April 2013 – Aussie Reviews

Awards, Awards and More Awards

It is awards season in the Australian book industry, and I have been a bit remiss in not posting about the various short lists and awards announced in recent weeks. So, here’s a wrap-up.

Firstly, the Notable books and shortlists for the annual CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Awards was announced. These books will now be read, discussed, debated on and generally lauded by teachers, librarians, industry people and, of course children, until the winners are announced in August. The shortlists are as follows:

Older Readers

The Ink Bridge, by Neil Grant (Allen & Unwin)
Sea Hearts, by Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)
The Shiny Guys, by Doug MacLeod (Penguin)
Creepy & Maud, by Dianne Touchell (Fremantle Press)
Friday Brown, by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing)
The Wrong Boy, by Suzy Zail (Black Dog/Walker)

Younger Readers

Pennies for Hitler, by Jackie French (Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins)
Other Brother, by Simon French (Walker Books)
After, by Morris Gleitzman (Penguin)
Children of the King, by Sonia Hartnett (Penguin)
Pookie Aleera is Not my Boyfriend, by Steven Herrick (University of Queensland Press
The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk, by Glenda Millard Ill. Stephen Michael King (HarperCollins)

Early Childhood

The Terrible Suitcase, by Emma Allen Ill. Freya Blackwood (Omnibus)
With Nan, by Tania Cox Ill. Karen Blair (Windy Hollow Books)
The Pros & Cons of Being a Frog, by Sue DeGennaro (Scholastic Australia)
Too Many Elephants in This House, by Ursula Dubosarsky Ill. Andrew Joyner (Penguin)
It’s a Miroocool! by Christine Harris Ill. Ann James (Little Hare)
Peggy, by Anna Walker (Scholastic)

Picture Book

The Coat, Ron Brooks, Ron Text: Julie Hunt (Allen & Unwin)
Tanglewood, Vivienne Goodman, Text: Margaret Wild (Omnibus)
Herman and Rosie, Gus Gordon (Penguin)
Sophie Scott Goes South, Alison Lester (Penguin)
Lightning Jack, Patricia Mullins, Text: Glenda Millard (Scholastic)
A Day to Remember Mark Wilson, Text: Jackie French (Harper Collins)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Python, by Christopher Cheng & Mark Jackson (Walker Books)
Lyrebird! A True Story, by Jackie Kerin, Ill. Peter Gouldthorpe (Museum Victoria)
Topsy-turvy World: How Australian Animals Puzzled Early Explorers (Kirsty Murray) (National Library of Australia)
Portrait of Spain for Kids (Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art)
Tom the Outback Mailman , by Krisin Weidenbach, Kristin Ill. Timothy Ide (Lothian)

Announced on the same day, was the shortlist for the Chrichton Award for a new illustrator, an award administered by the Victorian branch of the CBCA.:
The Whale Shark Song, by Sadie James (Cabarita Publishing)
Ruby Red Shoes, by Kate Knapp (Angus & Robertson, HarperCollins)
A Forest, by Marc Martin (Viking Books, Penguin Group)
Yellow Dress Day, Ill by Sophie Norsa Text: Michelle Worthington (New Frontier Publishing)
Apollo The Powerful Owl, Ill by Stephen Pym Text:Gordon Winch (New Frontier Publishing)
One Very Tired Wombat, by Renee Treml (Random House Australia)

In the same week, the shortlists for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards were announced, including:

Christina Stead Prize (Fiction, $40,000)

The Voyage, Murray Bail (Text Publishing)
The Daughters of Mars, Tom Keneally (Random House Australia)
Foal’s Bread, Gillian Mears (Allen & Unwin)
Cold Light, Frank Moorhouse (Random House Australia)
Mateship with Birds, Carrie Tiffany (Pan Macmillan Australia)
Animal People, Charlotte Wood (Allen & Unwin)

UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing ($5,000)

Eleven Seasons, Paul D. Carter (Allen & Unwin)
The Burial, Courtney Collins (Allen & Unwin)
Sufficient Grace, Amy Espeseth (Scribe)
Running Dogs, Ruby Murray (Scribe)
The Weight of a Human Heart, Ryan O’Neill (Black Inc.)
The Last Thread, Michael Sala (Affirm Press)

Douglas Stewart Prize (Non-fiction, $40,000)

Exile: The Lives and Hopes of Werner Pelz, Roger Averill (Transit Lounge)
Ben Jonson: A Life, Ian Donaldson (Oxford University Press)
Dark Night: Walking with McCahon, Martin Edmond (Auckland University Press)
The Biggest Estate on Earth, Bill Gammage (Allen & Unwin)
Double Entry, Jane Gleeson-White (Allen & Unwin)
The Office: A Hard Working History, Gideon Haigh (Melbourne University Publishing)

Kenneth Slessor Prize (Poetry, $30,000)

Ruby Moonlight, Ali Cobby-Eckermann (Magabala Books)
First Light, Kate Fagan (Giramondo)
Open Sesame, Michael Farrell (Giramondo)
The Welfare of My Enemy, Anthony Lawrence (Puncher & Wattman)
Ladylike, Kate Lilley (UWA Publishing)
Here, There and Elsewhere, Vivian Smith (Giramondo)

Patricia Wrightson Prize (Children’s Literature, $30,000)

The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, Aaron Blabey (Penguin Group Australia)
Brotherband 1: The Outcasts, John Flanagan (Random House Australia)
Pookie Aleera is Not My Boyfriend, Steven Herrick (University of Queensland Press)
A Bear and a Tree, Stephen Michael King (Penguin Group Australia)
The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk: Kingdom of Silk Series # 6, Glenda Millard (author) and Stephen Michael King (illustrator) (HarperCollins Australia)
Dragonkeeper Book 4: Blood Brothers, Carole Wilkinson (Walker Books Australia)

Ethel Turner Prize (Young People’s Literature, $30,000)

Three Summers, Judith Clarke (Allen & Unwin)
The Ink Bridge, Neil Grant (Allen & Unwin)
Sea Hearts, Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)
A Corner of White, Jaclyn Moriarty (Pan Macmillan Australia)
Into that Forest, Louis Nowra (Allen & Unwin)
Unforgotten, Tohby Riddle (Allen & Unwin)

Nick Enright Prize (Playwriting, $30,000)

The Damned, Reg Cribb (Black Swan State Theatre Company)
Return to Earth, Lally Katz (Currency Press, Melbourne Theatre Company)
Day One. A Hotel, Evening, Joanna Murray-Smith (Red Stitch Actor’s Theatre)
Happy Ending, Melissa Reeves (Melbourne Theatre Company)
Food, Steve Rodgers (Belvoir, Force Majeure)
A Hoax, Rick Viede (Currency Press, La Boit Theatre Co, Griffin Theatre Co)

Betty Roland Prize (Scriptwriting, $30,000)

Rake (Season 2 Episode 4): R v Floyd, Andrew Knight (ABC TV / Essential Media Entertainment)
The Left to Die Boat, Sharon Davis & Geoffrey Parish (ABC Radio National)
Dead Europe, Louise Fox (See-saw films)
Burning Man, Jonathan Teplitzky (Meercat films)

Community Relations Commission for a multicultural NSW Award ($20,000)

All Windows Open and Other Stories, Hariklia Heristanidis (Clouds of Magellan)
Don’t Go Back to Where You Came From, Tim Soutphommasane (New South Publishing)
Beneath the Darkening Sky, Majok Tulba (Penguin Group Australia)
Anguli Ma: A Gothic Tale, Chi Vu (Giramondo)

NSW Premier’s Translation Prize ($30,000)

Mr Peter Boyle
Ms Alison Entrekin
Professor Brian Nelson
Professor Ouyang Yu

Also announced was the winner of the inaugural Stella Prize for a book by an Australian woman.
The winner, from a very strong shortlist was
Mateship with Birds – Carrie Tiffany (Picador)

The remaining shortlistees were:
The Burial – Courtney Collins (Allen & Unwin)
Questions of Travel – Michelle de Kretser (Allen & Unwin)
The Sunlit Zone – Lisa Jacobson (Five Islands Press)
Like a House on Fire – Cate Kennedy (Scribe Publications)
Sea Hearts – Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin)

Finally, today the shortlist for the Australian Book Industry Awards were announced. The book category shortlists were:

Illustrated Book of the Year

Australian War Memorial (Australian War Memorial, A&U)
Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong (Luke Nguyen, Hardie Grant)
The Lost Diggers (Ross Coulthart, HarperCollins)
Lake Eyre (Paul Lockyer, HarperCollins)
What Katie Ate (Kate Quinn Davies, Lantern)
The Little Veggie Patch Co’s Guide to Backyard Farming (Fabian Capomolla & Mat Pember, Plum)

Biography of the Year

On Warne (Gideon Haigh, Penguin)
True North (Brenda Niall, Text)
My Journey (Jim Stynes & Warrick Green, Michael Joseph)
Exit Wounds (John Cantwell & Greg Bearup, MUP)
Quarterly Essay 47, Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott (David Marr, Black Inc.)
Eugenia (Mark Tedeschi, S&S)
Gina Rinehart (Adele Ferguson, Macmillan)

General Nonfiction Book of the Year

The Essential Leunig (Michael Leunig, Viking)
QF32 (Richard de Crespigny, Macmillan)
The People Smuggler (Robin de Crespigny, Viking)
Black Caviar (Gerard Whateley, ABC Books)
Speechless: A Year in My Father’s Business (James Button, MUP)
Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East (Benjamin Law, Black Inc.)

Book of the Year for Younger Children (age range zero to eight years)

Owl Know How (Cat Rabbit & Isobel Knowles, Thames & Hudson)
Today We Have No Plans (Jane Godwin, illus by Anna Walker, Viking)
The Gobbledygook is Eating a Book (Justine Clarke & Arthur Baysting, illus by Tom Jellett, Viking)
Sophie Scott Goes South (Alison Lester, Viking)
Little Elephants (Graeme Base, Viking)
Good Night Sleep Tight (Mem Fox, illus by Judy Horacek, Scholastic)
The Very Hungry Bear (Nick Bland, Scholastic)

Book of the Year for Older Children (age range eight to 14 years)

Children of the King (Sonya Hartnett, Viking)
After (Morris Gleitzman, Viking)
The Curious Dictionary: Word Hunters (Nick Earls & Terry Whidborne, UQP)
Alice-Miranda in New York (Jacqueline Harvey, Random House)
The 26-Storey Treehouse (Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton, Pan)

Literary Fiction Book of the Year

Questions of Travel (Michelle de Kretser, A& U)
Floundering (Romy Ash, Text)
The Light Between Oceans (M L Stedman, Vintage)
Lola Bensky (Lily Brett, Hamish Hamilton)
The Daughters of Mars (Tom Keneally, Vintage)
The Mountain (Drusilla Modjeska, Vintage)

General Fiction Book of the Year

Secrets of the Tides (Hannah Richell, Hachette)
Jack of Diamonds (Bryce Courtenay, Viking)
Nine Days (Toni Jordan, Text)
The Secret Keeper (Kate Morton, A&U)
The Mothers’ Group (Fiona Higgins, A&U)
The Amber Amulet (Craig Silvey, A&U)

Newcomer of the Year (debut writer)

The People Smuggler (Robin de Crespigny, Viking)
Secrets of the Tides (Hannah Richell, Hachette)
The Light Between Oceans (M L Stedman, Vintage)
Black Caviar (Gerard Whateley, ABC Books)
Floundering (Romy Ash, Text).

Congratulations to all those shortlisted, some multiple times. I’m sure I’ve missed some awards, and for that I apologise. Will attempt to keep more up to date.

Anzac Biscuits, by Phil Cummings and Owen Swan

The fire crackled and Rachel was warm.
‘Let’s make some biscuits for Dad,’ her mother said.
‘Yes, let’s!’ Rachel cried.

Rachel and her mother are at home on the family farm in Australia. Far away (presumably, though this isn’t stated, in Europe), her father, a soldier, battles the cold, the mud and the horrors of war. As Rachel and Mum bake Anzac biscuits, they are unknowingly linked to Dad. When the biscuits are baked, they will be sent to Dad, making that link real.

Anzac Biscuits is a beautiful story of love and connection, particularly in times of war. In alternate spreads we see Rachel and her mother making the biscuits, then Dad cold and afraid on the battlefield. The actions are subtly linked – when Mother dons a flower-patterned apron, and Rachel accidentally drops a pan, Dad lies low from the banging of rifle shots in a flower-strewn field; when Rachel licks her sticky treacle fingers, Dad’s feet are sticky with mud.

Text and illustration are both simple and touching. The war scenes are are depicted in greys whilst the home scenes are warm creamy sepias and blues. The images of war focus on the harshness of the conditions and the emotions of the lonely soldiers rather than on more startling battlefield images, making the story accessible to young children.

A lovely tale, and a beautiful way of introducing both the subject of war and the history of Anzac biscuits. And, if you’re like me, you may find yourself inspired to whip up a batch of biscuits after reading.

Anzac Biscuits, by Phil Cummings & Owen Swan
Scholastic, 2013
ISBN 9781742833460

Available from good bookstores and online.

For Valour: Australia's Victoria Cross Heroes, by Nicolas Brasch

The Victoria Cross (VC) is only ever awarded in times of war to people who risk their own lives to save others – the most heroic act imaginable. This is why the Victoria Cross is held in such high esteem.

The Victoria Cross is not given out lightly. Only ninety-nine Australians, of the one and a half million who have fought in wars, have been awarded the honour, twenty-six of them posthumously. So, whilst most adults would know about the award, it is important that its significance, and the actions of its recipients, are explained to younger Australians.

For Valour, subtitled Australia’s Victoria Cross Heroes is a useful tool in doing both of those things. Beginning with an explanation of the award, its significance and history and even its deign, the book then moves though the major conflicts in which Australians have fought, and shares the stories of selected VC recipients. Other recipients are listed. There is also a brief explanation of each conflict outlining its origins, locations, and Australia’s involvement.

Text is accessible, and explanations are child-friendly but not sanitised. Illustration is by way of historical photographs.

A useful resource for exploring an important topic.

For Valour, by Nicolas Brasch
Black Dog, 2013
ISBN 9781742032313

Available from good bookstores or online.

Light Horse Boy, by Dianne Wolfer

Now I understand why the landing on April 25th is being called heroic.
We’ve landed in hell.
Bob didn’t make it. He was hit as we struggled ashore. I keep going over that moment. Writing a letter to his wife was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Harder even than going over the side of our ship.

Britain has declared war on Germany, and Australia has vowed to be there. Jim, seeing a chance for adventure rushes to join up before the war ends without him. Soon he and his horse, Breaker, are sailing from Melbourne, off to do their bit. For four years Jim lives the terrible reality of life on the frontline. If he ever returns home, he will be a changed man.

Light Horse Boy is a beautiful record of one soldier’s war. Whilst fiction, it presents a story which could so well be the story of a real soldier’s experience. Using a blend of third person narrative and letters, chiefly between Jim and his sister Alice, back in Australia, Woofer takes readers on a journey through the the years of the first World War, focussing on the role of the Lighthorseman in Gallipoli and Egypt.

Light Horse Boy is a companion volume to Lighthouse Girl and features the same beautiful hard cover design and the brilliant illustrative work of Brian Simmonds. The two complement each other beautifully, though focussing on different aspects of the same war and featuring different characters (with the exception of Charlie, who is friends with Jim but also connects with the lighthouse girl, Fay).

A picture book for older readers, Light Horse Boy is suitable for upper primary and teens.

Light Horse Boy, by Dianne Wolfer, illustrated by Brian Simmonds
Fremantle Press, 2013
ISBN 9781922089137

Available from good bookstores or online.

Gallipoli, by Alan Tucker

The attack has been timed to the minute. Thirty minutes from now we’ll climb down the rope ladders into the lighters and find our seat. I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve been chosen as one of the 500 men from my battalion who will be in the first wave to land. The Turks won’t know what’s hit them…

Victor Marsh longs for adventure. Not looking forward to a a career as an underground miner, he jumps at the chance to enlist and fight for his country – even though, at just 14 years of age, he has to lie to be able to enlist. Soon, with his new friends Fish, Needle and Robbo, he is trained and sailing for Egypt then on to Gallipoli where, over eight torrid months, he fights not just for his country, but for survival, learning just what war really means, the value of friendship, and just how much courage is needed to carry on.

Gallipoli , part of Scholastic’s My Australian Story records the events of 1915 from the first person perspective of a young soldier, through diary format and the letters he sends to and receives from his mother. Whilst the story is not new, this diary format and the young age of the protagonist, allows the child reader an insight into the realities of the Gallipoli campaign and of war in general. The sub plot of Victor’s ‘gut’ friend Hans, an elderly family friend who, because he is German, is interned for the duration of the war, adds an element which may be less familiar to young readers, and a story which needs to be told.

A valuable educational tool but also simply an absorbing story.

Gallipoli , by Alan Tucker
Scholastic, 2013
ISBN 9781742836935

Available from good bookstores or online.

Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck by Alex Field ill Peter Carnavas

‘Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck’ is a follow-up title to Field and Carnavas’s Mr Darcy. The setting is the same, with Darcy, Lizzy and the other characters portrayed as animals. Darcy’s reticence and clumsiness again features. This time it’s dancing that has Mr Darcy feeling out of sorts. He’s not convinced he likes to dance, and declines when asked by Lizzy to join their dance. But is it dislike of dance or insecurity about his abilities? It seems it could be the latter. But this time, he immediately starts to do something about it. Fortunately his friends are happy to help, which helps speed up the process somewhat. So when he again encounters the dancing Lizzy he can accept her invitation.

Mr Darcy set out for his morning walk.

The sun was shining and the daffodils were beginning to flower. Spring was in the air. ‘Oh dear,’ he thought, ‘it’s dancing season again.’

Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck is a follow-up title to Field and Carnavas’s Mr Darcy. The setting is the same, with Darcy, Lizzy and the other characters portrayed as animals. Darcy’s reticence and clumsiness again features. This time it’s dancing that has Mr Darcy feeling out of sorts. He’s not convinced he likes to dance, and declines when asked by Lizzy to join their dance. But is it dislike of dance or insecurity about his abilities? It seems it could be the latter. But this time, he immediately starts to do something about it. Fortunately his friends are happy to help, which helps speed up the process somewhat. So when he again encounters the dancing Lizzy he can accept her invitation.

Darcy might be the strong silent type, but fortunately he’s also now willing to accept help. He’s clearly keen on Lizzy and doesn’t want to embarrass himself in her presence. Like ‘Mr Darcy’, Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck references Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’, but loosely. Knowledge of the names of the characters is not required to access this story. Peter Carnavas’s soft watercolours compliment the gentle text. A tender tale of romance for the very young. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck, Alex Field ill Peter Carnavas
New Frontier Publishing 2013
ISBN: 9781921928178

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online.

Stories for Eight Year Olds edited by Linsay Knight

‘Stories for Eight Year Olds’ a collection of short stories from eleven well known Australian authors. There’s something for everyone. Paul Jennings starts off with a tale about UFD – Unidentified Flying Dogs. Jacqueline Harvey’s narrative poem warns about the dangers of Grandparents’ Day at school. There are giants and magic carpets, photo-hogs, visitors from other worlds and a wealthy cat. There are stories about the perils of having a sister, the healing powers of cake and of jokes taken too far. Each story is about fifteen pages long, with a contents page at the front and a bio section at the end. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.

You can be the judge. Am I the biggest liar in the world or do I tell the truth? There is one thing for sure – Dad believes me.

Anyway, I will leave it up to you. I will tell you what happened and you can make up your own mind.

It all starts one evening about teatime. Dad is cooking the tea and Mum is watching Sixty Minutes on television. Suddenly there is a knock on the door. ‘I’ll get it, yells my little brother Matthew. He always runs to be the first to the door and the first to the telephone. It really gets on my nerves the way he does that.

Stories for Eight Year Olds is a collection of short stories from eleven well known Australian authors. There’s something for everyone. Paul Jennings starts off with a tale about UFD – Unidentified Flying Dogs. Jacqueline Harvey’s narrative poem warns about the dangers of Grandparents’ Day at school. There are giants and magic carpets, photo-hogs, visitors from other worlds and a wealthy cat. There are stories about the perils of having a sister, the healing powers of cake and of jokes taken too far. Each story is about fifteen pages long, with a contents page at the front and a bio section at the end. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.

Stories for Eight Year Olds is a delightful and wacky collection of short stories, perfect for the independent reader who wants to try a few authors without committing to a full length novel. A sampler of light-hearted and cautionary tales to dip into. A perfect way to introduce some of Australia’s foremost authors for the age group. Recommended for … eight year olds!

Stories for Eight Year Olds edited by Linsay Knight
Random House 2012
ISBN: 9781742756608

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Ferret on the Loose by Heather Gallagher ill Benjamin Johnston

Lucy has been training her ferret, Flash, for the upcoming Fastest Fearless Ferret Race. Flash is doing well too, apart from the occasional distracted moment. The other competitors are a mixed bunch. Elisha’s ferret is called Bad Boy Butch and it’s a fitting name and his personality matches hers. Mr Olfart has a good ferret, Sadie, but she’s taken to falling asleep mid race. Which is a bit like how Lucy feels when Mr Olfart starts in on his collection of ferret race stories. Then there’s Li and his ferret, Sable. There are others of course, but these are the main contenders. Tensions run high as the race approaches and nothing is running smoothly for Lucy and Flash. And just as things seem like they are settled again, Flash vanishes. Coloured illustrations appear on most openings, and break up the text.

‘Ferrets, take your places!’ Race caller Fred Plummer’s voice boomed through the Upton Community Centre.

Lucy lifted her horseshoe pendant to her lips and kissed it for luck. She wasn’t sure if it really was lucky, but that’s what her best friend, Penny, had told her when she had given it to her on her tenth birthday last year.

She was also wearing her lucky red-and-blue striped undies. The rest was up to Flash.

Lucy opened the door to her ferret’s cage and grabbed him before he could escape.

Ferret on the Loose is part of New Frontier Publishing’s Little Rocket series of fast-paced stories for junior primary readers. Lucy has received a ferret as a gift rather than the horse she’d really asked for. It seems that part of her plan in racing Flash is to convince herself and others that he is a worthy substitute. Along the way, she has to contend with a bully and possibly a ferret-napper. The animals behave better than their humans in several cases. Lucy discovers many things along the way about competition, responsible pet ownership and winning. The inclusion of illustrations on most openings helps newly confident readers manage the transition to less-illustrated texts. A fun read, recommended for emerging readers.

Ferret on the Loose, Heather Gallagher ill Benjamin Johnston New Frontier Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9781921928420

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Escape from Cockatoo Island by Yvette Poshoglian

Olivia has been sent from the orphanage in Newcastle where she grew up to Biloela on Cockatoo Island in the middle of Sydney Harbour. At Biloela, she is to learn the necessary skills for a house servant, before being placed with a Sydney family. The industrial school is more like a prison than a place of learning and Olivia struggles to survive here. The only compensation is that she meets new friends. Her needlework skills may be improving, but she is a long way from the school’s version of ‘employable’. Her writing skills must remain hidden, so she writes her diary at night under the covers. As her friends find families, Olivia begins to believe she will never escape from this island. Historical Notes at the end of the novel give background to the existence of this prison school on an island, and the reason there were so many girls there.

Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour

8^th August 1879

Tonight I clutch you to my heart, dear copybook. Thankfully your soft leather folds and my precious quill and ink were protected as we rowed from Kelly’s Bush and pulled ashore at the Fitzroy Dock.

Although the water was choppy and my petticoats got wet, I had you tucked safely into my bodice so that no one could find you. Your pages stayed dry and my name, Olivia Markham, hasn’t blotted on the front page where I wrote it last Christmas Day.

Escape from Cockatoo Island is a new offering in Scholastic’s My Australian Story series. Each title puts a fictional character in a particular place in Australian history. Escape from Cockatoo Island is told in first person and the reader has the opportunity to travel with the main character through their experiences. Olivia has been fortunate to be able to read and write, as so many of her companions cannot. Although she has been very accepting of her life so far, she begins to long for more. Other possible outcomes for Cockatoo Island residents are showcased in her friends and acquaintances. The reader also learns a little about ‘street arabs’ and other children who end up at the school. Recommended for upper primary readers.

Escape from Cockatoo Island , Yvette Poshoglian Scholastic Press 2013 ISBN: 9781742832456

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores and online .

Hammering Iron by L.S. Lawrence

Paramon and his brother and widowed-mother, are poor but of noble lineage. Paramon has been apprenticed to the storeman and his brother is shield-carrier to the Lord. That may have been the plan, but fate would have it otherwise. An unfortunate accident sets Paramon on a journey he could not have imagined. But he is a canny and resourceful young man. With a little luck, a quick mind and a sense of caution, he travels his destined road almost safely. But this is the Bronze-age and safe is a relative term. Along his journey, he makes a discovery that may just cost him his life.

‘… and of small bronze ingots, twenty and three,’ called Master Onesimos. Then, a moment later, and much louder: ‘Paramon!’

Paramon started sharply, and wrenched his mind away from the horses that were being led past the open door of the storehouse. He groped for his writing stick, found it, dropped it, picked up the soft clay tablet he had let fall in his lap, found his writing stick again, smoothed out a random scratch or two in the clay, poised the stick to write, saw that he had chewed the end of it into useless splinters, reversed it, and found that he had forgotten how many bars there were.

Start by writing ‘bronze’. If he could get that right, maybe he’d escape the usual reward for not paying attention.

Hammering Iron takes the reader into a world very different to now. Bronze is the choice of kings and lords when it comes to battle. But it is expensive and time-consuming to produce. And it’s flawed. Like the society that values war above most other things, and considers the common people expendable. Families must tread warily if they are to stay in favour and be able to earn a living. Even the ‘good’ lords think mostly in terms of their own gain rather than the good of their people. Despite the challenges of this world, Paramon shows there are ways to not only survive but to thrive. He works within the flawed parameters of his existence. His strength of character enables him to survive an adventure that could well have cost him his life, many times over. Recommended for early secondary readers, particularly history and adventure fans.

Hammering Iron, L.S. Lawrence
Omnibus Books 2012
ISBN: 9781862919716

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.