Nova Weetman wrote short fiction and children’s television before publishing her first YA novel, The Haunting of Lily Frost, in 2014. She lives with her partner, a playwright, and their two children in Brunswick, Australia.
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The girls were delighted to host acclaimed Australian writer Claire Zorn to Bennies last term where she spoke to them about her life as a writer and where she get he writing inspiration from. Claire recently wrote about her visit to Bennies on her blog All The Kings Horses where she also attached 3 of our year 8 girls' book trailers for her book 'The sky so heavy'
Our race for reconciliation
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Mel Gordon loves running, and watching Seinfeld, but mostly she loves Cathy Freeman. It's 2000 and the Olympics are going to be held in Australia. In a year of surprises, Mel finds out that Cathy Freeman is coming to talk to her school. And her family is heading to Sydney! It becomes an unforgettable journey to Corroboree 2000, bringing together all Australians as they march and sing and celebrate Australia's Indigenous heritage and also acknowledge past wrong.
Gloves Off
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This verse novel tells the story of Lily who is mercilessly bullied at school and who turns to boxing in an attempt to fight back; a story of hope and resilience breaking through even the most difficult situations.
The Audition
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Twelve-year-old Harper McCoy has danced practically since she could walk, and she is making her mark as one of the top dancers at her studio. Until her parents drop the bombshell: they are moving to Florida, which means she'll have to say good-bye to her friends, her classmates - and her beloved dance team.
When Harper arrives at her new studio, she realizes the competition in Florida will be fierce. And it doesn't help that her new team - the DanceStarz - have danced together forever and aren't exactly welcoming ...
Magic Feet
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When cricket season is over, there's only one thing to do . . . play soccer! Soccer season is here and Ellyse is desperate to pull on her boots and start dribbling and defending. Unlike club cricket where she is the only girl on the team, her best friends Charlie and Jazz also play soccer and it's so much fun! But on the day of their first training session, the girls tell Ellyse they don't want to play soccer this year - there are too many other things to do now they're in Year Seven. Ellyse is disappointed but has an idea to try to get a girls team together at school! However, things don't go to plan at school or at training- Ellyse is targeted by one of her own Hawks teammates and this scares off the girls from joining the school team. Will Ellyse find a way to deal with the bully and convince her schoolmates to join in the soccer action?
The courageous life of Weary Dunlop
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The extraordinary story of the heroic doctor whose courage and leadership were a lifeline for thousands of Australian prisoners-of-war on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway of World War II - brilliantly told by Australia's favourite storyteller, Peter FitzSimons
In September 1939, young Australian surgeon Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was working in London when the dogs of war were unleashed. Signing up, he was commissioned a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) and sent to the Middle East, serving in Palestine, Greece, Crete, Egypt and Tobruk.
As the European war dragged on, an emboldened Japanese force captured Singapore and marched closer to Australian shores. Weary and over 3000 others sailed back to Java to fight this new enemy. At the No. 1 Allied General Hospital in Bandoeng, the Japanese were ready to murder the bedridden when Weary put his body in front of the bayonets. From that moment his leadership, ingenuity and selflessness became legend as Allied prisoners-of-war were sent to Singapore, Thailand and finally faced the hell of working as slave labour on the infamous Thai-Burma Railway. In the POW camps, tropical diseases, malnutrition, and the brutal work regime imposed by their Japanese captors meant the death toll was horrific. And yet, with little to no medical supplies, under extreme physical pressure, Weary Dunlop took risks and beatings to defy the Japanese and keep his men alive in circumstances that tested the limits of human endurance.
Weary was a gentle giant of a man. A boxer and former Wallaby, he could have been an elite sportsman but chose a different path - one that led him from rural Victoria to training as a pharmacist and then to medical school. World War II was the fire that fuelled this remarkable hero. His courageous leadership and calm endurance became beacons of hope to the POWs under his command. His name has become synonymous with courage, compassion and resilience. Now, Weary Dunlop's heroic and inspiring story has been brought to life by Australia's greatest storyteller, Peter FitzSimons.
Role Model
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Samantha Harris has one of the most recognisable faces in Australia's fashion industry, but her success was anything but expected. In an industry built on European beauty ideals, her breakthrough as a finalist for the Girlfriend cover model search was a testament to dreaming big, perseverance and the determination of her mother, Myrna, a survivor of the Stolen Generations.
In this mother-daughter memoir, Samantha and Myrna each share their journeys of breaking down barriers and the redemptive power of love. For Samantha, she attended beauty pageants from the age of four and continually came second to girls with blonde hair and blue eyes, then later had to learn to connect with the camera. For Myrna, she was taken to a girls' home at the age of six with her two younger sisters, making her fiercely protective of her children and grandchildren. Inspiring and honest, Role Model is the story of two proud Dunghutti women claiming their space and the path to greater representation, highlighting just how much can change between two generations.
My Beautiful Sisters
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August, 2020: Kabul falls to the Taliban. Overnight, life for women across Afghanistan changes. The national women's football team faces an imminent threat to their lives, just for playing sport.
For Khalida Popal, the team's first captain and co-founder, this is not an unprecedented event. Born in Afghanistan, she fled Taliban rule as a child with her family & grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. On her return to Afghanistan, football gave her and her teammates power, comradeship and freedom. But advocating for women's rights in sport put Popal's life increasingly at risk, forcing her to flee the country, this time alone. As a refugee in Denmark, Popal worked to uncover widespread sexual abuse of players by the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation, forcing FIFA and the government of Afghanistan to act. When Kabul falls Khalida is safe, but her teammates are left behind. Against all the odds, she and a small but mighty network of allies orchestrate an international evacuation strategy to save them.
My Beautiful Sisters is a gripping memoir about courage, the power of teamwork against all odds and the existence of hope in dark times.
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
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Hawthorn Creely is searching for the missing Lizzie Lovett, but she might just end up finding herself Hawthorn Creely doesn't fit in, and that was before she inserted herself into a missing persons investigation. She doesn't mean to interfere, but Lizzie's disappearance is the most fascinating mystery their town has ever had. And she's pretty sure Lizzie'll turn up at any moment, which means the time for speculation is now.
So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie's disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously…at first. To prove she's right, Hawthorn hunts for evidence by immersing herself in Lizzie's life. Taking the job and boyfriend of a missing person might seem kind of dangerous, but it may just be the push Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.
I'm Glad I Did
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New York City, summer of 1963: JJ Green is a born songwriter—a major problem, since her family thinks the music business is a cesspool of lowlifes and hustlers. Defying them, she secretly takes an internship at the Brill Building, the epicenter of a new sound called rock and roll. When she finds a writing partner in Luke Silver, a boy with mesmerizing green eyes, JJ believes she is living her dream. They’ll even be cutting their first demo with legendary singer Dulcie Brown.
But soon JJ’s dream is shattered by tragedy, and she must navigate a web of troubled pasts, hidden identities, and tangled secrets—before it snares her, too.
The Luxe
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In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.
Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn. Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions. White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hook-ups. This is Manhattan, 1899.
Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.
With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...
Falling Hard
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When Annie moves from London to a small American town in the Mid-West, she struggles to fit in. She gets off to a bad start when she makes an enemy of her school's queen bee, Kelsey. But she discovers a new passion - the exciting sport of roller derby - and makes friends with the cool and quirky girls on her team, the Liberty Belles. She also meets Jesse, the friendly boy who works at the roller rink, and Tyler, a cute all-American sports star.
Hell's Belles
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Annie's roller derby team, the Liberty Belles, are finally on a winning streak. They plan a special Halloween bout with their arch rivals, the High Rollers. But Annie sprains her ankle. Will it heal in time for the bout? To make matters worse, Tyler seems to be ignoring her and flirting with Kelsey, her school's most popular cheerleader. At least Jesse is proving to be a good friend. He always seems to know exactly how to cheer her up.
In a Jam
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Annie and Tyler are going out! Okay, he can be a bit controlling sometimes, but Annie's never had a boyfriend before so she assumes that's what they're like. Her roller derby team, the Liberty Belles, are in top position in the league, but are they getting over-confident? Annie misses a few practice sessions so she can spend time with Tyler. As punishment, she gets left on the bench at a big bout. The whole team needs to refocus, especially Annie.