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Father of the Lost Boys: The Mecak Ajang Alaak story (Yuot A Alaak, Fremantle)

Released June 2024

In Father of the Lost Boys, former child refugee Yuot A Alaak immortalises the hero who rescued 20,000 boys from the brink of death—his father, Mecak Ajang Alaak. Affectionately embraced as... Read more

Liar’s Test (Ambelin Kwaymullina, Text)

Released June 2024

The latest YA novel from Palyku author Ambelin Kwaymullina is a high-action, thematically rich fantasy with a gutsy, intuitive protagonist who must become a good liar to survive in the... Read more

What’s Murder Between Friends (Meg Gatland-Veness, Pantera)

Released June 2024

Hallie has always dreamed of being an actor. Thanks to her drama teacher, Ms Lovelace, the school is finally putting on its first show. When Hallie’s class stumbles upon Ms... Read more

The Unexpected Mess of It All (Gabrielle Tozer, HarperCollins)

Released May 2024

Gold Inky award-winning author Gabrielle Tozer’s fifth YA novel, The Unexpected Mess of it All, displays her trademark empathy, humour and cheekiness. Jamila’s life is an unexpected mess. Since their... Read more

Those Girls (Pamela Rushby, Walker)

Released April 2024

When Australia entered World War II, new possibilities emerged for women to enter the services, work in munitions or uniform factories, or join the Land Army to fill the workforce... Read more

Deep Is the Fen (Lili Wilkinson, A&U Children’s)

Released April 2024

Lili Wilkinson’s latest fantasy novel is set in the same magical world as her Victorian Premier's Literary Award–winning novel, A Hunger of Thorns. It’s a realm where all magic is... Read more

Signal Erased (Adele Jones, Rhiza Edge)

Released April 2024

Signal Erased is the latest YA near-science-fiction novel by Adele Jones. The story follows Anna Faraday, a high schooler with a remarkable singing voice and a traumatic past. While occupied with... Read more

Gus and the Missing Boy (Troy Hunter, Wakefield)

Released March 2024

Gus Green is his injured mother’s primary carer after she was involved in a car accident; he is also gay and overweight. A true crime fanatic with aspirations of one... Read more

Look Me in the Eye (Jane Godwin, Lothian)

Released March 2024

Look Me in the Eye is the latest young adult novel by award-winning author Jane Godwin. The story centres around Bella, a 13-year-old girl who leads quite a wholesome, drama-free... Read more

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You (Ann Liang, Penguin)

Released February 2024

Ann Liang’s third young adult novel, I Hope This Doesn’t Find You, is a feel-good rom-com that uses all the well-worn tropes of the enemies-to-lovers subgenre. When people-pleaser school captain... Read more

What They Told Me (Hayley Lawrence, Scholastic)

Released February 2024

Fifteen-year-old Elliott Gillespie has always believed she and her family are the lucky ones. Their home by Crooked River has been in the Gillespie family for generations. Her best friend,... Read more

Smoke & Mirrors (Barry Jonsberg, A&U Children’s)

Released February 2024

High-school student Grace is a whiz at magic—or she tries to be. Since learning an array of magic tricks and pranks from her no-good Uncle Mike as a little girl,... Read more

Birdy (Sharon Kernot, Text)

Released February 2024

In Birdy, a compelling YA verse novel by CBCA award-winning author Sharon Kernot (The Art of Taxidermy), we meet Maddy, who began experiencing selective mutism and anxiety after an unnamed... Read more

The Invocations (Krystal Sutherland, Penguin)

Released January 2024

Emer Byrne, Zara Jones and Jude Wolf are young women who have led completely different lives until one thread of commonality brings them together—magic. Zara believes in magic because she’s... Read more

Stuck Up & Stupid (Angourie Rice & Kate Rice, Walker)

Released November 2023

Stuck Up & Stupid is the debut novel from a mother-daughter writing team: actor Angourie Rice and playwright Kate Rice. With a familiar yet fresh narrative, this contemporary YA reimagining of Pride and... Read more

An Unexpected Party (ed by Seth Malacari, Fremantle)

Released November 2023

The queer experience is immensely diverse, too vast and evolving as a space to be summed up by any one representation, but An Unexpected Party—an anthology of queer speculative short stories—aims... Read more

Everything Under the Moon (ed by Michael Earp, illus Kit Fox, Affirm)

Released October 2023

Everything Under the Moon: Fairy tales in a queerer light is a collection of insightful stories from a variety of authors, including Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Helena Fox, Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner,... Read more

Unholy Terrors (Lyndall Clipstone, Penguin)

Released October 2023

Unholy Terrors is an alluring, gothic tale of forbidden love and shifting allegiances in a land of magic and monsters. Everline Blackthorn is not like the other wardens who guard... Read more

If You Tell Anyone, You’re Next (Jack Heath, Scholastic)

Released October 2023

Bestselling author Jack Heath has written 40 books for children, teenagers and adults. He returns with a pulse-racing psychological thriller set in a suburban high school. Zoe’s best friend Jayden... Read more

In Times of Bushfires and Billy Buttons (Steven Herrick, Ford St)

Released October 2023

With his parents in jail for drug dealing, high-school student Ethan goes to live with his Aunt Helen, a supermarket stacker who dreams of the Greek Islands. He gets by... Read more