Around the World in 80 Tales by Saviour Pirotta

This is a great way to travel around the globe. This beautifully illustrated book takes readers across six continents with folktales from eighty different countries. Author Saviour Pirotta has written more than sixty fiction and non-fiction books for children and his works have been translated into ten languages. He has a special; interest in traditional legends and myths from around the world. The inside covers contain illustrated maps so readers can easily site where each story they read is set. There is even one from Australia called Boomerang. I was pleased to see stories from Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, three of my favourite travel destinations. The book is well organised and is probably the biggests and the most stunning addition to the Little Library of Rescued Books.

Gilbert's Ghost Train by David Metzenthen

This book moves swiftly from the present into the past as Martin Dean explains that his younger brother Dally (Dally) is dead, and then moves on to narrate the series of events preceding his death. The two boys live near the country town of Triggerton and they spend a lot of time hanging out at the old railway station and enjoy the joys of country life, like lighting campfires, riding motorbikes and exploring the old gold mines in the hills. Then Dally's illness gets worse and Martin spends more time outside exploring alone and is having a great deal of trouble coming to terms with the inevitability that his brother is going to die. One day, whilst walking his dog Carl along the tracks of the old station, he meets Gilbert (Gil) a friendship instantly forms. But there are a lot of strange things about Gil, the way he speaks about the past, his clothes, especially the old army slouch hat withe hole in the side. This is an extremely sad book but it helps you get in the mind of a brother and appreciate the complexities of the impending death of a loved one.

Space Travellers by Margaret Wild

1. Zac and his mum live in a big city and they are homeless. Every evening they sleep in a big rocket which stands in the middle of a park. Zac loves the rocket and at night he dreams he is in outer space. This is a sensitive depiction of homeless life and will hopefully help younger students better understand this problem in society. Gregory Roger's illustrations are stunning, especially the night scenes from the rocket where the city lights do give the reader a closeness to the stars. Margaret Wild has written more than forty popular and award-winning books for children including Let the Celebrations Begin and Our Granny, both of which are available for borrowing from our Little Library of Rescued Books.

Dear Bruno by Alice Trillin

This reassuring little hardback book, illustrated with whimsical drawings by New Yorker cartoonist Koren, is intended for children with cancer. But it is also for their parents, caretakers, and is also an enlightening read for anybody really to gain some understanding of what some patients might go through. The text takes the form of a letter which educator and television producer Trillin wrote in 1979 to Bruno Navasky, a friend's 12-year-old son, who had just been diagnosed with cancer. Trillin, who herself had cancer, shares her experiences with Bruno and tries to cheer up his days with humor and a frank attitude toward the illness. Calvin, Alice's husband wrote a book about his wife who passed away in 2001.

The Loaded Dog by Henry Lawson

The Loaded Dog is Henry Lawson's most popular comic story. Mates Dave, Jim and Andy are sinking a shaft at Stony Creek in search of gold. They like to go fishing in the creek and one day Dave decides it would be easier to blast the fish out with a cartridge of dynamite than to angle in the normal way given the muddy state of the water and banks. The trouble is they own a big, dopey retriever dog known for his idiotic slobbering. Well, as fate would have it, it is not long before the four-footed mate is terrorizing the town with his find. This hardback is filled with the detailed and colourful illustrations of Walter Cunningham who fully captures the amiable silliness of the dog. The end papers of the gold claim are also very effective and interesting to look at.

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...

Never Tomorrow by Nan Hunt

There is an explosion in a church, a young girl runs and then faints. When she comes to, she can't remember anything about her life, not even her real name. Virginia has an American accent but she is alone in Sydney. Where are her parents? Why was she outside the church when the bomb went off? She does know that her life is in danger. There are people in strange clothes who are trying to kidnap her, and then someone sends her a letter bomb. The only comfort she has is the mare from the bay.