They are 5 boys from shabby inner-city Sydney who form a friendship. They experience bullying and violence and name their gang after a pirate from the "Treasure Island" story. At this time Sydney is panicked by an outbreak of Bubonic Plague and there is a bounty of 6p on rats. The boys set about making money by finding and catching rats.
Charlie's father is dead, and although his mother insists he stay in school all he wants is to make money, to give his mother and baby brother a better life. So when he catches the eye of Squizzy Taylor, a notorious mobster, and is offered a job as Squizzy's courier, it doesn't take Charlie long to accept. At first, the job's a thrill—running with messages, illegal liquor, whatever Squizzy orders. And at some point, Charlie has to ask himself—how long before running for a better life means cutting his life short?
Dan has had it with his Dad and the abuse. He's sixteen, old enough to leave; maybe he'll find his long-lost mother in the process. What Dan doesn't count on is being followed by his younger brother Eddie, and what began as a reckless solo journey becomes one of responsibility. Their bond is tested by the characters they encounter and when they fall in with a small group of would-be soldiers marching over the mountains to join the fight in the Great War, who take the boys under their wing, the experiences they share together with this rag-tag crew will shape all their lives forever.
Living in the commission flat, Lexie is left to fend for herself. Her mother is mostly absent, out searching for something to help her forget the tragic death of Lexie's dad. But then, after witnessing the aftermath of a shocking incident, Lexie finds solace in the most unlikely of places -- in a troubled old man called the Creeper. A chance, life-saving encounter on the commission's roof seeds a friendship between the two and when they enlist the help of Lexie's friend Davey, the three set off on an epic journey, one that will change their lives and the lives of those around them
A beautifully written contemporary YA with a love story at its heart, by one of Australia's best-loved authors for young people. I don't know if it's possible for people to change, not really. The way you're made up, the important stuff, I reckon you're born with that . . . when it matters, when it really matters, we are who we are. Nate's had it tough. An abusive father. His mother dead. He's done things he regrets. But he's never met anyone like Gem. She's a tiny piece of wonderful and she'll change everything he knows about himself. Is this the beginning of happiness? Or is there more hardship around the corner?
When 14-year-old Wolfgang McManus decides he’s had enough of his mother’s new boyfriend and takes off for the wilds of Tassie, he has no idea what he’s getting into…Between hiding from the Russian mafia, searching for a missing chimp, and helping a concert violinist recover his memory, Wolfgang is in for the ride of his life
