No 19, February, 2002

We survived the shift from Perth to Adelaide surprisingly well and now send greetings from Belair, a suburb in the green and leafy Adelaide hills. The summer has been one of the coolest on record which has been a pleasant surprise and made life easier. It has been lovely to have a cool change every week or so and to wake up some mornings looking out over trees misty in a morning fog. Christmas and New Year were great with a house full of family and friends!

Very belated best wishes to everyone for this New Year.

Things are now reasonably organised in the office thanks especially to Ruth Waterman who is now working with me as Office Manager. It has been marvellous to find someone who is so efficient and quick to understand the complexities of the book world and of sending shipments all round the world. I am also enjoying the much greater working space in the office areas. All in all a very good shift!

It was a rush to get away just a week after shifting into our new house and premises but we really enjoyed our first visit to Manila for CERCOS. The Conference was excellent - well organised and a very friendly atmosphere. This was the only Conference we have managed to attend for some time because of the shift but we are now looking forward to the ECIS Librarians’ Conference in Budapest in the middle of March, then straight onto NESA in Bangkok and then at the end of March finishing up at SEEC in Kuala Lumpur. I am looking forward to catching up with many of you again.

I shall also be attending the Children’s Book Council Conference in May in Perth. It will be good to be just a delegate and, because there will be no Austral Ed display, I will have time to attend sessions and to chat over coffee. I am looking forward to hearing talks and discussions involving many excellent Australian authors and illustrators, some of whom I have never heard speak about their work. It will also be good to catch up with some authors and illustrators and friends who I haven’t met for years. I normally don’t have time to go to conferences in Australia. Too much overseas travel!

The mailing list for this newsletter has grown considerably over the last few years. If any of you are aware that the newsletter is sent to teachers who are no longer at the school or if you receive two newsletters or if you no longer find it useful, please let us know. If you would prefer to receive the newsletter by email, please notify us for this can easily be arranged.

Enclosed with this newsletter is an update of the list of Winners of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards. I am frequently asked for Award winners. There is also a list which I have wanted to compile for some time - an Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction list. Some of the books on the list I haven’t read for many years and I would love to re-read them and see what I think now. However before that, there is a pile of new sci-fi and fantasy books waiting to be read! If I think they are good, I shall add them to the list.

Hopefully the long flight from Adelaide to Budapest will be a good time to make a dent in the reading pile. There will be quite an Australian presence at the ECIS Librarians’ Conference in Budapest for as well as myself, and my husband Ron Shapiro, Richard Tulloch, well known Australian author, performer, dramatist and creator of the famous Bananas in Pyjamas, will be attending. The Aussie presence was to have been even greater as my son Joel Shepherd was also invited as a new young science fiction author to talk about his first book, Crossover. However unfortunately he is now unable to attend. (By the way Crossover has just been shortlisted with three other novels for the Aurealis Award, the major Australian Science Fction and Fantasy Award. The winners are announced in June - I shall keep you posted.)

Richard Tulloch is a wonderful performer as well as writer and he is a very popular visiting author at schools throughout Australia. He has also visited a number of International Schools in such far ranging places as Irian Jaya, Jakarta, Tokyo and Dusseldorf, where he has given workshops for elementary and middle school students. Each time his visit has been greeted with great enthusiasm. The comment I love from one young student at an Australian school was ‘I am glad I went there because I do not think I will see anything as funny in a lifetime.’ LAKSHY (CLASS 3/4N), EASTWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

Richard will be spending some months in Europe for the early part of this year and perhaps for each year from now on. As well as attending the ECIS Librarians’ Conference, he is also visiting a number of International Schools. If you are interested in having an Australian performer, writer, dramatist visit your school, he can be contacted on richardtulloch@hotmail.com Richard has also been invited to speak at the ECIS Conference in Berlin in November so if you miss him in Budapest there will be another chance then. I thought you might be interested in a list of his books that are in print. Unfortunately a few of my favourites have recently gone out of print. Hopefully they will soon be available again.

Books by Richard Tulloch

Picture Books

Danny in the Toybox illus by Armin Greder pb $13.95

Mr Biffy’s Battle illus by Andrew McLean pb $ 10.90

Stories from Our Street illus by Julie Vivas pb $ 9.50

Magic Mountain: Tortoise the Hero pb $ 10.95

Bananas in Pyjamas (just a small selection from the many books in this series)

Banana Hiccups pb $ 10.95

Banana Shop pb $ 10.95

News Bananas pb $ 10.95

Bananas Chasing Tuesdays pb $ 10.95

Bananas in Pyjamas - Space Bananas pb $ 10.95

Bananas in Pyjamas Storybook pb $ 14.95

Short Fiction for Beginner Readers

Barry the Burglar’s Bumper Book pb $11.95

Cocky Colin (Solo) illus by Stephen Axelsen pb $ 8.95

Rodney’s Runaway Nose pb $ 9.95

Luke’s Amazing Smell pb $ 9.95

Drama

Body & Soul pb $14.95

The Cocky of Bungaree pb $14.95

Could Do Better pb $14.95

Richard has adapted the following novels to plays

Hating Alison Ashley - The Play (with Robin Klein) pb $16.95

Midnite - a Play (with Randolph Stow) pb $14.95

Space Demons (with Gillian Rubinstein) pb $14.95

Picture Books

The Waterhole by Graeme Base hardback $26.00

Ingenious. Graeme Base’s books are always well worth the wait. On one level this is a beautifully illustrated counting book which progresses from just one rhino drinking at the lush waterhole "Snort, splosh!’ (Mmm, delicious!)", to two tigers lapping at the waterhole "Grrrrrr! (Goodness gracious, how very delectable!)" through three toucans, four beautiful snow leopards, seven pandas drinking at a much diminished waterhole and so on till finally there are 10 kangaroos looking at a dry and rocky patch. "There was nothing to say. The water was all gone." The waterhole appears quite magical in that it really is a hole on the page which shrinks with each double page spread. At first it has an appearance of depth and freshness which diminishes with each page until it finally disappears completely. The message is that water is precious and that all life depends on it. At the very end of the book, when it finally rains again, all the animals celebrate. However as one would expect from a book from Graeme Base, there are many other levels to this book and many other things to look for. While the number of the animals drinking at the pond is increasing, the number of small frogs frolicking by the water diminishes (it also requires some searching to find them all.) On each double page spread the animal represents a different region of the world and the page is bordered with other animals from that region. Those who search carefully can also find each of these animals hidden in the illustration. This is a complex beautiful book that will reward and delight all ages.

I will not ever never eat a tomato by Lauren Child hardback $24.95 pb $ 13.95

Charlie’s little sister Lola is a fussy eater - there is a long list of foods she refuses to eat, carrots and peas among them. However she is intrigued when Charlie says that these are not peas, "of course they are not, these are green drops from Greenland." And "These are not carrots. These are orange twiglets from Jupiter." Lola can’t resist just tasting them and also the "cloud fluff" from Mount Fuji (although she doesn’t like potato mash) and finally she joins in the game and asks for the round red moonsquirter (she wouldn’t eat a tomato of course but moonsquirters are her favourite.) This is great fun. The text has a wonderful bouncing rhythm and it uses repetition to very good effect. The illustrations are bold and engaging with their use of drawings, photos and collage. I will not ever never eat a tomato won in 2000 the Greenaway Medal, the major UK picture book award.

"Let’s get a PUP!" by Bob Graham hardback $27.95

This is another wonderful evocation of a family - the type of warm slightly zany family that Bob Graham creates so well. When Kate breathlessly decides she wants a pup, they go to the Dog Rescue Centre where they see all manner of dogs, big and small, "fighters and biters ... happy dogs, sad dogs "take me" dogs, and dogs who couldn’t care less" and they also see Dave, a wonderfully bouncy excitable puppy. And as they were about to leave they see Rosy an old grey dog. Dave is everything they could want but they can’t get Rosy out of their minds and so the next day they go back and bring Rosy home as well. A warm and funny story.

A Book of Pacific Lullabies edited by Tessa Duder Illustrated by Anton Petrov hardback $24.95

I was most surprised to see this collection of traditional and modern lullabies by authors and poets from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is not easy to find collections of poetry from the region and so a collection made up only of lullabies was indeed a welcome surprise. A number of the lullabies are written in Maori with English translation and as would be expected quite a number have a strong connection with the sea. There is no accompanying music but many of the lullabies have a lovely lilting rhythm. Of the twenty or so authors and poets there are a number including Margaret Mahy, Tessa Duder, Joy Cowley and Wendy Orr who are well known. This is a good addition for the library, especially for those interested in building up their international collections.

Fiction

Ride the Wild Wind: The Golden Pony and other Stories by Jackie French pb $14.95

Horse enthusiasts will of course love this collection but it also has a much wider appeal. As usual with Jackie French it is a collection with a difference as she is writing not just about horses but about the bond that has developed over thousands of years between people and horses. The first story is set in the Ukraine about 6,000 years ago and is a description of how the first horse may have been tamed. Ancient Greece is the setting for another story and another describes the terrifying advance of the hordes of men and horses in Genghis Khan’s massive army on a small village in Asia. The courtly times of King Arthur provides the setting for a story about one of King Arthur’s most loved horses. And from there we move to a story set in Australia about a young Aboriginal boy and his love for a wild stallion. The final story is also set in Australia in the 1950s and describes a working horse who has reached the end of his working life. It describes the end of a working relationship and of an era, as the horse is no longer needed to pull the baker’s cart. Jackie French has an ability to make all her characters come to life. The stories are engaging and moving. There is lots to discuss and to think about in this collection. (8 - 12 years)

I am continually surprised that Jackie French can continually write such thoughtful and throught-provoking books. Another recent title is Dark Wind Blowing pb $14.95 which is a tense drama with a time span of just one day. A disturbed student threatens teachers and fellow students with a test-tube allegedly containing a deadly virus. It is a very believable scenario which has become all the more frightening and plausible because of recent events. It makes a gripping read as well as giving us much to discuss and think about. (10 - 14)

Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin pb $12.00

This is a remarkably compelling story. It is no surprise that it won the Whitbread Children’s Book Award in 2001. Jamila Gavin, a British author, has been writing for many years but this story has an assuredness and depth of compassion and of reality in charcter portrayal beyond any of her other books. Set in eighteenth century England, the story is woven around the "Coram Man" who collected unwanted babies or children for a fee while assuring their desperate mothers that they would be taken to the Coram Hospital and Orphanage where they would be cared for. However the children were often sold into slavery and the babies were disposed of. A number of absorbing interlocking stories are woven around this horrific backdrop making a novel of great intensity, emotion, love and courage. The characters glow and we find that we are haunted by them, the dead as well as the ones that lived, long after the book has been finished. (12 years up)

Parvana by Deborah Ellis pb $14.95

It is hard to imagine just how terrible it would be to live through the recent appalling times in Afghanistan. Deborah Ellis is a Canadian author who has made a good attempt at describing life under the rule of the Taliban whose severe restrictions on what women and girls could do made life extraordinarily difficult. Parvana is an eleven year old girl who used to love going to school but under the Taliban ruling was forced to stay at home with her older and younger sisters and baby brother. When both her parents lost their jobs, her father as a teacher and her mother in Kabul Radio, the family was gradually forced to sell all their belongings and finally lived in just one small room. When Parvana’s father is arrested, their plight becomes even more desperate since girls and women were not allowed to leave the house unless accompanied by a man. In order to get food and to try and earn a little money, Parvana disguises herself as a boy. In spite of the dangers she relishes at first the extra freedom. The story gives us an insight into some of the recent traumatic events in Afghanistan. The story is disturbing but it obviously could have been much more so. By concentrating on the courage of Parvana and the strength and love of her family, it is a story of courage and determination. (10 - 14 years)

The plight of refugees around the world is one of the major human rights problems the world is facing. Much of the media coverage reduces the plight of these desperate people to numbers and statistics and so it is good to see a number of books which deal with refugee children and make them real life characters with whom we can become emotionally involved as we try to understand their predicament. Both the books that I wish to review are written by British authors UK. There have been a number of excellent books published in Australia on Vietnamese refugees but nothing yet that really shows the plight of recent refugees. The present refugee policy of the Australian government is one which bring shame to many Australians and we hope that pressure from more compassionate Australians will bring a change of heart or (if that is too much to hope for from this government) then we hope at least for a change of policy.

The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo pb $12.95

This is a very moving story about a young girl and her brother who are smuggled into Britain after their mother is killed by gunmen because of their journalist father’s outspoken newspaper articles against corruption in the society and in the government in Nigeria. The children, Sade and Femi, are traumatised by the separation from their family and the death of their mother but they do get help from some people, especially the Refugee Council in Britain. When their father arrives in Britain on a false passport because he is desperate for news about his children, the fight to gain refugee status becomes even more difficult. Beverley Naidoo describes the bureaucratic procedures involved in becoming considered for refugee status and we start to understand just how traumatic the whole procedure must be for the children and their father. There are some wonderful people who work hard to support Sade and Femi and their father but they also encounter racism and many difficulties in a foreign land. This is all described with compassion and compelling honesty. This is a book which deserves wide reading. Excellent for class discussion. (10 - 15 years)

Beverley Naidoo will be speaking at the SEEC Teachers’ Conference in Kuala Lumpur in March and I hope to hear her speak then.

Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah pb $ 14.95

Alem’s father is Ethiopian and his mother Eritrean and with both countries at war they are welcome in neither country. His father takes him to England (supposedly for a holiday) and leaves him there in the hope that Alem will be granted refugee status so that his son could escape the persecution that the whole family had been suffering. Alem is put into a Children’s Home which he detests and then in a foster home. Alem is happy in the new home and at school where he makes friends. When his mother is murdered, Alem’s father flees to Britain however this complicates their application for asylum and it is turned down. The tension rises as Alem and his father try to negotiate the tortuous bureaucratic process of trying to gain refugee status. People from the Refugee Council are very helpful but it is finally Alem’s friends who organise a demonstration in support of Alem and better and more compassionate treatment of refugees. This is a powerful story of courage and friendship. (11 - 16 years)

Moondyne Kate by Garry Disher pb $16.95

This is a gripping story which parallels events in the past with the present. Nat Whistler feels oppressed by small town life but when he researches the life of a bushranger with his own surname he becomes absorbed in the life of Moondyne Kate who lived in the 1860s and was associated with a bushranger called Gus Whistler. At first this interest helps cause additional problems and trouble for Nat but later brings him to a greater understanding of himself. It is an absorbing mystery/adventure story which will appeal to young adult readers. (12 years up)

Fergus McPhail by David McRobbie pb $16.95

This is a very funny novel about a fifteen year old boy whose family shifts from Brisbane to Melbourne and his trials and tribulations as he and the family try to settle into a very different environment. The character portrayals are memorable. Dad is a builder, Mum is calm and optimistic and the strength of the family while his two sisters are very different from Fergus. There are highly entertaining moments and also moments of poignancy as Fergus fall in love with the beautiful Sophie and tries to get together a band. (12 - 17 years)

Poetry

Poems From Many cultures Compiled by Fiona Waters hardback $36.30

This is a wonderful collection of poetry from many different cultures round the world. There are poems that are constantly surprising. I read novels in preference to poetry but many of these poems made me sit up and pause and reflect, a few even made me laugh out loud. A poem "Telephone Conversation" by Wole Soyinka from Nigeria is breathtaking in its satirical reporting of a conversation between an African man wanting to rent a room and the landlady who wanted to know how dark he was. The sharp biting final lines make us laugh but also shake our heads in bewilderment at such racism. The first poem "The Door" by Miroslav Holub (Czechoslovakia) describes what simple pleasures may lie in wait if you will just open the door, and even if there is nothing there "go and open the door. At least there will be a draft." The simplicity of poems like this is very refreshing. There are other eye-opening poems from well known poets such as Michael Ondaatje (Sri Lanka), Grace Nichols (Guyana) and Benjamin Zephaniah (Jamaica/England) and many more not so well known from India, Russia, Africa, China, Japan, Australia, Chile, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Some poems are traditional though most are modern. All the poems give us an insight into the way people think and feel and see from different cultures round the world. A very impressive selection. (11 yeaars up)

Non-Fiction

Picture the World: Children’s Art around the Globe by Tracy V Spates hardback $49.95

Tracy Spates wanted children to be able to relate readily to their peers round the world through art. She wanted children to be able "to see in the artistic expression of other young people things that are familiar and things that are unique and different." The book features a number of art works from children of different ages and from eight different countries. The art work presents an opportunity for storytelling and discussing similarities and differences between cultures as well as a chance to focus on familiar and new ways of being creative. There are maps of each country and photographs of people, places and folk art to provide an introduction to the country and people. At the end of each section, there is also a hands-on step-by-step art activity. Countries included are Japan, Ecuador, India, Russia, Kenya, USA and Vietnam. (10 - 14 years)

Judge for Yourself: Mao Zedong hardback $36.30

I have been fascinated in history ever since my first year at University when I discovered that various interpretations for particular historical events were possible. This book contains factual details of Mao Zedong’s life but then it goes on to encourage students to look at some of the results of his actions in relation to reforms in Agriculture, Industry, Education, Foreign Policy and Women’s Status. Students are encouraged to judge for themselves whether they think the reforms were a success or failure. The book gives some statistics, factual information and quotations which can be used to back up both sides of the debate. Extra research would of course be needed to arrive at a sound judgement but this is at least a good introduction to some of the many complexities of historical study.

Also in this series

Judge for Yourself: Catherine the Great

Judge for Yourself: Martin Luther King

Judge for Yourself: Mahatma Gandhi each hardback $36.30

Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World Religions hardback $34.95

A good introduction to religions of the world. The book not only discusses a wide range of religions both traditional and recent, it also has an introduction called "What is religion?" where some of the ideas which religions have in common and even other viewpoints held by people such as agnostics and humanists are discussed. Information about the historical background, customs, festivals and beliefs of a wide range of religions is given. Local religions of the original peoples such as Australian Aborigines, Pacific Islanders and peoples from Africa and North and South America are also outlined. Brief chapters on the early religions of the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans are included. In the final chapter there is discussion of some of the effects, both good and bad, of religion in society. A world map shows religions throughout the world and there is also a Time Chart. Throughout the book there are also over 100 recommended web sites where further information about the various religions can be obtained. In its 127 pages, the book gives an overview of religions of the world and attempts to discuss religion from a wider more balanced view point. (11 - 15 years)

World Organizations: European Union hardback $35.95

There is not much yet published on the European Union and so this is a helpful title. It is part of a series which looks at key world international organizations. It discusses how and why they were established, their structure and their various functions. This title describes the various reasons behind the formation of the European Union and shows how it has developed and grown from its first days after the Second World War in 1951 when the European Coal and Steel Community was set up. A number of chapters discuss the various ways in which the European Union functions in relation to Agriculture, Trade and Industry, European Law and Money. Various problems are highlighted and briefly discussed to show the complexity of the issues facing the European Union as it encourages economic stability and and monitors food, safety and legal standards across Europe. The final chapter looks at Future Challanges facing the Union. The book is well written and well set out. The book has an Index, a Glossary and a page which includes useful addresses and websites.

The complete list of books in the series:

World Organizations: Amnesty International

World Organizations: European Union

World Organizations: NATO

World Organizations: The Red Cross

World Organizations: UNICEF

World Organizations: United Nations

World Organizations: World Health Organization

World Organizations: World Wildlife Fund each hardback $34.95 (11 - 16 years)

Taking Action! Save the Children by Louise Spilbury hardback $33.50

It is good to see a series such as this which looks at such a wide range of organisations and the work they do to try and make the world a better place. Each book in the series has an overview of the organization and its aims, introduces people who are connected with organization and looks at some of the main areas of work. Some of the organizations are best known just in Britain. Save the Children was originally started back in 1919 by a remarkable woman called Eglantyne Jebb in an attempt to get food to save the children of Europe who were starving after the First World War. The book describes the work Save the Children does today by factual description and also by desribing a day in the life of a number of workers in the field. One worker is a Project Worker in Mongolia, another is a community worker in Edinburgh. There is also discussion of various emergency situations and the ways Save the Children gives assistance. There is an Index and a Glossary.

The complete list of books in the series:

Taking Action! Barnado’s

Taking Action! British Red Cross

Taking Action! Comic Relief

Taking Action! Friends of the Earth

Taking Action! Greenpeace

Taking Action! Help the Aged

Taking Action! NSPCC

Taking Action! Oxfam

Taking Action! RSPCA

Taking Action! Save the Children

Taking Action! Shelter

Taking Action! World Wildlife Fund hardback $33.00 each (10 - 14 years)

Teacher Resources

Asia Counts Primary: Numeracy and Studies of Asia by Jan Kiernan and Howard Reeves

pb $32.65

Asia Counts Secondary: Numeracy and Studies of Asia by Jan Kiernan and Howard Reeves pb $32.65 each

Studies of Asia have been gradually introduced into many Australian schools over some years with enthusiasm from most subject teachers. However there was always very little interest from maths teachers. Asia Counts Primary and Secondary are full of engaging and stimulating ideas for teaching numeracy and at the same time giving an Asian focus. The Primary book looks at weather in Asia, population and area of Asian countries. One of the activities involves using the Japanese tatami mat as a unit of measuring, and making a grid and patterns. Finally the book looks at a number of Asian games. The Secondary book looks at population in much greater detail, and also distance and time zones and gives activities connected with trade and tourism. This is a unique concept as it contains a wide ranging selection of units of work for teachers that can be used to improve students’ numeracy skills while enhancing their understanding of Asian countries and ways of life. There are lesson plans, student worksheets and extension activities.

Snapshots of Asia by Sue Ledger and Richard Ledger $196.15 nett for the whole pack

I have reviewed this very special pack previously but I wanted to make teachers and librarians aware that the Big Books and the Teachers’ Guide could now be purchased individually. The 6 Big Books contain information on China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in a lively inviting format. Each country is introduced through a family and stories of daily life and fact files on the environment, school, getting about etc help capture various physical and cultural aspects of life in each country. Bright coloured photos are contrasted with appealing cartoon style drawings and each book also contains a map, a board game, shopping lists, a cooking recipe and instructions. The books aim to help develop literacy while introducing Asian content. The accompanying teacher guide contains additional information, classroom activities and blackline masters. For the lower and middle primary classroom, it would also be very effective with ESL students.

Big Books of China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam can also now be purchased individually $43.95 each. Snapshots of Asia Teachers’ Guide pb $32.95

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.

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.