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Gus and the Starlight

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( 106 ratings, 23 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Gus and the Starlight by Victoria Carless follows a young boy named Gus who discovers a dilapidated cinema called the Starlight that's brimming with secrets and stories. As Gus undertakes the mission to save this magical place, he learns about friendship, community, and the power of imagination. It’s a heart-warming tale that highlights the importance of preservation and collective effort.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$1999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this delightful children's book if you are captivated by tales of friendship and adventure, where a young hero embarks on a journey filled with imagination and heartwarming moments. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate a touch of whimsy and the charm of discovering new worlds through the eyes of a child.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A spine-tingling and heart-warming story about friendship and finding your special place in the world.

Gus doesn't want to make friends. She also doesn't want to be intrigued by the cat-lady teacher at her new school, or the Riley's Comet project that she and her seaweed-eating science partner are working on together.

And she definitely doesn't want to fall in love with her job as the projectionist at the Starlight, a drive-in movie theatre that her family is reviving.

Because, knowing Gus's luck, she and her family could be moving on in a day, or a week, or a month. When the ghosts that haunt Mum catch up with them. Or if the Starlight doesn't succeed.

Then she'll have to say goodbye. Again.

And saying goodbye is too hard.

PRAISE FOR Gus and the Starlight

'A magical middle-grade book with a feather-light fantastical touch that wonderfully helps the young protagonist figure out their complex and confusing family; the hope they have in their heart for a fresh start, and the ways that the past can haunt and help us. Just - stunning!'

- Danielle Binks, award-winning author of The Year the Maps Changed

'An utterly captivating tale of family, friends and a haunted drive-in cinema, told with gentle humour and poignant moments that tug on the heart-strings.'

- Kate Forsyth, best-selling and award-winning author of The Chain of Charms series

'What a beautifully-put-together middle grade novel. Victoria has done such a great job of bringing this tale to life. Gus is a wonderful hero and I was cheering for her and the Ables the whole way. This has the perfect mix of feels, humour and pathos, and a sprinkle of supernatural!'

- Karen Foxlee, award-winning author of Lenny's Book of Everything and Dragon Skin

'A novel that is as full of heart as it is ghosts. Charming, exciting, poignant. An enchanting debut.'

- Rebecca McRitchie, award-winning author of the Whimsy & Woe and Jinxed! series

'A delightfully offbeat ghost story, featuring cinema, snacks, school projects and the joy of second chances.'

- Jaclyn Moriarty, award-winning author of The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone

'A moving and haunting read. This magical and quintessentially Australian tale is all about storytelling and how we have the capacity to rewrite our own destinies.'

- Yvette Poshoglian, best-selling author of the Ella and Olivia series

'A lovely, quirky, heart-warming story, about ghosts and movies and finding a home.'

- Judith Rossell, award-winning author of Withering-by-Sea

'Quirky, sweetly nostalgic and deeply immersive. A book that quickly became a treasured friend.'

- Jen Storer, award-winning author of the Truly Tan series

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781460760642

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 May 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Victoria writes works of fiction and for theatre. Her novel for young adults, The Dream Walker, was nominated for the Queensland Literary Awards and was a Children's Book Council of Australia Notable book for older readers. Her first book for middle grade readers, Gus and The Starlight, was published in 2022, and was shortlisted for best children's fiction in the Aurealis Awards. Lani and the Universe is her latest book. It celebrates the magic in nature, science and in our every day. Victoria lives in Queensland with her family and a very silly cat.

Also by Victoria Carless

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  • Lani and the Universe
    Lani Scrub has a plan: study hard and become a world-renowned scientist like her hero, Kit Galway, who wrote The Meaning of the Universe. The plan is ruined when Lani's mum decides to 'find herself' by joining a nature-loving community called Passing Waters. Lani should have known things were up when they got backyard chickens. At Passing Waters, Lani fails...
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  • The Dream Walker
    Sixteen-year-old Lucy Hart has been counting the days till she can get the hell out of Digger's Landing - a small Queensland fishing hamlet home to fifteen families, a posse of mongrel dogs, and Parkers Corner Store (no apostrophe and nowhere near a corner). But just like the tides Lucy's luck is on the turn, and as graduation nears her...
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