My Place by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins.

There are two copies of this beautiful book in the Little Library of Rescued Books, one softback and one hard cover. This picture book is best poured over than read aloud. I have purchased the DVD series that is based on the book and will be using it when we do our Australian history units throughout the year. The book gives a unique and intimate history of Australia and family life and features descriptive text, maps and illustrations. The story starts in 1988 and works its way backwards through time until the time of invasion in 1788 telling the history of one particular place through the generations of children who lived there. Click on the link below to check out the My Place website:

http://www.abc.net.au/abc3/myplace/

Australia at War: The Colonial Wars by Susan McKernan

This book tells the story of the wars Australia was involved in whilst still a colony of Great Britain. Covered briefly are the Maori Wars, the Sudan, and the Boxer Rebellion. The major part of the book deals with the Boer War in South Africa which was the longest and most difficult of the Colonial Wars that Australia was involved in. The text is suitable for Upper Primary and Lower Secondary students and there is a handy glossary at the back of the book as well as an extensive index. It is illustrated by Johnny Altomonte.

The Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill

This is Anthony Hill's second book for children and it was extremely well-received, winning the 1995 Australian Christian Literature Award for Children, and being listed as an Honour book in the same year in the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for Young Readers. It was written and published before there had been much public discussion of the Stolen Generation. It is the story of John Jagamarra, a young Aboriginal boy who was taken from his mother by the Welfare Department and sent to the Fathers at the Pearl Bay Mission. I believe it is a must-read for all young Australians, many of whom could not possibly imagine what it would be like to be suddenly removed from a loving family and placed in a foreign and somewhat sterile environment. Throughout the book, John reminisces about life at tha camp at Dryborough Station and the trick his mum used with the burnt stick to prevent the white men taking him away. She rubbed the charcoal into his skin in order to make John appear darker than his natural colouring. Now this worked twice but then came the dreaded day...

Mark Sofila's soft charcoal drawings are both evocative and confrontational and really show just how traumatic and emotional these forced abductions of the aboriginal children were. Click on the link below to watch Kevin Rudd's apology to "The Stolen Generation"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3TZOGpG6cM

Here is a brief explanation of what "The Stolen Generation" is all about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzpsBqwCQqE

Secrets of Walden Rising by Allan Baille

Brendan and his dad move to Australia after his mum leaves home. Settling in a drought-ridden outback town does not seem much of an improvement over a green English village he is used to, and Brendan finds the local kids to be mean, narrow minded and positively hostile. They don't even use his name , to them he is just "the Pom." However, things take a turn for the better when he discovers that something weird is happening outside the dusty town and no-one else seems to have noticed. Everyone else is far too preoccupied waiting for rainfall which will break the terrible drought. It is as if a whole new town from the past has suddenly risen out of the water in front of him. Walden Rising is another worthy read from one of Australia’s best known writers, Allan Baillie

Answers to Brut by Gillian Rubenstein

I think this story would be suitable for young people between the ages of 11 to 14 years. This story is about a boy named Caspian and his bull terrier,Brut, which he really adores. Kel, a neighbour, decides to "borrow" Brut intending to only have him for the weekend. However, Kel's dad decides to sell the dog much to his distress. The adventure really begins when Caspian finds out what has happened. Brut has been sold to a dog fighting syndicate. This book won the NSW Premier's Award for Children's Literature in 1988 and also was Book of the Year for the Children's Book Council the following year.

Click on the following link to hear a review done by an upper primary child:http://www.queanbeyp-.schools.nsw.edu.au/web10/Uwan_activity_15_Brut.mp3

Zizzy Zing by Ursula Dubosarsky

The author's name is a real mouthful but she writes amazing and often complex books. This is her third novel. Phyllis, the main character in the book, discovers a shocking secret from the past. Whilst staying at an old convent school in the Blue Mountains, a mysterious letter arrives. It leads her on a funny and frightening journey by train to Katoomba where she meets Elizabeth who is wearing strange attire. The nun who is accompanying Phyllis, Sister Monica, suddenly disappears and then she finds herself in Elizabeth's house staring at the body of a dead child. This book has a sinister tone to it and probably would appeal to girls 11-14 years old. The title of the novel comes from an Italian street song called" Naughty Marietta" which Elizabeth plays on an old record player. Read the lyrics to the song on the following web page:

http://www.rhapsody.com/jeanette-macdonald/san-francisco-other-favorites/italian-street-song-from-naughty-marietta/lyrics.html

Or listen to it at this website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UElHgLigwyI

I feel sorry for Phyllis having to listen to this song!

This hardback edition is now classified as "hard to find."