Books published by publisher University of Queensland Pr (Australia)

‘A road trip of healing and discovery, and one that I highly recommend you take.’ Michael Gerard Bauer Hunter is stuck in a car with his family as they travel up the Queensland coast. It is a trip that his mum thinks will bring the family closer together, especially now that his stepdad and little brother are part of the mix. But with tension and secrets sizzling beneath the happy family facade, the road trip soon becomes Hunter’s worst nightmare. The further away from home he gets the more he can’t shake thoughts of the accident that took his dad away from them. Forced out of his comfort zone, Hunter tries to embrace life on the road. Between campsites he parties with friendly backpackers on the beach, has one too many close encounters with wild animals and finally meets a girl who actually understands how he feels. But is it enough to help him deal with the real reason his family set off on their journey in the first place? Sandy Feet is a raw and engaging coming-of-age story that perfectly portrays the highs and lows of adolescence as well as the consequences of family tragedy.

From a new voice in children's storytelling comes a heartfelt tale of love, loss and the power of kindness set against the backdrop of rural China. Since the death of Mei's father, her ma has refused to keep animals on the family farm. So when Mei finds two baby chickens, she shares her delightful discovery with no one but her older brother Guo. Mei does her best to keep her newfound friends a secret, but all does not go as planned. When Ma sells the chooks to the fearsome one-eyed butcher, their fates seem sealed. With no money to pay the butcher, how can Mei save her beloved chickens?

'At school I have lots of friends. I have so many friends that sometimes I don’t know who to play with.' Tahnee wants everyone in her Year 2 class to get along and be happy. But what happens when all of Tahnee’s friends want her attention at the same time? And how can Tahnee be friends with Lucy, when Lucy doesn’t seem to want any friends? A novel about friendship and school life, and the balance we all need to find to be the best friend we can be.

A powerful mystery from award-winning author Anthony Eaton, this edition of A New Kind of Dreaming is a special reissue of a modern Australian classic Jamie Riley has hit rock bottom. Busted for stealing cars, he’s been shipped off to serve time in Port Barren, a stinking hot town stuck between the desert and the sea. The minute Jamie arrives, he can feel something is not quite right about Port Barren—the town has a past it doesn’t want to share. After being warned that Port Barren is his last chance before jail, Jamie resolves to serve his time and get out. But when he discovers an old, wrecked boat on the beach and starts asking questions, it becomes obvious that local cop Elliot Butcher has it in for him. As he gets closer to the truth, things start going wrong around town. With no one else to blame, Jamie realizes surviving Port Barren is going to be way harder than he thought.

Growing up is tough, especially the bit between being a boy and being a man. It s tough because so much is changing at once. Using humour and sensitivity, James Roy presents a book that will help any young man navigate the confusing minefield that lies between boyhood and manhood. With some help from his friend Richard the Wise, he talks frankly about sex, puberty and relationships, and shows that becoming a man doesn t have to scare the pants off you

Does your imagination ever run wild Charli is at riding camp, where her dream is about to come true - she will finally learn to ride a real, live horse. But when show-off Mikaela picks the horse Charli wants, her heart bungees to her toes. Instead of the beautiful palomino Razz, Charli's stuck riding the massive retired racehorse Spud. And what about the bats that fill the night sky Don't bats spread deadly diseases Riding camp isn't turning out the way Charli planned, especially when she finds herself in the middle of a life-threatening disaster. An action-packed adventure about horses, bats and getting carried away by your imagination.

When the paths of a runaway teenage boy, an old hobo, and a rich girl intersect in an abandoned train yard, each carries their own personal baggage. Over early mornings, long walks, and cheap coffee they discover, no matter how big or small, it’s the simple gifts in life that really make a difference. A life-affirming look at humanity, generosity and love, this is a special reissue of a bestselling and award-winning Australian classic that includes up-to-date teacher’s notes.

Saria is the last of her kind, the final child to be born in the Darklands, a quarantined expanse of outback desert, contaminated generations earlier by the remote and mysterious Nightpeople. Spirited away at her birth before the Nightpeople could remove her from the genetic pool, Saria, now in her early teens, is called before the Council of Dreamers to be used as a bargaining chip. There she discovers the truth about her own past, and that of her people. Nightpeople explores a society turned in upon itself and a future which readers will find both alien and disturbingly familiar.

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.

When a group of close friends leaves the dusty outback orphanage where thy've grown up for a summer holiday together at the coast, their furture is full of possibilities. But the chance that one of them, just one, might gain a real family to live with calls everything they thought they knew about themselves and each other into question. Because the future is as unknown as the ocean's depths. And family comes in many forms...