Best Selling Books by Ursula Dubosarsky

Three sisters growing up in post-World War II Sydney, Australia, deal with their mentally unstable father, their possibly unfaithful mother, and the defecting Russian spy who lives next door.

When their teacher goes missing during an outing, eleven girls grapple with the aftermath in this haunting, exquisitely told psychological mystery. The Vietnam War rages overseas, but back at home, in a year that begins with the hanging of one man and ends with the drowning of another, eleven schoolgirls embrace their own chilling history when their teacher abruptly goes missing on a field trip. Who was the mysterious poet they had met in the Garden? What actually happened in the seaside cave that day? And most important — who can they tell about it? In beautifully shimmering prose, Ursula Dubosarsky reveals how a single shared experience can alter the course of young lives forever. Part gripping thriller, part ethereal tale of innocence lost, The Golden Day is a poignant study of fear and friendship, and of what it takes to come of age with courage.

SHORT-LISTED: CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers, 2019 This is a story about a boy called Pender and a kangaroo called Brindabella, about how they became friends, and all the things that happened to them because of it. Pender and his father live in an old house made of honey-coloured stone in the bush by the river, with only the company of his father's paintings and the loyal dog, Billy-Bob. Then, on one winter morning, a gunshot amongst the trees changes everything. When Pender rescues Brindabella from the pouch of her murdered mother, an unusual friendship blossoms between the lonely boy and the orphaned joey. But Brindabella is no ordinary kangaroo. And though Pender has saved her life, the untameable wildness of the bush--and freedom--call to her... Lyrical and unforgettable, Brindabella explores the brutal beauty of the Australian bush.

A psychological thriller, a desperately moving and ultimately uplifting tale of childhood innocence. . . As small children, growing up at the property called Abyssinia, two sisters played with their dolls house together, side by side, always. Grace loved Mary and Mary loved Grace. But inseparable bonds can be unexpectedly shattered. When this happens to Grace, she is plunged into a dark and mesmerising world, a world full of bells and the ringing sky, of odd little children, strange events and frighteningly bizarre grown ups. '. . . wonderfully atmospheric. . . brilliantly evokes the often-shadowy place of childhood. . .' -The Age 'Ursula Dubosarsky is the most graceful, most original writer for young people in Australia - probably in the world.' - Sonya Hartnett

Theodora is fourteen when her father Elkanah has a mysterious vision. Soon after, he leaves his family and goes to live with his first wife Pearl. It is up to Theodora and her half-brother Samuel to bring him back. Meanwhile, Samuel's grandfather Elias is dying, and Theodora begins to see a black cat that could not possibly be real. As present-day events collide with stories from a distant past, the world begins to seem a more complex place, full of uncertainty, great wonder and inspiration.

Literature Circles Year 7.

Becky only wants fairy bread at her birthday party. But there's so much left over, and she won't throw it out. So Becky thinks of some very strange things to do with it all. Suggested level: primary.

In her hand was a hinged wooden box with a black clasp. On the lid was a painting of a white bird with a long neck, its wings stretched out in flight. Fred rubbed it with her fingers, wiping away the dust. 'The Game of the Goose,' she read slowly. 'Open it,' said Rowley . . . Fred, Rowley and Rabbit hardly knew each other before the game. But the game changed everything. It took each of them on an adventure – a terrifying, wonderful journey that they would remember for ever.

A delightfully funny detective story for 6 to 8 year olds and a new kind of puzzle book from a bestselling duo working together for the first time.

Students take turns bringing home the class chameleon and writing about how he spent his visit.

Here is the story of the Terrible PLOP, with a bear and a rabbit, and a hop hop hop. But what is the PLOP? And where does it hide? Open the book and look inside ... 'Hilarious, original and energetic.' The Sunday Age From award-winning author Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrator Andrew Joyner comes an irresistible picture book about a little rabbit who learns that some things in life aren't as scary as they seem. Based on a Tibetan myth, a sound in the forest sets all the animals running for their lives from the Terrible Plop. Children will be charmed by the wonderful zany energy of the illustrations and the rollicking rhyming story.

In this uproarious update of a favorite story, an unexplained noise leads to pandemonium among the animals. The fox, the elephant, even the big brown bear prove no match for the Terrible Plop. Only the littlest bunny learns not to panic when the sky—or something else up there—is falling. Bright, energetic illustrations and a lively rhyming text combine to make this a perfect read-aloud story for little ones needing assurance that plops in the day or bumps in the night aren't as scary as they might seem.

Join Becky as she builds a cubby, performs magic tricks, gives her toys a bath, makes fairy bread and puts on a puppet show. She might be hard to keep up with but she's so much fun! From the combined talents of Ursula Dubosarsky and Mitch Vane comes this funny and delightful collection of Aussie Nibbles, featuring a much-loved character from the series.

This beautiful full-colour book is a compilation of Honey and Bear and Special Days with Honey and Bear, reproduced in a B format. The ten short stories are exquisitely illustrated by the talented Ron Brooks, and each capture a small moment in the lives of these animal friends. In Honey and Bear - the silver-eyed bird and the cuddly, rotund bear - Ursula Dubosarsky has created characters that children will love, in the tradition of Winnie the Pooh, and Frog and Toad. The tales are the perfect length for beginner readers to attempt themselves, or to read aloud to younger children.

Perplexing puzzles, mind-boggling mazes and cracking codes feature in this series of stories about a pair of guinea-pig detectives -- Coco Carlomagno, the easily startled Chief of Police, and his more sensible cousin, Alberta. Ursula Dubosarsky is the Australian Children's Laureate for 2020 - 2021 Coco Carlomagno is the well-respected, if somewhat easily startled, Chief of Police in Buenos Aires. Alberta is his more sensible cousin. Together they crack the cases that confound this puzzling city. Coco's nerves are all a-jangle. Deep in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, the tomb of the famous, much-lamented tango singer Anibal Manzana has everyone baffled. It is talking! Could it be haunted? Luckily Coco has his commonsensical cousin Alberta on hand to help. Can they unravel this ghostly riddle?

One winter's day my dad and I Went down to see the carousel. We stood and watched as round and round The little horses rose and fell. So begins the magical journey of a small girl and a wooden horse. A journey of music and mirrors, of green hills and sunlit skies, of wishes and freedom. From this much-loved author and brilliant new illustrator comes a glowing, timeless picture book that celebrates the enduring wonder of the carousel.

An eleven-year-old Australian girl feels terribly guilty about something she did three years ago when her English relatives were visiting--and now they are returning!

"Geraldine hadn't wanted the white guinea pig at all. But then a single, sudden act of sympathy exploded into something difficult and dangerous, like a kiss given to the wrong person."Winner of the New South Wales State Literary Award, the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, and shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award.T A novel about childhood, change and the mystery of a missing guinea pig. Filled with Ursula Dubosarsky's signature comic characters and situations as eleven-year-old Geraldine searches for belonging, both in her family and the wider world. "You'll find yourself stopping to savour the small but penetrating insights offered on every page. It's a wonderful piece of writing that improves on every reading." The Age"A sad tale? Actually not. You'll be moved by the sudden warm ending, with its lightness and wit, this is a comedy of some depth." The ObserverURSULA DUBOSARSKY was born in Sydney and is the author of over 50 books for children and young adults. She has won multiple national literary prizes and has been nominated for both the Hans Christian Anderson and Astrid Lindgren international awards for children's literature. Cover illustration and design by Amy Golbach