Flora's War by Pamela Rushby

Flora’s War by Pamela Rushby

 

Publisher: Ford Street

Publication Date:  August 2013

ISBN: 9781921665981

Pages: 306 (est)

 Format: B format paperback           

Price: AUD $18.95

Category: Fiction

Age Guide: 11+

 

Blurb:

It’s 1915 and sixteen-year-old Australian, Flora Wentworth, is visiting Cairo with her archaeologist father. She watches with growing alarm as first a trickle and then a flood of wounded soldiers are shipped into the city from Gallipoli.

 

Flora’s comfortable life is turned upside down when a hospital visit thrusts her into the realities of World War 1. She is soon transporting injured soldiers and helping out exhausted nurses – managing to fall in love along the way.

 

As Flora battles to save lives and find her own, a tragic misunderstanding changes everything...

 

Review:

I absolutely loved Flora’s War!!

 

Flora’s War for me is filled with so much detail and history.  Pamela has written a book full of great power. For me reading about how civilian’s helped out in World War 1 was inspiring and I never imagined how much young women actually did during the war.

 

It’s a book aimed at young girls and to teach about how civilians, especially women, helped during the First War.

I highly recommend every grade 10 student should read Flora’s War as it really shows the War in a new way. I believe I would have gained more reading this in grade 10 or even grade 6 when we learnt about World War 1 because there was so much depth in the story.

It shows how before the ANZAC’s first went to battle that there wasn’t much for the nurses to do but then once they did enter into the battle so many young men came back injured, diseased or died from their injuries or the diseases they caught.

 

Pamela you have really made me see the War in a new way and how women young and old did a lot more during the war than I ever first thought.

 

Thank you for such a beautifully written story. I hope one day to share it with my children as to me it’s more than just a story, it tells of something that happened almost 100 years ago.

 

Such a fitting tribute for all the young women such as Flora who did so much during World War 1 in Cairo.

5/5

 

About the Author

Pamela Rushby:

Pamela Rushby lives in Brisbane with her husband, son and six visiting scrub turkeys.

Pam has worked in advertising; as a pre-school teacher; and as a writer and producer of educational television, audio and multinmedia.

She has won several awards, including a Literature Board if the Australia Council grant to work on archaeological excavations in Egypt and Joprdan; a Churchill Fellowship to strudy educational television in Canada; the Ethek Turner Prize in the NSW Premier’s Literacy Awards; and a bag of gold coins at a film festival in Iran.

Her website is www.pamelarushby.com

 

Also by Pamela Rushby:

·         The Horsrs Disn’t Come Home HarperCollins 2012 (short-listed, Queensland Literacy Awards 2012)

·         When the Hipchicks Went to War Hachette 2009 (Notable Book CBCA 2010, winner Ethel Turner Award for young people’s literature, NSW Premier’s Literacy Awards 2010)

·         Millions of Mummies John Wiley & Sons 2006

·         Circles of Stone HarperCollins 2003

Gamers' Rebellion by George Ivanoff

Gamers’ Rebellion by Greg Ivanoff

 

Publisher: Ford Street
Publication Date: June 2013

Pages: 246

 Format: Paperback

Price: AUD $16.95

Age Guide: 11+

 

Blurb:

 

Tark and Zyra finally make it out into the real world... but things are not quite what they expected. When Zyra is captured by the Designers, Tark finds himself among a group of teenage rebels. It seems like everyone has an agenda and Tark and Zyra are to be pawns in other people’s power games. They soon discover the sinister uses to which the game is being put and the shocking way it is all operated – with dozens of kidnapped children wired directly into the mainframe, their brains keeping the whole thing going. Will Tark and Zyra be able to free these children? Will they be able to save the characters within the game from the people who created them? Will they even be able to remain in the real world? Or will the Designers’ plans for world domination win out?

 

Review:

Gamers’ Rebellion is the finale chapter in the  Gamers trilogy.

 

I absolutely enjoyed reading Gamers’ Rebellion by George Ivanoff. It had me hooked from the very beginning.

 

I may not have read Gamers; Quest and Gamers’ Challenge but after finishing Gamers’ Rebellion I defiantly intend on getting a copy of both books and reading. I found Gamers’ Rebellion full of excitement.

 

At times I did get confused about Tark and Zyra as I never fully understood the characters as without reading Gamers’ Quest and Gamers’ Challenge I found i had missed the most important thing of the story of how things began and where they actually came from. I eventually worked out that both Tark and Zyra are not from the real world but that of the world created by the Designers.

 

This book is aimed at young people 11+ and I truely believe all kids who are into the world of gaming would enjoy reading the Gamers’ Trilogy. It really brings the world of gaming into a whole new light.

 

I really loved the way George has written Gamers’ Rebellion. For me it’s a great was to get kids out of the gaming world and into the world of fiction through books.

 

Well done George Ivanoff for writing such a great book!!

 

5/5

 

About the author:

 

Greg Ivanoff

 

Greg Ivanoff is an author and stay-at-home dad residing in Melbourne. He has written over 30 books for children and teenagers, two of which are on the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge booklist. George has also written for numerous magazines and anthologies, including Trust Me! and Dr Who, Short Trips:Defining Patterns. Check out George’s website at http://www.georgeivanoff.com.au/

 

Also by George Ivanoff:

• Gamers’ Quest
• Gamers’ Challenge
• Life, Death and Detention
• Generation Slip
• Cory Jansen: Teen Spy
• House of Cards

Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo written by Tania McCartney and illustrated by Kieron Pratt

Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo  written by Tania McCartney  and illustrated by Kieron Pratt

 

Publication Date:  August 2013

ISBN: 9781925000023 HB, 9781925000030 PB

Pages: 32

 Format: Landscape Hardcover & Paperback

Price: AUD $22.95 HC, AUD $16.95 PB

Category: fiction/non-fiction crossover

Age Guide: 6-10

 

Blurb:

Whilst visiting Canberra, Riley encounters a very jumpy kangaroos that is frantically searching for something she’s lost. Bounding around the iconic sights of Canberra, can this roo finally finds what she’s been looking for?

 

Review:

This is such a wonderful children’s book. It’s something any child would love to hear and look at the amazing pictures. The pictures in the book are a combination of location photographs with illustrations over the top of them.

 

What makes this book interesting is the fact that that there is so much to look at in the pictures. The characters of Riley and his friends are wonderful and bright. The characters are a great contrast to the photographs they appear in. 

 

This book really comes at a great time with the Canberra Centenary celebrations.

 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has children of their own or is a teacher as I think this book is such a great resource as it really shows what Australia’s Capital City looks like.

5/5

 

 

About the Author and Illustrator:

Tania McCartney

Tania is an Australian author, editor, publisher, blogger, magazine writer and mango devourer. She is the author of the Riley travelogue series of picture books and has also published adult non-fiction. One of her favourite things in the whole wide world is reading to kids.

www.taniamccarthney.com

www.rileyavaitor.com

 

Kieron Pratt

Kieron Pratt is a Canberra-based illustrator and cartoonist who has worked on three of the Riley the Little Aviator books and several other children’s picture books. He has spent many years as a storyboard artist for an animation company and has recently been commissioned to redesign the maps for the national zoo. He loved iced coffees and is very good at making people laugh.

 

The William S Club by Riley Banks

The William S Club Written by Riley Banks

 

Publication Date:  8^th September 2012

ISBN: 1479289183

Pages: 325

 Format: paperback

Publisher: Aussieicon Books

Category:  Adult

Age: 18+

 

Blurb:

A beautiful Australian journalist who changed her name and fled her homeland. A billionaire property magnate who dredges up her tortured past. An elite club with a secret they have killed to protect.

Sydney is the one place Charlotte Burke swore she'd never return but The William S Club have other plans.

Lust, sex, violence, blackmail and even murder, they will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, pushing Charlotte and the other players towards their dangerous end-game.

 

Review:

I have to say The William S Club  had so much in it I never expected.

When I started reading I was very excited to be reading a book by a local Tasmanian Author.

I reached the middle of the book and I started loosing interest. For me the sex, lust and violence really put me off reading, However I was very determined finish reading.
The main story for me was that of Charlotte Burke and Damon. It really made me want to read and to know what happened between them.

 

If you are a fan of sex, lust and violence this is a great book for you. It has some romance which I liked as it was in a way hidden within the main aspect of the story.

 

The William S Club  is full of lots of secrets and once you start reading you’ll not want to put it down as you just have to know the secrets.

I would love to rate this higher, as I loved how well it’s written and the main story is amazing.

Don’t let the sex and violence put you off like it did me as it’s a fantastic read once you take those parts away.

 

3/5

 

 

About the Author

Riley Banks began writing in high school, penning short stories for her friends and family. She has travelled the world with her husband and children, living in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

In 2010, Riley and her family moved back home to Australia. After a decade of living the pampered life of an expatriate wife, the normality of suburban living, housework and returning to full time work was a harsh crash landing back into reality.

In early 2012, Riley published The William S Club before returning to her earlier work, The Vampire Origins series, which will be published in early 2013.

Riley is now working on Dirty Little Secrets, Book 1 in the Expat Wives series and is also busy penning her memoir of life abroad.

 

Website:

http://www.rileybanks.net/

Gracie and Josh Written by Susanne Gervay and Illustrated by Serena Geddes

Gracie and Josh Written by Susanne Gervay and Illustrated by Serena Geddes

 

Publisher: Ford Street
Publication Date: March 1 2013

ISBN: PB 9781921665851 HC 9781921665-884

Pages: 32

 Format: Trade hardback and paperback

Price: AUD $16.95 PB $26.95 HC

Category: Children’s Fiction

Age Guide: 5+

 

Blurb:

Gracie is one of the beautiful Characters of this world, as she sings Incy-Wincy dressed in her make shift spider outfit with its stuffed sausage legs. She works busily finding spider stories for her brother Josh and gets angry at doctors who make Josh take off his beanie. She holds onto her mum as she asks when josh will come home.

Her brother Josh is funny and strong and there for his sister Gracie. Josh is a movie maker and Gracie is a star. Together they make a film that celebrates their relationship and the wonderfulness of every day for everyone of us.

Endorsed by Variety, the children’s charity, helping children to live life to the fullest.

 

Review:

Gracie and Josh is a heartfelt story. I truly loved reading this story and I can’t wait to share it with my children.

The illustrations  beautifully complement the story.

This is such a great story to not only entertain children but to help them understand how children deal with childhood illnesses.

Gracie and Josh really touched my heart and from reading it, I was showed what my Husband would have gone through years ago when his baby sister was diagnosed with cancer at about 9 months.
Hubby has also read Gracie and Josh and he felt it was well told.

 

Susanne has done an amazing job!!!

 

5/5

 

About the Author and Illustrator

Susanne Gervay

Much loved, award-winning author Susanne Gervay is recognised for her writing on anti school bullying and social justice endorsed by Room to Read, Alannah & Madeline Foundation, Cancer Council. Her best-selling books include her Jacks – I Am Jack, Super Jack & Always Jack; young adult novels Butterflies and That’s Why I Wrote This Song, and picture book Ships in the Field. Susanne was awarded the Lady cutler Award for Distinguished Services to Children’s Literature and an Order of Australia OAM.

 

Serena Geddes
Serena is a Sydney based illustrator and started her career working in animation for Walt Disney Australia. In 2009 she secured her first contract and has illustrated 14 books ranging from picture books – Samuel’s kisses to junior fiction – Totally Twins. Serena’s imagination is endless and her ease with watercolour and pencil is evident in her creative characters. Serena has an eye for humour with an extra dash of quirkiness.

 

www.fordstreetpublishing.com

My Baby Love written by Meredith Costain and illustrated by Beatriz Martin Vidal

My Baby Love  written by Meredith Costain and illustrated by Beatriz Martin Vidal

 

Publication Date:  May 2008

ISBN: 0734410204

Pages: 32

 Format: Hardback

Price: $29.95

Category: Children’s Fiction

Age Guide: 5-9

 

Blurb:

Come to me, my baby love,

My morning child,

My bright-eyed dove...

 

A joyful celebration of mother-baby love,

From waking at dawn to playing, meal-times,

Bath-time and finally – sleeping at dusk.

 

Review:

My baby Love is beautifully written, the words flow with a passion.

For me it describes motherhood in a whole new way. With my baby on the way it makes me realise how much I really have to look forward to.

The illustrations done by Beatriz are so amazing. She is such a talented illustrator.

 

I recommend this book to anyone who is stuck for a gift for a first time mum or  the mum that is on her second, third or fourth child as it’s a great reminder of the joys of raising a child.

 

My baby Love is available at all good book stores. Signed copies are available from the author for $25 free postage. Contact Meredith through her website for your signed copy.

 

 

 5/5

 

About the Author and Illustrator:

Meredith Costain

Meredith Costain is a versatile writer whose work ranges from picture books through to novels and narrative non‐fiction. Her books include Bed Tails, No Noise at Our House and the Year in Girl Hellseries, about four best friends starting high school. Doodledum Dancing, illustrated by Pamela Allen, is a CBCA Honour Book.

Meredith lives in inner-city Melbourne with a menagerie of pets who frequently wrangle their way into her stories. Her latest books are novelisations of the ABC TV series Dance Academy, and Disaster Chef, which combines football and cooking. She is a popular workshop presenter in libraries and schools. Visit her at www.meredithcostain.com

 

Beatriz Martin Vidal

Beatriz Martin Vidal was born in Valladolid, Spain. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca and illustration at the Scholl of Art in her hometown. She has won several awards for her works. Beatriz Martin works as an illustrator for various local and foreign publishers. Her drawings and paintings depict a world that’s just slightly magical, where the butterflies on a child’s dress can come to life and birds act as guides. Her subjects are mainly children, which she draws in a way that avoids “cute” and truly reveals the beauty of children and the way they view the world. Beatriz can be found here:beatrizmartinvidal.blogspot.com.au

 

Pirate Gold written by Michael Salmon

Pirate Gold written by Michael Salmon

 

Publisher: Ford Street
Publication Date:  February 1 2013

ISBN:  HC 9781921665684 PB 9781921665691

Pages: 32

 Format: Trade hardback and paperback

Price: AUD $19.95 HC $12.95 PB

Category: Children’s Fiction

Age Guide: 5-9

 

Blurb:

 Yo ho ho and a bottle full of fun!

Avast there, me hearties! Join the Piganeers, the most bumbling band of swashbuckling pirates ever to sail the seven seas.

Suffering seaweed! Captain Porker’s treasure is missing, and he’s not happy!

 

Review:

Michael Salmon has written yet another entertaining children’s book.

Pirate Gold is full of pirate pigs and their scurvy captain who have some exciting adventures.

The illustrations are full of colour and all the characters are easily recognisable. Children of Primary age will be wanting to read Pirate Gold many times over.

At the very end of the book is a colouring page which can be photocopied for the kids to have fun colouring in. I love how at the end of both Pirate Gold and The Down-under Twelve Days of Christmas have colouring pages.

 

5/5

 

About the Author:

 Michael Salmon has been involved in graphics, children’s literature, TV and theatre since 1967. His work has been solely for young people both here in Australia and overseas.

Michael’s many credits include his Alexander Bunyip show (ABC TV 1978-88), pantomimes, fabric and varied merchandise designs, toy and board game inventions and the writing and illustrating of over 160 books. In 2010 the ACT Government commissioned a bronze statue of Alexander Bunyip that stands outside the new Gungahlin Public Library celebrating the Bunyip’s role in helping children to read.

Michael spends most of his time these days visiting schools around Australia. His sessions are lots of fun, with lightning fast cartoons, caricatures, silly prizes and general encouragement for students to develop their own creativity.

His website can be found at: www.michaelsalmon.com.au

Also by Michael Salmon:

Bobo, My Superdog

The Down-under Twelve Days of Christmas

The Monster That Ate Canberra

 

www.fordstreetpublishing.com