Tuesday, 31 January 2012
All Monkeys Love Bananas
All Monkeys Love Bananas written and illustrated by Sean E Avery (Fremantle Press)
HB RRP $24.95
ISBN 9-781-921-888-731
Reviewed by Neridah McMullin
All Monkeys Love Bananas is a fast paced, funny rhyming story about a little monkey who has had too much of a good thing – bananas!
“All monkeys love bananas! For breakfast, for dinner, for snacks and for lunch, they all crave bananas, munch, munch, munch. Well, most monkeys do…”
Lou McGrew has eaten so many bananas, he can’t stand the thought of eating another one.
Any Dr.Suess fans out there will love the rhythm of this story as Lou he runs away from his mum and shares his tale of woe with his bunny rabbit best friend Sue Hopoloo. Sue also has a similar problem, she cannot stand to eat another carrot! So they decide to swap carrots for bananas.
“But when they taste each others food…they are happy, they are rude. Blegh! YUCK! Are you trying to poison me?!”
So bananas aren’t so bad after all…and Lou and Sue go back to their original food sources.
The prose is well written and moves along with adventurous speed and high energy in a delightful singsong fashion. My seven-year old enjoyed it immensely (and now tries out the last line on me all the time at mealtimes: “Are you trying to poison me?!” Yes, I say, eat it).
Two themes are put up for discussion here: ‘the grass isn’t always greener on the other side’ and the question of tolerance in that ‘we all like different things’ and that’s what makes the world a wonderful place.
The artwork is a humorous fusion of drawing and digital, the mainstay of colour being black and white tones with splashes of colour throughout. Sean E Avery is a very talented sculptor and artist and there is no doubt his work is unique.
This is a highly recommended read for pre-school and lower primary school readers.
Neridah McMullin is the author of three books for children. Her next book is an Indigenous folklore story called 'Kick it to me!'. It’s an ‘aussie rules’ story that’s being endorsed by the Australian Football League. Neridah loves family, footy, and doing yoga with her cat Carlos (who also just happens to love footy). www.neridahmcmullin.com
The Language of Cat and Other Poems
The Language of Cat
and Other Poems by
Rachel Rooney, illustrations by Ellie Jenkins (Walker Books)
RRP $15.95
ISBN
9781847801678
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
Every now
and then I ask myself, ‘how did this outstanding book find me?’ The poetry
comes from an English woman trained as a special needs teacher who currently
works with children with Autistic Spectrum Condition. She also does workshops
for West Sussex’s Gifted and Talented programme. In November 2011The Language of Cats was long listed for
the Carnegie Medal. The book contains 54 poems and has illustrations in pen and
ink.
This is a
brilliant compilation of poems in changing poetical styles, from sonnets to
rhyming verse and written for children of no specific age group through to
readers of any age. They are sometimes edgy, are always inventive, and more
than frequently moving and profound. They could be enigmas, riddles or
mind-benders, but every single one is thought-provoking.
Moved, I
felt the need to contact Rachel Rooney. She was generous enough to tell me a
little about her work. When I asked her how she learned to use words in this
way; what experiences in her life brought about this skill, she replied
frankly.
‘I didn’t
start writing until I was 40, although I loved writing as a child. Initially I
wrote very light-hearted stuff for children’s anthologies but after some fairly
heavy life events in my mid forties, I felt the urge to write more questioning,
fibrous stuff. The collection The
Language of the Cat combines some earlier work with the latter writings.
‘I think I
don’t specifically write for children these days, I write “with the child in
mind”. So I hope that the concerns I’m addressing are as relevant to adults as
they are to older children; questions about identity, desire, independence,
etc. And I try to use references that don’t alienate either audience. These
days I only write if there’s something I want to say or work out in my own
head. Therefore I’m a slow worker!
‘I think I
made a conscious effort to try a variety of styles as a way of cutting my teeth
and learning the craft, although I do lean towards form and patterns in my
work. How did I learn this? I’m not sure, other than reading and looking
closely at poets I admired, i.e., Carol Ann Duffy’s poems for older children.’
I want to
know if her work with autistic children shaped her view of the world and her
writing in any way.
‘There are
a number of poems in the collection that are influenced by my teaching of
autistic children such as Tornado and
The Trouble Is to name a few. Also I
tap into my mildly autistic nature when I write – focused, attention to detail,
the feeling of being “other/outsider”.’
I then query the possibility of new work.
‘I have a
picture book, A Patch of Black, coming
out in September. It’s pretty much a poem about fear of the unknown and was
inspired by the same earlier mentioned life events. I’d love to write a
follow-up poetry collection. At the moment I’m too busy teaching. I’m hoping
that will change fairly soon.’
For
something impressive, different and unforgettable, read Rachel Rooney.
Labels:
Anastasia Gonis,
autism,
Ellie Jenkins,
poetry,
Rachel Rooney,
The Language of Cat and Other Poems,
walker Books
Sunday, 29 January 2012
The Truth About Penguins
The Truth About
Penguins by Meg
McKinlay, illustrated by Mark Jackson (Walker Books)
PB RRP
$16.95
ISBN
9781921720772
Reviewed By
Anastasia Gonis
In this
superbly detailed, finely illustrated book, the reader learns the truth about penguins.
But not before that truth is passed from mouth to beak fully garnished with
gross exaggeration, to form a continuum of nonsensical information.
A
hand-painted banner announces that the penguins are coming. We look upon a
double-paged, fully illustrated bird’s-eye view of the zoo in intricate detail.
There are monkey cages, hanging bats, owls, a lake with alligator and
hippopotamus co-existing; meerkats, a panda enclosure, and lots of birds and
other animals in cages and enclosures.
‘What’s a
penguin?’ the squirrel asks after reading the banner. The giraffe thinks he
knows but can’t exactly describe it. The meerkats that are standing nearby
listen in. Various birds give their opinion. Then one-by-one, each animal gives
their description about the life of penguins. Each pretends to be well informed
and tries to surpass the other in knowledge. This is done to impress the
listening animals that are gathering and growing in numbers.
As each
animal speaks, we see what the squirrel visualizes. It’s hilarious! The
illustrations give life to the text and the words meld with the pictures.
The passing
on of nonsense to the poor ignorant squirrel gets out of hand until the zookeeper
puts a STOP! to it. He starts to set the record straight and we learn the truth
about penguins. He slowly repairs the damage the misinformation has done to
penguins. The reader is now in the real penguin world. The illustrations again
are so in sync with the text, depicting the life of penguins that words and
illustrations seem to become one.
A
gloriously entertaining and informative book. The text is hand-written in black
ink. It is superbly illustrated with a repetition of shades of ochre, mustard
and yellow through the pictures giving it a delightful feel of continuity.
Earthy colours bring the animals to life as well.
The covers
are an equal delight. The front depicts the animals in gloss against a cream
matt background. The back cover shows glossy swinging monkeys and meerkats
against a blue matt background. The fly covers are full of motion with dancing
penguins on the bottom and swimming penguins on the top. An attractive border
of blue, interspersed with red dots, and swings of green below stand against a
mustard background. There are illustrations also on the publication page.
Labels:
Anastasia Gonis,
Mark Jackson,
Meg McKinlay,
picture book,
The Truth About Penguins,
walker Books
Friday, 27 January 2012
Unicorn Riders Bk 2 : Willow’s Challenge
Unicorn Riders Bk 2 :Willow’s Challenge by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated
by Jill Brailsford (Walker Books)
PB RRP $12.95
ISBN
978-1-921529-98-6
Reviewed by
Emma Cameron
Does a
greasly venturing from the forest signal a bad omen? Or is that an old wives
tale? Willow
believes ‘where ever greaslies go, bad luck follows’ and is proven right. Lord
Gildenfair, struck down with a mystery illness, has sent the riders a message
asking them to bring him a last resort elixir to save his life. He says Flossy,
AKA Willow , knows
the way to Arlen. But Willow
doesn’t wish to help. She feels he harmed her family in the past.
The riders
discover Lord Gildenfair is her uncle and reason that she must go but, seeing as
the message was sent to the group, say they will ride as one. Willow takes some convincing but agrees. On
their way to Arlen they spot soldiers, led by Lord Elsen, on a mission to
attack and overtake Arlen. When the riders reach Arlen, Willow discovers a childhood friend, Calder,
is her uncle’s servant.
Gildenfair’s
condition continues to worsen and he says the doctor’s medicine makes him ill.
He is in no position to help his people and when Arlen is surrounded by Elsen’s
troops things turn desperate.
The riders
gather with the people of Arlen to defend the city and Ula, Quinn’s unicorn,
sends Quinn a mind message to say that the enemy is already among them. The
riders agree the best option is to prevent battle but the soldiers attack and
turmoil ensues.
To add to
this, the enemy among them traps Willow so she can’t give her uncle the elixir.
Her quick thinking and teamwork of the riders sees them using magic to
overpower evil, save the city, and get the elixir into Gildenfair just in time.
By story’s end, readers have learnt, and may be shocked by, who the true enemy
among them was. They will also know that justice will be served.
Thoughtful
illustrations pull readers into this fast paced, powerful tale. Readers see Willow overcome past fears
and anger as she learns the truth and understands that life is not always as it
seems. A strong message that forgiveness shows strength, not weakness, comes
through clearly and the deceit and double-crossing at play shows how greed and
poor values can only cause grief and harm.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Jake’s Great Game
Jake’s Great Game by Ken Spillman, illustrated by Chris Nixon (Fremantle Press)
PB RRP $10.95
ISBN 9-781-921-888-502
Reviewed by Neridah McMullin
Jake’s Great Game is a fast moving, fun and lively read for junior primary readers.
Jake decides he wants to start playing soccer and his dad takes him to buy some footy boots. Jake likes the silver ones, and he just knows he’s going to be an awesome soccer star! But Jake’s enthusiasm soon takes a nosedive, as he finds out that soccer is not as easy as he thought it would be. When he isn’t tripping, he’s slipping. His dribbling looks like bad passing and his passing looks like bad dribbling. Will he ever get his great game? Everyone else seems to have the hang of it except him.
The moral of Jake's Great Game is that if you keep trying you'll be rewarded. It’s all about persistence and application. This message is delivered through the story of Jake trying to play soccer. His initial failure (despite his new silver footy boots) is compounded by the fact that Jake’s dad isn’t very knowledgeable about soccer either, as much as he tries to help Jake. However, things greatly improve when Jake's coach recognises Jake’s instinctive ability as a goalie. Jake’s Nana provides him with lots of practice in the backyard and his first game is a an absolute triumph. Jake is an awesome soccer star goalie!
Funny, wise and beautifully told, Jake’s Great Game is a fun story for kids who are starting to read books with chapters. Chris Nixon’s black-and-white illustrations can be found on every page. You don’t need to have to have read all the other Jake Series books to enjoy this one but if you have read the others, you’ll probably want to read this one, too—especially if you like books about sport.
The Jake series are terrific stories for boys and girls from five to ten years of age and they have a range comprehensive teaching notes readily available on-line at http://www.fremantlepress.com.au/resources/teachersnotes
Neridah McMullin is the author of three books for children. Her next book is an Indigenous folklore story called 'Kick it to me!'. It’s an ‘aussie rules’ story that’s being endorsed by the Australian Football League. Neridah loves family, footy, and doing yoga with her cat Carlos (who also happens to love footy!). www.neridahmcmullin.com
Labels:
Chris Nixon,
Fremantle Press,
Jake’s Great Game,
Ken Spillman,
Neridah McMullin,
soccer,
younger readers. junior fiction
Monday, 23 January 2012
Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck
Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck written by Michelle Gillespie with illustrations by Sonia Martinez (Fremantle Press)
HB RRP $24.95
ISBN 9-781-921-696-008
Reviewed by Neridah McMullin
Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck is an evocative and compelling true story about the daring rescue of the passengers and crew of the shipwrecked SS Georgette off the Western Australian coastline in 1876.
Stockman Sam Isaacs is out with his horse tracking stray cattle when he suddenly hears the cries of shipwrecked people in the wild sea off Calgardup Bay. Sam gallops back to the homestead to tell the Bussell family (whom he works for) what has happened, and their young daughter, Grace Bussell, races out and jumps on her horse. With ropes in hand, 16-year-old Grace Bussell returns with Sam to see what they can do to help.
By this time, most of the lifeboats were breaking up in the rough sea. Urging her horse into boiling surf, beyond a line of roaring breakers, Grace and Sam reach the boats where the women and children are in great peril. With as many women and children clinging to Grace and the horse as possible, she makes for the shore, landing them safely. Sam and Grace do this over and over again until they’re exhausted. It took four hours to rescue 50 people.
Sam Isaacs and 16 year-old-Grace Bussell performed amazing acts of courage. They were awarded medals from the Royal Humane Society for their efforts and Grace's legend lives on through the name of the coastal hamlet of Gracetown, north of Margaret River in Western Australia, near the wheat belt town of Lake Grace.
This picture book is fast paced and makes a great ‘read aloud’ book. “There is something about this morning—a quiet in the hills, a shiver in the air—something that prickles the nose of the stockman’s horse.”
It’s quite dark at times, and you can definitely feel the ‘intensity’ of the situation and the unpredictability of the rough sea. The illustrations are dramatic and unusual, involving mixed media collages, combining computer generated images with oil paintings. The images are powerful yet perfect for this amazing story.
Pitched at older primary-age children, this book should make an excellent resource for teachers and librarians trying to encourage young readers to learn more about Australia’s history. Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck has it all - adventure, bravery, history and horses!
Neridah McMullin is the author of three books for children. Her next book is an Indigenous folklore story called 'Kick it to me!'. It’s an ‘aussie rules’ story that’s being endorsed by the Australian Football League. Neridah loves family, footy, and doing yoga with her cat Carlos (who also just happens to love footy). www.neridahmcmullin.com
Labels:
Amazing Grace: An Adventure at Sea,
Australian history,
Fremantle Press,
Grace and the Shipwreck,
horses,
Michelle Gillespie,
Neridah McMullin,
picture book,
Sam,
shipwrecks,
Sonia Martinez
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Have you seen Ally Queen?
Have you seen Ally Queen? by Deb Fitzpatrick (Fremantle Press)
PB RRP $19.95
ISBN 9-781-921-888-489
Reviewed by Neridah McMullin
Have you seen Ally Queen? is an engaging, realistic and delightful read for teenagers and adults alike.
Ally has been forced to leave her home in Perth (for reasons initially unknown to her) to a sleepy coastal town she likes to refer to as ‘hicksville’; a place full of bogans, surfies and greenies. Bullied at her new school, Ally finds it hard to fit in. Her mum can’t help her as she was a witness to a hit-and-run accident and is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and she isn’t someone Ally can turn to right now. Ally misses how things used to be. She feels like she’s stumbling through her new life, awkward and out of place and completely misunderstood.
But Ally is a tough nut and eventually she finds her own space and place in the world. She learns to like herself. Ally is funny, quirky and smart and it’s a reminder of the difficulties that teenagers face, particularly teenagers dealing with parents who have their own problems.
This story is fast paced and fun. Fitzpatrick is spot on with her language, using common turns of phrase that are engaging and accessible to teenagers. Her writing voice and narrative is strong and genuine and uniquely written in an Australian cultural and historical context. It’s very cool! The iconic descriptions of the beautiful beaches and surrounding mountains are poetic prose and her description of school camp was delightful. Fitzpatrick’s humour is contagious and shines through her writing. Ally is quick witted and self-effacing but Fitzpatrick avoids the usual clichés of perfect parents and domineering teachers and the input of Miss Carey is wonderful.
Ally has an inner dialogue with her alter ego Angelgirl and this layering of complexity adds texture and interest in the story line. I have admit to laughing out aloud a couple of times whilst reading this book. (I’m the mother of two teenagers so I knew exactly where Ally was at).This story is written in a distinctive and engaging style and is to be thoroughly recommended to Young Adult readers.
This is Deb Fitzpatrick’s second novel and now I’m going to track down her first book to read!
Neridah McMullin is the author of three books for children. Her next book is an Indigenous folklore story called 'Kick it to me!'. Neridah loves family, footy, and doing yoga with her cat Carlos (who also happens to love footy too). www.neridahmcmullin.com
Labels:
Deb Fitzpatrick,
Fremantle Press,
Have you seen Ally Queen?,
Neridah McMullin,
Older Readers,
Young Adult
Friday, 20 January 2012
Guardian of the Sky Realms
Guardian of the Sky
Realms by Gerry
Huntman (IFWG Publishing Group)
PB RRP US$14.99
(published in US; available online)
ISBN
9780984329885
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
The story
begins in Sydney. The focus is on the unpopular teenager Maree who lives with
her mother, her father having left them long ago. She likes Jason who is
multi-talented, musical and gorgeous. For some time now, Maree has been mesmerised
by angels and angel images, particularly one that hangs in a gallery near The
Rocks. Her plan is to steal it, and own it to admire.
But a young
man is there, also admiring Wings In
Despair. He tells her the story of the painting; about Alanar, Guardian of
the Northern Sky Realm, and his share-heart Mirriam. They were the Divine,
Protectors and fighters of the daemons of the Fire Lands. But Mirriam was
killed in conflict. Alanar has awaited her Rebirth to take up the battle again.
Before Maree realizes it, she falls into the painting and flies away with the
stranger, who is himself, the Alanar of the painting’s story who has come to
bring his Mirriam home.
The timid Maree
embarks on a fantastic journey in another World; one where the flow of time is
different to her own. It is a journey of disbelief, discovery, knowledge and
Rebirth. She becomes Mirriam, an exciting and courageous girl, continually
evolving, strengthening in every sense, and nothing like the person she was
before.
The story
goes back and forth, from then and now, the then being Mirriam/Maree’s Human
World in Sydney, and the now, her new life in the Sky Realm. In alternating
chapters, we see the happenings in her Human World. Her mother believing she is
dead is battling with grief and fear.
We see what
is happening to Jason. Back in the Human World, his parents are attacked and
the shroud of mystery surrounding his identity begins to fall away. There are
choices both young people must make. Maree must find a way back to Sydney to
assure her mother of her existence without revealing her new life.
Their travels
take them through Paris on Christmas night, where the gargoyle Darius becomes
their ally in unexpected collisions with daemons, then through the Himalayas
and the US, through portals, caverns, Shadowlands, and dangerous entrances and
exits; amidst the warring of good and evil up to the last explosive revelation.
The book is
a US production using American English (IFWG are thinking of producing an
Australian edition in the next year or so). However, Barnes and Noble (online)
are asking US$13.50 at the moment - plus postage and handling.
Labels:
Anastasia Gonis,
Fantasy,
Gerry Huntman,
Guardian of the Sky Realms,
IFWG Publishing,
science fiction,
Young Adult
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Gunnedah Hero
Gunnedah Hero by Clancy Tucker
(morrispublishingaustralia.com)
PB $30.00
(plus postage and handling approx $5)
ISBN
78-0-646-55733-5
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
Gunnedah Hero is a book that will be remembered
long after its reading. It’s an Australian historical, fictional adventure
presented in two parallel stories set in the past and present. It showcases the
effects of drought on the lives of the farming communities and the landscape,
as it profiles the drastic measures taken by desperate farmers to save their
stock and land.
Fourteen-year-old
Gunnie Danson is faced with a real challenge when he has a school assignment on
the drought. He knows nothing about the subject. But a weekend at the cattle
farm Wiralee Station that has been in
the family since 1848, and a manuscript in a box left to him by Smokey, his
great, great grandfather, will change his life forever.
As Gunnie begins
to read the manuscript, little by little he uncovers Smokey’s life, including
the greatest challenge he faced when he drove their remaining one hundred cattle
during the harshest drought up the long paddock in1910, to save Wiralee Station.
The central
story is told in lyrical prose in Smokey’s words. The language reflects the
poetic style of the era used in poems and story-telling. This coming-of
age-story about a boy with courage, resourcefulness and resilience plays out
amidst other sub-stories of Australian pioneers seeped in their own grief, loss
and a struggle for survival.
But it is
not a dark tale. The story is filled with light and hope; with impressive characters
that coloured the early landscape with their escapades and adventures. Some
carried terrific stories along with news to the lonely drovers they
encountered. Others brought danger and were a threat to the solitary traveller.
A recurring point that flows through the book, is the relationship between the
drovers/farmers and their animals – mainly dogs and horses, and the crucial,
often life-saving role they played.
The poetry
that the author has included gives another dimension to the prose with its
relevance and humour. These poems are again singular sub-stories which portray
other lives; where life becomes the
focus, no matter whose life is portrayed.
This is a
perfectly crafted, exceptionally well-written book which has been
self-published. It comes highly recommended by the reviewer.
Labels:
Anastasia Gonis,
Australian history,
Clancy Tucker,
Gunnedah Hero,
Morris Publishing,
Older Readers,
Young Adult
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
The Scorpio Races
The
Scorpio Races by Maggie
Stiefvater (Scholastic Inc.)
HB RRP $24.99
ISBN 9780545224901
This beautifully bound and illustrated book
caught my eye straight away. The bronzed effect, black silhouetted female rider
on a horse and embossed gold letters speaks quality and intrigue.
I have become a fan of Maggie Stiefvater.
The elegance and simplicity of her writing reveals a poet’s sensibilities. No
words are wasted, although, perhaps, she endows the young male character, Sean
Kendrick, with a little too much poetic vision. But then, he is an unusual
young man and I’m not surprised his leading lady, Kate Connolly, alias Puck,
falls for him. As with all leading men, Sean has skills and abilities which
draw admiration from other characters within the story, as well as the reader.
He is a gifted horseman and the horses in this story take some handling! They
are part mythical kelpie, part harpie, part devil, but beautiful in their
dangerousness. Let me explain.
Each year on a frigid beach of the island, the
carnivorous water horses, the capall uisce come out of the foam to hunt. It is the annual
test of manhood to catch one and train it to run in the Scorpio Races. Sean
Kendrick is a natural, as was his father, But unlike his father, who died in
the race years ago, Sean has a small gift of magic with the beasts. He has
captured Corr, the red horse his father rode that day and he wins almost every
year riding him.
This year, however, against all advice,
there’s a girl in the race and she intends to ride a normal warm-blooded,
herbivore, Dove. The stakes are high for Kate, who must win the prize money in
order to keep her eldest brother from leaving the island to look for work.
Otherwise it will be just herself and her slightly autistic brother, Finn, and
they are dirt poor.
So, the ‘evil dude’ – he’s Benjamin
Malvern, who owns the big flash stables and sells horses to rich Americans like
George Holly. Sean is indebted to the Malverns and is slowly working off his
debt by using his talents to make them richer. He dreams of saving enough money
to buy Corr. The Malvern’s son, Mutt, a useless oaf, jealous of Sean, is always
looking for an opportunity to humiliate or harm the gifted horseman.
The myth and legend in this story are part
Irish/Celtic culture, part Stiefvater, but it’s appealing and adds to the
authentic feel of the harsh but somehow entrancing island life. Having lived on
an island myself, in Scandinavia, I could taste the salty wind and the coldness
that seeps into your bones after sunset and the freshness of mornings on a
deserted island beach. There’s nothing quite like it. Having done her research
in the south of England, Stiefvater does a wonderful job of recreating the
culture, language and climate of island life.
The build-up of tension is just right.
Stiefvater cleverly invites us to invest in the hopes of these two people and
their fledgling love, to feel excited and yet frightened about the outcome of
the race. Will Kate survive? Will Dove be able to run against the bigger,
faster, meaner Capall Uisce without being eaten? Will Sean give up his dream of
buying Corr with the winnings of this race just to help the girl he loves win
it? Will Mutt Malvern be successful in his attempt to get Sean killed ‘by
accident’? And most of all,( to me), does Corr, the water horse with the killer
instinct, feel any connection or loyalty towards Sean?
You’ll have to read it to find out!
Dawn
Meredith writes from the Blue Mountains and is a May Gibbs Fellow 2011. You can
follow her exploits at www.dawnmeredithauthor.blogspot.com
Monday, 16 January 2012
Writing Historical Fiction: Gunnedah Hero
Historical fiction is a personal favourite of mine and today Buzz Words Books has the privilege of participating in the Gunnedah Hero blog tour. Author Clancy Tucker gives us an insight into why and how he writes historical fiction:
G’day. Sadly, very little Aussie history is taught in our schools today, yet I can still rattle off dates and facts that I learnt in primary school. Before I wrote my Aussie historic adventure, Gunnedah Hero, I contacted a very senior person in the curriculum branch of the Victorian Education Department, wanting to know what Aussie history was taught in our schools. The answer I received was stunning, ‘Not much at all. Kids find it boring.’ That comment inspired me to write a story that contained hidden historical facts within a great yarn.
I believe we need to pay more attention to our extraordinary past. We have such a rich tapestry of events – discovery, early settlers, the Rum Rebellion, the Eureka Stockade, the Wave Hill Walk Off etc. We are only where we are because of those who have gone before us, and my book, Gunnedah Hero, pays homage to their efforts. I write historic Australian fiction because I have a fascination with, and appreciation of, Australian history. Hopefully, this book will inspire teens to read more about our past, and maybe realise how well off we are today.
This book contains two stories in one – 1910 (Smokey) and 2010 (Gunnie). Readers will find wonderful connections between the main protagonist, Gunnie, and his great-great-grandfather, Smokey ‘Gun’ Danson. Although they are 100 years apart in the story, they are both fourteen-years-of-age. Gunnie’s full name is Gunnedah Swenson Danson; named after Smokey who became known as the ‘Gunnedah Hero’ in 1911. Also, Gunnie’s middle name is the maiden name of his great-great-grandmother, Molly Jane Swenson. Gunnie wears both names with greater pride after he finishes reading an extraordinary manuscript left by Smokey in the attic at Wiralee Station – the story of his epic journey up the long paddock in 1910.
Throughout the story, there are wonderful moments where Gunnie admires the spirit of Smokey and appreciates how tough it was for our pioneers. Being the same age as Smokey was in 1910, Gunnie appreciates the resilience, dedication and integrity of his great-great-grandfather – alone with cattle in a drought, coping with all sorts of disasters along the way without modern technology or luxuries. Reading Smokey’s story at Wiralee Station makes Gunnie realise how much hard work has gone into making Wiralee the most drought-free station in Australia.
Gunnedah Hero is suitable for anyone from 8 to 80 years-of-age. Already, senior citizens have acclaimed it as having a realistic, honest, and detailed account of the life and times around 1910. The sequel, ‘A Drover’s Blanket’ is finished and I am currently working on book three, ‘Magic Billie’. Gunnedah Hero is Smokey’s story. A Drover’s Blanket is Molly’s sad story. Magic Billie will be about Smokey’s closest mate, a wonderful Aboriginal drover he met on the ‘long paddock’ during one of Australia’s worst droughts in which Australia lost 19,000,000 sheep and 2,000,000 cattle.
Writing, or bossing words around, is an absolute pleasure for me. I climb into my character’s heads and provide the reader with a realistic view of each character. How? I choose real people I know to be my characters. That way, I know exactly how they will react to certain situations and can easily describe their anger, reactions, speech, laughter, humour or fears; even the scar on their face, a crooked tooth or a slight limp.
Reading books provides something unique that movies, DVDs and mobile phones do not – the use of your imagination. It is my job as an author to incite that imagination, keep my readers enthralled, conjure up a situation or a scene, and leave my readers wondering what will happen next.
At the bottom of my letterhead is a comment I truly believe, ‘Books are cool. They take you away to awesome places.’
Clancy Tucker
Gunnedah Hero is available as a paperback from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and http://clancytucker.com.au
EBook available from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114638
and Google ebooks: http://books.google.com.au/ebooks?id=30aI67LULpQC&dq=Gunnedah%20Hero&as_brr=5&source=webstore_bookcard.
GIVE-AWAY: As a part of this blog tour, Morris Publishing
Australia and Clancy Tucker are giving three eBooks to readers of the blogs. Go
to http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and
use the form on the Contact Page. Fill in your first name, email address, and
put Blog Competition and your preferred eBook format in the message. (Choose
from ePub, PDF, Kindle) The winners will be drawn on January 31st, 2012. All
winners will be notified by email and their eBook will be attached.
Paperback Price Slashed: From 14th to 31st January, the
price of the Gunnedah Hero paperback will be slashed to $25. Go to the
website http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and
choose the Buy Now button under Discount copy text.
The usual postage charge will apply.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Battle Boy – Book 15 Underwater War
Battle Boy – Book 15 Underwater War by Charlie Carter (Pan Macmillan Australia )
PB RRP $9.99
ISBN: 978 0
330 40432 7
Reviewed by
Wendy McLean
The highly
successful Battle Boy series is a dramatic and thrilling series that combines
science fiction, history and adventure all into one. In each book, 11 year old
Napoleon Augustus Smythe (Battle Boy 005) travels back in time as a Human Data
Collecting Device (a HD-CD) – to spy on the past and solve famous historical
mysteries. Each intriguing mission lands Battle Boy right in the thick of
famous battles and military exploits. Battle Boy is guided through his missions
by Professor Perdu and a multitude of hi-tech gadgets.
Book 15 is
just as gripping as the earlier books, with Napoleon heading back in time to the
famous Battle of the Atlantic
– the longest battle of the Second World War. Napoleon must survive the
underwater wars between Allied battleships and German U-boats. With this
mission possibly his most dangerous Napoleon will need every bit of his survival
gear (Simulskin, Boot Boosters and Chameli-Shirt) to survive!
The Battle
Boy Series is a compelling, action-packed series that will engage even the most
reluctant reader. The books are short, and are divided into eight to twelve
easy to read chapters. The text is broken up by black and white illustrations
of Napoleon’s special survival gear and dramatic battle scenes. The author
Charlie Carter has cleverly drawn on famous historical battles and events and reworked
them into action-packed adventures that will appeal to boys and girls aged 6-10
years.
Readers can
check out the other Battle Boy books at: http://www.battleboy.com.au/
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Clancy Tucker - Gunnedah Hero - Blog Tour and Give Away
Historical fiction is a great love of mine so Buzz Words Books is thrilled to be participating in the blog tour of a new historical fiction book for young adults set in 1910.
Gunnedah Hero by Clancy Tucker is published by the new, independent and Australian publisher Morris Publishing Australia.
The tour dates are:
January 14th http://www.kids-bookreview.com - Author Interview
January 15th http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com - Book Review
January 16th: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com - Article - Writing Historical Fiction
January 17th: http://carolwarner.wordpress.com/ - Author Interview
January 18th: http://elaineoustonauthor.com/ - Review
January 19th: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com - Review
January 20th: http://sherylgwyther.wordpress.com - Author Interview
January 22nd: https://www.facebook.com/aussiebookreviews - Review
January 24th: www.sherfordbear.co.uk - Review
January 25th: http://misshelenwrites.wordpress.com - Author Interview
January 25th: http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/ - Author interview
January 26th: Grand finale - http://www.blogbud.com/clancytucker - What's next for Clancy
Gunnedah Hero is available as a paperback from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and http://clancytucker.com.au
eBook available from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114638
and Google eBooks: http://books.google.com.au/ebooks?id=30aI67LULpQC&dq=Gunnedah%20Hero&as_brr=5&source=webstore_bookcard.
GIVE-AWAY: As a part of this blog tour, Morris Publishing Australia and Clancy Tucker are giving three eBooks to readers of the blogs. Go to http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and use the form on the Contact Page. Fill in your first name, email address, and put Blog Competition and your preferred eBook format in the message. (Choose from ePub, PDF, Kindle) The winners will be drawn on January 31st, 2012. All winners will be notified by email and their eBook will be attached.
Paperback Price Slashed: From 14th to 31st January, the price of the Gunnedah Hero paperback will be slashed to $25. Go to the website http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and choose the Buy Now button under Discount copy text. The usual postage charge will apply.
Taken Away
Taken Away by Celine Kiernan (Allen & Unwin)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-74237-772-0
Reviewed by Thalia
Kalkipsakis
Not since childhood have I
felt the need to hide a book under my bed, face down and beneath a pillow, in
case the terrors lurking within somehow made their way out as I slept...
That is, until I read Celine
Kiernan’s gripping ghost tale, Taken Away.
A small, pale hand grabbed the edge of Dom’s bunk.
Little fingers curled around the mattress. I could see the indents of the
fabric where they gripped tight. There was a pause, as thought it was
frightened to look, and then a small, pale, dark-eyed face cleared the edge.
Taken Away tells
the story of twin Irish boys, Dom and Pat, whose family has been displaced
after their home burnt down. The effect of the fire is not only displacement; somehow,
it also means that the ghost is able to see
the twins. And when he does, he thinks he’s ‘found a home’.
Through Pat’s eyes we feel
his horror and sense of helplessness as his twin, his partner in life, is
possessed. Dom disappears, becomes a ‘whistling void’, and in his place is
something that no longer belongs in this world. The situation is made all the
more compelling because Pat is the only one who realises that something is
wrong.
As with other truly
terrifying ghosts, this one is not all that he seems. To save his brother, Pat
realises that he must also help the ghost. And so, the twin’s plight becomes
entwined with a tragic World War I mystery.
Recommended for readers from
13 to 16 years, Taken Away is much
more than just a haunting. The mystery and suspense keep the pages turning, but
it is the relationships that take this story to a higher level, not the least
of which is the connection between twins and the resulting anguish when events
cause their separation.
Thalia’s latest book is called Head Spinners: six stories to twist your brain (www.thaliakalkipsakis.com).
Labels:
Allen and Unwin,
Celine Kiernan,
ghosts,
mystery,
Older Readers,
Taken Away,
Thalia Kalkipsakis,
World War One,
Young Adult
Monday, 9 January 2012
You Can Draw Anything
You Can Draw Anything by Kim Gamble (Allen & Unwin)
PB RRP $9.99
ISBN 978-1-74237-798-8
Reviewed by Thalia
Kalkipsakis
Created by Kim Gamble, the
much loved illustrator of the Tashi series, this appealing paperback reprint is
both entertaining and highly informative.
Designed to teach young artists
how to draw, the instructions are given in light-hearted, simple language, but
it is also possible to learn the techniques simply by following the
step-by-step visuals. My nine-year-old daughter opened the book, followed the
illustrated instructions showing how to draw a lion, and then declared: ‘That’s
the best drawing I’ve ever done!’
Any budding artist who takes
the time to read Gambles instructions will not be disappointed. He clearly and
deftly demonstrates the shapes that make up all objects around us, how to draw
by following a grid, faces and expressions, perspective, shading and much more.
He is encouraging, warm and full of useful tips; ‘Practise expressions in front
of the mirror – look for the little lines that change, especially around the
eyes.’
Despite the apparent ease
with which he draws, the humour and character in each image makes it clear that
we are in the hands of a true talent. Designed for children from
eight to twelve, the dedication for this book reads: ‘For Mum, who kept me
supplied with pencils and paper.’ Any parent of a budding
artist would most likely already be following the lead of Kim Gamble’s mum, but
they would do even better to add this book to the supplies.
Thalia’s latest book is called Head Spinners: six stories to twist your brain (www.thaliakalkipsakis.com).
Labels:
Allen and Unwin,
junior non-fiction,
Kim Gamble,
Thalia Kalkipsakis,
You Can Draw Anything,
younger readers
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Unicorn Riders Book 3 : Krystal’s Choice
Unicorn Riders Book 3 :
Krystal’s Choice
by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated
by Jill Brailsford (Walker Books)
PB RRP $12.95
ISBN
978-1-921529-99-3
Reviewed by
Emma Cameron
The third
in this series holds excellent lessons on being wary of one who offers something
special to lure you away from what is truly important and who, despite the
facade, does not have your best interests at heart and may even be a danger. It
shows how one can be duped and that it is important to listen to the voice
inside that warns you when things do not feel right. A real strength of it is how
it uses a combination of wonder and delight alongside that of menace and drama,
all without a trace of didacticism.
The story
opens with the Unicorn Riders helping the poor folk of Stillmet rebuild after
floods. Krystal, having left a life of luxury on her parent’s estate when
chosen as a Rider, doesn’t delight in drab jobs. She is chastised for shirking
duty while using her Unicorn, its magic, and her riding skills to entertain
Stillmet’s people. While being a rider is the highest honour one can be given,
she feels life as an entertainer would be far more her thing. She is relieved
when Queen Heart sends the Riders on a mission to track down and rescue children
who have been disappearing from Miramar .
Once in
Miramar Krystal meets Dezoban, who leads a troupe of young travelling
performers. Krystal does not realise they are stolen children. Her inner voice
queries whether she should take up his invitation to see his unusual animal
collection but vanity and desire to be special is easily won over. Seekng her
dream, she sneaks away from the others. When Dezoban gifts her a peacock charm,
marking her as one of his entertainers, she keeps it secret. It takes hold of
her thoughts, making convincing suggestions.
Her
underlying wish sees her fall under the charm’s spell and she convinces herself
it will do no harm to follow its suggestions. It is when she leads the Unicorns
and their riders to their capture that Dezoban reveals he had her do this so he
could steal the unicorns for the magic held in their horns. He traps the riders
and a great battle ensues in which Krystal’s love for her friends and her true,
good self sees her use all her strength to release herself from the charm’s
spell and rescue the others, including the stolen children.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
The Tale of Kyla Koala
The Tale
of Kyla Koala by Susan Hall, illustrated by Ben Guy
(National
Library of Australia )
HB RRP $14.95
ISBN 978-0-642-27726-8
Reviewed
by Emma Cameron
When
Kyla Koala is caught in her very first bushfire ever, none of the other animals
help her. They all simply flee. Unsure of which direction to take, Kyla does
her best. Sadly, it’s not enough to prevent burnt paws. Through dialogue of the
Uprights, readers learn that the only thing that saved her was what saved the
Uprights and their homes; good fortune of wind changing in time.
A
young girl, distressed because her dolly was burnt in the barn, discovers Kyla
and sees her burnt paws. Though the girl’s parents say she can’t keep Kyla as a
pet, they do help her tend to Kyla’s burns. Kyla’s repeated attempts to escape
are thwarted by the young Upright who is desperate to keep her and it is only
when Kyla finally succeeds in escape that a compromise found.
Hungry
Kyla is unable to return home or to find food where she used to as all is
blackened, but nearer the Upright’s home is a tree that will be suitable. When
the little girl sits under the tree sobbing at her loss, Kyla climbs the tree
and settles in it to munch on some leaves. The young girl understands it is these
leaves, and the tree as a home, that mean Kyla is likely to stay nearby. Happy
that they will be neighbours, the girl stops trying to keep Kyla trapped.
One
of four in the Animal Tales series, the
tale shows early settlers caring for injured native fauna and shows how they
learnt about the life of the native animals. Besides incorporating small facts
into the story, the book also ends with pictures showing some of the early
paintings done by early settlers and how much they got wrong first up!
Story
illustrations by Ben Guy are accurate presentations and capture the frantic
dilemma native animals are threatened with when natural elements of our
environment hit hard. His illustrations
also show farms and homes of early settlers interspersed between bush scenery,
as it truly would have been in the early days. From the scenic Australian end
papers to stylish cloth case and jacket, this is a beautiful production.
Labels:
Australian animals,
Ben Guy,
Emma Cameron,
National Library of Australia,
picture book,
Susan Hall,
The Tale of Kyla Koala,
younger readers
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
The Tale of Kaz Kangaroo
The Tale
of Kaz Kangaroo by Susan Hall, illustrated by Ben Guy
(National
Library of Australia )
HB RRP $14.95
ISBN 978-0-642-27729-9
Reviewed
by Emma Cameron
Leaning
out of Mother’s pouch one day, Kaz spots an interesting shape out to sea that’s
heading for land. She hops a very long way, further than she has ever been on
her own, to reach the beach and investigate this apparition. She thinks it may
be a whale, until she spots Uprights crawling all over it and realises she
should return home. Sadly, she can not remember which way home is.
The
Uprights, who are setting up camp on land, try to catch Kaz. When fear takes
hold and paralyzes her, all the Uprights try to work out what this strange
creature is. It’s not a dog, a deer or a gigantic rat! One of them tries to
draw her. When Kaz’s mum shows up, Kaz disappears into Mum’s pouch. The
Uprights are amazed and, although wary of Mum’s size, they crowd around.
Kaz feels safe enough in Mum’s pouch to pop her head out and this makes one Upright
order the others to back away, meaning Kaz and Mum can get home. One of four in
the Animal Tales series, this tiny
hardback explores the reaction of Europeans to our native fauna when they first
came to Australia .
Uniquely, it does this via the viewpoint and experiences of each creature; in
this case, Kaz.
Young
readers will enjoy the initial story about Kaz and, as they grow up and learn
more about the world around them and our history, they will see into more of
the issues faced by early settlers and our native animals when they first met.
Besides incorporating small facts into the story, the book ends with pictures
showing some of the early paintings done by early settlers; most interesting,
as they got a lot wrong first up!
Story
illustrations by Ben Guy are accurate presentations of our kangaroos and
illustrations of the ship and the early settlers are a step into the past. From
the scenic Australian end papers to the stylish cloth case and jacket, this is
a quality production, and a percentage of proceeds goes to the RSPCA.
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