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Australian Living Books:
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| Please note: This list is very much a work in progress. If you have more titles you would like to see added, or if you have reviews of these or other books you would be happy for me to include here, please contact me at wonder@riverwillow.com.au |
| Author | Title | Publication Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Oxford Book of Australian Verse | Online at http://www.bartleby.com/249/ | ||
| Adams, K.M. | Seeing History series | See below for individual titles. | |
| Adams, K.M. | The First Australians, Prehistory – 1810 | Book 1 in the Seeing History series. Age suitability: roughly 10-14. |
|
| Adams, K.M. | Australia: Gaol to Colony, 1810-1850 | Book 2 in the Seeing History series. Age suitability: roughly 10-14. |
|
| Adams, K.M. | Australia: Colonies to Commonwealth, 1850-1900 | Book 3 in the Seeing History series. Age suitability: roughly 10-14. |
|
| Adams, K.M. | Twentieth Century Australia, 1900-1960 | Book 4 in the Seeing History series. Age suitability: roughly 10-14. |
|
| Adam-Smith, Patsy | Outback Heroes | Lansdowne Press, 1981 | A large, coffee-table book. Quite fascinating. One chapter contains
photographs of many of the characters in We of the Never-Never: the
Maluka, the Missus, the Fizzer, Mine Host, the Sanguine Scot, the Dandy, the
Quiet Stockman, and others. Age suitability: all ages (younger children enjoy the pictures; older children and adults will enjoy the accounts of the different “outback heroes”. |
| Adam-Smith, Patsy | The Anzacs | ||
| Alexander, Goldie | My Story: Surviving Sydney Cove: The Diary of Elizabeth Harvey | I’m sorry, but despite the enthusiasm of other reviewers, I
didn’t like this book. Yes, there was some interesting information in it,
including some that was new to me, but I found it snippety, and there are parts that I am sure the author got wrong. Surely Sunday was held in some kind of regard in the early days of the settlement, even if only lip service was paid to it? In this book it is just an ordinary working day. And I cannot believe that a girl of Elizabeth’s class would never have seen a cockroach before arriving in New South Wales! One interesting question comes up, having read both this and John and Nanbaree. What was the weather like in the days leading up to the arrival of the Second Fleet? According to this book it was fine (and even hot), while according to John and Nanbaree it poured with rain. Which is right? Surviving Sydney Cove is part of the My Story series. I have not yet read any others in the series, so please note that the comments above apply only to this book and not to the series as a whole. |
|
| Baillie, Arthur | Our Sunburnt Country: An Illustrated History of Australia | Universal Books Pty. Ltd., Sydney, 1964. | Age recommendation: roughly 10-12. |
| Blainey, Geoffrey | A Shorter History of Australia | ||
| Bligh, William | Mutiny on the Bounty | Primary source, written by one of the early governors of NSW. | |
| Boardman, Alan | The First Fleet | Picture book. | |
| Boldrewood, Rolf | Robbery Under Arms | Fiction (bushrangers) Available online at Project Gutenberg. Suitable for ages 12 and up. |
|
| Brigginshaw, Jim | Shimpu-San: Healer of Hate | Published by the Marist Fathers’ Province of Australia. ISBN: 0 646 27658 1 | The Life of Father Tony Glynn, S.M. It seems that Tony Glynn was – if not single-handedly responsible, then certainly very influential – in the reversal of the White Australia policy. Certainly he worked tirelessly, in the years following the Second World War, for reconciliation between Australia and Japan. An interesting book, but despite having been written by a journalist, not the easiest to read. Age suitability: teens and adults. |
| Brinsmead, Hesba | Longtime Passing | Historical
fiction, based on the author’s own family, who lived in the lower Blue
Mountains, near Kurrajong. Very interesting, but rather sad reading – not
so much for the nostalgia of a lost time and place, with a way of life which
has gone forever, but for the loss of faith and ideals, and the giving up of
cherished dreams. Not a book I would give to younger children, but older ones might find it interesting with its account of local history. Hesba Brinsmead also wrote other titles, including Listen to the Wind, Pastures of the Blue Crane, and The Honey Forest. |
|
| Bruce, Mary Grant | Billabong series | Many titles, beginning with A Little Bush Maid. Some titles are available online. |
|
| Burton, Hester | No Beat of Drum | Fiction. Convicts and transportation. | |
| Chadwick, Doris | John of the Sirius | A children's novel about the First Fleet. I originally acquired this because I
had met the author as an old lady in a nursing home, but the book itself
soon became one of our family favourites. See my review of the book. |
|
| Chadwick, Doris | John of Sydney Cove | Sequel to John of the Sirius. | |
| Chadwick, Doris | John and Nanbaree | Book 3 in the series. | |
| Chauncy, Nan | They Found a Cave | Children's fiction, set in
Tasmania. This is one of many titles written by Nan Chauncy. Others include Tangara, Half a World Away, Tiger in the Bush, and The Lighthouse Keeper's Son. Further information about Nan Chauncy may be found here. |
|
| Clarke, Manning | A Short History of Australia | ||
| Clarke, Manning & Hooper, Meredith, | History of Australia | ||
| Clarke, Marcus | For the Term of His Natural Life | Parents would be advised to preview this book before
deciding whether to pass it on to
their (older) teens to read. It is an Australian classic, based on records from Port Arthur and Norfolk Island; but it is a very grim, hopeless story, full of injustice and brutality. There are scenes in this book that, quite frankly, gave me nightmares! |
|
| Clune, Frank | The Adventures of Burke and Wills | Large picture book. | |
| Clune, Frank | Ned Kelly | Large picture book. | |
| Colwell, Max | Voyages of Matthew Flinders | Paul Hamlyn, 1970 | Large picture book |
| Davey, Thyrza | Waiting for May | An Australian picture book. It tells the story of an 82-year-old man, who lives alone on a houseboat on Bribie island, and who is resisting the attempts of the welfare people to put him in a home. The artwork is beautiful, and each illustration has a Bible reference accompanying it. As for the story…I’m not quite sure what to think: it’s certainly well told, but it’s one of those books which leaves me with the same kind of bleak and hopeless feeling I get after reading Scott O’Dell and others. | |
| Dennis, C.J | A Book for Kids | Poetry for children. Available online. Includes one of our favourites: "The Triantiwontigongolope". | |
| Dennis, C.J. | Poetry | “Green Walls” (scroll down the page for this one); and other poems available online. | |
| Donkin, Nance | Margaret Catchpole | Biography One of the Australians in History series: This series is very highly recommended. Age recommendation: 10-12 (independent reading). |
|
| Durrell, Gerald | Two in the Bush | An account of a visit to New Zealand, Australia, and Malaya by Gerald
Durrell, his wife Jacquie, and two camera men. While there are parts of this book that are quite fascinating, and while Durrell certainly has a wonderful gift for painting word pictures, I don’t think this is one of his best books. Age suitability: 12 and up. |
|
| Edwards, Ian | Papa and the Olden Days | Picture book. | |
| Facey, A.B. | A Fortunate Life | Autobiography. | |
| Finkel, George | Matthew Flinders | Biography One of the Australians in History series: This series is very highly recommended. Age recommendation: 10-12 (independent reading). |
|
| Flinders, Matthew | Trim | In print, or available online This is Matthew Flinders' own account of a favourite ship's cat, from his birth "on board His Majesty's ship the Roundabout in 1799 during a passage from the Cape of Good Hope to Botany Bay", to his untimely demise on the island of Mauritius while Flinders was a prisoner there. Our family thoroughly enjoyed this. |
|
| Franklin, Miles | Childhood at Brindabella: My First Ten Years | Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1963 | Autobiographical account from the author of My Brilliant Career. Beautifully written. |
| Franklin, Miles | My Brilliant Career | First published 1902; republished in various editions since | Miles Franklin's best known
work, written when she was 19 years old. For more information about Miles Franklin, see here. |
| Gibbs, May | Snugglepot and Cuddlepie | An Australian classic. The illustrations are beautiful, but younger children may find the Banksia men rather terrifying, so be sure to pre-read this before handing it to your children. | |
| Gillies, William, & Hall, Robert | Nature Studies in Australia | Published by Whitcombe &
Tombs Limited. 1st edition 1903. |
From the Introduction: "This
book makes no pretence to outline any systematic course of Nature study. It
is a reader designed to interest the senior boys and girls of elementary
schools..." Forty chapters. Titles include: The Earth Worm; The Snail; What We See at the Beach; The Story of the Mosquito; How Birds Talk and Sing; The Birds of the Town; The Songs of the Town Birds; The Mammals of Australia;) and more). |
| Gunn, Jeannie (Mrs Aeneas) | We of the Never Never | In print; also available online at Project Gutenberg | Autobiographical account of life on a remote cattle station at the beginning of the 20th century. |
| Gunn, Jeannie (Mrs Aeneas) | A Little Black Princess | Biographical account of an Aboriginal girl. | |
| Hannay-Foote, Mary | Poetry | “Where the Pelican Builds Her Nest”, “The Australiad”, and others. Available online. |
|
| Hill, Anthony | Soldier Boy: True Story of Jim Martin Youngest Anzac | ||
| Hogg, Gary | The Overlanders | ||
| Idriess, Ion | The Cattle King | The biography of Sir Sidney Kidman. This is a great “living” geography book, with some wonderful descriptions of outback Australia, and explanations of problems such as erosion (and others), which continue to be cause for concern even ninety years later. Further information about Ion Idriess and his books may be found here. |
|
| Idriess, Ion L. | Flynn of the Inland | Biography of the founder of the Flying Doctor Service. | |
| Idriess, Ion L. | My Mate Dick | ||
| Idriess, Ion L. | The Silent Service | The Australian Navy during World War II. | |
| Keesing, Nancy | The Golden Dream | The Australian Gold Rush One of the Australians in History series: This series is very highly recommended. Age recommendation: 10-12 (independent reading). |
|
| Knight, Frank | The Young Captain Cook | Biography. From the book: “As with most famous men of the past, we know so few details. We have to fill them in from what we do know and what might have happened,” Suit ages 9-12 (or as a read-aloud for younger children). |
|
| Lawson, Henry | Short stories | “The Drover’s Wife”, “The Loaded Dog” and others. Available online. |
|
| Lawson, Henry | Poetry | “Andy’s Gone with Cattle” & others. Available online. |
|
| Lawson, Henry | Mary Called Him Mister | Australian Picturemac ISBN: 0 7329 1266 0 |
A selection of poems written by Henry Lawson and beautifully illustrated by John Anthony King. |
| Lester, Alison | Are We There Yet? | Penguin / Viking ISBN 0 670 88067 1 |
Wonderful picture book
describing one family's journey around Australia. It can be read and enjoyed
as it stands, or it can be used as the basis for a study of Australian
geography. Teachers' notes for this book may be found online here and here. This book won the Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award for 2005. |
| Lewis, Gary; & McNab, Nan, | A-Z of Australian Wildlife | Photographs and poems for every letter of the alphabet. Approximate ages: 2-6. |
|
| Leyland, Mal & Mike | Great Ugly River: A Modern Adventure in Australia’s Outback | Lansdowne Press, Melbourne, 1965 (Out of print) |
In March 1963, the Leyland brothers and a friend set off in an open boat to travel down the Darling River, from Mungindi, on the Queensland border, to the River Murray in northern Victoria. This book is the fascinating account of that trip. |
| Leyland, Mike and Mal | Untamed Coast: Darwin to Sydney in an 18ft. Boat | ||
| Leyland, Mike and Mal | Where Dead Men Lie: An Adventurous Journey that Spanned a Continent | ||
| Lindsay, Norman | The Magic Pudding | Another Australian classic. Available online. |
|
| Low, Jim | Crossing the Blue Mountains | Jacaranda Press ISBN: 0 7016 2689 5 |
From the Jacaranda Young Inquirers series. |
| Mack, Amy | A Bush Calendar | First published 1909 by Angus
& Robertson; republished 1987 ISBN: 0 207 14278 5 |
Amy Mack's nature journal is
a sheer delight. She writes about one nature ramble a month over the course of
a year. This is the kind of book I would love to follow through month by month, with guides to Australian bird-life and flora close at hand. |
| Mackellar, Dorothea | My Country | One of Australia’s best loved poems. The text may be found online; but it has also been produced as an illustrated book (in more than one edition). | |
| Marshall, Alan | I Can Jump Puddles | Autobiography – early 20th century. | |
| Marshall, Henrietta | Australasia's Story | Out of print, but available online at
www.mainlesson.com First published 1908. Australasia's Story is one part in Our Empire Story, though it has also been published as a title in its own right. Age recommendation: Independent reading: 10-12 (and up); read aloud: 7 & up. |
|
| Marshall, Henrietta | Our Empire Story: Stories of India and
the Greater Colonies Told to Children Available online at www.mainlesson.com. |
||
| Marshall, James Vance | Walkabout | Fiction.
Two children are the only survivors from an air crash in the Outback. A
young Aboriginal boy helps them survive in the desert and guides them back
to civilisation. A story of survival, but also a spiritual quest (not
Christian). This title used to be on the Sonlight Curriculum list, but there are plenty of better books for introducing young readers to Australian life and culture. Age suitability: 12-14 & up, but I suggest parents vet it first to see whether they are happy for their children to read it. |
|
| Mass, Nuri | The Wonderland of Nature | An Australian nature
study book, published in 1964. Our family thoroughly enjoyed this, and
learned a lot from its pages. Chapter headings include "What makes an Insect an Insect", "The Kindly Cicada", "Caterpillars That Decorate Their Homes", and many more, in which the author and her children share their discovery of the natural world, and their wonder at the marvels it contains. One thing I particularly like about this book is the pen-and-ink drawings, rather than photographs, none of which are too daunting for a child to copy. Age suitability: 5 and up (as a read-aloud); 10 and up (independent reading). |
|
| Mass, Nuri | Australian Wildflower Magic | ||
| Mass, Nuri | The Little Grammar People | ||
| Monypenny, Kathleen | And the Children Came, Too | True stories from Australian history, seen through the eyes of the children who were there. | |
| Morgan, Sally | My Place | Family history and autobiography combined. My Place is the
story of three generations of an Aboriginal family living in Western
Australia. It’s not always easy reading of some of the injustices that
were perpetrated against the Aborigines by the white men; but it’s an
important – if neglected – part of Australian history. Age suitability: ages 12 or 13 and up for the abridged version. (I haven’t yet completed the adult version, but would be hesitant to pass it on to a younger teen). |
|
| Morgan, Sally | Sally’s Story |
My Place for Young Readers – Part 1 I know these books are supposed to be “for younger readers”, but I don’t consider them suitable for young children to read. For teenagers, though, I think it would be valuable for them to read these books for an understanding of 20th century Australian history, and also to begin to understand why many Aborigines are so bitter towards the white men today. Age suitability: 12 or 13 and up. |
|
| Morgan, Sally | Arthur Corunna’s Story |
My Place for Young Readers – Part 2 Age suitability: 12 or 13 and up. |
|
| Morgan, Sally | Mother and Daughter |
My Place for Young Readers – Part 3 Age suitability: 12 or 13 and up. |
|
| Morris, Jill | Bobuck the Mountain Possum | An Australian Golden Book – suit younger children as a read aloud. | |
| Morris, Jill | Rufus the Red Kangaroo | An Australian Golden Book – suit younger children as a read aloud. | |
| Mudie, Ian | River Rivals | Paddle steamers on the Murray River. One of the Australians in History series: This series is very highly recommended. Age recommendation: 10-12 (independent reading). |
|
| Murray, Iain | Australian Christian Life from 1788 | Banner of Truth Trust, 1988 ISBN: 0 85151 524 X |
Subtitle: An Introduction and an Anthology. |
| Nicholson, John | The Mighty Murray | Allen & Unwin, 2002 ISBN: 1 86508 564 2 (or 1 86508 565 0 for the paperback) |
|
| Park, Ruth | The Muddle-headed Wombat | Fiction. There are several titles in this series: delightfully funny stories that younger children enjoy as a read-aloud, and slightly older ones will like to read for themselves. | |
| Parker, Katherine. Langloh | Australian Legendary Tales | Online at Project Gutenberg. | |
| Pastorelli, John (ed.) | Urban Wildlife of New South Wales | Angus and Robertson, 1990 | One day our son found a beautiful, iridescent green beetle in the back yard. We had never seen anything like it, and didn't have the faintest idea what it might be. This book came to our rescue, as it has done on various other occasions. Apart from the life-sized, full-colour photographs of the Sydney funnel-web, and the huntsman, which seem to leap out at me whenever I open the book, it is a fascinating, and very useful guide to the kinds of wildlife we are likely to see. This book also lists different reserves, botanic gardens, state forests, etc., in and around a number of NSW cities, which are particularly good places for observing local wildlife. |
| Patchett, Mary Elwyn | Ajax the Warrior | Puffin Books, 1953, reprinted 1974 | The author's account of her childhood on a cattle station in northern NSW. Very funny in places, and quite exciting in others. |
| Patchett, Mary Elwyn | The Mysterious Pool | Hamish Hamilton “Antelope Book” | Fiction for younger children. |
| Paterson, A.B. “Banjo” | Poetry | “The Man from Snowy River”, “Mulga Bill’s Bicycle”, “The Man from Ironbark”, Clancy of the Overflow”, “Pioneers”, & more online | |
| Paterson, A.B. “Banjo” | Illalong Children | Autobiography of his childhood. This title is also included in Singer of the Bush | |
| Paterson, A.B. “Banjo” | Singer of the Bush | The collected works of Banjo Paterson, including both poetry and prose. The first of two volumes. | |
| Paterson, A.B. “Banjo” | Song of the Pen | The collected works of Banjo Paterson, including both poetry and prose. The second of two volumes. | |
| Pedley, Ethel | Dot and the Kangaroo | Ethel Pedley (1860-1898) wrote this Australian classic about a small
girl lost in the bush who is befriended by a kangaroo and many other bush
animals. Available online. |
|
| Petersen, Diana | Brushtail the Rock Wallaby | An Australian Golden Book – suit younger children as a read aloud. | |
| Phipson, Joan | Bennelong | Biography. One of the Australians in History series: This series is very highly recommended. Age recommendation: 10-12 (independent reading). |
|
| Plowman, R. Bruce (ed. Jean Whitla) | The Man from Oodnadatta: Stories by the First Patrol Padre to the Australian Inland Mission, 1912-1917 | ||
| Pownall, Eve | Australia From the Beginning | Collins, 1980 ISBN: 0 00 195038 X |
History of Australia,
illustrated by Walter Cunningham. Age suitability: 10-12 and up. |
| Pownall, Eve | Cousins-Come-Lately: | Fiction, set in Sydney in 1832. | |
| Pownall, Eve | The Australia Book | Illustrated by Margaret
Senior (who also illustrated Doris Chadwick's John of the Sirius).
This is an Usborne-style book, with lots of pictures, and interesting text,
obviously intended as an introduction to Australian history for younger
children. It was Australian Children’s Book of the Year in 1952. Age suitability: This is my pick for an Australian history “spine” for 6 and 7 year-olds, though older children will also enjoy it. |
|
| Pownall, Eve | The Singing Wire | Story of the Overland Telegraph. One of the Australians in History series: This series is very highly recommended. Age recommendation: 10-12 (independent reading). |
|
| Price, Pat Peatfield | The Hills of the Black Cockatoo | Penguin Books | Set in the early years of white settlement in Tasmania, this is the story of three Aboriginal children who return home from an expedition to find their tribe has gone, leaving only a toddler behind them. It’s a fascinating account of Aboriginal life, as well as being a good example of a book which deals with a very painful subject (the wiping out of almost the entire population of Tasmanian Aborigines) in a way which shelters children from the grimmest realities – while at the same time providing background for future understanding of the issues involved. |
| Rees, Leslie | The Story of Aroora the Red Kangaroo | Australian nature titles. Look out for other books by the same
author. Age recommendation: 5 and up as a read-aloud; 8-10 as independent reading. |
|
| Rees, Leslie | Shy the Platypus | Australian nature titles. Look out for other books by the same
author. Age recommendation: 5 and up as a read-aloud; 8-10 as independent reading. |
|
| Rees, Leslie | Sarli the Barrier Reef Turtle | Australian nature titles. Look out for other books by the same
author. Age recommendation: 5 and up as a read-aloud; 8-10 as independent reading. |
|
| Rees, Leslie | Quokka Island | Fiction. Adventure story set on an island off the Western Australian coast. Suit ages 10-14 (especially boys). | |
| Rooke, Daphne | The Australian Twins | ||
| Rudd, Steele | On Our Selection | ||
| Sampson, Alf and Shirley | Discoverers of Australia | ||
| Samuel, H.J. | A Saddle at Bontharambo | Puffin Books, 1950 (Out of print) ISBN 0140309462 |
True story of a pioneering family in northern Victoria. |
| Scott, Ernest | A Short History of Australia | Available online at Project Gutenberg – other historical titles by the same author are also available online. | |
| Shute, Nevil | A Town Like Alice | Fiction – story set during
and after World War 2. Age recommendation: teens and adults. (Note: Parents may prefer either to pre-read this, or to read it aloud and edit slightly as they go). |
|
| Thiele, Colin | February Dragon | Fiction – story of a bush fire.
This is one of many titles written by Colin Thiele. For further information see here. |
|
| Thiele, Colin | Storm Boy | Fiction, set in South Australia. | |
| Thiele, Colin | River Murray Mary | Fiction. Story of a family who lived in a fruit-growing area during
the Depression. A wonderful read-aloud title for ages 5-12, or read independently for ages 8 and up. |
|
| Thiele, Colin | Farmer Schultz's Ducks | Collins, 1988 | Picture book set in South Australia. A wonderful read-aloud. Colin
Thiele’s descriptions can be almost poetical at times, and even younger
children enjoy the humour. Ages 5 and up. |
| Tierney, James | Bush Boys: An Outdoor Adventure and The ABCs of Camping | Our boys loved this book! It gives a wealth of detailed, practical
advice for boys planning a camping expedition. All of the factual material
is woven into an exciting story complete with villains who get their
come-uppance at the end. The author of the book is a Catholic priest, and one of the two main families is Catholic, though the other is Anglican. The boys’ religion does play a part in the book, but it is not overdone. Age suitability – 7 or 8 and up. For further information about the books, and activities to accompany them (a crossword, unit study ideas, and more), see here. |
|
| Tierney, James | Cuthbert Joins the Bush Boys | Sequel to the former book. The Bush Boys come face to face with kidnappers. | |
| Tierney, James | Bush Boys and Bush Rangers | Another
sequel, this one to do with finding hidden gold. One of the sets of cousins is home educated, and there are some interesting descriptions of their school day. I’m curious to learn more about the work expected of the children: they had to choose an indoor and outdoor project to do each term, and I wonder what the criteria were for selecting those? |
|
| Tierney, James | Bush Boys on the Move | The fourth book in the series.
The author of the Bush Boys series is obviously extremely
impressed with home education, because by the end of this book, all of the main juvenile characters are taught at home. There are a number of appendices at the end of the book, including the complete ABCs of camping, and information about homeschooling in Australia. |
|
| Tingwell, Charles (narrator) | Banjo's Australia – The Poems of A.B. Paterson | Not a book, but a video. This includes beautiful Australian scenery (some of it shot at Sovereign Hill), archival film footage, and readings of half-a-dozen of Paterson’s poems, with them acted out as they are read: Mulga Bill is one of these, and is great fun. |
|
| Turner, Ethel | Seven Little Australians | Fiction – An Australian “classic”, set in the late 19th century, and written when the author was only 21. | |
| Turner, Ethel | Judy and Punch | Sequel to Seven Little Australians. | |
| Turner, Ethel | The Family at Misrule | Sequel to Seven Little Australians. | |
| Turner, Ethel | Little Mother Meg | Sequel to Seven Little Australians. | |
| Turner, Ethel | The Little Larrikin | ||
| Turner, Ethel | The Cub | Fiction – set during World War 1 – A good title for learning about Australia’s involvement in, and the attitudes of ordinary Australians to the war. There are two sequels to this book: Captain Cub, and Brigid and the Cub. | |
| Various | Australian primary documents | Project Gutenberg of Australia includes links to a timeline of Australian explorers, a chronology of Australian history, and more. | |
| Venn, Susan | Roy and Matilda: The Golden Locket | ISBN: 0 646 18788 0 | A book for preschoolers about some of the paintings in the Art
Gallery of NSW. There are a couple of other titles in the series. Highly
recommended. For further information about the Roy and Matilda books, see here. |
| Wall, Dorothy | Blinky Bill | Fiction. There are several titles in this series about a rather naughty small boy koala. | |
| Wheatley, Nadia & Rawlins, Donna | My Place | A fascinating picture book, which once you have read, you immediately
want to re-read, backwards. Though the actual place does not exist, it is
possible to find the area of the story on a street map of Sydney, to within
a couple of streets. Suitable for ages 4-94 (Some of the pages may well bring back memories which grandchildren will love to hear). |
|
| Williams, Ruth C | Verity of Sydney Town | We all enjoyed this story. It’s historical fiction, set in the time of Governor Macquarie. Our seven-year-old found some of it a bit scary (where the bushrangers came), but it’s good fun for the most part. Everything ends happily ever after, both for Verity and her friends, and all the baddies get their come-uppance. This book is set in (what is today) western Sydney, around the Windsor area. | |
| Wright, Judith | The Generations of Man | The story of the poet Judith Wright’s pioneering forebears in NSW and Queensland. |
The following websites also provide lists of Australian living books:
A list of Australasian Children’s authors: http://www.collectingbooksandmagazines.com/oznz.html (lists titles by Mary Grant Bruce, Ethel & Lilian Turner, & others)
CM&Friends-ANZ provides an "Australian History in Chronological Order" list http://cmandfriends.bravehost.com/aust_history.html
Erin at Aussie Book Threads has a wonderful list of Australian books. Categories include Topic, Author, Picture Books, History (a chronological listing): http://aussiebookthreads.erin.id.au
Many out of print books may be found for purchase through http://www.abebooks.com/
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