The Heroes of the Kokoda Track

by Nicolas Brasch

black dog books. History, Junior non-fiction, Australian. Paperback RRP $16.99

The Kokoda Track is an important part of Australian history. You may all know of the hard ache and problems that accompanied the men that fought along the track. But The Heroes of the Kokoda Track is more about the history of why the track was so important and why our troops were sent to Papua New Guinea.

In this fascinating and richly illustrated book, there are lots of visuals to keep a young mind interested.

I think the title is a bit misleading as it isn’t all about the men who braved the track but more about the local area and the topography and the elements these men had to face. The locals who played a key role in keeping the Australian men alive.

If the first text box on the first page doesn’t get you interested then you must have already walked the track.

‘Try this… Put six bricks into a backpack, and climb the steepest hill you can find. But don’t do it until it’s been raining for days, so you keep slipping. Now don’t make a sound because in the bushes around you, there might be enemy troops, armed with rifles and bayonets, poised to pounce at the slightest sign of activity. Then imagine this is no game, this is reality, this is war – this is Kokoda.’

Every Australian school library should have this book proudly displayed on their shelves.

The Reading Stack reviewed Nicolas Brasch’s Gallipoli. Reckless Valour in May 2009.

Forgotten

by Cat Patrick

hardie grant Egmont. Young Adult. Paperback RRP $22.95

Reviewed by Barbara Brown

London Lane forgets her past. At precisely 4.33am her brain resets ready for a brand new day. But London never forgets her future – and the future of all around her. She sees the future in bits and pieces and it is something that London cannot forget.

Every morning the first thing London does is check her bedside table and the notes that are there to remind her of what has happened in the past couple of days and things she may need to do today. Most of the mundane things like eating, dressing, her room and school, teachers, best friend and her mum are firmly entrenched into her future memories that she knows what to expect and there are never any real surprises. But when London meets Luke she realises he isn’t in her future memories, therefore she won’t remember him. And Luke is someone London really wants to remember.

Everyday London meets up with Luke and even though she knows they are going out, Luke always takes her breath away. Why isn’t Luke in her future? Yet months into their relationship he is still there in her past and present but nowhere in her future memories.

Then London starts to dream of a funeral. Whose funeral is it? She sees a person who must be her grandmother and the father that she has never remembered. She wants to ask her mother but her mother has been hiding a secret from London and with the help of Luke, London starts to get answers. But the funeral must be in the future so whose is it? When she starts to see that Luke isn’t in her future does that mean this funeral is his? Is that why he isn’t in her future memories?

Forgotten kept me reading until the end – several hours later. A very interesting and yet gripping novel that could be classed as a love story but also could be classed as a suspenseful thriller. Neither classifications are correct. It’s the story of a girl with an interesting abnormality. This is Cat Patrick’s debut novel and it is good – truly not to be forgotten.

http://www.catpatrick.com/