{"title":"Gary Lonesborough","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the engaging world of Gary Lonesborough, a celebrated voice in young adult literature with a refreshing perspective. Known for his ability to weave authentic narratives that resonate with young readers, Lonesborough's work is both thought-provoking and enlightening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStart your journey with \u003cem\u003eThe Boy from the Mish\u003c\/em\u003e, where you'll meet Jackson, a teenager navigating the complexities of life, love, and family in a rural Australian town. This critically acclaimed novel offers a touching exploration of identity and belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDive deeper into Lonesborough's storytelling with \u003cem\u003eI'm Not Really Here\u003c\/em\u003e, a gripping tale that continues to highlight his signature blend of heartfelt honesty and cultural insight. The book challenges readers to question their perceptions, encouraging growth and understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor those seeking a captivating read, \u003cem\u003eWe Didn't Think It Through\u003c\/em\u003e doesn't disappoint. Lonesborough once again crafts a narrative filled with relatable characters and situations, prompting introspection and empathy towards different life experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGary Lonesborough's collection remains a treasured addition to any young adult bookshelf, offering stories that spark conversation and inspire change. Discover his works today and experience narratives that linger in the mind long after the last page is turned.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-boy-from-the-mish-by-gary-lonesborough-9781760525880","title":"The Boy from the Mish","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2022 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2022 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Indigenous Writing Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2022 NSW Premier's Literary Award, Indigenous Writers' Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2022 Adelaide Festival Awards, Young Adult Fiction Award\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2021 QLD Literary Awards, Griffith University Young Adult Book Award\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'I don't paint so much anymore,' I say, looking to my feet.\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003e'Oh. Well, I got a boy who needs to do some art. You can help him out,' Aunty Pam says, like I have no say in the matter, like she didn't hear what I just said about not painting so much anymore. 'Jackson, this is Tomas. He's living with me for a little while.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city - but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret - a secret he thought he'd locked away for good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCompelling, honest and beautifully written, \u003cem\u003eThe Boy from the Mish\u003c\/em\u003e is about first love, identity, and the superpower of self-belief.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Boy from the Mish\u003c\/em\u003e is an extraordinary debut novel, and I loved this tender, beautiful story with all my heart. Jackson and Tomas stole my heart, and I'll be thinking about them for a long time. \u003cstrong\u003eNINA KENWOOD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A lightning bolt to the soul. \u003cem\u003eThe Boy from the Mish\u003c\/em\u003e announces a bold, necessary new talent.' \u003cstrong\u003eWILL KOSTAKIS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'How I wish I had this big-hearted book when I was a teenager. It would've changed my life. Let it change yours.' \u003cstrong\u003eBENJAMIN LAW\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'It is, honestly, a book I've been searching for over my whole career as an editor, as well as all my years as a (queer) reader. I'm not ashamed to say that it made me cry (repeatedly) and awed me with the power of its storytelling.' \u003cstrong\u003eDAVID LEVITHAN, Scholastic US Editorial Director\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A deftly woven tale that is both a raw, unflinching look at the experience of growing up gay and Aboriginal, and a sweet, truly endearing love story you just can't turn away from. This is Own Voices storytelling at its best.' \u003cstrong\u003eHOLDEN SHEPPARD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Honest. Funny. Beautiful. This book is all the things.' \u003cstrong\u003eGABBIE STROUD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'What an amazing work Gary Lonesborough has launched into the world. It's bound to launch him into the stratosphere. This story will lighten and enrich the life of many.' \u003cstrong\u003eJARED THOMAS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46521968460012,"sku":"9781760525880","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22645743482814.jpg?v=1749027470"},{"product_id":"im-not-really-here-by-gary-lonesborough-9781761180767","title":"I'm Not Really Here","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2025 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2025 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Writing for Young Adults\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A moving coming-of-age story with so much heart. For readers who enjoyed \u003ci\u003eHeartstopper\u003c\/i\u003e.' BOOKS \u0026amp; PUBLISHING\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFootsteps approach behind me. I turn and see an Aboriginal boy arriving at the doorway. He's tall, taller than me. He's got curly hair. His body is fit. His chest is chiselled and bare, and he's wearing only football shorts.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen 17-year-old Jonah arrives in a new town – Patience – with his dad and younger brothers, it feels like a foreign place. A new town means he needs to make new friends – which isn't always easy. Especially when he's wrestling with his body image and his memories of his mother.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he joins the local footy team so he can spend more time with his new crush, Harley, he feels like he's moving closer to something good. But even though he knows what he wants, it doesn't mean he's ready.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEmotionally compelling, honest and warm, \u003ci\u003eI'm Not Really Here\u003c\/i\u003e is a beautiful novel about navigating family and friendships and finding a way through grief towards love, from an internationally acclaimed bestselling Indigenous author.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Gary Lonesborough\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'What a revelation this young writer is. He is doing something no other male First Nations novelist has attempted: the YA Blak queer genre that is a glimpse into another worldview, at once confronting yet heartwarming.' - \u003ci\u003eAUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW \u003c\/i\u003e[\u003ci\u003eWe Didn't Think it Through\u003c\/i\u003e]\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A lightning bolt to the soul. \u003ci\u003eThe Boy from the Mish\u003c\/i\u003e announces a bold, necessary new talent.' 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Dally is going to lose control and crash us into a pole or a house and we will be killed on impact.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe justice system characterises Jamie Langton as a 'danger to society', but he's just an Aboriginal kid, trying to find his way through adolescence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJamie lives in Dalton's Bay with Aunty Dawn and Uncle Bobby. He spends his downtime hanging out with his mates, Dally and Lenny. Mark Cassidy and his white mates - the Footy Heads - take every opportunity they can to bully Jamie and his friends. On Lenny's last night in town before moving to Sydney, after another episode of racist harassment, Jamie, Dally and Lenny decide to retaliate by vandalising Mark Cassidy's car. And when they discover the keys are in the ignition... Dally changes the plan. Soon they are all in Mark Cassidy's stolen car cruising through town, aiming to take it for a quick spin, then dump it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut it's a bad plan. And as a consequence, Jamie ends up in the youth justice system where he must find a way to mend his relationships with himself, his friends, his family and his future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A lightning bolt to the soul. \u003cem\u003eThe Boy from the Mish\u003c\/em\u003e announces a bold, necessary new talent.' WILL KOSTAKIS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'This compelling coming of age story is told with a voice so authentic, it pulls the reader into another life. Main character, Jamie, makes all the mistakes of a teenager struggling with the pain of the past and the turbulence of the present, but his humour and honesty creates empathy for someone who would otherwise be misunderstood. 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Two council workers in high-vis shirts are on ladders, scrubbing away the faded words: WHITE POWER.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the idyllic coastal town of Carraway's Point, four Aboriginal boys grew up together on Chopin Drive, carefree and close. But they drifted apart in high school, and everything changed forever the night Brandon was killed by a white cop. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow racial tension is brewing, and each boy must wrestle with grief and their own complicated lives.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKallum has lost his sport scholarship and must return from Sydney. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJordy contends with family responsibilities and a closeted boyfriend.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDylan was the only witness to Brandon's death, and he must testify in court. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStruggling to contain their emotions and process the murder of their friend, Kallum, Jordy and Dylan must navigate explosive events in a way that opens up a future they can't yet see. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA searing and unputdownable YA novel from acclaimed award-winning author Gary Lonesborough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'... 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