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Good Reading : July 2007
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We made the decision to reissue milestone books, which depicted us as we were at a time when the Australian psyche was still forming and which is part of our cultural heritage, because we believe they should still be available to young people today. We began with By the Sandhills of Yamboorah by Reginald Ottley, which was highly commended in the 1966 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards. Kevin Steinberger said in Magpies: ‘By the Sandhills ofYamboorah is an Australian classic in every sense – its setting, its unusually anonymous charac- terisation, its timeless themes and its humanity and Ottley’s finely crafted prose’. It tells of an outback lifestyle which has long passed. In 2004 we published Hesba Brinsmead’s Pastures of the Blue Crane , which was a life-changing novel from my childhood. It won the CBCA Book of the Year Award in 1965 and the Dame Mary Gilmore Medallion. It was a groundbreaking novel which tackled race relations head on. 2005 saw the publication of the wonderfully exotic Japanese tale The Plum Rain Scroll, again a winner of the CBCA Book of the Year. It is a fast- paced fantasy adventure full of action and unforgettable characters, with intriguing twists and turns in the plot. In 2006 we published the beautifully lyrical Josh by Ivan Southall, the winner of the Carnegie Medal. It was probably the first stream-of-consciousness novel to be published in Australia for teenagers. By coincidence this novel was also republished in the US earlier this year and the following is an extract from The Horn Book review: ‘Southall builds the tension to an almost unbearable level as we the readers try to determine how much of the simmering tension is due to old grudges, and how much is exac- erbated by the prickly Josh himself.The threat of violence hangs in the air, we don’t know whether to cheer Josh on or give him a good shaking.We know we won’t forget him’. In April this year we published Nan Chauncy’s ground breaking Tangara, winner of the CBCA Book of the Year in 1961. Tangara is a skilful blend of history, fantasy and reality, beautifully written, with pas- sion for the environment and sensitivity to the Indigenous people of Tasmania, and never to be forgotten. In 2008 we hope to publish Patricia Wrightson’s The Nargun and the Stars , the winner of the CBCA Book of the Year in 1974.This thought- provoking novel was a groundbreaking work, establishing for the first time a unique Australian mythology. Classics are not easy to sell and they will not make the accountants happy in a difficult publishing climate, but they are important to who we are and where we’ve come from. All of these books have the ability to touch the hearts of a new generation of readers.We all have to make sure that these magnificent books get into the hands of young readers, and just give them a chance to make a difference. This is an updated version of an article that first appeared in the State Library of Victoria Youth Literature newsletter of October 2006. children’s classics live again In 2003 the University of Queensland Press began an Australian Children’s Classics series. Their children’s publisher, LEONIE TYLE, tells us how it’s shaping up. shelf life Available where all books and toys are sold. Keep them busy these holidays with cool activities from
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