AustLit

'What's a kid to do when a cheeky little dragon keeps them awake at bedtime? Ask the reader to help, of course, in this delightfully funny, interactive bedtime romp.

'My little dragon is so tired, but he won't go to sleep.

'What can I do?

'It's bedtime and Little Dragon is trying every trick to stay awake.

'Can you help him get to sleep? You might just have the magic touch!

'From award-winning Debra Tidball and talented newcomer Rae Tan comes a delightful book about one cheeky little dragon who is determined to beat bedtime.' (Publication summary)

'A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?
After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.

'But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake date her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.

'As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?' (Publication summary)

'Innocence and delight, guile and misapprehension, the hint of indifference, even disdain on her pretty features. Fickle, he called her, a mixture of surprise and confidence. She is all that and more, brought to life with the ink strokes of a genius.

'Spanish Netherlands, 1620s: raised by her father Lucas to know her mind, Antonia Vorsterman sees everything that goes on in her world - all the rivalries and jealousies that course through the artists' studios and workshops of Antwerp.

'Drawn into the lively household of the artist Peter Paul Rubens, whose work her father engraves for a living, Antonia begins to see a life of colour and possibility for herself - until Lucas entrusts her with a terrible secret that will alter the course of their family's future.

'Belgium, present day: haunted by the recent loss of her mother, art historian Charlotte Hubert moves to Antwerp to research her hero, the Baroque master Rubens, and to seek answers about the father she's never met.

'But a startling discovery hidden inside an ancient map folio turns Charlotte's quiet academic life into a dangerous hunt for long-lost treasures, missing for 400 years. In the shadowy cloisters of the university, where ambition, obsession and violence run deep, nothing is as it seems.

'Charlotte is certain of one thing - no one can be trusted.

'Centuries apart, Charlotte's and Antonia's lives intertwine as they unearth long-buried secrets about a master and his engraver where theft, betrayal and the fallout of family loyalty run rampant.

'What do you do when the weight of betrayal grows too heavy to bear?' (Publication summary)

'Complicated, driven, loving.

'Manipulative, irresistible, monstrous.

'Love or hate her, Harriet Osman is impossible to turn down. But someone in her life has finally snapped, leaving her face-down in a pool of her own blood. Harriet isn't one to die quietly though, and she is determined to reveal her killer before she goes.

'Was it her devoted husband, Malek, with a violent past? Her best friend and lover, Victoria, with a deadly secret only Harriet knew? Or the new woman in her life, fellow school mum Karen? The one with an impeccable reputation ... or so she says.

'Bullying, friendships and games (in and out of the bedroom) combine with envy, lust and revenge, creating a darkly twisted tale of drama and suspense where the question isn't who killed Harriet, but why did it take them so long to do it?' (Publication summary)

'A very funny 'pets behaving badly' story that will appeal to those who love the outrageous antics of Aaron Blabey's Pig the Pug and Mothball wombat in Diary of a Wombat.

'Napping on the sofa, one sunny afternoon,

'I was very rudely woken by a slobbering buffoon.

''Say hello,' my humans said, 'to our newest family member.'

'I think I must have fainted then. I really can't remember.

'Boss Cat is so used to ruling the roost, she isn't impressed when her family bring home an adorable new puppy.

'A canine intruder who needs to be shown who's boss.' (Publication summary)

'Jamila Dakhoul wants to escape her life.

'Forget everything.

'Forget that her only friends are strangers on the internet.

'Forget she's stuck in a caravan after a fire destroyed her family's house.

'Forget that Year 12 is a brutal hellhole where bullying is an Olympic sport.

'Forget Billy Radcliffe once and for all.

'But as Jamila tries to untangle the messy threads of her life on a weekend away with her family, it becomes clear that she can't outrun her past, no matter how hard she tries ...

'A coming-of-age story about falling apart, starting over, and the people and places you can't live without from the award-winning author of Remind Me How This Ends, Can't Say it Went to Plan and The Intern.' (Publication summary)

'From award-winning creator Freya Blackwood comes a beautifully tender story about curiosity and the joy of listening.

'One day, curious Sadie follows a cat into the tangled vines behind the lonely house at Number 9, Ardent Street.

'Deep in the undergrowth, past all the twisted, rusted things, Sadie finds the cat sitting on the lap of a woman, bent with time and weariness.

'Sadie has found the Garden of Broken Things.' (Publication summary)

'Australian tennis superstar Ash Barty teams up with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin to bring young readers this fun and exciting new illustrated series about school, sport, friendship and family.

'It's time for a SLEEPOVER! Ash is so excited to watch a movie and eat popcorn with her friends. But not everyone is happy to be away from home. How will Ash help her friends and make sure it's the best sleepover EVER?'(Publication summary)

'Australian tennis superstar Ash Barty teams up with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin to bring young readers this fun and exciting new illustrated series about school, sport, friendship and family.

'Ash can't WAIT for family beach day. All the cousins play beachside tennis, and the winner gets to choose dessert. But Ali has broken her wrist! Will Ash find a way to include Ali in the FUN?' (Publication summary)

'The fourth book in the best-selling Jackie French historical series that places girls centre stage.

'Ming Qong is convinced that girls have changed the world throughout history.

'History's sister, the mysterious Herstory, believes that the more you know about the past, the better you can understand the future. And so she now sends Ming back in time to work as a maid in an isolated English mansion to see a girl change the world in 1829.

'But which girl? The young mistress of the house is lying in bed blind and immobile, recovering from the measles. Abandoned by her aristocratic mother and the rest of her family, she may never walk - or even read and write - again.

'Ming becomes friends with another scullery maid, Hepzibah, who is desperately teaching herself to read and who longs to free slaves, as she and her parents had been. But what hope has a scullery maid?

'When Hepzibah is accused of a crime that might send her to the gallows, it is up to Ming to prove her innocent, as well as find the person in this lonely house who will - surprisingly - help pioneer the computer revolution.

'From one of the Australia's favourite writers comes an inspiring series for all the young people who will, one day, change the world.' (Publication summary)

'Frog Squad comes to the rescue of a mega tanker in distress -- and it's full of ice-cream! Will these brave rescue frogs be fast enough to stop Professor Cain and The Organisation of Amphibious Devious Scoundrels (TOADS) from controlling the global supply of ice-cream?' (Publication summary)

'After tragedy, how do we find hope? A memoir about what it takes to get through the very worst of times from Rosie Batty - a singular woman who has experienced tragedy, who had lost all hope, yet now is intent on finding it again.

'On a warm summer's evening in February 2014, eleven-year-old Luke Batty was killed by his father at cricket practice. It was a horrific act of family violence that shocked Australia.

'The next morning, his mother Rosie bravely stood before the media. Her powerful and gut-wrenching words about family violence galvanised the nation and catapulted her into the spotlight. From that day on, Rosie Batty campaigned tirelessly to protect women and children, winning hearts and minds with her courage and compassion, singlehandedly changing the conversation around domestic violence in this country. Rosie's remarkable efforts were recognised when she became the 2015 Australian of the Year and a year later she was named one of the World's Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine. However, behind Rosie's steely public resolve and seemingly unbreakable spirit, she was a mum grieving the loss of her adored son.

'What happens when you become an accidental hero? What happens the day after the worst day of your life? What happens when you are forced to confront the emptiness and silence of a house that once buzzed with the energy of a teenage son?

'You go to dark places from which you're not sure you'll ever recover.

'Following on from her runaway best-seller A Mother's Story, which detailed the lead up to her son's murder, Hope shares what happened to Rosie the day after the worst day of her life and how she reclaimed hope when all hope was lost. She shares her struggles with anxiety, PTSD, self-doubt and self-loathing and how she finally confronted her grief. She shares the stories of those who have inspired her to keep going, and given her hope when she needed it most. In this heartfelt, and at times heartbreaking memoir, Rosie tells how she found the light on her darkest days and how she found hope to carry on.' (Publication summary)

'From the scene-stealing star of Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids comes a refreshingly candid, hilarious, and inspiring book about her unconventional journey to Hollywood success and loving herself.

'For decades, Rebel Wilson had single-mindedly focused on her career, making a name for herself through her iconic roles in Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids, and Isn't It Romantic. Now she's ready to chronicle the emotional and physical lessons she learned, as well as her most embarrassing experiences. A malaria induced hallucination? An all-style-martial arts fighting tournament? Junior handling at?dog shows? And this was all BEFORE she moved to Hollywood!

'Rebel Rising follows Rebel Wilson's incredible journey of "making it," constantly questioning "Am I good enough?", "Will I ever find love?" and "Will I ever change and become healthy?" Rebel writes for the first time about her most personal and important moments in her life- from fertility issues, weight gain and loss, sexuality, overcoming shyness, rejections and, well...okay there's at least one story thrown in about Brad Pitt! It's all here. This memoir shows us how to love ourselves, while making us laugh uncontrollably.' (Publication summary)

'A dazzling new series from bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor, exploring the fascinating world of Victorian funeral customs and featuring Sydney's first female undertaker.

''Men have been undertakers for hundreds of years. Not women, men. You don't belong.'

'Sydney, 1865. Seventeen-year-old Tatiana Caldwell travels from London to make a new life. Her path leads her to Crowe Funeral Services, where she apprentices under the tutelage of Titus Crowe, the enigmatic owner.

'Tatty finds herself drawn to the fascinating conventions of the funeral trade - plumed horses and processions, mutes and mortuary trains, flowers and finery - as well as the more visceral new practice of embalming. Soon she marries, and after the sudden death of her husband, Titus, she becomes Sydney's first female undertaker.

'Her hard-won stability is shattered when Elias Nuttall, a ruthless rival in the funeral trade, accuses Tatty of murdering her husband. Facing public scorn and legal peril, Tatty gathers an unlikely band of allies in a battle to clear her name.

'Black Silk and Sympathy is a riveting and realistic journey through the front parlours and dark alleys of 1860s Sydney, from the Botanic Gardens in the morning to the cemetery at midnight.' (Publication summary)

'Does murder run in the family? The brilliant, unsettling new psychological suspense from the bestselling author of Other People's Houses.

'When a teenage girl goes missing, Nicola Miller fears for her own daughter. Not for Abby's mental health or safety, but that she might have had something to do with it. She worries her daughter is a killer. Just like her.

'Nicola has never told the truth about what happened with Abby's father. But now as the search for Cara continues, Nicola, risks her secret coming to light. And she's not the only one with something to hide. her mother, Joyce, and her daughter also have secrets of their own.

'A stunning, captivating and yet unnerving exploration of how the sins of the fathers - or in this case, the mothers - can echo down the generations.' (Publication summary)