Booklists

Sometimes, people don't appreciate the brilliance of my ideas. It was a great idea to hunt a vampire and Cosmo said Mr Bentley-Bucket was only pretending to be human. Also, Grandma Overall needed cheering up so I don't know why she didn't like her super-sparkly makeover. And, the water spraying all over the kitchen was completely worth it because I ended up being a Record Breaker.

My name is not actually Penny Dreadful. It is Penelope Jones but the dreadful bit is my dad's joke. In fact, I am not dreadful at all. It's just that sometimes my brilliant ideas turn into disasters. I didn't know that you can't do chickenpox for show-and-tell, or go to ballet class dressed as a blue cat, because, even in disguise, I am incredibly contagious.

Penelope Jones, also known as Penny Dreadful, has a way of turning a good deed onto a catastrophe. Her good intentions and bright ideas often end in disaster. It's easy to make a mess when you are trying to be helpful or when you decided to invent hormones.

My name is not actually Penny Dreadful. It is Penelope Jones. The 'Dreadful' bit is my dad's joke. But I do not mean to be dreadful. Sawing Bridget Grimes in half for the school show was supposed to be a good thing. And, I didn't mean to get up to any shenanigans on the school trip. Plus, I worked extra-especially hard on the cake of dreams for Mum's birthday but, somehow, it still turned into a huge calamity.

Penny Dreadful is a magnet for disaster. Penny creates mishap, mayhem and misadventure wherever she goes.

Nic is nervous about his first day. of school.. but with the help of his mum and a whole class of new friends, it might just be the best day ever.

Jennifer finds she is the only one in her class who doesn't celebrate Christmas. She starts an Only One Club and soon finds there are lots of 'only ones' in her class, people who are special for all sorts of reasons.

Eleven year old Blue has resolved to keep a diary. Living on Hillrose Park with dust storms and drought you would expect life to be tough. Blue however is far to busy with a boy crazy best friend and twin brothers. Her parents are planning on sending Blue to boarding school next year too. Leeches and pigs make this a laugh out loud diary worth reading and sharing.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

Blue is now twelve years old and still living on the Hardbaked Plains and keeping a diary capturing the upcoming wedding of her beloved teacher. Blue is meant to be a bridesmaid. But should Miss McKenzie be getting married? How could she love someone named James Linley Welsh-Pearson?

Blue is starting a local newspaper. She is also trying to convince beloved teacher Miss McKenzie to come back from Scotland and relieve her from her new teacher 'The Colonel'. With her twin brothers and best of intentions this is another hilarious year captured in her diary.

Any three titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. To see the individual book titles and their PRC ID numbers, go to the Series lists on the Booklists page, on the website. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.

I'm wearing a glittering tutu and a sparkling tiara. I pirouette. Three times. And I don't even trip. My name's Charlotte, but you can call me Lottie. I'm a ballerina. At least, that's my thing this week. Charlotte Perkins is seven years old and can't wait to grow up - if only she could decide what she wanted to be! Luckily, no dream is too big for little Lottie Perkins!

Lottie is a creative 7 year old with big dreams of being a fashion designer. Her unique designs are eye-catching and get noticed. Will her dreams of being a fashion designer come true?

Lights! Camera! Action! That's my cue. My name is Charlotte, but you can call me Lottie. I'm a movie star. At least, that's my thing this week. Charlotte Perkins is seven years old and can't wait to grow up, if only she could decide what she wanted to be! Luckily, no dream is too big for little Lottie Perkins!

Lottie Perkins is a 7 year old dream chaser. This week she dreams of being a pop singer. With a little help from her friends, her dream may come true.

Mim roams the world in a travelling bookshop, led by a horse called Flossy, with her father and brother. They never know where they will end up, only that Flossy will stop where they are most needed. When Mim and her family arrive in Paris, she meets an artist, Pierre, who cannot part with any of his portraits. Mim knows she needs to help Pierre, but it might take a while to find just the right book.

Roam with Mim, her dad, brother and horse Flossy as their travelling bookshop takes them around the world to places they are needed most, where the perfect books find their way home.

Mim and her family and their travelling bookshop continue their adventures, landing just in time to prevent a dog show disaster!

When a small boy ignores his parents' advice, he becomes separated from them and meets a huge, wild-eyed, knotty-haired Pangkarlangu, a monster known to the Warlpiri people.

Be inspired by real-life stories of people who work to keep communities safe around the world. From firefighters in the UK, to life guards in the Netherlands, these 'day in the life' stories are sure to spark a pathway for you to one day become an emergency service hero.

Bow-wow may look like an average terrier, one that will face down every foe. However, there is one foe that Bow-Wow finds not only annoying but unusual. Bow-wow experiences the full gamut of emotions in this surreal, visual adventure.

Ever since Jo took his dad away, Tao feels like he's in the middle of a tug-of-war between his parents. But, he can't help hoping that they will get back together someday. It's Tao's birthday and he's turning ten. When the phone rings, Tao thinks it's just a wrong number from someone called Mimi. But, Tao's life is about to change, forever.

Hi! I'm Stella and yes, I'll admit it. I am just a teeny tiny bit obsessed with winning the Camp Cup this year. Who wouldn't be? The winner gets a pizza party! Year Five camp only comes around once in a lifetime and it's going to be awesome. Except ... the campsite is on the edge of an old abandoned graveyard. And there's a rumour that a kid called Spud Riley went to camp and never came back. AND we're on a Camp Cup team with Lizzie Lawless, and the thing you need to know about Lizzie Lawless is - oh. Never mind. You'll see ... It's going to be hectic. Yes. No. Really.

Who knew fire extinguisher foam was bad for guinea pigs? Stella found out the hard way and is now forced to enter the talent show as punishment. Can she get herself out of this predicament with the help of her crazy friends? Maybe her dog Defer will help her, maybe her crazy idea might just work.

A retelling of Henny Penny, substituting Australian animals and the bush environment. The sky is falling and Blossom Possum gathers the bushland creatures to journey beyond the black stump in search of the Prime Minister.

A cane toad gets quite a surprise when he gets bitten by a redback spider when he sits on the outdoor toilet.

When Poppy buys a wild, beautiful brumby at an auction she doesn't think about the consequences. Everyone thinks she's crazy trying to take on a wild horse, although Poppy is sure she can help him. But Poppy had no idea how difficult a wild brumby would be to handle, and she's heartbroken when he bares his teeth at her whenever she tries to go near him. Can she prove them wrong and work out how to bond with her brumby, or has she finally bitten off more than she can handle?

Poppy is thrilled that her best friend, Sarah, is finally coming to visit Starlight Stables. She's sure that Sarah will love it as much as she does, especially Poppy's beautiful pony, Crystal, and her horse-mad friends, Milly and Katie. But, it soon becomes clear that Sarah doesn't share Poppy's love of horses and riding. She's more interested in helping Poppy's uncle with some bushfire-injured animals. When a bushfire erupts nearby, Poppy finds herself fighting not only to save her friendship but also to save her beloved Starlight Stables.

Horse-mad friends, Poppy, Milly and Katie, are overjoyed to be back at Starlight Stables and spending every second with their new ponies. They're training and preparing for their first big pony club competition. But, when a rival competitor arrives to train with them, trouble seems to seek the girls out at every turn. They wonder if it is just coincidence or whether someone is trying to sabotage their chances of winning.

Poppy is thrilled to be back riding horses at Starlight Stables, especially when her aunt and uncle surprise her with her very own horse. But, there's a catch. Poppy must look after the new scholarship girls, bold and troublesome Milly and shy, sensible Katie. And, something strange is happening around the local farms. Horses are disappearing.

Poppy's world is falling apart. Her aunt and uncle have lost an important riding sponsor and had an ominous visit from the bank. They might have to sell Starlight Stables. Poppy is determined to do everything she can to help. She just has to win the upcoming show-jumping competition so she can give them the prize money. But, it means she'll have to jump higher than she's ever done to save the stables, her beautiful horse, Crystal, and her friends, Milly and Katie.

An exciting and enjoyable Australian series for 8-12 year old girls about the friendship and adventures of three horse-crazy girls. Poppy, Milly and Katie are thrilled when they find out they're off to Barmah National Park on a five-day trail ride! Visiting Storm's home country, camping out, sighting brumbies in the wild and getting lost are just some of the adventures the girls have to look forward to. But will their penchant for landing in hot water lose them the chance of a lifetime?

Cricket, I just love it. It really is the best. Batting, bowling, fielding, Twenty20 or a test. From classic catches to backyard matches, here is a joyful and heartfelt celebration of all things cricket.

Find out how a steam train works, what bogie wheels are and why there are so many different kinds of wagons and coaches.

Pippa is really excited because she's going to be the flowergirl at her aunt's wedding. Pippa wants to be the best flowergirl ever and for everything to be perfectly perfect. But, a game of hide and seek almost ruins the day.

Pippa is sure her birthday party will be perfect. She has the perfect cake and the perfect dress, and now all she needs is a perfect ponytail in her hair.

Sophie wants a dog. Not just any dog, but a proper Aussie Outback dog. She doesn't want a dog like Boris, who can't even run after sticks. But sometimes the best dog is the dog that needs you.

Emma and her older sister, Charlotte, share the same birthday. They even want the same birthday present. But Emma and Charlotte are very different, and so are their new puppies.

Hattie lives just outside of nowhere, right next door to no one at all. Her house is red and has its own name. There are jabbering ducks in the duck house and hens that wander and poop in her mother's flowerbeds. Hattie has a dog called Tacka and own stripy outdoor cats, Havana and Stick. Hattie has been waiting forever for school to start. She's looking forward to it so much, she might burst.

There is something going on in the forest. The animals are troubled and unhappy. But, no one dares make a statement to the police. Detective Gordon and police assistant Buffy have a new case to investigate.

Someone is stealing nuts from the forest and it's up to Detective Gordon to catch the thief. Unfortunately, solving this crime means standing in the snow for a long time. If only he had an assistant, someone small, fast, and clever, to help solve this terrible case. Then Detective Gordon would be able to go back to doing what he does best, thinking, eating cakes, drinking tea and stamping important papers.

Due to an accident with a computer, Serena Smith is a know-all. When a sea serpent starts wrecking ships, the town thinks the only way to stop it is to give it a child to eat. Serena volunteers, sure that she can sort out the problem.

Through Blake's eyes, Grandpa is revealed as a real pain in the neck. He took over Blake's room, left ash and tobacco everywhere and told boring stories. Grandpa was also really good at mending stuff and he could create wonders out of horseshoe nails.

If you think your family is funny, imagine being a baby alligator carried around in your mother's mouth. Or being a baby tiger shark and eating your brothers and sisters.

Some animals live in funny places - prickly cactuses, dark caves, high treetops - strange places humans would not survive.

Koalas may look cute and cuddly but lots of things about them are strange. They have two thumbs per hand, they rarely need to drink water and can survive on poisonous leaves.

Despite the movies, polar bears and penguins will never meet in the wild. That's because they live on different poles. Find out about their homes at opposite ends of the Earth.

The faces of some animals may look funny to us, but their eyes, ears and noses are exactly what some animals need to survive.

Uncle Tobias is the fisherman Elder of an Aboriginal family. The story follows a typical day on the beach for the mob, collecting bush tucker and celebrating with family. Uncle Tobias tells stories of the original use of the Land, and remains almost oblivious to the many changes that the coming of Europeans made to this beach locale.

Auntie Doreen is taking the kids on a real bush holiday, like they wouldn't believe.

There are so many kids in Reuben's family that his mum has to count them so no one gets left behind.

Lisa's cat, Picasoo, gets lost within the paintings of an art gallery. Lisa traces his steps through the history of art, including Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet.