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Are you ready to thrive in 2025? The Library can help! We have SO MANY new books to read, programs to rock your creativity, and games to keep you and your besties entertained.

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Sadie Wen is perfect on paper- school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It's not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times- she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course - she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings - but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.
All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft . . ."
Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them . . . that is, until they're accidentally sent out.
Overnight, Sadie's carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare - now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie - Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate . . .

Fifteen-year-old Emma is woken up by her dad’s nightmares. Again. On Friday evenings they go running at East Point Reserve to escape. Escape the ripples of grief that still chase them three years after her mum’s death; escape Emma’s autism diagnosis; escape her dad’s work as an emergency room doctor. At school, Emma has won a spot on the beach volleyball Sports Institute program. The spot that her best friend Summer desperately wanted. And Summer’s family are moving to the other side of town. Their friendship has kept Emma going since her mum’s death but now things are changing between them - and change isn’t something Emma can outrun.

Six astronauts rotate in their spacecraft above the earth. They are there to collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swell of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day. Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home, They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction. The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more a part - or protective - of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?

Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters.
After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood - the Leszy - who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.
Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska makes an unsettling discovery: she is not the first person to strike this bargain and all of her predecessors have mysteriously vanished. If Liska wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host's spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.
Those who enter the wood do not always return . . .

Four strangers are invited to spend an unforgettable summer at the birthplace of all things Gothic. The Villa Diodati is a beautiful, isolated lakeside residence -- but it hides a dark secret. Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren are about to come face to face with their worst fears, deadly secrets and monsters they thought only existed in their minds. And when one of the villa's guests is found dead, each will become a suspect in a gruesome murder. It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. But when the stuff of nightmares becomes their reality, will they make it out alive?

Snowflakes are falling. Invitations are arriving. And holiday magic is swirling in the Capital City of the Meridian Empire. It's Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend. Well, sadly Legend is not a fan of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn't found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve, surely there's some holiday magic swirling around. Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.

When Addie Velde receives an invitation to attend an early orientation program at the University of the Arches, she eagerly accepts. After all, the Arches - with its idyllic beachside campus - is her mom's beloved alma mater, and there's nothing Addie wants more than to leave her own mark. But from the moment she arrives on campus and moves into her gloomy dorm, nicknamed The Crypt, Addie realizes there are more sinister secrets to uncover than sandy days in her future. Addie's search for answers launches her straight into the heart of an old campus mystery which to this day keeps students and faculty wary of the shadowy "Buried Ones", believed to be the omens of death. A vanished professor, an occult society, and the chance her family was involved pushes her investigation into dangerous territory. Will she lose herself to the Buried Ones or end their sinister reign once and for all?

After a treacherous night at the Dovermere sea caves leaves her with a strange, dark magic, Emory is desperate to uncover the truth behind the drownings that led to the death of her best friend Romie and the cult-like secret society she's convinced her classmates were involved in. Well-versed in the deadly nature of his Eclipse magic, Baz is the only person Emory can turn to. But he is on his own quest to unravel his sister Romie's final months. Emory's investigations lead her down a path more dangerous than she could have imagined. And when her magic draws the secret society's attention, she finds their thirst for power strangely alluring... until she realises it is her they thirst for.

Sweeping adventure, breathtaking twists of fate, and immersive worlds based in Norse mythology. Since Ragnarok-the great war between the gods and the forces of chaos-the human realm of the Midlands has become a desperate and dangerous place, bereft of magic.Sixteen-year-old Eiric Halvorsen is among the luckier ones-his family has remained prosperous. But he stands to lose everything when he's wrongly convicted by a rigged jury of murdering his modir and stepfadir. Also at risk is Eiric's half-systir, Liv, who's under suspicion for her interest in seidr, or magic. Then a powerful jarl steps in: He will pay the blood price if Eiric will lead a mission to the fabled Temple at the Grove-the rich stronghold of the wyrdspinners, the last practitioners of sorcery.Spellsinger, musician, and runecaster Reginn Eiklund has spent her life performing at alehouses for the benefit of her master, Asger, a fire demon she is desperate to escape. After one performance that amazes even herself, two wyrdspinners in the audience make Reginn an irresistible offer: return with them to the Temple to be trained in seidr, forever free of Asger.Eiric's, Liv's, and Reginn's journeys converge in New Jotunheim, a paradise fueled by magic and the site of the Temple. They soon realize that a great evil lurks beneath the dazzling surface and that old betrayals and long-held grudges may fuel another cataclysmic war. It will require every gift and weapon at their command to prevent it.

On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life, free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply-held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood. Fast forward to contemporary London, where Marcus has fallen for Phoebe Taylor, a young employee at Sotheby's. She decides to become a vampire, too, and though the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable in the modern world than they were in the 18th century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both--forever.

As a boy, Elias learned the hard way what happens when you don't heed the old tales. Nine years after his lack of superstition got his father killed, he's grown into a young man of piety, with a deep reverence for the hallowed sea and her fickle favor. As stories of the fisherman's son who has managed to escape the most deadly of storms spreads from port to port, his devotion to the myths and creeds has given him the reputation of the luckiest fellow to sail the Narrows. Now, he's mere days away from getting everything his father ever dreamed for him: a ship of his own, a crew, and a license that names him as one of the first Narrows-born traders. But when a young dredger from the Unnamed Sea with more than one secret crosses his path, Elias' faith will be tested like never before. The greater the pull he feels toward her, the farther he drifts from the things he's spent the last three years working for. He is dangerously close to repeating his mistakes and he's seen first hand how vicious the jealous sea can be. If he's going to survive her retribution, he will have to decide which he wants more, the love of the girl who could change their shifting world, or the sacred beliefs that earned him the name that he's known for - Saint.

Venice, 1486. Across the lagoon lies Murano. Time flows differently here – like the glass the island’s maestros spend their lives learning to handle.

Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take a lifetime.

Skipping like a stone through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss.

The beads she creates will adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna – but will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her?

Ireland, 1846. Nell is working as a scullery maid in the kitchen of the Big House. Once she loved school and books and dreaming. But there's not much choice of work when the land grows food that rots in the earth. Now she is scrubbing, peeling, washing, sweeping for Sir Philip Wicken, the man who owns her home, her family's land, their crops, everything. His dogs are always well fed, even as famine sets in. Upstairs in the Big House, where Nell is forbidden to enter, is Johnny Browning, newly arrived from England: the young nephew who will one day inherit it all. And as hunger and disease run rampant all around them, a spark of life and hope catches light when Nell and Johnny find each other.

Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future lord and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other. When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight), they become reluctant allies. By pretending to fall for each other, their mutual protection will be assured. But how long can they keep up the ruse? With Gwen growing closer to Bridget, and Art becoming unaccountably fond of Gabriel, Gwen's infuriatingly serious, bookish brother, the path to true love is looking far from straight ...

16-year-old Perry Firekeeper-Birch has every intention of quitting her internship. Being stuck in a museum was never part of her lazy summer plans, but her no-nonsense Aunt Daunis had other ideas. Everything changes when Perry meets 'Warrior Girl', a Native American ancestor whose bones are locked away in the local university's archives. Perry's rebellious spark becomes a righteous blaze, and she will do whatever it takes to bring 'Warrior Girl' home, where she belongs. Taking matters into her own hands, she plots a daring heist with a bunch of misfits. But this uncovers much bigger secrets that Perry and her friends must set right before their ancestors are lost forever.

Arcadia "Dia" Gannon has long been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, whose games company, Darkly, now lies dormant after her death. It has a cult following for its ingenious and utterly terrifying games. When an ad for an internship appears, Dia is shocked to be chosen, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Thrust into the enigmatic heart of Darkly, Dia and her fellow interns discover hidden symbols, buried clues and a web of intrigue. This summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.

Sade Hussein is the new girl at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy. She has no idea what to expect of her mysterious new boarding school - an institution steeped in tradition and secrets. But she certainly didn't imagine her roommate, Elizabeth, to go missing on her first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it. Suddenly everyone is talking about Sade, including the Unholy Trinity: the three most popular girls at school. Swept up in their circle, Sade can't shake the sense that there's more to Elizabeth's disappearance - especially as the teachers don't seem to care. And then a student is found dead. It's clear there's more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than Sade could have imagined - and she must race to uncover the truth. But secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface... secrets that rival even her own.

True crime buff Gus Green has always felt out of place in the world. He's overweight, gay, his injured mum's primary carer, and he only has two real friends: sporty Kane and feisty Shell, who are both dealing with their own problems.

Gus's life is flipped on its head one day when he finds a missing persons website with a digitally aged picture of a missing boy who looks eerily like him. Could he be a kidnapping victim? It would explain a lot about his patchy background, but what would that make his mum - his kidnapper?

As Gus and his friends dive into the mystery, their investigation reveals more questions than answers. Can they unravel the case before his world falls apart? And what will they do if the truth is too much to handle?

Love is an impossible mission . . . the enemy is everywhere in the pulse-pounding follow-up to international heist sensation, Thieves' Gambit, for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Suzanne Collins.

Six months into working for the Gambit, Ross is reeling from the betrayals of the competition – focusing all her hatred on Devroe – the lover she thought she could trust. On a new heist that takes her across continents, Ross encounters a rival gang stopping her every move. Devroe's mother is at the heart of this dangerous feud and he must decide where his loyalties lie, before there are deadly consequences . . .

Join Logico as he investigates a booby-trapped akubra, cut-throat student elections and trials for the chess footy team. Along the way, he'll glimpse mysterious black opal pins, robed figures in hidden tunnels and a fatal jumbo parma, all overshadowed by the unsolved death of Bunbury Basalt OAM, founder of the university. Logico must determine whodunit, how, why and where before the final siren. And who better to help him than fellow student the enigmatic Irratino?

In this book of 70 detect-o-grams (brief but curious mysteries you can solve in a minute), you will dust off the case files of a time gone by, when the answers were not at your fingertips. Do away with forensic tools and technology and focus on the barest of facts and critical details. Simply ask yourself: What is it about the criminals' own hubris, negligence, or even stupidity, that will lead you to the solutions? With just your common sense and a capable eye for detail, you can learn how to solve a murder!

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Research Guides are created for a specific unit or assignment topic. They will help you build an understanding around the subject topic and to begin researching.

Our guides include:

• Resources - helpful books, websites, and journal articles
• Videos and images
• Links and suggestions to assist you with researching and referencing

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CRE8 Lab is a safe place for older students to learn creative skills while having fun. We run four weekly workshops each term.

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Hey there, young writers! Do you love telling stories? Come join the Library's Lunchtime Writers Club and let your imagination run wild with fun writing games and activities.

All ages are welcome.

Images for books are sourced either from the author's websites or are book and film covers, used as permitted under copyright for promotion. Other images were created by the author using Canva.

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