Booklists

Kaiulani details her lavish wardrobe, her pet peacocks, and her unusual friendship with the shy, sweet writer Robert Louis Stevenson. When she leaves her beloved islands to attend boarding school in 1889, Kaiulani makes the best of it.

Packed with brand new material this deluxe, lavishly illustrated guide teaches readers how to compile secret messages, read hieroglyphics, and recite ancient magic spells. Featuring enough information and extras to satisfy current fans and budding Egyptologists alike, this guide will cast a spell on readers of all ages.

Gods and pharaohs of ancient Egypt mingle with the teenage protagonists in this fast-paced series. Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them, Set, has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe, a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Gods and pharaohs of Ancient Egypt mingle with the teenage protagonists in this fast paced series. Carter and Sadie Kane, descendants of the magical House of Life, command certain powers. But now a terrifying enemy--Apophis, the giant snake of chaos--is rising. To destroy him the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra--a feat no magician has ever achieved.

After a break-in at their London home, Kat Wolfe and her veterinary-surgeon mum decide it's time to move to the country. Dr Wolfe's new job in idyllic Bluebell Bay comes with a condition: they have to adopt Tiny, a huge, near-wild Savannah, who resists Kat's best attempts at cat whispering. When she starts a pet-sitting agency to make pocket money, her troubles escalate. The owner of her first client, an Amazon parrot, vanishes from his fortified, gadget-filled mansion, leaving a half-packed suitcase and a mysterious parcel. The only person who shares Kat's conviction that he's the victim of foul play is Harper Lamb, the American daughter of a palaeontology professor. A language and coding whizz, Harper is laid up with two broken legs thanks to her racehorse. What starts out as mystery-solving holiday fun quickly turns deadly for Wolfe and Lamb. When all clues point to an army base, can they count on their unruly animal friends to save the day - and their lives?

When a landslide on the Jurassic Coast reveals a rare 'dragon' dinosaur, best friends Kat Wolfe and Harper Lamb are thrilled, especially when stars and scientists come flocking to sleepy Bluebell Bay. But after they begin investigating a suspicious death, events spiral quickly out of control for detectives Wolfe and Lamb. Worse still, Kat's wild cat is in trouble. Can they solve the mystery - and save the cat's life - before it's too late?

Princess Kazunomiya is the half-sister of the Emperor of Japan. She relates, in her diary and in poems, the confusing events occurring in the Imperial Palace in 1858, including political and romantic intrigue.

Drawn from the author's life experiences, this is the story of sixteen year old Vess who is returning to school after her cancer treatment. She is trying to stay positive under very difficult circumstances.

El Gato, one of the world's greatest football players, tells the story of his life growing up in the forest in South America and of the ghostly keeper who taught him how to play soccer. Some adult themes. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

A contemporary love story between an Earthling and a resident of the planet Isis.

Joel lives with his Gran, struggles at school and has few friends. He loves fishing and hits on the idea of advertising in the newspaper for a father so he can go fishing with him and fix everything.

Ten years ago, the leader of the Shadowmen killed many of the Keepers, the teachers and bearers of ancient knowledge threatening his barbaric rule. Rebellion is flaring again and Nyssa and her uncle, descendants of the Keepers, must flee in search of the other half of a strange tattoo on Nyssa's skull.

After a kidnapping, Elspeth Gordie and the Misfits are forced to join the rebellion against the oppressive Council, using their extraordinary mind powers. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

When Kid Kabula decides to ride his bike at top speed through the centre of the local mall, he doesn't realise how dangerous that's going to be. Fats Charvetto, leader of the meanest bikie gang in town, wants to know exactly who knocked him flying. Stevie, the local refundable collector, dobs in the Kid and a turf war starts.

Kevin, the troll, is crafty and cranky, mysterious and moody and he wants children pie for his seven-hundredth birthday. When trolls and humans make contact, amazing events occur.

After a pandemic wiped out most of the human race, The Key took power. Under their rules, touching is forbidden, and books are banned. Break the laws, and face execution. Elodie, a young nurse, has been brought up to believe that The Key govern to keep people safe. Elodie obeys the rules she trusts the system. At least, Elodie used to - Aiden, a constant rebel, knows there is another side to The Key, a truth beneath the surface. Aiden wants to be free but freedom means questioning their motives. Aiden is on his last chance - When Elodie and Aiden's lives collide, the fallout will be devastating. Especially when they realise that rather than playing protector, The Key are playing God. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

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.

When young David Balfour's father dies and leaves him in poverty, he tracks down his Uncle Ebenezer to seek his inheritance. But, his uncle is a mean, nasty man with a dark family secret. David finds himself in terrible danger when he is kidnapped and taken prisoner on board a ship bound for slavery.

Kids Like Us is the delightful, heartwarming story of Martin, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who falls for Gilberte-Alice, a 'normal' French girl. While spending summer in the French countryside with his mother, Martin mistakes Gilberte for a character in a novel he is obsessed with - Marcel Proust's masterpiece In Search of Lost Time. He gradually realises she is not Gilberte, the fantasy girl, but a real person named Alice. Falling in love, in all its unpredictability, teaches Martin that he can in fact connect, and can get out of his bubble. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Prequel to the Maze Runner series. Before Wicked was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease. The Kill Order is the story of that fall. Some violence. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Dylan Kane has never met his father. But, he has met Kirsty Beale's step-father, a brute of a man, a bully, a living-room thug. KIrsty's family is tormented by his cruelty and she is desperate to live a normal life. Dylan and Kirsty's brother hatch a plan to make him stop. A gripping and powerfully moving story of a family stretched to breaking point and a portrait of a killer. A confronting, controversial topic with inherent violence. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above.

Includes two macabre and twisted tales. Killer camera, in which everything Jamie photographs either breaks or dies, and Night moves, where Henry's new computer has a life of its own and gambles with the lives of others.

Harry and Charlie are teenagers whose lives are shaped by a society that's shifting around them. He is a lonely Brit in his first term at a Las Vegas high school. She is an unlikely friend, who gets accused of mixing a batch of explosives that blew up a football player. The two of them are drawn together at a time when gene editing technology is starting to explode. With a lab in the garage anyone can beat cancer, enhance their brain to pass exams, or tweak a few genes for that year-round tan and perfect beach body. But in the wrong hands, cheap gene editing is the most deadly weapon in history. Killer T is a synthetic virus with a ninety per-cent mortality rate, and the terrorists who created it want a billion dollars before they'll release a vaccine.

When Dev, Joel's foster dad, takes him away for an unexpected holiday, little does he know what adventures are in store. Not only does a ute run them off the road, but Joel's jailbird dad is determined to track them down.

1943. World War II is raging across Europe and on the Pacific front. Kit Sutherland is hiding a huge secret when she is unexpectedly recruited to work as a young codebreaker at Arlington Hall, a US Signals Intelligence facility. When Kit's roommate doesn't return home from a dance, it sparks a search that ends in a gruesome discovery. And soon it turns into a horrifying pattern: Government girls are being murdered in Washington, DC. Kit joins forces with three other girl codebreakers, Dottie, Moya and Violet, and as they work to crack the killer's code, two things become terrifyingly clear: the murderer they're hunting is getting closer every moment... and Kit's own secret could put her in more jeopardy than she ever imagined. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Emily's dad is accused of killing a teenage girl in the woods. He has admitted to manslaughter, believing he was in a flashback from his army days. Emily is convinced of his innocence as she tries to untangle the events of that night. Things become even more uncertain when she comes into contact with Damon, the boyfriend of the dead girl. What really had been happening in the woods at night, what dangerous games had they been playing? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Renowned detective Hercule Poirot has been secretly summoned to an exclusive estate to solve the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport. With 2 confessions and an unexpected second body, Poirot will have to piece together a tangled web of clues before the real killer can be identified.

A city in chaos. Seven in a desperate battle for survival. Billions across the world on the brink of apocalypse. The DARE Seven face danger from all sides: violent criminals are hunting them down, trigger-happy police suspect them of murder and The Signmaker keeps changing the rules of the game. As the clock keeps ticking towards the Fourth Sign, can Zander, Yasmin, Dylan, Andy, Isabel, Mila and JJ reach the next target and prevent the deadliest attack yet? Or will they fall victim as The Signmaker becomes ever more ruthless? If you could be a hero, would you DARE? Seven Signs. Four days left to save the world...

Kim is an eleven year old Irish boy who is orphaned and lives amongst the poor on the streets in India.

The story of Jandamurra and the struggle for justice by the Bunuba peoples in the late 19th century.

This is the breaking, the shattering, the smattering of every limit ever accepted or imposed... Kindred, Kirli Saunders debut poetry collection, is a pleasure to lose yourself in. Kirli has a keen eye for observation, humour and big themes that surround Love/Connection/Loss in an engaging style, complemented by evocative and poignant imagery. It talks to identity, culture, community and the role of Earth as healer. Kindred has the ability to grab hold of the personal in the universal and reflect this back to the reader. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #LoveOzYA collection, twelve of Australia's finest writers from the LGBTQ+ community explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers, and the connections that form us. This inclusive and intersectional #OwnVoices anthology for teen readers features work from writers of diverse genders, sexualities and identities, including writers who identify as First Nations, people of colour or disabled. With short stories by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to young adult fiction including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

When Arthur releases the sword in the stone, he and his brave knights undertake many quests, including the search for the Holy Grail. Lots of adventures involving damsels in distress, fierce jousts, sword fights, battles, tournaments and miracles.

The segments cover the classic tales of King Arthur and his origin; Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake; Morgan le Fay; Guinevere and the round table; Sir Lancelot of the Lake; Sir Lancelot's First Quest thwarting a dragon; Princess Elaine; Sir Galahad, the son of Sir Lancelot; 'Camelot; and the Grail Quests of Sir Lancelot, Sir Percival and Sir Galahad.

Lear, the aging king of Britain, decides to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom evenly among his three daughters. First, however, he puts his daughters through a test, asking each to tell him how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, Lear's older daughters, give their father flattering answers. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

An exciting graphic novel version of William Shakespeare's great tragedy that faithfully follows the original play. The use of Shakespeare's original language, some violence and adult concepts require mature readers. Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 and above.

Nat joins a Shakespearean theatre troupe and is transported back in time to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Perry Brightfield discovers her true heritage as the saviour of a threatened fantasy realm, and is groomed for her role by becoming a court jester.

Kiss the Dust is the compelling story of the flight of a Kurdish family fleeing Iraq. Twelve year old Tara tells the tale as her family rush into the mountains carrying everything they can. As refugees, they struggle through camps always wondering what will come next, where will they go and how they will settle as a family again. Tara's life is turned upside down as she struggles with the pressures of helping manage a myriad of problems.

Darkus Knightley's father was London's top private detective until he went into a coma four years ago. Now, he has woken up to discover his thirteen year old son has inherited the family talent. With a bestselling book seemingly making people do terrible things, and clues pointing to the involvement of a shadowy organisation known as the Combination, Alan needs the help of his tweed-wearing, brainiac son to investigate.

If you love facts, information, records and trivia, this book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know, with its lists of the weirdest beetles, the fastest jet aircraft, the scariest sharks, the least intelligent dinosaurs and much more.

A fascinating account of the battle for the Kokoda Track in 1942 where 550 men of the 39th Militia Battalion slowed, and eventually stopped, the advance of 6000 experienced Japanese troops across the massive Owen Stanley Ranges.

Conditions on the track were hellish - rain was constant, the terrain close to impassable, food and ammunition supplies were practically non-existent and the men constantly battled malaria and dysentery, as well as the enemy. Kokoda was a defining battle for Australia, in which a small force of young, ill-equipped Australians engaged a highly experienced and hitherto unstoppable Japanese force on a narrow, precarious jungle track - and defeated them.

The story of a four thousand, three hundred nautical mile expedition by raft across the Pacific Ocean.

Through his determination and imagination, Christopher, who is blind, defeats the Kraken, the beast of doubt, and helps his cynical sister who is unwilling to see how things can be.

King Gustav II Adolf desperately wanted a son to become his heir. Upon his daughter's birth, the king declared she would be treated as a boy and, someday, be King of Sweden. Kristina describes learning fencing and horseback riding.

Caz and Simon are on a quest to find the lost city of Atlantis. They encounter many perils and adventures. When they think they have survived the very worst that could happen, they realise that an even greater danger awaits them.