Alison Lester

For six months, Grace and her family travel around Australia, seeing sights and meeting people.

In the second volume of this charming series, friends Bonnie and Sam are determined to win the local talent contest. And they know that learning to do trick riding on horseback will secure victory. When the girls pick a real-live horse to practice on, all bets are off. The excitement will keep young readers turning pages, as Bonnie and Sam discover that some things are even better than winning.

During summer vacation at Whale Bay, Bonnie and Sam are charged with shearing sheep and taking care of two horses, Tex, who is afraid of the ocean, and Blondie. Along the way, they stumble across clues to a mystery at Skull Rock. Kids won't be able to resist this page-turner as Bonnie and Sam put together the clues and catch the abalone poachers!

"Sophie Scott is only nine years old, but she's going to Antarctica on an icebreaker with her dad, the ship's captain. During the voyage to Mawson Station and back, Sophie keeps a diary. She sees icebergs, penguins, seals and whales. She makes new friends, wonders at the southern lights and even becomes stranded in a blizzard!"--Back cover. Nine year-old Sophie Scott embarks on a month-long mission to Antarctica with her father aboard an icebreaker...

After a life marbled with exploration, academia, and domesticity, the writer Valerie Lester retired to a residential hospice and set about enjoying the final act of her life. She knew just where she wanted to be, with whom, doing what, and she communicated this to her family and friends with clarity and consistency. She died nine weeks later, having engaged in dying with equanimity, curiosity, and even amusement. In Absolutely Delicious, Valerie's...