At the Swamp's Edge by Jo Fisher

Cover illustration by Roger Boreham

First published in 1993, the book hasn't really dated as it is set in 1937, painting a picture of the pre-war years and the hardships associated with farming. Annie Miller's family have moved from Sydney to the country, to a small town called Walchep where they are running a dairy farm. But it hasn't quite worked out how it was planned, Mum's cranky most of the time and Annie feels heavily criticized in all that she attempts around the house. Her dad is exhausted  despite the help given by Annie's older brother Ted. It's a high maintenance farm with a run-down house and everything constantly breaking down around the farm. Things aren't much better at school with Annie and her two brothers finding the lessons a walk over. But, there was the swamp, a great place to explore and forget about the hardships of home. It was a time when all clothes were darned and not thrown away, cow pats were used as a mosquito repellent and the house is heated by a fuel stove. The novel is an interesting step back in time, a taste of family life in the Australian country in the 1930's.

Call of the Selkie by Jean Bennett

Another beautifully written book out of New Zealand, this one by Jean Bennett,  deals with young boy who befriends and rescues a seal cub whom he names Selkie. Things at home are pretty traumatic for teenager  Ryan. His mum and dad are going through difficult times and he isn't coping too well with their constant quarrelling. One day in a secluded bay after escaping from  the animosity of the house which is slowing suffocating him, Ryan comes across a seal and her pup. Each day he finds a quiet  liberation  by observing these two animals go about their lives. Then his mum leaves home for an indeterminable amount of time and a unscrupulous fisherman, Kelly,  invades the bay intent on getting his hands on very marketable and rare seal skins. Ryan finds himself racing against time to save Selkie. If you enjoy Colin Thiele books, then this book would most likely be your cup of tea.

Friends and Brothers by Dick King-Smith

A simple book about two brothers. William is finding it difficult to get along with his younger brother, Charlie. he thinks he is a show-off, asks far too many questions and is always saying the word "absolutely." It is a little bit dated but anyone who finds younger siblings pesky might relate to this little book. Some of it would be considered politically incorrect these days. Their mum threatens to hit William if he hits Charlie again. There are seven chapters in the book and each chapter is basically a separate story. The chapter called Snapdragon is quite a nice story about Charlie's pet beetle which he has named Snapdragon. One day William is looking in the matchbox where Charlie keeps him and accidentally lets him go...

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

The Man Who Loved Boxes by Stephen Michael King

The man had a son. The son loved the man and the man loved the son. This beautifully illustrated hard back picture book is well worth the visit. It examines a very unusual relationship between a father and his son. It is all about how love can be communicated in many another ways apart from words. With all its charming simplicity it gently tackles a quite complete theme; father son relationships. It is both a whimsical and wise story. This is one of the most beautiful and moving books in the Little Library of Rescued Books. The book was first published in 1995 and won the Autralian Family Therapist's Award and was also shortlisted for the Chricton Award for Children's Book Illustrations.

The Trickster Ghost by Ellen Showell

Someone or somethings is causing trouble for Stephen. He has just recently moved into his grandparents' house with his family, and things are going missing; Stephen's precious rock, Grandma's hourglass, Rachael's seashell and now Rachael's stuffed animal, Calico. Everyone is pointing the finger at Stephen despite all his protests and the fact that he too has had something that has mysteriously disappeared. The answer it seems is in an old trunk in the attic. This non-confronting book about ghosts is a pleasant little read and a great start if you are not into bigger novels. Every short chapter includes a full page soft pencil drawing bringing the major characters to life.

Wavelength by Daryl McCann & Debbie Forbes

This short novel is written by husband and wife team Daryl McCann and Debbie Forbes. It's all about Jude Hollit who thinks he will be famous one day. The school prefect, David Warbridge, who he likens to a "huge, blonde surf Nazi," gives him a hard time at school and his middle-aged parents act like teenages. Yet, he firmly believes that when he's playing NBA basketball at St Andrews College that he will finally get the respect he deserves declaring, "I'll be a zillion times more famous than my father, that old has-been." However, things don't really go to plan and Jude has to find another way to make it to the top. This book is fairly dialogue-driven and is a relaxing and enjoyable read.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was written in 1972 and is the first of the “Fudge books”. It was followed by Superfudge, Fudge-A-Mania and Double Fudge. This book captures what it means to be a kid with a little sibling. This book is not afraid to say that little brothers and sisters can be annoying brats. This book looks at the difficulties older children have to deal with when they're forced to abandon their personal privacy and sanity for the sake of a younger brother or sister. Peter Hatcher is nine years old and has the demanding job of dealing with almost-three-year-old Fudge at all times. Fudge is what a polite person would call a lively child. However, as far as Peter is concerned, he is nothing short of a holy terror. If he's not sticking green food stamps to full suitcases or refusing to eat until Peter stands on his head, he's leaping from large boulders trying to fly, or throwing mega- tantrums in shoe shops. Peter is understandably jealous of the amount of attention Fudge gets but one good thing in his life is his pet turtle, Dribble. Basically, each chapter in this book is a small story about the daily interactions and adventures of the Hatcher boys. This book has dated a little but is still an entertaining read. Find out more about Judy Blume and why she likes to write by watching this interview:http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/289125-18

A television series was made based on the books:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SILXRSoheM&feature=related

Our Snowman Had Olive Eyes by Charlotte Herman

Author, Charlotte Herman, is probably better known for her novel My Chocolate Year, but this little book is very endearing and examines a young girl's relationship with her grandmother. The book tells the story of a girl called Sheila, whose elderly maternal-grandmother, Bubbie, comes to live with her family and share her room. The grandmother has a heart condition and the girl's mother wants to keep her quiet and fairly inactive, but the girl sees how unhappy this makes her grandmother. The book also looks at the on Sheila’s relationship with her older sister, Muriel (whose diary she regularly dips into)

Breakdown by Budge Wilson

This novel explores the experience of thirteen-year-old Katie Collicut as she and her brothers face a challenge to family harmony, unity and a fairly routine lifestyle when Mr. Collicut suffers a nervous breakdown. Canadian author, Budge Wilson, introduces her readers to the obstacles a family must overcome when confronted with emotional illness: blame, helplessness, anger and social stigma. Breakdown describes what exactly a "nervous breakdown" is and is not. Such clarification is necessary to reassure the reader who may be wondering, "Is my father or mother having a nervous breakdown?" "Am l?" Do children worry about such issues as emotional and mental health? An unspoken answer to this question is the undeniable popularity of Breakdown. Not many books deal with this issue.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

This a novel by Katherine Paterson won Newberry Medal back in 1981, and the title refers to the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau in the Bible where it is written, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated…” Sara Louise Bradshaw is sick and tired of her beautiful twin Caroline. Ever since they were born, Caroline has been the pretty one, the talented one, the better sister. Even now, Caroline seems to take everything: Louise's friends, their parents' love, her dreams for the future. For once in her life, Louise wants to be the special one, but in order to do that she has to find out who she essentially is and to try and make a special place for herself outside of her sister’s shadow.Click on the link below to hear author Katherine talk about her life and this book, the book of which she is most proud:

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

The Lonesome Howl by Steven Herrick

Now this might be a good book to take a look at since we are doing a big poetry unit in third term when I get back from France. Steven Herrick was the youngest of seven children, thought you might like to know that Caleigh. Lots of descriptive poetry about two families and bush life: Dad accidentally shooting Winnie the pig, a son escaping onto the shed roof for some peace and quiet, a wolf at Wolli Creek, Lucy crouching by the creek, Jake getting mad with Lucy at the swamp. The poems all link together to give you insight into family life: fun times, arguments, resentments and children with too many questions. Want to meet the author, see what he's like? Click on this link to hear him recite his poem Ten Things Your Parents Will Never Say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3jZyonew2Y&feature=related

Riding the Rough by G Brassi

This is a novel for upper primary or lower secondary. It is told by Angie who is 13. In the two years since her father left them, Angie Flynn has been expected to take more and more responsibility for the running of the house and the care of her younger brother and sister. When Robert finally coaxes his boat, Assassin, into starting, she joins Mo and the Williams family in learning to water-ski. It is then that Angie finds her mother’s unfair demands and expectations run contrary to her dreams. Their relationship sours further, until the school parent interviews, when Mrs Flynn realises how Angie has become more of a mother than she is and she takes action.

The Blossoms Meet the Vulture Lady by Betsy Byars

When we first meet the protagonist of this novel, Junior, he is trying to fly with his home-made wings. After recovering from two broken legs he is trying to make the best coyote trap ever. But, a dangerous coyote is surely no match for Junior Blossom. He sets out to with his trap to try and win the big reward that's on offer! However, Junior’s inventions aren’t exactly known for their success. A malfunction sets off a series of events that leaves Junior trapped far from home in a place no one would think to look for him. Will the rest of the Blossom family be able to rescue him?

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

This book was a Newberry Medal winner. It is the beginning of summer and Dicey Tillerman’s mother has abandoned her and her family and is later found in an asylum unaware or anything around her. So Dicey Tillerman, her brothers James and Sammy, and her sister Maybeth have to live with their grandmother, Gram, whom they have never met before. Dicey finds looking after her siblings quite a demanding task, after all she is only thirteen. Alll she really wants is some time to herself and time to restore an old sailboat she has found. This book would appeal to students in grade 6 -9.

Love Me, Love Me Not by Libby Gleeson

This one's for all those who love a little bit of romance or exploring those complex feelings that come with growing up. Crushes, love at first sight, friendship that may become something more all these ideas are explored in this collection of nine stories. There are ten individuals, all students in year 8, whose stories are woven together to create something more than a simple collection. From loving self to loving another person, all are struggling with growing emotions.

The Pinballs by Betsy Byars

This is one of my all time favourites. The unwanted kids. It is a much easier read than the Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Patterson, but has very similar themes and focuses on children in foster care. I have probably read it to at least ten classes over the years and the feedback has been very positive. The author, Betsy Byars, generally writes in third person point of view as she sees into the minds of the characters in her stories. Her main teller is usually one child. In this novel it is Carlie, but there are occasional insights into the minds of Thomas J and Harvey the two other foster children in this story. Carlie knows she's got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she feels that she’s just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. “As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again.” But against her will and her better judgment, Carlie and the boys become friends and the three of them begin to understand that they can take control of their own Iives.

Click on this link to hear what the author Betsy Byars has to say about the process of writing and her books:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gysfZ6s30SM

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

One of my all time favourites. I used this one as a class novel twice and the classes loved it. It is more for the 12-14 year old range and has very good character development. Who could forget Maime Trotter the big bible-wielding lady whom Gilly the main character loathes for so long? Gilly finds herself in yet another foster home where her bitterness, anger and cynicism after years of repeated abandonment and rejection don't allow her to readily befriend or even accept William Earnest, another foster child in Trotter's care. To top it all off she has to run errands for and deal with the blind man next door, Mr Randolph, who is an African American. Gilly has to confront her own racism, help William Earnest deal with bullying and find out who she really is. All the while she plans her escape hoping to reunite herself with her mother Courtney Rutherford Hopkins. There are some profanities in the novel but these are a reflection of the hard life Gilly has lead. The following interview with Katherine Paterson about her books and why she writes is very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xj8ITyKQaQ