"Splendidly entertaining."—Kirkus Reviews ★ "A delightfully quirky story with nuance, depth, and a colorful cast of characters, this book begs for multiple readings." —School Library Journal (starred) ★ "Like a middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett's Discworld—fantasy adventure steeped in humor, with a touch of satire, and set in a whimsical secondary world of the highest order." —Booklist (starred) "The tale crescendos to an uplifting close that promotes honesty, bravery, and self-confidence." —Publishers Weekly Twelve-year-old Esther Mettlestone-Staranise loves reading books and writing stories but is troubled by low self-esteem and recurring bad dreams. When she starts the year at boarding school in earnest, she quickly notices something isn't quite right. Her two best friends are mysteriously missing. There are rumors her new teacher is secretly an actual ogre. And the scenic mountains of her quaint little town are teeming with Shadow Mages and danger. As secrets and dangers escalate, Esther must find the answers to several puzzles. Why is her teacher behaving so oddly? Which of Esther's classmates is the Spellbinder, and can they really protect the school from gathering hordes of Shadow Mages? Could the Stolen Prince of Cloudburst be connected? How can Esther – who is not talented like her sisters, nor an adventurer like her cousin, but just Esther – save her family, her school and possibly her entire world?

A witty and entertaining magical novel telling the story of a ten-year-old girl and her quest to visit all ten aunts in order to discover the fate of her parents - were they really killed by pirates at sea? Encountering dragons, witches and water-sprites among others, Bronte is taken on an adventure she could only have imagined...

The fourth adventure in the Bronte Mettlestone series, where Oscar, an ordinary boy from our world, finds himself on a magical quest along with Bronte, Esther, Imogen, Alejandro - with nine keys to find they encounter breathtaking adventure, cryptic challenges and a battle to the very end...

From the award-winning author Jaclyn Moriarty, this QLD Literary Award-winning, CBCA Short-Listed Book is an enchanting and whimsical spell-filled fantasy novel suitable for readers who love Jessica Townsend, Katrina Nannestad and Karen Foxlee.

"In the distant future, when a new species rules the earth, thirteen-year-old Prince Leo struggles to hide a dangerous and forbidden power he cannot control while trying to unlock the mysteries of his origins"--

Imagine this: You're having an amazing family holiday, one where everyone is there and all 18 of you are squeezed into one house. All of sudden it's 4 o'clock in the morning and there's banging and yelling and screaming. The police are in the house pulling people out of bed ... Sofia is like most 12-year-old girls in New Zealand. How is she going to earn enough money for those boots? WHY does she have to give that speech at school? Who is she going to be friends with this year? It comes as a surprise to Sofia and her family when her big brother, Lenny, starts talking about protests, "overstayers", and injustices against Pacific Islanders by the government. Inspired by the Black Panthers in America, a group has formed called the Polynesian Panthers, who encourage immigrant and Indigenous families across New Zealand to stand up for their rights. Soon the whole family becomes involved in the movement. Told through Sofia's diary entries, with illustrations throughout, Dawn Raid is the story of one ordinary girl living in extraordinary times, learning how to stand up and fight.

Ollie doesn't see things the same way everybody else does (and he certainly doesn't see things the same way his older sister does). Instead of cars in traffic, Ollie sees a circus parade. Instead of cows grazing in a field, Ollie sees deadly bison with sharp horns and hooves. And at school, instead of letters on the board, Ollie sees birds with pointy beaks, and fish with flapping tails in the big blue sea. Ollie knows he doesn't need glasses, because he likes the world better the way he sees it. But will his parents and bossy sister see things his way?

Summer's finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek's dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he's been labeled a "reluctant reader," his mom has pushed him to read "real" books-something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes. As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls. My Life as a Book is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Mystery-lover Libby is excited but nervous when she's sent to join her aunt Agatha's extraordinary travelling school in Paris. Just when she is starting to find her feet Aunt Agatha is arrested, accused of a daring jewel robbery. Can Libby and her new best friend Connie find the real thief in time to save her aunt?

As his parents fight to keep their diner open, Will Parrish's terrible vacation at his grandmother's beach house is enlivened by the discovery of a genie in an old copy of "the Arabian Nights."