New Releases by Sally Rippin

Billie''s class is on a field trip to the zoo, and Billie is The Extra-special Helper. If only everyone would listen to her!

Jack''s friend Billie is away, so Jack hangs out with Alex instead. They have heaps of fun together! But what will happen when Billie comes back?

It''s 1956 . . . and the Melbourne Olympic Games have finally arrived! The whole city is buzzing with excitement and Lina can''t wait to go along as a reporter for the school magazine. Now is her chance to prove to everyone that she''s a real writer, and nothing could be more important – until Lina makes a new friend, who changes the way she sees the world . . . Follow Lina on her adventure in the third of four exciting books about a passionate girl finding a place to belong.

It''s 1956 . . . and Lina is working hard on the school newspaper. But mean Sarah Buttersworth isn''t making it easy, and when Lina''s best friend Mary gets distracted by her new television, things begin to fall apart. Meanwhile, at home, Lina starts to uncover some dark family secrets. Living in two such different worlds isn''t easy, and when tragedy strikes, she makes a decision that causes her many lives to collide . . . Follow Lina on her adventure in the second of four exciting stories about a passionate girl finding a place to belong.

Jack can''t wait to stay at the farm! But when he gets there, the animals are a bit bigger than he imagined. Will he be able to face his fears and still have an awesome time?

Jack''s new babysitter is awesome, but a bit crazy. Pizza for dinner, juggling lessons and sleeping outside - with no tent! But will Jack let his worrying get in the way of having fun?

It''s 1956 . . . and Lina dreams of being a writer, but her strict Italian parents have other ideas. Now that she''s won a scholarship to an expensive girls school, Lina has other troubles, too. To fit in, she must keep her home life a secret, and even her best friend Mary can''t know the truth. But how long can Lina keep her two worlds apart? Meet Lina and join her adventures in the first of four exciting stories about a passionate girl finding a place to belong.

Billie''s class used to swim in the little pool. But this year they''re moving to the big one. Will Billie be too scared to swim in the deep end?

Billie is saving up for a special toy, and Jack is helping her do jobs. But what will happen when Jack wants to spend the money on something else?

Jack''s in the mood for mooching around, not playing with his crazy cousins! But will his bad mood spoil the whole day?

It''s Jack''s first day at soccer! He really wants to kick a goal, but the coach has made him goalie. There''s no glory in goal keeping, is there?

Billie has lots of fun things planned for her visit to Grandma’s. But when Billie wakes up covered in spots, will her holiday be ruined?

Billie''s little brother is cute, but he can be annoying. Billie has to keep everything away from him. Especially the tower she has made for her school project ...

Billie’s family is off to the beach! But when they get there, her mum and dad just want to read books and nap. Will this be the most boring holiday ever?

Billie is the best hairdresser in the world! She can make her dolls'' hair beautiful. Can she make her own hair beautiful, too?

Billie has started ballet classes. She is sure she’ll be a great dancer! But is Billie really cut out to be a ballerina?

Billie wants to play soccer, but the boys at school won''t let her. How can Billie prove that girls can play soccer, too?

Mannie is going on an adventure. She''s taking her favourite elephant Lilliput and her doll Strawberry Luca. And she hasn''t forgotten her special box of secret things, just in case the adventure gets adventurous. A magical story that celebrates friendship, courage and the wonder of a child''s imagination.

Is falling in love with a stranger what it means to be a foreigner?At eighteen, Anna is in limbo. She has decisions to make but stalls for time. Deferring her university studies in Australia, she visits her father in Shanghai. In an exotic environment, her life seems both better and worse- she loves learning Chinese painting but can''t cope with being a foreigner, or with the chaos and heat of the city.Then the last thing she could have imagined happens- she falls in love with Chenxi, a young, mysterious fellow painter whose secret life in art and counter-revolutionary activities fascinates Anna. Their affair is passionate and fraught.Sally Rippin writes with a natural flair and an insider''s voice about the torment of a teenager on the verge of adulthood. She evokes the thrills and spills of being a foreigner in the topsy-turvy world of China.Chenxi is a remarkable novel for young adults that confronts adolescent sexual experience, pregnancy and cross-cultural questions in an extraordinarily vivid and compelling story.