No 25, January 2005

Greetings for the New Year.

For many the tsunamis in Asia have been a devastating start to 2005.  Our hearts go out to the many thousands of victims and their families, mainly in Asia but also from many other countries as well.  Many local schools in the area have been completely destroyed and the International Baccalaureate Organisation has organised the IB Tsunami Appeal to help with the rebuilding and resourcing of some of these schools and to assist displaced children.  The IB wants to encourage students in the region and round the world to make an impact through long-term sustainable projects.  If you would like to contribute to this Fund or if you would just like to know more about what the IBO is doing, check out the website on www.ibo.org/tsunami

I hope you have had a good break over the festive season and are now ready for the last part of the school year.  It goes so fast!  It is now seven months since our last overseas trip.  I think this is a record since I set up Austral Ed some 12 years ago.  I seem to have been very busy but am certainly considerably more rested and the garden has responded well to the extra care and winter rains.  It was blooming during spring, but is now looking a little wilted  under the summer heat.  I have not suffered withdrawal symptoms from the lack of travel but I am very much looking forward to meeting many of you again at the Conferences we are attending in February and March.

Austral Ed shall have a display of books and Andrea Muller and I shall be talking about literature for the PYP at the IB Conference in Perth at the end of February.   Then I go on to the PYP Workshop session in Montreux in Switzerland.  I always find these workshops very helpful in helping me choose books to support the PYP and I am able to put on a large display of books which is also of benefit to the participants.  Finally on to the ECIS Librarians Conference in Prague from 10th - 13th March.  This I am sure will be a wonderful Conference.  A chance for librarians from all round the world to catch up and exchange ideas and information.   Ron and I will both be giving presentations and there will be a display of books.  I hope to see many of you at one of these Conferences.

I am often asked about Conferences in Australia.  I can recommend one which is organised by the Australian Centre for Youth Literature and will be held from 12th - 14th May at the State Library of Victoria.  This Conference emphasises literature for teenagers and is highly regarded in Australia.  There are over 20 speakers and include Adeline Yen Mah from the US (Chinese Cinderella), Karen Levine from Canada (Hana's Suitcase) Tessa Duder from New Zealand (the Alex series of books and Tiggie Thompson) as well as Steven Herrick (a performance poet from Australia who is well known for Love, Ghosts and Nose Hair) and Carole Wilkinson (Dragonkeeper) both also from Australia.   For more information, contact:    acyl@slv.vic.gov.au

Over the past few months, I have updated the mailing list and now send out the Book News and the new lists of recommended books by email.  This has been enthusiastically received by most librarians and teachers.  It is after all a real contribution to saving a few more trees and it also reduces running costs for Austral Ed.

Do contact me if there are any problems with this or if you know of any librarians or teachers who are not presently receiving it.  I have tried to make sure that those who received it by post are now receiving by email but there may have been a few who have been omitted by mistake and of course changing email addresses are always a problem.  We shall see how it goes.  If any of you have problems with receiving it by email, do let me know and I am happy to send it by post.  And please pass it on to others who may find it of interest. 

Picture Books

Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester  hardback  $24.95
This is such a great idea for a picture book.  Grace who is eight years old describes the trip that her family took around Australia by campervan.  It was a very long journey taking three months and the book is based on a journey that Alison Lester's own family recently took when they travelled round Australia.  Grace describes many special highlights of the trip: places they visited, things they did together in the car to make the long hours travelling pass amicably and also the different reactions of the various members of the family to the trip.  Luke was eleven, Grace eight and Billy the youngest member of the family only about five.  As they visited many important tourist spots and also friends and relatives round Australia it is Billy's plaintive refrain of "Are we there yet?" which punctuates the story and provides additional humour and a reminder of how long the trip is.  They followed mainly the  coast of Australia but they also travelled down the centre from Darwin to Alice Springs and then west to Uluru in the red desert centre of Australia.  The text and illustrations provide lively descriptions of the many places they visited and this is a wonderfully entertaining way to get an idea of the vast differences of the topography of Australia, the deserts, the varied coastline, the tropics, rolling farmland and busy cities.  As usual Alison Lester has written the text and drawn the illustrations with charm and humour and the trip comes alive through the many anecdotes and observations from the children about what they are seeing.  There is also wonderfully detailed map of their journey which makes it easy for children to follow the route that Grace and her family took.  This is a very true to life, informative and enjoyable picture book.       (6  to 11 years)

Other picture books by Alison Lester are
Imagine pb $14.95 in which there are detailed scenes of children at play among the animals of the jungle, ocean, farm, Australian bush, dinosaur swamp etc. Bordering the page are the names of all the animals shown in the illustrations and this encourages lots of searching and learning.
Also Magic Beach  pb $13.95  A description of a beach so beautiful it is like magic.
Isabella's Bed pb $14.95
My Farm  pb $13.95   Life on an Australian farm.
Clive eats Alligators, Tessa Snaps Snakes, Rosie Sips Spiders, When Frank was Four   pb $14.95 each  These simple picture books show the individuality and strong likes and dislikes of seven children.  They are good to use as a catalyst for discussion of what students like and dislike. (5 - 8 years)   The latest in this series is Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo   pb $14.95  A wonderfully simple but vibrant introduction to Aboriginal life and to the tropical seasons in the north of Australia.  (5 - 9 years)

Can I pat that dog?  by Susan McLaine  researched by Karen Damiani  illustrated by Margaret Power  hardback $24.95
Children are often uncertain of how to behave with dogs especially when they do not know how the dog is likely to react.  This applies especially to children who do not have a dog at home.  This is an extremely helpful and sensible book and the first that I have ever seen  attempting to explain dog behaviour to young children. It tries to make children understand how the dog may be feeling in a variety of situations by describing what the dog may be doing.  The book tells children to be wary of dogs which may be on guard, tied up or eating or if they are old or have puppies.  They are told not to pat them and explains why.  It also describes what a dog may look like when it is happy and wants to be patted and describes what a child can do if a dog approaches them or becomes excited when they are playing a game together.   This is a very helpful confidence builder for children while at the same time it will make them more careful.  It gives them some clues to help them interpret a dog's body language and will help children behave appropriately around dogs.  (5 to 11 years)

There once was a boy called Tashi  by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg, pictures by Kim Gamble  hardback $27.95
It is perhaps a surprise to me that the Tashi series of books have become so popular among young children.  They are very simply written warm stories which have obviously struck a chord with young children.  Tashi is an extraordinary boy who comes from a country far away.  He has escaped from a warlord and flies on a swan to Australia where he makes friends with a rather ordinary boy called Jack.  Tashi tells the most amazing stories to Jack about his adventures in his far away land.  Whenever Jack may be apprehensive about something, Tashi immediately remembers a story about a giant or an ogre or a wicked baron in which Tashi was in danger.  The stories are exciting but comforting, for Tashi is clever and he knows that in any dangerous situation it is necessary to stay calm, think hard and move fast.  Tashi also often has the help of his grandma or of Luk Ahed, the fortuneteller or  of his friend Lotus Blossum.  The books are small paperback fiction books with charming illustrations by Kim Gamble.  The hardback picture book There once was a boy called Tashi is a prequel to these longer stories.  This shows Tashi's village in full colour as it is being threatened by an ogre called Gloomin whose misery casts the whole village from summer back into winter and frightens everyone.  However Tashi realises that the ogre is so miserably sad because he has lost something very precious.  Once it is found then the ogre happily returns to his home in the forest and Tashi and his friends celebrate.  Anna Fienberg and her mother Barbara manage to combine a shivery scariness with the confidence that in the end Tashi will find a way of working things out.  These are all charming stories for 6 - 9 year olds.
The titles are:
Tashi, Tashi and the Giants, Tashi and the Ghosts, Tashi and the Genie, Tashi and the Demons, Tashi and the Baba Yaga, Tashi and the Big Stinker, Tashi and the Dancing Shoes, Tashi and The Haunted House, Tashi and the Royal Tomb and  Tashi Lost in the City all with illustrations by Kim Gamble pb $11.95  each    
The Big Big Book of Tashi contains 7 volumes of Tashi stories in one volume pb $24.95

Anthologies

It is most unusual that two excellent collections of stories from Central Asia should both be published just last year.  For most of us it a remote and exotic area but we get to know it a little more through these collections of well told stories. 

Tales Told in Tents Stories from Central Asia  by Sally Pomme Clayton and illustrated by Sophie Herxheimer  hardback $27.95
Sally Pomme Clayton describes how she loves this region and how on her visits there she has always been warmly welcomed with food, hospitality and stories.  She has further researched the stories and retold them in a lively engaging style.  The stories are from the steppes, mountains, deserts and cities of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  They give us a glimpse of the countryside and the history as well as the resilience of the people and also their sense of humour.  Notes at the end of the book describe the origin of each story and some of its background.     (8 - 14 years)   

Stories from the Silk Road  retold by Cherry Gilchrist, illustrated by Nilesh Mistry  hardback $34.95
This is a collection of stories from the various regions along the famed Silk Road, the vital trade route which went from eastern China, through deserts and high mountains to the fabled city of Samarkand, on through Iran and then on via various routes to Europe.  The caravans and travellers along this route for centuries must have exchanged stories reflecting many periods and many cultures.  In her retelling of these stories Cherry Gilchrist uses a narrator called the Spirit of the Silk Road to give some background information about the Silk Road and to introduce each story.  The first story comes from the region of Chang'an in Ancient China (or X'ian today) and is appropriately about the Goddess of Silk.  The Spirit of the Road describes the journey along the Silk Road as it moves west and introduces a wide range of excellent stories which range from a Persian merchant describing the terrifying demons and mirages haunting the vast Taklamakan desert, to a story set in Kashgar about a man called Wali who finds a magic saddlebag.  This collection of stories from the many cultures and peoples along this ancient route has resulted in an unusual anthology and it is brought to life through the vivid retellings by Cherry Gilchrist and beautiful evocative illustrations by Milesh Mistry.  (8 - 13 years)

The Story Giant by Brian Patten  illustrated by Chris Riddell   hardback  $35.00
Brian Patten has cleverly linked stories from around the world through his magical tale of a Story Giant who has spent centuries painstakingly collecting stories from everywhere. However he realises that he is missing just one vital story and without that story he and his castle and the stories will all dissolve into dust.  He is not fearful for himself but he dreads the thought that the stories he has collected will disappear through not being told.  He gains the help of four children from different parts of the world to come in their dreams to his castle to tell the stories they know from their part of the world in the hope of finding the one missing story.  The children are from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, from Los Angeles in the USA, from Patna in India and also a boy who lives on a fishing trawler off the coast of the UK.  As the children search their memories for more stories to tell, the giant becomes  hopeful as through the stories that they tell, the children learn about each other and their backgrounds and the nature of story and they realise something of the power and magic of storytelling.  This is an intriguing collection which skilfully links so many stories within stories.  At the end of the book, there are source notes where Brian Patten notes from which country or book each story is thought to have come.  Brian Patten has also included some of his own original stories.       (8 - 12 years)

Fiction

Farm Kid by Sherryl Clark  pb $12.95
Zach is a farm boy.  It's the only life he knows and one he loves for its space and blue skies, the cows, the creek and him just running free.  Sherryl Clark conveys this through a range of short poems in which Zach gives his thoughts on many aspects of life on the farm.  There are vivid descriptions of school, the dogs, his family, chooks, games and the creek which sometimes floods but lately because of the drought has shrunk to just a series of small brown pools.  Sherryl Clark manages to convey the essence of farm life in south eastern Australia and all the things that are so much a part of the life of Zach and his family.  In just a few simply written poems, she also conveys the feeling of desolation and fear as the drought continues and the pressure from the bank for their interest payments becomes more and more relentless and the tension in the house between Zach's parents grows.  When the family is finally forced to sell up and to go and live in the town, there is one last poem win which Jack tries to remember all the things from his life on the farm that he will want to remember forever.  (9 - 13 years)

Weird Stuff by Richard Tulloch  pb $14.95
Quite a few librarians will have heard Richard Tulloch read aloud a very funny short story about Brian Hobble, a boy who finds to his amazement the words just flow when he finds a pink Easyflow pen.  This short story has now developed into a very funny novel.  Brian thinks he has little imagination but his imagination allows him to think up fantastic excuses for being late for school but he can never think of anything to say when it comes to creative writing.  However when he borrows a pink Easyflow pen from a friend, he finds he can hardly stop writing.  His writing in purple ink just flows from the pen but to Brian's dismay and astonishment, the writing is flowery and romantic.  Even a science essay on the life cycle of a frog becomes the love story between two tadpoles.  This makes for many hilarious situations.  Brian is uneasy about his new skills with the pink Easyflow pen but when Cassandra Whyman gives him a dazzling smile he thinks maybe there could be an advantage in being thought of as a writer.  When a very popular author comes and visits the school for a series of writing workshops, Richard Tulloch is able to use his visit and also the amusing device of the magic pen to comment on and demonstrate a wide variety of writing styles.  In the midst of all the fun, Richard invites kids to look at and compare some of these styles and to work out what makes a story more exciting.  This book would be great to read aloud and then to discuss.  It is written in Brian's own words in an easy conversational style and I am sure it would help many students build up their confidence in their writing abilities.  They will also enjoy reading for themselves this very entertaining story.  A sequel Freaky Stuff is due in March.  pb $14.95    (9 - 13 years).

In the last newsletter I obviously became confused by the multitude of fantasy series about quests and dragons and mistakenly called the Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda, Dragon Quest.  For those who became confused as a result of my confusion, here is the complete list of the Deltora Quest titles.  They are extremely popular and appeal very much to 8 - 11 year olds.
Deltora Quest 1    by Emily Rodda  pb $14.95  each
1  The Forests of Silence                                          2  The Lake of Tears       
3  City of the Rats                                                     4  The Shifting Sands           
5  Dread Mountain                                                   6 The Maze of the Beast      
7  The Valley of the Lost                                          8  Return to Del           
Deltora Quest 2         pb $14.95 each book
1  Cavern of Fear                                                      2  The Isle of Illusion  
3  The Shadowlands               
Deltora Quest 3          pb $ 14.95 each book     (8 - 13 years)
1  Dragon's Nest                                                       2  Shadowgate 
3  Isle of the Dead                                                     4 The Sister of the South

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents  by Terry Pratchett  pb $15.95
Terry Pratchett is wonderfully entertaining and continually surprising in this story about Maurice, a streetwise tomcat who suddenly has acquired the gift of talking and thinking.  Maurice wants to put these skills to ever more inventive money-making scams with the assistance of his unlikely friends, the educated rats, who also acquired the skills of speaking and thinking at about the same time.  However, as a natural consequence of being able to think, some of the rats begin to struggle with the question of what is right and what is wrong (especially in relation to some of Maurice's schemes) and also with the stirrings of a conscience.  This is a marvellous fantasy story as well as being a hilarious skit on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, however it could also be used as a challenging and very entertaining introduction to the subject  of ethics.  (10 - 16 years)

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson  pb $14.95
This is a perfectly splendid novel.  It has a very English eccentric extravagance which gives a feeling of exhilaration to this story of a young orphan girl who at the turn of the century goes on a long journey with her governess to the Amazon.  The town of Manaus is a place of horror to some because of its all pervasive insects, wildlife, heat, fearsome Indians and steamy lushness but for others it is a place of endless wonder, of amazing creatures, plant life and people.  For Maia and her governess, it is a place where one could really make a home.  Maia the young orphan girl is a most resourceful heroine who shows her ingenuity time and again as she struggles to live in the same house as her thoroughly obnoxious relatives.  This is a richly satisfying adventure story which has warmth, humour and a sense of the fantastic.    The book was runner-up for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award and also the Guardian Fiction Award.   (9 - 14 years)

A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly pb $16.95
This is an exceptional book.  It is so beautifully written, so absorbing and fascinating in its portrait of a small community in the Adirondack region in the early 1900s that it is hard to believe that it is Jennifer Donnelly's first book.  She has obviously done a lot of research into the period and the people but these details are flawlessly integrated into the writing to make her characters and the setting come to life.  The story is based on the real murder of a young pregnant girl who is found drowned in a lake and her story is linked to that of Mattie, about the same age, who is torn between her sense of responsibility to look after her family, her first romance and her intense desire to write and to be independent.  There are many wonderful insights into Mattie's feelings and desires and the difficulties that beset so many women of that time who wanted an education and independence.  Winner of the Carnegie Medal.  (13 years up) 

Non-Fiction

How to Rocket your Child into Reading by Jackie French pb $19.95
Jackie French wrote this book because she has dyslexia and is the mother of a dyslexic child and the aunt of another.  (The type of dyslexia that she has runs in families.)  It is surprising that she has dyslexia since she is a well known Australian author and has written many very popular books.  However Jackie has seen how reading problems can take over a child's life and wrote this book in order to give some guidance to parents and teachers in how to spot reading problems in children.  She also suggests different ways of helping children to read.  Naturally she first talks about how children can be encouraged to love books so that they want to learn to read.  However this book is different from others I have read in its emphasis on the difficulties some children have in reading and how this can be helped through coordination skills.  Many suggestions are given for games that are fun but which also help with developing focus and coordination.  Jackie French also outlines problems to watch out for and steps which can be taken to get professional help.  She emphasises that there is no one way to learn to read and that a combination of methods is often best.  Jackie's own dyslexic problem is fascinating.  She finds it difficult to focus on a single letter or word and needs to absorb quickly the whole paragraph or page.  If she concentrates on a particular letter or word for more than a few seconds it becomes blurred.  You can imagine how  difficult this made learning to read for her.  As a result of her reading problem she now reads extraordinarily fast. 

It's interesting that the three recent books on learning to read by Australian authors are each very good and yet each have a different focus.  In Mem Fox's book Reading Magic (pb $7.95) you can hear Mem's own very distinctive voice talking about the wonders and delights of sharing books with children.  The Reading Bug ... and how you can help your child to catch it by Paul Jennings (pb $24.95) also emphasises the delights of sharing books with children but he analyses in much more detail the various methods of teaching reading and I found this very interesting.  All the books are written for teachers and for parents and anyone interested in children's reading.

Sustainable Human Development - a young person's introduction  pb  $29.70
A team of young people from round the world have selected key information from the UN annual Human Development Reports and presented it in their own words, together with personal stories about human development problems and progress in their own local communities.  The Human Development Reports rank countries according to how healthy and educated their citizens are, as well as taking into account their standard of living.  They look at overall human concerns rather than just the financial concerns of raising the economic output of a nation.  The book invites discussion on topics such as what is poverty, globalisation, the global economy, human rights, consumption as well as the environment.  The book looks at these and other problems in the world from varying viewpoints, not just from an environmental or human rights viewpoint.  When looking at economic development, there is acknowledgement of the concerns of less developed as well as the more economically developed nations and of the role of aid givers, trade and also the importance of microcredit schemes.  This is a most impressive and stimulating book.  It contains extremely helpful graphs and statistical information on countries from round the world,  together with comments from young people regarding their own countries.  It will be an invaluable resource for further research and discussion.  It is a project of Peace Child International.     (12 - 17 years)

Culture in series  by Melanie Guile  hardback $29.70
Culture in Australia                                    Culture in China                                         
Culture in India                                           Culture in Indonesia
Culture in Japan                                          Culture in Malaysia
Culture in New Zealand                              Culture in North and South Korea           
Culture in Papua New Guinea                   Culture in Singapore                                  
Culture in Thailand                                    Culture in Vietnam
I was especially impressed with the recent title Culture in Australia.  It is not easy to describe the culture of a country like Australia in which the Indigenous peoples have a complex and ancient traditional culture but in which more recent settlers have brought their cultures from many other countries.  Melanie Guile does a good job of explaining the complexities of the lively culture that has developed from such an ethnically diverse country and of the role history has played in its development.  Each of these books provides a good introduction to the discussion of what is culture and how is it expressed in these various countries.  There is also an examination of the ways in which people identify themselves through language, social customs and habits as well as traditions of art, craft, dance, music and spiritual belief.  Each book also looks at the different cultures of various ethnic groups within each country.  (9 - 14 years)

Children's Rights series:  Education , Health, Home, Safety and Voice   hardback $35.20 each
These five titles have been published in conjunction with the Save the Children Fund and each title begins with a brief explanation of how Children's Rights were first proposed in 1919 but were not accepted as International Law till 1989 at the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.  In addition, each book has individual portraits of particular children from different countries throughout the world.  These portraits focus on how each child copes with their own situation which are often very difficult as their rights are threatened through poverty.  Each title also shows how Save the Children Fund has set up various projects in many countries and how these enable children to join groups and discuss ways they can assist each other and their families and communities.  There is also discussion of the various rights that should be provided under each of the headings of home, safety, education, health and voice and as a result the reader gains a good idea of how many childhood rights are regularly violated and the many problems involved.  However many positive individual stories of cases where children's rights have been improved are also included.     (9 - 14 years)

Snapshots of Asia Pack.  India, Malaysia and Philippines  Pack contains three Big Books and Teachers' Guide  $99.00
At last the three extra Big Book titles India, Malaysia and Philippines in the Snapshots of Asia series have been published.  This now makes a very comprehensive coverage of Asia in this excellent series which has proved extremely popular.  Titles already published are China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand (pack including 6 big books and teachers guide is $196.15).  Aimed at students especially in grade 2, 3 and 4, these books are also excellent for ESL students because of their varied and engaging format which invites discussion.  On each double page spread there are photographs and simple large text describing topics such as family life, shopping, transport, food and cooking, numbers and counting in each of the countries.  There is a large map of each country, simple recipes and a board game.  The accompanying teachers guide is very helpful and contains ideas for literacy and numeracy skills and cross-curricular classroom activities.  Each big book can be purchased individually  at $43.95 each.    (6 - 9 years) 

Australian Birds by Gisela Kaplan hardback  $24.95
Such an interesting book.  It is so unusual for a University professor to be able to write such an entertaining, accessible and informative book about birds.  She is Professor at a Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour but she also runs a bird rescue centre at her home and so this book contains many fascinating and funny anecdotes from her experiences over many years in caring for injured and baby birds.   She describes the characteristics and behaviour of kookaburras, wedgetailed eagles, magpies and sulphur crested cockatoos (which can live up to 100 years) the lyrebird (famous for its ability to mimic sounds from mobile phones to motorbikes) and the emu (which can run at almost 50 kms per hour).  She also includes delightful portraits of birds she has cared for such as Mimi the brilliantly coloured baby rosella parrot and also Pinky and Prickles, the kookaburra orphans which needed to be adopted by a pair of kookaburras in order to learn how to hunt.  Attractively presented, with distribution maps and fact files on where the birds live, what they eat, how they breed and their lifespan, there are also engaging photographs and a lively and very interesting text.   (9 - 14 years)

Young Writers Guide  third edition   by Rodney Martin   pb $27.95 
I reviewed this book some years ago but thought I would mention it again since the third edition has now been published.  It is fascinating.  As the book explains, it is not at all a grammar textbook.  It is a style guide and should be used as a reference book.  It explains and gives examples of English language in use and techniques for writing. The setting out is very simple and makes for easy browsing.   I guess the main attractions for me are the examples of usage and writing styles.  Many are very funny and all are interesting.  There is also a section of word histories which again I found fascinating.  This guide is an excellent reference to help young writers think about the different ways of structuring reports, recounts or arguments etc and it is also full of information on writing conventions.  I have had some feedback from teachers who also think that that it is an excellent resource. This edition is revised and expanded and updated.  It is also available as a CD-ROM  $59.95    For upper elementary and also middle school students. 

Beginning and Endings with Lifetimes in between  by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen   pb $16.95
I have been asked for this book many times over the past few years and at last it has been reprinted!  It is such a shame when favourites like this go out of print.  It is a simply but beautifully written description of how for every living thing, there is a beginning and an ending and in between there is life.  For some creatures, the life span is very short, for others it is long.  Sometimes living things become ill and get hurt so badly that they can no longer stay alive.  "This can happen when they are young, or old, or anywhere in between."  The language is simple, with a repetitive poetic strain which makes it quite beautiful to read aloud.  The beauty of the language is complemented by the beautiful full-colour realistic illustrations of living creatures by Robert Ingpen.  Death is not an easy subject to write about but the sensitive, straightforward way in which Mellonie Bryan writes about it,  showing that it is all part of life makes it easier to understand and to wonder at.  (4 years up)

Literature for Senior School

The following review of this title suitable for the senior library come from Ron Shapiro, formerly senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia.

The Kite Runner by  Khaled Hossein  pb  $21.95
A story about growing up in Afghanistan in the 1970s told in the first  person in the mode of literary realism, often a warm and lyrical kind of realism.  The story gives a graphic account of everyday family and social life in the days immediately prior to the Russian invasion.  Of particular interest is the relationship between two boys, the story's Pashtun narrator and his Hazara friend who is of inferior social status.  The use of first person narration gives the story a psychological interiority which personalises, in often poignant detail, the significance of this and other relationships in the larger social and cultural context. A gripping novel dealing with personal obligation in a time of social historical turmoil.

If you would like to order any of the books reviewed in this newsletter or in the accompanying list, send orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email.  All prices are in Australian dollars. 

Prices include GST of 10% which is not applicable  to overseas schools.  

For additional lists of recommended books and newsletters from Austral Ed, visit our website             www.australed.iinet.net.au   

© Kate Shepherd 2008.