Young adult
As Stars Fall by Christie Nieman
Bushfire rages all around a bush stone-curlew, an endangered, native bird of Australia. Luckily it can fly, and as it ascends into the air it leaves behind not only the eggs in its nest but a woman who cares deeply…
Smart by Kim Slater
It all starts when Kieran finds a body in the river. It’s a local homeless man, Colin, whom police believe simply fell in the river and drowned, though really, they don’t care what has happened to him. But Kieran cares…
Intruder by Christine Bongers
One night, Kat wakes up to find an intruder in her room. She screams and the man disappears, but the event becomes a catalyst for Kat, and those around her, to confront a number of problems they have been ignoring…
The Minnow by Diana Sweeney
I like the way that YA fiction tackles the overwhelming events that scar each passing year, offering young readers a way in through a character they may identify with. The Minnow, which won the Text Prize for Young Adult…
Dandelion Clocks by Rebecca Westcott
Liv’s mum has been acting strange lately. She’s adamant that Liv learns how to cook the most important meal – bolognaise – and that she shows Liv how to correctly apply makeup. She’s also passed down her old diaries so…
The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss
Dead or absent parents seem ubiquitous in children’s literature at the moment, and this melancholic novel about a teenager dealing with the death of her mother is rumoured to have been hotly contested by eight publishers. When Pearl’s mother dies…
Pandora Jones: Admission by Barry Jonsberg
Pandora Jones doesn’t remember much of what happened before she woke up in hospital. Small, terrifying flashes of memories fill her brain, giving her only slight clues as to what has happened to the world. She’s been told that only…
Alexander Altmann A10567 by Suzy Zail
Alexander is only 14 when his family is sent to Auschwitz, but by pretending to be 16 he survives the gas chamber, unlike his younger sister. He keeps to himself and refuses any overtures of friendship, believing that only by…
Trouble by Non Pratt
Hannah is a typical teenage girl. She fights with her mum about homework, she loves hanging out with her best friend and boys are very much on her radar. Life is fun. That is, until Hannah falls pregnant at only…
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Alice is a teenager dying of leukaemia. She makes a bucket list, and while most of her wishes are what one might expect, she includes a few acts of revenge for those who have wronged her. Given her health is…
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