Most Popular Books by Libby Hathorn

Peace can be found and touched and heard, I know you, see you.. This beautiful poetic story by Libby Hathorn shows how a young boy finds peace in the everyday -- his friends, his family, his insights as he sees war-torn countries and children just like him.

Izumi, Ren and little Yoshi are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the famous poet Bashō in their village. It is 17th century Japan and the poet is walking far to the north, writing his now world-famous haiku. Libby Hathorn’s endearing story describes their encounter with Bashō. Sadami Konchi’s sensitive paintings light up the story with a grace and beauty to ably match the text.

Join this charming family of bears as they sing and chuckle and snuggle their way through a sunny afternoon. They delight in each other''s company and they delight in the myriad ways a baby can bring joy to everyday life.

A child discovers the smell, sound, excitement and magic of reading books. Suggested level: junior.

Come explore your backyard. Who knows what you''ll find? A butterfly, a frog, a bird . . . maybe even a dinosaur!A sweet and gentle story that feels as warm as a garden bathed in sunlight, from award-winning author Libby Hathorn and acclaimed illustrator Lisa Stewart.

Edith''s family has hit hard times - her father''s gone, her two brothers have been sent to a home for boys, and it''s just Edith, her mother and Blackie. When her mother tells her to burn the house down to collect the insurance, Edith has to make her own decisions and fight for what she believes in.Fire Song was commended in the Society of Women Writers of NSW bi-annual awards and was also highly commended in the Prime Minister''s Literary Awards for 2010.

A young woman travels to a new world, and discovers who she really is. In October 1829, Georgiana Molloy embarked on a gruelling five-month sea journey from her home in England, hopeful of a prosperous future in the new settlement in Western Australia. But the land she finds is harsh and unyielding, food is often short, and the struggle of colonial life spells dreadful loneliness. Yet despite the hardships, she begins to see the unique beauty of her adopted country, and becomes fascinated with its amazing plant life, so different from anything she has known in England. Based on the real life of Georgiana Molloy, pioneer botanist, this novel by acclaimed author Libby Hathorn takes us into the fascinating work of a young woman whose passion for flowers transformed her, and the world. ''Libby Hathorn''s historical novel is a wonderfully accessible introduction to the life of Georgiana Molloy, the Woman of Flowers, and extraordinary and unique figure in early Australia''s history. A beaut book!'' - Dr Kevin Thiele, Curator, Western Australian Herbarium ''This engaging novel about a modest but remarkable woman really gets to the heart of early colonial life in Australia. It''s both a great story and an enthralling piece of social history.'' - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD Celebrating 25 years of Libby Hathorn, acclaimed author of the Australian young adult classic THUNDERWITH.

What will happen when Zahara reaches the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and tries to see the Queen? Much acclaimed author, Libby Hathorn has told a gentle, celebratory tale, illuminated by the evocative illustrations of Doris Unger.

Painstakingly researched and extremely well written, this is a novel that moves deftly and easily from one time period to another and yet still allows the novel to retain an overall sense of cohesion. Shooting stars, kisses, grenades and the lumbering tanks. And the shrieking skies and the shaking comrades: ''Up and over, lads!'' And I know it is time again to go into madness. It is 1915 and eighteen-year-old Maurice Roche is serving in the Great War. A century later, Maurice''s great-great nephew, eighteen-year-old Oliver, is fighting his own war -- against himself. When Oliver is given Maurice''s war diary, he has little interest in its contents -- except for Maurice''s sketches throughout, which are intriguing to Oliver who is also a talented artist. As he reads more of the diary though, Oliver discovers that, despite living in different times, there are other similarities between them: doubts, heartbreak, loyalty, and the courage to face the darkest of times. From award-winning children''s and YA author Libby Hathorn comes a moving, timely and very personal book examining the nature of valour, the power of family and the endurance of love. This is a story we should never forget. Ages: 14+

Princess Diana saved my life.My name is Diana Moore and I''m the kind of girl who doesn''t stand out in the crowd. Average height. Average brown hair. the only thing not average about me is that I seem to land in trouble on a regular basis. My Mum died suddenly over a year ago. She left me with a stepfather who is a loser and his loudmouth son, Marcus. If it weren''t for Babs and my letters to Princess Diana, I''d be crazy by now.On the tenth anniversary of Princess Diana''s death comes this powerful novel about the power of celebrity, and growing up the hard way.Letters to a Princess was commended in the Society of Women Writers of NSW bi-annual awards.

Let''s dream of what we can become, Mother Earth, I am your son. Food and shelter, climate, water, Mother Earth, yes, I''m your daughter. Mother Earth is a warm, funny, beautiful collection of nature poems. Written with great sensitivity by multi-award-winning poet and author Libby Hathorn and with superb illustrations by talented artist and illustrator Christina Booth, this is a book to treasure and to celebrate our precious environment - for kids and families, students and teachers alike.

From one of Australia''s favourite authors comes the sequel to the bestselling THUNDERWITH. Can Lara help Marna, the painfully shy new girl, emerge and spread her wings? Lara wants to help the shy new girl Marna. But first she must deal with her own feelings. Does she love the faithful Stan, her first boyfriend? Or the beautiful, exciting Jake, on the road with his Crimson River rock band? How can she cope with the hated bully, Gowd Gadrey, who''s back in town, awakening powerful memories? And her reserved and troubled stepmother, Gladwyn, who has her own tragic past to confront? A gang of out-of-town bikies with evil intentions, whom Gowd seems to know quite well, leads to a night of revelations for Lara. It is not only Marna who is ''at the chrysalis stage'' in this immensely moving story, a celebration of the human spirit, liberation and hope, from Libby Hathorn, the bestselling author of the Australian young adult classic THUNDERWITH. ''A powerful novel about hope and the human spirit''s ability to finally win through.'' - COURIER MAIL, Brisbane on THUNDERWITH ''Hathorn deftly injects a sense of wonderment into this intense, very real story. Readers cannot help but be swept up on the action and emotion.'' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on THUNDERWITH ''A believable plot featuring a shattering climax and a satisfyingly realistic resolution.'' - HORN BOOK on THUNDERWITH

A powerful verse novel from one of Australia''s favourite authors. Alone and grieving, Alexander feels ready to erupt. Can he find his way back to hope? ''A real volcano boy,'' his mother had called him. Placed in the custody of his puritanical but well-meaning Uncle Frank, Alexander moves from Brisbane to volcano-circled Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. There the dark powers of the rumbling volcano call to him as irresistibly as the dark eyes of Alice, his newfound love. Alexander records his experiences in a moving, candid journal that surfaces many years after the volcano''s fury has settled to ash. ''VOLCANO BOY is beautifully written, and Hathorn is a beautiful writer.'' - LITERATURE CAFE Celebrating 25 years of Libby Hathorn, acclaimed author of the Australian young adult classic THUNDERWITH. ''Hathorn deftly injects a sense of wonderment into this intense, very real story. Readers cannot help but be swept up on the action and emotion.'' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on THUNDERWITH

Can Robbie survive alone on the streets? Robbie, homeless, caught up in a crime he wants no part of... Iris, an old lady he mugs in a city park... Their chance meeting brings about an unlikely friendship which offers both a new future. But can life really change for the better? Winner of Society of Women Writers NSW Award for Novel 1995 and the Australian Violence Prevention Certificate Award 1995, and shortlisted for the Human Rights Award 1995. ''Eventful and well-paced'' - THE CHILDREN''S BOOK MAGAZINE ONLINE ''This is a most powerful novel. Libby Hathorn has created a haunting picture of vulnerable and troubled youth... Highly recommended.'' - READING TIME Celebrating 25 years of Libby Hathorn, acclaimed author of the Australian young adult classic THUNDERWITH.

A young soldier far from home, a boy orphaned by war, and the stray dog that brings them together. A powerful history of the Somme from one of Australia''s most acclaimed children''s authors.

There was a child, The sweetest ever, Until she learned these words: ''NO! NEVER!'' Georgie is a sweet little girl who always makes her parents happy... until she discovers one powerful phrase: No! Never! It suddenly becomes her answer to every request, from tidying up her toys to going to bed. Her parents are at their wits end, but what happens when they decide to try saying No! Never! themselves? A lovely, lively look at the Terrible Twos (or Threes, or Fours, or Fives...) from mother-daughter team Libby Hathorn and Lisa Hathorn-Jarman, with debut illustrator Mel Pearce. Perfect for any parent dealing with tantrums, defiant behaviour or communication issues.

A modern Australian classic from bestselling author Libby Hathorn, now celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Lara feels completely alone after her mother''s death. She moves to the bush to live with her father, but his new family make her feel like an intruder, and a bully makes school just as unwelcoming. With the appearance of the mysterious dog Thunderwith, Lara begins to feel a connection to this harsh place. Will it ever feel like home - and will her stepmother and half-siblings ever feel like family? THUNDERWITH has won numerous awards, including the Children''s Book Council Honour Book Award (1990), the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults (1991) and was also adapted into the classic TV movie THE ECHO OF THUNDER, starring Judy Davis, who was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Gladwyn. THUNDERWITH was directly inspired by Libby''s family holidays in the Wallingat rainforest: ''One night there was a huge storm and when I looked out of the window, this big black dog ran across the clearing, a very proud and wonderful-looking animal. Afterwards, when I climbed back into the bunk where I had been sleeping, there seemed to be this chanting thing going on between the thunder and the rain on the roof, "Thunderwith, Thunderwith." By morning, I had a story.'' ''A powerful novel about hope and the human spirit''s ability to finally win through.'' - COURIER MAIL, Brisbane ''Hathorn deftly injects a sense of wonderment into this intense, very real story. Readers cannot help but be swept up on the action and emotion.'' - AMERICAN PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ''A believable plot featuring a shattering climax and a satisfyingly realistic resolution.'' - HORN BOOK ''... a powerful book with complex characters and a strong story.'' - WEST AUSTRALIAN ''The parallels between the restorative powers of fantasy are juxtaposed against the cleansing, recuperative power of nature; the symbolic strength to be found in nature is as much to be observe in Libby Hathorn''s imagery as is the concomitant power of the imagination.'' - CHILDREN''S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

The poems capture the world of children, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the schemes and the dreams.

Bronwyn had always loved looking after her baby brother until revolting Cheryl came to visit and spoiled everything with her sly remarks. Bronwyn began to wish she didn''t have to share her parents with a baby - until Sampson disappeared! First published in 1987 in hardcover, and an Honour Book for the Children''s Book of the Year Awards, now in the ''Sparklers'' series for young independent readers. Ages 8-10.

A delightful new take on the Noah''s Ark story for young children, with a gentle message of tolerance and acceptance.