Aussie Reads

Blog Closing

2011-03-12T20:17:00.000+10:00

G'day,

This blog will be closing in a short while. I am spring cleaning my web presence - de-cluttering if you will - and since I rarely use this blog, I will not be keeping it. Interested parties can head on over to my other blog, Ravings of a Lunatic Mum at http://lunaticmum.wordpress.com. This is not solely devoted to books, but there will still be heaps of reviews.

Thank you for reading my blog,

fairy-whispers (^_^)

Cats Creep the Fire to Art by Matthew Ward

2010-12-05T14:15:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:

Slit scars across your wrists must mean you tried.

Synopsis:

N/A

Genre:

Poetry

Rating:

@@@@

Pages:

132

BCID:

xxx-6265782

ISBN:

978-1-934209-22-6

Year:

2008

Format:

Paperback

Comments:

Cats Creep the Fire to Art is a collection of the works of Australian poet, Matthew Ward. According to Ward, "The poems contained within these walls were painfully & gleefully penned between 1992 & 1996...". Touching upon various subjects, including death, religion, politics and gender, all are well worth reading. It's been a while since I last read modern poetry, and I have missed it. Thus, I was very much in a mood to appreciate the poems in this collection. I can't say that I understood all of the poems in this book (perhaps I'm a bit dense, but I almost never fully understand poetry) but I certainly enjoyed them. In my opinion the top three works in this collection are (in no particular order) Pictures, The Newcastle Show and Performance. For those who enjoy poetry, even if modern poetry is not your usual fare, this is a volume I highly recommend acquiring.

A House Full of Men by Pauline Marrington

2010-11-29T13:48:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:

The island lay with its face to the sun, ignoring the sea's hostility.

Synopsis:

In the 1840s a man with ideas in advance of his time was sent to govern the Pacific island of Norfolk. Captain McCredie's radical views on the reform of felons were to have unexpected and far-reaching effects - particularly on the life of his much-loved daughter, Clara.

The free population spent their time picnicking and gossiping, closing their eyes to the island's darker side. The officers amused themselves with drinking and flirting and shooting the island's birds and feral cats. The women, bored and lonely, found their own outlets - with tragic results for some.

The only crime McCredie was prepared to punish with the utmost severity was that of unnatural offences' to which these womanless men were addicted. New arrivals found the Old Hands ready to fight for their favours with the ferocity of stags, addressing them by female names and endearments.

The story, a narrative of mounting tension, follows the closely interwoven lives of the exiles in this small, isolated community.

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Rating:

@@@@

Pages:

375

BCID:

xxx-6964737

ISBN:

1-86340-226-8

Year:

1991

Format:

Paperback

Comments:

At a time when Norfolk Island was one of the most feared penal settlements in Australia, one man came to govern the island with permission to test new ideas about the reform benefits of reward as opposed to punishment. Shackled by limitations imposed by authorities, this experiment was doomed to failure. The consequences to the island in general, and the Governor's family in particular, were to last a lot longer. While the author shields us from the worst of Norfolk's abuses, we are still treated to an engrossing and gripping drama set in a dark time in Australia's history. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I recommend it.

Australia: A History in Photographs by Michael Cannon

2010-09-28T12:45:00.003+10:00

Opening Sentence:

The camera is like most human beings: it sometimes distorts reality, but it usually tries to tell the truth.

Synopsis:

Over two centuries a great nation has emerged from the most unlikely beginnings. Millions of incidents on that road of turmoil and triumph have been fixed in time by the camera.

Australia - A History in Photographs will absorb all Australia as it tells our unfolding story.

One of the most important historical works, it is the result of years of research by the award-winning historian Michael Cannon.

Published near the end of the bi-century of white settlement, Australia - A History in Photographs mirrors the story of ordinary Australians, of people in power and of climactic events.

Through the camera we can look back on the times of early settlement, the violent suppression of the Aborigines, convict times, the gold rushes and the great period of exploration, the growth of transport and farming, towns and cities and the world of boom and bust, bosses and unions, wars and politics, to the present.

The photographs are accompanied by a brilliant text which explains the life of Australia as revealed by the indelible images of our past.

Genre:

History

Rating:

@@@@@

Pages:

248

BCID:

xxx-6964818

ISBN:

0-85902-257-9

Year:

1983

Format:

Hardcover

Comments:

This is a fascinating presentation of Australia's history from white settlement to the early 1980s. I tend to prefer photography over film - I feel it has more soul - and black & white is my preferred medium. Thus, I found this pictorial history thoroughly enjoyable. The beautiful photography is not the only thing this book has going for it, however. Each caption contains a little snippet of history, making this book not just enjoyable, but informative as well. Australian history is not covered in nearly enough depth in schools, and I found myself learning quite a lot of interesting facts about my own country. This is a perfect coffee table book and one I highly recommend reading.

Fat, Forty and Fired by Nigel Marsh

2010-09-18T16:16:00.002+10:00

Opening Sentence:

Santa didn't come to Bronte last year.

Synopsis:

'I don't have a catchy slogan that sums up what I learnt from my year off. All I can say is that I lived the dream of dropping out and this is how it was for me...'

Nigel Marsh is a stressed, overweight mortgage slave struggling to balance a high-pressured career, a marriage and the demands of four small children under eight. Then the unthinkable happens - he loses his job. After the initial shock (and some unpleasant surgery) Nigel decides to embrace life outside the office and spend a year taking stock.

Fat, Forty and Fired is a rare gem, a highly entertaining, thought-provoking and inspiring memoir about falling off the hamster wheel and surviving.

Genre:

Biography/Memoir

Rating:

@@@

Pages:

286

BCID:

xxx-7649652

ISBN:

978-1-86325-553-0

Year:

2007

Format:

Paperback

Comments:

This book was not nearly as entertaining as I had expected. There were some funny bits and I really related to Nigel's struggles with the children, but overall I was quite disappointed. To begin with, the story is non-linear, jumping back and forth from past to present and making it a little confusing to read. There was a lot of the 'whinging pom' attempt at humour, which was also off putting. The majority of the time spent reading this, I was a bit bored. This is a take-it-or-leave-it kind of book.

Books I've Read in the Past Few Months

2010-09-08T21:05:00.000+10:00

I have been too busy to spend much time on the computer the past few months, so I haven't done any book reviews. I won't be going back and reviewing the books I read in that time, but here is a list:

Australian Ripping Yarns II by Paul Taylor 272 pages @@@@
The Tomorrow series by John Marsden (except the first two) 1,411 pages @@@@@
The Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden 849 pages @@@@@
The Evil Inside the Mind of a Child Killer by Margaret Hobbs & Andrew Rule 284 pages @@
XYZ: The New Rules of Generational Warfare by6 Michael Grose 227 pages @@@

The Dead of the Night by John Marsden

2010-06-22T13:25:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:

Damn this writing.

Synopsis:

When you've run out of choices, you've only got yourself.

As war rages, as the enemy closes in, as Ellie and her friends fight for their lives, they are left with nothing.

Nothing but courage, spirit and pride.

A sensational novel from the series that has transfixed millions of readers worldwide.

Genre:

Young Adult

Rating:

@@@@@

Pages:

271

BCID:

xxx-8016822

ISBN:

0-330-35647-x

Year:

2005

Format:

Paperback

Comments:

The Dead of the Night is the second book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series. As the teenagers continue to fight, they meet up with a group of adult resisters, experience romance and lose one of their number. This is just as good as Tomorrow, When the War Began, if not better. The characters and situations are realistic and the story full of drama. Highly recommended.

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

2010-05-30T12:07:00.002+10:00

Opening Sentence:

It's only half an hour since someone - Robyn I think - said we should write everything down, and it's only twenty-nine minutes since I got chosen, and for those twenty-nine minutes I've had everyone crowded around me gazing at the blank page and yelling ideas and advice.

Synopsis:

Hell isn't only a place for the damned, sometimes it's a place where the saved take refuge.

Seven teenagers take a trip into Hell. And seven come back. To Hell.

The most powerful novel ever written for young Australians.

Get Ready. This is real. This is true. What will you do tomorrow?

Genre:

Young Adult

Rating:

@@@@@

Pages:

284

BCID:

xxx-6226567

ISBN:

0-330-27486-4

Year:

1997

Format:

Paperback

Comments:

What would you do if you came back from a holiday to find yourself at war? Would you hide until the war ended or would you fight for your country's freedom? This is the situation seven teenagers find themselves in after a camping holiday in Hell. Tomorrow, When the War Began is a thrilling novel for teens and adults alike. The characters are realistic and engaging and their reactions believable. Once begun, this book is impossible to put down. This book is not to be missed.

The Form Guide: The Customs of the Contemporary World by James Valentine

2010-03-28T15:33:00.002+10:00

Opening Sentence:I hate Manners.

Synopsis:Once upon a time there were manners and etiquette, and everyone knew their place. Life was simpler then: our parents and grandparents didn't have to deal with the guy who answers his mobile phone at a funeral; decide if they should set out towels for their seventeen-year-old-daughter's sleep-over boyfriend; or figure out how to stop a friend who clogs up your email by sending six gags a day.

The For Guide is not a rule book - it's a guide book. It doesn't tell you what you should do, it documents what you do do. Well, maybe not you as such, but people a lot like you except they're a lot weirder.
Genre:Non-Fiction
Rating:@@@
Pages:319
BCID:xxx-6333615
ISBN:978-0-7333-1958-7
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:The style was a little bit perturbing at first, but I soon got used to it. This book actually consists of snippets from the author's radio program. Listeners call in with a social dilemma, and other callers call in to say what they would do in that situation. I actually found some of the answers quite fascinating because they were dilemmas I had experienced for myself. Then there were other situations I am glad to have avoided. I was appalled, for example, to read about a person who threw a dinner party and, at the end of the night, demanded $50 a head to pay for the meal!

Each chapter is opened with a humorous 'then and now' type description by the author, breaking up the potential for monotony. I would say this is an amusing book and well worth reading.

1001 Awesome Things to Draw

2010-03-20T15:51:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:I regard myself as a very ordinary person.
Synopsis:Four Books in One!
With four totally awesome books to choose from in this one collection, you can impress your friends with your hot new drawing skills! Draw anything you want, from crazy alien creatures, animals and funny faces, to an illustration for your most hilarious joke! Get step-by-step directions on how to draw real and imaginative pictures, lettering ideas and caricatures!
Genre:Art
Rating:@@@@
Pages:256
BCID:xxx-7133187
ISBN:978-1-74169-223-5
Year:2008
Format:Hardcover
Comments:This is a compilation of four Robert Ainsworth Awesome Things to Draw books - Crazy Creatures, Cartoon Faces, Jokes and Animal Cartoons. I am great at photos but not so hot on the drawing front, but even I was able to draw a decent cartoon with the help of this book. The kids love to sit and copy from it, coming up with all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures. If your children enjoy drawing, this is a great book to have in your collection.

Ocean Road by Glynn Parry

2010-03-15T13:31:00.001+10:00

Opening Sentence:In the summer of '76, the day my father rushed home to San Antonio to be with his sister Ruth, a man stopped my mother in the street.
Synopsis:My father grabbed my mother's hand and then my own, and he ran us across the cool sand to the water's edge. He whooped seagulls into the sky.
'Happy new year!' he yelled at the noise and spray.
My mother yelled the same. 'Happy new year!'
They were very good actors.

In the summer of 1976, Frank and Laura travel down south to a cottage by the sea. Their son Toby lays bare all that he sees. It is the summer Frank is called away and Laura meets a man in the street. It is a summer of fragile lives and uncertain times, of loss and longing, and secrets that can destroy. It is the summer one phone call changes a marriage forever.
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@
Pages:224
BCID:xxx-5823414
ISBN:978-1-8636-8354-8
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:We all come to a moment in our lives where we suddenly discover that our parents are not the all-powerful, all-knowing gods that we thought they were; a moment when we come to a sudden awareness of our parents' humanity - with all the faults, foibles and weaknesses that that implies. We feel the ground shift beneath our feet as we realise that our parents, our family, our world are fleeting and fragile. For Toby, that moment came in the summer of 1976. The summer his father was called away. The summer his parents marriage disintegrated. The summer of change. This is a powerful coming-of-age story to which we can all relate.

Addition by Toni Jordan

2010-03-12T14:09:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:It all counts.
Synopsis:Grace counts everything: the steps she takes, the groceries she buys, the bristles in her toothbrush...You might say she has a thing about numbers. Then she meets Seamus, who has the sexiest hands Grace has ever seen and who thinks she might be better off without the counting. If she could hold down a job, say. Or open her kitchen cupboards without conducting an inventory.

So now Grace has a thing about numbers and a thing about Seamus. Something's got to give.
Genre:Fiction
Rating:@@
Pages:217
BCID:xxx-7151775
ISBN:978-1-921520-27-3
Year:2009
Format:Paperback
Comments:This book was very different from what I expected which isn't, in itself, a bad thing. It is well-written and has good characters but I just couldn't seem to get into it.

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

2010-03-06T14:42:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:Fog rose from the river, great billows of white weaving into the soot and smoke of the city of Corvere, to become the hybrid thing that the more popular newspapers called smog and the Times 'miasmic fog'.
Synopsis:Beneath the earth, a malignant force lies waiting, greedy for freedom from its ancient prison. As the Old Kingdom falls once more into a realm of darkness and terror, the people look desperately to the Abhorsen, the scourge of the Dead, to save them. Yet Abhorsen Sabriel is lost, missing in Ancelstierre.

Only Lirael has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. With her companions Sameth, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog, she travels across the Old Kingdom in a race against time, battling Shadow Hands and dark necromancers to reach Ancelstierre before it is too late. But what hope can one young woman have against a terrible evil with the power to destroy life itself.
Genre:Fantasy
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:374
ISBN:1-8650-8749-1
Year:2003
Format:Paperback
Comments:Abhorsen is the riveting conclusion to the Old Kingdom trilogy. As with the previous books, I really love the contrast between Ancelstierre - the world as we know it - and the Old Kingdom - a world of magic and mystery where the dead come to life and modern technology ceases to operate. In this book, the two worlds come closer together than ever before and both face total annihilation. Both Sameth and Lirael come into their inheritance and we finally discover the true natures of Mogget and the Disreputable Dog. This book, like the others, is a thrilling and engrossing read.

Space Demons: The Trilogy

2010-02-25T16:11:00.001+10:00

Opening Sentence:"Go on, Andrew, have a go!"
Synopsis:First there was Space Demons.
Then there was Skymaze.
The ultimate computer game, Shinkei, is so powerful that it has the potential to make thoughts, desires and even dreams come true.

This new edition of a classic Australian fantasy brings together in one volume all three books of the Space Demons trilogy, Space Demons, Skymaze and Shinkei.
Genre:Fantasy
Rating:@@@@
Pages:434
BCID:xxx-7132795
ISBN:1-86291-630-6
Year:2005
Format:Paperback
Comments:I read, and loved, Space Demons in school but only recently became aware that there are sequels. Since I enjoyed the first book so much, I had great expectations for the others. I found that I enjoyed Space Demons just as much. This is a great example of Australian children's fantasy. Addressing the themes of growing up, maturing and spending too much time in front of a computer means that kids today will relate. The second book, Skymaze is, in my opinion, the best story in the trilogy. It is similar to Skymaze in that it is about an all-too-real computer game, but the characters are more developed in this one, friendships are stronger, dangers more imminent. The third book, Shinkei, is very different from the first two. While the game is present, and dangerous, Shinkei reads more like an adventure than a fantasy, and we are left with the feeling of anti-climax, and the suspicion that the author really ought to have stopped at two books. Overall, however, this trilogy is worth reading.

A Rose for the ANZAC Boys by Jackie French

2010-02-24T15:27:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:At 10 a.m. the street was empty.
Synopsis:It is 1915. War is being fought on a horrific scale in the trenches of France, but it might as well be a world away from sixteen-year-old Midge Macpherson, at school in England learning to be a young lady. But the war is coming closer: Midge's brothers are in the army, and her twin, Tim, is listed as 'missing' in the devastating defeat of the Anzac forces at Gallipoli.

Desperate to do their bit - and avoid the boredom of school and the restrictions of Society - Midge and her friends Ethel and Anne start a canteen in France, caring for the endless flow of wounded soldiers returning from the front. Midge, recruited by the over-stretched ambulance service, is thrust into carnage and scenes of courage she could never have imagined. And when the war is over, all three girls - and their Anzac boys as well - discover that even going 'home' can be both strange and wonderful.
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:289
BCID:xxx-6137359
ISBN:978-0-7322-8540
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:This book is aimed at a young adult audience, but I think it will find many fans amongst the adult population as well. Jackie French has extended her, not inconsiderable, talent in order to truly bring the first world war to life. The horror and bewilderment of people experiencing trench warfare for the first time are expressed well and we find ourselves immersed in the lives and minds of her characters. This is one of those books that makes a real emotional impact and will live on in your memory long after you have read it. I can't think of a better book to introduce the topic of World War One to the younger generation.

Lirael by Garth Nix

2010-02-22T15:43:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:It was a hot, steamy summer and the mosquitoes swarmed everywhere, from their breeding grounds in the rotten, reedy shores of the Red Lake up to the foothills of Mount Abed.
Synopsis:When the future is hidden, who holds the key to destiny?

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. She doesn't even have the Sight - the ability to See into the present and possible futures - that is the very birthright of the Clayr. Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies, while Abhorsen Sabriel is engaged in conflict elsewhere.

As an ancient evil casts its shadow - one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundaries between Life and Death - Lirael undertakes a desperate mission. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, to help her, Lirael sets out upon a perilous journey and comes face to face with her own fate...
Genre:Fantasy
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:507
ISBN:1-4056-6025-2
Year:2005
Format:Paperback
Comments:Lirael is the sequel to the highly popular Sabriel. It is fourteen years later and Sabriel and Touchstone have established a safe-haven for their subjects. However, the Dead still plague outreaching settlements and a disturbing new danger has started to stir.

This book is a fitting follower to Sabriel. It is well written and the characters are realistic and inspire empathy. The story is exciting and intriguing and I found it difficult to stop reading. Lirael is even better than Sabriel.

Sabriel by Garth Nix

2010-01-17T19:37:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:It was little more than three miles from the Wall into the Old Kingdom, but that was enough.
Synopsis: Who will guard the living when the dead arise?

Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom - far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead.

But now her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross back into that world to find him. Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks Upon a quest filled with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of - for nothing is as it seems within the Old Kingdom. There she confronts an evil that threatens more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny...
Genre:Fantasy
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:341
ISBN:1-4056-6024-4
Year:1995
Format:Paperback
Comments:Sabriel is a fascinating fantasy novel. The characters are believable and filled with life, and the juxtaposition of modern and Old world's somehow ominous. There is layer upon layer of depth in this story and it is very difficult to put down. I feel that the author's unique style will make this book enjoyable even to those who are not fans of the genre. I will definitely be reading the sequels!

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

2009-12-13T21:32:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:We all went down to the tar-pit, with mats to spread our weight.
Synopsis:'And through the silence comes something immense and leisurely, that sheds the filth of heavens from it's dusty wings...Whatever it is, it comes for all of us, ant or angel, lost child in the forest or lady and lord of manners. Tonight it's come for my nan, and it gathers her up out of the thing that was her self, up out of her own bones into its dark, dirty, soft, soft breast, unfisting her hands from the front of her nightshirt, laying down her remains, moving her on from us like a storm cloud dragging its rain.'

Margo Lanagan's stories will delight, shock, amuse and move you to tears with their dazzling imaginative reach, their dark humour, their subtlety, their humanity and depth of feeling.

After all Black Juice runs through us all.

Black Juice is a book of extraordinary stories - breathtakingly fierce and surprisingly tender, they explore the dark and the light, and pit the frailty of humans against implacable forces. This is landmark fiction.
Genre:Fantasy
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:227
BCID:xxx-7330370
ISBN:978-0-575-07924-3
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:This is the first I've heard of Margo Lanagan, but I feel it won't be the last. Black Juice is a collection of short stories of the superb quality I have come to expect from the genre's Australian authors. I fully enjoyed every single one of the stories included in this book.

Singing My Sister Down- This is a very sad story about an unusual tribal punishment, and my favourite story in this collection.
My Lord's Man - A story about love, acceptance and misjudgement.
Red Nose Day - An interesting twist on the typical clown story.
Sweet Pippit - A beautiful story about elephants and their love for their handler. This is my second favourite story in this collection.
House of the Many - A story about the fading of our childhood impressions.
Wooden Bride - An interesting story about living up to our word.
Earthly Uses - A twist on the concept of angels.
Perpetual Light - Set in a future world where the air is unbreathable.
Yowlinin - Monsters and outcasts of society meet.
Rite of Spring - Singing in the season.
The Point of Roses - This is my pick for third place in this collection. A boy with great powers influences others.

Margo's stories are magnificent, engrossing and above all, thought-provoking. My top three stories in this collection are Singing My Sister Down, Sweet Pippit and The Point Of Roses. All three of these stories are worthy of your attention.

My Brother's Keeper: The official Bra Boys story by Sean Doherty

2009-11-28T22:59:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:I was sitting at Ma's place one day - I must've been about 20 at the time - when Jai's come flying into the kitchen laughing his head off.
Synopsis:Maroubra was a tough place to grow up. Ringed by a jail, a sewerage works, a rifle range and a housing commission estate, it was where the streets of Sydney met the beach. It was a place where the local boys surfed hard and partied harder. It was also a place where trouble easily found you.

Adopted by Maroubra Beach at a young age, the four Abberton brothers, all born to different fathers and a mother in the clutches of heroin addiction, grew up at a time when the area was shadowed by drugs and gang violence. Raised largely by their grandmother, Sunny, Jai, Koby and Dakota found solace in the surf, and solidarity with their mates, the Bra Boys.

The official biography of the Abberton brothers follows their story from a turbulent upbringing on the sands of Maroubra to international surf stardom, and the fateful events of 5 August 2003, when Jai shot dead Maroubra underworld figure and childhood friend Tony Hines, only to be acquitted on the grounds of self-defence. My Brother's Keeper is raw, gritty, from the heart...and everything you won't read about in the newspapers.
Genre:Biography
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:490
ISBN:978-0-7322-8554-8
Year:2009
Format:Paperback
Comments:Like most people, all I knew about the Bra Boys is what I read about in the papers or saw on TV. My Brother's Keeper opened my eyes to just how much the Bra Boys in general, and the Abberton brothers in particular, have been misrepresented in the media. Told in their own words, this is a no-holds-barred account of life on the streets and beaches of Maroubra. Sunny, Jai, Koby, Dakota and a few of their friends each give their own point of view on growing up in Maroubra. They each tell key points in their lives from the their earliest memories through to present times, including their side of events that were covered in the media.

Written in an easy to read down-to-earth style that generously treats the reader as a mate, the Abberton brothers tell the good, the bad and the ugly of life as a Bra Boy. They do not try to paint themselves as angels or victims, but simply as ordinary, everyday blokes, doing the best they could to survive the harsh, exacting yet loving embrace of Sydney's beaches.

What's Happening to our Girls? by Maggie Hamilton

2009-09-28T14:22:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:In a few short decades almost every part of girls' lives has been transformed, bringing freedoms previous generations of girls could only dream of.
Synopsis:Why are girls as young as five years old concerned about their looks and addicted to shopping?

Why are they having sex and binge-drinking so young, responding to chat-room predators, and bullying their peers via email and text messages?

Why are depression, cutting and eating disorders on the rise, and why, with so much choice, do so many just want to marry young and have babies?

In a few short years our girls have become vulnerable - not just teen girls, but also young girls and baby girls. They are being forced to grow up faster than ever before. What a twelve-year-old girl experienced at seven is not what a seven-year-old girl is now struggling with. Many of the guidelines we offer girls no longer apply, or are contradicted by messages from media and advertising telling girls how to look, think, behave and feel.

Over two years Maggie Hamilton interviewed girls, teachers, school counsellors, psychologists, and law enforcement and medical personnel to get an insider's view on what girls are experiencing at present, from birth to the teenage years.

Informed, revealing, compassionate and at times shocking, What's Happening to our Girls? is a book for parents and all those who want to better understand and support girls.
Genre:Non-Fiction
Rating:@@@@
Pages:256
ISBN:978-0-670-07232-3
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:What's Happening to our Girls? is an interesting and informed study of today's girls and the lives they lead, and it is essential reading for any parent. The facts in this book are very scary. As a mother, I knew before reading this book that my daughters are growing up in a world far different from the one I grew up in. I knew that they are being marketed to. I knew girls are sexually active earlier. I knew that bullying is worse and the forms of bullying changing. I did not know just how bad it has become, or just how ill-informed many girls are as to the hazards of indiscriminate sex and drug-taking. That this is the case is a sad indictment of our society.

We all need to stand up and say NO MORE!!! It is time we put our foot down. Refuse to spend your money on inappropriate items, and write to the manufacturers, expressing your displeasure. Companies are only able to market sex at our girls because we allow them to. Remember, the power is in the hand of the consumer - there have been many products withdrawn due to consumer pressure. Additionally, we should overcome our embarrassment and ensure our girls are informed. Teach them to recognise when they are being marketed to. Give them the confidence and support they need to withstand peer pressure and bullying. Allow them to use you as an excuse if they need to. Find someone closer to their own age group to talk to them about drugs and sex - oral sex is not a safe option, as many girls seem to think.

Ensure your daughters have other trusted adults in their lives. We all need someone other than our parents to talk to! Make sure that your daughter knows the difference between intimacy and sexuality. Teach her that a relationship where she suppresses her own sexuality to please her partner is not a healthy one. Be willing to discuss what she wants when she needs to. There can be no taboo subjects if you want to keep your daughter safe. Teach your sons to respect girls, and that they have needs within a relationship as well as boys. Above all, be there there for your children.

Growing up has changed dramatically. The way we parent must evolve to meet the challenge if our girls are to survive.

The Eccentric Mr Wienholt by Rosamond Siemon

2009-09-17T20:32:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:Empire was Arnold's lodestar.
Synopsis:Arnold Wienolt – MP, lion hunter and intelligence agent – was a larger-than-life action hero whose eccentricities were legendary. He once hired a circus tent when campaigning for parliament and offered to box all-comers in the ring. On his first hunting expedition to Africa he recklessly pursued a wounded lion and ended up scarred for life.

Schooled at Eton and on his family’s vast holdings in Queensland, Wienholt fought for Empire during the Boer War and was an early exponent of guerrilla warfare. Decorated for bravery in the First World War, he died in mysterious circumstances spying behind the lines in northern Africa in 1940.Ros Siemon’s engrossing tale has to read about to be believed.
Genre:Biography
Rating:@@@@
Pages:311
BCID:xxx-6572725
ISBN:o-7022-3498-2
Year:2005
Format:Paperback
Comments:This was a very interesting biography about a very interesting character in Australian history. From his role in the squattocracy to serving in Queensland's Parliament; from hunting lions in Africa to serving in three wars (Boer War, WWI & WWII) and spying behind enemy lines; Arnold Wienholt certainly led a full and colourful life of adventure. Most of us are not brave enough to stand by our convictions in the face of almost total opposition and ridicule. Most of us are not brave enough to 'walk the talk'. Most of us crave adventure from home but are not brave enough to pursue it. Arnold Wienholt did all of these things and more - he faced down his enemies with the courage and dignity he felt became a member of the Empire. Despite never having heard of Arnold Wienholt before, this book was an absolutely riveting read.

The Henson Case by David Marr

2009-09-11T17:06:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:Wednesday 21 May, 2008: Morning
Synopsis:On Thursday 22 May 2008, Bill Henson was waiting to open his latest exhibition in Sydney. But that afternoon a ferocious media campaign led police to shut down the show. They raided the gallery, seized photographs of naked adolescents and threatened to charge Henson, one of Australia's greatest living artists, as a child pornographer.

Politicians across the country turned on Henson. The Prime Minister called his pictures 'absolutely revolting'. Galleries stripped them from their walls. While the artist remained silent, a debate raged about art, children, censorship, paedophilia, the internet, the police and the media.

In The Henson Case the acclaimed journalist David Marr tells the story of a great national uproar that's already passing into myth. This is a remarkable investigative essay in which Bill Henson breaks his silence for the first time. Drawing on key documents, and the revealing testimony of principal players, Marr writes of a country divided and a witch-hunt that went wrong.

The Henson Case features details of eight photographs from the controversial Sydney show.
Genre:Non-Fiction
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:143
BCID:xxx-7325741
ISBN:978-1-921520-03-7
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:No-one living in Australia could have possibly escaped the controversy surrounding Bill Henson's photography of nude teens. It seemed like no-one was left on the fence. Everyone had an opinion, heavily coloured by media coverage of events. Even the Prime Minister had his say. But do any of us really know the full story?

In The Henson Case journalist David Marr chronicles events from beginning to end, bringing to light many facts that were missed in the media feeding frenzy. Throughout the whole sorry mess, I argued to anyone that would listen that nudity does not equal pornography. In my opinion, this book vindicates my position.

So, what is your view? Is Henson's work art or porn? Is Henson artist or pedophile? Don't base your opinion on sensationalist reporting. Read the facts, then decide.

Grim Crims & Convicts: 1788 - 1820 (Fair Dinkum Histories) by Jackie French

2009-09-03T15:10:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:It was an incredible idea - to found a colony of convicts eight months' sail away from Great Britain.
Synopsis:Telling it like it really was - true-blue Aussie history!

It was the craziest, wildest and most daring expedition the world had seen. Eleven ships with nearly 1500 people travelled 25 000 kilometres to the other side of the world. But what did they find when they arrived?

Come with Jackie French and Peter Sheehan on a voyage of discovery. History has never been so much fun.
Genre:History
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:198
BCID:xxx-7132824
ISBN:978-1-86504-871-0
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:If your kids know more about American history than they do their own, this is the perfect book to remedy the situation. Grim Crims & Convicts deals with the early history of Australia from 1788 to 1820. It is aimed at young adults and the information is basic enough for them to understand without losing out on the details. Humorous illustrations throughout aid understanding and add an extra element of enjoyment for children. There is a lot of information in here that I had either forgotten or never knew and I found this to be a very interesting book indeed. Highly recommended!

Haunted Australia by John Heffernan

2009-09-02T19:57:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence: Sometimes they actually appear to people, clear as day - and even speak with them.
Synopsis:'Ghosts, spirits, spectres, spooks, apparitions, ghouls, banshees, min mins, Quinkans, feather-foots, poltergeists and doppelgangers. They come with a host of different names. But if you ever actually meet one, what you call it will be the last thing on your mind.'

Come with author John Heffernan on a terrifying tour of Australia, and read spooky tales from the city and the bush, from olden times to the present day.

Sometimes scary, sometimes funny...but always mysterious.
Genre:Non-Fiction
Rating:@@@
Pages:155
BCID:xxx-7132840
ISBN:1-86504-826-7
Year:2005
Format:Paperback
Comments:I know this is aimed at a young audience, but it's a little too sensationalised for my taste. I prefer a book that says 'These are the facts as they were presented' and let you judge for yourself. I don't mind some emotion and fear factor, but using double-printed text and scattering words like 'spooxperts' and 'ghost-codes' throughout is a bit much. Having said that, there are some very interesting accounts included here, and I like the fact they are all from Australia. There's even one in my own town. Worth reading for the information, but be prepared for some sensationalism.

How to be Comfy by Shannon Lush & Jennifer Fleming

2009-08-20T11:32:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:How to be Comfy is about making your house a home.
Synopsis:Your house is Spotless and you have time to enjoy it because you know how to Speedclean. Now discover How to be Comfy.

Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming are back with a new guide for comfy living packed with clever ideas and affordable inspiration to help turn your house into a home.

From the entrance hall to the kitchen, the kids' rooms to the backyard, How to be Comfy is brimming with practical information for women and men of all ages to transform a living space into something welcoming and comfy - from how to use colour to create moods to how to arrange flowers; from how to iron a shirt to how to pack a suitcase; from how to fix a leaking cistern to how to darn a sock. There are craft ideas galore and even delicious recipes - plus helpful advice about buying and keeping all kinds of foods.

From cover to cover, How to be Comfy features hundreds of new ideas, hints and tips - making it another must-have guide for modern living from Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming.
Genre:Home & Garden
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:367
ISBN:978-0-7333-1933-4
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:I moved out of home when I was very young and knew very little about housekeeping. Therefore, I find books about how to clean and decorate incredibly helpful. How to be Comfy is the best book I've read so far in this genre (I haven't read Spotless or Speedcleaning yet, but I sure will be now!). It is packed full of helpful tips about how to make your home a place you you want to spend time rather than just the place you sleep and eat.

In addition to the main text, there are hint and tip boxes which are very helpful, and some interesting little peeks into cleaning in days gone by. I found the tips on how to iron interesting and the entire section on choosing and storing food was incredibly helpful - up to now I'd just been guessing (wrongly in some cases).

This book is a must-have in any home and I will be obtaining it for my personal collection.

2009-07-04T20:22:00.001+10:00

Opening Sentence:The first day Lockie Leonard saw this town it was raining.
Synopsis:Lockie Leonard, hot surf-rat, is in love. The human torpedo is barely settled into his new school, and already he's got a girl on his mind. And not just any girl: it has to be Vicki Streeton, the smartest, prettiest, richest girl in class.

What chance have you got when your dad's a cop, your mum's a frighteningly understanding parent, your brother wets the bed and the teachers take an instant dislike to you and then you fall in love at twelve-and-three-quarter years old? It can only mean trouble, worry, mega-embarrassment and some wild, wild times.
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@
Pages:132
BCID:xxx-5449769
ISBN:o-14-036651-2
Year:1993
Format:Paperback
Comments:Lockie Leonard: Human Torpedo delves into the mind of an adolescent boy in the throes of his first relationship, while trying to cope with a new town, a new home and a new school. It is well-written and the characters, while a bit cliche, are still convincing enough to hold our interest. This is a decent example of Australian Young Adult fiction, but it does not persuade me to continue with the series.

2009-05-30T17:35:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:I was born in the year 1894 at Maidstone in Victoria.
Synopsis:This is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. It is the story of Albert Facey, who lived with simple honesty, compassion and courage. A parentless boy who started work at eight on the rough West Australian frontier, he struggled as an itinerant rural worker, survived the gore of Gallipoli, the loss of his farm in the Depression, the death of his son in World War II and that of his beloved wife after sixty devoted years - yet felt that his life was fortunate.
Genre:Autobiography
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:323
ISBN:o-14-008167-4
Year:1986
Format:Hardcover
Comments:A Fortunate Life is a first hand account of events that most of us have only read about in history books. Albert Facey has lived the kind of life that would have broken a lesser man. From the time he lost his father to Typhoid on the goldfields, through his time as an illiterate child working for horse thieves, the Depression and both World Wars, Albert has had more than his fair share of tragedy. Yet all through this book he downplays his negative experiences, focusing on the positive and relaying his life in a fresh, humorous style that is both pleasant to read and hard to put down.. This is a uniquely Australian piece of literature and I found myself disappointed when I came to the end. A Fortunate Life is a must-read for all Australians.

The Life of Riley by Steve Wright

2009-04-18T20:46:00.002+10:00

Opening Sentence:As he stumbled and cursed his way up the flinty slope of Mount Mornington beneath a remorseless summer sun, Joseph Cornelius Riley experienced the painful delusion that he was not twenty miles inland from the breeze-sweetened coast of Central Queensland but was rather in some scorched suburb of Hades, whereupon reaching the summit he would surely shake hands with the devil himself.
Synopsis:Each Christmas the Rileys gather at 'Little Mornington', the family home outside Melbourne. But this year their declining 96-year-old matriarch, Maude Acacia, sets her family a quest.

Each of them must achieve happiness - or they're out of the will. And given that the family fortune began with a mountain of gold and just got bigger, that's quite an incentive.

How difficult a task could it be?
Genre:Australian Literature
Rating:@@@@
Pages:372
BCID:xxx-6131665
ISBN:o-09-183451-1
Year:1998
Format:Paperback
Comments:According to the cover, The Life of Riley is "A family story about the quest for happiness...and sex, greed, gluttony and revenge." This is true, but this story is also about learning to know oneself. It is about knowing what you want from life and having the courage to reach for it.

In the beginning of this book, none of the Riley's are truly happy. Why? Because they are shuffling along, leading the lives they've landed in without ever once stopping to take note of whether it is what they truly want. When Maude Acacia, the Matriarch of the family gives them a financial incentive to do so, most of them find the courage to follow their hearts.

This book is easy to read. It is amusing and the characters are people we can relate to because, despite their riches, they face the same everyday problems as us. As with most families there is jealousy, envy and rivalry, but in essence what this book is really about is happiness and the journey we take to get there.

Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner

2009-03-31T09:18:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:Before you fairly start this story I should like to give you just a word of warning.
Synopsis:'Without doubt Judy was the worst of the seven, probably because she was the cleverest.'

Her father, Captain Woolcot, found his vivacious, cheeky daughter impossible - but seven children were really too much for him and most of the time they ran wild at their rambling riverside home, Misrule.
Genre:Children's Literature
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:177
BCID:xxx-6762147
ISBN:o-14-034733-x
Year:1994
Format:Paperback
Comments:Seven Little Australians is a charming Australian children's classic that is just as appealing to adults as it is to children. It is refreshing to read a book that doesn't moralise the way many children's books of the era did. This is an entertaining and uniquely Australian story, with a highly unexpected ending, and it deserves a place in everyone's reading list.

The Wish Kin by Joss Hedley

2009-02-08T09:01:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:The vehicle behind them falls back into the dark bushland and for the first time they are alone on the road.
Synopsis:Even as he turns he hears the alarm sounding out from the watchtower. A moment later there are shouts and a round of machine-gun fire rips the waking day. He pounds the bed next to him to raise his sister, Lydia, from sleep, clapping his hand roughly over her mouth that she might not cry out. She sees the danger in his eyes, understands now what it is that their father has been speaking of all their lives.

They run through the darkness, fourteen-year-old Colm Bell and his younger sister Lydia, fleeing from the raiders who have attacked their home, and their father.

Now they are alone in a hostile landscape - a land of empty cities, where small groups of people live in suspicion; a land without rain.

They hear whispers of the Wish Kin - people who may have the power to heal the earth. But the Clan, a sinister group determined to rule this brave new world, are tracking the children. Getting closer...
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@
Pages:309
BCID:xxx-6570065
ISBN:978-0-330-42372-4
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:The Wish Kin is set in a future Australia, after a great ecological disaster. It is an interesting concept, and it is certainly well written. Unfortunately, the book lacks something I just can't put my finger on. I feel it could have been done better. The ending implies that there will be sequals in the future, but I don't think I'll be bothering to look them up.

Gun Alley: Murder, Lies and Failure of Justice by Kevin Morgan

2009-02-03T14:25:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:It is New Year's Eve, 1921, the city of Melbourne, early morning.
Synopsis:Gun Alley strips away the myths surrounding Australia's infamous "schoolgirl murder" in the 1920s - not only exposing the travesty of justice that sent an innocent man to the gallows, but revealing the likely killer.

In the early morning of New Year's Eve 1921, the naked body of twelve-year-old Alma Tirtschke was found in Gun Alley, a dead-end lane off Melbourne's Little Collins Street. She had been raped and strangled. In an atmosphere of public frenzy, the police were pushed to find a culprit; thirteen days later, saloonkeeper Colin Campbell Ross was charged with her murder. Rapidly convicted, and with his appeals to higher courts rejected, Ross was hanged at Melbourne Gaol on 24 April 1922, protesting his innocence to the end.

While researching the case in 1995, author Kevin Morgan stumbled upon a faded blue envelope containing critical evidence: hair samples. During the trial the prosecution had claimed that hairs found on Ross's blanket matched a sample of Alma's hair. This was the first time such forensic evidence had led to a conviction in Australia. Re-examination by modern-day experts has proven the hairs do not match...

Gun Alley is the riveting story of how botched police work, trial by media and lynch-law hysteria spawned a staggering conspiracy to convict and hang an innocent man, and reveals for the first time the vital clues - missed in the original investigation - that point, more than 80 years on, to the true killer.
Genre:True Crime
Rating:@@@@
Pages:360
BCID:xxx-6233661
ISBN:o-7318-1293-x
Year:2006
Format:Paperback
Comments:Gun Alley was a very interesting read, if a little back and forth in the telling. The way it jumped from this person to that and back again and from this time to that and back made it a little confusing. However, the inclusion of real court transcripts helped to clarify some matters.

It is always easy to criticise from hindsight, with modern knowledge and procedure behind us, but it seems to me that, even by contemporary standards, this case was ineptly handled. There are gaping holes in evidence, witnesses changing stories (or outright ignored) and sloppy police work. It's almost as though the police had a suspect in mind and tailored the case to fit. I am a supporter of the death penalty, but this case highlights why it should never be used on a first offence. It is a shame that the first time forensic matching of hair was used to gain a conviction in Australia, it led to a grave miscarriage of justice.

Despite the sometimes confusing format, Gun Alley is definitely worth reading.

Never to be Released by Paul B. Kidd

2009-01-21T10:32:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:This is a book about violent crime.
Synopsis:'Never to be released'. A rare recommendation reserved for the most vicious of killers. The mass murderers. The serial killers. The child murderers. Those who rape and kill in gangs. Killers like:

William 'The Mutilator' MacDonald
Lennie Lawson
Crump and Baker
David and Catherine Birnie
Anita Cobby's murderers
The Granny Killer

With the help of legendary police rounds reporter, the late Joe Morris, Paul B. Kidd has compiled the inside stories of Australia's most horrendous crimes to help ensure that their perpetrators remain behind bars. 'Never to be released'.
Genre:True Crime
Rating:@@@@
Pages:256
BCID:xxx-6693020
ISBN:978-0-330-36293-1
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:Never to be Released was a very interesting look at some of Australia's worst crimes. Many of them I hadn't heard about before. Others, such as the Anita Cobby murder, were so famous I couldn't help but know something about them, though not all the facts presented here. This book is presented in an easy-to-read journalistic style that keeps it from becoming too heavy, but it is certainly not for the squeamish. The crimes described are particularly heinous - the kind that make you wonder if the death penalty ought to be brought back, after all - and few details are omitted.

The term 'Never to be Released' is actually only a recommendation tacked onto a criminals file, not an official sentence, so let us hope that none of these vicious men and women ever leave their cells to walk Australia's streets again. I feel a lot safer with them behind bars.

Never to be Released is a great introduction to the 'True Crime' genre, but it is detailed enough to hold the interest of old pros.

A Paranormal File: An Australian Investigator's Casebook by John Pinkney

2009-01-18T08:55:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:Although many years have passed, I still remember the dream in every electrically vivid detail: the fading light, the smell of the rain, the fear, the shock of pain.
Synopsis:OPENED: An Investigator's Astonishing File

Journalist and author John Pinkney has devoted most of his career to investigating the paranormal in Australia at first hand. This unique book - in which he presents his most fascinating cases - is the culmination of a lifetime's study of UFOs, hauntings, coincidences, futuredreams, near-death experiences, and more. The cases include:

*UFOs over Australia's Bass Strait...as three planes, their pilots and passengers vanished without a trace.

*Bert Newton's uncanny brush with Melbourne's Princess Theatre ghost.

*The Channel 10 racecaller who dreamed the winners of the Caulfield Cup, and told viewers before the race.

'A Paranormal File' also contains authentic photographs of UFOs and the traces and carvings they allegedly left behind - along with stark snapshots of ghostly entities. Written in an open-minded style, these reports make riveting reading.
Genre:Paranormal
Rating:@@@
Pages:222
ISBN:1-86503-361-8
Year:2000
Format:Paperback
Comments:As with most general books on the paranormal, this book does not go into enough detail. However, the stories are more in-depth than others I have read. I am impressed by the sheer number of stories the author was able to gather and it was refreshing to read such a high percentage of Australian content - something that is hard to come by in a field that concentrates on the UK and US.

A Paranormal File covers a wide range of topics and includes genuine photographs of spirits and UFO's. Unusually, Pinkney also includes a number of events experienced by Australian public figures. Overall, this book is worth reading if you are interested in paranormal phenomena in general, and Australian phenomena in particular.

Hamlet: a novel by John Marsden

2009-01-16T17:16:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:'Do you believe in ghosts?'
Synopsis:Hamlet's father has just died. By the time they've filled in the grave his mother has remarried. Hamlet suspects foul play, and it's troubling his spirit. Or maybe he was always troubled. Ophelia is in love with him. His best friend Horatio can't work him out. Then, on a cold, still night, Hamlet meets the ghost of his father...

This wonderful book, by one of Australia's most-loved writers, takes Shakespeare's famous play and makes it into a moving and full-blooded novel. John Marsden powerfully re-imagines the original character and story.
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@@
Pages:228
ISBN:978-1-921351-47-1
Year:2008
Format:Hardcover
Comments:I began this novel with great trepidation, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved how Marsden added a bit of background to some of characters (Horatio is a good example of this). I also liked how he left the time ambiguous. Hamlet could be any teenager in any time going through a very trying experience.

The beautiful language of Shakespeare is absent, of course, though Marsden has made an effort to use some of the original lines. At least part of Ophelia's mad soliloquy is intact (I haven't compared it to my copy of Hamlet yet, but I recognised some of the lines) and the more famous lines ('To be or not to be' & 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark' for example) are included. Hamlet: a novel is definitely worth reading, and is a great way to introduce tweens to wonderful world of Shakespeare.

Breath by Tim Winton

2009-01-11T10:37:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:We come sweeping up the tree-lined boulevard with siren and lights and when the GPS urges us to make the next left we take it so fast that all the gear slams and sways inside the vehicle.
Synopsis:Bruce Pike, or 'Pikelet', has lived all his short life in a tiny saw milling town from where the thundering sea can be heard at night. He longs to be down there on the beach, amidst the pounding waves, but for some reason his parents forbid him. It's only when he befriends Loonie, the local wild boy, that he finally defies them.

Intoxicated by the treacherous power of the sea and by their own youthful endurance, the two boys spurn all limits and rules, and fall into the company of adult mentors whose own addictions to risk take them to places they could never have imagined. Caught up in love and friendship and an erotic current he cannot resist, Pikelet faces challenges whose effects will far outlast his adolescence.

Breath is the story of lost youth recollected: its attractions, its compulsions, its moments of heartbreak and of madness. A young man learns what it is to be extraordinary, how to push himself, mind and body, to the limit in terrible fear and exhilaration, and how to mask the emptiness of leaving such intensity - in love and in life - behind.
Genre:Young Adult
Rating:@@@
Pages:216
BCID:xxx-6473188
ISBN:978-0-330-45611-1
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:Breath is an enjoyable coming-of-age novel written in a refreshingly light style that is easy to read. Tim Winton captures the feel of small-time Australia well, and the characters could be anyone from our own childhood. Despite its simplicity, Pikelet's story is filled with hidden sinkholes and rips, reminiscent of the ocean that plays such an important role in his life. The thrills and exhilaration of surfing are described with such intensity that we almost feel as though we are there, and the hidden pitfalls of everyday relationships are aptly demonstrated.

Breath is a simple but memorable read and I recommend it for adults and teens alike. I will certainly be seeking out more of this author's work.

Blossom Possum by Gina Newton

2008-10-24T15:56:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:Early one morning, Blossom Possum gets a fright - she thinks the sky is falling down! She has to tell someone, so she sets off with her news. On the way she meets her bush mates. But she also runs into trouble.

This re-telling of a favourite folk tale has a delightful Aussie twist.
Genre:Picture Book
Text:Gina Newton
Illustrations:Kilmeny Niland
ISBN:978-1-86504-795-9
Year:2008
BCID:xxx-6570207
Storm, age 4: I like By-Jingo Dingo and Blossom Possum.

Yasmine, age 5: I like Echo Gecko and Abacus Platypus, but I don't like Joanna Goanna who has a wobbly bit under her chin.

Annelise, age 7: My favourites are Blossom Possum, Echo Gecko and I-Seen-You- Emu.
Mum: I'd never heard of Blossom Possum until my daughter's class gave a very entertaining performance, but I'm glad that I now own a copy. This is a wonderful Australian adaptation of the Chicken Little story. The kids love chiming in with each animal's name and looking at the beautiful illustrations. This is one of the few books that don't elicit a sigh from poor old mum when the kids ask her to read it "just one more time".

The Fat Man in History by Peter Carey

2008-10-24T14:55:00.001+10:00

Opening Sentence:Crabs is very neat in everything he does.
Synopsis:A landmark in contemporary Australian literature, The Fat Man in History brought early acclaim to Peter Carey for his brilliant and ingenious fiction. These twelve stories introduce visionary landscapes of intense clarity, where the rules of the game are bizarre yet chillingly familiar.
Genre:Short Stories
Rating:@@@@
Pages:234
ISBN:o-7022-2799-4
Year:1998
Format:Paperback
Comments:Crabs:This story starts off slowly, but turns out OK.

Peeling:This story advocates some interesting life views but soon becomes a nightmare.

She Wakes:A very short story about an unfulfilling relationship.

Life & Death in the Southside Pavilion:One feels very sorry for the horses in this story.

Room No. 5 (Escribo):This is quite a good story and raises some interesting questions. Who is the smiling lady? Where did she come from? Why is she there? The answers to these questions are left to us to surmise.

Happy Story:A very interesting story about the desire for flight.

A Windmill in the West:The story of a lonely soldier's slow descent into madness.

Withdrawal:This was a great story about the owner of an antique store with macabre taste.

Report on the Shadow Industry:A surreal story about the sale of "shadows" and the problems and addictions that result. This story takes third place in the collection.

Conversations with Unicorns:Is death a gift or a curse? Sometimes the fact that we can help doesn't mean that we should... I give this story second place in the collection.

American Dreams:The story of one man's revenge on a small American town.

The Fat Man in History: This is my favourite story in the collection. An interesting experiment in social dependency.

Overall, these stories are a little odd (some are just downright weird) but they each have an important message to impart. Most importantly they are all enjoyable to read. In my opinion the three best stories in this collection are (in order) The Fat Man in History, Conversations with Unicorns and Report on the Shadow Industry.

Shadow Warrior by David Everett

2008-10-21T12:08:00.000+10:00

Opening Sentence:The dog was a German shepherd, about two years old, big and woolly but still goofy like a pup.
Synopsis:David Everett - renegade soldier, outlaw, fugitive and, at one time, Australia's most wanted man - always liked a bit of action. Here, for the first time, he tells his remarkable story.

A far-from-strapping lad from Tasmania, Dave proved everybody wrong by passing the gruelling selection course to join the SAS. Unsatisfied by the Regiment, he left to take up the cause of the oppressed Karen people of Burma, becoming a seasoned jungle-fighter in the process.

On his return to Australia, Dave became every government's worst nightmare: a highly skilled special-forces soldier on a crime spree. On a mission to raise funds for the Karen, he kidnapped people from their homes, robbed movie theatres and plotted some of the most audacious crimes ever conceived in Australia. At the hight of his infamy every police officer in the country was on the lookout for him, while the tabloid press fuelled the public's fear of a trained killer gone crazy.

Dave was blown up, shot at, starved, bashed, interrogated, tortured and locked in solitary confinement, but nothing diminished his wild streak. While serving his jail sentence, he had time to reflect. In Shadow Warrior, he tells his story with unflinching honesty and larrikin wit.
Genre:Autobiography
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:436
BCID:xxx-6299105
ISBN:978-0-7181-0497-9
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:Shadow Warrior is written in a relaxed, conversational style that is very easy on the eyes. The story of how David Everett went from one of the militaries elite to Australia's most wanted is an interesting one. Each step was a logical progression from the one before until he found himself on the run from the law and out of contact with his family and friends.

While I found some of the war chapters a little repetitive (war is like that sometimes), the plight of the Karen is a sad indictment of Australia's political and social conscience. One can forgive David much of his behaviour with the knowledge of the reasoning behind it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and informative book to read and the reader is left feeling sympathetic to David's plight. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

Obsession by Julia Lawrinson

2008-08-30T09:29:00.001+10:00

Opening Sentence:This is such a weird thing to do, I know, leaving this here for you to find.
Synopsis:Charlie is fifteen. She's just moved to a new school and nothing is going right. She's hanging around with a girl she can't stand, her mother is a grief-stricken, wine-sodden mess, and she has noone to talk to except the pages of her diary. Everything seems hopeless. And then she meets Kate.

Kate is sixteen, she's a singer, and she's wonderful. She's everything Charlie isn't, and she makes Charlie's life seem bearable. But when Kate announces she's leaving, Charlie is desperate. Desperate enough to do anything - ANYTHING - to get Kate to stay.
Genre:Fiction
Rating:@@@
Pages:259
BCID:xxx-5508967
ISBN:1-86368-324-0
Year:2001
Format:Paperback
Comments:Despite the fact it wasn't the thriller I had been expecting, Obsession was a good read. Written in diary form, it tells the story of a very troubled young girl who has trouble coping with her life and family and finally latches onto another girl as her salvation. While I wouldn't read this again, I would definitely recommend reading it once.

The Spare Room by Helen Garner

2008-07-28T12:08:00.002+10:00

Synopsis:Helen lovingly prepares her spare room for her friend Nicola. She is coming to visit for three weeks, to receive treatment she believes will cure her cancer. From the moment Nicola staggers off the plane, gaunt and hoarse but still somehow grand, Helen becomes her nurse, her guardian angel and her stony judge.

The Spare Room tells a story of compassion, humour and rage. The two women - one sceptical, one stubbornly serene - negotiate an unmapped path through Nicola's bizarre therapy, stumbling towards the novel's terrible and transcendent finale.
Genre:Australian Literature
Rating:@@@@
Pages:195
BCID:xxx-6157150
ISBN:978-1-92135-139-6
Year:2008
Format:Hardcover
Comments:Easy to read and full of emotion, The Spare Room deals with the issues of death and friendship in a compassionate but realistic manner. The kaleidoscope of emotions one deals with when caring for and supporting a dying loved one can often be unexpected and draining, especially if that loved one has yet to accept their death. So often books romanticise or idealise terminal illness, but death and dying are seldom so pretty. The Spare Room is rollercoaster of emotion but, ultimately, paints are far more realistic (and therefore more helpful) picture of the journey that is dying.

Ash Road by Ivan Southall

2008-06-13T17:16:00.001+10:00

Synopsis:To the children living on Ash Road it was a bewildering and fearful day from the very start. First, the unnatural heat of early morning, the searing north wind that played on everyone's nerves, and the smell of smoke across the thickly wooded hills; then the sirens wailing and the grown-ups behaving so strangely, talking of big fires too far away for you to see; and then the gradual realization that nearly all the grown-ups had gone and that they, a handful of children, were cut off amid growing confusion and danger, forced to face a major crisis with only two old men left to help them....
Genre:Kids/Thriller
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:154
BCID:xxx-6178658
Year:1965
Format:Hardcover
Comments:Ash Road is a thrilling story about a group of kids stuck in a huge bushfire without any adults. This book was published in 1965, so things like currency and slang are not current, but it doesn't affect the understanding (or enjoyment) of the story. Although this book was written for kids, I would also recommend it for adults. I have read it many times over the years, and it still makes my heart race and gives me butterflies in my tummy.

The quality of writing in Ash Road is outstanding. The descriptions of a hot day in the Aussie bush are such that one can smell the Eucalypts, and the description of the fire is thrilling. This is a great read for child and adult alike.

Hal Spacejock: No Free Lunch by Simon Haynes

2008-06-08T22:01:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:A cunning rival determined to ruin Hal's business, a trainee Peace Officer facing a dangerous investigation and a planet with more bugs than a new operating system...When Hal and Clunk set out to make a fresh start, this wasn't exactly what they had in mind.

Now Hal must choose: take on the rival to save his own business, or help the attractive trainee with her first - and possibly last - investigation?

Whatever he decides, it's No Free Lunch for Hal Spacejock!
Genre:Science Fiction
Rating:@@@@
Pages:384
BCID:xxx-6178595
ISBN:978-1-9213-6108-1
Year:2008
Format:Paperback
Comments:I'm not usually into Sci-Fi, but I found the cover of this book intriguing. I'm glad I gave it a go because I was hooked from page one. Simon Haynes is a very talented author who takes what could be a predictable plot, adds twists and turns and a unique sense of humour, and produces an adventure that will hold your attention from beginning to end. I read this book in two days, because I enjoyed it so much I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading the first three books, while eagerly awaiting the next instalment!

Reasonable Doubt: Bizarre Tales of Death and Justice by Wayne Howell

2008-06-06T17:44:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:The killing of a human being is always extraordinary, but the killings and attempted killings in this book go way past that. They are heart-rending, blackly comic or just plain outlandish.

Did David Hookes really scare the living daylights out of a pub bouncer? Was Mick Gatto really shooting in self-defence? Can you shoot your wife while sleepwalking? How far do you have to be pushed before you point a sniper gun at your husband? Would you really be driven to murder if your wife and mother-in-law attacked you in your bed?

This is true crime at its most compelling.
Genre:True Crime
Rating:@@@@
Pages:359
BCID:xxx-6137088
ISBN:978-1-74178-451-0
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:This was a very interesting look at some of the cases that wind up before the courts. The excuses the courts are expected to swallow, and the verdicts that result, are truly amazing. Reasonable Doubt is not heavy reading. It is easy to follow and contains extracts from actual court transcripts. Well worth reading.

The Good, the Bad and the Inevitable by Barbara Holborrow

2008-05-19T13:49:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:In this moving and compelling collection of stories, bestselling author Barbara Holborrow tells of the good, the bad and the inevitable outcomes for so many of the kids she saw in her capacity as a children's magistrate.

There are stories of the kids who are so broken they can never be mended. There are stories of kids and parents who simply don't care and won't change. And there are also stories of the wonderful, inspirational kids and their carers - parents, grandmothers and grandfathers, foster parents and adoptive parents - who are prepared to work hard and do anything within their power to keep their families together, loving and safe, and who instil in children that all-important sense of hope for the future.

Underpinning Barbara's life's work is the belief that every single person in a community has responsibility towards every single child. Scattered throughout these stirring stories of hope, loss and apathy from our own backyards are snippets of Barbara's wisdom on raising kids, looking out for them, and keeping them happy and safe.

Throughout her legal career, Barbara Holborrow specialised in the re[presentation of children. Since her resignation as magistrate from the children's Bench in 1994, Barbara has become a highly sought-after commentator and writer on all aspects of children's justice and childrearing, and is in constant demand for her wise, incisive and compassionate views on the issues of children's rights.
Genre:Parenting/Inspirational
Rating:@@@@
Pages:238
BCID:xxx-3869521
ISBN:1-74051-190-5
Year:2003
Format:Paperback
Comments:This was a well-written and easy to read collection of stories from Ms Holborrow's experiences on the Bench in the Children's Court. Some of the stories were very sad to read. Others were inspirational. In all cases, I felt Barbara acted in a fair and compassionate manner. I have always admired Barbara Holborrow and this book has merely cemented that admiration. In a time when so many judges pander to rockspiders and other criminals, it is refreshing to read of one judge who always had the child's interest at heart.

Blythe Spirit by Sandy Blythe

2008-05-12T09:00:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:At the age of nineteen Sandy Blythe's future seemed assured - he had a promising career as an Australian Rules footballer ahead of him, and was studying for a university degree. But his life was suddenly and irrevocably changed when a car accident left him a paraplegic.

Blythe Spirit is the story of Sandy's journey from the depths of despair in his hospital bed to the elation of co-captaining the Australian men's wheelchair basketball team, which won the gold medal at the Atlanta Paralympics and aims to do the same in Sydney 2000. It recounts his fierce determination to be the first wheelchair-bound student to complete a physical education degree, and later a Master's degree, and his work in helping other men and women cope with the trauma of severe spinal injury.

Blythe Spirit is an extraordinary autobiography, filled with joy, sadness and humour, that will move and inspire everyone who reads it.
Genre:Autobiography
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:250
BCID:xxx-5864135
ISBN:o-7329-1027-7
Year:2000
Format:Paperback
Comments:The author of this book, Sandy Blythe, has lived an amazing life. Well on his way to a career in footy, he suffered a spinal injury, leaving him a paraplegic. Rather than giving up, as so many people do, he turned his life around. He became the first person in a wheelchair to be awarded diploma in Physical Education (overcoming many obstacles to do so) and later went on to receive his masters. He returned to the hospital where he went through his rehab, and spent many years helping others get through the trauma of spinal injuries. He helped educate many people about the abilities of people in wheelchairs. He commenced a successful career in wheelchair basketball, winning the Gold in the Atlanta Paralympics.

This book is extremely well written, with amusing anecdotes and uniquely Australian language and humour. So many autobiographies are a chore to read. This is not one of them. This book is entertaining and easy to read. At times I felt like crying, at times I laughed and the descriptions of the basketball games were tense and exciting (and I normally hate sport!). Blythe Spirit is an inspiration and I highly recommend it.

Heirs of Earth by Sean Williams & Shane Dix

2008-05-07T08:42:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:Earth has been destroyed, and the natural order of things destroyed with it. What little that remains of humanity is caught between the Spinners and the Starfish, unsure whether to run, hide, fight back. None of the options is particularly attractive, none offers much hope for survival...

The mysterious aliens known as the Spinners brought great gifts to humanity - and those Gifts brought great destruction in their wake. Now, the Spinners are gone - and the genocidal Starfish who came after them are continuing their reign of destruction. Time is running out for the handful of surviving humans, their engram brethren, and the newfound alien species that has allied itself with them. Faced with almost certain annihilation. Caryl Hatzis, Peter Alander, and a crew of desperate beings hatch a last-ditch plan - they will take one small ship and attempt to penetrate the very heart of the Starfish fleet...
Genre:Science Fiction
Rating:@@@@
Pages:400
ISBN:o-7322-7525-3
Year:2004
Format:Paperback
Comments:A thrilling finale to the 'Orphans of Earth' trilogy. By now, I was thoroughly engaged with the characters and emotionally involved with the race for humanities survival. In this book the war with the starfish is resolved - does it end with humanites destruction, or will the mysterious starfish be defeated? Not telling ;-) . I will tell you that I was very interested to learn just where the starfish and spinners, known to many as the 'ambivalence', originated. I recommend reading this trilogy - the authors definitely have talent. I got such a thrill from these books, I have decided to chase up more works by these authors as well as other Science Fiction books!

Orphans of Earth by Sean Williams & Shane Dix

2008-05-07T08:17:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:"This is an open broadcast. We are the sole survivors of the human race. Our primary task is to locate those colonies that have survived. We must cooperate in this venture - even if it is to be our last."

In the wake of Earth's demise, true human Caryl Hatzis and human engram Peter Alander have but one goal: to warn the surviving colonies of a coming menace - deadly alien ships, seemingly intent on the destruction of everything in their path. The only way to defend against them is to use the Gifts, advanced technological devices given to humanity under mysterious circumstances. But no one really understands the Gifts - and there is mounting evidence that it is their very use that attracts attack.

With time running out, Hatzis and Alander are desperate to find a way to save the scattered orphans of planet Earth. And then help arrives - from an unexpected and unwelcome source...
Genre:Science Fiction
Rating:@@@@
Pages:410
ISBN:o-7322-7526-1
Year:2003
Format:Paperback
Comments:This is the thrilling sequel to 'Echoes of Earth' and tells the tale of the surviving Engrams and the sole surviving human. A sobering look at what could happen if Earth's first contact is with a technologically superior race bent on destruction.

After being given gifts by the mysterious 'spinners', the colonies are being attacked and destroyed by the sinister 'starfish'. Technologically superior to humanity, it seems there is no escape from the destruction these beings reap. This is a chilling read as we ponder the probability of the extinction of humanity.

This is a great read but be sure to read 'Echoes of Earth' first.

Echoes of Earth by Sean Williams & Shane Dix

2008-05-05T16:32:00.001+10:00

Synopsis:In the Early 22nd century, humans have shed their bodies to travel through space. Produced through nanotechnology, their electronic reproductions, known as engrams, have been sent on fact-finding missions throughout the known universe - searching for signs of Alien life.

As the Engram crew of a survey ship watches, ten orbital towers are constructed around an uninhabited planet's equator by unidentifiable, spindle shaped entities. Then, without any attempt at communication, the spindles withdraw. Cautiously exploring the towers, engram Peter Alander finds what appear to be gifts from a technologically-advanced race, including a faster-than-light ship. But when Alander pilots the ship back to Earth with news of the unprecedented event, he may be giving humanity a gift it can't afford to accept...
Genre:Science Fiction
Rating:@@@@
Pages:375
ISBN:o-7322-7527-x
Year:2002
Format:Paperback
Comments:I'm not usually into Sci-Fi but I really enjoyed this book. Definitely a scary look at what could conceivably become of Humanity if we consider on our present course. It was a little difficult to get my head around different characters with the same name (and essentially the same identity), but this book is well worth a read!

The Cats by Joan Phipson

2008-04-25T23:28:00.000+10:00

Synopsis: A KIDNAP THAT MISFIRED INTO A NIGHTMARE OF TERROR...

Jim thought his luck was in when he won the lottery. He couldn't help telling everyone about his windfall.

But Jim's luck changed when he and his brother accepted a lift from Kevin and Socker. They were suddenly being kidnapped. Kevin had pulled a gun. The car was headed out into the wild country of the Australian bush.

But the bush has a way of turning the tables. Miles from anywhere, in a world of scrub and shanty, the kidnappers become the victims of a wild and terrible enemy that lurks in the mists...

Genre:Thriller
Rating:@@@
Pages:142
BCID:xxx-6013401
ISBN:o-330-25486-3
Year:1978
Format:Paperback
Comments:I found this book was quite slow to start but, after I got used to the author's style, I really enjoyed it. The book is aimed at 10-14 year olds but my ten year old daughter found it too boring to finish. I found this an interesting and enjoyable read, though not overly scary. Good for those days when you don't want anything too heavy.

Bronte's Story by Bronte Cullis and Steve Bibb

2008-04-25T23:26:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:'There was a time, at age fifteen, when I didn't think I would be alive to see my eighteenth birthday. I'm now twenty-five and I've defied the odds.'

Bronte Cullis was the Melbourne teenager whose battle with anorexia captured the hearts of Australians in a series of stories and documentaries by Ray Martin for the Nine Network.

On television, we watched in awe this girl who refused to eat. Years of tears and family frustrations followed. As Jan, Bronte's mother, said at the time: 'Bronte doesn't have anorexia, our whole family has anorexia.'

Bronte's parents were desperate. They knew their daughter was about to die unless they did something drastic. They mortgaged the family home, sold what they could and sent Bronte to the Montreux Clinic, an unconventional eating disorder clinic half a world away in Canada.
It was Bronte's last chance at survival...

Bronte has kept diaries from the day she became sick with anorexia. This is her story.
Genre:Memoir/Health
Rating: @@@@@
Pages:276
BCID:xxx-5861781
ISBN:1-74051-307-x
Year:2004
Format:Paperback
Comments:Those of us who live in Australia will remember Bronte Cullis, the young girl with anorexia whose story we followed on TV, courtesy of Ray Martin. I remember watching with a mixture of horror, sympathy and helplessness as she slowly starved herself before our very eyes. How much worse must it have been for her and her family? I remember staring at her image on television, right before her move to the clinic in Canada, and thinking "This girl is going to die!".

Somehow, she didn't. Somehow, she found the strength to endure, fight and come out whole.

This is her story, taken from diaries she wrote at the time, with small explanations where needed. Anorexia is a vastly misunderstood illness that is often mistakenly believed to be the sufferer's fault. Many people believe they are doing it for attention or to manipulate or punish their parents. In fact sufferer's are just as much victims of this terrible disease as their families and loved ones.

This is a must read for all young girls and anyone with a daughter, sister or niece.

Warning: This book is very raw and emotional and families who have been through this ordeal may find it difficult to read.

Those needing support and treatment for eating disorders should contact the Bronte Foundation at www.thebrontefoundation.com.au.

Disaster Strikes by Eve Pownall

2008-04-25T23:21:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:

DISASTER STRIKES

Australia's past has had its share of great natural disasters. Our Continent is constantly seared by bushfires, parched by drought, and torn by cyclones.

Included in this collection are the stories of the great fire of 1851 that in one day burnt out the whole state of Victoria, and the cyclone that struck Darwin in the early hours of Christmas morning in 1974. There are also individual disasters, stories of people who suffered alone against the elements.

These events and others have been gathered together from newspapers, reports, inquiries, and other contemporary sources. They are not only a tribute to those who endured calamity with fortitude, but are events that we should not forget.
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: @@@@
Pages: 128
BCID:xxx-5645577
ISBN:o-330-27035-4
Year: 1982
Format:Paperback
Comments:These stories are written simply so intermediate readers should have no problems. A great way for children to learn about Australia's history, the stories in this book are divided into the four elements of Earth ('A terribe Journey'; Outback Surgery; Missing at Christmas), Air (Mountain Drama; Fury on the Wind), Fire (Colony in Flames; Inferno on Tuesday) and Water (Hurricane in the North; High Water over Brisbane; So Close to Home).

February Dragon by Colin Thiele

2008-04-25T23:20:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:
The three Pine Kids truly belong in the bushland. And they have nicknames to match - Resin, Turps and Colombine.

They like fishing for Yabbies, taming unusual pets, riding in the local show, and astonishing their teachers.

But their usual adventures are nothing to the dire events that take place when somebody lets loose the February Dragon - the dreaded bushfire.
Genre: Australian Children's Literature
Rating: @@@@@
Pages: 174
BCID:xxx-5449728
ISBN:o-
Year:
Format:Paperback
Comments:This book is a great example of Australian Literature. We follow the adventures of a group of children living on a farm in the Australian Bush. Colin Thiele's uniquely Australian writing style perfectly captures the character of the Australian Bush as he relates the adventures of these three young larrikins. But their greatest adventure is yet to be faced - the most terrifying danger of the hot, dry Australian summer - the February Dragon. A great book for kids and adults alike.

The Boy on the Lake: Stories of the Supernatural by Judith Clarke

2008-04-25T23:18:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:
"The boy was waiting at the end of the jetty, the boat held steady against the stumps. I took his hand; it was cold and moist to the touch and when I felt that chill I hesitated for a moment..."

In this spine-chilling collection of weird and spooky stories, nothing is as it first appears.

What could possibly be dangerous about the smiling boy rowing his boat across a country lake? A pretty picture in a suburban sitting room? An old-fashioned child playing a never-ending game of cards in a derelict house?
Genre: Teen Thriller
Rating: @@@@@
Pages: 142
BCID:xxx-5508845
ISBN:o-
Year:
Format:Paperback
Comments:I finally got around to reading this. This is a book of short stories. Very creepy short stories. This book was written for teens but adults will enjoy it just as much. I really enjoyed reading this and I got a few chills along the way.

Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein

2008-04-25T23:16:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:
"There was on kid, Alison Ashley, and because no one was sitting next to me, Miss Belmont put Alison Ashley there. And from the first day I hated her."

So says Erica Yurken when the oh-so-perfect Alison Ashley turns up at Barringa East Primary...
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Rating: @@@@
Pages: 182
BCID:xxx-5449757
ISBN:o-
Year:
Format:Paperback
Comments:Unbelievably, I managed to live the first thirty years of my life without ever reading this book. Since it is a classic of Australian children's literature, I thought I'd better read it before I give it out at the xmas fair. I'm not sorry I did. This was a great story of what it is like to be jealous of someone and embarrassed about your own family. Definitely worth the read.

Yurk is jealous of Alison, who is elegant, poised, well dressed, has healthy lunches and lives in a nice house. Even as she hates Alison, Yurk strives to be like her. Until she finds something about Alison that she is not jealous of. A great book for tweens and teens.

Dear Miffy by John Marsden

2008-04-25T23:14:00.001+10:00

Synopsis:
Dreamed about you again.Like I do most nights.
Sometimes it's nightmares,sometimes it's good dreams,sometimes I have to change the sheets.
CONTENTS MAY OFFEND SOME READERS
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: @@@@
Pages: 112
BCID:xxx-5508992
ISBN:o-
Year:
Format:Paperback
Comments:This book started out a little slow, but it turned out to be a good book. Great for teens if you don't mind them reading a bit of language.

Odd One Out by Monica McInerney

2008-04-25T23:12:00.000+10:00

Synopsis:
Sylvie has always been the odd one out in her family. Her mother is a celebrated artist, known for her bohemian lifestyle. Her father, long estranged from the family, is a respected poet and academic. Sylvie's two beautiful sisters and her big brother are also making their mark in the design world.

Sylvie hasn't an artistic bone in her body. On the verge of turning thirty, back living in the family home in Sydney and working for her mother and sisters, she feels stck in a major rut.

Then her brother Sebastian steps in with a rescue plan. He offers her a room in his Melbourne apartment for as long as she likes, on one condition. In an updated version of a treasure hunting game they played as children, she has to follow his instructions and go exploring the city.

Within days, she's doing things she'snever done before, going to places she's never been and beginning to think of ideas for a new career. She is also getting to know a very lovely man. Life is looking up.

Then Sebastian reveals one final challenge...
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Rating: @@@@
Pages: 151
BCID:xxx-4293076
ISBN:o-
Year:
Format:Paperback
Comments:This is a hilarious book, quirky and uniquely Australian. Well worth reading.