The Binna Binna Man
St Leonards
:
Allen and Unwin
,
1999
Z492840
1999
single work
children's fiction
children's
(taught in 7 units)
'The powerful story of an Aboriginal teenage boy who is caught between the attractions of city life and the ways of his people. After a terrifying encounter with the Binna Binna man he knows what he must do in order to be true to himself.' Source: Libraries Australia.
Naked Bunyip Dancing
Beth Norling
(illustrator),
Crows Nest
:
Allen and Unwin
,
2005
Z1206793
2005
single work
children's fiction
children's
humour
(taught in 1 units)
'With Carey the Hairy as their teacher, class 6C get into 'co-curricular activities' like poetry and belly dancing, and they put on a concert that is the best night of their lives. Funny, honest and full of likeable characters, this free verse story is perfect for 8-12s.' (Publication summary)
Two Weeks with the Queen : The Play
1992
Paddington
:
Currency Press
,
1993
Z203021
1992
single work
drama
humour
young adult
(taught in 1 units)
Sent to live with relatives in England when his younger brother develops a rare form of cancer, Colin tries to see the Queen to help find a cure for his brother.
Journey to Eureka
Sydney
:
Hachette Children's Books Australia
,
2005
Z1261469
2005
single work
children's fiction
children's
historical fiction
(taught in 1 units)
The Divine Wind
Sydney
:
Hodder Headline
,
1998
Z268319
1998
single work
novel
historical fiction
young adult
(taught in 8 units)
'Friendship is a slippery notion. We lose friends as we change and our friends don't, or as we form other alliances, or as we betray our friends or are ourselves betrayed ...
'Alice, Hartley, Mitsy and Jamie are kids growing up in Broome before the Second World War. Their lives, although very different, are bound by friendship. Hartley and Alice Penrose are the children of an uneducated pearling master and a cultivated, disgruntled mother. Mitsy Sennosuke is Japanese, the daughter of Zeke, a diver working for Hartley and Alice's father, and Sadako, who makes soy sauce in a tin shed factory. Jamie Kilian is the son of a local magistrate, recently moved north from the city. Together, they unconsciously cross the boundaries of class and race, as they swim, joke and watch films in the cinema in Sheba Lane.
'But these happy, untroubled times end when lives are lost in a terrible cyclone, Alice falls for a wealthy cattleman pilot, a young woman is assaulted, and Hartley and Jamie compete for the love of Mitsy. The Second World War brings further strain into their lives. The four friends are no longer children but old enough to fight for their country. As Japanese bombs begin to fall like silver rain on northern Australia, loyalties are divided and friendships take on an altogether different form …
'This thrilling and beautifully written new novel from Garry Disher evokes an era of Australia caught up in the events of war and its effects on people torn apart from all they know and hold dear in childhood.' (Source: Publisher's website)
Theodora's Gift
Camberwell
:
Viking
,
2005
Z1193883
2005
single work
children's fiction
children's
(taught in 4 units)
Theodora is fourteen when her father has a mysterious vision. Soon after, he leaves his family and goes to live with his first wife. It is up to Theodora and her half-brother Samuel to bring him back. Meanwhile, Samuel's grandfather is dying, and Theodora begins to see a black cat that could not possibly be real. As present-day events collide with stories from a distant past, the world begins to seem a more complex place, full of uncertainty, great wonder and inspiration. - back cover
Does My Head Look Big in This?
Sydney
:
Pan Macmillan Australia
,
2005
Z1208243
2005
single work
novel
young adult
(taught in 4 units)
'Welcome to my world. I'm Amal Abdel-Hakim, a seventeen-year-old Australian-Palestinian-Muslim still trying to come to grips with my various identity hyphens.
'It's hard enough being cool as a teenager when being one issue behind in the latest Cosmo is enough to disqualify you from the in-group. Try wearing a veil on your head and practising the bum's up position at lunchtime and you know you're in for a tough time at school.
Luckily my friends support me, although they've got a few troubles of their own. Simone, blonde, gorgeous and overweight – she's got serious image issues, and Leila's really intelligent but her parents are more interested in her getting a marriage certificate than her high school certificate!
'And I thought I had problems...'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Two Weeks With the Queen
London
:
Blackie
,
1989
Z509661
1989
single work
novel
humour
young adult
(taught in 3 units)
"Sent to live with relatives in England when his younger brother develops a rare form of cancer, Colin tries to see the Queen to help find a cure for his brother." (Source: Trove)
Boys of Blood and Bone
Camberwell
:
Penguin
,
2003
Z1042804
2003
single work
novel
young adult
war literature
historical fiction
(taught in 6 units)
Two parallel stories about two young men, separated by nearly nine decades in two different eras. As Andy and his mates head inexorably towards the bloody torturous Great War, Henry faces challenges, dangerous situations and tragedies of his own. (LA)
