Sofie Laguna

'Ned was beside me, his messages running easily through him, with space between each one, coming through him like water. He was the go-between, going between the animal kingdom and this one. I watched the waves as they rolled and crashed towards us, one after another, never stopping, always changing. I knew what was making them come, I had been there and I would always know.'..Meet Jimmy Flick. He's not like other kids - he's both too fast and too slow. He sees too much, and too little. Jimmy's mother Paula is the only one who can manage him. She teaches him how to count sheep so that he can fall asleep. She holds him tight enough to stop his cells spinning. It is only Paula who can keep Jimmy out of his father's way. But when Jimmy's world falls apart, he has to navigate the unfathomable world on his own, and make things right...Sofie Laguna's first novel 'One Foot Wrong' received rave reviews, sold all over the world and was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award. In 'The Eye of the Sheep', her great originality and talent will again amaze and move readers. In the tradition of 'Room' and 'The Lovely Bones', here is a surprising and brilliant novel from one of our finest writers.

The Eye of the Sheep

The Choke is a mesmerising, harrowing and ultimately uplifting novel from the 2015 Miles Franklin winner.

The Choke

The exhilarating and joyous story of Hester whoe imagination is informed by an illustrated child's bible and whose only companions are Cat, Spoon, Door, Handle, Broom. A brilliant first novel of profound depth, startling originality and breathtaking talent from the author of the 2015 winner of the Miles Franklin Award.

One Foot Wrong

A bold new literary novel from the author of the award-winning The Eye of the Sheep and The Choke.

Infinite Splendours

Lucia Masciullo

It's 1808 . . . and Grace is on board the ship Indispensable with her friend Hannah. The girls wonder what the new land will be like – the convict women say there are giant rats and other strange animals! Then sickness strikes the ship . . . Will they survive to reach the shores of New South Wales? Follow Grace on her adventure in the second of four exciting stories about a convict girl who is given another chance.

A Friend for Grace

Our Australian Girl

Marc McBride

Matthew stood on the snowy peak and stared out at the world spread before him. Every picture in his books had been limited by the size of the page, contained within frames. Here, there was no frame. Here, the picture didn't end. Beyond those icy plains, the sea, and beyond the sea, a land that floated on the ice, drifting northwards. Matthew put the binoculars to his eyes and saw valleys and cliffs and rivers all made of snow. Everywhere was white. Matthew has dreamed and read and thought about the North Pole for as long as he can remember. And he has done it secretly. It is a place that cannot be tarnished by the world in which he lives - a world in which he struggles to find answers and make friends, while everything seems to come easily to other children. But one day, a crow called Lewis Carmichael lands at Matthew's window - a crow who believes in Matthew in the most simple and ordinary ways. Soon, the unexpected voyage of a lifetime begins, and it will change everything... An unforgettable adventure story from award-winning children's book author Sofie Laguna, with enchanting illustrations by Marc McBride.

The Song of Lewis Carmichael

'Brilliantly captures the innocence of childhood and the devastating consequences when that innocence is shattered' Claire Fuller 'I was haunted by the voice and landscape of The Choke and have been recommending it all summer' Sarah Moss Justine Lee was born breech, entering the world on her knees. She reads words the wrong way round. But she sees things more clearly than the adults around her think. Raised by her Pop since her parents left, Justine helps feed the chooks and makes dens down by the narrow stretch of the Murray River they call the Choke, dodging the violent games of her half-brothers. When Justine hears her dad's coming home at Christmas, she feels a mixture of excitement and dread. He's a dangerous man, and his presence will close in on Justine's young life, like the riverbanks at the Choke. She must find a way to flow onwards, breaking the cycle of violence and poverty through friendship, resilience and her own strength. Winner of the 2018 Australian Indie Fiction Award

Далечна светлина

In het leven van een meisje spelen haar streng gelovige ouders een zeer beklemmende rol.

Eén voet verkeerd

For the first time, read all four Grace stories in one beautiful hardback edition. It's 1808 . . . and Grace's world is about to change - from her tough life as a mudlark on the River Thames in London, to the adventures and challenges she faces as a servant girl in a new country. Journey with Grace across all four exciting stories about a convict girl who's given a second chance. Dreamy, thoughtful, brave and compassionate, Grace is an unforgettable Australian Girl.

The Grace Stories

Judy Watson

Beautiful, warm and evocative, this stunning picture book reveals an older brother's hopes for the amazing experiences he will share with his new baby brother - when he's older. A triumph of illustration and storytelling. Baby brother, I can't wait until you're older. Just imagine the adventures that lie ahead... An exquisitely illustrated and deeply joyful celebration of the bond between brothers. Join them as they explore the far reaches of this wild and amazing world, side by side every step of the way. From two highly acclaimed and award-winning creators. 'This is a very special picture book for all ages. We are with the brothers all the way - on the last pages, holding our breath. A masterpiece.' ANN JAMES 'This beautiful book gives us the life we'd all love our children to have, out in the natural world, revelling in its beauty and truly being part of it. The exquisite illustrations are bursting with energy and colour, the language is rich yet simple and the brothers look after each other as brothers should. It really hits the spot, right in your heart.' ALISON LESTER 'A heart-warming story about the powerful bond between brothers.' MARGARET WILD

When You're Older

A spooky, exuberantly funny and hugely entertaining book about a boy who is having trouble making friends in his new neighbourhood... From bestselling author Sofie Laguna. Perfect for Halloween reading!

The House on Pleasant Street

A spooky, exuberantly funny and hugely entertaining book about a boy who is having trouble making friends in his new neighbourhood... From bestselling author Sofie Laguna. Perfect for Halloween reading! Alby and his family are new on Pleasant Street. Their house is perfect, with a great tree to climb, and a pool. Their pet, Delia, is still in training, but she's settling in just fine. And tonight is Halloween - Alby's favourite night of the year - so ANYTHING could happen... A hilarious story about family and friendship, and what happens when trick-or-treating doesn't go to plan.

Beautiful, warm and evocative, this stunning picture book reveals an older brother's hopes for the amazing experiences he will share with his new baby brother - when he's older. A triumph of illustration and storytelling.

The stars shine brightest out of the deepest dark . . .” A child is imprisoned in a house by her reclusive, religious parents. Hester Wakefield has never spoken to another child, nor seen the outside world. Her one possession is an illustrated children’s Bible, and its imagery forms the sole basis for her capacity to make poetic, real-life connections. Her companions at home are Cat, Spoon, Door, Handle, Broom, and Tree, and they all speak to her, sometimes telling her what to do. One day she takes a brave Alice in Wonderland trip into the forbidden outside, at the behest of Handle, and this overwhelming encounter with light and sky and sunshine is a marvel to her. From this moment on, Hester learns that there are some things she cannot tell her parents, and she keeps this secret to herself. Hester buries it among her other secrets, the ones that take place in the shadowy corners of her insular world, and she keeps them all locked inside her as they multiply and grow, waiting until she can find other ways to be free. One Foot Wrong challenges the boundaries of right and wrong, sanity and madness, love and justice, poetry and life. The story told by Hester is often dark and harrowing, but the affecting impact of her distinctive voice and her way of seeing the world illuminates every page and makes this novel an exhilarating, enlightening and, ultimately, an uplifting and transformative experience.

A Novel

The incandescent new novel from the acclaimed Miles Franklin winner author of The Eye of the Sheep and The Choke.

Fighting Bones is the convict-era adventure in this series of exciting, action-packed Australian stories for boys aged 8 to 12. Irish brothers Danny and Declan Sheehan are inmates at Tasmania's Point Puer prison for convict boys in 1836. When tragedy strikes and the prison bully is on the rampage, escape is their only chance to survive... But will they dare? It's an adventure in history. Do you dare?

Do You Dare? Fighting Bones

Lawrence Loman is a bright, caring, curious boy with a gift for painting. He lives at home with his mother and younger brother, and the future is laid out before him, full of promise. But when he is ten, an experience of betrayal takes it all away, and Lawrence is left to deal with the devastating aftermath. As he grows into a man, how will he make sense of what he has suffered? He cannot rewrite history, but must he be condemned to repeat it? Lawrence finds meaning in the best way he knows. By surrendering himself to art and nature, he creates beauty - beauty made all the more astonishing and soulful for the deprivation that gives rise to it. Infinite Splendours is an extraordinary novel, incandescent with love and compassion, rich in colour and character. The power and virtuosity of Laguna's writing make it impossible for us to look away; by being seen, Lawrence is redeemed. And we, as readers, have had our minds and hearts opened in ways we can't forget. '...deserves to stand beside David Malouf's Harland's Half Acre or Michelle de Kretser's The Lost Dog in that slender collection of brilliant Australian novels about art' - The Weekend Australian

Lily Hippo's family and friends often complain that she is too loud and noisy, but that loudness makes her a hit in the school play.

Sofie Laguna

Books

Your next favorite book is out there