The Australian Children's Laureate Foundation is proud to partner with Bolinda BorrowBox to bring you a very special collection of free audiobooks.
Every month, we will feature a new author and audiobook on our website, showcasing the incredible diversity of talent in Children's Literature.
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LAURINDA
by Alice Pung
When my dad dropped us off at the front gate, the first things I saw were the rose garden spreading out on either side of the main driveway and the enormous sign in iron cursive letters spelling out LAURINDA. No 'Ladies College' after it, of course; the name was meant to speak for itself.
Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates – and some of their teachers.
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Written by: Alice Pung
Narrated by: Aileen Huyhn
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Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, Lucy finds herself in a battle for her identity and integrity.
Funny, feisty and moving, Laurinda explores Lucy’s struggle to stay true to herself as she finds her way in a new world of privilege and opportunity.
Suitable for children 13+
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QUESTIONS WITH THE AUTHOR
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Q1. Why did you write this book?
I changed high schools five different times, and wrote Laurinda as a satire to highlight what happens when institutions and individuals prioritise success at all costs.
Q2. What challenges did you face?
After the book was published, quite a few schools thought I had written about them!
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Q3. Why are audiobooks important?
A good audiobook will really bring the story to life (almost like listening to a radio play!) and make the book far more accessible to people who cannot read or don't like reading.
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Alice Pung OAM is an award-winning writer based in Melbourne. She is the bestselling author of the memoirs Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter, and the essay collection Close to Home, as well as the editor of the anthologies Growing Up Asian in Australia and My First Lesson. Her first novel, Laurinda, won the Ethel Turner Prize at the 2016 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. One Hundred Days is her most recent novel. Alice was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to literature in 2022.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Combining print and audio
increases recall
40%
over print alone
Source Bolinda: www.audiopub.org/sound-learning
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Bolinda is a world-leading audiobook and technology company. Entrepreneurial by nature, their mission is to serve the world and inspire people to live their best lives through the power of storytelling.
BorrowBox is a digital library experience that gives readers and listeners access to thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks for free, with nothing more than a quick download and the details on their library card.
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For more ACLF updates you can:
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We're constantly looking to improve the content and resources we produce as part of the Australian Children's Laureate Foundation. If you have any feedback we'd love to hear from you.
Many thanks – the Australian Children's Laureate team.
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