{"title":"Books by Barry Jonsberg","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781761180750","title":"Smoke \u0026 Mirrors","description":"\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2025 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2025 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Writing for Young Adults\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2024 Queensland Literary Awards, Young Adult Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI don't know about love. I suspect the emotion that others apparently feel all the time is just . . . absent from me. Like there's an ingredient missing from the recipe. The possible exception is Gran.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGrace cares about only two things: performing magic and her cantankerous gran. Gran shares her prickly personality and spiky sense of humour, and she's the only one Grace lets into her tightly locked heart - until she meets Simon, a schoolmate who promises to help her turn her magic tricks into a small business and social media stardom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Gran is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Grace moves in to become her primary carer. With the help of Simon and some sleight of hand, Grace is determined to bring joy back into their lives. And when she confronts her worst fear, she realises maybe her heart doesn't need to stay locked away after all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA funny, compelling and fresh story from the author of the bestselling books \u003ci\u003eMy Life As An Alphabet \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eA Song Only I Can Hear\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'\u003ci\u003eSmoke \u0026amp; Mirrors\u003c\/i\u003e is fantastic sleight of hand and heart; at once tender and humorous.' - Danielle Binks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A portrait of grief and growth, with a touch of spectacle. This is more than magic... It's a miracle.' - Will Kostakis\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44203370512562,"sku":"9781761180750","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781761180750_7b14756d-8590-4769-ba5f-bc9f8260520c.jpg?v=1786024341"},{"product_id":"9781761180385","title":"Darkest Night, Brightest Star","description":"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER: 2026 CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED: 2026 Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eLONGLISTED: 2026 Indie Book Awards, Young Adult Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwo things that are true and one that is a lie:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI think my mother is dead and alive.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI think if I work hard I will be very good at something.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI've tried to please my dad but I don't think I ever will.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThirteen-year-old Morgan lives with his dad and his older brother, Mitch. He hasn't heard from his mum since she left when he was two. He works hard on his football skills, striving to meet his father's high expectations and 'be a man'. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut what that means isn't always clear-cut. When Morgan makes a friend at school, gets injured in a game, and his long-lost mum turns up, everything changes. Then, when he meets an old woman in need of help, Morgan must decide what kind of man he wants to be. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShining a timely and much-needed light on different kinds of masculinity, \u003ci\u003eDarkest Night, Brightest Star\u003c\/i\u003e is a unique and compelling novel from a masterful storyteller.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302879670645,"sku":"9781761180385","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781761180385_805d1e62-8d05-4690-97a7-0c4546a64295.jpg?v=1786024329"},{"product_id":"9781743366837","title":"My Life as an Alphabet","description":"This isn't just about me. It's also about the other people in my life - my mother, my father, my dead sister Sky, my penpal Denille, Rich Uncle Brian, Earth-Pig Fish and Douglas Benson From Another Dimension. These are people [with the exception of Earth-Pig Fish, who is a fish] who have shaped me, made me what I am. I cannot recount my life without recounting elements of theirs. This is a big task, but I am confident I am up to it.Introducing Candice Phee: twelve years old, hilariously honest and a little ...odd. But she has a big heart, the very best of intentions and an unwavering determination to ensure everyone is happy. So she sets about trying to 'fix' all the problems of all the people [and pets] in her life. Laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully touching, My Life as an Alphabet is a delightful novel about an unusual girl who goes to great lengths to bring love and laughter into the lives of everyone she cares about.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303332426101,"sku":"9781743366837","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781743366837_b528dcf0-7515-4443-b93b-cea92a91384d.jpg?v=1786024548"},{"product_id":"nerds-vs-aliens","title":"Nerds vs Aliens!","description":"\u003ci\u003e'The world will end at ten thirty-six in the morning, on the fourteenth of March this year.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the message aliens send to eleven-year-old nerds Harrison (Aitch), Ally and Mo. How do they send it? Via the magnetic letters on Mo's fridge, of course. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAitch and Ally aren't sure what to believe, but soon they're in an alien spaceship travelling at lightspeed to Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Mo is worried his mum will be furious that he boarded an alien craft with strangers. And Aitch is not too happy that they've kidnapped his dog. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut maybe the aliens aren't that scary after all? They say they want to \u003ci\u003esave \u003c\/i\u003ethe planet. It's only humans they're not so impressed by ... \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe future of the human race might just be in the hands of three nerds and their lazy dog. What could go wrong? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA wild ride that's full of laughs from the bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e My Life as an Alphabet.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'This is enormous fun.' -\u003ci\u003e Good Reading\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePerfect for: \u003cbr\u003e- Reluctant and confident readers aged 8+ seeking a funny, quick, entertaining read \u003cbr\u003e- Young readers who love alien adventures and saving-the-world stories \u003cbr\u003e- Teachers and librarians looking for engaging, comedic reads for upper primary, lower secondary kids","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487845818741,"sku":"9781761182464","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781761182464.jpg?v=1786355069"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-barry-jonsberg.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}