Books published by ABC Books

Dangerous predators and ravenous herbivores: the story of Australia's feral nightmare Winner of the 2022 Whitley Award, for a book about invasive species zoology.Isolation was once the impenetrable barrier that protected Australia and its unique fauna. But a little over two hundred years ago a foreign power took possession and brought with it the foreign animals that now dominate the country's ecosystem. They are the enemy within.Since that time, around 10 per cent of Australia's endemic terrestrial mammalian species have become extinct. Today Australia is dealing with the damage caused by all hard-hoofed animals, domestic and feral.Yet the bigger feral story is the ravages of acclimatisation, caused as new settlers tried to make the colony more like their homeland and released the rabbit, the fox, the hare, feral cats, common mynas, starlings, sparrows, redfin perch, and the many other invasive species that have brought native Australia to its knees.In this book, Guy Hull details the history and toll of the numerous animal species that have contributed to the decimation of Australian species, their assault on land and agriculture, and the modern strategies that are - hopefully - reclaiming the country for our native fauna and its human population.

One young woman missing, two found murdered -- the gripping true story of Australia's longest-running homicide investigation In the early hours of January 27, 1996, after an evening spent celebrating at Club Bayview in the Perth suburb of Claremont, 18-year-old Sarah Spiers called a taxi to nearby Mosman Park. But when the cab arrived, she'd already gone.Sarah was never seen again.Four months later, on June 9, 1996, 23-year-old Jane Rimmer disappeared from the same area, her body later found in bushland south of Perth. When the body of a third young woman, 27-year-old Ciara Glennon, was found north of the city, having vanished from Claremont in August 1997, it was clear a serial killer was on the loose, and an entire city lived in fear he would strike again.A massive manhunt focused first on taxi drivers, then the outspoken local mayor and a quiet public servant. However, almost 20 years later, Australia's longest and most expensive investigation had failed to make an arrest, until forensic evidence linked the murders to two previous attacks - and an unlikely suspect.Stalking Claremont, by local newsman Bret Christian, is a riveting story of promising young lives cut short, a city in panic, an investigation fraught by oversights and red herrings, and a surprising twist that absolutely no one saw coming.

The chilling true story of the heinous murder of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and daughterKhandalyce and how the case was cracked In August 2010, the bones of a young woman were found in Belanglo State Forest, where, years earlier, Ivan Milat had tortured and slain seven young backpackers. Dubbed Angel, her remains lay unidentified for years. Who was she, how did she die, and at whose hand?Then, in July 2015, the bones of a child were found in a suitcase by a highway in South Australia. Months later, a call to Crime Stoppers led to an identification. Two-year-old Khandalyce Pearce had left Alice Springs in 2008 with her mother and hadn't been seen since. Through DNA, Angel was quickly identified as Khandalyce's mother, Karlie Pearce-Stevenson. In the grimmest of scenarios, mother and daughter were reunited at last. The Lost Girls is the chilling true story of this heinous double murder and how police tracked down the perpetrator, who not only killed the girls but stole the young mother's identity to defraud authorities and her family. Gripping and authentic, The Lost Girls celebrates the short lives of a young woman and her daughter, and the investigators determined to bring them home.

'A MULTI-LAYERED BOOK ABOUT HOW OUR WORLD IS CHANGING AROUND US'- ReadPlus The old milk bar on the corner is coming down to make way for something new. Little Davey Durak is gathering scrap - a short piece of wood here, a long piece there.But what's Davey building? Bruce the builder wants to know, but Davey won't tell ...Bestselling author Andrew Daddo and award-winning illustrator Stephen Michael King come together for the first time to bring you this very special picture book. MORE PRAISE'Whatcha Building is a gentle tale of a little person with a big environmental message. There are many layers to unpack, explore and simply enjoy. Highly recommended across the Primary years.' - Magpies'a multi-layered book about how our world is changing around us ... There are many themes and ideas presented here that will initiate a variety of conversations and explorations, especially regarding how the world is changing, what is being lost and what we should try to hold on to.'-ReadPlus'A fantastic new offering from two remarkable talents'- Kids' Book Review'Whatcha Building? relays a wonderful message of community and awareness of recycling and sustainability. The text and illustrations are carefully considered whilst absolutely entertaining us at the same time. A down-to-earth book to share with dads; a reading experience that is sure to be recycled over and over.'- Boomerang Books'loved the imaginative use of recycled materials in the illustrations, reflecting the preservation of community. This book provides avenues for conversation and reflection, and encourages children to respect their community and maintain its history.'- Reading Time'Young readers will have fun trying to predict what it is that Davey is building while others will relate to their neighbourhood slowly but surely changing as "progress" comes to town.'- The Bottom Shelf'I love the illustrations in this story as they not only accompany the text but they add more depth to each page. Stephen Michael King has used recycled garbage, cardboard, pen and ink to create the illustrations and this combination brings life to the story.'- Educate. Empower.

The new book from the bestselling author of Flesh Wounds. A funny and frank look at the way Australia used to be - and just how far we have come. 'It was simpler time'. We had more fun back then'. 'Everyone could afford a house'.There's plenty of nostalgia right now for the Australia of the past, but what was it really like?In The Land Before Avocado, Richard Glover takes a journey to an almost unrecognisable Australia. It's a vivid portrait of a quite peculiar land: a place that is scary and weird, dangerous and incomprehensible, and, now and then, surprisingly appealing.It's the Australia of his childhood. The Australia of the late '60s and early '70s.Let's break the news now: they didn't have avocado.It's a place of funny clothing and food that was appalling, but amusingly so. It is also the land of staggeringly awful attitudes - often enshrined in law - towards anybody who didn't fit in.The Land Before Avocado will make you laugh and cry, feel angry and inspired. And leave you wondering how bizarre things were, not so long ago.Most of all, it will make you realise how far we've come - and how much further we can go.PRAISERichard Glover's just-published The Land Before Avocado is a wonderful and witty journey back in time to life in the early 1970s. For a start, he deftly reclaims the book's title fruit from those who have positioned it as a proxy for all that is wrong with today's supposedly feckless and spendthrift young adults. Rather than maligning the avocado (and young people), he cleverly appropriates the fruit as an exemplar of how far we have come since the 1970s' Richard Wakelin, Australian Financial Review'This is vintage Glover - warm, wise and very, very funny. Brimming with excruciating insights into life in the late sixties and early seventies, The Land Before Avocado explains why this was the cultural revolution we had to have' Hugh Mackay 'Hilarious and horrifying, this is the ultimate intergenerational conversation starter' Annabel Crabb PRAISE FOR FLESH WOUNDS'A funny, moving, very entertaining memoir' Bill Bryson, New York Times 'The best Australian memoir I've read is Richard Glover's Flesh Wounds' Greg Sheridan, TheAustralian

'A brilliant reconstruction of the saga of power, glory, invasion and decay that is the one-thousand year story of Constantinople. A truly marvellous book.' - Simon Winchester In 2014, Richard Fidler and his son Joe made a journey to Istanbul. Fired by Richard's passion for the rich history of the dazzling Byzantine Empire - centred around the legendary Constantinople - we are swept into some of the most extraordinary tales in history. The clash of civilisations, the fall of empires, the rise of Christianity, revenge, lust, murder. Turbulent stories from the past are brought vividly to life at the same time as a father navigates the unfolding changes in his relationship with his son.GHOST EMPIRE is a revelation: a beautifully written ode to a lost civilization, and a warmly observed father-son adventure far from home.

The bestselling, award-winning 'Rudie Nudie' is now in paperback! Ages 2+ 'One, two Rudie Nudie, Rudie Nudie in the bath...' Emma Quay captures all the joy and energy of childhood in this irresistible rhyming tale. With its charming illustrations and lively text, 'Rudie Nudie' is destined to become an instant family favourite! Ages 2+