BRAT: Spring 2001 Issue

BRAT is published as part of the Book Council's quarterly magazine Booknotes.

It includes profiles of authors on the Writers in Schools programme, and a round up of recently published New Zealand books for children and young people.

To receive the latest issues of BRAT hot off the press, join the Book Council.

Books for Readers and Teachers

Diana Menefy I live in a house on a hill, with bush behind me, overlooking a valley. I sit at my desk and watch the hawks spiralling past. On a stormy day the rain drives across the hills in sheets. I love the wild weather. The river that flows through our farm floods and the valley turns into a lake—good fun as long as I’m snug at home. I write most days, but also enjoy spending time in my garden—great for working out problems with plots or characters. I also love cooking, and chocolate. I collect books—I just can’t resist another good story, and I always want to know what happens. Sometimes I burn the spuds. I forget they’re cooking because I’m lost in a book.

Shirley Corlett In my younger days I had no confidence and rarely sent manuscripts away. If I didn’t write I would only be half a person so I stuck to it, mostly teaching myself. I have had one adult novel published, but after winning the Tom Fitzgibbon Award two years ago I’m now hooked into writing for children/young adults. I was really nervous on my first WIS programme. Ended up loving every minute. I love fantasy and with children I can go overboard with my imagination. Explore science fiction, the supernatural and the mysterious. I like to weave issues pertinent in today’s world into my novels—issues I am passionate about. It is such a delightful challenge to make children’s fantasy believable.

Anthony Holcroft I wrote my first stories when I was about seven years old. I still have one of these early efforts, a little ‘book’, hand-stitched with my own illustrations. I suspect it was inspired by our class teacher, Miss Gasperich, who fed our imaginations by reading us wonderful stories every day and who encouraged us to discover and explore our creative talents. But Joy Gasperich was a rare spirit for that time, nearly 60 years ago. Under the chilly regimes of the old-timers who succeeded her, my writing impulse sickened with neglect and didn’t really revive until I was in my teens. My first adult stories were published in the literary magazines Landfall and Mate, while I was at University, but it wasn’t until much later, when my young family was growing up, that I began writing books for children. Whenever I visit schools and participate in the celebration of books and writing I am reminded that authors don’t simply write for themselves. Storytelling is a shared experience, enriching both teller and listener. And I think of those pioneering spirits like Miss Gasperich who long ago understood the importance of nurturing that precious gift of the imagination.

New Publications The books listed are readily available now for your schools, libraries and homes from all good booksellers throughout New Zealand.

Picture Books Grandpa’s Slippers, by Joy Watson and illustrated by Wendy Hodder, Scholastic, $13.95. Grandpa refuses to throw away his ratty slippers, and Grandma launches an impressive campaign to force their replacement. Grandpa is equally vigilant, rescuing his slippers from a startling number of locations, including the compost heap. 4–6 years. Grandpa’s Cardigan, by Joy Watson and illustrated by Wendy Hodder, Scholastic, $13.95. The second in the series, but this time, Grandpa’s cardy is on the line. A traipse through town searching for a new one eventually leads to the opportunity shop...and a familiar grey cardy. 4–6 years. Grandpa’s Shorts, by Joy Watson and illustrated by Wendy Hodder, Scholastic, $13.95. Grandma and Grandpa return to do battle over a pair of shorts. A family holiday at the beach inspires Grandpa to dig out his old army shorts and Hawaiian shirt. And guess who emerges as the victor, fitting right in with the grandchildren – and it’s not grandma! 4–7 years. The Best Treasure Ever, by Tamzin Blair and illustrated by Renzie Hanham, StonePrint Press, $22.95. A young child, feeling ‘a bit blue’, searches for magic treasure both near and far and discovers that it is love. This book is the first in a series that proclaims a desire to help children form supportive relationships and values that nurture self-esteem. Reasonably light-hearted in tone and presentation despite the weighty intentions. 4–7 years. I Wish my Dad Was a Pirate, written and illustrated by Clive Taylor, Scholastic, $15.95. A young boy fantasises about having a more glamorous father – king of the jungle, spy, space warrior – but second thoughts cast plain old dad in a more favourable light. Vibrant illustrations. 4–7 years. The Clothesline, written and illustrated by Carolina May, Scholastic, $17.95. While Mum’s inside unpacking the shopping, some very odd things go on with the washing. A fanciful story about a small child who marvels at the washing as it transforms into dancing dresses, pyjamas on swings, trousers playing football ... Illustrated using collage. 2–6 years. Desert Dessert, by Perrin Hopkins and illustrated by Jenna Packer, Scholastic, $24.95. The animals in the desert tire of what’s on offer at the local watering hole and decide to snazz it up a little. A packet of jelly crystals, a can of whipped cream, and several chocolate fish later, they begin to wonder that they may have made a mistake. Unique illustrations painted with watercolours that imaginatively capture the desert environment. 2–7 years. The Cheese Trap, by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Linda McClelland, Scholastic, $15.95. Two mice hunger for some cheese, as mice do. ‘Old grey meow’ sets a cunning trap and settles down to wait for an easy supper. Amusing, playful text is complemented by equally amusing illustrations. 4–6 years. Baby Bumble & the Sock Pirates, by Vivienne Joseph and illustrated by Ruth Paul, Mallinson Rendel, $24.95. The Bumble family is plagued by missing socks. One night, Baby Bumble is woken by midget pirates who find that socks work nicely as hats for their under-sized heads. A bit of a rumble ensues, and the family parrot and cat come to Baby Bumble’s aid to fight for justice. 4–6 years. The Terrible Q, by Tanya Batt and illustrated by Trevor Pye, Scholastic, $24.95. Sam’s penchant for shopping is put to the test when she misinterprets her mother’s desire to avoid a terrible queue when they are having a session in town one day. Sam is haunted by demons until the misunderstanding is cleared up. A cute story with bright and attractive illustrations for 4-to 6-years-olds. Goodbye, Adios, Sayonara and Ciao, by Rita Golden Gelman and illustrated by Jennifer Cooper, Scholastic, $15.95. Bo Bo the sheep is bored and yearns for greener pasture. Despite Jo’s misgivings, the two sheep embark on a series of adventures that take them to the beach to frolic with the seals, the city for a slap-up feed, and the airport for a spot of ballooning and parachuting. At the end of the day, it would seem that the grass is greener on the other side. 3–6 years. The Cat-Flap Trap, by Janine Scott and illustrated by Sandra Cammell, Shortlands, $6.95. Another tale of a hungry, crafty cat who is trying to organise a meal. However, nothing goes according to plan. Children can peek through the cat-flap to try to guess who is other the other side. 4–6 years. Absolutely Not, by Jan McPherson and illustrated by Clive Taylor, Shortlands, $3.95. A short, simple play for six characters about a hungry lion who tries to entice various animals into his cooking pot, without much luck. 4–6 years. Agapanthus Hum and the Eyeglasses, by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Jennifer Plecas, Penguin, $9.95. A light-hearted tale about an enthusiastic, well-loved child who has trouble keeping her glasses on, particularly when she indulges in her passion for tumbling and acrobatics. When an acrobatic show comes to town, Agapanthus gets the opportunity to discover how the professionals cope with their specs. Great illustrations. 6–9 years. My Marine, by Phyllis Johnston and illustrated by Julia Crouth, Reed, $12.95. A young girl is envious of the attention a marine is paying her older sister and longs for one of her own. But staying home on Saturday night and learning to jitterbug with her parents turns out to be more interesting than she thought, especially when a few secrets are revealed about her dad. This book also contains a page of information at the back where the author reflects on the middle years of the second world war and the US marines’ presence in New Zealand. 6–8 years. Senior Fiction Jolt, by Bernard Beckett, Longacre, $16.95. A thrilling tale of survival, courage, and redemption set in the Tararuas and a psychiatric ward in a Palmerston North hospital after a major earthquake. Narrated by 17-year-old Marko through flashbacks and his journal, Jolt is a gripping read, assuredly told. New Zealand young adult fiction at its most glittering. 12 years plus. And me for all of those – Voices of Canterbury, Clerestory Press, $30 (discount for schools). A collection of poetry and short prose pieces published to mark Canterbury’s 150th anniversary. The book contains 115 different writers, 80 of whom are young writers from primary and secondary schools throughout the province. All ages.

Intermediate Fiction Donkey Dust, by Jane Buxton, Mallinson Rendel, $19.95. Three children take their Christmas holidays into their own hands to avoid their mother’s last minute plans and decide to travel to their father, who they haven’t seen for years. Ambrosia, the family donkey, is hitched to her cart, and so begins the children’s good old-fashioned travel and camping adventure on the Canterbury back roads. A well-written story for 9- to 12-year-olds. The Duck Who Went to Heaven, by Agnes-Mary Brooke, The Medlar Press, $12.95. A New Zealand folk tale that tells the story of how the paradise duck got its name. A poignant story of duck loyalty, faith, and perseverance when the chips are down. 8–12 years.

Junior Fiction The Mora Stone by Agnes-Mary Brooke, The Medlar Press, $16.95, hb. Hobbits aren’t the only ones to be wearing rings. Willow’s, left to her by her dead mother, not only makes her more aware of what others are really doing and saying, but takes her back 500 years into a ‘Scandinavian’ world and a battle of good and evil. Ages 10–12. Night of the Medlar by Agnes-Mary Brooke, The Medlar Press, (reprint) $16.95, hb. The first in a previously published Medlar trilogy (the other two are available from Hazard Press). Penny and Justine, their mother Linden and father James are the main characters; but there’s also a box, heavy for one, light for another containing a message about the need to co-operate; a 107-year-old woman to whom the box is dear, and the story of an old love. Set on the edge of the Mackenzie country. Ages 10–12. A Ring around the Sun by Agnes-Mary Brooke, The Medlar Press, (reprint) $16.95, hb. This time a mounted pheasant in an old antique shop is the device that carries twelve-year-old Gerry to an ancient civilization and the climax of a battle of opposing forces. “full of nail-biting tensions reminiscent of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising with a conflict between good and evil climaxing on mid-winter’s day” says the blurb.Ages 10–12. The High Wind Blows by David Hill, Penguin, $15.95, hb. Adam Cade has just won a raffle to watch the launch of Polewind, a satellite sent up to study the currents of solar wind. But when a terrorist group that believes space study is bad arrives on the scene, Adam is involved in a drama that leads to Mission Control at the Kennedy Space Centre. Ages 10–12. follow the blue by Brigid Lowry, Allen and Unwin, $19.95, hb. An Australian award-winning book for older readers, with a host of awards and nominations to its name. Bec’s parents are away, and suddenly there’s the opportunity for Bec to try out a whole lot of other personas. Uses a number of formats – diary entries, observations, poetry, lists, and story to, to quote the Herald Sun, climb “right inside an adolescent’s head with a raw honesty and a sense of yearning”. Recycled by Sandy McKay, Longacre, $14.95, hb. You might not find rubbish interesting—and neither did Sandy until his teacher started the class on a project about rubbish. That makes Sandy realise not only what a fascinating study rubbish is but galvanises him into action to save the world from the rising mounds of the stuff. His family are not co-operative, and story takes on another dimension when the local council threatens to close down the local recycling centre. Amongst all this are the sort of fascinating, if grim, statistics that should make greenies of us all. Ages 8–12. Alien Time by Donna Malane, Reed, $14.95, hb. Jasper, not good at sticking to the point and not what you might call a linear thinker, is visited by an alien. His resulting ability to see people differently gives him a very worrying perspective on his father’s future. His best friend, Elliot, is roped in to help. The story moves in a amusing and charming non-linear fashion to make some important points about friendship and loyalty.Ages 8–12. Nearly Twelve by Sue Wells, Tandem Press, $24.95, hb. “It’s nearly twelve o’clock and I should have been asleep hours ago, but things just won’t stop going round in my head.” Keeping her, the narrator, awake is the recollection of the unrelenting physical or sexual abuse she has suffered at the hands of her mother, uncle, grandfather. The story moves to a point where she is able to let someone know what has happened, and at just over twelve, the rest of her life lies before her. Quite what direction she’ll take is over to the reader. For mature readers.

Non-fiction Kapai’s Keepsafe Children’s Waterwise, by Uncle Anzac (a collaborative effort between various illustrators, Jon Gadsby, and Tommy Wilson), Random House, $12.95. A safety guide fronted by Kapai the Kiwi that covers all the main rules for children when they spend time around water, using various cartoon characters, wacky humour, slang, and rhyme. 8 years plus. Marshall & Mehrtens: A Season of Two Halves, written by Phil Gifford, Hodder Moa Beckett, $24.95. A book that bills itself as ‘an irresistible and often irreverent look at the 2000 rugby season’. Rugby up close and personal for the truly devoted. 12–14 years plus. Looking for Larry, by Theo Baynton, Scholastic, $24.95. Troy the tuatara decides to explore his family tree, which takes the reader on a journey through the three major prehistoric periods. This book contains loads of dinosaur information, a comprehensive dinosaur glossary, and numerous illustrated double-page spreads with can-you-spot-the-tuatara challenges. 7 years plus. I Am a Spider, by Dr Simon Pollard, Reed, $19.95. All you ever wanted to know about the nineteen spiders commonly found in New Zealand. Plenty of close-up photographs, quirky fact boxes, spider myths and legends – this is a great book with plenty of appeal. All ages. Learning FUNdamentals: O-3 Early Years, by Colin Rose and Gordon Dryden, HarperCollins, $49.95. Learning FUNdamentals: 3-6 Starting School, by Colin Rose and Gordon Dryden, HarperCollins, $49.95. Described as a ‘revolutionary programme that will help your child to become a happy, successful learner’, these books contain games and activities designed to build self-esteem and values, early reading, writing, and numeracy skills, rich vocabularies, and more. Loads of practical, simple ideas. A dedicated parent’s delight. The Bird Lady, by Lynette Evans, Shortlands, $3.95. Sylvia Durrant is known as the bird lady, and she runs a bird rescue centre from her home. This simple non-fiction book explains how Sylvia cares for the birds. Photographed. 4–6 years. Kiwi Adventures – Rafting by Frank Saxton and photographs, by Gerry Rushton and Nick Saxton, Reed, $12.95. Brian and his dad are on a rafting trip down the Maruia River. This book follows their journey, explaining their preparations, their safety gear, rafting skills and techniques, and throws in some tips for trout fishing for good measure. 7–10 years. Kiwi Adventures – Caving, by Frank Saxton and Gerry Rushton, Reed, $12.95. Merlin and Te Kepa love to go caving with their dads. Cave safety, cave facts, Maori beliefs about caves, and a useful glossary are alongside great photographs of stalactites, stalagmites, and soda straws (with a useful tip from Merlin on how to remember which is which). 7–10 years. Cook Islands, by Taria Kingstone and photographs by Noel Bartley, Reed, $14.95. Samoa, by Sarona Aiono-Iosefa and photographs by Noel Bartley, Reed, $14.95. Two books from Reed’s Pacific Way series that contain some basic vocabulary, a traditional story about each country’s past, and chapters on history, geography, weather, flora and fauna, social structure, political history, religion, and unique ceremonies. Interesting and relevant books that would make excellent resources for school libraries. 11–12 years plus. Penguins, by Barbara Todd, Reed, $14.95. A useful reference book for older readers with plenty of information and a clean, pleasant design. As well as providing general facts, there are in-depth sections on seven types of penguins, including the yellow-eyed, blue, and crested penguins of New Zealand. Lots of great photographs. 8–14 years. Coasting: The Sea Lion and the Lark, by Neville Peat, Longacre, $29.95. History, natural history, anecdote and ecological issues combine in a multi-layered journey from Otago to the sub-antarctic. In following the life of a sea-lion, Peat’s writing shows science and art as two sides of the one coin. Ask That Mountain: the story of Parihaka, by Dick Scott, Reed/Southern Cross, $39.95. This has been called one of the ten most important books published in New Zealand. First published in 1975 and reprinted several times before this 2001 edition, the book details the refusal of the Maori settlement of Parihaka to submit land, culture and dignity to the colonial government. Schools must need a new copy by now. The Maori Picture Dictionary by Margaret Sinclair and Ross Calman, Reed Publishing, $14.95, hb. This hardcover book illustrates over ‘1,300 of the most common words Used’. Use it when you’re wanting the Maori for Father Christmas, foot, furniture, leg, legend, lion, lighthouse, playground, pirate, polar bear, or pocket money and all the other words in between. Each word has its own neat illustration drawn, somewhat surprisingly, from a eurocentric perspective. Some are also accompanied by both English and Maori phrases. At the end there’s an index of Maori to English words for easy reference. Kiwiana: The sequel by Richard Wolfe and Stephen Barnett, Penguin, Price $49.95, hb. A companion to the 1989 New Zealand! New Zealand! – In praise of kiwiana, this book sets out to celebrate the New Zealand ‘difference’. It says it’s a ‘selective lucky-dip into our popular culture, [and] will convey to the reader a strong sense of national identity’ as it examines the social changes of the last decade and their impact on popular culture.

Adult books suitable for secondary students Fiction The New Girl, by Emily Perkin,s Picador, $34.95. Trendy Perkins writes about three best friends the summer they leave school. Their lives are complicated by another young woman who arrives to teach a holiday class. Vivid depiction of small town New Zealand in Perkins’ clear prose. Counterpart, by Mike Johnson, HarperCollins, $19.95. A thoughtful perspective on gender issues in a science fiction novel where a man comes home one night to find his life is altered in all key respects. In this take on disjunctive realities, award-winning and intelligent Johnson should appeal to teenage boys. Little Moon, by Emma Neale, Vintage, $24.95. Novelist and poet Neale follows the success of her first novel with another about growing up in New Zealand. This time, the main character Julie lives under the shadow of a family tragedy. Teenagers will lock into the sense of unattached guilt common to that age group.

Poetry Essential New Zealand Poems, ed. Lauris Edmond and Bill Sewell, Godwit, $29.95. This beautiful, tactile volume contains 200 of the country’s best poems, easily laid out in alphabetical order of author. Old favourites and new discoveries in a welcome collection for any school library or classroom.