Noah is the top member of his rock climbing team, the Rock Dogs. Along with Lucas, Noah's best friend, and Eric, his biggest rival, the Rock Dogs win the annual in-house competition, and are rewarded with a three-day camping trip to Rattle Snake Point. There is only one catch: everyone must bring an adult. Luckily, Noah's dad, who has been preoccupied with his new business, finds the time to go along. But he is unable to leave his work at home, resulting in a survival lesson for both Noah and Eric. [Fry Reading Level - 3.5]
Can rock n' roll and politics mix? Rock Dogs looks at the impact of government music policies on the Australian music scene, youth culture, and national identity. This insightful and timely book is a candid, observant study of the legacy of the Australian Labor Party's cultural policies in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the larger debate over the creation and preservation of a national culture.
Fifteen-year-old Lucas's parents are completely unlike those of his friends. Whilst most mums and dads are into gardening or baking, Lucas's parents like listening to rock music - at full volume. Lucas’s mates all enjoy spending time in his unconventional household, especially when Lucas brings home his dog, Cuch, from the rescue centre. When Grace, one of Lucas’s friends comes round to meet Cuch, she is surprised to discover the dog apparently headbanging in time to ‘The Final Countdown’. Cuch, it seems, is a real rock dog and after Lucas’s parents post clips of him dancing on YouTube the world wants to see more. After his surprise appearance at local rock club, Cuch is dubbed ‘Saturday Rock Dog’ and an article about him in the local newspaper spreads word about the amazing dancing dog. Then a letter arrives from Cuch’s previous owner who asks to be reunited with his old pet and Lucas fears for the future. Little does he know that everyone’s life is about to change beyond recognition. Saturday Rock Dog is an uplifting and imaginative novel for a modern generation that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
“What do you think a hero is? It’s just the right person in the right place making the right choice at the right time. Heroes aren’t born. They’re made.” A demonic assassin. A half-orc boxer. A ratman necromancer. Though they take many different shapes and forms, there are heroes all around us. Bravery can be found in the most unexpected places: a subterranean dwarven city; the sands of a temple courtyard in Ancient Egypt; a besieged castle, a Victorian brothel, a goblin warren, the post-apocalyptic ruins of a demon-infested village. Heroes dwell in the shadows as well as the light; you just have to look a little harder to find them. Who do they fight? Some heroes challenge injustice in all its numerous guises, while others hunt monsters both human and bestial. Others battle inner demons, the ghosts of their past, their deepest nightmares – or even the gods themselves. Why do they fight? For glory? Sometimes. For honor? Perhaps. There are those who instinctively strive to protect those weaker than themselves, and there are others emboldened only by a sense of obligation, or the promise of wealth. Whether by the blade or other means, they endeavor to take down all who threaten what is good and right in their world. By hook or by crook, through cunning or combat, with tooth and claw or iron and steel, they are all united in one goal, willingly or not: to live – and die, if necessary – a hero. Choose your weapon. Fight for what you believe in. Never give up. Nineteen fantasy writers gather to bring nineteen tales to life, each one a unique glimpse into a wholly original world.
