Bøger af Teena Raffa-Mulligan

"Hi Jodie, it's Mum. I just called to let you know I'm coming to see you. Missing you heaps. Can't wait to be together again." The simple phone message has Jodie spooked. She'd give anything to see her mother again but that's impossible. Dead people only return for visits from beyond the grave in books and movies. They can't pick up a phone and call the living to have a chat. Someone must be playing a sick joke. But when the phone calls stop, the other weird communications start and Jodie has to find out the truth. Are the messages from her mum? Should she expect a ghostly visitor?

A beautiful collection of essays that touches on the universal search for meaning and inspires readers to reach out for the still waters of the spirit.The human heart longs for peace and harmony. It seeks a restful haven from the relentless busyness of everyday life, drawing us to spend tranquil moments in natural surrounds that offer a brief respite from the hustle and bustle. There is a state of inner stillness, when the endless chatter of the mind has ceased, that a deeper understanding arises. These are the 'still waters' that bring new life to mankind, that lay claim to the heart and redirect the mind. These are the waters of peace, love and true togetherness that lift us to divine heights of being and living.

Joseph Raffa was a dedicated atheist when he set out in search of answers to the riddles of life and the universe. Then, in a blissful moment of discovery, the God the Bible speaks of, the Allah of Mohammed and the longed for Nirvana of the Buddhists came into his life. As his life opened out spiritually, Joseph began to have a deeper appreciation of Jesus, His life and His role in the spiritual awakening of Mankind. Visions and insights arose unbidden, in such a manner that their authenticity could not be questioned. The young man who was an atheist for a time, who cared not to read the Bible or take much notice of Christ and His life, found himself anchored in God and also writing pieces extolling the virtues, the wisdom and the love expressed by that super spiritual being of long ago. Beyond the Cross, a moving collection of inspired pieces about Christ, is the result.

It's 1817 and Rosie has lived all her life in Parramatta. Pa came to the colony in New South Wales as a free settler and is a successful trader, importing goods from foreign lands. Ma is an ex-convict who stitches fine gowns for the ladies of the colony. Now Pa's brother is on his way from England with his family to join them. Rosie can hardly contain her excitement. She and Cousin Amelia will surely become the best of friends, sharing secrets and adventures. When Pa decides to take Rosie along with him and the new arrivals to help set up their farm in the bush a day's journey from town, she can't believe her luck. It means leaving behind the puppy she rescued from a group of cruel boys but what fun it will be to spend every day with Amelia. It is fun...but there is also danger. A raging bushfire threatens to destroy the farm and everyone in it. How will they survive? Will Rosie ever return home to Ma, the little kids and Patch the puppy?

A surprise visitor is coming to the bay today.As the news spreads, an excited crowd begins to gather.More and more and MORE Australian bushlandcreatures arrive to greet this mystery guest.Who can it be?A counting story with a difference that celebrates community spirit.

Edie hopes to win friends by being champion at the interschool sports but loses her race. Her chance to be a true champion comes when their teacher is injured during a storm and all the children are trapped in the little bush school.

It's been four years since the Dark Days when Chloe lost her mum to cancer. Nana's been wonderful but it's time their family had a mum person. Chloe is excited at the news that Dad is bringing home a special friend to meet the family. She might be just the mum person they need. But when they arrive, Chloe knows immediately that Fern is wrong for the job. She's in a wheelchair so can't skate to the shop, turn cartwheels on the lawn or race along the seashore. Chloe will have to be good at being bad to stop her joining their family. A warm-hearted story about letting go of limiting expectations and opening up to 'can' rather than 'can't.'

A pearl button from Mama's wedding glove starts Angelina's yesterday collection. Soon everyone in her big multicultural family has a memory to share and a special keepsake to give her."What will you do with them?" asks Mama.A school dress-up parade for Pioneers Day gives Angelina a wonderful idea of what to do with her yesterday things...A warm-hearted story about family connections.

A successful life today is measured by experience and achievement. Possessions and community status are ranked highly. Yet rarely does this guarantee happiness, contentment and interpersonal harmony. As a result there is a widespread yearning for a deeper understanding. We wonder about God, the purpose of life, destiny, free will, the future of the human race. Concern is growing that we will not learn the ways of peace and togetherness and create harmony in our relationships. The more sensitive among us fear we will continue to destroy our kind, the Earth and the other life forms that share this planet with us. Make Time for the Spiritual has a clear message for those seeking a deeper meaning to everyday living: Self- understanding is the key that improves behaviour and dissolves misconceptions.Transform from within if you want to change your outer experience of life.

We live in turbulent times. Nations warring with themselves and each other. Violent behaviour rife in society. Must we accept violence as an inevitable expression of human nature - or is it possible to enjoy lives lived in peace and harmony?Joseph delivers a message of hope: A peaceful world in every way can come about when we are truly peaceful people. But this state of harmonious living will not come about by changing laws or waging war. We must look inwards, not outwards, to solve the problems caused by our lack of love and understanding.Peace is Possible is a call to action: Change yourself if you want to change our world.

When Jenna's Nanna wins the lotto, not everyone agrees with how she plans on spending the money. Jenna's thrilled that her favorite grandmother wants to take her to Disneyland, but when a couple of skeezy crooks read that Nanna wants to use her millions to build a special home for cats, they develop a plan to hold Nanna's cats for ransom. CATNAPPED is a beginning chapter book for animal lovers.

Ben has been called Bumblefoot for as long as he can remember. It's not a name he plans to keep. His dearest wish is to become one of the brave knight protectors of Castle Crag, which stands high on a cliff in the land of Faraway. When Princess Moonglow is diagnosed with the contagious fox splots as the royal party is about to set out for the Tenth All-Kingdom Games, Ben spots his chance to prove himself. Can he save the kingdom and his best friend, or will it be just another bumblefoot distaster? This laugh-out-loud funny novel is filled with hilarious antics and good -natured cheer. Kids will love Ben and his clumsy attempts at saving the kingdom and his best friend.

Mike Hinklebink's parents are out of control. They don't do their jobs and the house and garden are a mess. Their late-night karaoke is keeping Mike awake and it's affecting his schoolwork. Now they're skipping work to have fun. Instead of his parents taking care of him, he's taking care of them...

Amy''s unusual pet has won the family a summer vacation in the school Pet Parade but Mum and Dad say Rocky has to stay home because no pets are allowed at the beach cottages. How is that fair? They wouldn''t be going to the seaside if weren''t for Rocky. Amy has to find a way to take him. Luckily the strange neighbour who gave Rocky to Amy has an interesting solution to the ''no pets'' problem. Mum and Dad don''t know it but an extra guest has come along to join the summer fun. Can Rocky stay Amy''s secret? Perhaps her holiday will be a monstrously more fun if he doesn''t...

Find out how to come up with ideas, create interesting characters, paint word pictures and more in this kid-friendly guide full of activities and helpful examples.

Anyone can write stories. You can too!Writing stories is like having an adventure.This book will lead you on your own story adventure.Imagination is your passport. It can take you anywhere.Start with an idea...choose your characters...decide where they live and when their story takes place...think about what could happen to them.Follow the simple instructions in this book and write your own story to share.Teena Raffa-Mulligan has been having fun with words for as long as she can remember. She is the author of more than 20 books for children and has presented countless author sessions to encourage children to write their own stories.In You Can Be A Writer she simplifies the writing process for children and offers a step-by-step guide for young readers to become writers.

Emi and her twin brothers have a secret.There''s a Christmas elf in their backyard and she''s eaten so many strawberries it''s given her a tummy ache. She needs help and the grownups mustn''t find her. Emi, Max and Sam know the perfect place to keep her safe while they work out what to do. Their special remedy might work but will their special visitor recover in time to can return to the North Pole and deliver her Christmas gift list to Santa?An Australian Christmas story. 

Who can you trust when those you love most let you down?Fifteen-year-old Kate Norton has been living a happy family fantasy. Her mum has been keeping secrets. Now the father Kate never knew she had is coming to Perth. He wants to take Kate back to Brisbane with him because his mother has cancer and wants to get to know her only granddaughter before it’s too late. Kate is on an emotional roller coaster. Everything she believed about herself and her life has been based on a lie. Her wonderful dad is not her father. Even her beloved Nana Hannah is not her “real” grandmother. Kate has to find out who she is and where she belongs.  Only then can she find out if her friendship with newcomer Joshua Perrin can be something more.  

Jake, Kate and their twin cousins Daniel and Luke find a strange object in the sand near the jetty and take it home. Soon strange things begin to happen to Jake and they have to try to return him to normal. Just when they think their problems are over, The Find's owner turns up. Perhaps they should have left the object where they found it...

Poems on topics as diverse as peas, aliens and windy days feature in this lively collection that will encourage young readers to enjoy poetry and marvel at the wonder of words. Funny, thoughtful, silly and serious, Sleepy Socks and Sometime Rhymes is a celebration of the everyday and the imaginary. It is ideal for home or classroom, for sharing or for quiet moments curled up in a comfy chair.Prospecting for nuggets, spying for the cause,our imagination opens up the doorsto adventure and excitement. Who needs to travel far?There's a world for exploration exactly where we are.  

There is magic, mystery, adventure and fun in this collection of short stories for young readers. Often funny, sometimes serious, the 15 stories are an entertaining mix of humour and whimsy, fantasy and reality. Suitable for bedtime sharing or reading alone.

A heartwarming tale about friendship and adventure in Colonial Australia. Rosie and new arrival, Cousin Amelia, share the fun times and hard work of helping to set up the family farm in the bush. But a raging bushfire threatens to destroy the new property and everyone on it. Will Rosie ever return home to Ma, the little kids and Patch the puppy?

Trouble comes to Tea Tree Bend…In cowboy movies the sheriff forms a posse to round up allthe bad guys. Cam and Ellie from Daisy Cottage and their friends Billy andLouisa have formed a different posse. Their mission is to find and fix allthe signs in Tea Tree Bend with missing apostrophes. The summer holidays arealmost over so they have just nine days to complete their task.How can trying to do the right thing go so wrong? 

This gentle story is a conversation about God between a mother and child.Told from the child’s perspective, the series of questions and answers in rhymeintroduces young children to the idea of a higher being that can see, hear and speakwithout eyes, ears or tongue, and does not live in a housewith roof, walls and locking doors.'For God's house is this world we share and God is in it everywhere.' 

Elephants never forget – or do they? One rainy day a young elephant is on his way home from school alone when a stranger stops and offers him a lift. Tiger Tim promises to get Jumbo Jim  home and dry quicker than a snake can blink an eye – but Jimbo says no. Mum has told him about stranger danger and that he must never go with anyone he does not know. That’s when Tiger Tim says he is a family friend – and he has chocolate too.Will Jimbo remember his mother’s stranger danger warning – or go with Tim?Told in rollicking rhyme and with lively full-colour illustrations featuring a menagerie of jungle creatures, Jimbo! Don’t go! presents this important safety message for pre-schoolers and junior primary children in an entertaining, non-threatening style.

Best-selling novelist Melanie Ames writes 'romantic reads for loving hearts' but her professional success with romance isn't reflected in her personal life. Experience has taught her that everlasting love is a beautiful fantasy and happy ever after is a myth. When a gorgeous Irishman with a voice like warm honey and the body of a Greek god moves in next door to where Melanie is house-sitting for her globe-trotting parents, it wakes her dormant heart with a jolt. She's not about to forget the lessons of the past and lose her head over the new neighbour. Melanie knows too well that bad boys can come in good packages. Will Liam, a dog called Cat and a cat called Shakespeare convince Melanie true love is possible off the page as well as on it.