Ghost Bird

The publisher says...

Stacey and Laney are twins – mirror images of each other – and yet they’re as different as the sun and the moon. Stacey works hard at school, determined to get out of their small town. Laney skips school and sneaks out of the house to meet her boyfriend. But when Laney disappears one night, Stacey can’t believe she’s just run off without telling her. As the days pass and Laney doesn’t return, Stacey starts dreaming of her twin. The dreams are dark and terrifying, difficult to understand and hard to shake, but at least they tell Stacey one key thing – Laney is alive. It’s hard for Stacey to know what’s real and what’s imagined and even harder to know who to trust. All she knows for sure is that Laney needs her help. Stacey is the only one who can find her sister. Will she find her in time?

The author says...

Click on the icon below for a video of Lisa Fuller sharing her inspiration for the book, what it was like returning home to write the story and the creative writing process.

Click on the icon below for a video of Lisa Fuller reading an excerpt from Ghost Bird.

The CBCA judges say...

Told with an undeniably authentic Indigenous voice, this is a haunting story of racism and small-town prejudices, alongside ideas of family history and culture. Through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Tace, after the disappearance of her twin sister, Fuller interweaves familial stories to create a mystery and a thriller that combines action and suspense with lyrical descriptions of the sisters and the tight bond throughout their community. The environment and setting are skilfully woven into the story, giving the reader strong insight into life in the Top End and a deep feeling of unease that is essential to maintaining the atmosphere of the novel. Fuller’s use of informal and colloquial language not only makes this book appealing to teenage readers, but also adds a level of sincerity that in no way feels contrived. Stories of culture and history form a strong theme of how past generations pass on beliefs and wisdom to their descendants, and how that can manifest in both positive and negative ways. There is clever interrogation of almost every theme. The book very successfully fills a void in Australian YA fiction.

Our Reading Time reviewers say...

Click here to read the Reading Time review

Teaching Notes for the book…

The publisher has generously made teaching resources available for this book. Click on the icon below to view these resources.