Tag: Random House Australia

Caesar The War Dog: Operation Blue Dragon by Stephen Dando-Collins

In the golden glow of dawn, an Australian Army Black Hawk helicopter swept in low over Sydney Harbour. Below, ferries, water taxis, speedboats and yachts were already out on the water, leaving foaming white trails behind them. Inside the helicopter’s passenger compartment, Sergeant Ben Fulton of the Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) sat in full combat rig of bulletproof vest, camouflage jacket and trousers. A holstered Browning Hi Power 9 mm automatic pistol was strapped low on his right thigh, and a rappelling harness covered his torso. Leather combat gloves moulded to his hands so precisely they were like a second skin. On the belt around his waist were a full water canteen, a sheathed combat knife, spare Browning magazines and two pouches – the larger one empty, the smaller one containing dog biscuits.

In the golden glow of dawn, an Australian Army Black Hawk helicopter swept in low over Sydney Harbour. Below, ferries, water taxis, speedboats and yachts were already out on the water, leaving foaming white trails behind them. Inside the helicopter’s passenger compartment, Sergeant Ben Fulton of the Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) sat in full combat rig of bulletproof vest, camouflage jacket and trousers. A holstered Browning Hi Power 9 mm automatic pistol was strapped low on his right thigh, and a rappelling harness covered his torso. Leather combat gloves moulded to his hands so precisely they were like a second skin. On the belt around his waist were a full water canteen, a sheathed combat knife, spare Browning magazines and two pouches – the larger one empty, the smaller one containing dog biscuits.

Ben Fulton and his EDD (explosives detection dog) Caesar are back in a new adventure. Operation Blue Dragon opens with a sweep of the Sydney Opera House in preparation for the arrival of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General. Ben and Caesar discover a bomb and afterwards enjoy an event at Government House. There they meet the UN Secretary General who two weeks later is taken hostage by the Taliban. Ben and Caesar are part of a team assembled to rescue the UN Secretary General and his staff. Time is of the essence as is secrecy. Back in Sydney Ben’s son Josh is experiencing challenges of his own at school, where a bully seems to have fixed on him. Josh doesn’t want to worry his father at his work, but he’s at a loss to know just what to do.

Operation Blue Dragon: 2 combines the action and high drama of elite forces in Afghanistan with the real life dramas faced by families of soldiers. There are multiple storylines for readers to follow. There’s Josh’s bully dramas; Sergeant Ben Fulton’s work; friend Charlie’s recuperation from double amputation and return to the job he loves and the family’s adjustment to the loss of Josh’s mother to cancer. There are detailed explanations of equipment, manoeuvres and acronyms. Dog-lovers will appreciate the intelligence and judgement displayed by Caesar. Along the way, readers discover both the people and the landscape of Afghanistan and about the ongoing challenges of that war. There are also explanations of the role of the UN and the structure of some of the organisations that link with the UN. Violence is acknowledged but the details are not dwelt on. This is an ideal story for action-loving boys who want to know all about the army and special forces.

 

Caesar the War Dog: Operation Blue Dragon, Stephen Dando-Collins

Random House Australia 2013 ISBN: 9780857980533

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookshops or online.

The Jade Widow by Deborah O’Brien

All afternoon the fierce February heat had kept the two young women indoors, sipping lemonade and wafting silk fans in a vain attempt to cool themselves. Even the children had abandoned their outdoor pursuits and disappeared into the depths of the cellar where they were busy building a fort from fruit boxes.

‘I fear I will succumb to the vapours if this heat continues,’ sighed Eliza Miller, waving her fan theatrically.

‘I didn’t know ou could catch the vapours from the heat,’ said Amy Chen, her voice full of anxiety.

Eliza began to laugh. ‘Of course you can’t. I was speaking in jest. There is no such thing as the vapours.’

All afternoon the fierce February heat had kept the two young women indoors, sipping lemonade and wafting silk fans in a vain attempt to cool themselves. Even the children had abandoned their outdoor pursuits and disappeared into the depths of the cellar where they were busy building a fort from fruit boxes.

‘I fear I will succumb to the vapours if this heat continues,’ sighed Eliza Miller, waving her fan theatrically.

‘I didn’t know ou could catch the vapours from the heat,’ said Amy Chen, her voice full of anxiety.

Eliza began to laugh. ‘Of course you can’t. I was speaking in jest. There is no such thing as the vapours.’

‘The Jade Widow’ is the sequel to ‘Mr Chen’s Emporium’ and picks up the story of Amy and Eliza in a hot summer in Millbrooke. Amy is widowed and has a young son, Charles. Eliza has been studying at the Sorbonne in Paris because no Australian university will accept females into their medical faculties. Eliza would be finished now except that she has delayed and then interrupted her studies to support her family. Both are single: Amy because she continues to grieve her husband; and Eliza because she is sure it’s not possible to completely dedicate herself to a family AND a career. But it is the late 1880s and there are signs that things are changing for women in general and these two women in particular. Amy wants to build a fine hotel, and Eliza wants to be part of the women’s movement. But of course life is seldom straightforward and there are many hurdles if these determined pair are to achieve their goals. Sections are headed with quotes from the work of Lewis Carroll.

‘Mr Chen’s Emporium’ introduced the reader to Amy and to Eliza and their family, as well as to a contemporary character, Angie. The women were linked via the town they lived in – Millbrooke – and their stories alternated. In ‘The Jade Widow’ the action stays firmly in the 1880s and alternates viewpoint between the two main characters, Amy and Eliza. Amy, while holding fast to the past, has plans for the future. These competing emotions are embodied in her struggle to keep her child close, but do the best for him, while establishing her credentials as an influential businesswoman. For Eliza, the frustrations are with a world that won’t let her do what she knows she is meant to do. Themes in ‘The Jade Widow’ include racism and women’s rights. Millbrooke, a small country town west of Sydney, struggles to adapt to life after a gold rush, changing rights for women, and to seeing their sons go off to war. Rich material, lightly handled. Recommended for readers who prefer their history woven into an engaging narrative.

The Jade Widow, Deborah O’Brien Random House 2013 ISBN: 978174275571

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Meet Ned Kelly by Janeen Brian ill Matt Adams

Ned Kelly went to school for a year or two.

He had books and friends and fun.

But that all changed when his father died.

He became a widow’s son.

Ned Kelly went to school for a year or two.

He had books and friends and fun.

But that all changed when his father died.

He became a widow’s son.

The family was poor. They had to move

To a farm that was nothing grand.

Ned soon learnt that those in charge

Took all the good, rich land.

Ned Kelly was born in the Victorian countryside, and grew up there much as many other boys of his time. He attended school, lived with his family. Then his father died. Ned was given a green sash when he rescued a boy from a swift-running creek. Already though, the police were often not far away. They pursued him when they thought him guilty of committing crimes, and sometimes even when they knew he hadn’t. He went to gaol at the age of sixteen for three years. Life was, he said, unfair. The police were corrupt, or drunk, or both and they were definitely not on the side of the poor. He retreated into the bush, wandering with his gang for a year, evading capture. The reward on his head eventually became too tempting and he was betrayed. In his final stand, at Glenrowan, he was injured and finally taken into custody. He was tried, convicted and hung. He was 25 years old. Illustrations are painterly and naïve, and accompanied by text set in an old-style newspaper type. Text size also varies throughout.

The ‘Meet the … ‘ series from Random House is non-fiction, where real characters from Australia’s history have their stories told in a narrative style. Ned Kelly was born into a poor Irish immigrant family, but life was fairly normal until his father was killed. Ned found himself living the life of an outlaw, partly by bad luck, then because he was angry with those who made and enforced the laws. He saw the inequality of life and of rules for the rich and for the poor. His story has become legend, but Meet Ned Kelly doesn’t set out to render him a saint, only to provide some of the background for the choices he makes. Ned’s story is told in rhyme that references bush ballads and takes the reader back to a time when stories were often told in ballad form – making them easier to share with others. Ned Kelly’s story is an iconic one, and readers will enjoy this introduction to his short and eventful life. Recommended for younger primary readers.

Meet Ned Kelly (Meet...)

Meet Ned Kelly, Janeen Brian ill Matt Adams
Random House Australia 2013
ISBN: 9781742757186

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.