Belated greetings for 2001! And apologies that this February newsletter is being sent out in March. The last few months (or maybe the last year?) have been hectic but I guess the real reason I have been struggling to catch up is that in January Ron and I had two weeks’ holiday in Bali. This was a real holiday, not just a few days tacked on to a Conference. It was a wonderfully relaxing time (although of course I also had a stack of books to read and wrote many of the reviews in this newsletter). On the northeast coast we relaxed and enjoyed the snorkelling. It was marvellous to dive down and enjoy looking at fish and coral again. Travelling west and south took us to the hills near the village of Munduk. The view from our cottage looked over rice terraces and a valley which stretched to the coast with the mountains of Java in the distance. A beautiful landscape which was lit up on several nights by spectacular displays of lightning. It was a late start to the rainy season and so we were able to walk in warm soaking rain to only two of the four beautiful nearby waterfalls. However there are many more activities offered. Cultural and environmental activities such as Balinese traditional dance, musical instrument making, wood carving, cooking, bamboo crafts etc in conjunction with the nearby village. These are offered for guests staying at the cottages and also to school and other groups. There are only a small number of cottages but there is a range of other accommodation. A number of school groups from the Bali Int’l School have enjoyed their visits there. We were very impressed with the concept of combining the efforts of the people of Munduk and the School of Tourism in Bali to assist in community development and environmental and cultural preservation and so thought I would give some details in this newsletter. The food was excellent as well. If anyone is interested in more information for school groups or for themselves, contact:

Puri Lumbung Cottages
Phone 62 362 92810 Fax 62 362 92514 Email: lumbung@indosat.net.id

We have just returned from TARA (The Arabian Reading Association) Conference in Bahrain. This was the seventh annual Conference and their aim of promoting literacy is of course close to my heart. It was great to meet so many teachers who had never seen our display of books before, and who were so enthusiastic.

The three Conferences in November last year tested my stamina. From CERCOS in Hong Kong, to ECIS in Nice and finally the IB Librarians’ Workshop in Singapore. CERCOS and ECIS were both very good but after these large Conferences I did enjoy being at a small and relaxed Librarians’ Workshop where there was plenty of time to chat to everyone.

In a few weeks time we will be off to Bangkok for SEEC, always an enjoyable Conference. For teachers and librarians in the South East Asian region do call in to the display and say hello.

By the way after a brief and small recovery the Aus-tralian dollar has dropped again. Apparently only the Turkish lira and the Jordanian dinar have matched its sinking performance. So it’s still very good news for buyers of Australian books as the dollar has sunk to its lowest ever at around US 50 cents.

Crossover

Many of you have met my son Joel when he has helped at Austral Ed displays at a number of Conferences in Asia. In fact some librarians and teachers remember him giving a talk at SEATCCO (now SEEC) in Jakarta as an aspiring young science fiction and fantasy writer. That was perhaps six years ago and now his first published book, Crossover has just been released through Harper Collins Australia in their sci fi Voyager list. There have been other books written on the way - Joel was shortlisted twice for the George Turner prize, an Aus-tralian science fiction award, and these titles are being reworked but this is his first published book. It’s a most exciting time especially as the first reviews are beginning to come in. I have read the book a number of times and have been fascinated by the whole process of writing, revising and getting published. I realise that as a mother I may be a little biased but I do think that Crossover is an excellent book.

I am not a great science fiction fan but this is science fiction with a difference. It is a fast paced story with a strong and engaging heroine in Cassandra Kresnov. Joel feels that much science fiction takes place in a political and economic vacuum and so Crossover is set in a future world with a dynamic political and economic structure where the U.S. is no longer the overriding dominant power and where Asian countries especially India and China have a much stronger role. The background of political intrigue makes it an exciting book to read and it is definitely aimed at a more popular and wider audience than general sci fi books. In fact anyone who liked the film Bladerunner would probably like the book. It’s often very funny but there are also many issues to think about. As a book published for the adult market, some schools might be offended with the language at times. It would be best suited for the Senior Library or just as a great read for yourself or a friend. And just to balance this with an unbiased opinion, here is a quote from the first review of Crossover. The review was on the web of course.

Joel Shepherd has delivered a long awaited SF novel that excites, intrigues and entertains all at once. He is a new and promising voice from the SF wilderness and he has created a character that could even rival Miles Vorkosigan of Bujold fame. Action and adventure has never been so good and I haven't had this much fun with an SF book since Jack McDevitt's A Talent for War.
Robert N Stephenson Altair Australia Publishing

I don’t know the references but they certainly sound impressive. By the way it is only published in Australia at the moment (though Joel’s US agent is working on publications elsewhere) so if you try to order it through amazon.com or somewhere similar you will probably be told it is out of print. (16 years up)

Crossover by Joel Shepherd pb $17.50 includes GST ($15.91 without GST)

Historical Fiction

One of the easiest ways to learn about the history of a country is through fiction, provided the writer is good enough. Rosemary Sutcliff is perhaps the supreme example. Most of my knowledge of British history, especially in Roman times comes from her vivid and accurate portrayals. There have also been some excellent Australian historical novels which help build up a knowledge of Australia’s history. (See the Australian fiction list for more suggestions.) Now a very interesting new series My Story has just been released, perhaps inspired by the popular American series Dear America.

So far there have been four books published in the series. They are diaries, all written by girls. Diary format is not an easy way to tell a story, and to also include historical information and to keep the story believable and interesting. However Nadia Wheatley, an historian and writer manages it with apparent ease in My Story: A Banner Bold.
My Story A Banner Bold The Diary of Rosa Aarons Ballarat Goldfield 1854 by Nadia Wheatley pb $16.00 ($14.55)

The story focusses on the Eureka Stockade which occurred in the Goldfields in Ballarat in 1854 and features a number of real-life characters. Rosa Aarons is a young German girl who came out by sailing ship with her parents and went with them to the Goldfields. It’s hard to believe that she also isn’t a real-life character. She is so lively and her descriptions in her letters to her friend Jennychen in Germany are very believable as she describes life in the Goldfields in the 1850s and also the events leading up to the Eureka Stockade. The Eureka Stockade is a very important event symbolically in the history of Australia, a history very different from the U.S. It is the only time that there was an organised uprising against the government by free settlers, in this case the miners. It was quickly overthrown and some of those involved went on to become important members of Parliament in Victoria. It is an excellent introduction to this historical event which comes vividly alive through the eyes of Rosa Aarons. (11 - 15 years)

My Story Plagues and Federation The Diary of Kitty Barnes The Rocks, Sydney 1901 by Vashti Farrer pb $16.00 ($14.55)

A fascinating period of history. It’s a time when Australian soldiers volunteer to go and fight for the glory of the British Empire against the Boer farmers in South Africa while the separate colonies in Australian and New Zealand are endeavouring to work out whether they will join a Federation of Australian States. For Kitty Barnes and her family living in the Rocks, Sydney there is the additional trauma of a bubonic plague caused by a plague of rats, huge numbers of which live in the Rocks. Kitty writes her diary at the suggestion of her teacher as a way of improving her language skills as she wants to be a “lady typist”, a very ambitious aim for a young Irish girl from a poor family of nine children. Her elder brother Bertie enlists to fight in the Boer War and his letters provide us with an insight into the horrors of this war for which so many young men enthusiastically volunteered. Kitty’s diary is always lively, and manages to combine a vivid portrait of her family and school life and also the larger picture of the events of that time. (11 - 15 years)
My Story Surviving Sydney Cove The Diary of Elizabeth Harvey Sydney 1790 by Goldi Alexander pb $16.00 ($14.55)

This is the story of a young British girl wrongly accused of stealing some clothes from her mistress and sentenced as a convict to transportation to Australia. It describes life in very early settlement times in Sydney Cove. The book doesn’t read as convincingly as the first two titles but it still manages an interesting portrait of the early Sydney Cove and of Elizabeth’s difficult life in England and her transportation to Australia as a convict.
(11 - 14 years)
My Story A Tale of Two Families The Diary of Jan Packard Melbourne, 1974 by Jenny Pausacker pb $16.00 ($14.55)

Set during a time of change and dissent in Australia, a time when many people and families were divided over the war in Vietnam. Thirteen year old Jan Packard begins the year being bored but she grows up a lot during the year and understands some of the reasons for the deep divisions over the Vietnam War and becomes involved in the growing Women’s Liberation Movement. (11 - 16 years)

(This would be a good book to compare with The Longest War by Nancy Antle pb $14.18 ($12.90) since they both deal with the emotional scars of the war on families and individuals. The Longest War is set in New Haven, Conneticut in May 1982 and twelve year old Lisa is struggling to cope with growing up and her mother’s nightmares and flashbacks from her time in the Vietnam War. Lisa’s father was killed in the Vietnam war and her mother also served in Vietnam at the time as a nurse.) (11 - 15 years)

Hopefully there will be more books to come in this excellent new series, My Story.
Soldier on the Hill by Jackie French pb $14.24 ($12.95)

I never cease to be surprised by Jackie French. She writes with such apparent ease and yet produces such a range of absorbing stories. In this case she draws a vivid picture of life in a small Australian country town in 1942. At this time the Japanese were advancing steadily closer to Australian shores after the capture of Singapore. Short extracts from the local Biscuit Gazette at the beginning of each chapter give us the feeling of the town, of the many activities that the townspeople organised to help the war effort as well as warnings of what to do in time of invasion and also keep us informed of wider news. This sets the background for the story of Joey, a reluctant evacuee from Sydney who knows that there is a Japanese soldier hiding in the hills nearby. Jackie French captures the intense patriotism of this small country town and the ambivalent and changing feelings of Joey towards the Japanese soldier on the hill. For a fascinating article on Jackie French, whose historical insights come through long and detailed research of source documents, see the November 2000 issue of Magpies. (10 - 14 years)
Red Scarf Girl A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji Li Jiang pb $10.90 ($9.91)

An extraordinary, deeply moving story of the experiences of a young girl and her family during the Cultural Revolution in China. In 1966 when Ji Li Jiang turned twelve she was an excellent student and devoted to Chairman Mao and the Communist Party. She describes how as the Cultural revolution was launched the way its impact became more and more pervasive in the community as teachers, students, family members were all put under incredible pressure to inform on each other. The level of fear and total confusion as no-none knew who would be the next clique in power is vividly and terrifyingly drawn. The book is especially effective because Ji Li Jiang succeeds in describing the events from the viewpoint of a bright and optimistic twelve year old who puzzles to understand each new and shattering development. Highly recommended. (11 years up)

Secrets in the Fire by Henning Mankell, translated from the Swedish by Anne Connie Stuksrud pb $16.45 ($14.95)

Every day we hear stories of refugees, of families made homeless through war, flood and famine but through the television news and newspapers the endless images often just become statistics. However in this remarkable story Mankell makes us vitally involved in the story of Sofia, a young girl in Mozambique who lost her father and relatives in an attack by bandits on her village and who fled with her mother, brother and sister. Later in a refugee camp her sister is killed and Sofia loses a leg through a land mine explosion. As she grad-ually gets her life back together again we are struck by the strength of family, of relationships that Sofia gets from the “secrets of the fire” where she feels the spiritual closeness with those who were close to her and died. Mankell describes the horrors of war in beautifully spare and unsentimental language. However this is also a moving and uplifting story of strength, love and determination. As Mankell describes in his foreword Sofia is what would be called “okuvlig” in Swedish, or indomitable. She is also alive and living in Mozambique. (11 years up)

New Fiction

Crash! The Story of Poddy by William Taylor pb $11.95 ($10.87)

Excellent. Such a well constructed story. It is gripping - the very first chapter describes the car crash, a terrifying plunge over a steep slope into a creek bed. Poddy in the back seat is shocked but not injured and realises that he must get help for his injured father and brother. However this involves climbing a steep slope in the darkness and trying to flag down a car on a remote country road. Difficult enough for anyone but Poddy is a 13 year old boy with Down’s syndrome. It is quite remarkable how Taylor succeeds in describing Poddy’s determined struggle to conquer his fears to get help. The dramatic effect of the story is greatly increased by alternating chapters which tell of the drama at the crash site and the description of Poddy’s life in a loving, caring and sometimes exasperated family.
The mother is a wonderful character, a pillar of strength in her love for all the members of her family and who deals with the increasing irritation of the teenage Jack with his younger brother, with a marvellous sense of humour, at times gently ironic and other times sharply biting. This is an extremely enjoyable, exciting and moving story. William Taylor is a very well known New Zealand writer and this is one of his best works. It reminds me of See Ya Simon by David Hill pb $10.95. It’s interesting that these two excellent books come from New Zealand. For more suggestions of books, see my list of recommended titles, Childrens’ Books from New Zealand. (11 - 15 years)

X-Changes Stories for a New Century by Anna Fienberg, Garth Nix et al pb $18.65 ($16.96)

A most unusual collection which has been compiled as a result of a collaboration between a number of international publishing houses which wanted to mark the new millennium. Writers from seven different countries; Australia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands and Norway were asked to write a story for young people who were at a new stage of their lives, in this new era. It’s a very varied collection. The eleven stories range from the whimsical, lilting beauty of the first story “Ghost Bird” by Australian, Anna Fienberg, emphasising the inter-connectedness of everything to the existentialism of the French story “The New Town” by Francois Bon, a story of the isolation of people living starkly separate lives. A number of stories are concerned with the role of technology in the future and with the place of animals and nature in the world of the future. The collection has been published in a number of languages and the Australian English edition has been published by Allen & Unwin. (12 - 16 years)

Aussie Nibbles Topsy and Turvy by Justin D’Ath illustrated by Emma Quay pb $9.95 ($9.05)

This is the latest Aussie Nibble and it is a gem. Perhaps my favourite so far. Topsy is a most unusual fruit bat in that she gets dizzy when she tries to hang upside down and loves to eat grubs and huntsman spiders. The other fruit bats think this is gross. Meanwhile the owls nearby can’t understand why Turvy likes to sleep upside down and chokes when she tries to eat a yummy centipede. Don’t fight with your food say her parents. Obviously there has been a mixup. It’s a theme which has been done many times before but rarely with as much humour and charm both in the text and in the illustrations. (6 - 8 years)

Picture Books

There is an amazing range of picture books now available for all age ranges but writing picture books for the very young is not at all an easy task. The books may look simple in that they have few words but to get those words to work effectively so that three and four year olds will love and understand the book is difficult. It’s interesting that an Australian publishing house, Working Title Press has been set up to concentrate just on publishing quality picture books for the very young.

Dinnertime! with text by Anne Weld and illustrations by Kerry Argent hb $24.95 is especially effective. The title of course has been used many times before but this one is great fun. One by one six fat rabbits attempt to elude a hungry fox who finds ever more ingenious ways of sneaking up on them. The repetitive refrain involves counting and searching for the fat rabbit who disappears down a hole each time Dinnertime is called out!

Six fat rabbits doing what they please, don’t see the fox creep out of the trees.
Run fat rabbits! Run, run, run! Or the fox will eat you one by one.
Dinnertime!

Each picture is a little enigmatic; the hungry fox is there and we are not certain where each rabbit goes when he disappears. The excitement builds until we see all six fat rabbits down in their burrow, being scolded by their mother. “How many times do I have to say? When it’s dinnertime, come straight away!”
The illustrations are beautifully drawn and humorous with lively ducks, sheep and mice whose numbers also decrease with the fat rabbits. Great to read aloud but a lot also to look at and to look for. Especially for the very young but I would imagine that children up to about the age of 7 years would also enjoy this story.

Dinnertime! text by Ann Weld illustrations by Kerry Argent hardback $24.95 ($22.68)

The Tricky Truck Track collection written by Amanda Graham is a very funny collection of six picture books that tell stories with very strong rhythm and rhyme about some very eccentric characters who live along the Tricky Truck Track. They were orginally conceived as being six stories around phonetically similar words. Thus the first story was The Tricky Truck Track and the word group was -ck. This was followed by the word group -ee in the story called The Queen Can’t Sleep. Amanda Graham wanted to make certain that the story remained strong while having fun with the language in poetic form and often with tongue twisters. She has succeeded marvellously. The picture books work wonderfully just as stories to read aloud or for children to read for themselves. The illustrations are very strong in colour and design and the depiction and expressions of the characters adds considerably to the humour. Primary level.

However the publishers Era have extended these ideas way beyond the first six picture books. There is a Teachers’ Book which has excellent ideas for activities, ideas and games to help teachers get maximium use of the books as a classroom resource, drawing attention especially to sound and language structures. It also contains fascinating insights from the author and illustrator as they discuss the creative process and their collaboration for each of the titles. And finally there is a most entertaining CD containing a reading and also a musical version of each of the stories. Highly recommended.

Tales from the Tricky Truck Track hardback $24.00 ($21.82) contains four of the stories: The Tricky Truck Track, Joan’s Goat and The Flying King.

Tricky Truck Track Teacher Pack with CD pb & CD $36.00 ($32.73)
The Tricky Truck Track also comes as a Big Book pb $35.00 ($31.82)
The Tricky Truck Track Literacy Pack (big book, 6 small books, teacher book & CD) $110.00. ($100.00)

Gillian Rubinstein’s latest picture book is about a cool librarian called Prue Theroux who is obviously the dynamic hub of her school.

When you don’t know what to do,
When you haven’t got a clue,
Go and talk to Miss Theroux.

Who? Who? Who?
Miss Prue that’s who,
Miss Prue Theroux, the school librarian.

Prue Theroux provides endless fun and delightful entertainment for all the children at the school in her library. For any child who thinks they may not like books she is able to recommend one that quickly changes their mind. The text is in the form of a rap poem and kids will enjoy the quirky illustrations. Gillian Rubinstein and David Mackintosh have teamed up to produce a number of picture books with a similar lively rhythmic text and illustrations. I don’t think this is as effective as their first and my favourite, Sharon Keep Your Hair On pb $14.20 ($12.91) but Prue Theroux certainly is quite a character and every school needs a “cool librarian”! (7 - 11 years)

Prue Theroux The Cool Librarian by Gillian Rubinstein and David Mackintosh hardback $24.95 ($22.68)

Dreamwalker by Isobelle Carmody and illustrated by Steven Woolman hb $26.95 ($24.50) is a very different and original book for older readers. It is difficult to know whether to call it a picture book, or a graphic novel or a short story with striking illustrations and graphic design. Whatever its description, it is certainly a story of highly dramatic and visual presentation. Isobelle Carmody is a very popular fantasy writer for older readers and in this story she and Steven Woolman have combined to create a story which looks at the creative process both in words and in illustration and the way new worlds are created. Ken begins by sketching a striking illustration of an evil cat-like sorceress and this is the beginning of his own comic strip story which makes links with another world both through the creative process and through dreams. It’s a gripping story with stunning illustrations which are to-tally integral to the story and the way it develops. (11 - 16 years)

Dreamwalker by Isobelle Carmody and Steven Woolman hardback $26.95 ($24.20)

A Book about Picture Books

Words and Pictures by Quentin Blake hardback $54.80 ($49.82)

What a treat this book is! It’s a delight to browse through looking at the wonderful range of illustrations from many of his well loved children’s picture books and also from his early work with the satrical Punch magazine or to read about the progression of his career as an illustrator and artist. It is not at all a personal autobigraphy but a fascinating discussion of how he approaches the art of illustration and how he combines it with words to make picture books. I found it amazing that Quentin Blake could make a discussion of the development of his art, even on the use of colour, so fascinating for even a non-artist like myself. For art students interested in the art of illustration I am sure it would be a wonderful guide. The pictures are chosen from fifty years of publication. A truly remarkable and fascinating career for the present British Children’s Laureate. This has been published for the adult market but students from the age of about thirteen years up would appreciate it.

Libraries, Libraries

Building Works series: Library From ancient scrolls to the World Wide Web by John Malam hardback $ 32.70 ($29.73)

A very interesting book which looks at how a large public library building works. A fold out section showing the outside of the building opens to show the inside of the library and a plan describing the various sections. Then other types of libraries are described such as a Mobile Library, Children’s Library, Audiovisual and Multimedia library, Reference and Business Libraries. There are also sections on Rare Books, Conservation and Library History which shows Time Line indicating when libraries were first set up from 600 BC in Assyria, through to early libraries in China and Europe, to modern times. The book has an index and glossary. I was surprised to see that there is no mention of school libraries. I realise that the emphasis is on the working of a large modern public library but they are not mentioned even in the introductory section which describes what libraries are. The book is from the UK and I hope it is not an indication of the regard in which school libraries are now held in Britain. Certainly Prue Theroux would not be impressed!! (9 - 14 years)

Songs and Music
Uusally this newsletter restricts itself just to books since that is my area of expertise but I was very interested in The Great Southern Songbook since it has songs from a number of countries, especially in this region. Many schools are trying make their curriculum more international and so I though they would be interested in this songbook which includes songs from Indonesia, East Timor, Polynesia, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maoris as well as a range of lively and rhythmic rap, country and bush dance songs. The double CD has one CD with vocals and music and another which is just instrument backing. The book itself is lively, clearly set out and has many ideas that music specialists, or teachers who have no musical training, could use for rhythmic accompaniments and for dance steps to the music. There is a special support cassette which has demonstrations of rhythms and arrangements as they appear in the book’s activities. I imagine that many of the songs would be great for assemblies and concerts. There are also many ideas for other cross curriculum activities connected with each song. (Primary or elementary level)

The Great Southern Songbook 2001. Book $10.95 ($9.96) Double CD $32.05 ($29.14) Support cassette $10.95 ($9.96)

The publishers Bushfire Press also offer The Cool Cats Cross Arts Adventures Resources which can be used as a music and arts course or a just as a resource with numerous activities in music, dance, drama, media and visual arts for primary level. There are teachers’ books, double CD packs and student books for each of four levels. Contact me if you would like brochures with more information. (Primary level)

Non-Fiction
The State of the Planet by John Nicholson hardback $24.95 ($22.68)

As John Nicholson explains in a letter he writes to the reader at the beginning of this book he says he is concerned “about the mess we adults have made of the world - your world. Long after we’re all dead, you will still be facing up to the problems we’ve created and then stubbornly ignored for so long.” This book serves as an excellent catalyst to get students thinking and wanting to reseach more on these problems. The book is divided into sections on Earth, Water, Air and Energy and within each Nicholson discusses the problems, why they matter, what is being done and what governments should do and what we can do to help. Wherever possible he gives good news about what is being done. He gives many statistics and statements, some of which I would want to question and would like to check. A great book to stimulate discussion. (11 - 16 years)

Kids Best Australian Books for Children and Young Adults 1996 - 2000 published by PETA (Primary English Teachers Association) pb $23.95 ($21.77)

For anyone wanting additional book reviews to add to the lists of recommended books that I have compiled this would be a very good reference. Published in 2000, it contains annotated reviews in the Australian Children’s Book Council Award categories of Fiction for Older Readers, Fiction for Younger readers, Picture Books and Information Books. Unfortunately a few of the books are already of print but it is still a very helpful resource.

Boys and Books Building a culture of reading around our boys by James Moloney pb $16.95 ($15.41)

Perhaps this book is not as relevant in International Schools as it is in some of Australian schools where reading by boys is not regarded as “cool”. It is written probably more for parents than for teachers or librarians. However it does contain very helpful lists of recommended reading for boys and has many interesting observations. James Moloney is extremely well qualified to write this book since he is an award-winning writer, a parent and a teacher-librarian of 15 year’s experience.

All prices are in Australian dollars.

If you would like to order any of the books reviewed in this newsletter or in the accompanying lists, send orders to Austral Ed by fax, post or email.