TYENNA

An engaging and suspenseful story about one girl surviving the Tasmanian bushfires in 2019.

They huddle low, their clothes clammy with lake water, nostrils burning from the smoke. A wave of despair flows over Tye. Nothing will survive this firestorm. The bush and everything she loves will be lost. It's the summer of 20182019, and Tye is holidaying at her grandparents' lodge at Chancy's Point in Tasmania's Central Highlands. But her plans for fun with best friend Lily and working on her pencil pine conservation project are thwarted as fire threatens the community and the bush she loves - and when Tye discovers Bailey, a runaway boy hiding out, she is torn between helping Bailey and her loyalty to her grandparents. As the fire comes closer and evacuation warnings abound, Tye is caught up in the battle of her life. Will she and Bailey survive? What will happen to her beloved pencil pines and the hundreds of wildlife at risk? Can she follow her dreams and make a difference in a world threatened by climate change? Julie Hunt's stories combine other-worldly elements with down-to-earth humour. She loves travel and is fascinated by landscapes and the tales they inspire. This interest has taken her from the rugged west coast of Ireland to the ice caves of Romania where she collected ideas for her graphic novel, KidGlovz, illustrated by Dale Newman. KidGlovz won the 2016 Queensland Literary Award and her latest novel, Shine Mountain, was shortlisted for the 2019 NSW Premier's Award. She has received many awards and commendations for earlier books, including winning Readings' inaugural Children's Book Prize for Song for a Scarlet Runner in 2014 and the Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award for The Coat, illustrated by Ron Brooks, in 2013. Dr Terry Whitebeach is a Tasmanian writer, historian and community artist who has performed, presented conference papers and taught creative writing in community, workplace and educational settings. Her publications include poetry, radio plays, novels for young adults and biographies, and novels for young adults including Trouble Tomorrow.