BOOKS
BAILEY FINCH TAKES A STAND
It’s one year since Bailey’s mum died. And her dad doesn’t seem to care much about anything. But Bailey still spends afternoons by the creek with her dog, Sheba.Until Sheba gets very sick—from something she must have swallowed while swimming in the creek. And Bailey notices all the rubbish polluting the waterway.
Between visits to Sheba in the vet hospital, Bailey tries to find a way to make the creek safe for Sheba and other animals. And through her unexpected friendship with Israel, a quiet boy who knows about endangered species, Bailey Finch must find the courage to take a stand.
A beautiful, inspiring tale about a true hero.’ — Penny Tangey
‘Sparkles with hope…I cheered and cried for Bailey, who is adventurous, brave and determined to change the world.’ — Fiona Hardy
Bailey Finch Takes a Stand won the 2022 Environment Award for Children’s Literature (fiction), as well as Best Primary Resource and Best Chapter Book with Educational Publishing Awards Australia (EPAA) in the same year.
Sunflower (companion novel to Songbird
Eleven-year-old Jamila is settling into her new life in Australia, along with Mama, Baba and baby Amir. She still misses her home in Iraq, but she’s happy to have her whole family safe and together again. Jamila and her new best friend, Eva, sing side by side in the choir at school, and have picnics together on the weekend.
One day, Jamila gets some exciting news—her oldest friend from Iraq, Mina, has been granted a visa to come to Melbourne with her family. Jamila can’t wait to see her. She and Eva make a list of all the things they want to show Mina when she gets to Melbourne. But when Mina arrives, things do not go as planned. Mina is tired and anxious all the time, and she and Eva don’t get on.
Jamila feels torn between her two friends, and sad that Mina isn’t the same funny, cheerful person she remembers. Can Jamila be a true friend to Mina, and help her feel happy in her new home?
‘Sunflower is brave, complex, moving and very real. Everyone growing up in Australia should read this book.’ Carly Nugent
‘A beautifully observed story of identity, friendship and belonging.’ Nova Weetman
Songbird
Jamila has left her friends, her school and her home in Iraq, and now she has a new home. It’s safe in Australia, but Jamila is finding it hard to settle in. She misses her best friend and worries for her dad’s safety back in Iraq. It’s hard to speak and write in English all day. And Jamila has a secret she wants to keep hidden.
When she joins the choir, Jamila begins to feel happy. Singing helps take her worries away. And singing will help her find her place in her new life, a place where she can shine.
Songbird is a tender story about belonging, about the importance of friendship and of asking for help, and about the parts of our lives we keep concealed.
SONGBIRD was a Notable book for the Children’s Book Council of Australia 2020.
A beautiful story of hope, heartache and love.’ — Zana Fraillon
'I loved the story of Jamila and the resilience and bravery of her family.’ — Sally Rippin
‘A gentle story about starting over, making friends and finding a place in the world…a worthy addition to school libraries.’ — Magpies
Serenade for a Small Family – Memoir (Allen & Unwin, 2010)
Serenade for a Small Family is a simple, moving and unforgettable story of love and loss.
This is an earthy, honest and heartbreaking memoir about what it means to love; and about the terrible powerlessness and torment involved when there is fear of losing a child. Yet despite the pain and anguish, Ingrid's memoir is at its heart about how we can experience unimaginable difficulty - and still somehow find the spirit to come through blazing with love and optimism and even a kind of joy.
“To find the strength to write about the kind of experience Ingrid Laguna and her husband Ben went through is an achievement in itself. But to have written about it with such restraint, poise and lightness of touch is to have produced something special.” The Age
“Laguna has totally bared her soul on love, babies and her winding road to happiness. Despite the pain and anguish, this is a thoroughly readable memoir about love, courage and building a family.”
Australian Women’s Weekly
Kit and Arlo find a way
(Teaching consent to 8-12 year olds)
Compelling as a standalone narrative, Kit and Arlo’s secret weapon is that it contains all the complex components of consent and includes respectful relationships education in an age-appropriate way.
‘A delightful and age-appropriate resource for young people to learn practical skills about personal boundaries and consent. This should be in every classroom!’ — Katrina Marson
‘Told with Ingrid’s trademark sincerity and heart, this is a story of respect and equality that will ring true to everyone who reads it. Every little chapter will start big discussions.’ — Fiona Hardy
‘Young readers will instantly relate to the characters and their friendship problems in this appealing book. A great way to start discussions about important issues.’ — Anna Cidor
Kit & Arlo Find a Way (Consent for Young Readers), co-created with Vanessa Hamilton won the Primary Resource and Best Chapter Book with Educational Publishing Awards Australia (EPAA) in 2023.