, know why three neighbourhood children might set out to buy ice-cream and never come back home.

Fear Growing up Confusion Friendship Family secrets

Tim Cope & Chris Hatherly

250

The true story of two young adventurers who cycle from Russia to Beijing.

Friendship Travel Independence Challenges

Robert Drewe

216

The true story of Ned Kelly.

Australian history Courage Fear Hope

9780143003762

Of a Boy 9780140146226

Off the Rails 9780143005568

Our Sunshine 9780141008035

59

Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry

John Kinsella 393 (ed)

9780143008736

Penguin Book of the Road

Delia Falconer (ed)

372

Elizabeth Southall

344

Mohsin Hamid

183

9780670071517

Perfect Victim 9780143001027

Reluctant Fundamentalist, The 9780141029542

Wide in scope and bold in ambition, this exciting anthology covers the range of Australian poetic achievement, from early colonial verse through to contemporary work, with a strong recognition of Indigenous voices. This collection brings together great and familiar names with those that deserve better recognition. Including valuable introductory essays by John Kinsella, and biographical notes for all the poets. In the tradition of The Penguin Book of the Beach, this is a collection of short stories from some of Australia’s most celebrated and respected authors. Contributors include Brenda Walker, Peter Carey, Tara June Winch, Miles Franklin, Robert Drewe, Tim Winton, David Malouf, Helen Garner and many more. This is an exploration and celebration of travel and journeys throughout and around Australia. The road divides us and brings us together, it is also a means of escape. One night in March 1999, fifteen-year-old dance student Rachel Elizabeth Barber vanished. No one could have guessed that she had become another girl's 'perfect' victim. Happy. Beautiful. Talented. She had everything her killer could want. A true story.

Australian history, contemporary Australian literature, Indigenous experience

Changez is living an immigrant's dream of America. He thrives on the energy of New York and the intensity of his work. For a time, it seems as though nothing will stand in the way of Changez's meteoric rise to personal and professional success. But in the wake of September 11 he finds his position in his adopted city suddenly overturned.

Nature of terrorism Stereotypes Immigration Returning home Culture “American dream”

Fear Perceptions Victims of crime Bereavement Truth

60

Shark Net, The

Robert Drewe

372

Aged six, Robert Drewe moved with his family from Melbourne to Perth, the world's most isolated city – and proud of it. Then a man he knew murdered a boy he also knew. The murderer randomly killed eight strangers – variously shooting, strangling, stabbing, bludgeoning and hacking his victims and running them down with cars – an innocent Perth was changed forever.

Fear Violence Crime Consequences Suburban life Family

D’Arcy Niland

276

Australian history Family Love Resentment Relationships

Peter Cameron

229

Simon Winchester

193

Macauley suddenly finds himself taking responsibility for his child. Having returned from 'walkabout', he finds his wife entwined in the arms of another and so he takes his four-year-old daughter Buster with him on the road. The child is the 'shiralee', an Aboriginal word meaning 'burden'. In their time together, father and daughter explore new depths of understanding and bonding. The barren landscapes of the outback provided both a backdrop to the richness of the relationship, as well as explaining the swagman’s love for the country. A coming of age story. Eighteen-year-old James has been accepted into Brown University, but he’s not sure he wants to go. He’d much rather buy a nice house in middle America and spend his time reading. He spends his summer working in his mother’s fashionable Manhattan art gallery, but after a clumsy attempt to capture the attention of her handsome co-worker, James flees to the sanctuary of his grandmother’s house. This is the fascinating story of the compilation, and eventual publishing, of the Oxford English Dictionary and the two men who played the most significant roles in its creation.

9780143002154

Shiralee, The 9780143180197

Someday This Pain will be Useful to You 9781921372148

Surgeon of Crowthorne, The 9780140271287

Humour and sarcasm Sexuality Growing up Identity

History Friendship Madness Remorse Forgiveness Language Literature

61

Surrender

Sonya Hartnett

252

Tara June Winch

198

Chloe Hooper

288

The story of Palm Island, the tropical paradise where one morning Cameron Doomadgee swore at a policeman and forty minutes later lay dead in a watch-house cell. It is the story of that policeman, the tall, enigmatic Christopher Hurley who chose to work in some of the toughest and wildest places in Australia, and of the struggle to bring him to trial.

Violence Prejudice Non-fiction Isolated communities Justice

Maureen McCarthy

444

Everything is coming together for twenty-year-old Kit. She loves her new subjects at uni, she has some great friends, her big country family is safely three hours drive away, and the lecturer she's been idolising for months seems interested in her. But then there's an accident, the family calls Kit back, and suddenly all her certainties are shattered. Kit takes off to Ireland in search of answers.

Family secrets Betrayal Identity Irish history Forgiveness Hope

9780143001584

Swallow the Air 9780702235214

Tall Man, The 9780241015377

When You Wake and Find Me Gone 9780143000310

As life slips away, Gabriel looks back over his brief twenty years that have been clouded by frustration and humiliation. He has only two friends – his dog Surrender, and the unruly wild boy Finnigan, with whom he made a boyhood pact. When a series of arson attacks grips the town, Gabriel realises how unpredictable and dangerous Finnigan is.

Regret Childhood mistakes Family Forgiveness Fear Consequences Friendship Confronting story of an Aboriginal girl growing up in the outer Indigenous suburbs of Sydney and trying to find her place in the world. Strong issues language warning. Death of a parent Identity

Please note that this list contains titles published by Penguin, University of Queensland Press, Fremantle Press and Black Inc. For more information on any of the above titles, for assistance with finding books for the classroom or library, or for information on Teachers’ Notes, please call (03) 9811 2412 or email [email protected].

62