Before Your Teenagers Drive You Crazy Read This

Battlefield Wisdom for Stressed out Parents

By Nigel Latta

Harper Collins Publishers. Adult Non-Fiction. Paperback rrp $26.95

Guest Reviewer - Jo Burnell

The title says it all. This book lives up to its name. I love my teenage kids, but there are days when I feel I’ve lost all control. Nigel Latta not only rescued me, but provided plenty of belly laughs along the way.

He’s a Psychologist working with difficult teenagers in New Zealand because he loves it. You can tell by the way he writes. He actually has fun getting round seemingly insurmountable odds.

Not only that, he shares his secrets through easy-to-read frameworks, basic principles and simple plans, but there’s nothing dry between these pages. The Weapons of Mass Disruption that teenagers use to confound their unsuspecting parents were so familiar, I wondered if Nigel had been spying through our kitchen window.

With chapter headings like: The teenage brain: not the whole walnut and Mad Uncle Jack, I knew I was in for an entertaining time. Real kids and families were described to explain concepts, then I was invited to the use the principals and frameworks to solve the described problems. Before reading this book, I would have shrugged and had no clue where to start, but towards the end everything was starting to make sense.

When I now turn to my own kids, life seems so simple. Don’t get me wrong. There are still days when I wonder who stole my kids and replaced them with Mad Uncle Jack and his Crazy Side-Kick. However, I now have a trusty reference guide that hasn’t failed me yet.

http://www.goldfishwisdom.co.nz/

Food for Sports Performance (The Complete Guide to)

Peak Nutrition for Your Sport

by Dr Louise Burke and Greg Cox

Allen & Unwin. Australian, Adult Non-Fiction. Paperback rrp $35.00


Food for Sports Performance was originally published in 1992 and this latest edition has been revised, expanded and updated. Over 500 pages power packed with information that is both insightful and instructional for any sporting person, from swimming, running, cycling to boxing, football, tennis, just to name a few.

You don’t have to be a contender for the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games. If you are keen to improve your performance and want some insider knowledge on the best foods and when and where to have them, Food for Sports Performance is a must for your library.

For sporting adults it is the book they need to read. Although it is not aimed at children it is a good stepping stone to prepare them and the chef of the house, for eating right to achieve the best results. Rehydration, sports supplements and foods, fatigue factors, refuelling, electrolytes and alcohol are discussed. There are tables, case histories and profiles and individual sport tips. This compendium will help answer many of questions.

The authors have professional and hands-on experience. Burke and Cox are both athletes and sports nutritionists who work for the Australian Institute of Sport.

This is one book that should be on every athlete and coach’s bookshelf. As the parent of a child who runs and wants to achieve her best, I’m glad I have it to refer to at any given time.

Pyro Watson and the Hidden Treasure

by Nette Hilton. Illustrated by Gregory Rogers

Random House (Woolshed Press). Australian, Junior. Paperback rrp $16.95

Pyro Watson has been sent to stay with his Aunt Mor and her partner Mr Stig whilst his mother looks after his nan and his father goes to work. Pyro doesn’t want to go and stay in the old camper in the caravan park where his aunt lives. He wants to be back at school with his best friend Geezer making pirate maps and building pirate boats. It’s only for a week or two but Pyro is sure there will be nothing to do and he will be bored.

To help the boredom, Pyro becomes Simeon, the Pirate Fighter. When he meets Min and his little yappy dog, Becks, Pyro finds a true soul mate. Both Min and Pyro love pirates and find lots of adventures around the beach and surrounding rocks. But they have to beware of the Worries, the local bullies who want to hassle Pyro.

Simeon knows how to defend himself, but can Pyro?

When the Worries steal Becks whilst Pyro is looking after him, Pyro must face danger alone. Pyro needs to be as brave as Simeon.

A wonderful tale of a young boy trying to conquer his fear of both friendship and bullying. Boys and girls will delight in Pyro’s adventures, riveted to the end.

Shortlisted for Qld Premier's Literary Awards for Young Adults 2009 and NSW Premier's Literary Awards - Ethel Turner Prize 2009.

http://www.nettehilton.com.au/

Wildflower

An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa

by Mark Seal

Hachette Australia. Adult Non-Fiction. Paperback RRP $32.99

Guest Reviewer - Jo Burnell

Joan and Alan Root were pioneer film-makers in Africa in the 1960s and 70s. They took us inside termite mounds, over the jungles of Africa in a hot air balloon and swimming with hippos, sea lions and marine iguanas. Alan was usually the on-camera force, but nothing would have been possible without Joan’s amazing organisational skills and courage.

Mark Seal is an investigative journalist who brings the jungles of Africa to throbbing life in Wildflower. I flinch at the injuries Alan and Joan sustained and feel my eyes widen at the incredible adventures they enjoyed on a daily basis. No detail is spared as Mark paints word pictures of both breathtaking beauty and unforgiving landscapes. That was and is life in Africa.

The industrial revolution of flower-growing around Lake Naivasha (Kenya) is also outlined in detail. It’s a story of commercial intrigue, political snakes and ladders and humanity’s struggle to survive. Who are the good guys and bad guys in the imminent death of this irreplaceable ecosystem? It depends on your point of view.

Wildflower is Joan’s story. Shy and retiring in her youth, Joan’s passion for wildlife led her to become a powerful anti-poaching force in her later years. She chose to remain in Kenya in the late 1990s even when several friends were brutally murdered for their strong conservation beliefs. I was mesmerised by the lives these white crusaders led, but what captivated me more was Joan’s unrequited love story.

She was irresistible. Physically attractive as well as having a deep spiritual resilience, I struggled to accept there might not be a ‘happily ever after’ for her. I turned every page, hoping her luck would change.

Rivetting is the only word I can find to describe Wildflower.
http://www.mark-seal.com/

Monster Republic

by Ben Horton

Random House. Junior/Young Adult. Paperback rrp $17.95

A school excursion to the nuclear power plant turns into tragedy. A large number of students are killed, including Cameron Reilly. Except Cameron isn’t dead and neither are the others.

Taken to the nearby private hospital, Cameron and his classmates become experimental subjects for Doctor Fry. When the modified Cameron fails to function as expected, he is temporarily discarded. This provides the opportunity for Rora, a strange foxlike girl, to rescue him.

Rora introduces Cameron to the Monster Republic, a group of child ‘rejects’ from Dr Fry’s work. Part human, part machine, part animal. Each child has special enhanced capabilities but their monstrous appearance forces them to hide away from the town’s people.

Cameron tries to return home only to find his own family think he is a monster and the eminent Dr Fry is the pride of the community, generously arranging a memorial to the dead students. The Monster Republic must decide whether to escape while they can or turn and make a stand.

The plot line is predictable but that doesn’t detract from the story. There’s action aplenty and graphic novel pages included to whet the visual appetite.

Monster Republic is an excellent choice for boys 10 – 14 who like games first and reading second. The cover is guaranteed to attract their attention away from the screen and encourage them to turn the first page.

Angel Fish

by Lili Wilkinson

black dog books. Australian, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $18.99

Set against a background of the 13th century Children’s Crusade, Angel Fish is a timeless story of faith and hope. But what we believe in and where it takes us is never as simple as it first seems.

When Stephan arrives in Machery preaching that children can save the Holy Land from the Saracen, young Gabriel is immediately drawn to both Stephan and the cause. Gabriel has no place in his village where he is seen as different but with Stephan he becomes the Angel Fish – the alpha symbol of Christianity – the beginning.

As they journey from the Alps to the Mediterranean, more children join the group. They implicitly believe everything the charismatic Stephan promises. Including that when they reach the ocean God will part the waters for Stephan and his followers to cross.

But the journey brings many challenges and misfortunes. Even threats and death. Stephan begins to change under the influence of power and the increasing adoration of his followers. Gabriel finds other children soon place themselves between him and his beloved Stephan. Their close friendship is dissolving. Gabriel must question not only how much he is willing to sacrifice for his faith but that very faith itself.

Tragedy is never far away. But neither is hope. This is a book for everyone who wants to believe in something. Or wants to read a fascinating piece of historical fiction.
 
http://www.liliwilkinson.com/

Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia

by Christopher Paolini

Random House. Children’s Non-fiction. Hardcover rrp $45.00

Based on the best-selling Inheritance Cycle series of books (Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr), this hard-cover lift-the-flap, look-in-the-pocket seek-out-the-facts book is a must have for all dragon and fantasy lovers. Whether they are Eragon fans or not.

Alagaesia is the fantasy world where the Inheritance Cycle is set. It is a place of elves, humans, urgals, dwarves and dragons. The book contains maps, descriptions of plants, animals, history and culture. You can touch a dragon wing or learn a new language (dwarfish looked a bit tricky but Elvish seemed easier!).

The key attraction of this book is the wonderful pictures and proliferation of information presented in interesting ways. Every page has something to run fingers over, take from a pocket or look beneath. There is texture, colour and an enormous amount of visual detail.

Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia will fascinate any fantasy reader and appeal to children who like interactive non-fiction.
 
http://www.alagaesia.com/

Fearless

by Colin Thompson. Illustrated by Sarah Davis

ABC Books. Australian, Picture. Hardback rrp $24.99

Gentle and humorous with pictures you want to reach in and cuddle, this book is a winner.

Recently I read Fearless at a storytelling session to a group of children ranging from three to seven years old. It was hard to get a word in! Once I was past the first few pages, the children took charge – predicting the text from the story and illustrations, playing games matching names to pictures and setting the pace for our page turning.

Sometimes it’s hard to work out what name is just right – whether it’s for a person or a pet. Fearless is a puppy who is not brave at all. He’s scared of cars backfiring, black handbags, the broom and the stairs. But he’s loving and loyal. And one day he does live up to his name and protect his family. Accidentally of course but it’s a job proudly done.

From the front cover where Fearless peeks out from under the curtain to the back cover where his bottom is not quite hidden, this is a book filled with fun illustrations. My storytelling group particularly loved the page where a range of dogs and their names were shown. The names just didn’t seem to match up quite right. We were soon sorting that out.

I had three ‘read it again’ requests. If you intend to buy a picture book for a young friend or relative, Fearless is an excellent choice.

http://www.colinthompson.com/
http://www.sarahdavisillustration.com/

International Book Launch

at (PRIS) Pasir Ridge, International School, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Plato, the Platypus Plumber (part-time)

written by Hazel Edwards & illustrated by John Petropolous
ISBN 978-1-921479-37-3

This international picture book launch was a ‘First’ in many ways.

Not only was the book launch held at Pasir Ridge International School (PRIS) in the Early Learning Centre of the Chevron Oil compound in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, it was a most imaginative scenario.

Meg Baxter, the Early Childhood teacher and her enthusiastic staff had organised a special ‘mud’ cake iced with a replica of the cover as well as ‘muddy’ chocolate milk. SFX of water noises. Charts of platypus facts, and even a story house, surrounded by recycled branches (in the spirit of the story) with an author chair for the ‘first’ reading. To the side was a ‘creek’ with platypus shapes.

The children had all created their own plumber tool kits in mini cases. Teachers had prepared the children well. Invitations. Craft work.

And…

the platypus prints led into the room and up to the pile of Plato the Platypus Plumber (part-time) books.

For an author, a launch is like a first birthday party for the book-child. And this concept of a platypus-plumber had a long journey. So I was especially delighted with the artwork by John P and the design of the hardback book, and the fact that it could be launched during my author visit to Indonesia. It was also illustrator John’s first book!

This book was a first in ‘Cassandra’ font, written as if in the illustrator’s daughter’s hand. Ironically one of the Pasir Ridge children was also called Cassandra and she was thrilled to have a special link to the book.

‘My name is Cassandra too!’

International school children have names from many cultures. And that can be a challenge when you are autographing. A first edition book should be dated as well as signed by the author and illustrator (but he was back in Melbourne).

So Indonesian teachers helped with typed slips of children’s names for autographing. Many are KTCs, Kids of the Third Culture, where parents may be nationals of different countries and the child born or schooled in a third. But stories cross all cultures.

Locally, orangutans, rather than platypus, are the local Kalimantan wildlife.

So we talked about where names came from and why Plato was called that: after a Greek wise man who had a few answers or could ask the right questions. Just like the fixer platypus who could solve watery problems or grumpy people.

‘Readers help make a book too.’

For me the special pleasure was that once I’d talked about how a book was also created by the reader from the clues given by the illustrator and the author, the children sprawled on the rug and all read the book for themselves.

‘Mine is the first Plato book signed in the whole world,’ said one little boy as he sat down to read.

So what’s the book about?

Creative problem-solving.

Plato is a platypus and a part-time plumber with a tool kit.

On call, Plato fixes watery problems like leaking taps, but he also fixes grumpy people. From his tool kit, he uses smile spray, a feather or a joke.

At Pasir Ridge, there were plenty of smiles. Even at 8 am in the morning. School starts early there. And a creative launch was no problem.

****************************************************************************************

Publisher: Interactive Publications (Dr David Reiter)
www.ipoz.biz/IP_Kidz/Kidz.htm for free teachers’ notes, classroom play script and book trailer.
To buy copies: http://ipoz.biz/Store/orders.htm
Check Hazel’s website for book trailer, extra notes and photos http://www.hazeledwards.com/

2010 Astrid Lindgren nominee Hazel Edwards has written across media and her works have been performed and translated into Chinese, Korean, Tamil, Auslan and Braille. Platypus are her favourites, and after her Antarctic expedition, Hazel has great respect for Antarctic ‘tradies’ who can fix any problems.

Collaborating on Picture Book

Plato, the Platypus Plumber (part-time)


by Hazel Edwards

http://www.hazeledwards.com/

Apart from, ‘How do you work with an illustrator?’, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ would be the most common question creators are asked.

I had the toolkit idea, but illustrator John Petropolous designed it.

Kids love tool kits. Why shouldn’t a platypus who is a watery creature, be an on-call plumber who fixes pipes but also fixes grumpy people. What would this tradie platypus keep in his underwater toolkit? Would it be a backpack or a carrybag? Apart from spanners, would he need a joke book, smile spray, feather for tickling or a smilasorus? Would the toolkit fall off when he swam? Would the mobile work underwater?

I trialled an early version called Platypussyfooting Around, with various school groups. They LOVED designing and working out what went into the toolkit.

A platypus has always seemed to be an all-purpose creature to me. Amphibious. Occasionally endangered. And with a wonderful ‘proper’ name of ornithoryncus…

I saw the platypus as an imaginary friend for a child whose fractured family was under stress. They’d live in old housing so there was need for plumbing help, with leaking pipes, dripping taps, tanks and holey gutters.

I live in Melbourne and along the upper Yarra River bike trail, there are rambling old houses made into run-down apartments. This seemed a believable setting for ferals, water access for the platypus and a money-short family doing renovations.

I talked to plumbers. I visited up river where platypus were reappearing and did some inside storm drains research with the council engineer. I found out everything that might go wrong.

The platypus plumber idea has been swimming around for thirteen years in my sub-conscious, which is ironic, because originally I called the character Thirteen. That’s how many years platypus survive in the wild if they’re lucky. If ferals or six pack plastic rings don’t get them.

From the beginning, the story was so active; I had a TV series or maybe animation in mind. So I created a family cast, with a mother with travel poster dreams, a muso father and Gran with her TV soapies in 13 possible episodes. Now it’s possible that this story may go into some very new electronic formats like Kindle or iPod.

At our local pool, where I swim laps, I heard a mother yell out ‘Zanzibar’ to her swimming child. A really blond kid appeared, which was a shock because Zanzibar (the island off Africa) seems such an exotic name. So I had my boy character’s name.

John P did original platypus sketches, but the concept was rejected by several publishers and producers who thought I already had a classic imaginary friend hippo story and didn’t need another.

I continued to workshop it with kids who loved making their own toolkits and saw him as more of an eco-warrior. So I added more recycling and water-saving issues. Tank pipes in convoluted shapes running off the roof.

Then I experimented with viewpoints. First person Zanzibar. Could he have dialogue with the platypus? Did his parents know he communicated with a platypus? Was it by mobile phone? Underwater? Mental telepathy? These are all problems of the logic of fiction which must be believable within the story.

Plato was a name which came later, when we were fiddling with the title. It’s no surprise that my illustrator John Petropolous has Greek heritage, but a friend suggested the short and philosophical Greek name. Finding the right name for a fictional character is harder than naming a baby. Especially when we have so many P’s on the cover words.

Ten years on, art director John had a young family and was still delighted to illustrate his first picture book. From my experience parents of young children make the best picture book illustrators because they get the kid shapes right. John also has a sense of humour and love of word play. He even created a business card for our plumber platypus. We met in a café in Carnegie and sketched concepts on their outside table.

I wanted ‘blokey’ artwork that would appeal to young boys too. John suggested using the lettering of his daughter and created a new Cassandra font.

John did a number of drafts before we got Plato the character right. Plato is now joyous, resourceful, affectionate and appropriate for the age group.

Who was the major character? Zanzibar? The platypus? Water? The river? The editor made some constructive suggestions about sequencing, starting and ending with the river.

Later the eco-issues of drought became more important when I visited outback communities like Condobolin. And I realised how stories could be therapy for those in extreme climactic conditions.

IPKidz publisher David Reiter was interested in eco issues too.

Some books are favourites. Plato is an endearing character and authors, like parents, shouldn’t have favourites, but…

Now I’ve written a classroom playscript, where students actors are the tools… who ‘fall in’, when Plato the Platypus Plumber gets a call. That’s going to be a fun performance, with a spanner, hard hat, joke and a feather to tickle grumpy people.

******************************************************

Plato, the Platypus Plumber (part-time)

ISBN 978-1-921479-37-3

written by Hazel Edwards& illustrated by John Petropolous

www.ipoz.biz/IP_Kidz/Kidz.htm  

March 2010 release.

Plato is a platypus and a part-time plumber with a tool kit.

On call, Plato fixes watery problems like leaking taps, but he also fixes grumpy people. From his tool kit, he uses smile spray, a feather or a joke.

Sometimes Zanzibar’s family need a little help. Plato always comes, despite the ferals along the creek bank.

Water carries secrets, stories and (yucky) stuff! An eco-warrior, Plato knows how to fix things.

John Petropolous is Art Director at Advertising Australia. As a graphic artist he has worked freelance for various groups, including Cracker Comedy (Sydney Comedy Festival) and Antipodes Lonsdale Street Festival. Reason for living... my beautiful girls. This is his first picture book.

Headgames

by Casey Lever

Random House. Australian, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $18.95

Who’s up for a game of Truth or Dare? Lever certainly knows how to twist a simple childhood game into something much more dark and sinister.

Headgames is the story of five teenagers. The main character, Steven, is a skinny nerd with long hair. Tala, the big Samoan who is his best friend, doesn’t see the nerdy Steven that the rest of the school sees. For years Steven has had an infatuation with Avery, the girl everyone likes. Connor is the tough guy, rumoured to have been in juvenile detention. And Jude, Connor’s half-sister is incredibly hostile towards Steven.

Connor plays the game of Truth or Dare because he believes the truth will set you free, but the game can be cruel. Avery, his girlfriend, wants to participate. Steven wants to know more about Avery. Tala is dragged along because he is Steven’s mate. Jude is bored and likes to be cruel.

And so the game begins.

But what happens when all five find out there are secrets within and everyone will be affected by the truth? Once the game begins it must continue until each person is free. Will they finish the game and be free? Or will the game drag them into the dark recesses of their minds?

Headgames is a Wow book. Brilliant. Insightful. Interesting. I think I’d be too scared to play Truth or Dare again.

The Unfinished Angel

by Sharon Creech

Puffin Books, Penguin Australia. Junior, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $14.95

Guest Reviewer – Sue Walker

The Unfinished Angel is the latest offering from Newbery and Carnegie Medal Winner, Sharon Creech. The story follows a confused angel who watches over an idyllic village in the Swiss Alps. Life has been easy for the angel for hundreds of years – a little ‘flishing’ in the minds of troubled locals here and there, and his job is done. Right? Wrong! A colourful girl named Zola enters his castle, and turns his world upside-down, inside-out.

After a shaky start, Zola and the angel unite to work magic on the sleepy Swiss village, and they find a home for a group of orphaned children. The story has a charming, naïve quality and one of the highlights is the angel’s unique voice. “Peoples are strange! The things they are doing and saying – sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads?”

The Unfinished Angel is a warm-hearted story with appealing themes. It explores the power of kindness, and the idea that sometimes the solution to a problem can be right under your nose. I did feel there were a few things left unanswered in the story, but The Unfinished Angel didn’t disappoint. The angel’s innocence, and his quirky way with language make him one character that will stay with me for a very long time.

http://www.sharoncreech.com/

Sue Walker writes fiction for children of all ages. Her upcoming title Arnie Avery, is due for release mid 2010. Other books include Tilly’s Treasure, an Aussie Nibble, and Best Friends, a Children’s Book Council Notable Book.

http://www.suewalkerauthor.com/

f2m: The Boy Within

by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy

Ford Street Publishing. Austalian, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $19.95

Guest Reviewer - Jo Burnell

Coming of age is about finding yourself. People of all ages face identity crises at some stage in their lives. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard the phrase; ‘they don’t know the real me’. We all shelter behind facades at times, but Skye’s dilemma goes much deeper. She believes she’s in the wrong body.

Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy have pulled off a world-first with their funny fictional portrayal of a previously taboo subject. Gender Identity Disorder or people who are transgender are often misunderstood. It’s too easy to regard them as cross-dressers or homosexuals in denial. f2m opens doors to understanding while providing a fast-paced down-to earth read.

Skye plays guitar in an all-female punk rock band, even though she feels male on the inside. Her first person viewpoint lets me inside her head as she decides to change gender. I’m there as she faces unimagined conflicts, squirming with her as she tries to work out a way to break the news to family. How do you choose between everyone and everything you love and an unknown future with a changed identity? There’s no escaping that totally lost feeling when you are neither fully female nor male. The heart aches when friends don’t seem to understand.

Which box would you tick and which public toilet might you use if you were in transition: male or female? Although many transgender issues are contemplated, f2m is so much more than a book about changing sexes. It’s a story of self-discovery and courage.

f2m doesn’t skirt around the edges. Medications and their powerful, irreversible effects are described without censure. Details of body-changing operations are included.

Is it really worth it? f2m provides answers to questions people don’t dare ask. It also hints at the unanswerable. Anyone who faces identity crisis is on a voyage to discovery. When do you know you’ve finally arrived?

f2m gives entry into a previously inaccessible world. Skye is real. Her dilemmas are no less life altering than mine. Give it a try. f2m blew my mind.

http://www.hazeledwards.com/

Click here to read all about the Book Launch.

Tweenie Genie #2 Genie High School

by Meredith Badger

Hardie Grant Egmont. Australian, Junior, Fantasy. Hardback rrp $16.95

Back in May 2009 I reviewed Badger’s first book Tweenie Genie #1 Genie in Training and couldn’t wait for the sequel. I was very excited when Tweenie Genie #2 Genie High School arrived on my desk. And I wasn’t disappointed either with lots more things to learn about genies.

Poppy, our local genie in training, is now ready for high school. But what is in store for Poppy is not a normal high school. Poppy is ready to start Stage Two of her genie training and to do that she must go to Genie High. There are some strange lessons in store - learning to ride magic carpets (although Poppy has already aced that), genie judo and ancient languages.

But like in any high school, be it normie (genies name for a normal human) or genie, there are personality clashes, dares and people desperately trying to fit in. Does Poppy have what it takes for Genie High School or must she accept that she will fail or even worse, be expelled?

Tweenie Genie #2 Genie High School follows directly on from book one. And set with the same format, hard cover, great illustrations, genie facts and figures, Badger will keep her fans happy and pick up a few new ones along the way (who can easily start with Book 2 and go backwards if they like).

Tweenie Genie #1 Genie in Training was reviewed in May 2009 by The Reading Stack.

Girls Only

by Kerrie Hess

Random House. Australian, Children’s Non-Fiction. Paperback rrp $14.95

As the title tells us: is for girls only! It is targeted at girls aged 11+ although some “older” girls may find this handbook just as useful.

The subheading tells it all: everything you need for a girls’ night in. This pocket sized sleepover companion is packed with great ideas for parties (for girls only!). Hess likes to do things in tens - there are ten types of parties, ten party tips, top ten party pop songs, top 10 movies to watch, etc.

As I read through the ideas and themes, I wondered if this would also appeal to those who don’t like girlie things. Then I noticed that there was a haunted house party and a sports theme party. So if you don’t want a makeover party there are plenty of choices to choose from.

Also included are recipes, invitation designs, activities, settings, costume ideas. The Blood Milkshake was a hit in my home.

Girls Only is a fun but useful book and a great resource for that next sleepover session! With Hess providing the ideas and advice, there won’t be too much sleeping but there will be lots of fun!

http://www.kerriehess.com/

Come Back to Me

by Sara Foster

Random House Australia. Australian, Mystery. Paperback rrp $32.95


Mark used to date Chloe but she ended up married to Alex. Mark works with Chloe and invites Chloe and Alex to a dinner date with Julia, a mystery woman who suddenly appeared one night at his law office. When Alex is introduced to Julia at the beginning of the dinner, everyone’s lives become turned upside down.

And so begins the story of Come Back to Me. This is a tragic tale of secrets that should have been told, decisions that should not have been made and how history can always change the present and the future.

Julia and Alex both share a secret, a terrible tragedy that happened ten years past. When Alex meets Chloe several years later he never tells her this part of his past. Then Julia resurfaces from who knows where and Alex finds that what has happened in the past can come back to haunt you. Maybe he should have told Chloe everything. But is it too late?

Chloe is also hiding a secret from Alex. The longer she puts off telling him the harder it becomes and the gap widens between their love for each other.

When Alex and Julia decide to confront the past to help them with their future, it means travelling to Perth from London. And what about Chloe? Does Mark find that he can help fill the void that Alex has left?

Come Back to Me is a book for anyone who likes to be surprised by multiple twists and turns. Brilliant!

http://www.sarafoster.com.au/

My Love Lies Bleeding

by Alyxandra Harvey

Allen & Unwin. Junior, Young Adult, Fantasy. Paperback rrp $14.99

My Love Lies Bleeding is the first title in the three book series - the Drake Chronicles. Blood Feud and Hunt the Day will be released later in the year.

Solange Drake is a fifteen year old student. Lucy has been her best friend for as long as she can remember.

But Solange is the first female vampire to be born and her birth was the beginning of an ancient prophecy. The prophecy says the vampire tribes will be triumphantly united under the rule of a daughter born to an ancient family.

Unlike Solange, most vampires are humans turned by a vampire bite. At Solange’s birth her family were exiled from the royal court. Afraid of the prophecy, the current ruler, Lady Natasha, saw Solange’s birth as an immediate threat to her power. The Drake’s are ancient. Is Solange the next ruler? Lady Natasha wants to ensure that Solange never reaches her sixteenth birthday.

Solange is human like everybody else until she turns sixteen and goes through the transformation from human to vampire. When Solange is kidnapped, Lucy is ready to fight to get her best friend back. But Lucy is human and no match for the vampires. Or is she?

Could a human like Lucy rescue a vampire like Solange? This is a fast, action packed story. I was so swept up by the pace, I didn’t even realise when I was half way through and nearing the end.

http://www.alyxandraharvey.com/

Post Grad: A Novel

by Emily Cassel. Based on the screenplay by Kelly Fremon

Pan Macmillian. Young Adult. Paperback rrp $16.99

Ryden Malby has a plan. Graduate from college, get the dream job at THE book publishing company, get the dream flat close by and live happily ever after. Great plan. The problem for Ryden is Jessica Bard.

Jessica Bard is Ryden’s nemesis at college. Not only does Jessica become valedictorian but she also lands Ryden’s perfect job!

Ryden returns to live with her very strange family (dad likes do-it-yourself, mum likes to save, save, save and her little brother likes to lick school mates heads). What Ryden didn’t foresee is that a college graduate can’t waltz into any job. In fact getting a job is harder than it seems.

And then there is Ryden’s best friend, Adam. He keeps telling her how he feels but she doesn’t want to listen. When Adam finally gives up on Ryden, she sees what her life is all about. Is it too late to start a new plan?

It is a funny and quirky story. Post Grad the movie was released in 2009 so if you liked the book, you can watch the movie.

http://www.postgradmovie.com/

Fallen

by Lauren Kate

Random House. Young Adult, Fantasy. Paperback rrp $29.95

Lucinda Price, Luce, is a troubled girl. Dark, foreboding shadows have followed her for most of her seventeen years. When a boy she likes burns to death with only her as an eye witness, the police, her doctor and even her parents are suspicious. Luce can’t tell any of them what actually happened, even though she was alone with the boy, because she doesn’t understand it herself.

Her parents’ response is to send Luce to a reform school. On her first day she meets a boy who totally disorientates her. There is something vaguely familiar about him. Have they met before? Luce can’t keep her eyes off him and it seems that Daniel can’t keep his eyes off Luce. But something is not right. Whenever they stop to talk, Daniel is initially warm and affectionate, then inexplicable as cold as the winter winds whipping through the old graveyard beside the school.

Then there is Cameron. A complete opposite to Daniel - from his dark hair to Daniel’s blonde; to the sincerity of his feelings for her to Daniel’s confusing emotions. Luce is torn between the two boys who continually compete for her attention. And with this confliction of feelings she also struggles to ignore the threatening shadows increasing above her.

When finally Luce learns the truth about Daniel, Cameron and a number of others at the reform school, she realises that her love for Daniel is dangerous but her infatuation with Cameron could be deadly. A single kiss with Daniel could lead to Luce’s life being lost forever. With Cameron a kiss could develop into something far more sinister.

What happens when a fallen angel’s destiny is to replay the same love scene every 17 years for eternity? Fallen is the first of a four part series with Book 2 coming out in September 2010.

http://www.fallenbooks.com/

Guest Blogger - Author Paul Collins

The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler began its journey about three years ago. However, in 2007 I also decided to get back into publishing. But I’d created a monster with Ford Street Publishing. Although publishing seven to eight books a year doesn’t sound too hectic, it’s easy to forget the major publishers various departments to handle editing, accounts, market/publicity, proofread, design, liaise with authors and illustrators, write contracts, apply for grants and initiatives like Books Alive! etc, etc. With a small press, it’s usually just one person that does all that.

I wrote Toby in dribs and drabs whenever I found myself idle. I had fun creating malapropisms. It’s not actually the lead character that mangles his proverbs and sentences, rather his friend, Fluke.

So in The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler, a decaffeinated coffee becomes a decapitated coffee; for all intent and purposes becomes for all intensive purposes; charity begins at home becomes clarity begins at home. The trick is to make sure the verbal gaffes all relate to the actual story. Some of my favourite malapropisms are “the town was flooded and everyone had to be evaporated”; “dysentery in the ranks”; and of course, Kath and Kim’s friends who “are very effluent”.

Those familiar with JK Rowling’s characters will know she puts a lot of thought into her characters’ names, which quite often have literal means which reflect the character’s personality.

My own characters’ names come from anecdotal stories. Toby is nicknamed Milo, because he’s not Quik – a teacher who shan’t be named said they called one of the kids Milo for this reason. Fluke was named after his mother tried conceiving on the IVF program, gave up, then conceived. Hence, Fluke. The latter was an anecdotal story I read in a local paper.

Once I’d finished The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler I wondered which publisher I could send it to. After all, most know me as a science fiction writer – I don’t know why this is because I’ve written many more fantasy novels than science fiction novels, but there you are! So taking a leaf from Doris Lessing’s book (she also sent two MSS to publishers under a pseudonym) I sent the manuscript to most of the local major publishers under another name. Like Doris Lessing’s experiment, it was rejected. One publisher did say I could send more of my work because I “showed promise” lol.

On a less discouraging note, one leading editor loved it and recommended another publisher because his company was being subsumed by a larger publisher and he acknowledged that he was better with books targeting a younger audience. So I took up his suggestion and waited . . . and waited. And despite having a great recommendation from this eminent editor, my manuscript waited in a slush pile for four months. I enquired about it, but didn’t hear back from the editor. I waited another month before withdrawing the manuscript. The editor then said it was nearing the top of the pile to be read. But right or wrong, I figured five months was long enough, and if that editor was treating a highly recommended book with such nonchalance I didn’t really want to work with her anyway.

I withdrew the story. I was then faced with a dire predicament. Where could I send my new book? I was judging the Charlotte Duncan Award writing competition for Celapene Press at the time. So under the pseudonym I sent Toby to Kathryn Duncan, the publisher. It was accepted within four days and less than four months later it was published. Imagine that, accepted and published in a shorter period of time than a major publisher had it in her slush pile. This is one of the strengths of small press.

A major book club purchased the first print run and the second is fast selling out. I do regret that a major publisher didn’t see the potential of this book, but hey, some of the world’s best-selling classics were rejected by up to twenty publishers before going on to huge success. I read this morning it even happened to JD Salinger. I’m in fine company.

If you’d like to see the trailer for this book, go to: http://tinyurl.com/y8ugxd2
The publisher’s URL is: http://www.celapenepress.com.au/
The distributor is INT Books,
386 Mt Alexander Road
Ascot Vale VIC 3032
AUSTRALIA
03-9326 2416 tel
03-9326 2413 fax

Paul Collins
Melbourne February 2010
http://www.paulcollins.com.au/
http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com/

How to Make Money on eBay

by Todd Alexander

Allen & Unwin. Adult Non-Fiction, Australian. Paperback rrp $14.99

I love eBay. I shop on eBay. I have sold my trash and clutter on eBay. But could I really make money on eBay? According to Alexander the answer is Yes.

But… It isn’t as easy as uploading your picture, setting the price and hoping for the best. It’s all about marketing. Unlike taking your goods to the local market to sell, eBay has lots of rules and regulations. However, in the long run, you would probably make more profit selling on eBay than you would at the local market.

Alexander has written a concise and easy to use book with step-by-step instructions on how to set up your eBay business and how to continue running your business profitably – so long as your goods are in demand.

Todd Alexander knows what he is writing about. He has been employed at eBay Australia for eight years and is now Head of Customer Insight, the department responsible for the successful growth and development of sellers. Who better to instruct on the machinations of eBay and selling?

After reading How to Make Money on eBay the only problem is to find what to sell… Anyone got any ideas?