Exisle Publishing

The second instalment in the gripping Last Seed Keeper trilogy, New Sanctuary continues the story of the indomitable Ivy and Skyler as they search for their fathers — and for hope in a new world.

Despite vastly different upbringings, best friends Ivy and Skyler share an unbreakable bond. Together, they have discovered dangerous secrets, uncovered traitors and, with the help of Ivy’s friend Durie, saved their crumbling new world’s dwindling food resources. But now, both their fathers are missing.

Together, Ivy and Skyler search for answers as villains become allies and true enemies make themselves known. Questions are asked and decisions need to be made, forcing Skyler to choose between her new friendships, her family and her world, so different from Ivy’s.

Friendships are tested as they hunt for lost family, and the slim glimmer of hope for the new world hangs in the balance. Can a child from the Piles and a child from the Sky really be the key to saving it all?

New Sanctuary is a thrilling adventure about the bonds of family and friendship, and the crucial importance of caring for our planet in a world where nature has been forgotten but courage and hope remain.

A comprehensive guide to the reasons behind burnout, with effective, practical ways to manage and prevent burnout to create a more balanced future. Burnout is a phenomenon that can happen to anyone, yet it is most often found in high-pressured workplaces, especially those where promotions and target achievement are valued. In this timely book, clinical psychologist Mike McKinney takes an informed look at the features of burnout, why and how burnout happens, and the signs it might be about to strike. After noticing an increase in patients struggling with burnout in their work roles, McKinney used his extensive experience to gain a better understanding behind the reasons for this growth. What he found was that there are common underlying personality traits in an individual that can result in an increased vulnerability towards the development of burnout. While workplace changes are often touted as the answer to burnout, the author draws on his clinical experience over more than 25 years to show the reader what is within their power to change about themselves, so they can create greater resilience to burnout and a better balance in life. He deftly demonstrates how particular personality traits can contribute towards burnout, such as:

• the quest for perfection
• fear of failure
• beliefs around personal performance
• having an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach
• holding impossibly high personal expectations.

The author then provides options and answers, along with suggestions for positive changes that can be sustained, and offers ways to help the reader consider a wider (and possibly new) purpose in life that is underpinned by ways to enhance resilience. Beating Burnout is an insightful, practical book for professionals and anyone experiencing burnout, as well as those who would like to help someone in burnout.

Maxs summer holidays are going decidedly NOT to plan. Its bad enough he has to deal with his infuriating younger brother Liam, but now his mums new boyfriend is always around, along with his EVIL son Josh. It seems like things cant possibly get any worse

Then Miss McBoobs phone strikes again, an app transforms Max and Liam from human boys into fleas, and everything goes downhill from there. The brothers are forced to work together to try to beat the app as it serves up impossible questions. Would they rather climb trees like a squirrel or breathe under water like a goldfish? And which option will help them survive until the next round?

Chaos ensues as the reluctant sidekicks race to return to human form before time runs out. Full of awesome facts, laugh out loud situations and comic-style illustrations that bring the action to life, this gaming-inspired adventure is perfect for reluctant readers.

Ivy is a Groundling, bound to roam the surface of the Earth, eking a living from the rubble of the past. Skyler lives above the clouds in a haven of technology, wanting for nothing yet knowing there must be something more. Their paths are fixed, in a barren world that has forgotten nature until Ivy makes a discovery that changes everything.

Suddenly, a forgotten orphan from the Piles holds the key to building a new world. But change is never popular with those in power, and as word gets out, society begins to fracture. Both girls lives unravel as Skyler uncovers the secrets that have been kept from her, and Ivy finds out just how important she is to the new world.

The Last Seed Keeper is a tense, heart-pounding adventure about friendship, secrecy, breaking down barriers, questioning everything, and holding onto hope in the darkest of places.

Three Autistic friends try to save their school from never-ending maths in this fast and fun story, told from a rarely seen perspective.

Superheroes for a Day tells the engaging story of Max, Daniel, and Natalie’s mission to save their school from endless maths lessons. Using their unique abilities like heightened memory and attention to detail, they turn their differences into strengths. While handling their individual traits, they find the courage to become heroes, at least for a day, in the eyes of their schoolmates.

The book seeks to normalize the experiences of Autistic kids who are often seen as uncool because of their quirks. By making them the heroes, the story offers insight into their personal experiences and perspectives in a fun and engaging manner, resonating with readers in mainstream classrooms.

Filled with delightful illustrations, Superheroes for a Day is an empowering tale of friendship, bravery, and the remarkable abilities that often go unnoticed in those who are different.

The second part of the book is more practical and considers types of intuition, how to develop your intuition and then use it in everyday life with a practical seven-step plan. 

Steps explored for developing intuition include meditation, mindfulness, creativity, kindness and service. The final part of the book looks at some issues related to intuition, such as dreams and synchronicity, and how the development of one’s intuition often seems to correlate with an increased sense of peace, purpose and joy in life. 

"Intuition is a vital part of life and practice and now we have a book that will help us to develop this essential skill." - Prof Ian Wilson, Associate Dean, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong

To be human is to be in relationships. We can't survive without them but it's in relationships that we can so easily get unravelled. Some relationships just seem to do us in. Either we feel like we lose ourselves or feel burnt out from futile efforts to make things right for another. In our relationships we can experience the very best of ourselves and the very worst.

The message of Growing Yourself Up is that you can't separate understanding the individual from understanding relationships. All of life's relationships are integral to increasing self-awareness and maturity. And it's not necessarily the comfortable relationships that promote personal growth. In this 2nd edition of the bestselling book, Jenny examines how to help others without fostering dependency, and how to determine what kind of help you or others want from therapists. This is in response to the many lay and professional people who have found this book valuable personally and want to know how to help others grow.

Drawing from Bowen family systems theory, the book takes you on a journey through each stage of life to see predictable patterns of relationships and to show how to use this knowledge to make purposeful adjustments in yourself; as well as lending a mature helping hand to others. The result is a sturdier self, sturdier relationships and a refreshing new way to view life's challenges and opportunities.

In this fascinating book, Dr Howell explores how intuition has been a part of philosophy, psychology, religion and spirituality, from ancient times right up to the present. She also looks at the science behind intuition, and how our experience of it can be described in terms of our brain function. Finally, she sets out a practical seven-step program for developing intuition and using it to enhance everyday life so that we experience an increased sense of peace, purpose and joy. 

Practical exercises and meditations are included throughout the book, inviting us to unlock the door to our own intuition garden and encourage it to flourish. "Provides some clear and simple guidelines to help readers to tap into this often neglected part of our minds." - Sunday Magazine

When Tania McCartney discovered she'd be moving her husband, self and two kids under the age of five to China for four years, she was 95 percent horrified. What she never expected was to fall in love. Beijing seeped under her skin and grabbed hold of her heart ... a love affair that inspired 'Beijing Tai Tai', a collection of shrewdly observed, heartfelt and humorous insights into Beijing expatriate life.

Intensely personal, at times a little controversial, 'Beijing Tai Tai' is a rollercoaster ride of honesty and openness as a wife (tai tai) and mother juggles suburban family life in urban Beijing. Presented in a series of love/hate column-like snippets -- on topics ranging from the consumption of bull testicles to the life-altering experience of walking the Great Wall -- it exposes expatriate life in a country on the brink of great change.

From tragic hair moments and bustling silk markets to China's quest to stay true to its ancient origins, 'Beijing Tai Tai' is a book for anyone interested in this diverse and culturally rich country. It's for anyone, from anywhere, who knows what it's like to fall in love, explore new worlds and live with challenges. It's about life in a city full of soaring highs and disconsolate lows -- but never anything less than remarkable.

Eczema is a painful, itchy and incredibly uncomfortable condition for sufferers. The bad news is it’s on the rise. Babies are developing skin inflammation soon after birth. Toddlers with severe itchy skin and uncontrollable scratching are drawing blood. And teenagers and adults ashamed of their skin are wearing long-sleeved shirts in summer.

Eczema is a unique skin disorder with many of the standard health foods that are good for the skin actually increasing the itch in eczema sufferers. Current medications can also have undesirable side effects. Nutritionist, skin expert and a mother-of-two, Karen Fischer is known as the ‘last hope’ for eczema patients who have tried every therapy and cream to no avail.

Inspired initially by her success in treating her own daughter’s eczema, for the last ten years Karen has treated eczema patients of all ages, including newborn babies.

Now, in this second edition of her bestselling book, Karen brings you the results of her years of research and shares her tried-and-tested solutions for this heart-breaking condition.

This comprehensive guide for eczema sufferers of any age includes:

• emergency itch-busters
• skin care and non-diet information
• how to prevent chemical sensitivities
• dandruff and cradle cap treatments
• a fast-track detox for adult
• menus for all ages, including lunchboxes and party food
• delicious recipes, and
• handy shopping lists.

An empowering and informative mental health guide that addresses the stigmas surrounding mens mental health, and gives men the tools to break through them.

Too many men are suffering with their emotional health issues in silence, and male suicide is still one of the biggest causes of death in men under 50. Men are affected by everyday stress, high workloads, anxiety and depression, loss of confidence or identity, relationship breakdowns, family disruption, addictions and trauma — just the same as anyone else. But society has placed a stigma on mens mental health, making it difficult for them to reach out for help.

Thankfully, times are changing. Masculinity no longer means suffering in silence, and more and more men are opening up about their emotions. The Changing Man aims to help men along the path to addressing their mental wellbeing, providing tools for:

• Tackling stress, anxiety and depression
• Managing substance-related issues
• Dealing with grief
• Working on relationships
• Preventing suicide and self-harm

In a changing and developing world, we need advice that keeps up. The Changing Man is just that: a realistic and hopeful manual for the men of today to address their mental health without shame.

With the right information, parents can help children to overcome their anxiety, guiding any child to lessen their worrying and reduce their avoidance of challenging tasks.

Childhood anxiety is much more prevalent these days, and parents and carers need to be able to help their kids to prevent dangerous escalation. With 18 years of expert, qualified experience, the author shows how to help children and tweens build up the necessary brain architecture and perspective, and create the emotional reserves and balance needed throughout life.

Parent-led strategies for managing child anxiety based in cognitive behavioral approaches are vital for the successful treatment of mild to moderate levels of child anxiety. Parents, carers and grandparents are on the spot when a child is behaving anxiously and simple interventions by them can be used across time as an effective treatment for child anxiety.

User-friendly features in this book include:

• Case studies of a family who have successfully tackled their children’s anxious behavior.
• Worksheets outlining the methodical steps parents should take.
• Advice on how to manage a child’s digital world.
• Tips to help worried parents deal with their own anxious thoughts and feelings.

You’re the one who’s in your child’s life for the long run — it’s important that you know what to do when anxious moments arise.

This is the incredible story of Silva Mcleod, the first Tongan woman to become an airline pilot, told with frankness and wit by Silva herself.

Silva was a Tongan girl from a small island with little hope of anything beyond getting married and having babies. Her dreams of becoming an airline pilot seemed just that — dreams — until

Ken McLeod came into Silva’s life. He was an Australian hired to build a hospital on her island of Vava‘u. She started dating him despite frowns from her family. After a whirlwind romance, they got married in a traditional Tongan ceremony before moving to Australia

Silva faced challenges in Australia as a woman of color. Then came the biggest challenge of all — Ken was diagnosed with cancer. He said to Silva, ‘Do you still want to fly? Life is too short, if you have a dream, go for it.’

There were many barriers to succeeding in such a male-dominated field, but Silva refused to give in. She became the first Tongan female airline pilot and worked for the Royal Flying Doctor Service amongst other small airlines then Virgin International, flying B777s around the world.

With every new height Silva reached in her career, Ken’s struggle with cancer continued. Despite the hardships, Silva is sure she would dare to do it all over again. Dare to love a white man and dare to pursue her dream to go from island girl to airline pilot. 

Goddesses In You illuminates how archetypal patterns are the doorway into a hidden universe, the key to who you truly are.

From Greta Thunberg to Jacqueline Kennedy, influential women of today can be understood by looking at the 12 ancient goddess archetypes. Together, they span the panorama of features, the fullness of femininity, that exists in human imagination and the collective unconscious. Using an intuitive blend of mythology, psychology, feminism and spirituality and as a psychic lens, Goddesses In You reveals how you can better connect with these powerful inner forces that shape our lives.

With profiles of sixty well-known women from celebrities to activists, creatives to pioneers, Goddesses In You highlights how these underlying archetypes are the powerful invisible threads, the DNA, that shape the roles and govern the beliefs, drives, motivations, actions and emotions of most women at some stage in their lives.

Discovering how these mythological goddesses from a patriarchal past and their feminine archetypes shape behaviour and personality, influence emotions and relationships, and are responsible for the major differences in women, can awaken us to a new way of seeing ourselves and the world around us. The truth is every woman is a goddess, and therefore innately divine. Goddesses In You will help you discover the myths and archetypes that are your reality.

When your grandmother can't remember your name it should be sad, but maybe it is just an opportunity to tell her more often how much you love her.

Now in paperback, Grandma Forgets is the heart-warming story of a family bound by love as they cope with their grandma's dementia. The little girl has built up a treasure trove of memories of time spent with Grandma: sausages for Sunday lunch, driving in her sky-blue car to the beach, climbing her apple trees while she baked a delicious apple pie, and her comforting hugs during storms. But now, Grandma can't remember those memories. That's alright though, because she has her family to help her.

Depicted with gentle, whimsical illustrations, the little girl and her Grandma continue to share a loving relationship despite Grandma's dementia. They play the games they used to play, although Grandma sometimes forgets the rules, or makes up new games like hiding Dad's keys! Sometimes Dad is sad because he has to hold onto the memories for both him and Grandma now, but his daughter is only too happy to help him make new memories to share.

This is a warm, hopeful story about a family who sometimes needs to remind their grandmother a little more often than they used to about how much they care. She might not remember any of their names but she will always know how much she is loved, because they make sure to tell her every time they see her.

Her family all try to help, but somehow they just make her worries worse. Then, her mother thinks of a new approach that might just involve an elephant or two! But wait, don't think about purple elephants, whatever you do!

As Sophie imagines purple elephants – and blue monkeys and red giraffes – getting up to all kinds of amusing antics, her worries fade and she goes to sleep happy, ready to have fun the next day. Whimsical and humorous, this little girl's story of finding a way to ease her worry will resonate with children and parents everywhere.

When Sam gets his first pair of glasses, he feels like no one knows who he is anymore. His parents say he looks handsome in them and his grandpa thinks he must be a superhero, but Sam just wants to be himself. Even at school, everyone except his best friend George seems to have forgotten who he is. How will Sam make the world see him again?

Follow Sam as he tries to remind people who he is, abandons his glasses at every chance he gets, and even faces giant penguins and googly-eyed turtles in his journey back to his old self. Young readers will delight in the vibrant illustrations and Sam’s imaginative antics, from building pirate ships with George to fending off sharks as captain on the high seas. And the more he returns to his adventurous ways, and rediscovers his confidence and sense of humour, the more people see him not as some anonymous handsome superhero, but as Sam.

The Boy in the Big Blue Glasses is an action-packed story about overcoming your fears of other people’s perceptions and not shying away from being yourself. Any children dealing with new glasses or other changes in their appearance will find inspiration in Sam’s bravery. After all, how big or blue your glasses are doesn’t make any difference when you’re captain of a pirate ship!

Find out what happens when you learn to let down your guard, be yourself, and open up to friendship in this encouraging tale about a boy and a school full of ogres and dragons.

It's Edward's first day of knight school and he's scared of what's to come. He puts on his armor and prepares for battle. After all, it's sure to be terrifying with all those creatures about. Sure enough, he spends all day surrounded by scary ogres and fearsome dragons. Then, one of them offers him some of her lunch!

With this gesture of friendship, Edward is inspired to take a chance and remove his armor. He soon realizes that maybe things aren't as bad as they first seemed and in fact, his armor was holding him back. As he learns to let his guard down, magic and fun await and Edward finds that the dragons and ogres he feared are actually just like him.

The Battle is a story that every child can relate to and teaches kids that perception and attitude are vitally important. If we let down our guard, put our fears aside, and allow ourselves to live in the moment, magic just might happen. Now available in paperback, this is the perfect companion for any child worried about starting school.

The fourth book in the popular ‘Lessons of a LAC’ series, Grey-glasses-itis helps children to understand the link between how they see things and how they feel.

Loppy notices that he feels differently when he looks at the world around him through different-coloured glasses. When he’s using green glasses, he feels relaxed. When he’s using yellow glasses, he feels cheerful. But when he’s using grey glasses, he just feels sad. As his friend Curly explains, he has a case of ‘grey-glasses-itis’! Curly shows Loppy that to feel better he can change the colour of the glasses he’s seeing things through.

This is a simple but effective way to explain to children how thoughts, perceptions and feelings influence each other. They will grow up knowing that when they are feeling sad, worried or angry, it might be because they have a case of ‘grey-glasses-itis’. They’ll also know that with a shift in perception they can have some influence over their feelings, thereby helping to build their emotional resilience.

Ruby buys a pen that gives her the power to fix all of her problems, only to discover that power comes with its own problems.

Ruby and the Pen is the story of a 12-year-old, cartoon-drawing girl who buys a pen from a mysterious market stall. The pen has a magical power: whatever she draws, happens! Initially the pen protects Ruby from the meanest girls at her new school, but over time the pen’s power becomes dangerous. Soon Ruby faces a difficult choice — the pen or her best friend.

As Ruby struggles to wean herself off the pen, she’s faced with problems galore. Can she foil her headmaster’s evil plan, and save an endangered species of bird in the process, relying on her own talents and working as a team with her friends? Or will she succumb to the pen’s power?

Featuring hilarious illustrations, and with messages about bullying, teamwork and the environment, this is fast-paced, entertaining middle grade fiction that will resonate with kids everywhere. After all, who wouldn’t want to fix all of their problems with the stroke of a pen!

Warring brothers Max and Liam find themselves trapped in a time-travel game. Can they survive the dangers and solve the riddles without killing each other? 

Gaming-obsessed Max and his infuriating younger brother, Liam, are forced to work together when a new game on Miss McBoob’s mobile phone sucks them into a time-travelling vortex. The ‘Glitched’ app transports the brothers to earlier versions of their home town where they find themselves in the Stone Age, in Roman times, in the Middle Ages and in the age of the dinosaurs. To return to their own time they must solve riddles while dodging woolly mammoths, jousting knights and all manner of bodily fluids, both human and animal! 

Author and illustrator Emily Snape’s sons were both reluctant readers, which made her want to write books they could not resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and it was Emily’s aim to write books that pull you in and hook you from the start. ‘Hopefully, then you can’t help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.’

With a clever mix of realism and fantasy and packed with historically accurate settings, crazy scenarios and gross facts, Game On: Glitched is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys. 

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!

Gaming-obsessed Max and his infuriating younger brother, Liam, are forced to work together to survive epic adventures on a miniscule scale. When rebellious Liam starts playing Shrinkle on his babysitter's phone, he has no idea what hes letting himself in for. The app shrinks the brothers to the size of a minifigure! Their safe home has suddenly become a treacherous landscape. Can they scale sofa mountain, escape Miss McBoob's snoring mouth and outsmart the now-enormous pet cat? And will they stay tiny forever?

Author and illustrator Emily Snapes sons were both reluctant readers, which made her want to write books that they wouldnt be able to resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and it was Emilys aim to write books that pull you in and hook you from the start. Hopefully, then you cant help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end. With a clever mix of realism and fantasy and packed with exciting gaming strategies, crazy scenarios and gross facts, Game On: Shrinkle is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys.