Most Popular Books by Victor Kelleher

Reissue of a novel first published in 1992 dealing with a series of incidents in the lives of an unhappy and wild Irish family living in poverty in London, seen through the eyes of a young grandson.

SUMMARY: From captivity, two baboons are returned to their natural environment but they are unable to cope and must flee to survive.

Devastatingly sinister, and uncomfortably familiar, the truth about Parkland is yet to be revealed ... Parklandis the first title in a loosely linked trilogy (including Earthsongand Fire Dancer) exploring themes of humanity, responsibility and freedom.

After a mysterious flash of light in the night sky, strange music drifts from the woodland. To begin with the soft haunting melody entices only birds and animals. But then, three of the townsfolk - Angie, Ross and Mad Jack - are affected. Alone, unaided, they investigate.

The story of Emma Wilhelm, an idealistic young woman, starts in SW Africa at the turn of the century, and is recorded 60 years later by her granddaughter.

First published in 1990. Fantasy novel for teenagers, named as an honour book in the CBC Book of the Year Awards in 1991. Ramon thinks he is the son of the Sun Lord and the Moon Witch, but terrible events cause him to question his beliefs.The award-winning author''s other publications include ''Forbidden Paths of Thual''.

When her father is thrown from their boat during a storm, Claire spends days and night alone at sea, injured and feverish, with only the whales as companions and protectors.

Where does God live? Peter asked. His big sister, Janet, pointed to the ceiling. Up there. D you mean in the attic? Peter wants to know where God lives, but no one seems to be able to give him an answer. He s looked everywhere; in the house, in the backyard, in the sky, but he can t see God anywhere. Not even the postie knows his address! When he decides to wander around his neighbourhood to try to find Him, Mrs Patel tells him that there s more than one god, and that confuses him even more! Where s God? is a humorous look at a boy trying to understand the concept of God.

The great dome of the sky, black, star-sprinkled, arched above him, appearing at that moment so limitless, so vast and free, that the fences and cages of Taronga were dwarfed, reduced to the point where they barely seemed to exist . . . Every so often, there comes a story so brilliant and lively and moving that it cannot be left in the past. Rediscover the magic of our country''s most memorable children''s books in the Penguin Australia Children''s Classics series of stories too precious to leave behind.

This collection contains two of Victor Kelleher''s powerful books of interwoven stories, The Travellerand Micky Darlin'', as well as previously uncollected pieces. Taken together, they lead us on a journey- one which moves through the guilt-ridden, violent terrain of Central and Southern Africa; then shifts to an Australia which has yet to learn the lessons of pity and compassion; and ends where in a sense it began - in the raw, all-too-human world of the poor expatriate Irish living in London in the forties. Vivid, moving, and always finely crafted, this collection reveals those diverse qualities which have won Victor Kelleher major awards as a writer for both adults and children. ''Uncompromising in their emotional honesty.'' Elizabeth Perkins, Outrider

Novel by the prize-winning author dealing with racial, spiritual and sexual conflict in Australia in 1988. Jack Rudd is caught between his fixation with an Aboriginal activist and his guilt feelings over Benny who lies in hospital in a coma.

Reissue of a novel for teenagers first published in the Viking imprint in 1999. 15-year-old Jamie Hassan has been chosen by a Sufi of old Alexandria to step into the realms of the dead and follow the ivory trail through four continents, six generations, and five diverse cultures. As a channeller, Jamie can speak to the dead and relive their lives, but will he deny his remarkable power? Award-winning author''s other publications include ''Taronga'', ''Slow Burn'' and ''Fire Dancer''.

Who are we, really, and what might we one day become?the seemingly endless war between humans and their robot creations is at a crossroads.A successful military commander, Michael Shaw, changes the stakes for both sides and the bitter conflict enters a new phase. But Michael compromises his career by taking in a Rob ''child'' who bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost daughter, Ellen.Inevitably, the child grows up, and the woman he calls his daughter reverts to her robotic origins. Michael is left with a terrible choice, a choice which leads father to track daughter through a war-torn land, and to question everything he has believed about himself and his world.Victor Kelleher is one of Australia''s finest writers. His books have won numerous awards, including the Ditmar Australian Science Achievement Award and the Peace Literature Award.

Enjoy more of Gibblewort''s capers in this new collection of three of his memorable adventures in Australia.

After freeing two ailing baboons from a research station in Africa, David and Jess are unexpectedly caught up in a struggle for survival in the bush.

Derin sets out to look for his missing father after their home is destroyed in an attack and is caught up in a war between the people of the mountains and the people of the plains, leading to a confrontation with the Master of the Grove.

The Grimes are a really grimy bunch. Yet they all seem happy enough. Until one day their dog, Rotten Rex, decides they''re too disgusting even for him. So he runs away...and that''s when their problems begin. Ages 6-9.

Futuristic novel for teenage readers. Nat is journeying to find his uncle, Jack Curtis, who reigns supreme in the Promised Land. The journey is challenging and dangerous, but promises the possibility of finding the truth and release. Prolific author''s previous titles include ''The Red King'' and adult novel ''Into the Dark''.

How can an unlikely group of travelling entertainers possibly challenge the Red King in his stronghold? How could they hope to survive, let alone win?

Dramatic novel for teenage readers, first published in 1997, dealing with issues of responsibility, environmental destruction, revenge and grief. Danny''s mother dies of asbestosis, and Danny tries to work out who is to blame for her death. He becomes an eco-warrior on the fringes of society, campaigning to preserve the environment. The author''s other publications include ''Master of the Grove'', ''To the Dark Tower'' and ''Where the Whales Sing''.

Given to the Great Father on the night of his birth, Boy is reared by a dog in a village whose people barely tolerate him, despite signs that he is favored, then travels far, striving to find his rightful place in the brutal world of humans.

The disturbing and awesome Beast of Heaven wanders a ruined earth, destroyed long before by an atomic holocaust. He shares the land with the Gatherers, a gentle nomadic tribe, sensitive to the spirits of those long dead.

Reissue of a children''s novel first published in Australia in 1983. Winner of the Special Award in the WA Young Readers'' Awards (1983), it is set in a mythical land and concerns the perilous journey of a youth cast out of his clan. The author has written many highly regarded children''s books, including the award-winning ''Master of the Grove''.

Nonsensical children''s picture book for younger readers. Billy loves baked beans and eats them constantly. When Mum gives him four huge helpings for his birthday treat, the consequences are both funny and surprising. Both author and illustrator have produced many children''s books.

A dark, brooding novel about a modern family torn apart by the reaction of one child, Sam, to the death of Laura, the family''s middle child. Exactly a year after Laura''s death, Sam becomes obsessed with a terrifying and evil presence he calls Del-Del. The author, a former associate English professor, has written more than 15 books for adults and young readers.

''What is it, Gran?'' Peter demanded, pulling urgently at her sleeve. ''What''s the matter?'' Meg didn''t answer. She was staring down at the book they had been reading together, a shocked expression on her face. For there on the page she had just turned was a picture of the thing itself. Not a photograph, naturally, that would have been impossible. This was merely an artist''s impression. Still, there was no mistaking what she was looking at: the self same creature she had encountered all those years before, when she had been not much older than Peter. What a long time ago that was! Over forty years, and in all that time she hadn''t mentioned what she had seen to anyone. She had thought about it often enough, though. And now, confronted by the creature once more, here in the pages of a book, she almost felt that the long years had never passed. Those ancient eyes, gazing up at her from the painting, seemed to plunge her back in time, back to the lonely country road which ran between school and her grandmother''s farm. It was as if she were actually there, surrounded by the sounds and smells of the bush; as if she were a fourteen-year-old girl once more, hurrying through the dusk towards that first unsettling moment of contact ... The ''creature'' referred to here is a marsupial leopard. Is it real, or a figment of the imagination?

First published in 1999, this dramatic novel deals with issues of friendship, passion and betrayal. A young man known as the Ox is summoned to Castle Dracula where he enters the service of the Count. The two become locked in a passionate duel when a woman they both want is seduced into a life she does not want. The author''s other publications include ''Taronga'', ''Earthsong'', ''The Red King'' and ''Brother Night''.

A fantasy adventure story about a society of warriors, their unseen rulers, the Makers, and the cadet Jeth, who is wrongly accused of breaking the law. Winner of the 1989 Children''s Literature Peace Prize and shortlisted for the 1988 Children''s Book of the Year Award. Paperback issue of a children''s novel first published in 1987.

Fantasy/science fiction novel for teenagers, first published in 1995. Set in the future, it tells of a time when Earth is unpopulated and two off-world humans, Anna and Joe, are sent to Earth to establish a new colony. Sequel to ''Parkland'', this second volume in a loosely linked trilogy is followed by ''Fire Dancer''. The award-winning author''s other publications include ''Forbidden Paths of Thual''.