Avery Miles is ready to spread her wings and prove her worth on a church mission trip to Iraq, but when their entourage gets blown off course in a desert dust storm, the group is lost in an inexplicable garden oasis. Along with the luscious fruits and crystal springs, Avery and her friends find poisonous snakes, deadly sink holes, and a group of natives that are almost unearthly—but that's not their biggest problem. No matter which way they trek, they can't seem to leave.

This collection of fables, set in a distant land, a long time ago, chronicles the growth of a boy, Ita, from a child of eight to manhood. Almost every tale has a life lesson he learns, first from his grandfather, ruler of their country, and later from his experiences and the people he meets on his travels. Ita sets out on his life journey to find the "Hidden Treasure" his grandfather has spoken of. Along the way, he encounters people from whom he learns about the treasure, and comes, at last, to find where it is hidden. There are stories of courage, making hard choices, and gaining independence when one is no longer a child but growing into manhood. There are stories of love and loss, of great happiness and great sorrow. The collection can be read as a whole, connected narrative, or individual stories can stand on their own. While young people of pre-teen or early teen years can read the stories on their own, younger children age ten and up enjoy having the stories read to them. There is an accompanying study guide for teachers, giving suggestions for follow-up discussions and writing projects.

Stitched Up is the heartwarming and fashion-forward novel from author and journalist Jo O'Connell, perfect for younger fans of Geek Girl and Ellie McNicoll. Cassie has always had a passion for fashion — she loves finding quirky vintage looks from history. But when she starts Silverdale High School and becomes fast friends with label-obsessed Azra, she quickly realises that to fit in, she'll have to worry about what people are wearing now, not in Tudor England. So when she, Az and eco-warrior Fern are drafted to redesign the school uniform, Cassie's caught between her real love of fashion and keeping up appearances. When Cassie's neighbour introduces her to The Knitwits, a local knitting group who are coming apart at the seams, Cassie finally starts to feel like she can be herself with people who accept her as she is and whips them into shape to take their designs to the next level. But with the design competiton at school heating up, Cassie soon finds herself living two lives and Azra is starting to ask questions. Can she keep her new love a secret when she wants to shout about it from the rooftops?