Young Adult

Winter Door

by Isobelle Carmody
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

Rage’s home life and school life are challenging to say the least, with her mother still unwell, her uncle not wanting her, and the school bully becoming increasingly nasty. And she’s been having strange dreams. What do they mean? Is she in danger? It is just her world or the mysterious Valley as well?

First published in 2002, The Winter Door is the second book in a planned trilogy following [Billy Thunder and the] Night Gate. The third title has long remained unwritten. Will the inclusion of the first two books in the Untapped Collection inspire Carmody to complete the trilogy at last?

Isobelle Carmody has written numerous bestselling and award-winning works for children and young adults, including the much loved, long-running series the Obernewtyn Chronicles. For more, visit isobellecarmody.net.au

Thyla

by Kate Gordon
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

Tasmanian teenager Tessa is found in the bush with scratches on her back and no memory of what happened or how they came to be there. What are they? What do they mean? When students at her school start disappearing, Tessa knows she must find out—whatever the cost.

A gripping paranormal mystery that draws on stories of the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, a creature believed to be extinct. First published in 2011, it was followed by a sequel, Vulpi.

Kate Gordon is a Tasmanian children’s author. She’s written picture books, books for younger readers, and books for young adults. Her most recent work, The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn (2020), was described as ‘Haunting and beautiful’ by Magpies magazine. For more information visit kate.gordon.com.au.

The Tribe Who Sang to Trees

by Jackie French
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

With Desert Wind as their guide, Possum and Mopoke have once again left the Valley to brave the world outside, where it’s harsh, dry and so hot you can’t go out during the day. It was supposed to be a short journey, following the creek up to the salt pans, but just like all their others, that’s not how it turns out. This time, they hear a strange, eerie noise, like nothing they’ve heard before. Is it a machine? An animal? Or something else? Is it dangerous?

The Tribe Who Sang to the Trees is the final book in internationally bestselling and much loved author Jackie French’s Children of the Valley series, a five-part dystopian series set many years from now and presciently written long before the trend for dystopian children’s and young adult fiction emerged – or climate change was a global concern.

According to her website, ‘Jackie French AM is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat (part time), 2014–2015 Australian Children’s Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year.’ She’s written over 200 books, which range from picture books and books for younger readers, to historical fiction for adults, to non-fiction about gardening and ecology. Her books have been won a wide range of prizes both in Australia and internationally. For more visit www.jackiefrench.com.

The Scarecrow

by Sean Williams
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

The third book in internationally bestselling author Sean Williams’ Broken Land trilogy sees Ros, his camel, and Adi at last heading out of the desert—but once again, right into the hands of danger and dark-powered enemies. This time, it’s the half-human, half-material Scarecrow and he’ll stopped at nothing to get what he wants: a crystal Ros intends to bury in the bottom of the ocean, and the Golem Ros has locked inside.

‘This is speculative fiction of the highest quality.’ — West Australian

The Scarecrow was first published in 2008.

Sean Williams has been described by Aurealis Magazine as ‘without doubt the premier Australian speculative fiction writer of the age’. He writes fantasy and science fiction and has co-authored Star Wars novelisations with Shane Dix and the EX series with Garth Nix. For more information visit his website at seanwilliams.com.

The Music from the Sea

by Jackie French
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

Sea levels have risen, the winds are wild, and the sun is so hot that you can’t go out during the day. So Possum and Mopoke live like wombats, sleeping during the day and venturing out at night. They’re lucky they’re in the Valley, where it’s safe and protected, but they know there’s a world outside – the Collectors go there, scavenging for metal and plant species. And there are stories. When they hear one about mysterious music coming from an island with a gleaming tower, they decide to go in search of it, with Desert Wind, an old Collector, as their guide… 

First published in 1993, The Music from the Sea is the first book in internationally bestselling and much loved author Jackie French’s Children of the Valley series, a five-part dystopian series written long before the trend for dystopian children’s and young adult fiction emerged – and climate change was a global concern. 

According to her website, ‘Jackie French AM is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat (part time), 2014–2015 Australian Children’ Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year.’ She’s written over 200 books, which range from picture books and books for younger readers, to historical fiction for adults, to non-fiction about gardening and ecology. Her books have been won a wide range of prizes both in Australia and internationally. For more visit www.jackiefrench.com

The House of a Hundred Animals

by Jackie French
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

Possum, Mopoke and Desert Wind have found a wild boy – one with a pet lion – and brought him back to the Valley. But who is he? How can he have tamed a lion? The only way to find out is to leave the Valley again and brave the world outside, where the climate has made life harsh, hot and dry…

First published in 1993, The House of a Hundred Animals is the third book in internationally bestselling and much loved author Jackie French’s Children of the Valley series, a dystopian series presciently written long before the trend for dystopian children’s and young adult fiction emerged – or climate change was a global concern.

According to her website, ‘Jackie French AM is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat (part time), 2014–2015 Australian Children’s Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year.’ She’s written over 200 books, which range from picture books and books for younger readers, to historical fiction for adults, to non-fiction about gardening and ecology. Her books have been won a wide range of prizes both in Australia and internationally. For more visit www.jackiefrench.com.

The Metal Men

by Jackie French
Ligature untapped
genre Fantasy · Young Adult

Possum and Mopoke, with Desert Wind as their guide, have left the Valley and braved the world outside, where its harsh, dry and so hot you can’t go out during the day. They’ve gone in search of the metal men. Are they real? Or a myth? Might there be people left who make machines like they had before the wild years? 

First published in 1994, The Metal Men is the fourth book in internationally bestselling and much loved author Jackie French’s Children of the Valley series, a five-part dystopian series written long before the trend for dystopian children’s and young adult fiction emerged – and climate change was a global concern. 

According to her website, ‘Jackie French AM is an Australian author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat (part time), 2014–2015 Australian Children’s Laureate and 2015 Senior Australian of the Year.’ She’s written over 200 books, which range from picture books and books for younger readers, to historical fiction for adults, to non-fiction about gardening and ecology. Her books have won a wide range of prizes both in Australia and internationally. For more visit www.jackiefrench.com.