Dr Karl’s Random Road Trip Through Science by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

502 KRU                                                        Australian Author

Dr Karl is on a mission to track down Awe and Wonder in the Universe.
Why do wombats poo cubes?
What nearly destroyed humanity on Halloween 2015?
How do you use an incinerating toilet?
Find out why we've sent a spacecraft with Dr Karl's name on it to kiss the Sun, whether cannibalism is nutritious, and the answer to the biggest question of all - why does spaghetti always break into three pieces? Plus a whole lot more.

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Action and Adventure                                           Australian Author

Neoma and Jag and their small community are 'living gentle lives' on high ground surrounded by the risen sea that has caused widespread devastation. When strangers from the Valley of the Sun arrive unannounced, the friends find themselves drawn into a web of secrecy and lies that endangers the way of life of their entire community. Soon daring, loyal Neoma must set off on a solo mission across the risen sea, determined to rescue her best friend and find the truth that will save her village.

My Way by Moana Hope

920.72 HOP                                                             Australian Author

Moana Hope is one of thirteen children. Not a fan of dolls or dresses, footy has always been her passion, and she would spend hours playing kick-to-kick with her dad and brothers at the local park. When her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Moana cared for him until his death four years later. Footy and cricket provided an escape from the demands of domestic life, and she made state and national teams for both sports. But as women’s football became more popular, being good at the game wasn’t enough, players started being pressured about the way they looked. Moana refused to grow her hair or cover her tatts, and for the first time in her life felt sidelined by the game. But later, inspired by a women's exhibition game, she realised what she was missing and returned with gusto to the game she loved. 

The Invasion: Animorphs Graphic Novel by K.A. Applegate

Graphic Novel

Sometimes weird things happen to people. Ask Jake. He could tell you about the night he and his friends saw a strange light in the sky that seemed to be heading right for them. That was the night five normal kids learned that humanity is under a silent attack, and they were given the power to fight back.

Now Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco can transform into some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth. And they must use that power to outsmart an evil greater than anything the world has ever seen.

Armada by Ernest Cline

Science Fiction

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he's spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there's nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don't get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Could You Survive the Cretaceous Period? A Prehistoric Choose-Your-Own Adventure by Eric Braun

Action and Adventure

You've just been transported back in time. Exotic plants tower above your head, while giant rat-like creatures scuttle around you. What concerns you most, however, are the meat-eating dinosaurs that are the size of a house Do you think you have what it takes to survive the Cretaceous Period? Turn the pages to find out.

Ruthless: Special Forces Cadets by Chris Ryan

Action and Adventure

The ghettos of Colombia are crawling with street kids. They have nothing and are forced into lives of crime in order to get enough to eat. Their life expectancies are short, not least because the Colombian authorities allow paramilitaries to shoot them like rats.

But it's with the street kids of Colombia that the cadets must become embedded. Some of these kids have been recruited by the Colombian cartels. The cartels are causing untold misery, both in Colombia and on the streets of the UK. The cadets must befriend the cartel kids in the hope that they will lead them into the heart of the drug lords' empire.

As She Fades by Abbi Glines

Relationships/Friendships

On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma. They were supposed to spend the summer planning for college, for a bright future full of possibility together. Instead, Vale spends long days in the hospital, hoping Crawford will awaken.

Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale's brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can't deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she's not immune to Slate's charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship. Then, Crawford wakes up...

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Grade 10+

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice. 

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Romance Fiction                             Grade 10+

What advice would you give the younger you...and would you listen?
As far as time machines go, a magic telephone is pretty useless. TV writer Georgie McCool can't actually visit the past; all she can do is call it, and hope it picks up. Is she going crazy or is this a chance to make things right with her husband, Neal?
Maybe she can fix the things in their past that seem unfixable in the present. Maybe this stupid phone is giving her a chance to start over...if that's what she wants...