The Three Doors Trilogy

I've just spotted the Three Doors series bind-up coming up on Omnibus' new releases list and with an eight-year-old in the house currently devouring Emily Rodda's always-popular series Deltora Quest I think I'd better have one on hand for when she finishes. Isn't it handsome (and just a little bit frightening)? Out in October 2013.

April books

We are very proud of our three books out in bookshops this month. Each is very special in its own way. Tanglewood, written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Vivienne Goodman, has been a labour of love. Over seven years in the making, this book was kept alive by people having faith in the artistic process. This book was worth the wait.

Already featured on the front page of their website, it was lovely to read how much reviewer Dani Solomon from Readings Carlton was looking forward to our next new book.  'It was quite thrilling knowing as I was about to open Emily Rodda’s The Silver Door that inside was a quiet, thoughtful boy named Rye reaching out to enter a silver door of his own which, just like the book in my hands, would lead him into a completely strange, new and exciting world.' 

The Ice-cream War by first-time author, Edwina Howard, is already a hit with readers. Starring a Shetland pony and two enterprising friends, this book is hilarious and a wonderful debut from a very promising children's book author. Congratulations, Edwina!

Congratulations!

To our stellar 2012 CBCA Short Listees!

Some more Emily Rodda love ...

... with Holly over at Readings' 'Spotlight on Emily Rodda'.

The Three Doors Trilogy: The Golden Door

The Editors had a brush with awesomeness last week while attending a talk given by Emily Rodda right here in Adelaide. Emily's latest book, the first in a new trilogy, is The Golden Door and after taking many, many questions from her audience of thoughtful, clever and perceptive children, Emily signed books like a warrior for each and every child who had the courage to approach The Signing Table. There was certainly a buzz in the air. This is the book, out this month, currently being devoured by legions of Emily Rodda fans all over.

And this from Emily Rodda herself about this new trilogy:

'I have always been fascinated by the idea that our choices lead us along different paths in life. Whenever we make a choice, even if it’s as simple as deciding between two tracks on a bushwalk, we may be changing our future. The left-hand track might have the hidden rock that is going to trip us and cause an injury that will affect us for years to come. The right hand track might give us the chance to meet someone who is going to be our friend for life. Obviously many other people have felt the same, because many old legends and fairy tales are based on the theme of choice. I decided to use three doors as my central theme in this trilogy because, firstly, whenever I see a closed door I want to see behind it, and secondly because I have always thought of books as ‘doors’—ways into other places, other worlds. The idea for the trilogy also gave me the opportunity to further explore the magic of the ocean in which Deltora lies—and that is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.'

April books

Omnibus Books is delighted to have two very special books out this month.
New junior fiction novel, Bungawitta, by super-mega-stars of children's literature Emily Rodda and Craig Smith, hits shelves this April. In a 5-star review the Junior Bookseller and Publisher says: 'The author of the popular Deltora Quest and Rondo series has done it again with a captivating tale that shows how good morals and values can guide us out of any problem. Whether or not it rains is completely beside the point!'

And just when the children are going to be ransacking the backyard for eggs laid (in a quirk of evolution) by the Easter Bunny, My Little World by Julia Cooke and illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall, will be appearing on bookshop shelves. After the chocolate hunting frenzy is over this book will inspire a closer look at all the wonderful creatures to be found hiding in the garden.

Hello, 2011!

'Tis the start of a new decade, when it seemed we hadn't really got the hang of the last one yet. And we're told that babies being born now, our readers and future readers, are going to be called the Alphas. Wow! And there will be a lot of them. It could get squeezy on this old bus.

So in honour of the Alphas, here is a sneaky peek at what will be rolling off the Omnibus digital presses for these digital babies (and their older brothers and sisters) this year.

Doom Bunny and the Monster Catchers by genius-girl writer-illustrator Loren Morris is out in February. She prefers stripey socks and irreverent humour and eats monsters for breakfast. Loren is amazing.

And in March we will be super excited to see Randa Abdel-Fattah's new book The Friendship Matchmaker sitting on the bookshop shelves.

The final installment in the horrorific and hilarious Grim and Grimmer series, The Calamitous Queen, is out in June. Will Ike ever overcome his awkwardness? Or will his innards just be devoured by the screeching imp Nuckle, once and for all?

In August a new four-book series called Raven Lucas by Christine Harris will be hitting the shelves, technology all charged up. Because sassy, determined girl investigators don't carry magnifying glasses anymore, they carry smartphones.

And, oh, it's so exciting - a new series by Emily Rodda! Yes, folks, you heard right, a brand new series! The Golden Door will be out later in 2011.

November books

Hopping off the bus at the November stop are the first two books from our friend and fellow passenger Sean Williams in his new mind-bending, dimension-shifting series The Fixers.

And just to prove that we're not all about buses, we like other vehicles too, Mitch Williams hops off with his two delightful new books in the Little Red Ute series. Beep, beep!

And two very special passengers who've been travelling with us for some time, Mem Fox and Emily Rodda, have special new slipcase editions.

October books

Alighting gracefully from the ol' bus this month, we have, your favourite and ours,  Factotum by author/illustrator extraordinaire, David Cornish. 'Epic' doesn't cover it, neither does 'ambitious'. Let's just settle on 'monstrous'. It's the terminus.

And good grief, as if that wasn't weighty enough, we also have another grand finale stepping onto the footpath. It's The Battle for Rondo, and it will be the battle to end all battles.

And when you're still all sweaty and dirty from battling those monsters and wizards, settle in for some serious laughs with the hapless Ike and his faithful bestie, Mellie, in Grim and Grimmer The Grasping Goblin. It's book 2, and there's two more coming. Hold on to your funny bones, folks.

Also out this month: Harry and Hopper in paperback, our Mate and yours, Tomato Sauce, of Course! and The Staring Owl. Now hoo doesn't love an ambitious, champion starer, air-traffic controlling owl? There's no staring this one down, people.