A Simple Gift

Weary of life with his alcoholic, abusive father, sixteen-year-old Billy packs a few belongings and hits the road, hoping for something better than what he left behind.

A special reissue of a bestselling and award - winning Australian classic from popular author Steven Herrick. My hand in his stops trembling, for a moment. When the paths of a runaway teenage boy, an old hobo and a rich girl intersect in an abandoned train yard, each carries their own personal baggage. Over early mornings, long walks and cheap coffee they discover, no matter how big or small, it's the simple gifts in life that really make a difference. A life - affirming look at humanity, generosity and love.

A life-affirming free-verse novel for young adults, this is an honest and refreshing look at homelessness without the grunge. It is an uncomplicated love story which is certain to appeal to the wide audience this talented writer/performer has already attracted.

Avery and Mike thought they had the perfect American family until their daughter ran away. Now Fiona’s back in town...and nothing will ever be the same again. Avery Montgomery’s life changed forever in the checkout line at the Food-4-Less when she discovered her long-lost daughter, Fiona, working at the next register. Though Avery yearns to reestablish contact, Fiona has secrets and failures she can’t bring herself to share with her mother–and especially with her father. Finally forced to choose between her marriage to Mike and a future that includes their beloved only child, Avery struggles to heal the rift that is tearing her family apart. To do that, she must risk everything she cares about, confront the sorrows of the past, and rediscover the love that once bound her family together. Avery must reach out to her husband and her daughter to forge a bright new future–and she must do it through a simple gift conceived in love. From the Paperback edition.

"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time.

A funny, touching story, told in friendly free verse with lively pen and ink drawings, about an accident-prone boy whose heart is in the right place. Do-wrong Ron can't do anything right. His only ally is Charlie, the guinea pig, until he meets Isabelle, who sees nothing wrong with Ron. Together, they set out to help Isabelle's lonely grandmother. HONOUR BOOK: CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers, 2004 He's do-wrong Ron who does the wrong things at the wrong time or the right things at the wrong time or the wrong things at the right time. until he finds Charlie the guinea pig who looks like an oversized rat and they meet Isabelle who is waiting for something anything to happen. And when Ron plans a musical welcome for Isabelle's nana, anything just might happen. Written in vivid prose-poem snapshots, this is an engaging, illustrated story book for young readers.

A heart-warming tale about friendship, grief, and the importance of baked goods, this book tells the stories of the kids from Class 6A. There's Mick, school captain and sometime trouble-maker, who wants to make the school a better place, while his younger brother Jacob just wants to fly. There's shy and lonely Laura who hopes to finally fit in with a circle of friends, while Pete struggles to deal with his grandpa's sudden death. Popular Selina obsesses over class comedian Cameron, while Cameron obsesses over Anzac biscuits and Pookie Aleera—whoever that is! For new teacher Ms. Arthur, it's another world, but Mr. Korsky, the school groundskeeper, has seen it all before.

"This guide is directly linked to the syllabus with dot points of the HSC English syllabus appearing in the margin of the book. You can write in the guide, so your study is focused and your notes are structured."--Back cover.