Aaron Fa'Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker's Spirit of the crocodile is a children's/YA book, which makes it atypical reading for me. However, I'm not averse breaking my rules occasionally, and so I made an exception for this book - mainly because of its collaborative authorship and its setting. Aaron Fa'aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker have … Continue reading Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker, Spirit of the crocodile (#Bookreview)
Review – Children’s and young adult literature
Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe, Where the heart is (#BookReview)
I don't normally review children's books, particularly children's picture books, but I do make exceptions, one being Irma Gold. I have multiple reasons for this. Irma Gold is local; she is one of the Ambassadors for the ACT Chief Minister's Reading Challenge; she writes across multiple forms (including, novels, short stories and children's books, in … Continue reading Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe, Where the heart is (#BookReview)
Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Mulgo Watson, Cooee mittigar: A story on Darug songlines (#BookReview)
Recently, on a bit of a whim, I bought two books from the Indigenous Australian publishing company, Magabala Books. They were the younger readers-young adult novel, Black Cockatoo (my review), which had been shortlisted for a few awards, and this picture book, Cooee mittigar, which had just won the 2020 Prime Minister's Literary Award for … Continue reading Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Mulgo Watson, Cooee mittigar: A story on Darug songlines (#BookReview)
Nhulunbuy Primary School, I saw we saw (#BookReview)
A week or so ago, I wrote a post to commemorate this year's Indigenous Literacy Day. In that post I noted that the book I saw we saw was going to be launched at the Sydney Opera House that day. It was written and illustrated by students from Nhulunbuy Primary School, up on the Gove Peninsula, … Continue reading Nhulunbuy Primary School, I saw we saw (#BookReview)
Deborah Hopkinson, Ordinary, extraordinary Jane Austen (#BookReview)
Writing biographies for young children - like, for example, Deborah Hopkinson and Qin Leng's Ordinary, extraordinary Jane Austen - is an interesting concept. Interesting, but not new. So, when I was given this gorgeous Jane Austen one for Christmas, I decided to research the topic - and what I discovered is that the picture book biography … Continue reading Deborah Hopkinson, Ordinary, extraordinary Jane Austen (#BookReview)
Tania McCartney and Christina Booth, The Gum Family finds home (#BookReview)
As many of you know, I recently became a grandmother - and if you know anything about becoming a grandparent you'll know that THE critical question is "what are you going to be called?" Well, I would like to be called Gummie - the name given me here by one of my favourite bloggers Guy … Continue reading Tania McCartney and Christina Booth, The Gum Family finds home (#BookReview)
School friend annual 1964
The things you find when you start to declutter! School friend annual 1964 is a blast from my very distant past. Yes, I know, some of you weren't born then, but I can't resist sharing the sort of books produced for young girls in the olden days! I loved receiving annuals and anthologies, books in my … Continue reading School friend annual 1964
Irma Gold and Craig Phillips, Megumi and the bear (Review)
Now here's something different at the Gums! I don't, as you'd know, make a practice of reviewing children's literature, though I have done a few cross-over adult-young adult novels. So, when Irma Gold and Craig Phillips' children's picture book, Megumi and the bear, landed in my letterbox a week or so ago I was challenged. … Continue reading Irma Gold and Craig Phillips, Megumi and the bear (Review)
Louis Nowra, Into that forest (Review)
Louis Nowra is one versatile and prolific writer, having written novels, non-fiction, plays and screenplays, essays and even libretti. Into that forest is his latest work. It was shortlisted for the Young Adult Novel prize in the 2012 Aurealis awards and the Ethel Turner Young People's Literature prize in this year's NSW Premier's Literary Awards. … Continue reading Louis Nowra, Into that forest (Review)
Markus Zusak, The book thief
In one moment, there was great kindness and great cruelty, and I saw it as the perfect story of our humans are. (Zusak on the Random House website) Zusak could hardly have chosen, for The book thief, a better setting to explore the best and worst of humanity than Germany during the Holocaust. The book … Continue reading Markus Zusak, The book thief
Whispering Gums 