The First Third

Sold by Penguin Group Australia
5
Free Sample

Life is made up of three parts: in The First Third, you're embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you've made.
That's how Billy's grandmother explains it, anyway. She's given him her bucket list (cue embarrassment), and now, it's his job to glue their family back together.
No pressure or anything.
Fixing his family's not going to be easy and Billy's not ready for change. But as he soon discovers, the first third has to end some time. And then what?
It's a Greek tragedy waiting to happen.
Read more
Collapse

About the author

Personally, Will Kostakis is ready to catch a ball two seconds after it’s hit him in the face. Professionally, he’s thankful he’s chosen a career that requires little (if any) coordination. After dabbling in celebrity journalism and reality TV, he now writes for young adults.

His first novel, Loathing Lola, was released when he was just nineteen, and his second, The First Third, won the 2014 Gold Inky Award. It was also shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year and Prime Minister’s Literary awards.

The Sidekicks is his third novel for young adults.
Read more
Collapse

Reviews

Review Policy
4.2
5 total
Loading...

Additional information

Publisher
Penguin Group Australia
Read more
Collapse
Published on
24 Jul 2013
Read more
Collapse
Pages
208
Read more
Collapse
ISBN
9781742535975
Read more
Collapse
Features
Flowing text
Read more
Collapse
Best for
Web, Tablet, Phone, eReader
Read more
Collapse
Language
English
Read more
Collapse
Genres
Juvenile Fiction / Family / General
Juvenile Fiction / General
Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories
Juvenile Fiction / Love & Romance
Juvenile Fiction / School & Education
Juvenile Nonfiction / Family / Marriage & Divorce
Juvenile Nonfiction / Family / Siblings
Read more
Collapse
Content Protection
This content is DRM protected.
Read more
Collapse
Read aloud
Available on Android devices
Read more
Collapse
Eligible for Family Library
Learn More
Report
Flag as inappropriate

Reading information

Smartphones and Tablets

Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.

Laptops and Computers

You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

eReaders and other devices

To read on E Ink devices like the Sony eReader or Barnes & Noble Nook, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Please follow the detailed Help Centre instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.

More featuring humor

See more
The Dare Game: A Tracy Beaker Story
Book 2
I'M TRACY BEAKER, THE GREAT INVENTOR OF EXTREMELY OUTRAGEOUS DARES - AND I DARE YOU TO READ A MORE BRILLIANT STORY THAN THIS!

I've bought a big fat purple notebook for writing down all my mega-manic ultra-scary stories in. But especially for my own story. Of how my foster-mum, Cam, has turned out to be a real meanie. No designer clothes, when I really need them. A pokey flat, and a horrible new school. No wonder I bunk off . . . Still, it will have to do until my real mum comes and gets me. And until then, no-one is going to be better at the Dare Game than Tracy Beaker!

Starring Tracy Beaker
Book 3
Tracy Beaker is back . . . and she's just desperate for a role in her school play.

They're performing A Christmas Carol and for one extremely worrying moment, the irrepressible Tracy thinks she might not even get to play one of the unnamed street urchins.

But then she is cast in the main role. Can she manage to act grumpy, difficult and sulky enough to play Ebenezer Scrooge? Well, she does have a bit of help on that front from Justine Pain-In-The-Bum Littlewood . . .

As Tracy prepares for her big moment, Cam is the one helping her learn her lines. But all Tracy really wants to know is if her film-star mum will make it back from Hollywood in time to watch her in her starring role.

Con-nerd
Book 1
IT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR NERDS, ONE GIANT LEAP TO BEING COOL.


Mama tells me I'm gifted and talented. But I know the truth. I'm just a nerd.
Kids call me Con-nerd - half Connor and all nerd.
I'm supposed to become a doctor but i have this deep, dark secret: I want to be a cartoonist.
And all of a sudden my mega-cool comics are getting noticed at school - I might even get into a special art class . That would sure impress this girl I'm keen on . . . and it might just be my chance to show the world my true destiny.
But I'm not sure Mama will see it quite that way . . .
Full of the signature laugh-out-loud humour seen in his fabulously funny Thai-riffic!, OLIVER PHOMMAVANH has produced yet another totally engaging and hilarious story about finding your own special talents and having the confidence to use them.
I'm Being Stalked by a Moonshadow
Doug MacLeod
Did you know that grasshoppers hear with their legs?
And a pregnant goldfish is called a twit? Seth Parrot knows hundreds of little facts like these, because his father tells them to him. What Seth doesn't know is: Where do you meet muscular girls? How do you make them fall in love with you? Would a different haircut help? Is credit card fraud a good idea? What on earth is a moonshadow? By the end of the story, Seth will know the answer to four of these questions. They won't come from his father. They'll come from a very wise magazine called Dolly. From the author of Tumble Turn comes a hilarious new novel about muscles, love and a flower-hating Eastern European.
Free To A Good Home
Colin Thompson
Most people don't like being different. They want exactly the same things as their neighbours, only bigger and more of them. Yet no matter how much they have, they always feel there is something missing. The Smiths are not like other people. They might not be any good at cooking, or housework, or homework, but in their jumbled house full of strange things that will probably come in useful one day, they are happy and content. Well, almost. The Smiths, too, feel that there is something missing from their lives. And today the children went down to the shops and found it.

Similar Ebooks

See more
The Sidekicks
Will Kostakis
Ryan, Harley and Miles are very different people—the swimmer, the rebel and the nerd. All they’ve ever had in common is Isaac, their shared best friend.

When Isaac dies unexpectedly, the three boys must come to terms with their grief and the impact Isaac had on each of their lives. In his absence, Ryan, Harley and Miles discover things about one another they never saw before, and realize there may be more tying them together than just Isaac.

In this intricately woven story told in three parts, award-winning Australian author Will Kostakis makes his American debut with a heartwarming, masterfully written novel about grief, self-discovery and the connections that tie us all together.
A Teen's Guide to the 5 Love Languages: How to Understand Yourself and Improve All Your Relationships
Gary Chapman
The secret to great relationships—just for teens

#1 New York Times bestselling book The 5 Love Languages® has sold over 10 million copies, helping countless relationships thrive. Simply put, it works. But do the five love languages work for teens, for their relationships with parents, siblings, friends, teachers, coaches, and significant others? Yes!

Introducing A Teen’s Guide to the 5 Love Languages, the first-ever edition written just to teens, for teens, and with a teen's world in mind. It guides emerging adults in discovering and understanding their own love languages as well as how to best express love to others.

This highly practical book will help teens answer questions like:

What motivates and inspires me?What does it mean to be a caring friend?What communicates love to my family?What is the best way to get along with the opposite sex?

Features include:

A straight-forward overview of the 5 love languagesA profile/assessment instrument specifically geared to teensPractical examples/tips for how to apply each language in a teen’s contextGraphics that drive home key concepts

Teens' relationships matter, and these simple ideas will help them thrive.

Stuff Happens: Sean: Sean
Will Kostakis
Stuff Happens is an important new series for boys about everyday challenges. Created by Susannah McFarlane, the series editor, the series is written by established authors Tony Wilson, Andrew Daddo, Philip Gwynne, Will Kostakis, Oliver Phommavanh, Scot Gardner, Justin D'Ath, James Roy, Pat Flynn and Alex McDiarmid. Each book features a different character and follows them as they overcome a particular everyday challenge.
Aimed at boys aged between 7 and 11, the Stuff Happens series explores those everyday struggles in life that boys can sometimes be reluctant to express: quarrels with mates, a bad day at school, fear of disappointing mum and dad, rejection and not fitting in.
Stuff Happens. Real-life stories for boys. Suitable for beginner and newly confident readers.
Stuff happens sometimes. Everyday stuff.
At school, at home, with sport, with mates.
For Sean it happened starting at a new school.
Sean has just moved from WA to Monvale where his parents grew up. Sean misses his friends and wonders if he'll ever be able to make mates as good as the ones he has left behind ...
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-features/books-for-boys-series-stuff-happens-helps-show-boys-how-to-deal-with-their-emotions/story-fni3wj64-1227246165147
Praise for Stuff Happens
'Stories about boys, aimed at boys and containing real-life stories of their school and home life are rare. Even rarer are those that have readily identifiable characters and situations, and engage, amuse and inform. But here they are.'
'An exciting new series written specifically for boys aged from seven to eleven . . . great additions for school libraries and for engaging reluctant boy readers. Outstanding!' Read Plus
'The fantastic Stuff Happens series.' reviewZOO
'I love a book that talks in a kid's voice. It makes us feel important and special. The thing I like the most about these books are that they tell different perspectives of everyday things in life.' Mr 10 – Readingtree.com.au
'The awareness of the emotional life of boys is slowly being recognised as a critical factor into the development of boys to be strong and courageous sensitive men. Stuff Happens explores feelings and emotions in an entertaining and humorous way, allowing boys to understand that it is OK to express emotion. This can only be positive! I highly recommend and love the books!' Deborah Jepsen, Educational and Developmental Psychologist – Melbourne Child Psychology / School Psychology Services
'As a mum to two boys aged 8 and 10, I was thrilled to find a book series that provided very real 'boy dilemmas' and connected feelings and behaviours, which can be really confusing for boys. What was even more exciting was how much the boys ate it up. My eldest read the first book in one sitting and I was back at the bookshop the next day to buy the entire series! My youngest loved being read to and was so engaged and interested in all the characters and their issues. Can't wait for the next instalment.' Marita Evans – Mum to Rupert, 10, and Henry, 8
'I liked Sean it was interesting to me how he made friends at a new school but then that friend used him and how that made him feel. He was then able to make new friends quickly as well as keeping in contact with his old friends from the other side of Australia. It made me think that you just shouldn't always just try and hang out with the cool kids.' Rupert, aged 10
By My Brother's Side
Tiki Barber
Tiki and Ronde were each other's best friends. Together from the start, these twins might not have been the strongest or the tallest, but they were fast and worked hard at what they loved. And they loved sports, especially football.

Then one day Tiki badly hurt his knee in a biking accident, and he was sure he'd never be able to play again. Their mother had always told them, "You are each other's best friends. Stick together, believe in yourselves, and you can do anything." They kept her words in their hearts and never gave up.

Based on the childhood of National Football League superstars Ronde and Tiki Barber, this inspiring book about the values of family, hard work, and determination is the story of what it takes to be a champion.
The Divorce Helpbook for Kids
Cynthia MacGregor
It's in the news every day: divorce is tough on kids. MacGregor knows how tough, and she has prepared a down-to-earth guide that genuinely helps. Included are discussions of many topics troubling kids when their parents divorce: reasons parents get divorced; ways the divorce will change kids' lives; kids' feelings about divorce; things kids can do to help them feel better; who to talk to; what's likely to happen next. This is not just a book for kids about divorce, though. It's a book about life after divorce, too. The kids in MacGregor's book are dealing with visitation and custody and straddling two households and making it all work. Maybe it isn't easy, but it is possible and it is necessary. Recommended for children ages 8-12. Contains a newly updated resources guide for parents and children and a "Note to Parents" by Hugh R. Leavell, PhD, author of The One-Minute Therapist, and Palm Beach Post columnist.
©2019 GoogleSite Terms of ServicePrivacyDevelopersArtistsAbout Google|Location: United StatesLanguage: English (United Kingdom)
By purchasing this item, you are transacting with Google Payments and agreeing to the Google Payments Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.