Lone Pine, by Susie Brown & Margaret Warner

Lone Pine is a touching reminder of the events of Lone Pine, and of the true story of how a mother commemorated her lost son, and all who fell in that battle. It is also a reminder of the personal and national impact of war.

The soldier slips the pine cone into his pocket. It is a reminder of this sad day.
Then he keeps searching for his brother.

As he searches for his brother on the battlefield after the Battle of Lone Pine, a soldier finds a pine cone. He pockets it, and later sends it home to his mother. Bereft at the loss of one of her boys, the mother plants seeds from the cone, two of which grow into saplings. Determined to help people remember the Battle and the soldiers who died, she sends one tree to Inverell, where her sons grew up, and the other to Canberra. Nearly 100 years later one of those trees still survives in Canberra. In Inverell, a tree planted from the seeds of the first grows.

Lone Pine is a touching reminder of the events of Lone Pine, and of the true story of how a mother commemorated her lost son, and all who fell in that battle. It is also a reminder of the personal and national impact of war. The story manages a gentle balance between the horror of war, the sorrow of those left behind and the importance of remembering, and the illustrations, in chiefly sombre tones mirror the serious nature of the topic, with lovely touches of light offering hope, especially in th beautiful final spread showing the tree which has weathered many storms to survive. This spread is also used as a lovely contrast to the opening spread which shows the tree against a black stormy sky being thrashed by a storm. Back of book notes offer information about the battle, the trees and the family on which the story is based.

A beautiful story, suitable for classroom or private reading.
Lone Pine

Lone Pine, by Susie Brown & Margaret Warner, illustrated by Sebastian Ciaffaglione
Little Hare 2012
ISBN 9781921541346

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Red Poppy, by David Hill &Fifi Colston

The two soldiers come from opposite sides of the conflict but, in spite of language difficulties, realise they have more in common than they could have imagined, and help each other to stay alive.

The night before the battle,
Jim McLeod wrote to his mother and his sister Edith.
He said nothign about the day to come, nor the mud’and the rats> he didn’t mention the piles of stretchers
waiting for the dead and wounded…

Jim McLeod waits in the trenches waiting for the order to attack the enemy. As he waits, he spies a patch of red poppies that the battle has left untouched. Later, as he scurries across no-man’s land, he takes refuge in a crater right where the poppies were. As he lies wounded he realises he is sharing his hole with an enemy soldier, also wounded. Forging an unlikely alliance, the pair figure a way to seek help, with the aid of a rescue dog and one of those red poppies.

The Red Poppy is a beautiful picture book offering about war and humanity. The two soldiers come from opposite sides of the conflict but, in spite of language difficulties, realise they have more in common than they could have imagined, and help each other to stay alive. The story doesn’t hold back on the horrors of war and its impact. The sepia toned illustrations, brightened with the reds of the poppies, reflect the time period and the serious nature of the subject matter, as well as helping readers to understand why the red poppy is used as a symbol of remembrance. At the back of the books are the lyrics for a song, ‘Little Red Poppy’, by Rob Kennedy, and a CD recording of the song is included.

Released in plenty of time for Anzac Day, this is an excellent educational resource which is also suitable for private reading.

The Red Poppy

The Red Poppy, by David Hill, illustrated by Fifi Colston
Scholastic NZ
ISBN 9781869439989

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck, by Michelle Gillespie & Sonia Martinez

In a fictionalised retelling of the events, Gillespie shares the story in accessible language and detail, capturing both the excitement and the terror of the day.

The kitchen door bursts open. A gust of wind lashes about the room and Sam enters, panting….
‘A ship’s hit the rocks down Calgardup, Mrs Bussell. The swell’s all strong there today, an’ people in the water – I can take the horse to help.’
‘Sam, saddle Smiler for me.’ Grace shakes the cake mixture from her hands. ‘I’ll ride with him,’ she says to her mother.

In 1876, sixteen year old Grace Bussell helped to rescue the passengers of the shipwrecked Georgette and was rightly labelled a hero. But her fellow rescuer, Sam Isaacs, an Aboriginal stockman, was all but forgotten in spite of his important role in saving the lives of passengers and crew. Now, in Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck, new author Michelle Gillespie hopes to right that wrong by celebrating the role both rescuers, and their horses, played in saving those aboard the Georgettefrom drowning.

In a fictionalised retelling of the events, Gillespie shares the story in accessible language and detail, capturing both the excitement and the terror of the day. The dark tone of the illustrations, by Sonia Martinez, provide an excellent complement to the dramatic nature, and seriousness, of the text. the endpapers are especially stunning – the opening one showing the ship steaming ahead of foreboding storm clouds, and the back of book showing the hip sinking beneath the waves. Back of book notes provide information about the sinking and rescue.

Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck, provides a wonderful glimpse at this little known piece of Western Australia’s maritime history.

Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck

Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck, by Michelle Gillespie, illustrated by Sonia Martinez
Fremantle Press, 2011
ISBN 9781921696008

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Nanberry, by Jackie French

Nanberry is fascinated when the white men arrive in Tumbalong (now known as Darling Harbour) in extraordinary boats, but incredulous at their inability to survive and to respect the land. But a year after their arrival, Nanberry’s whole family is struck down by a mysterious illness and Nanberry, fighting for his life, is taken in by the new colony’s doctor.

Nanberry had expected great warriors to come from such extraordinary canoes. But instead they had been poor strange creatures, small and hunched over, with pale, pinched faces.

The white ghosts chopped down trees. They built big huts. They lived in them all year, until they stank. Their women didn’t know how to fish and when they gathered oysters they threw away the flesh and kept only the shells.

Nanberry is fascinated when the white men arrive in Tumbalong (now known as Darling Harbour) in extraordinary boats, but incredulous at their inability to survive and to respect the land. But a year after their arrival, Nanberry’s whole family is struck down by a mysterious illness and Nanberry, fighting for his life, is taken in by the new colony’s doctor. Soon he is Nanberry White, the adopted son of Surgeon White. He is used as an interpreter and learns white men ways, but feels torn between his new life and the life and family he has loss.

Later Nanberry has a new brother – a white brother, born to the surgeon and his housekeeper. The story follows both brothers as they grow and learn in the fledgling colony.

Nanberry: Black Brother White is based on the true story of Nanberry, one of the first of the Eora people to live with the English settlers following colonisation. Told from differing third person viewpoints – chiefly that of Nanberry, but also the perspectives of the Surgeon, his two housekeepers and his younger adoptive brother Andrew – the book offers an insight into the times, exploring the impact of white settlement on the Aboriginal people, the difficulties faced by the settlers, and the growth of the colony. Mainly though it is Nanberry’s story based wherever possible on historical records, but fictionalised to make Nanberry an authentic character with whom readers can connect.

Suitable for teens and for confident readers in upper primary school, Nanberry: Black Brother White is an outstanding read.

Nanberry: Black Brother White

Nanberry: Black Brother White, by Jackie French
Angus & Robertson, an imprint of Harper Collins, 2011
ISBN 9780732290221

This book can be purchased from good bookstores or online from Fishpond/a>. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Horses for King Arthur,by LS Lawrence

The woods were tangled, lush with summer. Poor going, but if she rode across open land, Alexa would have to comply with her father’s dreary order not to gallop. Somebody would see her. There’d be a lecture. Maybe even an order not to ride at all.
Here, beyond the fields, there was no one to carry tales. What Papa said about low branches and treacherous going was the greatest nonsense. Alexa had used the bridle path only the previous week. It was perfectly safe.

Alexa is the teenage daughter of a landowning family in 475 England. Although her life is comfortable, it is built on a fragile stability. She soon discovers just how fragile. It now seems very unlikely that she will be ever be able to follow her heart. She wants to breed fine horses, but her mother has other plans. But Alexa is her mother’s daughter, determined and headstrong. She meets Artorius, a boy of her age who has a vision for fighting from horseback, not the ponies that are native to England. Like Alexa’s mother, Artorius’ father gives his child’s ideas very little attention. Alexa needs all her skills, and support from others, to extricate herself from her mother’s plans without putting herself in undue danger.

L. S. Lawrence says he was inspired by the legend of King Arthur and some surprising archaeological finds to create this story. England, and Europe, of the time (475) were lawless and unstable places, where battles were constant and safety and peace were fleeting. Women were not much more than possessions and/or servants to their husband/masters. Into this era, he introduces a feisty girl who loves horses and is definitely not interested in being someone’s chattel. Though intelligent, she has been sheltered and must learn quickly if she is to survive. From her secure early existence, she is thrust into an uncertain and bloodthirsty world where life has little value when measured against power and wealth. Trust is not given easily. This is a grand adventure in an uncertain time, full of mystery and intrigue. Recommended for secondary readers, particularly girls who want to be free to create their own destiny.

Horses for King Arthur L. S. Lawrence
Omnibus Books 2011
ISBN: 9781862919198

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

India Dark, by Kirsty Murray

Daisy opened her mouth and lies flew out. Her face so pink and white, her lips so plump and sweet, her lies so vile. I had to cover my ears>
I shut my eyes, wanting to block out the courtroom, to neither see nor hear the evil: but Tilly grabbed my arm and twisted the skin on my wrist in a Chinese burn.
‘Poesy Swift,’ she whispered, her breath hot against my neck, ‘open your eyes, and take that look off your face. We will never get home if you ruin everything.’

When Poesy Swift has the opportunity to join a travelling performance troupe, she is excited. She will get to see the world, singing and dancing, and earning some money for her family – the family she can’t wait to get away from. But when the trip heads to India instead of America, as planned, the trip takes a turn for the worse. As India simmers with the tension of a crumbling Empire, the troupe is also gradually torn apart by ill fortune and by tension.

Set in 1910, and based on the true story of the Lilliputian Opera Company, this is a story of adventure, and coming of age. Murray brings the period and the settings to life, using dual viewpoint characters supported by a strongly fleshed out cast of players. At times the reader is asked to choose which of the two main characters to believe as the onetime friends grow increasingly apart and each interprets the other’s actions in different ways. This adds a layer of interest which keeps the reader absorbed.

Like Murray’s earlier historical novels, the tale is both believable and intriguing.

India Dark, by Kirsty Murray
Allen & Unwin, 2010

Transported – A Pioneer’s Story, by Terry Spring

Reviewed by Kathryn Duncan

George Smith’s story is not unusual; many people have risen from poverty to achieve great things in their life, but author Terry Spring’s Transportedlets us get to know a man who, with a little bit of luck, achieved a lot more than what was expected of convicts in the 1800s. George’s story is one of inspiration and proving you can overcome obstacles – sometimes with a bit of luck – but mostly with a lot of passion and determination.

Claiming to be the illegitimate son of the King, George leaves his country home after the death of his mother to try and make a living in London. But London is not what he expected and despite his efforts to get ahead, George is eventually left with no option but to steal, a decision that changes his life and eventually sees his death sentence become a life sentence in the new colony.

Arriving in Sydney Cove in 1825, George’s experience with cows sees him out looking for new grazing pastures, an enviable position for any convict. This opportunity changes George’s life. Over the years he becomes respected for his skills and the chance finding of gold sets him up for life – but only once he has his ticket of leave. The reader is left in no doubt though, that regardless of the gold find, George would have found a way to buy the land he desperately wanted.

George is ambitious and determined to own as much property as he can. He marries Mattie, an indigenous girl from the local tribe with whom he has five children. After her death, George marries Maria, a devoted wife who lovingly raises George’s children until her early death.

Terry Spring brings George’s story to life; we get to know his character, his ambitions and his achievements. George is not always likeable; his ambition to own land is almost obsessive and may have been to the detriment of his family relationships; he grabs every opportunity that presents itself to increase his land holdings, but does not want to spend money to improve the family’s living conditions.

We learn about the opening up of rural NSW, the hardships that existed at the time and it is a change to read a story where the focus is on a NSW convict.

Transported is the type of story that makes the reader want to research their own family history. This is an interesting and enjoyable story that will appeal to many readers.

Transported: A Pioneer’s Story Terry Spring
PB rrp $24.99

The Night They Stormed Eureka, by Jackie French

It’s 1854 and, on the Ballarat goldfields, men are willing to risk their lives to find freedom and make their fortunes in the mines.

Sam is a homeless teenager, who finds herself transported back through time, to 1854, on the Ballarat goldfields. She is taken in by Mr and Mrs Puddleham, who adopt her as their daughter. Throughout the time she spends with them, she learns not only of the difference of the times, but also important life lessons.

Whilst she is on the goldfields, a rebellion evolves, and she soon finds herself embroiled in the excitement of the Eureka stockade. She finds and loses new and old friends, Sam learns about herself, and about life all the while.

The Night They Stormed Eureka is a gripping, time travelling adventure. Lots of excitement and gripping tales await the reader of this book. It is appropriate for mid to late teens, but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

A great read from an award-winning author.

The Night They Stormed Eureka

The Night They Stormed Eureka, by Jackie French
Harper Collins, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded, by Jackie French

For a moment he thought he had been hit himself. In the head maybe, that would be it. For there it was, chomping the grass like its life depended on it.
A flaming donkey.

When Jack Simpson lands at Gallipoli, his job is to carry the wounded away from the battle with his fellow stretcher bearers. But when both stretchers and bearers are scarce, Jack wishes he had a donkey to carry the wounded. When he does find a scared, scrawny donkey, who he names Duffy, Simmo sets to work, carrying the wounded to safety. The partnership of man and donkey starts as a practical way to help the wounded, but it is soon also a deep bond between the two, and a pairing which will become a part of Australian history.

The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded is a wonderful children’s novel which focuses on a well-known piece of Australian history. The story of Simpson and his Donkey has been retold many times, but this version offers the dual perspectives of both the man and his donkey friend, as well as occasional chapters from the viewpoint of other characters, including several chapters focussing on Richard Henderson, the New Zealand soldier who took over Simpson’s work after he was killed.

This is history which is accessible for young readers, built on a well researched base and fictionalised in an interesting format.

The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded: The Famous Story of Simpson and His Donkey - a True Anzac Legend

The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded, by Jackie French
Angus & Robertson, 2009
ISBN 9780732288396

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Also by Jackie French

The Camel Who Crossed Australia (2008)
A Rose for the ANZAC Boys (2008)
Macbeth and Son (2006)

Polar Boy, by Sandy Fussell

“The ancient ones whisper to me, Iluak,” Nana says. “They talk about you. They say a bear is waiting.”

Life isn’t easy in the land of snow and ice and for Iluak, a Too-lee boy travelling with his tribe, there are daily challenges. Now, though, a new challenge is coming. His grandmother, the Shaman, tells him a bear is coming – and it will be Iluak who will save his people from the bear. But Iluak is afraid of bears, and doesn’t want to face one.

Polar Boy is an absorbing historical adventure, set in a 13th century polar community and offering an intriguing insight into the daily life of Iluak’s people. When Iluak rescues a Viking girl from a polar bear there is also a meeting of cultures and Iluak comes to realise that strength comes in different forms – as do bears.

The time and setting of this wonderful tale offer young readers a glimpse at something far removed from both their own life experience and from other books. Fussell manages to create a believable world, with readers being invited to feel the cold and the fear which are at the core of Iluak’s daily life. At the same time, readers will be able to relate to Iluak’s self doubt, his search to find a place in his family, and his rivalry with Tuaq, another boy from his tribe.

Polar Boy is wonderfully written and well deserving of its inclusion in this year’s shortlist for the Children’s Book of the year Awards.

Polar Boy

Polar Boy, by Sandy Fussell
Walker Books, 2008

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Also by Sandy Fussell

White Crane (2008)
Owl Ninja (2008)
Shaolin Tiger (2009)