Murray Shoring

The O'Neills lived happily in their house in the Australian countryside. That was until one day fate struck blindly, taking the life of Peter, the father, leaving his grief-stricken wife Dawn alone with their four children. Among them, eight-year-old Simone denies this reality. She is persuaded that her father still lives in the giant fig tree growing near their house and speaks to her through its leaves. But the tree becomes more and more invasive and threatens the house. It must be felled. Of course, Simone won't allow it.

An ancient talking macaw named Mac becomes the saving grace for an elderly man threatened with a nursing home, when it is discovered that the talking bird knows the whereabouts of a buried treasure from its days with a pirate. His grandson decides to go off on the hunt only to discover that a resort now exists where the treasure is buried.

A 27-year-old beauty school dropout, Schapelle, was arrested at Bali airport with 4.2kg of marijuana. At first, her arrest was barely noticed by the media, but it soon sparked a frenzy and attracted a frantic cast of characters.

The Sleepover Club is a series of children's books. It has also been adapted into a children's television programme.