Australia
24
Bauer, Michael Gerard
Don’t call me Ishmael!
Malvern, SA : Omnibus Books, 2006. – 277 p.
ISBN 1-86291-666-7
Teenager – Insecurity – Bullying – Friendship
Ishmael’s
life is doomed. After all, what is there to do when you suffer from a
mysterious condition called Ishmael Leseur’s Syndrome that triggers abnormal
behaviour in otherwise completely ordinary people and leaves you a complete
loser? The desperate first-person narrator of this hilarious teenage novel
describes in minute detail all the minor and major disasters hitting him over
the head during one particularly trying school year. The accumulation of
deadly embarrassing accidents in this light-hearted look at problems such as
lack of self-confidence, bullying, and the search for a hole in the ground to
disappear in, will have young readers giggling from beginning to end.
(12+)
25
Caswell, Brian
Loop
St Lucia, Queensland : Univ. of Queensland Press, 2006. – 208 p.
ISBN: 978-0-7022-3589-4
Teenager – Everyday life – Unusual event
In
this collection of short stories for teenagers, award-winning author Brian
Caswell explores a kaleidoscope of different topics. The tales range from the
challenges of everyday life, the pitfalls of teenage love, the disappointment
and anger against divorced parents to various unusual encounters with forces
from outer space, which are in turn moving, heart-breaking, witty, and
hilarious. Often ending in a truly Dahl-like twist of events, the stories are
all the more enjoyable because readers are taken completely by surprise. The
smooth and engaging first-person narrations interspersed with plenty of
dialogue make this collection a diverting read. (12+)
26
Dubosarsky, Ursula
The red shoe
Crows Nest, NSW : Allen & Unwin, 2006. – 183 p.
ISBN 978-1-74114-285-3
Australia/1954 – Post-war society – Daughter – Father – Sister – War trauma – Suicide attempt
In
this quiet children’s novel set in 1954, Ursula Dubosarsky describes the
everyday life of little Matilda and her family. Matilda’s mother struggles
hard to maintain a kind of sane family routine despite the fact that the
often-absent father can’t seem to cope with his horrible wartime memories
and older sister Elizabeth just suffered a nervous breakdown. In an
unpretentious, matter-of-fact style, the curious six-year-old protagonist
relates the events around her. The renowned Australian author uses real
newspaper clippings cunningly woven into the haunting narrative to paint an
authentic picture of small and big events in post-war Sydney and, at the same
time, creates a family story filled with a sense of mystery, adventure,
tragedy, and wonder. (10+) (Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards;
2006)
27
Marchetta, Melina
On the Jellicoe road
Camberwell, Victoria [et al.] : Viking, 2006. – 288 p.
ISBN 978-0-670-07029-9
Mother – Daughter – Search for identity –Orphan – Friendship – Boarding school – Love
As
newly-elected house leader, 17-year-old Taylor Markham faces difficult
negotiations in the secret territory wars between the boarders at Jellicoe
School, the Townies, and the Cadets. Yet, her heart is actually set on
something else. Ever since her mother abandoned her six years ago, the
troubled and angry girl has been trying to piece her life back together from
snippets of fading memories and a weird dream that haunts her every night.
Could the unfinished manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe almost
20 years ago hold the missing clues? In her new teenage novel, Melina
Marchetta carefully intertwines two mysterious and utterly moving stories
about friendship, love, tragedy, and loss that will not release their grip on
the readers until the last page. (14+)
28
Millard, Glenda (text)
Chapman, Gaye (illus.)
Kaito’s cloth
Lindfield, NSW : Scholastic Press, 2006. – [36] p.
ISBN 1-86504-845-3
Girl – Butterfly – Flying – Wish – Imagination
This
philosophical, fairytale-like picture book is Glenda Millard and Gaye
Chapman’s second collaboration after »Heart of the tiger« (2004). The
fragile ink- and watercolour-illustrations whisk readers away into a magical
land where the Lord of Flight creates stunningly beautiful butterflies to fill
the hearts of people with joy before the dreary winter settles in. When little
Kaito (who bears some resemblance to a slightly Japanese Little Red Riding
Hood) finally reaches the Mountain of Dreams after a strenuous journey, she is
devastated to learn that the floating, fluttering creatures only live for one
day. Nevertheless, with a lot of imagination, the girl eventually finds a way
to preserve the miracle of flight until spring returns. (4+)
29
Ormerod, Jan (text/illus.)
Water witcher
Surry Hills, NSW : Little Hare Books, 2006. – [32] p.
ISBN 978-1-921049-51-4
Farm – Drought – Survival – Water – Divining rod
In
this picture book, acclaimed illustrator Jan Ormerod recalls the difficult
life on a drought-stricken farm in the Western Australian bush. The slightly
nostalgic, evocative illustrations in bright blue and shades of brown, red,
and orange bring the glimmering heat of a typical dry summer day alive, with
land, people, and animals sweltering under layers of red dust. To survive,
little Dougie and his father have to cart water to the farm every single day,
from a well more than an hour down the track. When the boy learns that his
grandfather was able to find water with the help of a divining rod, he ignores
his sisters’ teasing and his mother’s scepticism and determinedly knuckles
down to learn the mysterious art of water witching to save his family.
(4+)
Special
Mention
30
Tan, Shaun (illus.)
The arrival
Melbourne : Lothian Books, 2006. – [126] p.
ISBN 978-0-7344-0694-1
Journey – Immigrant – Loneliness –Homesickness – Assimilation
Award-winning
artist Shaun Tan’s latest offering for young and old readers is an
extraordinary graphic novel relating the tale of a young man who ventures out
into a strange, far-away country across a vast ocean to seek a better life.
With hardly any money and no knowledge of the language or the customs of his
chosen land, all that the immigrant can rely on to find food, work, and a
place to live are his inner strength and ingenuity plus help from sympathetic
strangers. In a sequence of hundreds of sepia-coloured illustrations in
varying sizes, this textless masterpiece invites readers to share the
protagonist’s homesickness, displacement, and confusion in an enigmatic
world devoid of any recognisable, familiar patterns. The graphite pencil
drawings, created with a meticulous attention to detail and brimming with
fantastic elements, are reminiscent of an old-fashioned photo album that
reveals a long-forgotten, secret adventure. (12+) <> ¤
31
Tonkin, Rachel (text/illus.)
Leaf litter : exploring the mysteries of a hidden world
Pymble, Sydney, NSW : Angus & Robertson, 2006. – 29 p.
(Children’s non-fiction)
ISBN 978-0-207-19844-1
Plant litter – Habitat – Life cycle – Seasons
This
non-fiction picture book takes young readers on a trip into nature. In
detailed, large-format illustrations teeming with wildlife, the author
examines the world on a small patch beneath a tree during the course of one
year. While leaves and plants grow, fall to the ground, and start rotting,
small animals are born, fight for survival, leave the place, or die. Even
small children will delight in naming animals and discovering fascinating
scenes by lifting the flaps. The poetic and informative text adds a second
level for older children who are interested in changes occurring in the
habitat. The »Things to find« appendix invites readers to explore the pages
more thoroughly and the glossary provides an abundance of additional
information. (3+) ¤
32
Wild, Margaret (text)
Spudvilas, Anne (illus.)
Woolvs in the sitee
Camberwell, Victoria [et al.] : Viking, 2006. – [40] p.
ISBN 0-670-04167-x
City – Catastrophe – Panic – Loneliness –Coping with fear – Courage
The city has turned sinister, strange creatures are lurking in the shadows, and to young Ben, life has become a fierce struggle for survival. Only when his sole friend, the elderly next door neighbour, disappears, does the boy, who has been hiding in the basement, summon enough courage to decide: »I will no longer let the woolvs forse me to scrooch [sic].« In this unsettling picture book, readers are left in the dark as to what kind of catastrophe may have hit the city. The sketchy, bold charcoal illustrations set against alarming watercolour backgrounds underline the oppressing atmosphere of the narration, while the misspellings and twisted grammar draw particular attention to the poetic text. This outstanding work naturally lends itself to discussions about war, fear, environmental destruction, or psychosis. (10+)