One Whole and Perfect Day (27 page)

Someone who’d once called her ‘Lolly’; who always got her birthday wrong and then remembered three months later. Three months! Lily’s birthday had been on the seventeenth of June. Today was the seventeenth of September.

Over in the house the phone was still ringing as Lily began to sprint across the lawn.

‘Answer that phone, someone!’ Pop was roaring from his bedroom as she ran into the hall. ‘Are the pack of youse all deaf or what?’

Lily snatched up the receiver. ‘Hullo, Dad,’ she said.

ALSO BY JUDITH CLARKE

Kenny is fourteen. His dad has just died and to keep the family together, Kenny must find work. ‘Be careful going through the flatlands,’ his mother warns him. ‘Don’t stop for anyone.’ But Kenny does stop, and what happens next will define the man he becomes.

WINNER 2001 CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR OLDER READERS

WINNER 2001 ARTS QUEENSLAND STEELE RUDD AUSTRALIAN SHORT STORY AWARD

‘
a beautifully crafted, thoughtful and rewarding book
’ VIEWPOINT

Jess was happy when they lived by the bay, but something is wrong with their new house. Since they moved, Vida is wild and furious and believes in all kinds of strange magic. Clem hasn’t even unpacked, and their mum is lying sick and silent in the room upstairs. And Jess can feel someone following her, invisible legs quietly keeping step . . .

‘
a tantalising story
. . .
all together a really good yarn
’ READING TIME

‘
a spine-tingler with staying power
’ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY USA

Neema’s great grandmother, Kalpana, is coming to visit. She’s been dreaming of flying again, and now she’s ready to leave her village in India. Kalpana doesn’t speak English and Neema doesn’t speak Hindi, but when they meet the flying boy, they both remember something they had lost long ago.

‘
It is a very welcome talent that can create fiction light as air
and refreshing as sunshine but that leaves the reader with
substantial questions to ponder
. . .
a warm, funny novel.
’ AUSTRALIAN BOOKSELLER & PUBLISHER

‘
sublime
. . .
a truly original book
. . .
Judith Clarke
has done something genre-defying with this title
’ ECLECTICA MAGAZINE USA