Books published by publisher University of Queensland Pr (Australia)

An exciting middle - reader adventure about a modern neighbourhood gang with all the charm of the Famous Five. Mosquito Advertising is home from New York when the shocking news breaks: the government is banning advertising for fast food, starting with soft drinks. All the work they've done to save Parfizz has been for nothing! Katie is furious. Bans don't work, everyone knows that, and while the other soft drink companies weasel their way around the new rules, Mosquito Advertising plots to rewrite them. Katie reckons the key is to make ads for fruit as cool as ads for fizzy drinks. It's a great idea - all they have to do is convince the Prime Minister. But great ideas aren't always enough, especially when you're also dealing with paying clients, a missing kid, moody friends, shadowy enemies and a family set to triple in size. In this new adventure, Katie and her friends take on the challenge of making fresh fruit as appealing as fast food. It's never been done, but then, there's never been a company like Mosquito Advertising.

Chris Eveson is a genius; streetwise, artistic and sensitive, and rebelling against the domineering abuses of his father. Unlike his twin brother, Cain, who seems average in every way – at least to the outward observer. But gifts and talents run much deeper than two dimensions. Brian Caswell’s extraordinary new novel will draw you into a web of mysteries, and of horrors from the past buried by lies in the present.

A high-speed school musical, an internet scandal, an abusive meat-headed roommate and a pair of shoes that cause more trouble than they’re worth could this be Starrphyre Jones’ perfect summer? All Starrphyre wants is one date with his dream girl, Candace McAllister. Or at least a meaningful conversation. But how can he get her to notice him when she’s the leading lady of every other high-school guys’ fantasies? For sensitive-meets-dorky Starrphyre, starting a band seems like the natural solution, but when your bandmates have the combined musical ability of a gang of armless monkeys, you really need a backup plan. From the outrageously talented author and cartoonist Dave Hackett comes a laugh-aloud, heartfelt and vivacious novel.

An important story that will empower young children dealing with bullying that includes inventive ideas for overcoming it She’s big. She’s smart. She’s mean. She’s the bully on the bus. She picks on me and I don’t like it. But I don’t know how to make her stop. When the bully on the bus taunts seven-year-old Leroy and threatens him of worse to come, his teacher introduces him to the adventures in The Big Bad Book of Fairytales. Hidden throughout are the clues that Leroy will need to overcome the bullying taunts once and for all. Bully on the Bus incorporates fairy tales to teach lessons about coping and self-esteem, empowering young children to deal with and overcome bullying.

The third book in the Chook Chook series set against the backdrop of rural China It’s Chinese New Year, and for Mei and her family things are looking grim. It’s been another bad harvest and a disappointing year for their farm. And now, the government is building a major freeway that will rip right through their village and tear their little farm apart. One by one, Mei’s neighbors are convinced to sell their land and despite Ma’s and stepfather Jin’s best efforts to fight, it looks like their farm will be next. What can Mei and her beloved chickens, Little and Lo, do to save their farm and keep the family together? As the deadline for bulldozing draws near, villagers young and old will come to realize that it takes a village to save a farm.

Pizza for breakfast! No bedtime! Skateboarding encouraged! And ... no parents! Welcome to Verdada. When Edsel takes an unexpected voyage to a parallel dimension, Verdada, his life is transformed overnight. Suddenly, his over-protective parents are nowhere to be seen and rules are a thing of the past. Or so he thinks. Everything seems perfect. Everything is not what it seems. Edsel needs to decide between the world he knows or being forever young in a place of forever fun. But time is running out. Will Edsel be stuck in Verdada forever? The first in a fantastic three-part series by award-winning author James Roy.

'I don't want to live longer – I want to live bigger.' Thorns may have only a short time to live, but he's determined to make every second count. And that's where Jack comes in. Safe and quiet, he's going to help the high-spirited Thorns fulfill his wish list. Challenging, touching and funny, Daredevils is a story about friendship, courage, the pursuit of dreams and the joy of living.

'Home's a good place to be, Billy-boy. I'm glad I got to see it again.' When Captain Mack is released from his prison camp at the end of the war, no one is quite sure what to expect, least of all his son Billy. Will he be the same man who went off to war so full of hope and pride, or will he be different? Will he even remember his own children? Or will his experiences on the dreaded railway have changed him forever? In his prequel to the powerful Captain Mack, acclaimed author James Roy takes us on a journey back to 1945, to a time when the world was trying to recover after five years of war, and families were learning how to live together all over again.

Before Alex Jackson was a pro skateboarder he was a kid. Before he met Becky Tonella, beat up Billy Johnstone, boardslided 15 stairs, he was searching for the one thing that would make his life make sense. This is the year he found it. Set when Alex was in Year 6, this is a fun filled rollicking adventure that introduces Alex and his mates. A genre Pat Flynn has successfully made his own.

Bailey's Swamp is a lot of things. Beautiful. Secluded. Creepy. It's also thought to be the home of Big Red, a giant and elusive fish, a true legend of the local area. And Barney and Liam are determined to find him and catch him. But they're about to discover that there's much more to be found at Bailey's Swamp than some big old fish. In this exhilarating adventure story, James Roy will take you on a journey more electrifying than camping in a thunderstorm.

In Year 9 the action rips. Alex lands himself a gig in a skating video, his mum is hellbent on getting out of Beeton and a new girl rolls into his life. The SWA gang skate hard, but when they lead Alex out of the park into the street, they could be leading him into trouble. And what the hell does SWA stand for anyway? Join Alex for the ride and find out if it's with or without Becky - his first love.