List Challenge's Banned Children's Book List

Oh I just love this list! It's perfect for Banned Books Week which has just finished. And competitive reader me loved that with my score of 25/60 I came 171st of 956 readers when I took the quiz last week. I wish it was more, I have come perilously close to reading more of these books. Quite a few are sitting waiting, unread, in my house. 

Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak

The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz

In the Night Kitchen - Maurice Sendak

The Great Gilly Hopkins - Katherine Paterson

Olive's Ocean - Kevin Henkes

Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George

Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh (see my review)

The Diary of a Young Girl  - Anne Frank (see my review)

A Light in the Attic - Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume (see my review)

My Brother Sam is Dead - James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier

The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier (see my review)

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis

James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl (see my review)

The Witches - Roald Dahl (see my review)

If I Ran the Zoo - Dr Seuss

Where's Waldo/Wally - Martin Handford

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle (see my review)

The Giver - Lois Lowry (see my review)

The Adventures of Captain Underpants - Dav Pilkey

Heather Has Two Mommies - Leslea Newman, Diana Souza (illustrator)

And Tango Makes Three - Peter Parnell & Justin Richardson (see my review)

Junie B. Jones - Barbara Park

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerers Stone - J.K. Rowling

Bone - Jeff Smith

Goosebumps - R.L. Stine

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred Taylor (see my review)

Drama - Raina Telgemeier (see my review)

Dragonwings - Laurence Yep

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging - Louise Rennison

The Rabbit's Wedding - Garth Williams

Shooter - Walter Dean Myers

The Fighting Ground - Avi

Shade's Children - Garth Nix

The Upstairs Room - Johnna Reiss

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie (see my review)

Go Ask Alice - Anonymous

Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (see my review)

Looking for Alaska - John Green

Two Boys Kissing - David Levithan

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (see my review)

Gossip Girl - Cecily von Ziegesar

Twilight - Stephanie Meyer

Prep - Curtis Sittenfeld

Ttyl - Lauren Myracle

The Earth, My Butt and Other BIG Round Things - Carolyn Mackler

Fallen Angels - Walter Dean Myers

The Face on the Milk Carton - Caroline B. Cooney

Forever ..... - Judy Blume

Draw Me a Star - Eric Carle

25/60

This list has the requisite books I've already read, books I want to read, and books I've never heard of (quite a few actually). I should go read one just to annoy some book banner types.

Barracuda

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this recent 4 part ABC series based on Christos Tsiolkas's book of the same name. Stories about competitive swimming, or any sport actually, aren't usually my thing, and so I'd avoided the book when I probably should have trusted Christos more, he's an excellent story teller and an astute observer of society and character. I've only read one of Christos' books previously- probably his most famous book, The Slap, (read my review). I didn't manage to get through watching the miniseries of that one though, my interest petered out, and I just stopped.

Not so with Barracuda- it is fabulous viewing. I was literally on the edge of my seat at times.  It has it all really. Class, family, teenage emotions, sport, competition.  Barracuda is the story of Danny Kelly, a young boy from a working class family in Northern Melbourne. Danny is plucked from obscurity and the Coburg Pool by the swimming coach at an exclusive private school, and his life is changed forever.

Set in the 1990s in the hey day of Kieren Perkins and Daniel Kowalski (even I know who they are), it was fun watching people use CDs and non cordless phones. But it's the story that is the real star here. It's gripping and full of emotion. 

My library has an e-audiobook of Barracuda available, and if I can ever work out how to use that service I think I'd like to listen to it now. Wow, it's 30 hours! Well 29h 59m, perhaps I'm slightly exaggerating. And somehow an e-audiobook can be "on loan" and not available until a certain date. Curiouser and curiouser.

I enjoyed this fascinating RN interview with Christos Tsiolkas about Barracuda. Christos tells us that after the huge success of The Slap that he thought a lot about success and failure, and how success in sports is quantifiable, whereas success in the arts may not be readily quantifiable. He thought that Barracuda was about "how to be a good man", and forgiveness. Which is interesting, I didn't quite get that from the TV series, but then a 4 hour miniseries is never going to cover as much as a book where the audio version extends to 30 hours. I think I'm going to have to listen. 

Making the Australian Quilt: 1800-1950

I wasn't expecting to see this exhibition on my recent trip to Melbourne, indeed I had never even heard of it. But I was meeting up with my friend Resident Judge and she was keen to see it, and I was glad to join her. 

I learnt so much about the history of quilts, clearly something I'd never even considered before. I learnt that there are quilt collectors! Which makes amassing books seem rather tame. The exhibition was in some way about much more than quilts and quilting it was social history of sorts, and also a fashion history clearly showing the evolution over the fabrics over time.

The story of the Australian quilt from 1800 to 1950 can be divided into two broad phases. The first, from the early to mid 1800s, saw Australian quilters reference and adapt well-established British quilting traditions. The second phase, from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s, saw Australian symbols used to affirm and commemorate a sense of home, demonstrating a growing pride and patriotism in the young nation. 

Quilt (Broderie Perse) - detail
Glazed cotton and linen
Jane Judd, early 19th century

Like their counterparts elsewhere, the overwhelming majority of Australian quilt makers have been women. With firm origins in the domestic spare, the story of the Australian quilt is one of women's technical accomplishment and resourcefulness and reflects the significance of their creativity within broader historical and social contexts.

Miniature Hexagons Quilt
Prudence Jeffrey, 1857
Made en route to Australia June-November 1857

I found this quilt rather fascinating- displayed to show the unfinished back. 

Many early quilts made in Australia or brought to Australia from Britain were constructed using the English paper piecing method. This involved the hand-sewing of fabric pieces around paper shapes that have been carefully cut to the exact size required, with the fabric pieces then handsewn together. Hexagons and diamonds are the most usual shapes used, although squares, triangles and octagons are also found. In the nineteenth century paper was a valued resource and shapes were often made from recycled sources, such as newspapers, letters and school children's copperplate handwriting drills. Sometimes the paper shapes were removed and the quilts lined, but other examples survive with the templates intact. 

It was astonishing to me how 19th century manchester could generally survive in such excellent condition, and look so modern. 

Rhomboid Quilt c 1860
Unknown, Australia

I loved this amazing dress, it's so incredible that objects like this have survived 150 years. Made from 31 pieces of custom printed silk satin using printing plates from 14 different Melbourne newspapers.

The Press Dress 1866
Made by Mrs William W. Hobbs
for Mrs Butters to wear to the
Mayor's Fancy Dress Ball in September 1866

I learnt that you can make quilts, or table cloths, out of anything, including cigar ribbons. (Annie Percival collected cigar ribbons from her father's four pubs in Broken Hill).

Patchwork Table Cover c 1903
Annie Percival

Or possum skins. (A method adapted from Aboriginal tradition)

Possum Skin Rug
Unknown, late 19th/early 20th century

And that you can turn quilts into anything. 

Bag c 1890
Unknown, Australia

Dressing Gown 1935
Annie Ellis

This quilt was one of the few made by men. Made by an Australian POW in a German camp during WWII, this extraordinary piece was made with "pieces of wool and cotton taken from discarded garments in the camp, and used needles fashioned from the frames of eyeglasses, ground-down toothbrushes and other items." It took him 2 1/2 years to complete. 

Embroidered blanket 1941-45
Corporal Clifford Gatenby

I also learnt that Wagga isn't just a town but a quilting style. 

This term was used from the 1890s onwards to refer to quilts, blankets and bed coverings constructed from found materials, such as grain bags and flour sacks. 

Wagga 1930s
Wool
Agnes Isabella Fraser

This uniquely Australian interpretation of the quilt is associated with rural workmen and households experiencing poverty and hardship, and reflects the adaptive nature of quilt making across socioeconomic boundaries. 

This WWII era quilt is one of my favourites I think. It is backed in blackout fabric. It looks modern I think. 

Hexagon Quilt c 1942-44
Elizabeth Mary Evans

Making the Australian Quilt: 1800- 1950

NGV Australia, Level 3

22 July 2016 - 6 Nov 2016

Christopher Allen's review Stitches in Time at the Australian

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4 Children's Books That You Need to Re-Read As Adults

I'm rather surprised that this list is only four books long. Although it certainly gives me a fair chance of actually finishing it I suppose.

Many, many kids books hold up to rereading as an adult, and I generally agree with the inclusion of Dahl on any list. But this list is somewhat flawed. As far as I can tell The Heart and the Bottle, which I imagine is perfection, like all of Oliver Jeffers' work did only come out in 2010, so there aren't that many adults who would need to re-read it after they read it when they were a kid back in 2010.

The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Heart and the Bottle - Oliver Jeffers

Matilda - Roald Dahl

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood - Marjane Satrapi

2/4

I've read The Little Prince a few times now, and well, I'm sorry to say, French icon and all that it is- I just don't get it.

My Dead Bunny

I'd never really heard of this book before it appeared in the CBCA Award Shortlist 2016 earlier this year. I was intrigued by the title, My Dead Bunny. It's certainly not a typical picture book title. But then My Dead Bunny is not a typical picture book. This is no bedtime read for little kids. This is a zombie story in picture book format for older kids.

My dead bunny's name is Brad;
His odour is extremely bad.
He visits me when I'm in bed,
But Bradley wasn't always dead ....

I just loved the rhyming zombie text- a picture book first? I can't be sure. Zombies aren't really my usual genre.

Sigi Cohen is a new name in Aussie children's books. Sigi is a West Australian lawyer with a degree in English literature and a fondness for rhyming text. He's certainly hit his stride with this first outing. Zombie bunnies is genius. And it's funny. I hope there's more books to come from Sigi, I'm certainly looking forward to them.

Illustrator James Foley has written a fabulous series of blog posts about the horror movies he used as inspiration for his fabulous illustrations for My Dead Bunny. Even I got The Shining references, but The Walking Dead is beyond my ken. I really love learning about the background stuff that illustrators use, their thoughts, inspirations and visual references.

Teacher Notes

Eat Melbourne 2016 Yum Cha and Dumpling Edition

I recently had (yet another) fabulous trip to Melbourne. I did lots of fun things, most of which I haven't told you about yet... Although I have described the fun of the Opening Night of the Melbourne Writers Festival.

I always have a great time in Melbourne, mainly because there's so many great things to do (checkout my Melbourne label), and generally I get to eat some fabulous things not available in small town Australia as I catch up with friends. There was a lot of catching up this week, and a lot of non small town things eaten. 

One of my first priorities in Melbourne eating is Yum Cha. I love, love, love yum cha. And am sadly deprived of it year round where I live. So I take every opportunity when I'm in the big smoke. One trip to Melbourne we did five yum chas in a row! Even I needed a break after that, and my stalwart friend was begging for mercy. 

This time round I managed two yum chas and a night time dumpling fest. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

First stop was to long time favourite Shark Finn House in Little Bourke Street. Hmmm, there doesn't seem to be enough pictures I'm sure we ate more than this ...

Bean curd skin with seafood 

Har Gow (prawn dumplings)

We've been coming here for decades and
there's still newness to try
Chinese Sausage bun

BBQ Pork Bun

Mango Pudding

The following day we tried the relatively new Tim Ho Wan on Bourke Street. Even though they have four locations in Sydney I'd never made it to any of them. I think I'll have to now. I loved everything. 

Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp

Prawn Dumpling
I think possibly the best Prawn Dumplings ever!!
Big Call I know. 

Steamed Egg Cake

The Baked Bun with BBQ Pork was apparently the reason for the Michelin Star awarded to the original Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong. It was amazing. Crispy outside - a texture unlike anything we'd had before. 

Golden Tofu- amazing
So crispy outside, so creamy inside

Beancurd Skin Roll with Pork and Shrimp

Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp
It's not yum cha without one of these for me

 The desserts were most unusual, completely new. We decided not to google the ingredients until we'd eaten the jelly. Turns out Osmanthus is a flower which can be made into a tea. 

Tonic Medlar and Osmanthus Cake
It was kind of astringent but delicious 

Mango Sago Pomelo
punchy mango flavour

 What would you want for dinner after yum cha in Melbourne except dumplings? We've been to a few dumpling houses over time, this time we went back to Shanghai Dragon Dumpling House on Russell Street. I can't remember all that we had. 

But I do know that these were Chicken Xiao Long Bao
-the dumplings with soup inside

It's always crazy cheap at a dumpling house. Less than $30 for a meal for two which we couldn't quite finish. 

My previous Eat Melbourne 2014 experience was so good that it needed two posts. Eat Melbourne 2014 and My Paris Day in Melbourne. I was there for a week this time... there will be more than two posts if I get around to it. 

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a fabulous weekly meme at BethFishReads

A Mother's Story

I knew listening to Rosie Batty's A Mother's Story would be tough, but I didn't expect to start crying during the dedication. Rosie Batty was catapulted to "fame" in early 2014 when her ex-partner killed their 11 year old son in the practice nets at Tyabb Cricket Club.

Rosie starts her story as she became Australian of the Year in January 2015 in Canberra less than a year after Luke was killed.

It's an honour beyond my wildest imaginings. I am overwhelmed and truly humbled. And yet it's also bittersweet -12 months ago I was a single mum from Tyabb, a tiny dot on the map of the Mornington Peninsula, but in 18 days time it will be the one year anniversary of the death of my only son, killed by his father at cricket training. And then the sadness hits me, the only reason I'm in this position, the only reason I'm standing here holding this trophy and receiving this ovation is because I've endured the kind of tragedy that makes people recoil. I've become Australian of the Year because I'm the person noone wants to be, the mother who has suffered the insufferable.

Rosie and I actually had some similarities in our young lives including the bad frizzy perms popular at the time, and we both struck off at 20 for international adventures as a nanny- Rosie to Austria, me to Canada. Thankfully our paths were to diverge after these early experiences.

A Mother's Story is just that- Rosie's life and the major turning points around which our worlds turn. For Rosie these are two major events- the private death of her own mother when she was a 6 year old girl, and then her son Luke's very public death decades later. Rosie had learnt not to cry in grief as a 6 year old girl when her mother died and she wan't told until after her mother's funeral.  Luke's death did not happen out of the blue, Rosie had endured years and years of abuse at the hands of Luke's father. Rosie chronicles this abuse and her many and repeated attempts to get help and protection from those systems which are supposed to protect us- particularly the police and the courts.

The multiple failings of Victorian police computer systems is beyond unbelievable, the convoluted processes, so far from being streamlined. I hope that these processes have improved now, even though Rosie's experiences are not that remote, just a few years ago. It also quite boggles the mind how an abused woman and mother trying to protect herself and her child from a violent, mentally ill man has no right to know when he incurs other charges- when he accesses child porn, or threatens to kill other people with a knife. How is his right to privacy more important than her right to safety?

The final disc, disc 7, includes an impassioned plea for change in our society to help reduce family violence. There is an extensive list of resources for those affected by family violence  in Australia and New Zealand. Rosie also talks of how she has found her purpose in Luke's death, how her tireless work in family violence, has given meaning to her life, and the strength to go on. 

... I will not let my grief limit or define me. For reasons that are beyond me I am the one that people seem to want to hear from, and I know, people tell me, that I inspire them and give them courage. But what people don't know is that speaking out also empowers and inspires me. It's bittersweet knowing that this has happened because of Luke's death, but I feel I am making a difference, that gives me the impetus to keep going which is important, because my sense is that if I keep doing this and keep the public spotlight on the issue of Family Violence things will change because they have to change. 

It is completely unacceptable that one woman is murdered each and every week in Australia by her current or former partner. One of my high school friends was shot and killed in the street by her expartner. It touches all of us. It does have to change. 

http://lukebattyfoundation.org.au

https://www.1800respect.org.au

I do wonder that Rosie Batty chose to champion family violence particularly rather than mental health services. In fact she doesn't really mention mental illness all that much in A Mother's Story even though Greg Anderson clearly had a major mental illness which may or may not have been adequately treated. Her story is obviously tragic, and moving and I'm glad that I've finished the audiobook in a way so that I won't have to drive to and from work largely in tears, but I do wonder about Greg's story too - his life had it's own tragedies too I believe, and I wonder if he too was failed by the systems- police, judicial and health, that should have been there to help him. Rosie says repeatedly how much he loved Luke, would Greg have wanted it to end this way? I can't imagine so.

A Mother's Story is an important story for us all, no matter how hard it is to listen to.

http://australianwomenwriters.com