Booklists

Rachel Ettinger and Kyle Bonham led fairly predictable lives until Rachel's jokey picture of Kyle working at the Burger Barn wound up going viral. Suddenly he is insta-famous and everyone on the planet knows about Rachel's silly crush on him... including Kyle. Just as they think their lives couldn't get any more complicated, an innocent photo becomes a whirlwind adventure full of fangirls, haters, and French-fry bouquets that forces them both to questions whether fame -- and love -- are worth the price. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

From small steps to great leaps ... Gene understands stories - comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn't get sports. As a kid, his friends called him "Stick" and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men's varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that's been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realises that their story is just as thrilling as anything he's seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn't know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons's lives, but his own life as well. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 or above.

Stella may only be seventeen, but having read every self-help book she can find means she knows a thing or two about helping people. She sure wasn't expecting to be the one in need of help, though. Thanks to her father's gambling addiction, Stella and her family now find themselves living at Fairyland Caravan Park. And hiding this truth from her friends is hard enough without dealing with another secret. Stella's birth mother has sent her a letter. As Stella deals with the chaos of her family, she must also confront the secrets and past of her 'other' family. But Stella is stronger than she realises. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat - but real life isn't always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she's the only child of a young, single mum, and her life is decidedly less privileged. And even though her mom knows she's bisexual, she hasn't mustered the courage to tell her friends - not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. With some messy dynamics emerging in this once tight-knit group of friends, senior year suddenly gets even more complicated for Leah, as she realises she's falling not for the guy who's taking her to prom, but for the girl who's dating her best friend. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above

Layla has ended the school year on a high and can't wait to spend the holidays hanging out with her friends and designing a prize-winning Grand Designs Tourismo invention. But Layla's plans are interrupted when her grandmother in Sudan falls ill and the family rush to be with her. The last time Layla went to Sudan she was only a young child. Now she feels torn between her Sudanese and Australian identities. As political tensions in Sudan erupt, so too do tensions between Layla and her family. Layla is determined not to lose her place in the invention team, but will she go against her parents' wishes? What would a Kandaka do? Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Sixteen-year-old Ana is a poet and a lover of language. Except that since she moved to New Jersey from Argentina, she can barely find the words to express how she feels. At first Ana just wants to return home. Then she meets Harrison, the very cute, very American boy in her math class, and discovers the universal language of racing hearts. But when she begins to spend time with Neo, the Greek Cypriot boy from ESL, Ana wonders how figuring out what her heart wants can be even more confusing than the grammar they're both trying to master. After all, the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love. Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple - that they're inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone's asking if they're staying together, which is a stupid question - they're "Nick and Charlie" for goodness sake! But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Our home town. Sometimes it feels like the centre of the universe, sometimes it's the bum-end of nowhere. We are her sons and daughters. These are our triumphs and our heartaches, our fears and hopes for a better life. Getting lost, falling in love, pushing boundaries, exploring the world - powerfully honest stories to make you think and feel, from the award-winning author of The Dead I Know and Changing Gear. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Bayview High is just about recovered from the death of gossip king Simon Helleher a year ago. Now there's a new copycat in town who isn't ready to forget him just yet. A school-wide game of Truth or Dare seems fun, right? But this game is lethal. Choosing the truth may reveal your darkest secrets, but accepting the dare could be dangerous - or even fatal. The teenagers of Bayview must work together once again to find the culprit, before it's too late... Usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above.

Morgan Lodhi has been the target of bullies since he was in primary school. He seems to just attract them. He becomes known across the school as Pig and everyone around him find it easier to either ignore the bullying or just join in. High school is a battle ground but it is not without some pockets of kindness. Contains scenes of bullying which some readers may find confronting. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret - not even the person she is on the inside. But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken. Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances' dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past - She has to confess why Carys disappeared. Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets. It's only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it's only by being your true self that you can find happiness. Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

The summer is finally here, and Pearl Nash is on a mission to save her slowly disintegrating friendship with a whirlwind end-of-year road trip. However, suddenly Pearl ends up stuck in the middle of the desert beside Obi Okocha, a boy with an irritating attitude. Add a breakdown, multiple arguments, an AWOL nana and a kiss; the perfect ingredients for a perfect disaster. Or is it? Usually read by students in years 9, 10, or above.

June, Bette and Gigi have given their all to dance at New York's most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose... and even the nice girls are no longer playing nice. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Raina Petree is crushing her senior year, until her boyfriend dumps her, the drama club (basically) dumps her, the college of her dreams slips away, and her arch-nemesis triumphs. Things aren't much better for Millie Goodwin. Her father treats her like a servant, and the all-boy Mock Trial team votes her out, even after she spent the last three years helping to build its success. But then, an advice columnist unexpectedly helps Raina find new purpose in a pair of knitting needles and a politically active local yarn store. This leads to an unlikely meeting in the girls' bathroom, where Raina inspires Millie to start a rival team. The two join together and recruit four other angry girls to not only take on Mock Trial, but to smash the patriarchy in the process.

The door creaks open and standing in the entrance is my absolute worst nightmare. Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect brain. Perfect sneer. Evelyn Tait. Taking Down Evelyn Tait is a story about family, friends and embracing who you are. Even if that person is kind of weird. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 and above.