A young girl grows up in the sooty shadow of the coal mines of West Virginia When the whistle blows, Christina knows her father is coming home. Every day he emerges from the pit with his skin caked in coal dust. He's 50 now and he's been working in the mines since he was 12 years old. It's dangerous, backbreaking labor, but he does it because he loves his family. As far as Christina is concerned, there is no job in the world more honorable than digging coal. Danger is always close at hand in the mines. There are cave-ins, explosions, and diseases. But no matter what happens, Christina and her family always stick together. This meticulously researched look at life in a coal camp shows that no matter how dark the pit, love will always shine through.

Tao is learning to be a dragonkeeper. With no one to teach him it is not easy. He must keep Kai safe but there is danger at every turn – a gang of murderous nomads, a giant seven-headed snake and, most terrifying of all, a ghost who can turn blood into ice. Tao knows he must prove he is truly worthy of the name dragonkeeper. But the road west is never straight and nothing for Tao and Kai is what it seems.Shadow Sister is the fifth novel in the internationally bestselling and award-winning Dragonkeeper series from Australian author Carole Wilkinson. This gripping junior fiction fantasy is the perfect read for secondary school age children. Continue the story with the other books in the series: Dragonkeeper (Book 1), Garden of the Purple Dragon (Book 2), Dragon Moon (Book 3) and Blood Brothers (Book 4). Carole can be found online at: carolewilkinson.com.au

Dylan is the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod. His parents run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage - and when he's not trying to persuade his sisters to play football, Dylan is in charge of the petrol log. And that means he gets to keep track of everyone coming in and out of Manod - what car they drive, what they're called, even their favourite flavour of crisps. But when a mysterious convoy of lorries trundles up the misty mountainside towards an old, disused mine, even Dylan is confounded. Who are these people - and what have they got to hide? A story inspired by a press cutting describing how, during WWII, the treasured contents of London's National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate mines. Once a month, a morale-boosting masterpiece would be unveiled in the village and then returned to London for viewing. This is a funny and touching exploration of how Art - its beauty and its value - touches the life of one little boy and his big family in a very small town.

BRING BACK ROD'S BODY! Rod Allbright has found his father — but lost his own body! It's been stolen by BKR, the most fiendish villain in the galaxy, which leaves Rod sharing the body of a one-eyed, blue alien named Seymour. Alas, when it comes time to go after BKR, Rod is forced to stay behind so that the little villain won't be able to get at the world-destroying secret locked in Rod's brain. Stranded on an alien planet with only Madame Pong, Seymour, Snout, and his annoying cousin Elspeth for company, Rod fumes at being left behind. Little does he know he's about to be drawn into a web of alien plots that will test his courage to the utmost — and ultimately bring him face-to-face with BKR.

Barbara Park’s New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, is a classroom favorite and has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than twenty years. Over 60 million copies in print and now with a bright new look for a new generation! Meet the World’s Funniest Kindergartner—Junie B. Jones! Junie B. knows there’s no such thing as monsters. Mother and Daddy even said so. But then why is there monster drool on Junie B.’s pillow? Oh, no! What if Paulie Allen Puffer is right—what if she really does have a monster under her bed? If Junie B. goes to sleep, the monster might see her feet hanging down. And he might think her piggy toes are yummy little wiener sausages! USA Today: “Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set.” Publishers Weekly: “Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun.” Kirkus Reviews: “Junie’s swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud.” Time: “Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty.”