Reviewed by Antonella Townsend A positive life message just blasts off each page in John Cena’s Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla. No point being subtle with the truth, when the truth is a vital piece of information that all young children need to know: persistence equals improvement, a well thought out plan and teamwork brings success,
Reviewed by Clare Brook Running with the Horses, written and illustrated by Alison Lester, is a charming piece of historical fiction suitable for early readers. The story is concentrated on a single plot line, allowing young readers to stay focused. Although simply told, the narrative captures the emotion of this dramatic story. Lester’s delightful illustrations
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve This is a scientific work which is far from being burdened by complicated data and convoluted explanation. It tells the story of a remarkable family whose son Kai is autistic which was formally diagnosed when he was five. His family is extraordinary. Not only are his parents exceptionally devoted and patient,
Established in 2008, what makes the Indie Book Awards unique is that it’s the Australian independent booksellers themselves who nominate their best titles for the year; select the Longlist; judge the Shortlist and vote for the Category and Book of the Year winners – the entire process is based on the selection and involvement of
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Elliot Perlman’s latest novel is a social chronicle for our time. It shines a light on issues that affect us all – jobs, relationships, men and their attitude to women, children, and marriage. The centrepiece is sexual harassment, which Perlman discovered in his research, had occurred in the workplace, long before
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve By the second page, the reader is gripped. Its clipped style creates a fast-paced engrossing narrative. Laconic Caleb, profoundly deaf due to childhood meningitis, is able to navigate the shady world of Melbourne and its surrounds with admirable ease and, at times, humour. His world is dangerous, with ruthless criminals hovering
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Peter Mack can usually be relied on to present new ideas in an easily comprehensible style. They are usually big ideas. This book is no exception. Mack is a veteran, a scholar who, according to the dust jacket, was Professor of English at the University of Warwick. His books reveal a
Reviewed by Rod McLary Perhaps as a metaphor for this rather depressing story of evil and cruelty – and retribution, the book’s title references John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Milton describes how the devils are hurled from heaven to a fiery hell where there is no light but darkness visible. Some of the characters in the
Reviewed by Rod McLary In 1955, a young black American boy called Emmett Till was visiting family in Mississippi when it was claimed that he whistled at a white woman. Consequently, he was abducted by a group of white men – including the woman’s husband – and beaten to death and dumped in the Tallahassee
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Professor of English at Agnes Scott College, Charlotte Artese has presented an intriguing delight for the Shakespeare lover. Her book is a comment on the human propensity to never cease to search out new ways of looking at old ideas or common issues that turn out to be anything but common.
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders The Shovel describes itself as “Australia’s satire news service”, before offering a confession of sorts: “Ok, let’s be really clear here – most of the stuff on this site is made up. So we’re a bit like The Daily Telegraph or The Daily Mail, just with slightly longer words.” Meanwhile
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Think of Albert Einstein and the images form and keep coming. Special Theory of Relativity, General Theory of Relativity, lines in space that are curved not straight, reassessment of time, photons, sub-atomic theory…in other words, science. Prompted to think about Einstein the man as distinct from the scientist, and images that
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Having read this book I have to say that I do not understand what Mike Willesee meant by a ‘search for meaning’. What does ‘meaning’ refer to? I have to assume he meant ‘a search for God’. Many, who don’t believe in God, find meaning in a fat wallet, or the
Reviewed by Ian Lipke This book was written to acknowledge “the experiences of children deemed by their adults as unworthy – of respect, of nurturing, of protection” (295). So says the author in the acknowledgments section. Knowing that information makes it a little easier to understand why the author chose the crimes that appear in
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The academic history book, Aboriginal Australians, was first written by Richard Broome in 1982 and has been in print ever since with new editions being printed in 1994 and 2002, each time with new chapters added. In 2010, the original thirteen chapters were completely revised and a new chapter added. This