New Releases by Margaret Clark

Sam Studley''s a bit older and wiser than when you met him in ''Hold My Hand - Or Else!'' but it''s a pity he can''t say the same for his fifteen year old sister Leanne.No one seems to know where she is. Some kids are saying she''s got AIDS and some are saying she''s been abducted. Some are saying she''s on the run to Kings Cross, some are saying she''s a speed freak and gone into a drug rehab centre, and some that she''s hiding out at home with chickenpox.But if living with Leanne sounds full on, you should hear about living without her!

Larceny Leyton is a wild child - tough, smart, willful and proud. Like so many others, she wears her attitude like armour.''Trust'' isn''t a word in Larceny''s dictionary. It means opening up and taking the risk that you''ll be hurt. Truth and dare.Nobody gets close enough to earn her trust. Larceny makes sure of that. Yet deep down, she''s afraid of the voices that bring with them a wild consuming rage, a killing rage that drove her to the streets in the first place. She''s afraid of being betrayed by the only person she''s been able to trust - herself.

A fun novel from one of Australia’s best writers for children and young adults You want to ask a boy out on a date but what if he says no? Your best friend suddenly isn''t talking to you. Your clothes don''t fit. Your family just doesn''t understand you. You don''t understand yourself either. One minute you''re happy and the next you''re sobbing into your pillow. Does this sound like you, or someone you know? Then read on...

A fun novel from one of Australia’s best writers for children and young adults The Story Coolini Beach is the coolest place to be if you want to meet drop-dead gorgeous guys. The surf''s where they like to hang out. But when the city chicks arrive like flies after honey during the holiday period the competition gets tough for Serena and her friends. And rough when the bikies come to town. Coolini Beach Cafe is where you find out what''s going on and who knows the latest gossip. Be there or be square.

Take an everyday girl - short, with freckles, mud-puddle eyes and the kind of mind Sherlock Holmes would kill for - and you have the heroine of another light-hearted whodunit for Independent Readers. Laura''s adventurous grandmother sends her a birthday charm to add to her silver bracelet, just as she does each year. This time it''s a golden cat and it''s gorgeous! But at her birthday sleepover someone steals it. Does the thief belong to the Populars or the Fringes ...the two competing girl groups at the party?Luckily, Laura''s mother is a private investigatorand takes time out from tracking down the One-Eyed One-Armed bandit to help her with ideas.

Ruth feels that she can never be good enough for her religious family with high expectations. However, life has a way of providing the unexpected and suddenly, in a eureka moment, Ruth has the opportunity to assume a new identity. She becomes Sinamon and learns to experience life without feeling personal guilt. But meeting special people who hold very different values to her own means that she has to make a choice: to go back home or to stay with her new family. Which is the right decision for Ruth?

Take an everyday girl - short, with freckles, mud-puddle eyes and the kind of mind Sherlock Holmes would kill for - and you have the heroine of a lighthearted whodunnit for Independent Readers. Someone put an anonymous love note in Laura Love''s school bag. A secret admirer. How exciting. But who? Luckily Laura''s mother is a private investigator and interested in helping Laura solve the puzzle. But the mystery deepens when all of Laura''s classmates get a love note in the same writing, but she doesn''t. What is going on?

Night Works is the story of fifteen year old Sophie, and her friends Mel and Kate. Told through Sophie''s diary entries, the story highlights the girls'' problems, families, boyfriends and everyday school lives. The power of friendship helps them face the world knowing they''re not alone. In the tradition of Back on Track: Diary of a Street Kid and Margaret Clark''s other novels for older readers, Night Works is essential reading for fourteen years plus readers everywhere.

Friends, school, clothes... all your questions answered. A book about the importance of Friendship‘My best friend suddenly won’t talk to me and I don’t know why. Yesterday, a group of my so-called friends sniggered when I walked past. What’s wrong with me? We all need friends. Without them, life would be pretty lonely and boring. Friends come in all shapes and sizes, ages and stages. You gradually learn about friendships by having some yourself. Friends are so important. I am still best friends with Ally, my best friend since grade six. She knows everthing there is to know about me, and I know everything about her. You can’t replace a friend like that with anyone else.

After the enormous success of Secret Girls'' Stuff comes this fabulous sequel from one of Australia''s most recognised and read writers for young people. Since the publication of Secret Girls'' Stuff, the number of letters, emails and faxes Margaret receives have quadrupled. All of Margaret''s books have encouraged or inspired readers to contact her, however, Secret Girls'' Stuff pushed this reader/writer relationship to new heights. Margaret is friend, counsellor, listener, mentor - to so many young readers.With a pile of correspondence reaching her ceiling, Margaret thought it was time to produce the follow-up to the original title that had reached so many. In More Secret Girls'' Stuff there are more pleas for help, more embarrassing stories, more confessions, more problems, and more shared thoughts, fears and dreams than ever before.

A fun novel from one of Australia’s best writers for children and young adults. When Lisa Trelaw breaks up with her long-term boyfriend Mike, she realises that she made a big mistake giving up modelling to come home. Meanwhile, Mandy Miratoosi enters a supermodel contest for larger-sized girls and gets to the finals. Lisa and Mandy hook up on a plane to Sydney and find they have lots in common, including meeting two gorgeous guys that they just might want to hook up with permanently!

Sara is not a happy tweenie. Sara is not happy! Her family have decided to move interstate, and as a consequence, she has a sore throat form yelling "I am NOT GOING'', ''WE are NOT MOVING''. Marking the days off until she has to move in her secret diary - the real one and not the foil that she leaves for her family to read - she confesses to a crush on the ''player'' Jack Marconi, her despair at finding out that her best friend Ellie has stolen him away and how, sometimes, eating at Burger Heaven is better for you than working out at the gym. Will she have to eventually move or will the journey for Sara commence way before ''Moving Day''?

No fat chicks? When Mansy Miratoosi sees that bumper sticker on her brother Mark''s car, she''s ready to pluck his cocksure tail feathers once and for all.Mandy is a big girl and Mark''s mates need to know that lean is not always dream material. Featherweights and bantamweights beware. Mandy is out to prove that big chicks can be winners! If you like Famous For Five Minutes and Fat Chance, you''re going to love this one!

Sara hates bad-luck Tuesdays! She writes a secret diary to lift the jinx. Sara Swan''s family has settled the problem of moving house (they are NOT moving!). But now her father is going through a mid-life crisis and leaves home on a Tuesday. And speaking of Tuesdays, Sara discovers that Tuesdays are bad-luck days for her in more ways than one. So when she hears a turn-your-life-around guru on TV say that you can change things if you write about misfortunes and analyse them, she decides to write a diary on Tuesdays, mainly about Tuesdays! Although she does include snippets of other important stuff that happens during the week! Great Aunt Grace (GAG) moves into town, causing problems as usual. Sara''s friends have their ups and downs, romances grow and wane, and all the bad luck still happens on Tuesdays. Finally, towards the end of the year, things begin to change for the better on Tuesdays, but... what happens on Wednesdays?

Can you become ''The Face'' when you look like a pregnant rhinoceros? Lisa wants to know.Can you snatch a modelling contract when you''re fourteen and a social outcast, with a mother who pumps donuts, hot dogs and chilli pancakes into you like there''s no tomorrow?FAT CHANCE!

What''s a sensitive guy with an artistic bent doing at gladiator school? Fainting mostly. Snag must find a way to keep conscious so he can win over the other gladiators. Will he be able to devise a plan to end the bloodshed once and for all? Grades 2-4

Following on from her impressive debut novel, ''Ruth'', Margaret Clark picks up the family story once again, this time focusing on Ruth''s daughter, Katie.Katie apparently has much to look forward to when she meets the handsome Captain Peter Cain and becomes the international travelling companion to Madame Junot. However, a chain of catastrophic events and illicit temptations lie in store and the author takes the reader on a roller coaster ride across Europe, America and Cuba.Secret upon secret is waiting to be dramatically unfurled as this eventful novel hurtles towards its climax.

Collection of eight stories from the Mango Street series for young readers. Stories include ''Butterfingers'', ''Weird Warren'', ''Britt the Boss'', ''Wally the Whiz Kid'', ''Wacky Mac'', ''Copycat'', Millie the Moaner'' and ''Bold as Brass''. Includes characters such as Stacey the wrecker, Horace Morris and his wacky new girlfriend, and Millie Minor. Includes illustrations. Author''s previous titles include ''Pugwall'' and the Chickabees series.

Omnibus edition of author''s Shorts series of stories for children. Comprises Footy Shorts, Board Shorts, Dirty Shorts, Holey Shorts, Boxer Shorts and Stinky Shorts. Characters include Lennie, Pup Morgan, his dad Mad Dog Morgan, the Razorblades, Jack, Boxer, and William Wilstinki. All stories have been previously published in 2000/2001. By the author of the ''Chickabees'' and the Mango Street series.

Paperback edition of a children''s picture book first published 2002. When Alice, Andy and Angie coerce Dad into getting a dog, their trip to the Lost Dogs Home provides them with a very unusual pet! He is boisterous, clumsy, big and smelly with Chihuahua ears, a Boxer nose and a Poodle''s coat. So what will they name him? Prolific children''s author has also written the Egg picture book series and the Aussie Angels adventure series.

Alice the labrador has eight pups; and the angels have to find them good homes. 8 yrs+

One of a series of novels for older children. Mark devises a brilliant plan to harvest snails for the French restaurant in town, but when he learns of the dangers posed to the local frog population he decides to help save them. Award-winning author has previously written ''Camel Breath'' and ''Cocky Too''.

Volume 19 in Aussie Angels series for young readers. When a llama suddenly turns up lost at Animal Haven, Mark decides that he''ll call her Lara and take her to school for pet''s day and win a prize. He employs various methods to teach Lara to spit at all the kids in class who cause him trouble. Geelong author is a prolific and popular children''s writer. She has also written the Mango Street, Aussie Angels, and Egg series.

One of a series of children''s novels. When a flock of wild ducks moves into the swampy area near Animal Haven everyone is excited. But among them is one pure-white duck. Eddie the cockatoo decides that the Green family should adopt the white duck, however Elsie the emu has other ideas. Author is a prolific children''s writer her other series include Mango Street and Egg.

Volume 15 in the Aussie Angels series for primary school-age readers. Oscar the owl feels left out because when all the action is on he is fast asleep. So he plans to stay awake all day and sleep at night. Someone in the sanctuary has to talk him out of this, but who? Author has previously written the Mango Street series and Egg series.

Twelth novel for primary school-age readers in the Aussie Angels series. When the computer cable is chewed through, it seems there''s a mouse around. The Angels soon discover it''s actually a small marsupial called a dunnart. Problems abound when Mark, who wants a pet, refuses to put the dunnart back he belongs. Author''s previous titles include ''Fat Chance'' and the Mango Street series.

Novel for primary school-age readers, the 13th in the Aussie Angels series. Carol the camel is sick of the animals and humans at Animal Haven teasing her about her bad breath and yellow teeth, so when she hears that the dental caravan is visiting the school she heads off in search of clean teeth. Prolific author''s previous titles include the Mango Street series and ''Rave On''.

Ben finds that he is not popular with the other boys at his new school. To make matters worse, he has to contend with the constantly bragging Cathy. But then again, maybe there''s a good reason for her boasting. A play-script intended for reading aloud. Suggested level: primary.