Booklists

What use is music your body can't hold, that can't take you from this world? Each of these poems is a portrait of someone with or reputed to have had Marfan Syndrome. Many of the poems emerge out of personal interviews, while others are portraits of public figures: Abraham Lincoln, Akhenaten, Mary Queen of Scots , Edith Sitwell, Niccolo Paganini, John Tavener, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Robert Johnson, among others. Usually read by students in Year 9, 10 & above.

Ellie's recount of harrowing experiences in a concentration camp. Taken at thirteen years of age, from her beautiful home and imprisoned in Auschwitz and Dachau as part of Hitler's final solution, she emerges a year later, looking like a sixty year old. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Kirra's so-called friends bully her, her mother has taken to alcohol ever since her dad left them for another woman and, now, a teenage ghost is speaking to her through a broken phone booth. Kirra and the ghost make a pact. She'll prove who murdered him almost twenty years ago if he makes her popular, gets her parents back together, and promises not to haunt her. But, things aren't so simple and Kirra realises that people can be haunted in more ways than one. Mature themes. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Ally is on the run. The city is in ruins. Her friends are in mortal danger. Nothing about being back in the city is easy, but Ally knows that she must find the missing research before ONE does. The Administration has tight control of the capital and there are eyes everywhere. In her attempt to find somewhere to hide, Ally discovers that not everyone in the underground resistance group she encounters is welcoming, or safe. As tension builds in the city, Ally learns that the go-ahead has already been given to start the deadly experiments on her friends who are still locked up in the Towers. In a race against time, Ally is forced to risk everything. Will she be able to find the hidden research? Can she get back to the Towers to save her friends before it's too late? And can she really trust Josh, the handsome resistance group leader? Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

The Administration has taken control of the country, and everything has changed for the city's homeless youth. Now they are forced to work in the Towers with no hope of escape. 17-year-old Ally works long, hard hours in the laundry and is resigned to her fate. She can even cope with the cruelty of the guards, because living in the Towers is still better than the tunnels where she used to live. But as lavish birthday preparations are in full swing for the Tower's charismatic overseer, Ally's boyfriend Bon, vanishes without a trace. In her desperate search to find him, Ally is caught up in a deadly plot by the Administration. And now she wasn't answers. What has happened to Bon? And why did he leave behind a drawing of a moth? Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp. Over the next seven years, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors every day, first in Buchenwald, then in Auschwitz, then on a Nazi death march. He lost family, friends, his country. Because he survived, Eddie made the vow to smile every day. He pays tribute to those who were lost by telling his story, sharing his wisdom and living his best possible life. He now believes he is the 'happiest man on earth'. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

A collection of stories about young women's experiences and dilemmas growing up as Lebanese Muslims in Australia. Humorous and empathetic insight into one of our diverse cultural groups, explaining customs and breaking down stereotypes. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Hester, Theo and Gabrielle have absolutely nothing in common. Their families come from completely different walks of life. But when Gabrielle develops the ability to grow plants from her skin, the three find themselves thrown together as part of the global "Greenfingers" project. Together they have to fight the corporations who want to harness these powers for money and work together to create a Green Rising.

Ruby and Sally Moon are twins with very different. personalities. When divorce splits their family, and Sally moves with their mother to the Northern Territory, Ruby holds on to the thought that one day her family will be complete again. But, when tragedy strikes wrapping Sally in a cocoon from which she might never escape, Ruby learns that love is never simple but one of the many tangled branches in her family tree. Includes some mature themes. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

A retelling of Gulliver's imaginative and wickedly funny voyages to unusual lands. This edition of the classic has detailed, historical information and beautiful illustrations. Occasional distasteful themes are true to the original text. Also see Gulliver's travels by Jonathan Swift, PRC ID 36630. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Jansi, a feral boy, and the computerised intelligence of a crashed spaceship make an unlikely pair in this story, set after the apocalypse. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Samuel Johnson and Hilde Hinton, along with their late sister, Connie, have raised more than ten million dollars for cancer research. In this book, they have written a collection of simple stories about ordinary Australians who have faced extraordinary circumstances. All of these regular people, people you would meet on the street, have found reasons to stay positive and focused on believing in the power of kindness and positive thinking. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Fans have long wondered what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clones Wars, and before she re-appeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Finally, her story will begin to be told. Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance... Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Kaya is completing her HSC when she is woken in the middle of the night by her mother. They are to pack immediately and go to their holiday home in the Blue Mountains. Her father is not coming back, after giving evidence against some dangerous criminals in court. Months later, they are still in hiding and the mysteries are multiplying. Kaya is not sure who to trust: her mother'd new friend, the policeman or her new friend, Eric, from the local store. She is also recovering from memory loss caused by PTSD after a chilling encounter with the criminals. She is seeing a psychologist in an attempt to recall the evidence she might have to give in a forthcoming trial. Will she remember - and what dangers will her memories lead to? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Josh appears a typical teenager, resentful of his parents' divorce and dad's new girlfriend. Despite a crippling fear of the water, he learns to swim so that he can take part in the Iron Kid Triathlon, Sensitive treatment of mental retardation. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

At fourteen, Pip's life is finally his own. His domineering dad is focusing on big brother, Nick, and Pip's climbing, his passion in life, is going one way up. Beneath the tranquil surface, however, currents are stirring. On the traditional McLeod first hunting trip, Pip faces a dramatic choice and discovers what it means to confront issues of life and death. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Sixteen year old Carly is interviewing Leah Cartwright for her local history project. Leah resists, determined to tell her own story of a lonely child on an isolated farm, whose only escape is in the world of books. Carly is drawn into the story about Leah's present, past, secrets, an unlikely boy who changes everything, and a rich imagination that rescues her from a grim reality. Includes some violence and adult themes. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

A sixteen year old boy struggles with a serious condition, his sudden and violent temper triggered by situations of conflict or frustration in every day life. To avoid gaol, he must engage in strategies for anger management, including going to stay with his grandfather in an isolated Tasmanian forest. The road is hard and not always successful but the bond between them grows. Contains coarse language that may offend some readers. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Pandora Jones awakes from nightmares to find her world has been decimated by a pandemic. The few survivors have been gathered in a school, which is trying to prepare them for a society emerging from catastrophe. As Pandora bonds with her team, she begins to suspect they have powers that they have not been told about. Each clue she collects makes her question all her experiences and memories. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Jamie is a sixteen year old maths whiz. His wild, older sister, Summerlee, has dropped out of school. Tensions at home run high. With Jamie's help, Summerlee wins millions in a lottery and cuts all ties with the family. But, money can cause big trouble. When their younger sister is kidnapped for a ransom, Jamie thinks he can use game theory, the strategy of predicting an opponent's actions, to outfox the kidnapper and get Phoebe back. It's a very risky strategy. Mature themes and language. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Pan is still struggling to distinguish between her dreams and reality. When she wakes in the Infirmary, her mind replays the sight of Nate running and then flopping after he was shot. But, her memories hold more questions than answers, and she doesn't know who to trust. When she forms an unlikely alliance with Jen, she encounters unexpected enemies. Pan and Jen are determined to seek the truth, no matter what rules they must break or how terrible the danger they face. Usually read by Years 9, 10 or above.

Pandora Jones' problems appear insurmountable. She must convince her team that nothing is as it seems, and that they must escape and expose The School to save the world from the plague she unwittingly inflicted on it. The only things Pan has on her side are her gift of intuition and her belief in the people she cares about. But, with the clock ticking, she must find a way to stop the plague, perhaps at any cost. Pan and her friends face off against the might of The School. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok's lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna's survival depends on the world believing she is dead. But that doesn't stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized. With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 & above.

Born a princess but with a magick so frightening no-one can teach you how to use it. Born into a world that you could one day rule as queen, however to do so you will need to fight your sister in a battle to death. This is Eva's life. if she is to be Queen she needs to master her dangerous magick and kill her sister or be killed herself. Will her mother the Queen support her or her sister, will her absent father be her ally or her sister's? Can Eva trust the strange fairy hunter who has offered to tutor her in her magick and who is the khimaer prince who has appeared to 'protect her' and what can she do about her growing feelings towards him. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.