A collection of fantasy short stories plus a novella that is set in the world of the Abhorsen trilogy. Thoughts of Lirael and Sam haunt his dreams, and he has come to realize that his destiny lies there, along with all those he cares for. But here in Ancelstierre, far south of the Wall, the Charter is dormant, and among the obstacles Nick faces is one that is not entirely human, and which has a strange power that seems to come from Nicholas himself.
Oceania
Materials from Oceania
The House That Jack Built
The familiar cumulative nursery rhyme is illustrated with scenes placing the characters in an Aotearoa, New Zealand, setting during the early 19th century.
Henry and Amy: (Right-Way-Round and Upside Down)
Any child who has ever experienced a moment of self-doubt will be both reassured and delighted by this heartwarming tale of two very different friends and their ability to help one another feel more complete.
Child’s Dreaming
This beautiful journey through the outback in verse and pictures captures the spirit and the sights of the Aborigines’ ancient land in a book to treasure long after childhood has gone.
Let’s Get a Pup!, Said Kate
There are lots of dogs at the Rescue Center. But Kate and her mom and dad know they want Dave the moment they see him. He’s small and he’s cute and he’s a perfect fit for the end of Kate’s bed. In fact, Dave is everything a puppy could be.
Feeling Sorry For Celia
A #1 Bestseller in Australia and Book Sense 76 PickLife is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the “Joy of the Envelope,” a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else. But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter.
Rosie And Tortoise
Rosie can’t wait for her baby brother to be born. But when he does arrive, Bobby is the smallest, weakest little hare ever, and Rosie feels scared. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with him until the day Dad tells her a special story that helps her understand that Bobby is “slow and steady.” That night, she holds her baby brother for the first time and feels his heart beating against hers.
The Rabbits
Uses rabbits, a species introduced to Australia, to represent an allegory of the arrival of Europeans in Australia and the widespread environmental destruction caused by man throughout the continent. A sophisticated picture book. Suggested level: primary, intermediate.
Sun Mother Wakes The World
At the beginning of the world, it was dark and silent and nothing stirred anywhere, until a voice roused the sleeping Sun Mother in the sky, telling her it was time to wake up all the creatures of the earth. The indigenous people of Australia believe that their first ancestors created the world and its laws. They also believe that the world is still being created in a continual process they call The Dreamtime.
Guitar Highway Rose
Two 15-year-olds, Rosie and Asher, upset over the various unhappy circumstances of their lives in the Australian city of Perth, decide to run away, in a tale that explores the emotional roller coaster of adolescence.