Running late

Drop it off without me

I type drop what off? I don’t know what Mish is talking about.

While I’m typing, another message appears. Don’t tell Bella.

But I am Bella.

Best friends Bella and Connie live on the outskirts of the city in an area that was once full of open fields and paddocks but is changing as the suburbs creep closer. And now there is Mish, Connie’s cousin, who has to be included even though she is unfriendly and unpredictable. The pandemic lockdowns have lifted and the three teens are eager to explore their newfound independence. But with the world opening up, there has been a rise in surveillance, from apps that track their movements to voice recorders and hidden cameras. It feels like everyone is watching them. But when does ‘watching’ become ‘watching over’?

Angus and Mouse are best friends. But when Angus brings home a beautiful new book from the library, what happens as they try to share? When mistakes are made, can they be fixed? An enchanting story about friendship, forgiveness and the magic of reading.

So … can a fish climb a tree?
Can a horse drive a car?
Can a baby bake a cake?

And if they can’t, what wonderful things can they do?

From bestselling creators Jane Godwin and Terry Denton comes a quirky and inspiring book about celebrating who YOU are and the power and peace to be found in not trying to be anyone else.

From the award-winning team that created classics such as Don’t Forget, All Through the Year, Tilly and Starting School, comes an exquisite, universal and captivating picture book that carries us through a child’s life journey on the magical metaphor of song.

When you are born, you make up a song
It doesn’t rhyme, and it isn’t long
A song of everything you hold dear
It’s your own tune, it’s loud and clear

And your whole world is in it…

A musical journey from the time a child’s life song first begins, through all its modulations, adding new verses and extra voices through the years, until it becomes their own unique composition – and one that is ultimately a part of the beautiful, grand and glistening score of the w

Best Suited 6-9 Years
Isabelle and her best friends Harry B and Izzy are in Year Two and there are lots of adventures to be had: getting to know their new teacher, going to a school disco and sleepover, bridge-building in the forest, and even a baby to show the whole class! Isabelle loves being in Year Two, until . . . Harry has some news that shocks them all. How will Isabelle manage the rest of the year without Harry B by her side?

Best Suited 6-9 Years
Six-year-old Isabelle doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. But she does have her dad, her cat Steve, her friend Harry B, and her baby cousin, Bibi, who she’s very good at looking after. And then along comes Isobel, a new girl at school. They have the same name, but will they be friends? Four gentle stories in one volume, all about Isabelle and her world, its trials and triumphs, its small moments and big dramas: friends, family, school life and growing up.

Best Suited 3+ Years

Let’s build a boat
with wood and nails.
‘What colour?’
‘Blue! With bright red sails.’

In this joyous celebration of creativity and imagination, Jane Godwin brings to life the story of five children building a boat together.

• Written in delightful rhyme by one of Australia’s most celebrated authors, with art by debut illustrator Meg Rennie – winner of the Little Hare Illustration Prize.
• The perfect book to read aloud to children learning the joy of imaginative play
• Debut illustrator Meg Rennie’s bold colours and expressive characters perfectly compliment Jane Godwin’s text
• Winner of the Little Hare Illustration Prize