{"title":"Barry Jonsberg","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the imaginative world of \u003cstrong\u003eBarry Jonsberg\u003c\/strong\u003e, a celebrated Australian author known for his captivating children's and young adult fiction. His stories often blend warmth, humour, and thought-provoking themes, engaging readers of all ages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Jonsberg's collection includes titles like \u003cem\u003eA Little Spark\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA Song Only I Can Hear\u003c\/em\u003e, where young readers can dive into tales of discovery, adventure, and the magic of youthful courage. In \u003cem\u003eCatch Me If I Fall\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eDarkest Night, Brightest Star\u003c\/em\u003e, older readers will find a more intense exploration of identity and resilience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn works like \u003cem\u003eH is for Happiness\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eIronbark\u003c\/em\u003e, Barry crafts stories that highlight the complexities of growing up while championing the importance of optimism and friendship. His storytelling is complemented by \u003cem\u003eMy Life As an Alphabet\u003c\/em\u003e, a heartwarming narrative about embracing uniqueness and navigating the ups and downs of adolescence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ePandora Jones\u003c\/em\u003e series, including titles like \u003cem\u003eAdmission\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSmoke \u0026amp; Mirrors\u003c\/em\u003e, showcases Jonsberg's ability to weave thrilling and suspenseful plots that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Meanwhile, \u003cem\u003eThe Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull\u003c\/em\u003e provides a comedic yet insightful look into school life and unexpected friendships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Jonsberg's books are ideal for those who appreciate stories filled with emotion, wit, and a touch of mystery. Whether you're looking for a lighthearted read or a deep exploration of teenage life, Jonsberg's works are certain to captivate and inspire.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"my-life-as-an-alphabet-by-barry-jonsberg-9781743310977","title":"My Life As an Alphabet","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people (with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish) who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing Candice Phee: twelve years old, hilariously honest and a little...odd. But she has a big heart, the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to ensure everyone is happy. 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Your first challenge follows.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThese challenges have nothing to do with impressing Destry Camberwick. They are all to do with Rob Fitzgerald impressing Rob Fitzgerald. Bear that in mind at all times.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChallenge 1. You will enter the Milltown's Got Talent competition. This gives you over a fortnight to polish your act and work out strategies to overcome panic attacks. I would wish you luck but the point of this challenge is that you don't need it.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing Rob Fitzgerald: thirteen years old and determined to impress the new girl at school, but it's a difficult task for a super-shy kid who is prone to panic attacks that include vomiting, difficulty breathing, and genuine terror that can last all day. An anonymous texter is sending Rob challenges and they might just help. Or not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeautifully moving and full of heart and humour, \u003cem\u003eA Song Only I Can Hear\u003c\/em\u003e is a delightful novel about dreaming big, being brave, and marching to the beat of your own drum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46542307328236,"sku":"9781760630836","price":19.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/23695303482814.jpg?v=1749707559"},{"product_id":"catch-me-if-i-fall-by-barry-jonsberg-9781760877613","title":"Catch Me If I Fall","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'We've been worried about Aiden too, Ash,' said Mum. 'He's always been such a ... predictable child. You're not the only one to have noticed the changes.'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAsh and Aiden Delatour are identical twins, living a privileged lifestyle with loving parents. In a world that has fallen apart at the seams, they want for nothing. All they have to do is be there for each other, no matter what.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut after Aiden suffers a terrible injury, he isn't the same brother Ash always relied on. Something has changed, and it will lead to a discovery that will turn their whole world upside down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA brilliant and timely middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eMy Life As An Alphabet\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eA Song Only I Can Hear\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46543698952428,"sku":"9781760877613","price":19.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/26163073482814.jpg?v=1749750816"},{"product_id":"pandora-jones-admission-by-barry-jonsberg-9781743318119","title":"Pandora Jones: Admission","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePandora Jones: Admission\u003c\/em\u003e begins with Pandora Jones waking in an infirmary, her body weak and her memory offering only flashes of horrific scenes of death. She soon discovers that her family has succumbed to a plague pandemic that nearly wiped out humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePandora is one of the survivors admitted to The School, a quarantined, heavily guarded survival-skills facility. Here, survivors are encouraged to recover their strength, hone their skills, and prepare for whatever comes next.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePandora's particular skill is intuition, but she wonders how useful it will be outside the secure walls of The School. Her intuition may lead her to question where the truth truly lies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThemes of plague, pandemic, intuition, secrets, truth, courage, action, and survival are central to this gripping tale. Explore the challenges that await Pandora as she navigates a world both unknown and dangerous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46550379233516,"sku":"9781743318119","price":42.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781743318119.jpg?v=1750023059"},{"product_id":"the-whole-business-with-kiffo-and-the-pitbull-by-barry-jonsberg-9781741141122","title":"The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull","description":"Part detective fiction, part quirky journal, this bold and funny novel is a laugh out loud tale that unfolds when two unlikely friends are drawn into a dramatic series of events through mutual mistrust of their english teacher.","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46556159377644,"sku":"9781741141122","price":22.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25398693482807.jpg?v=1750140569"},{"product_id":"darkest-night-brightest-star-by-barry-jonsberg-9781761180385","title":"Darkest Night, Brightest Star","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTwo things that are true and one that is a lie:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI think my mother is dead and alive.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI think if I work hard I will be very good at something.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI've tried to please my dad but I don't think I ever will.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThirteen-year-old Morgan lives with his dad and his older brother, Mitch. He hasn't heard from his mum since she left when he was two. He works hard on his football skills, striving to meet his father's high expectations and 'be a man'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut what that means isn't always clear-cut. When Morgan makes a friend at school, gets injured in a game, and his long-lost mum turns up, everything changes. Then, when he meets an old woman in need of help, Morgan must decide what kind of man he wants to be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShining a timely and much-needed light on different kinds of masculinity, \u003cem\u003eDarkest Night, Brightest Star\u003c\/em\u003e is a unique and compelling novel from a masterful storyteller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46727580614892,"sku":"9781761180385","price":47.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1105003482815.jpg?v=1754948245"},{"product_id":"ironbark-by-barry-jonsberg-9781741149555","title":"Ironbark","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI'm miserable and sixteen. In that order.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSixteen can be a tough time. And it's almost unmanageable for a wisecracking boy whose temper is white-hot. As a consequence, he is sentenced to a time-out with his reclusive grandfather in a primitive shack in the Tasmanian forest. There is little to do except chop wood and watch the red-eyed wallabies gather at dusk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey are an unlikely couple: a taciturn old man who prefers the simple life, and a volatile boy addicted to the technology of the 21st century. Yet, a bond blossoms between them. But denied access to much he desires, and feeling provoked by a local cop cynical of city folk, the boy's frustration grows. And when he encounters situations he can't control, anything could happen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e...another gem from Barry Jonsberg. A great read for all teenagers.\u003c\/em\u003e - Robert 16, Silverfish Book Group\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46732844990700,"sku":"9781741149555","price":22.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25483023482807.jpg?v=1755141800"},{"product_id":"a-little-spark-by-barry-jonsberg-9781760526924","title":"A Little Spark","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2024 Chief Minister's NT Book Awards, Children's\/YA Books\u003c\/b\u003e  \n\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2023 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e  \n\u003cb\u003eNOTABLE BOOK: 2023 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers\u003c\/b\u003e  \n\n\u003ci\u003eI don't tell Mum and Sam anything about my weekends with Dad. It would be giving them tickets into that world. The world Dad and I have created. And I don't want to do that. It's ours. It's all we have. It's all we've been allowed since my parents got divorced.\u003c\/i\u003e  \n\nCate gets to spend every second weekend with her dad, and each time something special and surprising happens. Something that fires the creative spark that Cate channels into her writing.  \n\nAnd everything is fine until Cate's stepdad, Sam, gets offered his dream job in London and her mum decides they are going to move to England with him...  \n\nCate must decide what she wants for herself. She loves both her parents - but she must choose between them.  \n\nA warm and funny novel full of unexpected twists and turns, joy and heartbreak.\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46738903892204,"sku":"9781760526924","price":21.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22656183482814.jpg?v=1755458080"},{"product_id":"h-is-for-happiness-by-barry-jonsberg-9781760527402","title":"H is for Happiness","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Where do I start in explaining how much I loved this hilariously quirky and moving story with its beautiful, fractured gem of a narrator? How about A is for Awesome.'\u003c\/em\u003e - Michael Gerard Bauer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people [with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish] who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIntroducing Candice Phee: twelve years old, hilariously honest and a little ... odd. But she has a big heart, the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to ensure everyone is happy. So she sets about trying to 'fix' all the problems of all the people [and pets] in her life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLaugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully touching, \u003cem\u003eH is for Happiness\u003c\/em\u003e is the film based on Barry Jonsberg's award-winning novel \u003cem\u003eMy Life as an Alphabet\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46995522781420,"sku":"9781760527402","price":19.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22660963482814.jpg?v=1763114258"},{"product_id":"smoke-mirrors-by-barry-jonsberg-9781761180750","title":"Smoke \u0026 Mirrors","description":"\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2025 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2025 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Writing for Young Adults\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2024 Queensland Literary Awards, Young Adult Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI don't know about love. I suspect the emotion that others apparently feel all the time is just . . . absent from me. Like there's an ingredient missing from the recipe. The possible exception is Gran.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGrace cares about only two things: performing magic and her cantankerous gran. Gran shares her prickly personality and spiky sense of humour, and she's the only one Grace lets into her tightly locked heart - until she meets Simon, a schoolmate who promises to help her turn her magic tricks into a small business and social media stardom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Gran is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Grace moves in to become her primary carer. With the help of Simon and some sleight of hand, Grace is determined to bring joy back into their lives. 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Mo is worried his mum will be furious that he boarded an alien craft with strangers. And Aitch is not too happy that they've kidnapped his dog. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut maybe the aliens aren't that scary after all? They say they want to \u003ci\u003esave \u003c\/i\u003ethe planet. It's only humans they're not so impressed by... \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe future of the human race might just be in the hands of three nerds and their lazy dog. 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