Kate Gordon

WINNER OF THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 - YOUNGER READERS. "I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing." Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all....

Things have changed in Aster’s life, and she’s really not okay. Her dad is the one person who has always been there for her, but now Aster feels like she’s being pushed out—like the space that used to be hers is getting smaller and smaller. The good, right things—she did them because she was scared of not being seen, of...

Esme doesn’t like the girl she sees in the mirror. Not pretty enough. Not thin enough. Not smart enough or talented enough. Nothing at all like her big sister, Ro. Then, a new friend comes into her life—a friend who wants Esme to be exactly who she is, or so Esme thinks. For a while, Esme likes who she sees...

When Juno Jones’s (Former Kid Who Doesn’t Like Reading) first-ever favourite book goes missing, she convinces Miss Tippett to turn their classroom into a courtroom so she can present her evidence, unmask the culprit and—more importantly—get her book back! With her list of possible suspects ranging from friends to foes (both human and alien), Juno is sure it’s only a...

Nothing could stop Juno helping her secret ninja friend, Futoshi, defeat the Alien Lizard Men before they take over the world—except a book-themed school camp, of course! It wasn’t so great that Bella and her wannabe-pop-star clones were going too, but even that couldn’t spoil her excitement at spending time with the two best things in life: friends and books....

A disaster has happened! Again. Muttonbird Bay Primary is once again under threat of closure, and Juno Jones is pretty sure the Alien Lizard Men are involved. But that's not all… Shy Vi is missing, Miss Tippett is acting VERY strangely, and everyone keeps turning to Juno Jones to solve the mysteries. Even Perfect Paloma wants Juno's help... If Juno...

A DISASTER HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED – THE SCHOOL HAS CLOSED. Not Muttonbird Bay Primary, of course, but their neighbour Pademelon Point. When five new kids join Juno Jones' class, Juno must do whatever she can to keep her title as the school's Super Reader. Her greatest rival is Tess Golightly—a warrior maiden and ace reader with a pet Gryphon. Everyone...

A disaster has happened. Muttonbird Bay School might be closing. I mean, FOREVER. Juno Jones loves her school. She does not want to have to go to the posh school up the hill or the one down the hill next to the sewage treatment plant. But the Men in Suits want to close Muttonbird Bay Primary down. And there’s only...

A heartfelt story of one girl's determination to save her beloved home and the lyrical companion tale to The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn. When Melodie Rose is abandoned on the doorstep of Direleafe Hall, she realises she must be a ghost. Strangely, she is not sad. With the three other ghostly girls who haunt the school and a gloomy crow...

An evocative story about one odd boy searching for his place in the world, perfect for anyone who has ever wondered where their path might lead. When Jackdaw Hollow is orphaned by a lightning strike, he is taken in by the headmistress of Direleafe Hall. Even though he grows up with her love and care, he feels undeserving, as if...

In the small town of Table Cape Bay, Rocko Jarvis is the least cool kid there is, while his 15-year-old sister Pen is the exact opposite. With his best friend Cosmo, he has tried everything to turn that around. A movie club, a Chinese Checkers club, a Lego club – even a pink polo shirt club. In a last-ditch effort...

A lonely orphan called Wonder Quinn yearns for a friend in this enchanting fairytale celebrating friendship, bravery, and the importance of staying true to yourself. Lonely orphan Wonder Quinn lives in the attic of Direleafe Hall with only a gloomy crow for company. Every year she hopes to make a true friend, and every year her heart breaks when she...

From acclaimed authors Kate Foster and Kate Gordon, a special story about being kind to others... and yourself. There are people everywhere who need help, who might seem okay on the outside but aren’t on the inside. People whose whole entire day can be changed ... Josh wants a friend but he doesn’t know how to find somewhere to belong...

Two of Australia’s most acclaimed and high-profile writers co-author a sensitive and ultimately hopeful story about our growing climate crisis. With sea levels rising, and the land deforested, over-mined, and affected by bushfires and drought, Tasmania is increasingly marooned, its people abandoned. Nyx’s father wants them to leave while they still can, but for Nyx, West Hobart is all she’s...

Step right up and prepare for the most magical show of all! When Emme and Ivy—two runaway girls weighed down by grief—stumble upon a strange circus on the moors, they are flung together, discovering a world unlike any other. Ghostly performers, mythical creatures, and a Ringmistress with dark secrets await them beneath the blood-red Big Top. To save the fading...

Do you ever look at the sky and think that’s where we belong? Like maybe the world is the wrong way around, and we’re meant to be up there, floating? Sixteen-year-old Therese lives in a small town on a small island. Her Aunt Kath calls her Tiger. Her friends call her Resey. The boy she loves calls her Champ. She’s...

In 1859, fourteen-year-old Daisy is travelling on the SS Admella from Adelaide to Melbourne when the steamship is wrecked on a submerged reef near Cape Banks, in what became known as one of Australia’s worst maritime disasters. A century later, siblings Max and Rose spend their summer holidays at Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, perched on a reef eight miles out to...

It’s 1993. Beth McMaugh is eleven years old and about to start her final year of middle school. Her best friend since kindergarten is Ashlee, but Ashlee is changing. She wears surf brand clothes now, watches teenage TV, and knows all the words to all the songs by Girlfriend and Peter Andre. Beth is terrified of losing her when they...

Rocko Jarvis is on top of the world. The Secret Detectives Club has landed its second case: The Case of the Missing Milk Jugs! It might not sound thrilling, but Rocko loves being in the club with his best friend Cosmo and Mingus Reid—the coolest kid in town. For a while, he can even forget about the school bullies and...

Matilda's Frog Trouble follows Matilda as she delights in visiting her cousin Emily's farm with her friends. The joy particularly lies down by the creek, where they encounter adorable frogs. During one of these visits, Emily and her mum discover an old tin, revealing a leather pouch and a beautiful Chinese comb. The origin of these intriguing items remains a...

"There is no now and no then, only in between and always Open the box. Come and see." Aberdeen Knopwood wants to make a difference - to help save the planet and express the passion for the environment that burns underneath her skin. But how can a girl who is too scared to stand out actually do something meaningful? Aberdeen's...

Sometimes Xavier wakes up feeling hopeless. Every new doctor … this will fix it. Removing him from school … this will fix it. The therapy group … this will fix it. And his dad moving out. Maybe, this will fix it. His daily affirmations seem to be helping, yet the black dog never really goes away. But Xavier has a...

Finch and Wren were as close as a brother and sister can be. When he vanished, when they were nine years old, her world cracked in two. Finch was never found. On the same day that Finch disappeared, another girl was lost, too. Her name was Ava. Her parents were rich tourists from Sydney. Ava's story got all the media...

Temora and the Dreamers reveals the enchanting journey of Temora Tempest, a girl who once believed she was just ordinary. After making a wish on her twelfth birthday, she discovers her true identity: a wordspinner from the magical Lunary World, destined to bring stories and dreams to the children of another realm. However, a lurking danger threatens these mystical tales....

Temora and the Wordsnatcher is a book of magic and adventure, self-discovery and the true power of words. It is populated by children who are discovering their true selves and the way they fit in the world. Temora Murphy is eleven years old. She lives in an immaculate house, with a mother who wishes to control and mould her. The...

Amira’s Magpie is a story of friendship, family, and escape; of bravery and resilience in the face of hardship. It is the story of hope we find in small happinesses, even when it seems like all hope is lost. In the evocative and primarily monochrome illustrations, we see Amira living in some kind of compound. Her beloved grandfather lives a...

1916. As The Great War rages overseas, eleven-year-old Lorna Whittle and her four sisters fight their own battles in the heart of Tasmania’s Midlands. Left with their cold and distant mother while their gentle father heads to war, the Whittle girls unleash their mischief amongst the wild countryside surrounding their grandparent’s farmhouse — painting cows, brewing stink bombs, and waging...

We are the storm and the stillness. Indigo in the Storm by Kate Gordon. Indigo Michael isn't like other kids. And her mum isn't like other mums. Life for people like them isn't meant to have meaning—it's just something to survive in whatever way you can. When her mum abandons her, Aster's Aunt Noni becomes her foster parent. Suddenly, Indigo...