Hercules Quick dreams of being a magnificent magician. He is saving up to buy a box of magic tricks. Luckily, he has plenty of neighbours who need his help. Whether it's lending a hand to Professor Calamari or doing an out of season spring-clean for Queen Claude, no job is too odd for Hercules. Need something done? Ask Hercules Quick. Only ten cents!
An Australia Reads exclusive story about a boy who does a series of odd jobs for his eccentric neighbours, from the current Australian Children's Laureate and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop.
A hilarious and charming story about a boy and his amphibious friend who do a series of odd jobs for their eccentric neighbours, from an Australian Children's Laureate and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop. Ursula Dubosarsky was the Australian Children's Laureate 2020-2021 Hercules Quick wants to be a magnificent magician. He just needs a special box of magic tricks. But the box is expensive, and Hercules doesn't have any money. Luckily, Hercules lives in a big apartment block with Aunt Alligator and his tadpole friend, Sylvie, and he has plenty of neighbours who are willing to pay for his help. Whether it's babysitting for the Elks, spring-cleaning for Queen Claude, or helping Professor Calamari choose the perfect bow tie, no job is too odd for Hercules Quick! Join the enterprising Hercules on his neighbourhood adventures as he discovers that sometimes the best magic of all is not a trick. Praise for Ask Hercules Quick and The Magnificent Hercules Quick 'With its combination of unusual characters and colourful, detailed illustrations, this book is sure to capture the attention of readers aged six to nine.' Books+Publishing 'A whimsical, funny story with eccentric characters all led by the enterprising and helpful Hercules. Andrew Joyner's illustrations are equally fun with lots of details to pore over ... Perfect for newly independent readers.' Reading Time
Amateur astronomers of all expertise from beginner to experienced will find this a thorough star cluster atlas perfect for easy use at the telescope or through binoculars. It enables practical observers to locate the approximate positions of objects in the sky, organized by constellation. This book was specifically designed as an atlas and written for easy use in field conditions. The maps are in black-and-white so that they can be read by the light of a red LED observer’s reading light. The clusters and their names/numbers are printed in bold black, against a “grayed-out” background of stars and constellation figures. To be used as a self-contained reference, the book provides the reader with detailed and up-to-date coverage of objects visible with small-, medium-, and large-aperture telescopes, and is equally useful for simple and computer-controlled telescopes. In practice, GO-TO telescopes can usually locate clusters accurately enough to be seen in a low-magnification eyepiece, but this of course first requires that the observer knows what is visible in the sky at a given time and from a given location, so as to input a locatable object. This is where "The Observer's Guide to Star Clusters" steps in as an essential aid to finding star clusters to observe and an essential piece of equipment for all amateur astronomers.
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Reeves, or Charles Atlas, there was Eugen Sandow, a muscular vaudeville strongman who used his good looks, intelligence, and business savvy to forge a fitness empire. The German-born Sandow (1867-1925) established a worldwide string of gyms, published a popular magazine, sold exercise equipment, and pioneered the use of food supplements. He even marketed a patented health corset for his female followers. Among the colorful figures who played a part in Sandow's life are Bernarr Macfadden, Florenz Ziegfeld, Lillian Russell, and others in sports and the theater. Sandow the Magnificent is the story of this first showman to emphasize physique display rather than lifting prowess. Sandow's is also the story of the earliest days of the fitness movement, and Chapman explains the popularity of physical culture in terms of its wider social implications. Sandow was a proponent of exercise to alleviate physical ailments, anticipating the field of physical therapy. By making exercise fashionable, he encouraged the fitness craze that still endures. As the first superstar in his field, Sandow also pried open some surprising cracks in the Victorian wall of prudery. His nude photographs, a kind of soft-core pornography, were anxiously sought by both male and female admirers, and after many of his major public events he gave private "receptions" wearing little more than a G-string.
The classic first-contact science fiction novel that launched the career of Jack McDevitt, the national bestselling author of Coming Home—now revised from the original edition, and featuring a new foreword. From a remote corner of the galaxy a message is being sent. The continuous beats of a pulsar have become odd, irregular…artificial. It can only be a code. Frantically, a research team struggles to decipher the alien communication. And what the scientists discover is destined to shake the foundations of empires around this world—from Wall Street to the Vatican…
A hilarious and charming story about a boy and his fishy friend who do a series of odd jobs for their eccentric neighbours, from an Australian Children's Laureate and the bestselling creators of The Terrible Plop.
Ursula Dubosarsky is the Australian Children's Laureate for 2020-2021 'How much money do I have in my piggy bank?' asked Hercules. 'Actually,' said Aunt Alligator, 'I don't think you have a piggy bank, Hercules.' Hercules sighed. No piggy bank, no money. I need a job, he thought. That's what I need. He got out his paints, his paintbrush and a big piece of plain paper. On the paper, he painted some words. NEED SOMETHING DONE? ASK HERCULES QUICK!
A joyful celebration of family and culture, the Welcome to Our Country series introduces First Nations history to children. From Australian of the Year Adam Goodes, co-writer Ellie Laing, and Barkindji illustrator David Hardy. Welcome, children! Nangga! Nangga! Yakarti! Tonight will be our Ceremony. Our family gathers as the fire burns. The smoke rises up as we take it in turns . . . Then clapsticks tap - one, two, three - but a stick is missing! Where could it be? Joyful and full of fun, Ceremony invites you to celebrate the rich traditions of dance, family, community and caring for Country from the world's oldest continuous culture. 'This series is one of the most significant publications available to help our young children understand and appreciate the long-overdue recognition of our First Nations people in schools.'Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian PRAISE FOR SOMEBODY'S LAND: 'Somebody's Land really stands out as a book of meaning and education not just for Indigenous kids to learn but non-Indigenous to learn and understand the history of this country. And it soothes my soul.' Karajia Award for Children's Literature judge Bunna Lawrie 'This book should be in every school library so parents and teachers can read it to their children and begin an important discussion.' Good Reading 'This is honest, lively and vital reading for the whole family.'The Big Issue
When he was born, Albert was a peculiar, fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, bothered his teachers, and didn’t have many friends. But in the midst of all of this, Albert was fascinated with solving puzzles and fixing scientific problems. The ideas Albert Einstein came up with during his childhood as an odd boy out were destined to change the way we know and understand the world around us . . .
