No 18 , September 2001

We are shifting! So many of you shift with apparent ease from places like Jakarta, to Bavaria and then to Bangkok or even from Phnom Penh to Mongolia that we perhaps caught the bug and decided to shift from Perth back to Adelaide. Not as adventurous maybe but a good decision for us as we originally come from Adelaide and that is where family and old friends are. With two sons in Sydney we will be much more accessible than if we stay in Perth. We will miss the wonderful beaches, weather and the river and of course friends in Perth and the regular visitors to Austral Ed. And in particular I shall miss Pip Rundle who has been in an invaluable part of Austral Ed now for three years. She is always cheery and immaculate in her work and I shall miss her greatly.

I hope some of you will now manage to come to Adelaide which is an attractive city with great eating places. One of its major attractions is the proximity of the vineyards at Clare, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale - all within about an hour. The area is lovely and of course the wine equally so. And the wonderfully rugged and remote Flinders Ranges are only about 6 hours away. We shall be setting up a new more spacious office area for Austral Ed. Do call in some time and see the range of books on display. You will be very welcome.

Please Note:

The following change of address, and change of phone and fax details.

On the 25th October we are shifting from the Perth address. However it will take a few days to set up again (everything has to cross the Nullabor Plain) and we hope to be up and running on Tuesday 30th October.


NEW ADDRESS

2 Downer Avenue
Belair 5052
South Australia

Phone 61 8 8278 1688

Fax 61 8 8278 1033

It would very helpful if you could pass on the Change of Address Notice enclosed with this newsletter to the person in charge of Accounts, Administration, Purchasing or to any other teachers who you think would like to know.

Welcome to any librarians and teachers new to International Schools. If you don’t know about Austral Ed and would like to know more about how we supply books to overseas International Schools and about our service of recommending books especi-

ally Australian and multicultural titles, then contact me by email or visit our website. www.australed.iinet.net.au

And belated very best wishes to everyone for the new school year!

As a result of this upheaval, we shall not be attending as many Conferences as we normally do at this time of the year. I had hoped to go to Tokyo but that visit and the ECIS Conference in The Hague are no longer possible. We will still be going to CERCOS in Manila in November. My first trip there and I am looking forward to it and hope to visit some schools as well.

Next year the Children’s Book Council of Australia is holding its Biennial Conference in Perth. These are marvellous Conferences with a wealth of speakers, displays and delegates. The 2002 Conference will be of special interest since there will be a particularly large and interesting number of Australian authors and illustrators. For overseas teachers and librarians interested in hearing at first hand many Australian authors and illustrators, this would be an excellent opportunity in a very friendly atmosphere. I am hoping to make the trip over as well, though it will be further from Adelaide than just down the road at Coolbinia! I have enclosed brochures on the Conference with this newsletter.

New Fiction for Younger readers

Sarindi and the Lucky Bird by Janine Fraser illustrated by Kim Gamble pb $11.95

This is a simply told and beautifully structured story about a young boy, Sarindi who lives in Yogyakarta in Java, Indonesia. His father is a becak driver (a type of bicycle taxi) and his mother makes batik. They live in just one room but Sarindi knows he is lucky - and he hopes to be even luckier still. Janine Fraser shows us the city and family and friends through the eyes of Sarindi. It is a very difficult task to give the feeling of a busy city such as Jogjakarta, with its bustling markets and where so many people are struggling to make a living but she succeeds, while using very simple language. This is a vivid and warm portrait of a family who from a western perspective may have very little but, as Sarindi tells us, they are lucky and they of course add to their luck by their hard work and love for each other. (7 - 11 years)

I was delighted that Abdullah’s Butterfly also by Janine Fraser (illustrated by Kim Gamble pb $11.95) came back into print when Sarindi and the Lucky Bird was published this year. This is a very engaging story which has been used as a set text for Grade 3/4 in a number of schools. Set in a village in Malaysia it tells the story of Abdullah, his love for his grandfather and his family and how he tries to bring extra money into the family (which is very poor) by catching beautiful butterflies. The story is told by a visitor to the village who is appalled when she first sees Abdullah catching these beautiful butterflies as she has no comprehension of Abdullah’s reasons for doing it. The story is simple enough for seven year olds to read but opens up a great number of possibilites for discussion for older children as well. Both books would be excellent for class discussion. (7 - 11 years)

Me and Mary Kangaroo by Kevin Gilbert pb $13.95

Another book that has recently come back into print. It was wonderful to read again the childhood reminiscences of the Aboriginal poet Kevin Gilbert, his family and his very special pet kangaroo Mary. There are many charming stories of how he and Mary hid their treasures including pennies and threepenny bits in Mary’s pouch till Dad was surprised by the jangling coming from Mary’s pouch as she hopped around, how a group of savage dogs attacked Mary and her struggle to fight them off and the special friendship between Mary and Darlin’ (as Kevin Gilbert was called as a child). The stories have a spontaneity which would make them a delight to read aloud to a class. They are also very revealing of the love and caring in this Aboriginal family set in the 1920s or 1930s in Australia. Lovely sepia photographs by Eleanor Williams add to its attractiveness. (7 - 12 years)

Barry the Burglar’s Bumper Book by Richard Tulloch pb $11.95

This collection brings together in one book the three very popular stories about the exploits of Barry the Burglar. They are Barry the Burglar's Last Job, a highly amusing story which describes how Barry decides that a life of burglary is not for him and the sequels Barry the Burglar's Big Mistake and Barry the Burglar's Bumpy Ride which are equally appealing for, even when Barry is going straight, his tricks from his old burgling days come in handy. They will also appeal to older ESL students. (7 - 10 years)

Dear Writer by Libby Gleeson illus by David Cox pb $12.95

Teachers and librarians who love to read to their class will especially enjoy this story about Mr Carlyle, a caring teacher who reads to his class with an infectious enthusiasm. He is full of admiration for the latest book of R U Goodfellow and sets it as a project. However when Joanne and Lizzie try to write a biography on the author, they discover there is very little information available. The girls have the idea of inviting R U Goodfellow to a special surprise party for Mr Carlyle but the letter they receive back is from a very reluctant author, who prefers never to visit schools. Just who is this author? Libby Gleeson has great fun in giving us hints that it is perhaps Mr Carlyle himself and then of course he wouldn’t want to go to the party. However there are other characters involved and the ending provides a wonderfully surprising and amusing finale. This would make an excellent book for discussion as a prelude to an author visit. It is a beautifully structured, amusing and satisfying story. (7 - 11 years)

(For teachers who wish to encourage parents to read aloud to their children, Mem Fox has just written a book called Reading Magic in which she talks passionately (as Mem does) about the wonders of reading aloud to children and the impact that it has, not just on their ability to learn to read but also on their entire lives. A book for parents to borrow from the school library.)

Reading Magic by Mem Fox pb $14.95

History History History

Libby Gleeson has been writing now for many years. She is a well known and respected Australian writer who recently perhaps has become especially known for her stories for young readers. (See my Australian Fiction list) So I read with interest her recent novel in the series of historical fictional autobiographies My Story that I reviewed in the February/March newsletter this year. I was very impressed. Such a fluent easy style, making the words of the young David Bellamy so believable. As usual it makes me want to do some reading about this period of Australian history. Very little Australian history was taught when I was at school and at University I studied Asian and European history.

My Story The Rum Rebellion The Diary of David Bellamy Sydney Town, 1807 - 1809 by Libby Gleeson pb $14.95

This is a very well written absorbing story of one year in the life of David Bellamy, a timid boy who was shy and felt bereft of everything he had loved, since the death of his parents and the long sea voyage from England to Sydney Town. He goes to live with his uncle and aunt - a loving family and when at the end of the year he looks back over his diary he can hardly recognise the timid, fearful, grief-stricken boy who first started writing. However the book is equally a look at history from the perspective of small farmers fighting for their rights against the wealth and privilege of John Macarthur, a generally revered figure in Australian history, well known for his sheep breeding and his part in establishing sheep farming as an important part of the Australian economy. Equally interesting is the book’s support for Captain Bligh, vilified in history as the ill-fated master of the ship during the mutiny on the Bounty. Later Bligh became Governor of Sydney and he tried to support the free settlers against the soldiers and the wealthy landowners in the fledgling settlement, which at that time had been in existence for only twenty years. A very interesting historical note at the end of the book elaborates further on the different perspectives which are possible in any historical interpretation and which make history so fascinating.
(11 - 17 years)

Papunya School Book of Country and History by Staff and Students at Papunya School, Written Text Nadia Wheatley, Book Design Ken Searle hardback $29.95

Many of you will remember Nadia Wheatley as the author of the exceptional picture book My Place, which by moving backwards in decades from 1989, shows how a particular neighbourhood in Sydney changed, from a modern urban street, to the first white settlement two hundred years earlier and before, to the time when the Aborigines lived there. The story is told through the eyes of the various children who lived there. (pb $16.95) (all ages)

This time she has been involved with an equally inspiring project at the Papunya School. The Papunya community is made up of Aboriginal peoples from five separate language groups in the central desert region. It is 200 kms west of Alice Springs in the centre of Australia and the community is well known for their exceptional traditional paintings and artwork and also the popular rock band Warumpi. They are a strong minded independent community who wanted their children to be taught a curriculum which was strong in traditional teaching about their country as well as western ways. Nadia Wheatley and her partner Ken Searle, an artist, were invited to help build curriculum resources to assist with this teaching and this has resulted in this innovative book.

The book shows the history of the region through the eyes of staff and students at Papunya. It is written as a time line describing the traditional country and then the arrival of the white people (who were thought at first to be ghosts or devils). It shows the impact of the first explorers, the pastoralists and their cattle, the missionaries and the gradual loss of the Aboriginal traditional way of life through to their fight to rebuild a different way of life for themselves by combining traditional and western ways. So much of Australian history has been written from the perspective of the European settlers that it is very important to have accounts from the Aboriginal point of view (where the explorers are not heroes just people who didn’t ask permission to come onto Aboriginal land and who in one day could use up all the water in a water hole which the Aborigines needed to survive till the next rains). The book itself is a collage vibrant with drawings, paintings in the traditional style, maps and photographs that have been coloured creating a different art form. The text has had input from many in the community and is enhanced by quotes from many different people. The final quote from Linda Kapunani Allen is a sentiment that schools everywhere would echo:

“We want to see our children, after being educated at Papunya School, coming out like honey ants full of honey - nice and healthy honey - not poison inside. We want to see the children learning both ways and coming out bright orange and yellow together, like honey ants.” (8 years up)

Democracy by Nathaniel Harris Ideas of the Modern World series hardback $36.95

It’s surprising that there are so few good non-fiction books suitable for secondary students written on concepts such as democracy. It seems especially important at times like this of crisis and uncertainty round the world, that we have a good knowledge and understanding of what democracy means, how it came about and the challenges it faces today. This book is well written in clear language with interesting examples and is illustrated with cartoons, photos and paintings. Certain events or aspects of the development of democracy are so familiar that I enjoyed being able to read a well written description of its development from the Ancient World, to modern times where the struggle is very much continuing worldwide. There are also some wonderful quotes such as this one from Queen Victoria writing in 1868 that she was “most anxious to enlist everyone who can speak or write or join in checking this mad, wicked folly of “Women’s Rights” with all its attendant horrors ... Lady Amberley ought to be given a good whipping”. Democracy was published in 2001. (12 - 16 years)

Other titles in the series Ideas of the Modern World are:
Capitalism
Communism
Fascism

Young Adult Fiction

Willow Tree and Olive by Trini Savvides pb $16.95

This is the story of a Greek/Australian girl in her final year in a Sydney school. She is exu-berant and clever but is strongly ambivalent about her Greek background. When she suddenly has an inexplicable emotional breakdown during the year, she goes to Greece to stay with close family friends and there begins the healing process and the realisation and acceptance of the fact that she was sexually abused as a child. It is a warm, very emotional novel. Some of the themes are similar to those in Looking for Alibrandi (by Melina Marchetta pb $19.65) about an Australian/Italian girl also in her final school year and which, because of its vitality and exuberance, has been a bestseller with adolescents and adults. In some ways it is more ambitious and perhaps, not quite as succesful but still a very enjoyable read. (13 up)

Terra-Farma by Gillian Rubinstein pb $19.95

In Galax-Arena Peter, Joella and Liane managed to escape from a life in which they were forced to perform acrobatics in a highly competitive dangerous world. In this compelling sequel they are on the run from those in control of Project Genesis Five, an underground ruthless organisation with an extraordinary agenda of which the Galax-Arena is just one part. It is a gripping futuristic novel, complex in plot and characters and with a number of thought-provoking themes which are very relevant to what is happening in various parts of the world today (including China’s one child policy and our own aging populations). (11 - 16 years)

For some good escapist fantasy try The Tenabran Trilogy by Dave Luckett. It is high on adventure, long dangerous journeys and sword fighting. There are many of the classic fantasy elements of quest, forces of the Dark, magic and goblins but all is seen through the eyes of the young squire William Parkin and it is his sense of humour, often self-deprecating, which makes the story and the characters so enjoyable. (11 - 16 years)

The Tenabran Trilogy by Dave Luckett pb $13.95 each
Book One: A Dark Winter
Book Two: A Dark Journey
Book Three: A Dark Victory

The Australian Children’s Book of the Year Award Winners and
Short List 2001

The winners of the Awards were announced in August during Children’s book Week. The sections of the Award have grown considerably since the first Children’s Book of the Year Award was given in 1946. This was for the best books published, regardless of type of book or intended reading age. In 1955 the Picture Book of the Year was added, in 1982 the Junior Book of the year made its appearance, in 1993 the first Eve Pownall Award for Information Books was given. This year the Picture books section was divided into Book the Year: Early Childhood (Picture Books) and Picture Book of the Year Award which can be for mature readers. The rationalisation was of course that it is very difficult to make a judgement between a very sophisticated picture book intended for older readers and a very simple one intended for young readers. This is true but it also means that the Short List for the Awards is now very long. This is fine as long as the standard of publishing is high enough to support the number of books on the Short List. I shall let you know if at some stage I think it isn’t!

In each section there is the Winner of the Award, two Honour books and the books on the Short List.

Book of the Year: Older Readers (NB Some of these books are for mature readers)
Winner
Wolf on the Fold by Helen Clarke pb $16.45
A very unusual book. Six beautifully written evocative stories, beginning in 1935 in the De-pression and ending in 2002, cover three generations of a family. Each of the stories deals in some way with fear - fear in a terrible moment of danger or fear that something terrible is about to happen or fear of the memories of a traumatic event. It is a powerful and moving book made all the more potent because of the terrible recent events and the present fear of the unknown. (11 up)
Honour Books
Dogs by Bill Condon pb $16.95
Set in the tough world of dog racing, this is a violent uncompromising story about two teenage boys and their relationship with each other and their fathers, one of whom is unpredictably and dangerously violent. A tough story about growing up male and its hurts, hates and sometimes its softer moments. (15 up)
Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Marcus Zusak pb $14.00
Zusak has a very different writing style which combines a vernacular style with toughness, black humour and also lyrical passages. Ruben and Cam are two brothers who take up illicit boxing in the face of their father’s unemployment. A thought-provoking exploration of the strengths of family life. (14 up)

Thursday’s Child by Sonya Hartnett pb $19.95
A powerful and very strange story set in the Depression years. A story of poverty and hardship and family difficulties in a desolate countryside. (13 up)
The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick pb $16.95
Another moving verse narrative from this performance poet. Sixteen year old Billy leaves an alcoholic violent father and finds in a small country town friendship, love and a contentment he didn’t know existed. A life-affirming look at human generosity of spirit. (13 up)
Touch Me by David Moloney pb $16.95
Xavier is a young man for whom being picked for the first Rugby team at achool means everything until he meets and falls in love with Nuala Magee, an unpredictable, witty and engaging girl. The development of their very edgy relationship is absorbing. (13 up)

Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Winner
Two Hands Together by Diana Kidd pb $12.95
The growing friendship between Lily and Ella is marred by the disapproval of Lily’s father, much to Ella’s confusion. How could it be that her father doesn’t like this warm and friendly Aboriginal family? A well told sensitive story which is also a positive statement for reconciliation.
Honour Books
Away with the Birds by Errol Broome pb $11.95
Pigeon racing - not an interest of mine but Errol Broome makes an absorbing and believable story as she describes Sebastian’s fascination and love for the birds which he takes over from the old man next door,. A very well written story of love and caring and difficult transitions.
Nips 1X by Ruth Starke pb $12.95
This is the very amusing story of Lan, who loves cricket, and of his determination in getting together a cricket team of kids from many ethnic backgrounds. Very interesting in its cross-cultural interactions between kids and adults.

The Game of the Goose by Ursual Dubosarsky pb $17.95
As the three children play the Game of the Goose, they are suddenly swept into a strange fantasy world and discover that to escape from this frightening surreal world they have to help each other.
Something’s Fishy, Hazel Green! by Odo Hirsch pb $14.20
Another in the series about a young strong-willed heroine. When two magnificent lobsters are stolen from Mr Petrusca’s fish tank, it takes the patient persistence of Hazel Green and the Yak to work out the perplexing mystery.
Pannikin & Pinta by Colin Thiele illus by Peter Gouldthorpe hb $24.95
A story of an epic journey from the north of Southern Australia to the south by two pelicans escaping from the rapidly drying expanse of Lake Eyre. A very moving story with a strong environmental theme told by master storyteller Colin Thiele with beautiful and intensely realistic illustrations.

Book of the Year: Early Childhood (Picture Books)
Winner
You’ll Wake the Baby by Catherine Jinks illus by Andrew McLean hb $25.00
Annie and Andy are playing - and trying their hardest to play quietly so that they don’t wake the baby. So difficult. When they finally play at being hibernating bears they fall asleep just as the baby wakes with a yell.
Honour Books
Max by Bob Graham hb $27.95
Another treasure from Bob Graham, written with his whimsical slant on life. Max, the son of flying superheroes Captain Lightning and Madam Thunderbolt, is slow to learn to fly until he spontaneously leaps to the rescue of a baby bird falling from its nest. Delightful.
Pog by Lyn Lee illus by Kim Gamble pb $13.95
A charming and innovative reversal of the theme of fear of monsters. Pog is a young monster who is as brave as a bathtub full of sharks. Afraid of just one thing - children.

Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester hb $27.95 pb $14.50
When Ernie and his parents go to live in Arnhem Land in the north of Australia with the Gunbalanya Aboriginal community, Ernie writes to his friends back home over the year. Each letter shows us what he and six Aboriginal friends do as the weather changes with each new tropical season. A wonderfully simple vibrant introduction to Aboriginal life and culture.
Nighty Night! by Margaret Wild illus by Kerry Argent hb $25.95
It’s bedtime in the farmyard but when Mother Sheep goes to tuck in her lambs it’s the chicks who cheep at her, and the exuberant piglets in the pond who surprise Father Duck and so on. Very young children will be delighted by this simple repetitive story.
Pocket Dogs by Margaret Wild illus by Stephen Michael King hb $24.95 pb $13.95
Children will love this story of two little dogs who go shopping carried in the pockets of Mr Pockets’ coat. However calamity strikes when Biff falls through a hole in one of the pockets.

Picture Book of the Year Award (These picture books may be for mature readers)
Winner
Fox illus by Ron Brooks text by Margaret Wild hb $27.40
This beautifully illustrated book has been highly acclaimed. It is a moral fable about the friendship between Dog and Magpie. A story of friendship, freedom and loyalty. (7 up)
Honour Books
The Singing Hat Tohby Riddle hb $25.00
Tohby Riddle delights in zany slightly absurd stories. When a bird in a nest takes up resi-dence on Colin Jenkins’ head he finds that his life changes radically. A lighthearted celebration of difference. (7 up)
The Lost Thing Shaun Tan hb $24.95
This will appeal to those who love Shaun Tan’s surrealastic mechanistic illustrations. A de-ceptively simple text about a lost creature and how it is treated in a society which is busy and self-absorbed. A book for older readers who will appreciate the humour and allegory. (10 up)

Rain Dance illus by Dee Huxley text by Cathy Allegate hb $24.95
It hasn’t rained for two years in the desolate outback farm where a young girl and her family live. When the rain finally comes she and her dog dance for joy in the pelting rain. (7 - 10 years)
Faust’s Party Matt Ottley hb $27.95
When Faust the family dog receives alien visitors, he has to call in reinforcements from all his dog friends in the neighbourhood to save the family home. (6 -10 years)
A is for Aunty Elaine Russell hb $25.20
Elaine Russell’s vibrant colourful illustrations show us the life she remembers living as a child on a mission in northern New South Wales. With each letter in this alphabet book the descriptive text gives us vivid images of racing Billycarts, of being chased by Emus, of her pet Possum or of picking Quandongs. (7 - 12 years)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
Winner
Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece by Dyan Blacklock illus by David Kennett
pb $16.95 These are stunning illustrations. Some are striking black and white, some are in colour, some are full page and others are in strips like cartoons but together they give a striking image of the fierceness of the competiion, of the athleticism of the naked bodies and of the reverence for the Gods and of the whole spirit of the original Olympic Games. While much of the narrative comes from these illustrations, Dyan Blacklock’s text at the bottom of each age also provides brief, interesting and well written additional information. (8 up)
Honour Books
Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge by John Nicholson hardback $24.95 pb $14.95
Nicholson tells and illustrates in fascinating detail the story of the building of the “giant coat-hanger”; of the engineering problems it faced and of the work it provided for thousands of men during the Depression years. The detailed illustrations of the steel work (53,000 tonnes of steel and 6 million rivets were used) are fascinating and beautifully drawn but Nicholson also tells some of the personal stories about the men who were involved in its building. (9 up)
A is for Aunty by Elaine Russell hb $25.20
See the description above in Picture Book of the Year.

Pole to Pole by Pamela Freeman illus by Philip Blythe pb $12.95
Attractive illustrations and short text describe the many animals living at the north and the south pole. A link is provided by the tern which flies from one Pole to the other each year.
(6 - 9 years)
Sick As: Bloody Moments in the History of Medicine by Gael Jennings illus by Roland Harvey pb $27.45 I was so put off by the very gory illustrations that I almost didn’t read this book but the text is surprisingly entertaining, informative and absorbing. Mabel finds a CDROM which takes her on a dizzying journey to various countries over thousands of years looking at some of the amazing discoveries and non-discoveries and treatments over the years of medical history. (9 - 14 years)
Animal Food by Jane Pearson hb $27.25
A book in the Let’s Look at Australian Animals series which shows various Australian animals eating their natural food. Very simple one line text and clear engaging photos.
(4 - 7 years)

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.

© Kate Shepherd 2008.