Showing results by narrator "Elizabeth Brennan" in All Categories

When Harry Houdini comes to visit the seaside town of Sidford-on-Sea, Glory and her friend Dennis are first in line to see him. He is there to perform a daring trick – he will jump off the town pier in chains, pitching himself into the water below. But when Glory outsmarts the infamous Houdini, she is suddenly sucked into his world, and finds herself tasked with looking after his precious trunk – the one that contains all his secrets.

Twelve-year-old Rose can't remember anything before last week, when she woke up not knowing her own name, her own house or or even her own mother. The only thing Rose recognised was her puppy, North. But Mother patiently explained everything – well, not everything. Not the real-feeling dreams Rose has about a mysterious forest she half-recognises. Or why she is not allowed to stray beyond the garden, out into Luminelle, the vast city surrounding them. Mother is kind and helpful, but Rose can't shake the feeling that something's not right. Or maybe it's everything that's not right?

Four favorite Australian authors present a heartwarming collection of festive stories about finding love on the farm this Christmas.

Gemma Hayden has returned to her hometown of Alice Springs for a new job as a primary school teacher. It's been six years since her family broke apart following the disappearance of her twin brother. And the scars still run deep. Hard on the heels of her homecoming, Saul Pearce, the man she once loved, is reposted from Parks and Wildlife in Darwin back to Alice. When an old car wreck is uncovered, washed down the river to Ruby Gap, Saul investigates only to find that the wreck belonged to Ethan, Gemma's twin—and there's a coded note for her in the glovebox.

Amelia Harris has played it safe all her life - but when a minor accident lands her in hospital, she dramatically quits the tedious office job she's been working at for a decade. When her mother, Toni, asks her what she wants to do, Amelia is at a loss. Out of sheer desperation, she tries her hand at the dream jobs she's always fantasised about. Soon Amelia's shadowing a thrilling cast of characters and professions - as a journalist, a florist, a wedding planner, a zookeeper, and more. Life couldn't be more exciting, especially when she meets the man of her dreams.

At just three years of age, Estella is taken from her mother, adopted by the wealthy but eccentric Miss Havisham and taught how to break men's hearts. Satis House is dark and oppressive and life with the vengeful Miss Havisham a confusion of contradictory lessons, but the kindness of the household cook and Estella's love of the nearby marshes bring her some joy. Forced to play with Pip, a local boy from a lowly background, Estella captivates his soul and breaks his heart, exactly as Miss Havisham has planned.

June 1940. 'It was a perfect June evening that began with hope and ended in despair.' So begins the journal of Hugh Jackson, a Jersey doctor, whose idyllic world is shattered when Britain abandons the Channel Islands which are invaded by the Germans. Forced to choose between conflicting loyalties, he sends his pregnant wife to England, believing their separation will be brief. It's a fateful decision that will affect every aspect of his life.

After five exhilarating years in New York, Stevie has a successful career and glamorous social life. But what she most wants is a baby – an aspiration that feels impossible given that she is single, 38 and living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, far away from most of her family in England. Determined to become a mother, Stevie returns to London and has a baby on her own. When she gives birth to Ash, she finds motherhood painfully at odds with her former life and her expectations. She begins to wonder if having a child was a mistake, and what she might be willing to do to escape.

Going into the playground can be like setting off on an adventure in the jungle – exciting, a little bit wild and filled with lots of different creatures. You’ll meet lots of people having their own adventures in the playground, and sometimes you might want to play together. There’s a lot to learn, but there’s also lots of fun to be had.

Families come in all shapes and sizes. They are the people who help us feel that we belong. Families give us help, support and love, even when we are apart from them. When we are with our family, we feel like we are home.

Worries are like clouds. Some days are so wonderful we wish we could bottle them. But other days we don’t feel like getting out of bed. Worries are like clouds that float in and take the shine out of our day. Moving worries away can make even the toughest day feel a little better.

The life inside your body is tricky to see, but you can feel it. Life lets you run and laugh and play – like how the wind helps kites to fly across the sky and leaves to dance across the ground. But where does the wind go when it stops blowing? And where does life go when it leaves the body?

You are the only you there is. There are many amazing and special parts that go into making you who YOU are. Your amazing body has many parts that you can move and feel and see, and even more parts deep inside where you can’t see. All these parts – the big ones and the little ones – all work together to make the amazing unique person that is YOU …

The internet can be amazing – it helps you talk to friends and family that live far away, and you can also play games and learn all sorts of fun things. The internet can also be a bit like a puddle – there are some puddles that are fun to play in, but others are much too deep and aren’t safe. It is important to stay in the right part of the internet.

Friendship is a very special thing. It’s great to have a friend, and being a friend to someone else is a good feeling too. Sometimes getting along with your friends is easy, and other times it can be a little trickier, but there are lots of ways to keep your friendships balanced and fun for everyone.

Anger is a strong and powerful thing. It brings us lots of energy, and it can tell us when something is not right or when we have a problem. Anger is something that can protect and take care of us. Anger is a bit like armour.

Love is a special and growing thing. It's a little bit like a tree – a special magical tree – that you can climb up into, nest comfortably in its big branches and safely watch the world go by. Love can come in different shapes and sizes. Like a tree, love can grow and grow.

Your mind is a bit like an amazing garden. A garden has lots of tracks and paths that lead in different directions. It has wide open spaces where we can create and play. A garden has places to grow things and do work. It has clever parts that help us to grow and learn.

Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures and she shares them with her best friend Li who writes stories to go with the pictures. They are kindred spirits with big creative dreams. One day everyone in town – except Megan and Li – is immobilised by a strange glow coming from their phones. Megan and Li are initially frightened and alarmed, but when they realise they are somehow immune, they set out to seek help.

Megan kept drawing. The drawing seemed to have a mind of its own. She felt herself begin to panic. She wanted to stop. But her hand didn’t stop. Please, could she stop. Stop! Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures, and she shares her drawings with her best friend Li who writes stories to go with the pictures. They are kindred spirits with big creative dreams. One day everyone in town – except Megan and Li – is immobilised by a strange glow coming from their devices.