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Turning Cartwheels tells the story of Emma’s desperation to join queen bee Carly’s Cartwheel Club, who show off their acrobatic tricks in the playground at lunchtime. Week after week Emma lines up for a try-out, only to be told by Carly that she hasn’t made the cut. When Emma is finally accepted, she finds that Carly’s rules and requirements take all the joy out of cartwheeling, and that being part of the gang isn’t as awesome as she expected.The book explores themes of determination, persistence and self-confidence, but has a central focus on bullying — in particular, the subtle, underhanded social bullying often experienced by primary school-aged girls. The character of Carly represents the ‘frenemy’ that many young girls encounter — a strong, popular girl who seems to be their friend, but whose behaviour is often actually manipulative and mean.While girls often gravitate towards ‘frenemies’, preferring to stay on their good side and remain part of their social group, Turning Cartwheels introduces the idea that there are alternatives, and that children should choose their friends based on kindness, and having fun together. A sensitive and compassionate guide to finding true friendship, this story will help any young person struggling to find friends who make them feel like they belong.

In Two Rabbits, Little Brown Rabbit and Little Grey Rabbit have had an argument. As they go their separate ways into the night, the wind whispers around them to remind them of their sharp words. Will they be able to come back together and find a way to save their friendship?

The story portrays the physical and emotional journey of two best friends, as they experience feelings of anger, sadness and loneliness after an argument. It shows us that friendship can overcome differences and disagreements, especially when we are willing to admit our own mistakes.

Larissa Ferenchuk loves writing about animals and nature, relating them to the emotions and feelings we have as humans. She based this story on rabbits as she has a gorgeous little pet grey rabbit at home. Her aim was to create a story that shows that even though we are all different, (different opinions/ideas/journeys) we all experience similar feelings and emotions. She also wanted to show children that they can overcome disagreements and arguments by understanding their emotions and offering the simple words of a heartfelt sorry.

Prue Pittocks subtle and whimsical illustrations add to the emotions in the story while the depiction of the characters on their separate paths allows us to empathize with both friends.

One day, Dad invites Billy into his shed to build something, but Billy soon finds out that he is only allowed to watch. As Dad becomes engrossed in his project, Billy takes Dad’s off-cuts and other items from around the yard and shed and gets to work on his own invention, with Dad blissfully unaware! At the end of the day, they reveal their creations and Dad discovers that Billy has more skills and abilities than his dad had ever imagined! Joining forces, Dad and Billy set out as a team to build a cart together — the best one yet — and enter the upcoming local cart race. Just think what they could do! Up to Something lovingly explores the development of the father–son relationship. Bonding through doing something they both love and encouraging children to take on new challenges are key here, and are illustrated beautifully. The power of inspiration and creativity, and the importance of nurturing them, are also brought to the fore. This is a lovely story of the importance of letting children grow, and the joy of working together.

Hugo the monkey doesnt like Upside-Down Fridays. The day is the wrong way round lunchtime is at morning teatime, and all his classmates smiles look like frowns. How will Hugo learn to tame the butterflies in his tummy and find the fun to be had in change?
Upside-Down Friday tells the story of the day Hugo embraces the unexpected. Walking to school, anxious thoughts swirl in his head. When he arrives, the day and his routine are as upside-down as he had feared. However, Maddie the giraffe knows how to help, and reassures Hugo that things wont always be this scary. With this small gesture of friendship and understanding, Hugo begins to feel braver, reflecting how making new friendships, helping others, and accepting change can help reduce childhood anxiety and build resilience. With its universal animal-kingdom setting, the story has likable characters who will resonate with all pre-schoolers and lower primary-aged school children who feel nervous about change.
The emotive language and unique upside-down illustrations make Upside-Down Friday relatable, immersive and accessible an excellent resource for opening the conversation about anxiety and teaching strategies to cope with it.Young childrens lives are full of big, scary changes like going to school and making new friends. Help them to build emotional resilience, and find the fun in days that dont go to plan!

When quiet, shy Verity eventually finds the courage to speak up, she discovers that standing on her own two feet can be amazing!

Verity is a shy preschooler who is accommodating and quiet, and always does whatever others tell her. She picks up after her friends, has no say in games, and even plays second fiddle to a drooling baby at the doctor’s office. After a typical week of quiet deference to everyone around her, Verity is miserable. 

But when she is overlooked at swimming class (her most favorite thing of all), Verity realizes something needs to change — and she discovers within herself the courage to speak up. What she finds is that by speaking up in a polite, positive way, she can change her world for the better and find joy in asserting herself.

Verity Finds Her Voice will help children who might be a little scared to speak up learn that not only is it okay to be assertive, but it can bring happiness, and that being a good friend to yourself is just as important as being a good friend to others.

A perfect gift for any young musician! Violin & Cello celebrates musical friends — with a bonus duet of ‘The Mystery Friends’ for young violinists and cellists to play now! Children will love this heart-warming story about making music with friends. Violin & Cello follows two young musicians as they discover the secret to who is practising in the apartment next door! This picture book is perfect for young readers beginning to learn an instrument, particularly violin or cello, and for every parent or teacher helping them along the way. Catherine Greer’s delightful story of musical friends and Joanna Bartel’s intricate, detailed illustrations explore the lives of two young musicians — a violinist and a cellist — who live with their families in a large city. Award-winning Australian composer, Alexander Lau, has composed an original duet for violin and cello, ‘The Mystery Friends’. The score for the allegro and adagio movements of ‘The Mystery Friends’ are printed in the book. This beautiful composition is simple enough to be played by young cellists and violinists. Readers of every age are sure to shout ‘Encore!’ when they experience this joyful celebration of friendship and classical music.

Setting out to visit a loved one, a child curiously asks a fellow commuter, "Who are you going to visit?" In answer to this simple question, the child learns about the love and loss in the life of a stranger: a father who lives apart from his small daughter, a husband who has lost his wife, a granddaughter who is forgotten by her grandfather, and a mother who fears for her son’s recovery. After each conversation, the child understands that the other commuters have someone in their lives that they love "as much as I love you," and it is this understanding that allows the child to explore the most universal of human experiences: the power of love in the many different forms that it can take. Visiting You also explores a sense of community. Under her mother’s supervision, a young child reaches out and connects with the people around them they’re not scared of strangers, or people who might ‘look’ scary, or people who are different to them. Sometimes it can take conscious decision and determination to look past outward appearances. Visiting You encourages us to find the similarities between people instead of focusing on differences, to recognize some part of ourselves in the life of a stranger.

* 2020 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Displaced by war and conflict, a refugee family sets out on a voyage into the unknown. Told in only a few words (one word per page) this is the powerful story of a family fleeing their war-torn country and making a dangerous trip across the ocean to a new life in a new land. ‘Chaos’ begins the story, as the family escapes. ‘Wild’ is the midway point, as the small boat battles through a storm. ‘Companion’ marks the sighting of a whale that briefly keeps them company as their voyage continues. ‘Beauty’ is the sight of a green, beautiful land ahead of them. ‘Safe’ is the beginning of their new life in their new home. Simple, yet evocative, The Voyage gives new meaning to the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words," as Robert Vescio’s sparse text and Andrea Edmond’s beautiful illustrations encourage young readers to create their own background story and thus identify more deeply with the plight of refugees and those less fortunate.

Issy uses the words ‘what if…’ a lot. What if there is a monster in my cupboard? she wonders before going to sleep. Or What if my floor turns into quicksand and swallows my bed? For her, ‘what if…’ are two little words that start worries and lead to uneasy feelings. But maybe they can be used for something a little more fun…Share Issy’s wonder and excitement as her mum shows her that asking ‘what if…’ can lead to imaginative adventures far beyond the everyday. After all, What if trees had cupcakes hanging from their branches instead of leaves? Or the clouds were purple and orange and green? These kind of ‘what ifs’ are what this creative and hopeful story is all about.Showing children that their ‘what ifs’ can lead to feelings of fun, happiness and freedom is key in teaching them how we can change the way we feel simply by changing the way we choose to think. Written by an experienced author/clinical psychologist and illustrator/art therapist duo, What if…? is an exploration of how little worriers think, and how they can choose to turn those worries into wonders.Young children, parents, carers, teachers and therapists alike will find methods to manage anxiety and to open conversations about worry in this playful and accessible tale. Plus, kids will love the imaginative adventures their ‘what ifs’ can create!

In When Grandma Burnt Her Bra, author Samantha Tidy and illustrator Aśka depict the world as seen by a child whose own grandma, a loud and proud feminist, was part of the revolution that now benefits us all. Readers of all types will enjoy this humorous story that plays on how children hear stories and reproduce them in their minds. The narrative uses dinosaurs slowly invading the backyard (and the story itself) to convey the shift across time in the fight for women’s equality and rights — taking the story all the way back to a time when people lived in caves and stone-age attitudes dominated. This unashamedly feminist text uses humour, history, the childhood perception of age, underwear and the unexpected appearance of dinosaurs to broach a tricky subject without casting blame. The book communicates that across history, both men and women (as depicted in the illustrations) have broken down barriers that women should no longer need to face. It conveys carefully and quirkily the complex message that things were not always equal — and that they are not yet equal –—but the continued fight for equality lies with each new generation. The call to action is to carry the flame forward.

In 2011, Dindim the Magellanic penguin, washed up on an island beach near Rio de Janeiro. He was rescued by a man called Joao, who nursed him back to health, and created a lifelong bond. Since then, Dindim has spent most of every year with Joao, leaving only to travel 8000 miles to the Patagonia coasts of Argentina and Chile. Where the Heart Is was inspired by this extraordinary true story.With beautiful prose and stunning illustrations, Dindim’s story will capture the hearts of young readers and adults alike. His journey across the ocean highlights both the little penguin’s intrepid nature and the variety of wildlife he meets along the way. From whales to albatross, children will discover the kaleidoscope of life that exists in the ocean.Where the Heart Is also offers a window into discussing big issues with young readers, such as the oil spill that almost killed Dindim, and the effects of climate change on animal habitats. Magellanic penguins are a near threatened species, and it is vitally important to increase our awareness of the dangers faced by these beautiful birds.Poignant, moving, funny and heartfelt, Dindim and Joao’s story is a celebration of friendship and nature. It explores the deep bond that can form between humans and animals, and encourages children to think more about the incredible animals who share our world.

Xander buys a pen that gives him the power to improve his familys fortunes, only to discover that power comes with its own problems.

Xander and the Pen is the story of a boy who loves to draw superheroes, and the pen he buys from a mysterious market stall. He soon learns that the pen has a magical power: whatever he draws, happens! At first the pen helps Xander improve his familys fortunes, but there are many unintended consequences and soon everybody is angry at him.

Xander sees that the power of the pen has changed him into somebody his sister and his friends despise. But how else to deal with the bullying Bruise Brothers and solve the mystery of the poisoned llamas? Can Xander win back the respect of his sister and friends without using the pen? Or will he succumb to the temptation of an easy fix?

Featuring hilarious illustrations, and with messages about bullying, family dynamics, disability and the environment, this is fast-paced, entertaining middle grade fiction that will resonate with kids everywhere. After all, who wouldnt want to fix all their problems with the stroke of a pen!