Finalist in the 2010 Faulkner-Wisdom Competition By 1821 Napoleon was alone and ailing on his reduced empire of St Helena. Nicholas Girod, mayor of New Orleans had never met the Emperor but he, like many others, had strong feelings for Napoleon and his plight. Together with the pirate Jean Lafitte he formed a plot to rescue Napoleon and install him in an apartment above his own house in New Orleans. He was truly committed to the rescue of Napoleon as he had two ships fitted out and had his house enlarged to provide an apartment fit for an Emperor. The plot failed. Not for any lack on the part...

Women and their many and varied roles in society are often overlooked. These stories spotlight women as the main protagonists of the action. From the instant connection of Molly (60) and the speechless Ruby (3) to the 92-year old freedom fighter Zanthus, the stories explore the courage that women bring to their everyday lives and to the lives and well-being of their families and colleagues. From the desert landscape of Australia to the drawing rooms of London and the swamps of Louisiana, the women of this book make their mark and carry out their every day challenges with strong hearts...

It could be called Mice Trail Around Australia. Lucy is an unusual mouse. You see Lucy has a dream. She has an overwhelming passion to be the best mouse ballerina in the world. Mr Sassafras the cat had never in all his born days seen a mouse ballerina and certainly not such a passionate one as Lucy. He loves to watch her dance. And Ginger Tom is a world-weary cat who has seen almost everything. After all he has spent his life travelling around in a travelling show. But not even Ginger Tom has ever seen a mouse ballerina. So Mr Sassafras and Ginger Tom decide to help their friend Lucy Mouse...

This book will change your mind about angels. Angels are not boring entities floating about on clouds playing golden harps. They have lives too and jobs to do. From Botticelli's Angel to the Angel Who Lost His Wings you will be enticed into a world of magic. Did you know that when a storm happens in Heaven - which only happens once in a thousand years - the angels have to fold their wings over their ears so they aren't torn off in the storm? And did you know that Annabella the One-Eared Angel has scintillating sight? And could you help the Crystal Angel move her wings again? And did you know...

Mermaids Are Cool by Sally Squires promotes the theme of taking care of the world's oceans. From the tiniest of sea creatures - Tinaletta the sea butterfly - to one of the giants of the ocean - Whatchamacallit White Whale and her baby Whippersnapper Whale through to dragon fish, sea angels, sea cucumbers, sand dollars and crusty crabs called Calamungus, young readers are delighted with tales of the adventures and misadventures of our ocean creatures. From Octarina Octopus and her Octarina Orchestra and her misadventure at the Reef of the Silver Shark to Nobelesta Mermaid's battle to save the...

Australian writer and filmmaker Sally Squires uses her wickedly irreverent sense of humour to lighten the burden of cooking. She trekked all over the planet, looked in every nook and cranny, interviewed every strange creature and friend to gather together an eclectic collection of saucy, witty and terrific tasting recipes. Try some or try some on your friends and family. Above all enjoy them.

Troy (5) and Sabia (3) are playing happily on the hot, dusty desert floor in the north west of Australia in 1967 when their world is shattered by two faceless visitors. Thirty years later Sabia is a successful lawyer in Australia facing a battle with leukaemia while, half a world away in America, her brother Troy sits isolated in a prison cell - accused of murder. Death row stares him in the face. The magic of Australian Aboriginal spirituality is highlighted against the struggle with violence that an African American mother and her son have to confront every day in the streets of New York as...

The Story Tree was a very, very, very old tree - a thousand years or more old. The reason it was called the Story Tree was because over the past thousand years it had collected a lot of stories. Where do the stories come from, I can hear you ask. Well you see the Story Tree had a secret. What was its secret, I can hear you ask. Well the secret of the Story Tree was that it was a very good listener. Yes, you heard me correctly - the Story Tree was a very good listener. So every day when all the morning birds arrived to sit on the branches of the story tree, they would all tell the Story Tree a...

Abandoned at the age of four, Pearl and her cat, Minaletta, are rescued by Jo Sun, the dragon weaver. A fortuitous series of events during their life together culminates in Pearl reaching heights never dreamed of by either of them in her quest to make the world a kinder place for all children.