Media Bites October 2023_

OCTOBER 2023 – CHILDREN’S & YA Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean

The Turtle and the Flood

A Multitude of Dreams

Finding Bear

MELISSA GREENWOOD

MARA RUTHERFORD

HANNAH GOLD & LEVI PINFOLD

JACKIE FRENCH AND DANNY SNELL

April Wood has returned home from her adventure on Bear Island. But, over a year later, she can’t stop thinking about Bear. When April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she’s convinced it’s her friend and persuades her dad to travel with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. So begins an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers. But along the way, she discovers much more than she bargained for - a tiny polar bear cub, desperately in need of her help. In freezing temperatures, April must navigate the dangerous Arctic terrain and face her deepest fears if she’s to save him. Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Finding Bear is a stunning story of survival and a heartwarming tale of love that shows us how hope is born from the smallest of beginnings.

The bloody plague is finally past, but what fresh horror lies in its wake? Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle — she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls. Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence? When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who

Gaagal (ocean) is our special place, we love to swim in the waves. We’ll catch some yamaarr (fish), eat, dance and play games.

A companion title to the best-selling The Fire Wombat, this is the story of Myrtle, a small turtle who, by heading uphill, tells the other animals that a flood is coming. Myrtle the turtle knows everything about the waterhole where she lives in the creek. She can also sense the giant flood that is coming, long before other animals or humans. And when Myrtle begins her long, slow climb up the mountain to safety, who will follow her? From the award-winning duo of The Fire Wombat, Jackie French and Danny Snell have now created a fascinating and beautifully illustrated story about Myrtle, a Common Long- necked Turtle; reptiles that can predict the weather very accurately.

An ode to joyful days spent by the ocean, from Gumbaynggirr artist Melissa Greenwood, the creator of the heart-stirring picture books Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth and My Little Barlaagany (Sunshine).

Released: 04/10/22 NSH| 352pp AU $19.99 NZ $21.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 04/10/2023 BPB| 336pp AU $19.99 NZ $19.99 Imprint: HQ

Released: 04/10/23 NSH | 320 pp AU $22.99 NZ $24.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 2/8/23 NSP | 64 pp

AU $11.99 NZ $13.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares ahead.

Kip of the Mountain EMMA GOURLAY

The Elf on the Shelf’s Night Before Christmas CHANDA A. BELL

The children are nestled, the stockings hung. Elf is ready to say goodbye to his family for the year, when this perfect Christmas Eve scene becomes a twisty, tangled calamitous sight! Join Scout Elf in this playful retelling of the beloved Christmas classic, with charming illustrations that capture the magic of the festive season. Can Santa and his Christmas magic save The Night Before Christmas? From the global phenomenon, The Elf on the Shelf, tap into the magic of believing and the love of tradition at Christmas.

Kip Boowitt wants a best friend. So when she rescues a tiny creature that looks like a kitten but isn’t a kitten, she loves him with all her heart. Kip names him Buffel, and he really listens when she talks. He’s there when her dad is too busy to notice her, and he’s there when the kids at school are being mean. He’s there when Kip feels all alone. So when Buffel is kidnapped, there is only one thing to do - take a slow ride on a fast motorbike, sail across the ocean, and take back what belongs to Kip. But will Buffel want to leave? An action-packed fantasy adventure full of heart, from debut author Emma Gourlay!

Released: 04/10/2023 NSH| 32pp AU $19.99 NZ $21.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

Released: 04/10/2023 NSH| 288pp AU $19.99 NZ $21.99 Imprint: HarperCollins

CHILDREN’S

CHILDREN’S