Before he came to Zarconi's, Gus didn't even know he had grandparents, let alone ones who juggled knives and ate fire. Now he's caught up in their world of magicians, stilt-walkers, tattooed tenthands, elephant turds - and there's a snake-girl who might become his best friend or his worst enemy. This is Zarconi's Incredible Travelling Circus, and it's full of mysteries. Why is everyone so secretive about Gus's family? Why won't they let him on the trapeze? Is it true that Zarconi's is cursed? A fast-moving story of discovery, change and identity from the author of the acclaimed Children of the Wind series. Winner of the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, Children's Books Award, 2000

Bridie's Fire is the tale of a fiery Irish girl who leaves Ireland to find a home for herself in goldrush Australia.Bridie's world is torn apart when her parents and baby brother die in the Great Hunger. She leaves Ireland, and strikes out alone to claim a life for herself in Australia, on the other side of the ocean.Bridie's Fire is heart-warming story of courage and resilience. It affirms Kirsty Murray's keen understanding of the human spirit. Starting in the 1840s and ending in present-day Australia. The Children of the Wind quartet tells the stories of four courageous young people, Bridie, Billy, Colm and Maeve, born fifty years apart. The central character from each book becomes a mentor to the child in the next.A well crafted and finely tuned historical novel...a rollicking adventure. -Children's Book Council, Notable Books 2004I loved it! Really, I couldn't put it down. It's such an inspiration . . . my favourite book in the world. -...

It is 40 years into the future and the world is in turmoil. A plague has destroyed humans' ability to conceive females, or so Callum thinks until he meets Bo. A page-turning adventure unfolds as the pair rely on each other to survive a dangerous journey to a safe haven in the city of Vulture's Gate.One girl - could she be the last girl alive? One boy, pursued by reckless men who have kidnapped him from his fathers.Bo and Callum go in search of a safe haven, a place to call home. But where can they turn and who can they trust? When every stranger is a threat, does their only hope lie in reaching Vulture's Gate?Following a journey that takes them across barren deserts and lost valleys, Bo and Callum must discover how to survive alongside runaway boys and crazed religious terrorists, in a world with an uncertain future.And what is the disturbing secret at the ruined city's core?

A gripping time-slip adventure set in a hidden valley. 11-year-old Lucy travels across the river of time to fight fires, battle floodwaters and discover the meaning of true friendship. 'Enchanting, exciting, and shimmering with magic, this is a gorgeous adventure from a master story-teller. I wanted to follow Lucy right through the wall.' - Kate ConstableThe room was full of moon shadows and dancing light. But it was the wall around the window that Lucy couldn't stop staring at, the one with the painting of Spring. It was as bright as a sunny day and the tiny yellow flowers that covered the fields were moving, as if a breeze had blown through the painting and set all the petals dancing.Lucy McKenzie can walk through walls. Sent to stay with her Aunt Big in a hidden valley, Lucy discovers the old house is full of mysteries. One hot night, she hears a voice calling from inside a painting on the dining-room wall...On the other side of the painting, Lucy meets three...

'Don't worry,' said Bill. 'You can hide out here until you get your strength back. That is, if you don't mind an old man, a dog and a few ghosts for company.'Colm is on the run, determined to escape from the cruelties of Bindoon Boys' Home. He strikes up an unexpected friendship with old Billy Dare and his dog Rusty, and together they travel from the goldfields of Kalgoorlie to the rugged north. Whether they're working along the Dog Fence, eluding the police or confronting a wild boar, they're a team. When Bill's life is at risk, it's up to Colm to go in search of the mysterious Blue Delaney and lay to rest the ghosts that haunt them both.This action-packed story, set in the 1950s, continues the richly detailed historical quartet that began with Bridie's Fire and Becoming Billy Dare. Starting in the 1840s and ending in present-day Australia, the Children of the Wind quartet tells the stories of four courageous young people, Bridie, Billy, Colm...

On Tiney Flynn's seventeenth birthday, every church bell tolled as if heralding a new year, a new era. Tiney stood in the garden, purple jacaranda petals fluttering down around her. One by one, her sisters came outside to join her; first Nette, then Minna and lastly Thea. It was 11 November 1918. Armistice Day.For Tiney and her sisters, everything is about to change, but not in the way they might have imagined. Building peace is complicated; so is growing up. From tragedy to undreamt-of joy, from weddings to seances, from masked balls to riots in the streets, Tiney's world will be transformed.At the end of the war and the dawn of the Jazz Age, Tiney Flynn must face her greatest fears and begin a journey that will change her destiny.'I loved this book for its emotional intensity, for the strong, believable characters and for its accurate portrayal of a period in history so often forgotten.' Maureen McCarthy

Be transported into dystopian cities and alternate universes. Hang out with unicorns, cyborgs and pixies. Learn how to waltz in outer space. Be amazed and beguiled by a fairy tale with an unexpected twist, a futuristic take on a TV cooking show, and a playscript with tentacles. In other words, get ready for a wild ride! This collection of sci-fi and fantasy writing, including six graphic stories, showcases twenty of the most exciting writers and artists from India and Australia, in an all-female, all-star line-up!

Becoming Billy Dare follows the life of a feisty Irish boy who runs away to Australia and finds his vocation as an actor in the colourful theatres of Melbourne, around the time of Federation.Paddy secretly boards a ship bound for Australia, only to be shipwrecked at the end of the voyage. Once rescued, he faces the big question: how is he to make his way in this strange new land? On the road with a travelling circus, on the run with a wild child, sleeping rough on the mean streets of Melbourne, Paddy finds help and friendship with Bridie, and learns to live by his wits. Each adventure brings him closer to discovering his true gift.Character, choice and destiny intertwine in this richly detailed historical novel.Meticulous research . . . Becoming Billy Dare is, above all, an entertaining book that invites readers and provides inspiration. Jill Swann, Teacher-Librarian.Starting in the 1840s and ending in present-day Australia, the Children of the...

A strong and vivid novel based on the fascinating true story of a group of young Australian performers - children aged from seven to seventeen - who toured Asia and India early in the twentieth century before mounting a strike against their manager and precipitating a sensational court case.Daisy opened her mouth and lies flew out. Her face so pink and white, her lips so plump and sweet, her lies so vile. I had to cover my ears.I shut my eyes, wanting to block out the courtroom, to neither see nor hear the evil: but Tilly grabbed my arm and twisted the skin on my wrist in a Chinese burn.'Poesy Swift,' she whispered, her breath hot against my neck, 'open your eyes, and take that look off your face. We will never get home if you ruin everything.'Madras 1910: a troupe of child performers are stranded, having staged a strike against their manager. Their fate now depends on the outcome of a court case, and an alliance with gentlemen of the British Raj.Based on...

I keep thinking I'll see him any moment. It's crazy. I don't even know what he looks like. And it shouldn't matter that I can't find him. I've been fine for 14 years without him. Sorry, this is a stupid email. Hope everything in Sydney is cool. MLKShe was just about to log off when a new message popped into her mailbox. It was from Jackson. It was short and to the point and just what she needed to hear. Hey MLK. It is important. Go for it. Find him. xxxxxxx Love you all ways, JDT.Maeve's safe world is torn apart when her mother dies in a car crash. Sent to live with her strict Chinese grandparents, she fights to hold onto the things she loves most - her two best friends, her dancing, her baby brother Ned. Secretly she pins her hopes on her Irish father, who doesn't even know she exists. From Sydney to Surfers, from Hong Kong to Ireland, Maeve searches for a path to follow, a place to belong.A story about true friends, scattered family, and the life you...