Cirrus@Austlit

'Fifteen-year-old Miles just wants to surf, but in the New South Wales coastal tourist-drawn town of Ulladulla, things are far from idyllic. Hidden beneath the surface of pristine beaches and a laid-back community is an underbelly of crime, racism and rage.' (Publication summary)

'At once a memoir and biography, a father and son contend with the fragility of their own relationship in Occupied Palestine. This exciting new work explores the discovery of identity and love, apartheid and trauma.

'Mark Rafidi is an alien in a foreign land, yet he hears the land of his forefathers sing to him. It will signpost his roots. It will offer a cup of suffering he must drink from. It will challenge him to move from indifference to empathy. His father, Ishmael, is returning to a past he tried to exorcise. Even though he fled after the Six Day War, he hasn't forgotten the land which belongs to him like a mother.

'Ishmael's Oud is a journey from Australia to Jerusalem, from naivete to knowing; the narrative of a son who travels through memory's alley and finds out what it means to be both Palestinian and Australian.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Standing on the Shoulders of Giants is a signiicant record of collective insight, offered by twenty of Australia's prominent picture book authors and illustrators. The unique collection of their dialogue covers an astonishing range of subjects, without ever losing sight of their love for picture books. The authors and illustrators reflect on the dynamics of the picture book medium, their own works and processes and in doing so, reveal more about the person behind the name.' (Publication summary)