Non-fiction – Page 5 – Aussie Reviews

All I Know, by Mary Coustas

This is a story about life and death, a memoir based on a part of my history about which I never imagined writing. But loss has driven me to try to find answers in what remains, to airlift myself to a place that serves me better than helplessness and misery. To reach out. This is my love letter to what lives on beyond the devastation.

The child of Greek immigrants and raised in Collingwood and Doncaster, Mary Coustas grew up to become one of Australia’s best loved television actresses, particularly for her portrayal of Effie in Acropolis Now. Now, in her autobiographical book, she shows another side from her funny girl image.

All I Know shares Coustas’ life story, with a focus on the loss of her much-loved father, and her attempts to fall pregnant after meeting the love of her life, George. Coustas is honest and open,at times funny and often rawly heartbreaking.

Fans of Coustas will love the chance to get to know her more intimately, and those who have struggled with infertility may find hope in her story.

All I Know

All I Know, by Mary Coustas
Allen & Unwin, 2014
ISBN 9781743319635

Available from good bookstores or online.

Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture of Accident? by Bruce Pascoe

If we look at the evidence presented to us by the explorers and explain to our children that Aboriginal people did build houses, did build dams, did sow, irrigate and till the land, did alter the course of rivers, did sew their clothes and did construct a system of pan-continental government that generated peace and prosperity, then it is likely we will admire and love our land all the more.

For too long Australian children and adults have been told that Aboriginal people were hunter-gatherers who collected food by chance and lived nomadic lifestyles. If this is the case, then why is there so much evidence of organised agriculture, dams, houses, towns? And what can we learn from this past that will help modern Australia with challenges including those faced in contemporary food production?

Dark Emu: Black Seeds provides an in-depth insight into the agricultural and social practices of Aboriginal people prior to European settlement, and the impact which that settlement had on those practices. With evidence including historical documents, photographs and anecdote, as well as discussion of its implication, this is an intriguing read, which uses accessible language which the lay person can understand, though will also be of interest to scholars.

Dark Emu – Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?, by Bruce Pascoe
Magabala Books, 2014
ISBN 978192214243

Available from good bookstores or online.

Australia's Greatest People & Their Achievements, by Linsay Knight

Can you name Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister?
Which Australian sportsman is the only cricketer to have received a knighthood from the Queen?
What important scientific discovery is Howard Florey famous for?

If there’s a child in your life who doesn’t know the answers to these questions (oe even one who does), then Australia’s Greatest People and Their Achievements is an ideal offering. Filled with the names and achievements of some of Australia’s biggest achievers in areas including politics, science, sport, the arts and, satisfyingly, social justice.

Knight bases her selection of who is ‘great’ not just on fame, but on making a lasting contribution, so that achievement is important but so too is character, perseverance and success. Many of the people profiled are names that most Australians will be familiar with – Julia Gillard, Sir Donald Bradman and Mary MacKillop, for example – but many others are names children (and adults, too) may not have heard of, but who deserve to be known. An example is Graeme Clark, who invented the cochlear implant.

Profiles are in easy to understand language and are complemented by photographs and illustrations, as well as quotes and text boxes highlighting key achievements.

This is the kind of book which, though it could be read cover-to cover, is likely to be most enjoyed by dipping in to, and as such is just as suitable for home collections as it is for libraries or classroom use.

Australia's Greatest People and Their Achievements

Australia’s Greatest People and Their Achievements, by Linsay Knight
Random House, 2013
ISBN 9780857980205

Available from good bookstores or online.

Eco Warriors to the Rescue! By Tania McCartney

This is Banjo, Ned and Matilda.

They are everyday curious kids …

but they are also eco warriors.

Grrr …

Grrrrrr …

Greeeen!

This is Banjo, Ned and Matilda.

They are everyday curious kids …

but they are also eco warriors.

Grrr …

Grrrrrr …

Greeeen!

Banjo, Ned and Matilda are mid-primary-age children interested in maintaining and improving their environment. They are able to enter their favourite book, ‘Australian Flora, Fauna & Other Curiosities’ to learn more about the needs of individual plants. The characters and other contemporary elements of each spread are photographed, but the images of the flora are taken from artworks in the National Library of Australia collection. Along their journey, the children identify challenges for the environment and provide the reader with tips for helping to maintain and improve the local environment. Final spreads include flower facts, national and state flower emblems, and native birth flowers.

Australia has a diverse range of native flora, from the showy to the very shy. From the earliest white settlement, our flora has fascinated scientists and artists. Indeed, in those first days of settlement, artists were necessary to record the details of these plants. And fortunately, many of these works of art exist today to be shared with new young Australians. It is important for children to understand their potential role in maintenance and improvement of our environment, and understanding includes being able to recognise plants and the conditions they need to thrive. It’s easy to see this book being used in the classroom as part of environmental conversations and in preparation for excursions into the bush. Recommended for early- to mid-primary readers.

Eco Warriors to the Rescue!

Eco Warriors to the Rescue! Tania McCartney NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780642277800

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online.

Dance Like a Pirate by Stephanie Owen Reeder

Let’s dance like a pirate sailing the seas,

Bobbing about like a boat in a breeze.

So hands on your hips, then heel and toe,

Jig across the deck – here we go!

Raise your knees up very high

And slap your hands upon your thighs,

Then fold your arms across your chest.

You are the boldest and the best!

Yo, ho, ho! Let’s Dance!

Let’s dance like a pirate sailing the seas,

Bobbing about like a boat in a breeze.

So hands on your hips, then heel and toe,

Jig across the deck – here we go!

Raise your knees up very high

And slap your hands upon your thighs,

Then fold your arms across your chest.

You are the boldest and the best!

Yo, ho, ho! Let’s Dance!

Dance Like a Pirate offers rhymes which incorporate guidelines for dance moves. As well as the pirate dance of the title there are dances/poses for fairies, dancers, firefighters and superheroes. Each opening offers a rhyme, an illustration of a boy and a girl striking a pose or showing a dance move. A flap on each opening reveals a further dance position/move. The last two openings offer a reprise of the included rhymes and photo references to National Library of Australia photographs of performers dancing and posing as different characters. Colours are full page with most of the text set in white pages on the opening.

Dance Like a Pirate would be a welcome addition to classroom resources and home libraries. Each opening offers costumes and rhymes that can be used in a variety of ways. The dances etc could be used as a basis for movement activities or as a basis for exploration of different groups in history and society. Costumes are shown but for most, it is the body movements that demonstrate most. There is room for interpretation – eg the opening featuring royalty doesn’t specify which culture the royalty are part of, and could form the basis for discussion about leadership in different cultures. At its simplest, this is a book about dancing, but it has the potential to be much more. Recommended for classrooms and home libraries and young singers and dancers who would like some direction in their performance!

Dance Like a Pirate

Dance Like a Pirate, Stephanie Owen Reader NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780642277794

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

If I Tell You … I'll Have to Kill You, edited by Michael Robotham

Geoffrey McGeachin’s number one writing rule is Real writing is rewriting. Gabrielle Lord’s is Make writing your first priority, and Peter Corris doesn’t want to set rules but does advise learning from both mistakes and successes. With nineteen others, these crime writers share their journey to publication, their writing processes, tips and rules, and recommended reads in If I Tell You… I’ll Have to Kill You: Australia’s Leading Crime Writers Reveal Their Secrets.

Whilst suitable for anyone with an interest in crime fiction or true crime, this offering is most likely to appeal to writers (and aspiring writes) of the genre. The contributors are all multi published Australian authors, who’ve also had success on the international stage. Though crime is the common ground, the range of their writing focus is broad – from true crime, to detective novel, to historical fiction and more.

Because each chapter is contributed by a different author, the book can be either read cover to cover or dipped into, and while the focus is crime writing, writers of all interests and levels of experience are likely to find value in both the writing advice and the sharing of journeys to publication (and beyond).

Other contributors include Kerry Greenwood. Garry Disher, Barry Maitland and Leigh Redhead.

If I Tell You… I’ll Have to Kill You: Australia’s Leading Crime Writers Reveal Their Secrets, edited by Michael Robotham
Allen & Unwin, 2013
ISBN 9781743313480

Available from good bookstores and online.

From the Trenches: The Best Anzac Writing of World War One, edited by Mark Dapin

Under a grey October sky
The little squads that drill
Click arms and legs mechanically,
Emptied of ragged will!

Of ragged will that frets the sky
From crags just ragged Pines,
a wayward immortality,
That flies from Death’s trim lines. (Walter J Turner)

Many books have been written about the experiences of Australians and New Zealanders at war, but From the Trenches offers a book now just about those who served, but also written by them, in the form of a collection of writings from World War One. Including poetry, letters, diary entries and recounts, the books serves as a reminder of the very human face of the war, its toll on those who fought and served, and its impact on all Australians and New Zealanders.

Grouped chronologically and geographically from the time of joining up, to Gallipoli, the Middle East and Western Front and beyond, to epitaphs and the time beyond returning home, the writings range from the intensely personal, to the reportage of the facts and even to humour. Readers could choose to read the book cover to cover, but equally could dip into readings.

Suitable for history buffs, lovers of literature and more, From the Trenches offers a touching, accessible insight into the times.

Book Cover: From the Trenches: the best ANZAC writing of World War One

From the Trenches: The Best ANZAC Writing of World War One, edited by Mark Dapin
Penguin, 2013
ISBN 9780670077816

Available from good bookstores and online.

In Great Spirits: The WW1 Diary of Archie Barwick

28th October 1916.
Oh a soldier’s life is a beauty in such weather but as soon as we get back into dry billets we forget all the hardships. It’ powerful in what good spirits the boys keep. They laugh and joke over it all, as if it was the fun of the world.

Archibald Albert Barwick was 24 years old when war broke out in 1914 and he joined the AIF. Leaving his job as manager of a sheep property in NSW, he trained with the expeditionary force in the 1st Battalion and travelled first to Egypt, then Gallipoli and later the Western Front. Along the way he rose to the rank of Sergeant, was injured three times and was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre. Significantly, he also wrote prolifically, filling sixteen diaries over the course of the war, detailing his experiences and insights.

In Great Spirits: The WWI Diary of Archie Barwick offers Barwick’s diary to contemporary readers. Condensed from the initial 400 000 words to around 130 000 words in order to make it manageable, the writing is otherwise only lightly edited, so that the sense of Barwick’s personality shines through, managing to be humorous, honest and heart-wrenching by turns, so that the reader can journey with him in a very personal way.

Of interest to historians of all levels, this is also a valuable read for any Australian to get first hand insight into Australia’s involvement in World War 1 and its impact.

In Great Spirits: Archie Barwick's WWI Diary - from Gallipoli to the By Archie Barwick

In Great Spirits: The WWI Diary of Archie Barwick
Harper Collins, 2013
ISBN 9780732297183

Available from good bookstores or online.

Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend by Tania McCartney

Young Caroline Jones tucked a auburn curl behind one ear and arranged a chain of tiny wooden dolls on the windowsill of her family’s front room. Her tongue played at the corner of her mouth in concentration. Outside the window, faded roses crowded the sill. Through the petals, Caroline caught a glimpse of her father, William Jones, working in the garden.

Caroline caught sight of her father sprinting across the yard towards two local men who were lifting a wounded soldier from the carriage. The soldier had a rickety old crutch splayed at his side, and as her father helped lift him the soldier’s face twisted with pain. One of his legs was missing.

Caroline Chisholm was born into a large, loving and socially liberal family in England in the early 1800s. From an early age, she was aware that life was different for many other people. She developed a keen interest in travel, but also in guiding those who she was sure with a little help could improve their own lives. Her work started on a small scale, helping her mother support families around their home. After she married, she lived in India for a while before travelling to Australia. There, as in India, she found girls and women who lacked the skills necessary to gain meaningful work. For a year, she helped train and place women in towns and regions around Sydney. But her work broadened over time so that she could help more and more people. Her policies helped bring families to Australia. Most openings are accompanied by colour illustrations from Pat Reynolds.

‘Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend’ is a new offering in the Aussie Heroes series from New Frontier Publishing. Each showcases an influential Australian, who may or may not be well known to a present generation of young readers. ‘Caroline Chisholm’ introduces the child Caroline, showing the foundations that led to her adult work. A time line at the end of the book provides the ‘facts and figures’ allowing the narrative to read like a story without being bogged down with numbers. The narrative mixes non-fiction with fiction, providing a warm introduction to a character who has sometimes polarised historians. There are hooks here that will encourage further research and exploration. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend, Tania McCartney ill Pat Reynolds
New Frontier Publishing ISBN: 9781921928482

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Once Upon a Slime by Andy Griffiths ill Terry Denton

1.Bad Mummy & Daddy cartoons

Some of my favourite characters in all of the books that Terry and I have created are Bad Mummy, Bad Daddy and the kid who always asks permission to do something really stupid and/or dangerous. Most normal parents would say no, but I wanted to play with the idea of parents who do the opposite, that is, say yes when they should say no. They then surprise us again when, instead of being upset at what happens to their child as a result of their bad parenting, they simply shrug and say, ‘Oops!’
Once Upon a Slime offers 45 ways to get writing … FAST! Griffiths uses the same conversational style as in his myriad titles to inspire young readers to become young writers. With illustrator, Terry Denton, he offers wild and wacky ways to write based on their work. Beginning with cartoons and ending with a Random Idea Generator, each chapter offers insight into how Griffith begins and continues his stories, then offers suggestions for writing activities. There’s Dos and Don’ts lists, free writing exercises with prompts, jar labels, How to Create a Monster and many, more. There are info boxes, cartoons, and illustrations on each page.

Once Upon a Slime is simply brilliant. Even the most reluctant writer will be drawn in and their imagination revealed via these writing prompts. For young writers, there’s an exercise for all their moods and inclinations. For teachers and parents, there’s support to get young writers over ‘white page fever’ that besets many. For writers for children, there’s a reminder to be child-like in creating work for young readers. And if you’re not in any of the aforementioned categories, there’s something for you too: a reminder of childhood, an insight into the minds of a very talented pair of creators. Aimed at middle primary readers, ‘Once Upon a Slime’ will be a hit with many more. Recommended for anyone who likes to mix crazy with their learning/teaching.

Once Upon a Slime

Once Upon a Slime, Andy Griffiths ill Terry Denton
Pan Macmillan 2013 ISBN: 9781742612096

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author