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Boock
Carmody
Hartnett
Lawrence
Kelleher
O'Brien
Rubenstein
Swindells
Boock
Sasscat
Extremely satisfying book that has wit, sadness, whimsy, questioning and fantasy. Margaret Mahy thinks Sasscat is one of the ten best children’s books to come out of New Zealand. It won the 1994 Esther Glen Medal for the best NZ Children’s Book.
Isobelle Carmody
http://www.sfbookcase.com/viewbook.asp?bookno=4306
Obernewtyn
With a setting reminiscent of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels, language as fluid and memorable as Lloyd Alexander's, and a mixture of genre tropes worthy of Andre Norton's best work, Obernewtyn begins the powerful saga of a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse - and one young girl who holds the key to its salvation.
In the times following the Great White, life is harsh. Radiation has swept the land and those living on it, bringing death and decay. As society pulls itself together and makes a new life, children are born with enhanced mental abilities caused by the fallout from the Great White. But because of their association with the dreaded holocaust, the Council that rules the land condemns people with these abilities as Misfits and burns them to prevent further contamination.
Elspeth Gordie is a Misfit. Raised in orphanages for most of her life, desperate to receive her certificate of normalcy, her only chance at survival is secrecy, and she vows never to use her mental powers. But her abilities seem to have an imperative of their own, and soon she comes to the attention of the Council.
Unaware of the extent of her powers, the Council sends her to the remote mountain institution of Obernewtyn, where escape is impossible. There, Elspeth must come to terms with her abilities and throw off her safe cloak of concealment - for at Obernewtyn there are not only friends but enemies, evil people who intend to use the Misfits' mental abilities to resurrect the terrible forces of the apocalypse.
Only then will Elspeth learn what she is and the destiny she must survive to fulfill...
Sonya Hartnett
THURSDAY'S CHILD
John Ezard
Friday October 11, 2002
The Guardian
A novel acclaimed for portraying "a child's view of tough adult realities" is today declared winner of this year's Guardian children's fiction prize. Thursday's Child, written by Sonya Hartnett and published by Walker, opens: "Now I would like to tell you about my brother, Tin... James Augustin Barnabas Flute, he was, born on a Thursday and so fated to his wanderings."
Narrated by Tin's sister, it is a story of a family's survival during the Australian depression. Tin's wanderings take him far below the earth, in tunnels he digs.
Claire Armitstead, Guardian literary editor, said it was "a highly original and deeply moving novel, immensely skilful in its portrayal of a child's view of tough adult realities. Harnett exemplifies the quality and complexity of contemporary children's books."
By Sonya Hartnett
BLACK FOXES
A fascinating historical novel in three main parts, concerning the lives and relationships of Tyrone, a dissatisfied lord, and his loyal friend Oscar. Set in England in 1818, Black Foxes is above all a novel which scrutinises human behaviour and human relationships with relentless intensity. This is Sonya at her best, continuing, as Robert Cormier said for Sleeping Dogs, 'to extend the boundaries of Young Adult Fiction to their outer edges and perhaps beyond'.
Victor Kelleher
THE RED KING
The novel, The Red King was shortlisted for the 1990 Australian Children's Book of the Year Award, and was joint runner-up in the 1990 South Australian Festival Awards for Literature.
The Red King is a science fiction text about an evil king who controls his forest kingdom by spreading disease in the form of a red fever.
A band of travelling entertainers - a magician, an acrobat, a monkey and a bear are a group of unlikely people to thwart this evil ruler.
Del Del
Visiting the grave of their dead sister, Beth's younger brother Sam starts behaving in a strange and violent way and speaking with a voice not his own. This starts to happen more and more frequently, with Sam's family all disagreeing about what should be done. After an exorcism, Sam appears to return to normal but then the spirit, called Del-Del returns, claiming to be from a distant galaxy. It is Beth who finally realises what is happening and plans to get rid of Del-Del once and for all.
Louise Lawrence
http://www.wiredshire.org.uk/higherstill/detail.asp?SearchFor=724
Initally the novel is very hard and disturbing but this is an essential beginning to a novel embarking on a topic such as this one. It follows the hardships of Sarah and her will to survive for her half sister Catherine.
This is followed by the story in view point of Opelia who's life is soley in the protective bunker. When she leaves the bunker she is faced with the harsh reality of the outside world and the people who inhabit it.
The final stage in the novel is seen through the eyes of Simon and he too is confronted with the outside world. He is faced with the people directly affected by the nuclear war-the mutants. He must learn to accept the mutants for who they are, not homo sapians like him but homo superior.
I greatly enjoyed the 'children of the dust' and the many thoughts and dreams it provocked in me.
Unusual Features of the book:
the links and family ties between the novels characters that spanned all three generations.
Keywords:
intense, gripping, relentless
Theme: Death, Environment, Exploitation, Self-discovery, Social-comment, Violence, War
Robert C. O'Brien
Nuclear war has devastated America, except for the valley where Ann has been living alone - until a scientist (Loomis) in a radiation-proof suit arrives. His behaviour towards her becomes increasingly threatening. Although there may be no one else alive, Ann steals his suit and leaves in search of humanity.
Gillian Rubenstein
http://www.gillianrubinstein.com/
Foxspell
This book is set in the area I used to live in, Lynton, in the foothills outside Adelaide. I love this landscape, which was right at the end of my street, with its quarries, railway line, strange characters, and foxes.
I love foxes for their beauty and cunning, but I know they are a disaster in the Australian bush. But the foxes didn't ask to be transported here, did they?
Terra-Farma
The sequel to 1992's Galax-Arena.
I've been working on this book for over three years. I'd been reading round the subject, and getting some ideas together before I went to New York in 1998. I was talking to a librarian there about Galax-Arena and she said, 'I feel sorry for Peter.' I realised I too felt sorry for Peter, and I would try and tell the next part of the story from his point of view. There are three narrators to Terra-Farma: Peter, Joella and Liane, the three children who were kidnapped in Galax-Arena.
Robert Swindells
Brother in the Land
A survivor of a nuclear holocaust, Danny is one of the lucky ones - or is he?
Danny and his younger brother, Ben, have come through the holocaust alive, only to discover that the world has gone sour in more ways than one. Survival depends on being able to live on your wits, outsmarting the rest and fighting to protect your home and family.
For days, weeks, the survivors hang on, hoping for help to arrive. But when the authorities finally put in an appearance, help is the last thing they bring.
“A hard-hitting and compelling story that captures the magic of human emotions.” Books For Your Children
“A chilling, believable tale.” Daily Telegraph
“A hard-hitting and compelling story that captures the magic of human emotions.” Books For Your Children
“A chilling, believable tale.” Daily Telegraph
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