Archives

Croc Candy

Feb17
Croc Candy

Croc Candy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Croc Candy

Claire Thompson

Deborah Brown

Woodslane, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922800817

Seven-year-old Angus Copelin-Walters is like so many little lads that we all know – he would much rather be outside doing the boy-things that he loves than inside the classroom struggling with reading and maths, especially when the numbers jumble and the letters twist and tumble.

But that could be where the similarity ends because for Angus, who lives in Australia’s Top End, his favourite thing is interacting with the many crocodiles at his local fun park, preferring to wrestle with them than the marks and squiggles on a page that seem to make no sense.  As his self-esteem and belief in himself goes into a downward spiral, despite his mother’s wise words to do things his own way, Angus sees a television doco about homeless people and suddenly his life is changed for ever…

Inspired by a desire to do something, he finds both a purpose and a product, and even though the numbers still jumble and the letters twist and tumble, he perseveres because now he has a need and a reason to tame them.

This is the most uplifting true story of yet another child hero who sees a problem and tries to fix it – in this case, by creating special croc-shaped lollipops that are based on traditional First Nations bush tucker. Now, at 14, an ambassador for global charity Made by Dyslexia, and acknowledged by dignitaries such as the  late HM Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Richard Branson, his story is told and his name known so that he can stand alongside peers like Campbell Remess who is continuing to change the world “one teddy bear at a time” and other Australian child heroes who continue to prove that not only not all superheroes wear capes, but that success can be defined by so much more than a mark on an assignment or a score on a test.

As the new Australian school year gets underway and some students are embracing it while others are dreading it, this is a must-share. Not only does it demonstrate that success takes many forms, that doing things in your own way and wanting to make a difference and believing that you can can have great rewards and “numbers that jumble and letters that twist and tumble” or any other learning challenges can be overcome, it encourages children to identify their own hopes and dreams,  set their goals and pathways to them, and understand that trial and error, practice and patience are all part of the journey.  They can learn to harness their personal superpower that, as Sir Richard Branson says, “helps us to see the world differently and come up with new and exciting ideas.”

How many green ant lollipops will they have to taste-test until they find the combination that is just right?

 

Mitchell Starc – The Incredible True Story

Jan5
Mitchell Starc - The Incredible True Story

Mitchell Starc – The Incredible True Story

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mitchell Starc – The Incredible True Story

Clive Griffith

Carl Pearce

Farshore, 2024

144pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9780008608903

As record crowds flock to the Sydney Cricket Ground to watch the final test between Australia and India which will determine the winner of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, fast bowler Mitchell Starc has once again been a star and with his fitness and ability to play dominating sports news for days, his popularity is very apparent.  So a new release in this series of Amazing Cricket Stars  is just the thing to keep young aspirants interested in something beyond the game on screen.  

From his announcement that he was going to play cricket for Australia to his family at the age of 6, the easily-read story tracks Starc’s journey to being one of Australia’s foremost fast bowlers, so much so that there would be few who didn’t know his name.  But not only does it tell the story of the hours and hour of practice and training that went before his debut in the Australian team against New Zealand in 2011, it also shows that anyone can achieve their dream – you don’t have to be from the rich suburbs of a capital city to make it through the ranks to the elite. 

While a new generation of players such as Sam Konstas might be more flamboyant and attracting attention, Starc’s dedication and determination demonstrate the essential elements that underpin any true champion’s success and so not only does this book tell the story of a modern-day hero but reinforces those basic values of hard work, tenacity and patience – the real world it is not a click-and-it-happens place – and for that alone , it has a place in the collection. 

If one of Starc’s young fans were to rise to similar heights in 20 years time, what would their biography say about their early days?  Maybe this story becomes the start of theirs.

Amazing Cricket Stars

Nov1
Amazing Cricket Stars

Amazing Cricket Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Cricket Stars (series)

Ben Stokes

 9780008608873

Virat Kohli

9780008608880

Heather Knight

9780008608897

Mitchell Starc

 9780008608903

Clive Gifford

Carl Pearce

Farshore, 2024

144pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

The grand finals have been held and now it is time for cricket.  Despite the Australian women’s team being knocked out of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup for the first time since who remembers, and New Zealand winning the ultimate trophy – YAY – anticipation for the summer is building with India and Australia beginning their quest for the Border-Gavaskar Cup in less than a month.  

So this series which focuses on some of the great names of modern cricket is a timely release to get fans reading and knowing the stories of their heroes. Who knew that Englishman Ben Stokes is actually a Kiwi? With two already published – Stokes and Kohli- and two more -Knight and Starc –  due in days, these are easy-to-read back stories of well-known names that not only introduce the stars but also the genre of biography.  If the reader were to choose their own favourite player to be included in the series, what facts, figures and stories need to be included?  And how do you turn those into an engaging story that not only makes you want to know more but also inspires the reader to believe they, too, can join the ranks of the greats? 

While these are unofficial biographies, nevertheless sports series are always popular with young readers and show them that even though the sportsfield is their preferred domain, the library still has something to offer them. 

 

Stand Proud

Oct15
Stand Proud

Stand Proud

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stand Proud

Nicho Hynes & Marlee Silva

Blak Douglas

Puffin, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

 9781761341335

As a kid, Nicho knows a few things to be true.
Everyone calls him Nicho, instead of ‘Nicholas’.
He loves the sport of rugby league.
And he is Aboriginal – but he hasn’t always known what that means.
Then one day at school, Nicho sees his friend covered in white paint and practising a special dance.
Nicho asks him to teach him the dance too . . . and that’s when everything changes.

Even though the 2024 Rugby League season has past and preparations for the next one yet to begin, there will still be many young children who have been inspired by those they have deemed to be their heroes and who aspire to emulate their prowess by practising their skills daily.  For many, that hero will be Nicho Hynes from the Cronulla Sharks and so they will be delighted to read this story of his life, although they might be surprised that it is not so much about his success on the football field as it is about finding who he is and where he has come from.

Because his mum, an Aboriginal, was one of the Stolen Generation,  taken from her family as a little girl, she lost her indigenous identity and although she always told Nicho of his Aboriginal heritage and to be loud and proud about it, she had lost all the stories of her heritage to pass on, and so Nicho was caught in no-man’s-land, particularly when his schoolmates didn’t believe him because his skin was so light.  He didn’t know how to be “a loud, proud, blackfella” so while he felt something ignite inside when he saw his friend Bruce dancing on Harmony Day, it wasn’t until he followed his rugby league dream, idolising Johnathan Thurston and meeting more and more blackfellas who also played, that he started to feel like he was with family and that he belonged.

And the rest, as they say, is history … through opening up to those around him and being open to hearing and learning what he needed to know about his heritage and inheritance, he really began to thrive and not only share his story but, just as Johnathan Thurston had become his idol, so he himself became an idol for those following his footsteps –  so much so that he was awarded the 2024 Ken Stephen Medal Man of the Year for his outstanding mental health advocacy and leadership in the Indigenous community.  

The publisher’s blurb says that this is a story about “Nicho Hynes, who grew up to find his passion when he found his people” but it is also a story for anyone who feels that they are out of step with those around them, whether that be driven by race, culture, religion, gender, or neurology, encouraging them to continue seeking not only their own identity but also others with whom they feel most comfortable.  By telling his story to his close friend Marlee Silva, this becomes an opportunity for others who may also feel lost to find the courage to speak up, to seek and find their way and their particular “tribe”. Hynes is a role model far beyond the boundaries and goalposts of the footy field. 

Why footy star Nicho Hynes has teamed up with Archibald Prize winner Blak Douglas to tell his story about growing up Aboriginal

South With the Seabirds

Sep5
South With the Seabirds

South With the Seabirds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South With the Seabirds

Jess McGeachin

A & U Children’s, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761068645

Far to the southeast of Tasmania, halfway to Antarctica, where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate, a tiny island pokes its head above the windswept Southern Ocean, pounded by waves on their relentless westward journey.  Two hundred years ago, it was discovered and named by a sealer to impress the Governor of New South Wales and for another century it was known only to the sealers and whalers who prowled the southern seas in search of prey rich in the blubber that kept them warm and made oil for humans; one hundred years ago Sir Douglas Mawson established the first scientific station to study its unique flora and fauna; and fifty years ago it was added to the World Heritage List. 

Just  34 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres wide at its broadest point, nestled amongst its peaks, unique in themselves because  it is only place on earth where rocks from the earth’s mantle are being actively exposed above sea level are four lakes – Gillham, Bennett, Macpherson and Ingham – each commemorating the women who are the subject of this new book from Jess McGeachin.

Just a generation ago, just being a female scientist was cause for comment if not concern,  but being one who wanted to break the “petticoat ban” imposed on the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic by the male-dominated thinking of the time was unheard of and so it took many letters and much patience for Mary Gillham, Isobel Bennett, Hope Macpherson and Susan Ingham  to independently campaign and then collectively be successful in getting permission to join the 1959 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) – now the Australian Antarctic Program -expedition south on the MV Thala Dan, one of four ships especially built for the program to navigate and survive the conditions but offering little creature comforts.  (My mum also broke the petticoat ban going south to the Antarctic mainland itself in 1968 in the  MV Magga Dan.)

MV Thala Dan (left) and MV Magga Dan, ships specially built for ANARE to withstand the Antarctic conditions.

MV Thala Dan (left) and MV Magga Dan, ships specially built for ANARE to withstand the Antarctic conditions.

Each with a common but specialised interest in the wildlife that abounds on the island, they explored the cliffs, beaches and rockpools as they studied the seals, seabirds and other creatures, particularly the hundreds of thousands of penguins, that sought refuge there. Yet, even though they would contribute significantly to the knowledge of the wildlife, including the eradication of introduced rabbits that were creating so much destruction (a project that took another 50 years to get started), their return to Australia was more about their being women in a man’s world.

However, they paved the way for other women to follow, and in this book, McGeachin has not only introduced the reader to four remarkable women whose stories need to be known, but also laid the groundwork to inspire today’s young girls to aspire to similar heights starting by being curious, having a keen eye, and simple tools.  Even more importantly though, it reinforces that gender should not be a barrier to following your dreams, wherever they may take you.  

Perfect for the 2025 CBCA Book Week theme of Book An Adventure! 

For those wanting to know more about Macquarie Island itself, seek out the award- winning One Small Island by Alison Lester and for those wanting to know more about my mum’s own ground-breaking trip you might be able to find a copy of her book The Abominable Snow-Women.

Find out more...

Find out more…

Three Dresses

May10
Three Dresses

Three Dresses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Dresses

Wanda Gibson

UQP, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A6.99

9780702266355

Three things are vivid memories of  the childhood of author and illustrator Wanda Gibson, Nukgal Wurra woman of the Guugu Yimithirr people – the harsh life on the Hope Vale on the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland; the annual two weeks holiday, the only time they got off the Mission, spent at the beach; and receiving three dresses and three pairs of undies from the Lutheran Church at Christmas time – “one to wash, one to war and one spare”.

But despite the hard life on the Mission – school in the morning, work in the afternoon, picking weeds out of cotton, pineapples and peanuts for no pay even in hot weather, – this is a story of the happy memories of those special two weeks spent with her family at the beach and the simplicity of a time shared and enjoyed just by being together,  

Taken at face value it is a joyful story of a holiday at the beach that could no doubt be contrasted to the holidays current students have at a similar location, or even the notion of being thrilled to get just three dresses a year, and even those were second-hand. However, thorough teachers notes help readers delve into the impact of  colonisation on our indigenous peoples and the various policies that governed their lives including extensive background information as well as points for investigation and discussion and classroom activities, making this a picture book to span all ages and aspects of the curriculum.  Indeed, there are links to further resources specifically for upper primary students. 

Whether it is shared as a story of the importance of a family making and sharing memories or one that opens doors to a different aspect of Australia’s history, this is one that has the potential to make a big impact. 

Giovanni

Jan1
Giovanni

Giovanni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giovanni

Crystal Corocher

Margeaux Davis

Wombat Books, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761111235

In 1881, four-year-old Giovanni and his family and local villagers leave the Veneto region of Italy bound for Australia having been promised “paradise” only to find that they are in the hands of a people smuggler with a rickety boat, little food and no real concern for their safety, let alone comfort.  Eventually stranded on a beach in Noumea, they were in despair of ever reaching Australia dying in huge numbers from bad food, mosquitoes, undrinkable water and back-breaking work in the monsoon season. 

But hearing of their plight, Sir Henry Parkes, the “father of Federation” but then colonial secretary of NSW sent a boat to rescue them and 22 families eventually settled on the NSW north coast in what was to become known as New Italy and the start of the Italian migration to Australia that continues today.

Told by the great-granddaughter of Giovanni, with a concurrent Italian translation by Jada Valpato,  this is a story meticulously researched that tells of an almost-forgotten part of Australia’s migration history, making it one for both younger and older readers, particularly those of Italian heritage.  Coupled with links to resources such as the New Italy Museum, this is definitely one for the collection for both your Italian families as well as any study of Australia’s immigration history. 

 

Shearer

Nov6

Shearer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shearer

Neridah McMullin

Michael Tomkins

Walker 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781760653163

Click go the shears, boys — click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare-bellied yoe.

Click Go the Shears is one of those traditional Australian songs that our children learn about the same time they learn the iconic Waltzing Matilda. But while the origins and meaning of that song are learned alongside the lyrics, what is the story behind some of the strange words and phrases in the shearing song?  Surely sheep are shorn using machinery.

But before Frederick Wolseley perfected his invention of mechanical shears in 1888 – a design 25 years in the making – sheep were shorn with hand or blade shears requiring great skill and considerable strength in the hand, arm and back and then, as now, it was one of the most physically demanding jobs as far as stress to the human body according to a 2000 report by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. 

Iconic images of the 19th century shearing shed. Shearing the Rams (top) and The Golden Fleece (bottom) both by Tom Roberts.

Iconic images of the 19th century shearing shed. Shearing the Rams (top) and The Golden Fleece (bottom) both by Tom Roberts.

Shearers travelled from woolshed to woolshed as wool became one of the most valuable resources of the Australian economy, particularly as gold discoveries dwindled, and among those men, was Jack Howe who had “hands the size of tennis racquets, legs like tree trunks and wrists made of steel”. 

Shearer is the story of the day Howe sheared a record 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 mins at Alice Downs Station in Blackall, using blade shears, bringing to life the story of a man still regarded as Australia’s greatest shearer and after whom, the iconic navy blue singlet of the tradie is named.  

With her books Eat My Dust, and Drover  and the upcoming Tearaway Coach, Neridah McMullin is becoming known for telling the stories of those who have had a significant impact on Australian life, particularly that of rural communities, and thus opening up all sorts of opportunities to explore further.  Shearer continues this tradition, particularly as attendances at shows that bring the country to the city continue to break records and shearing demonstrations attract huge crowds.

For a century Australia “rode on the sheep’s back” and this book gives readers, young and older, an entry point to investigate the hows and whys of this common saying. 

Ash Barty Champion

Oct1
Ash Barty

Ash Barty Champion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ash Barty: Champion

Young Readers Edition

Ash Barty

Harper Collins, 2023

288pp., pbk., RRP $A22.99

9781460762738

In these days of the unprecedented success and support from women’s sports, there are few who would not know the name Ash Barty, and in this young readers’ edition of her autobiography, independent readers can learn about her story.   In her words, “It’s a tennis story. It’s a family story. It’s a teamwork story. It’s the story of how I got to where and who I am today. My story is about the power and joy of doing that thing you love and seeing where it can take you.

It reflects on my whole tennis journey – from the first time I picked up a racquet as a young girl in Queensland, to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open. It explains how I worked through self-doubt, homesickness and a break from the sport to realise my tennis dreams, winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world.

Maybe my story will inspire you to follow your dreams – I really hope it does”

Often when our students fixate on real-life heroes, all they are seeing is the here-and-now, the success and the attention that comes with that and they don’t realise that that part of the journey is but the tip of the iceberg, that there have been years of hard slog and sacrifice that have gone into making that here-and-now what it is.  One of the most powerful traits that we can teach our children is how to be resilient, how to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after unexpected knockbacks and knockdowns, and this story in which Ash Barty talks about the highs of her career she also is honest about the lows – her struggles with her mental health, body image, self-doubt, her fragmented schooling, the loneliness and the homesickness of being on tour – shows that it is not all about glory, fame and money and that for anyone determined to follow their dreams, there are times when that in-built resilience is all that is left. 

Students also see those heroes as being special somehow, as though they had been touched by the magic fairy at birth like Sleeping Beauty, and do not see themselves as being the sort of person who could reach such heights, so that focus on her childhood and her struggles show that in the beginning, she was just as ordinary as they are, and it is the dedication and determination to succeed at her passion that is the driving force.  

So as much as this is a story about Ash Barty the person, it is also a story about having that inner strength and that resilience to find and follow your own dreams and it is that intention to inspire that sets this one apart from so many of the other  autobiographies and biographies that young readers pick up as they expand their reading horizons. You don’t have to be a tennis player to enjoy this.

 

Khawaja

Jul2
Khawaja

Khawaja

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Khawaja

Paul Kelly

Avinash Weerasekera

Puffin, 2023

24pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761340611

As Australia’s men and women’s cricket teams continue to do amazing things in this year’s Ashes series in England, the name of Usman Khawaja is now well-known well beyond cricketing fans and families, if it wasn’t already.  The top scorer in both Australian innings in the first test, following his two centuries in the 2022 New Year’s game, having been recalled after being sensationally dropped from the team in 2019, Khawaja was headline news well beyond the sports pages.

And it is this rise and fall and rise again that is captured by music legend Paul Kelly in this tribute to the man’s determination, patience and resilience, given that Khawaja himself thought he would never represent his country again. Now in picture book format so all little cricket lovers, and Khawaja fans especially, can have it forever at their fingertips, this is the print version of Kelly’s song that he wrote and released on social media after that 2022 performance.  

With the music based on the Hank Williams tune Kaw-liga, it is a catchy tune that will not only have young readers easily able to read the words for themselves, but also show them that perseverance and self-belief underpin success, regardless of whether it is cricket, sport or any dream. For even though Khawaja himself will likely be remembered for being the first Pakistani-born Australian and Muslim to wear the prized baggy green, it is the message of dedication, hard work, going-back-to-basics to make things better, application and commitment that will remain with the reader and inspire them.