Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang

Mirabel loves designing dresses and is nearly finished school. But it’s 1943 in Melbourne and there are soldiers everywhere to attract young girls. Mirabel falls for a Chinese soldier and the consequences of this love have life-changing consequences.

This is based on a true story. Her bravery following her man to Shanghai and even into dangerous parts of China during wartime show her true qualities. this is a great read – lots of excitement and interest watching her family try to come to terms with the events in her life.

Anonymity Jones by James Roy

Unusual name – Anonymity – maybe it’s because her surname is so common. Anyway, this is no common girl – she has to deal with her life falling apart with her father and sister leaving the household scene which leaves her with her mother and her mum’s new boyfriend who Anonymity just doesn’t trust.

She loves art (and her good looking art teacher) but she learns that it’s not so easy to manage getting along with this teacher. Is she dreaming, or does he like her “more” than the other students?

There’s definitely a follow on novel here – the ending just has to be taken up in a future sequel.