There are 10 new titles, and we're hoping they'll be popular with Aussie readers in particular. For all you overseas readers, don't worry, Series #6 is in production as we speak and should be on sale in the first half of 2012.
In the next few weeks I'll talk about each of the books in turn, but in the meantime, here's a look at the covers. Both stories in level 1 (Yellow covers) are set in the desert, Australia's vast inland. Running With Boats is about the famous Todd River Boat Race in Alice Springs, a race held on a dry river bed. It's a crazy event and people there have lot of fun.
The Camel Man is about the Afghan and Indian cameleers who helped open up much of the outback, bringing goods and supplies to the isolated people living there.
Fire, one of our level two (red) books is about a danger many Australians are touched by every year — bushfire. Liz, Anne, Ian and Greg get caught up in a bushfire. It's based on a true story. This really happened to me and my friends.
On The Goldfields is a story from history, about life on the goldfields in the 1850's and gives a small insight into how it was for women.
Next, in level 3, we have the story of Cyclone Tracy, which hit the city of Darwin on Christmas Eve.
And Moira has Would I Lie to You? — a tale of the Furphy tank, a water carrier that gave rise to a common expression "that's a furphy."
In level 4 we have the story of Australia's most beloved racehorse, Phar Lap. He died before most of us were born, but people still love Phar Lap.
Finally we have three books at a new level. They're longer books, but we've kept the unique word count to the same as level 4, so they're longer to read, but not too hard, we hope.
A Handful of Sand is about indigenous land rights -- it's the story of the Gurindji people, and how they fought to get their land back.
Simpson and His Donkey is a beloved story from Word War One -- an ANZAC story, about Private Jack Simpson and the donkeys he used to rescue wounded soldiers. In this book we use a lot of historical photos from WW1, as well as some of Moira's cartoons.
Lastly we have the story of Australia's best known bushranger, Ned Kelly. This book is entirely illustrated from historical photos and illustrations from Ned Kelly's own time, and are of interest in themselves.
We're very proud of this new series. We hope you enjoy it.
