The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games - Prelude) by Suzanne Collins

$29.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary | Series: Hunger Games

Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price. It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute. The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes. THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES revisits the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games. On returning to the world of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins said, "With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. The reconstruction period ten years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days - as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet - provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity." ...Show more

The History of Mischief (PB) by Rebecca Higgie

$19.99 AUD

Category: Older readers

When Jessie and her older sister Kay find a book called The History of Mischief,hidden beneath the floorboards in their grandmother's house, they uncover asecret world. The History chronicles how, since antiquity, mischief-makers haveclandestinely shaped the past - from an Athenian slave to a Polish sal t miner andfrom an advisor to the Ethiopian Queen to a girl escaping the Siege of Paris. Jessiebecomes enthralled by the book and by her own mission to determine its accuracy.Soon the History inspires Jessie to perform her own acts of mischief, unofficiallybecoming mischief-maker number 202 in an effort to cheer up her eccentricneighbour, Mrs Moran, and to comfort her new schoolfriend, Theodore. However, noteverything is as it seems. As Jessie delves deeper into the real story behind theHistory, she becomes convinced her grandmother holds the key to a long-held familysecret.The History of Mischief is about the many things we do to try to escape ...Show more

The Tell by Martin Chatterton

$16.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary

The world turns on moments like these. Crossroad moments; a toss of the coin . . . I see half my face in deep shadow, eyes glittering like diamonds, the resemblance to my father never stronger. Rey Tanic is not like other 14 year olds. His dad is a mafia boss. His dad also in jail. When Rey's life explo des, every decision he makes will shape the rest of his life. How far does the apple really fall from the tree? ...Show more

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

$19.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary

One street-boy's quest to reunite and make amends with his best friend told in an epic story that spans a city, a decade, and the divide of life and death itself. From the award-winning author of The Bone Sparrow. A boy awakens in the Afterlife, with a pocketful of vague memories, a key, a raven, and a mysterious Atlas to guide him as he sets out to piece together the mystery of his final moments... Meanwhile on Earth, Twig is alone as a newly-made street kid after his dad goes missing. But when he meets Flea, a cheerful pickpocket, the pair become fast friends, better even than blood family itself. Together, Twig and Flea raise themselves on the crime-ridden streets, taking what they need and giving the rest to the even-poorer. Life is good, as long as they have each other. But the all-powerful Boss who rules the streets has other plans. Loyalty will be tested, and a cruel twist of fate will lead to an act of ultimate betrayal. But will it tear the friends apart... forever? ...Show more

Invisible in a Bright Light by Sally Gardner

$16.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary

From I, Coriander to Invisible in a Bright Light, Sally Gardner's first middle grade novel in 14 years soars with the imagination of a master story-teller. A pitch-perfect story about a crystal chandelier that splinters into a thousand pieces, a girl abandoned as a baby on the steps of an opera house an d a dangerous game called the Reckoning. It is 1870: opening night at the Royal Opera House in a freezing city by the sea, where a huge, crystal chandelier in the shape of a galleon sparkles magically with the light of 750 candles. Celeste, a theatre rat, wakes up in a costume basket from what she hopes is a bad dream, to find that everyone at the theatre where she works thinks she is someone else. When the chandelier falls, she is haunted by a strange girl who claims to know Celeste's past and why she must risk playing a game called the Reckoning to try to save the people she loves. ...Show more

Deep Water by Sarah Epstein

$19.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary

A suspenseful mystery about a missing boy and a group of teenagers, one of whom knows something but isn't telling, from the award-winning author of Small Spaces. HENRY WEAVER IS MISSING Three months ago, thirteen-year-old Henry disappeared from The Shallows during a violent storm, leaving behind his m uddy mountain bike at the train station. MASON WEAVER IS TRAPPED While Mason doesn't know who he is or what he's capable of, he knows the one thing binding him to this suffocating small town is his younger brother, Henry. CHLOE BAXTER WANTS ANSWERS! Why would Henry run away without telling her? One of Chloe's friends knows something and she's determined to find out the truth. As Chloe wades into dangerous waters and Mason's past emerges, a chilling question ripples to the surface: how far would you go to keep a secret? ...Show more

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

$16.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary

 A runaway, a baby and a whole lot of questions... Lissa is home on her own after school one afternoon when a stranger turns up on the doorstep carrying a baby. Reed is on the run - surely people are looking for him? He's trying to find out who he really is and thinks Lissa's mum might have some answers . But how could he be connected to Lissa's family - and why has he been left in charge of a baby? A baby who is sick, and getting sicker ... Reed's appearance stirs up untold histories in Lissa's family, and suddenly she is having to make sense of her past in a way she would never have imagined. Meanwhile, her brother is dealing with a devastating secret of his own. A beautiful and timely coming-of-age story about finding out who you are in the face of crisis and change. Praise for Jane Godwin: 'refreshingly unpredictable, bold and refuses to minimise the complex lives of [its] characters' - Saturday Age on As Happy as Here 'an empathetic exploration of family, friendship and how all our actions have consequences' - Readings Monthly 'gentle, well-written and thoroughly engaging' - Adelaide Advertiser Jane Godwin is the highly acclaimed and internationally published author of many books for children and young people, across all styles and ages. Children's Publisher at Penguin Books Australia for many years, Jane was the co-creator with Davina Bell of the Our Australian Girl series of quality historical fiction for middle readers. Jane's books include her novels Falling From Grace and As Happy as Here (a CBCA Notable Book), and picture books Go Go and the Silver Shoes (illustrated by Anna Walker), The Silver Sea (with Alison Lester and patients at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne) and Watch This! (with designer Beci Orpin and photographer Hilary Walker). Jane is dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, and spends as much time as she can working with them in schools and communities and running literature and writing programs. janegodwin.com.au ...Show more

Take the Shot by Sue White

$16.99 AUD

Category: Contemporary

Bug has a secret. Actually, he has a lot of secrets … NUMBER ONE: he’s formed a basketball team at his new school based on a giant lie.NUMBER TWO: his parents don’t know he’s playing basketball again.NUMBER THREE: his new team-mates have no idea he isn’t allowed to play, and they definitely don’t know w hy. Bug will do ANYTHING to keep his secrets, keep his new team and keep his life from falling apart. Because no one can know THE BIGGEST SECRET OF ALL … Bug risks his life every time he steps out onto the basketball court. ...Show more

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

$18.99 AUD

Category: Older readers

A powerful and captivating novel about mental illness, Challenger Deep is a tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman.Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behaviour.Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.Caden Bosch is torn. ...Show more

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

$19.99 AUD

Category: Older readers | Reading Level: 14+

The Silence of the Lambs meets Sadie in this riveting psychological thriller about two teenagers teaming up with the FBI to track down juvenile serial killers. In 1982, two teenagers -- serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell -- are recruited by the FBI to interview convic ted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case -- a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers -- things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game . . . and he has his sights set on Emma. Captivating, harrowing, and chilling, None Shall Sleep is an all-too-timely exploration of not only the monsters that live among us, but also the monsters that live inside us.   ...Show more

Big Circle of Friends by BENTEL, ERICA

$22.95 AUD

Category: Contemporary

Draekora (#3 Medoran Chronicles) by Lynette Noni

$19.99 AUD

Category: Fantasy & Magical Realism | Series: The Medoran Chronicles

With Aven Dalmarta now hiding in the shadows of Meya, Alex is desperate to save Jordan and keep the Rebel Prince from taking more lives. Training day and night to master the enhanced immortal blood in her veins, Alex undertakes a dangerous Meyarin warrior trial that separates her from those she loves an d leaves her stranded in a place where nothing is as it should be. As friends become enemies and enemies become friends, Alex must decide who to trust as powerful new allies-and adversaries-push her towards a future of either light... or darkness. One way or another, the world will change... ...Show more