Kirsty Murray Kirsty Murray i(A4949 works by) (birth name: Kirstin Doris Boyd)
Born: Established: 1960 Melbourne, Victoria, ;
Gender: Female
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Works By

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1 y separately published work icon Shadow Catchers Kirsty Murray , Karen Blair (illustrator), Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2023 25765125 2023 single work picture book children's

'A delightful picture book that celebrates the joy of young children trying to catch their shadows - from the creators of CBCA Honour Book When Billy was a Dog and Puddle Hunters.

'On sunshiny mornings, we go shadow catching.

'Inside, outside, in our home and in our neighbourhood, shadows dance around us from morning through to night.  

'Our shadows are so tall, then small, then tall again in sunlight, lamplight and even in the moonlight. 

'A wonderful picture book about playfulness and the joy of light and movement.' (Publication summary)

1 y separately published work icon Strangers on Country Dave Hartley , Kirsty Murray , Canberra : National Library of Australia , 2020 18447776 2020 single work biography

'Imagine you find a stranger on your favourite beach. They are pale, starving, desperate for shelter and speak a language you can't understand. Despite your fears, you treat them with kindness. You feed them and comfort them. They become like family to you and learn how to live on country. 

''Strangers on Country' describes the experiences of six Europeans who were taken in by Indigenous communities of eastern Australia between the 1820s and 1870s. The shipwreck survivors and runaway convicts stayed alive only through their hosts' generosity.  

'Too often Australian history is told only from a European perspective. Imagining events from both Indigenous Australian and European perspectives, the authors have brought to life remarkable true stories that inspire connection and understanding.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

2 y separately published work icon When Billy Was a Dog Kirsty Murray , Karen Blair (illustrator), Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2019 15785178 2019 single work picture book children's

''Can I please, please, please have a dog?' asked Billy. 'Would you walk it every day and wash it if it got dirty?' 'I would, I promise!' said Billy. Billy wants a dog. He really really really wants one. Billy's parents aren't so sure. So one morning, Billy takes matters into his own paws.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 y separately published work icon Kids Who Did : Real Kids Who Ruled, Rebelled, Survived and Thrived Kirsty Murray , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2019 15402767 2019 selected work biography children's

'Ordinary kids doing extraordinary things. Extraordinary kids trying to live ordinary lives. Real kids doing it tough. When the future looks dark, courageous kids bring light and hope into the world. From outback Australia to Auschwitz, Kids Who Did is packed with true stories about inspiring children who have saved lives, changed history, defied expectations, and fought to survive war and oppression.

'Here are stories of feral kids, fearless kids, Olympic champions, human rights crusaders, climate change activists, princes and prisoners, workers and whizz kids. From the distant past to the present moment, Kids Who Did shows kids making their mark on history and set to change the world.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 y separately published work icon Puddle Hunters Kirsty Murray , Karen Blair (illustrator), Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2018 13968088 2018 single work picture book children's

'When the rain stops it's time to go puddle hunting. Ruby and Banjo and Mum go up the street, and into the park, over the bridge and down to the river flats where the puddles lie waiting . . . Splosh it, Ruby! Splosh it, Banjo! Splosh it, Mum! A glorious celebration of splashing and squelching all the way home. This beautiful book captures the eternal delight of young children splashing about in puddles and experimenting with language.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 5 y separately published work icon Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean Kirsty Murray (editor), Payal Dhar (editor), Anita Roy (editor), Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2015 8318496 2015 anthology short story prose graphic novel young adult

'Be transported into dystopian cities and other-worldly societies. Be amazed and beguiled by a nursery story with a reverse twist, a futuristic take on TV cooking shows, a playscript with tentacles - and more, much more. Plunge in and enjoy!

'A collection of sci-fi and fantasy writing, including six graphic stories, showcasing twenty stellar writers and artists from India and Australia: Isobelle Carmody, Penni Russon, Justine Larbalestier, Margo Lanagan, Lily Mae Martin, Kuzhali Manickavel, Prabha Mallya, Annie Zaidi, Kate Constable, Vandana Singh, Mandy Ord, Priya Kuriyan, Manjula Padmanabhan, Samhita Arni, Alyssa Brugman, Nicki Greenberg and Amruta Patil.' (Publication summary)

1 The Blooming Manjula Padmanabhan , Kirsty Murray , 2015 single work drama young adult
— Appears in: Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean 2015;

Remote-study partners Schaum of the planet MaggiNoo and Jerk of planet Earth do not understand or like each other. Their planets are mutually benefiting from the trade of MaggiNoo dung and as a result the population is forced into unwanted social and inter-cultural contact. An unexpected alliance between Schaum and the small human clones sent to MaggiNoo to perform menial labour brings about an overthrow of Jerk and the mercenary Earthlings. A representation in theatrical form of class struggle and nationalism (or in this case, planetism).

1 Mirror Perfect Kirsty Murray , 2015 single work short story young adult
— Appears in: Eat the Sky, Drink the Ocean 2015;

Teenage Ettie sees herself in mirrors, glass and other reflective surfaces variously as overweight, lumpy, spotty, greasy-haired and gap-toothed. However, in one mysterious clothing store the mirror shows her slim and perfect, and the pull of this polished version of herself has her falling into the mirror. An exploration of women’s schizophrenic and complicated relationship with the mirror.

1 1 y separately published work icon The Year It All Ended Kirsty Murray , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2014 7761617 2014 single work novel war literature historical fiction young adult

'On Tiney Flynn's seventeenth birthday, every church bell tolled as if heralding a new year, a new era. Tiney stood in the garden, purple jacaranda petals fluttering down around her. One by one, her sisters came outside to join her; first Nette, then Minna and lastly Thea. It was 11 November 1918. Armistice Day.

'For Tiney and her sisters, everything is about to change, but not in the way they might have imagined. Building peace is complicated; so is growing up. From tragedy to undreamt-of joy, from weddings to seances, from masked balls to riots in the streets, Tiney's world will be transformed.

'At the end of the war and the dawn of the Jazz Age, Tiney Flynn must face her greatest fears and begin a journey that will change her destiny.' (Publication summary)

1 A Dialogue across the Sea Kirsty Murray , Ruby Murray , 2013 single work prose
— Appears in: The Griffith Review , no. 42 2013;
1 4 y separately published work icon The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie Kirsty Murray , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2013 6169772 2013 single work children's fiction children's fantasy

'The room was full of moon shadows and dancing light. But it was the wall around the window that Lucy couldn't stop staring at, the one with the painting of Spring. It was as bright as a sunny day and the tiny yellow flowers that covered the fields were moving, as if a breeze had blown through the painting and set all the petals dancing.

'Lucy McKenzie can walk through walls. Sent to stay with her Aunt Big in a hidden valley, Lucy discovers the old house is full of mysteries. One hot night, she hears a voice calling from inside a painting on the dining-room wall...

'On the other side of the painting, Lucy meets three children. Together they race horses through the bush, battle fires and floods, and make friendships that will last a lifetime. But who are April, Tom and Jimmy Tiger, and what magic has drawn Lucy to them?' (Publisher's blurb)

1 The Night Swimmer Kirsty Murray , 2012 single work short story young adult horror
— Appears in: Trust Me Too 2012;
1 1 y separately published work icon Topsy-Turvy World : How Australian Animals Puzzled Early Explorers Kirsty Murray , Canberra : National Library of Australia , 2012 6343009 2012 single work information book children's

'To the first Europeans who came to Australia, everything seemed topsy turvy. Christmas was in the summer and trees shed their bark but not their leaves. And the animals were bizarre. There was a bird that laughed like a donkey and a type of greyhound that bound along on its hind legs like a hare. There was an animal in Tasmania whose nocturnal screeches sounded like the devil and a river creature that had a ducks bill at one end and a beavers tail at the other.

'The Europeans had never seen anything like these animals before and gave them names similar to those of the European creatures they already knew. They drew and painted odd pictures of them, showing they did not understand the animals habits. In one illustration, a wombat is standing on its back legs and in another a Tasmanian tiger is wrestling with a platypus of the same size.' (Trove)

1 8 y separately published work icon India Dark Kirsty Murray , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2010 Z1711853 2010 single work novel young adult historical fiction 'Madras 1910: a troupe of child performers are stranded, having staged a strike against their manager. Their fate now depends on the outcome of a court case, and an alliance with gentlemen of the British Raj. Based on a true story, India Dark recreates shifting friendships and loyalties and the clash of innocence versus experience against the backdrop of India's seductive mysteries.' (From the publisher's website.)
1 The Deeper Issues of Love Kirsty Murray , 2009 single work essay
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Winter vol. 17 no. 2 2009; (p. 9-10)
Murray attempts to answer her own question 'What do I want to say about the world in which I live?' with reference to three of her novels.
1 9 y separately published work icon Vulture's Gate Kirsty Murray , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2009 Z1616828 2009 single work novel young adult science fiction

'One girl - could she be the last girl alive? One boy, pursued by reckless men who have kidnapped him from his fathers.

'Bo and Callum go in search of a safe haven, a place to call home. But where can they turn and who can they trust? When every stranger is a threat, does their only hope lie in reaching Vulture's Gate?

'Following a journey that takes them across barren deserts and lost valleys, Bo and Callum must discover how to survive alongside runaway boys and crazed religious terrorists, in a world with an uncertain future.

'And what is the disturbing secret at the ruined city's core?'

1 1 y separately published work icon The Red Camel Kirsty Murray , Canberra : National Museum of Australia Press , 2008 Z1599749 2008 single work children's fiction children's

'Ruby doesn't like working for the Nortons. She wants to go back to Alice Springs to live with her mum. Will Idris, the Afghan boy who works with the camels, help her to return home?' (National Museum)

1 Invisible Women Kirsty Murray , 2008 single work criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 16 no. 1 2008; (p. 6-7)
An essay discussing gender bias against females in young adult fiction.
1 The Rat Swallower Kirsty Murray , 2008 single work short story children's
— Appears in: Short : A Collection of Interesting Short Stories and Other Stuff from Some Surprising and Intelligent People 2008; (p. 45-56)
1 y separately published work icon A Penny to Remember Kirsty Murray , Canberra : National Museum of Australia Press , 2007 Z1447575 2007 single work children's fiction children's historical fiction When George is sentenced to seven years hard labour in Van Dieman's land he engraves a penny for his sister to remember him by.
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