New Releases by Ursula Dubosarsky

Here is the story of the Terrible PLOP, with a bear and a rabbit, and a hop hop hop. But what is the PLOP? And where does it hide? Open the book and look inside ... ''Hilarious, original and energetic.'' The Sunday Age From award-winning author Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrator Andrew Joyner comes an irresistible picture book about a little rabbit who learns that some things in life aren''t as scary as they seem. Based on a Tibetan myth, a sound in the forest sets all the animals running for their lives from the Terrible Plop. Children will be charmed by the wonderful zany energy of the illustrations and the rollicking rhyming story.

There were only eleven of them, like eleven sisters all the same age in a large family. Because it was such a very small class, they had a very small classroom, which was perched at the very top of the school. Then in the Gardens they meet a poet. What follows is inexplicable, shocking, a scandal. What really happened that day? And do the little girls know more than they are letting on?

One winter''s day my dad and I Went down to see the carousel. We stood and watched as round and round The little horses rose and fell. So begins the magical journey of a small girl and a wooden horse. A journey of music and mirrors, of green hills and sunlit skies, of wishes and freedom. From this much-loved author and brilliant new illustrator comes a glowing, timeless picture book that celebrates the enduring wonder of the carousel.

Becky has reached the point in her swimming lessons when she has stopped being a Frog and has moved up to be a Platypus. She has to go into the deep end, and she''s not at all sure that she''s ready for it. She wishes she could be a Frog for just a little while longer.

This beautiful full-colour book is a compilation of Honey and Bear and Special Days with Honey and Bear, reproduced in a B format. The ten short stories are exquisitely illustrated by the talented Ron Brooks, and each capture a small moment in the lives of these animal friends. In Honey and Bear - the silver-eyed bird and the cuddly, rotund bear - Ursula Dubosarsky has created characters that children will love, in the tradition of Winnie the Pooh, and Frog and Toad. The tales are the perfect length for beginner readers to attempt themselves, or to read aloud to younger children.

From the beginning of time, the WORD SPY has been creeping down hallways, hiding in shadows and journeying through different lands to discover everything there is to know about the English language. In her first book, The Word Spy, she shared with us the secrets she''d learnt about English, from the first alphabet in 4000 BC right up to the tricks of modern texting. In The Return of the Word Spy she continues the fascinating journey through language, with chapters on language families, how we learn to speak, grammar and written forms of communication. In an accessible, engaging style, the WORD SPY explains the meaning of nouns, verbs, pronouns, ''dead'' languages, word origins and other wordy wonders. Packed with cartoons, games, facts and puzzles, The Return of the Word Spy continues the WORD SPY''s fascinating journey through the English language.

Meet the Word Snoop. She?s dashing and daring and witty as can be?and no one knows more about the evolution of the English language than she does. Luckily, she?s spilling her secrets in this gem of a book. From the first alphabet in 4000 BC, to anagrams, palindromes, and modern-day text messages, readers will learn all about the fascinating twists and turns our fair language has taken to become what it is today. With playful black-and-white illustrations, riddles to solve, and codes to break, The Word Snoop is definitive proof that words can spark the imagination and are anything but dull. This is a book for every aspiring writer, and every true reader.

Becky has the best ideas for cubby houses. She can''t wait to show the new little girl next door!

Thunder is an old white horse who lives in a field in Martha''s town. Martha and her mother often stop on the way to school to give him something to eat. Martha knows that Thunder doesn''t love her as she loves him, but there is something special about him.

A psychological thriller, a desperately moving and ultimately uplifting tale of childhood innocence. . . As small children, growing up at the property called Abyssinia, two sisters played with their dolls house together, side by side, always. Grace loved Mary and Mary loved Grace. But inseparable bonds can be unexpectedly shattered. When this happens to Grace, she is plunged into a dark and mesmerising world, a world full of bells and the ringing sky, of odd little children, strange events and frighteningly bizarre grown ups. ''. . . wonderfully atmospheric. . . brilliantly evokes the often-shadowy place of childhood. . .'' -The Age ''Ursula Dubosarsky is the most graceful, most original writer for young people in Australia - probably in the world.'' - Sonya Hartnett

In her hand was a hinged wooden box with a black clasp. On the lid was a painting of a white bird with a long neck, its wings stretched out in flight. Fred rubbed it with her fingers, wiping away the dust. ''The Game of the Goose,'' she read slowly. ''Open it,'' said Rowley . . . Fred, Rowley and Rabbit hardly knew each other before the game. But the game changed everything. It took each of them on an adventure – a terrifying, wonderful journey that they would remember for ever.

Students take turns bringing home the class chameleon and writing about how he spent his visit.

Theodora is fourteen when her father Elkanah has a mysterious vision. Soon after, he leaves his family and goes to live with his first wife Pearl. It is up to Theodora and her half-brother Samuel to bring him back. Meanwhile, Samuel''s grandfather Elias is dying, and Theodora begins to see a black cat that could not possibly be real. As present-day events collide with stories from a distant past, the world begins to seem a more complex place, full of uncertainty, great wonder and inspiration.

She''s baaack! Last time, Claudia wrote the hilarious My Father is Not a Comedian! This time, she and her sister Griselda are playing I spy. That''s how it all begins, when Griselda spies something beginning with ''B'': Blood. Naturally, the first thing Claudia thinks of is murder (she reads a lot of murder mysteries). So, she begins her Quest for Clues. She has to come up with a plan - and quickly! There''s a maniac on the loose and maybe even a ghost. And there''s bound to be another murder most foul . . . A funny and brilliantly written detective story with a difference - it''s all about jumping to conclusions really, which is something Claudia does really well. And who knows? By the end of it, you too can become a great detective.

Honey is a bird and Bear is a bear. Together, they have special days. There''s a birthday, a new year, a surprise and an adventure in this new collection about old friends.

Novel for early primary school readers, part of the Aussie Nibbles series. Becky''s two gorillas just sit in the dollhouse and do nothing except growl and look scary - until Becky gives them their first bath. Followed by colouring in the gorillas with textas, covering them with glitter, freezing them, and much more. Illustrated throughout and has large print.

Humorous novel for 10 to 14 year olds. Someone starts to follow Claudie''s father and so she embarks on a mission to protect him. Author''s other publications include ''High Hopes'' and ''Black Sails, White Sails''.

Isador Brown, who is almost an orphan, sets out on his travels, carrying a satchel which contains five things plus one which he keeps a secret until nearly the end of the book... His adventures take him far and wide in this whimsical fantasy story by a highly acclaimed author.

While on holiday at the old convent where her mother lived as a child, a letter arrives and Phyllis is led back on a frightening journey to 1938, but in so doing she begins to understand more about the past, and in particular her mother''s childhood.

Literature Circles Year 7.

An eleven-year-old Australian girl feels terribly guilty about something she did three years ago when her English relatives were visiting--and now they are returning!

Julia arranges English lessons for her Argentinian-born father, but doesn''t bargain on his falling in love with his teacher.

Children''s fantasy/adventure story about the adventures of Maisie and her Pinny Gig, whom she meets in her dreams.

Samuel will nicht mit seinem Vater von Australien in die USA ziehen. An seinem 12. Geburtstag verschwindet er. Dabei gerät er in Lebensgefahr. Ab 14.