Category Archives: Biographies

May16

Drover – Neridah McMullin/Sarah Anthony

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Walker Books

April 2023

ISBN13: 9781760653910

Australia RRP:$16.99

New Zealand RRP:$18.99

This is the remarkable story of an unusual woman and perhaps, for many, a previously uknown history. Edna Jessop was one of a kind. She is considered to be the first woman to lead a droving team and she did this, with passion, tenacity and skill. After growing up on the stock routes across Australia, she became boss drover, in 1950, when her father fell ill, and drove 1550 cattle from Western Australia to Queensland, with just two stockmen to help her – aged only 22. What a woman!

This beautifully written and illustrated narrative non-fiction re-traces that astonishing feat. Neridah McMullin has skilfully traced the story without a reveal of the Drover’s gender until the climatic ending and the absolutely beautiful illustrations from Sarah Anthony, capture the very essence of the landscapes, with which Edna was so familiar.

It is not only an exciting and drama-filled history but a wonderful springboard to conversations on unsung significant Australians, especially women, and the colourful history of droving in our nation. What a tremendous way to explore the geography of our country, students could re-trace Drover’s epic trek across the country (particularly apt for the Around Australia type units typically undertaken by Year 2 students).

However, even for older students, an introduction to Edna’s history would be a refreshing change from those personalities often chosen for a bibliographic unit of work. Introduce Edna with the picture book and then research via several channels of information to put together a full picture of this quite exceptional Australian.

Highly recommended for readers from around Prep upwards. Read more about Edna here or here….or sit back and enjoy this interview from Channels of History.

Mar12

Last Man Out – Louise Park

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Wild Dog Books

April 2023

  • ISBN13: 9781742036427

RRP: $24.99

Sometimes a book comes along that just has the most profound impact on you, as a reader and, in this case, also as an avid history nerd.

Louise Park’s new publication is just such a book. In the sort of way that makes one tingle – not to mention, well up with tears and feel every emotion as intensely as if one were there with the protagonist, I was unable to put it down once I picked it up.

In an utterly remarkable piece of family history, Louise’s grandfather was in fact the ‘last man out’ of Gallipoli, in that extraordinary and quite astonishing military exercise that saw the evacuation of about 36, 000 troops from the peninsula battleground, and created the stuff of legend, becoming Australia’s turning point as a nation (in my opinion).

Louise’s family, of course, has always known this fact and there have been other accounts of John Alexander Park’s role, from military historians, but this new book represents such an intensely personal labour of love and family pride that it will be hard to go past – particularly for younger readers. I predict that all readers, young or old, will be completely enthralled with each piece of the shared recount.

English-born Park was a veteran of the Afghan War, and the Boxer Uprising before settling in Australia and in 1915, aged 36 and a hardened veteran, signed up for the Australian Army and then arrived at Gallipoli.

Louise has taken her grandfather’s diary entries and letters, and combined with other primary documents, reconstructed the essence, the terror, the pain and the spirit of those last days in one of history’s most ill-fated and ill-conceived military endeavours. It’s not a long book – less than 100 pages – but it is both powerful and moving, and I can assure you that your readers from mid-primary right up to secondary will be transfixed with this.

With ANZAC Day approaching rapidly, this is the new ‘must have’ for your collection. I go as far as recommending that your schools buy a class set. It will never be considered anything but a valuable addition, you can trust me on this point. Narrative non-fiction is always a prime area of interest for young readers and in this context, one of the most iconic events in our collective history, even more so.

Just as children for decades now have been thrilled and moved by the story of Simpson and his donkey, they will now be as moved and impressed with John Park’s history, particularly with the addition of first-hand/primary material (including photos). In addition, the stylish and elegant presentation of this book is absolutely first rate, and the use of the khaki shades a brilliant strategy.

My absolute highest recommendation for this book, which is both a valuable historical record and a testament to a granddaughter’s love. Thank you Louise Park for allowing me to read and share this. It is magnificent!

John Alexander Park – I salute you.

Feb20

Little People, Big Dreams: Freddie Mercury – Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

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Quarto Publishing Group UK

February 2023

ISBN: 9780711271067
ISBN-10: 0711271062

RRP: $19.99

To be honest, I really don’t think this needs too much promotion because realistically the Little People, Big Dreams series has been such a phenomenal success that kiddos love, and teacher-librarians simply cannot keep on the shelves (about which we are all very pleased really!)…but it’s Freddie so how could I resist asking for this one especially?

I find it almost inconceivable to comprehend that Freddie has been gone for 32 years but it is so marvellous to think that his incredible talent and natural flamboyance has, essentially, become the stuff of legend – a cultural icon loved not only by those who watched him perform throughout his career but have come to know him via video clips, recordings and, of course, more recently the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic.

The Little People, Big Dreams series has revolutionised biographies for younger readers providing them with salient facts and interesting insights into a wide variety of famous faces, past and present and has now sold 7.5 million copies worldwide – an utterly astonishing number! Each book follows the same format with a narrative based on the subject’s life, and facts, detailed profile plus photos at the back, with quirky and colourful illustrations (Ruby Taylor, in this instance). The entire premise of the series is that each of these achievers was a child once, just like the readers, and their successes grew from their dreams, aspirations and determination as they grew older.

For Freddie, it was an extraordinary journey from the tiny island of Zanzibar, through boarding school in India where he discovered his astonishing voice and became determined to be a rock&roll musician and onto to realising those dreams when he moved to London and formed a band called Queen. We, as adults, know that Freddie’s life was in many ways troubled but there is no denying his enormous talent and his zest for life, and it is this which is conveyed via this new addition to the series.

Unless you are one of the isolated few (yes, I am looking at you Mark!) who is not familiar with the series, I don’t need to sell it to you, but of course, it goes without saying that I give it my highest recommendation for your little readers, especially those fascinated with true-life stories, from around 7 years upwards.

Feb15

My Dream Time – Ash Barty

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Harper Collins Australia

November 2022

  • ISBN: 9781460762820
  • ISBN 10: 1460762827
  • Imprint: HarperSports AU
  • List Price: 49.99 AUD

Like many others, I am a huge admirer of Ash -though I am no fan of tennis per se. This vibrant young woman has completely captivated the nation with her unfailing professionalism, humility, grace and low-key humour. She has become a stand-out role model for our young people, not only those who are First Nations but for any kid with dreams and aspirations.

I can tell you that having shared some of the Young Ash stories with little people, that even those youngsters not only know who she is but appreciate her athleticism and her style. Yet also like many others, I think, I have never really considered what went before those stellar wins at Grand Slam tournaments and although we are usually cognisant of the hard work athletes put in to achieve their peak, rarely do we consider the mental and physical toll this can take on a person.

Ash takes this opportunity to share the struggle and the triumphs, to thank her team and her family, and to reflect upon the ups and downs, the tears and frustrations and overcoming adversity in whatever shape it presents. It makes for an engrossing read and one which, certainly from my point of view, convinces me even more of the innate integrity, humanity and gutsy fortitude of this amazing athlete.

Ash traces her journey from little kid in Brisbane who, from an early age, displayed an uncanny ability with a racquet and was actively encouraged and supported by family and friends to the proud woman who won the 2022 Australian Open, then gracefully exited the tennis spotlight. The doubts and bouts of depression, the loneliness of the tour, the teen years that were so very different to that of her mates, the solid and enduring friendships she has made are all here, told in a warm and conversational tone – makes me feel as though I’m sitting down with her chatting over a cold beer almost. She really leaves no stone unturned in that history and,throughout it all, we realise that her success may be the end result of a whole lot of teamwork but the essential personality has always been there.

What a champion she is and will continue to be, whatever is next in store for her – aside that is from parenthood – (wishing her all the very best for the forthcoming jarjum!)

Whether you are a sports fan, a tennis fan, a biography fan or just an admirer as I am, I highly recommend this to you. You certainly won’t regret the time spent enjoying the Ash story.

Feb3

Dorrie – Tania McCartney

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Harper Collins Australia

February 2023

  • ISBN: 9781460760109
  • ISBN 10: 1460760107
  • Imprint: HarperCollins AU/Angus & Robertson
  • List Price: 24.99 AUD

Well you know my high opinion of the hugely talented Tania McCartney with her stylish flair for presenting her young readers with inspirational and engaging narratives, which also incorporate factual tidbits of the most fascinating kind. I grew up reading Blinky Bill along with all the time-honoured Australian classics, but, to be honest, I’ve never known much about Dorothy Wall. Certainly, for example, not that her family called her Dorrie nor that she was such a keen creative in other ways beyond her writing and illustrating.

There is no doubt in my mind that Blinky Bill remains a great favourite with young readers, thanks to new interpretations, and of course the animated TV show, despite the age of the original stories. And, following on from that, in my experience, children love to find out more about real people so I am quite certain that your littles will delight in this charming account of Dorrie’s life – which was itself rather sad in many ways.

Tania’s skill in bringing her subjects to life is absolutely superlative, both in her writing and her illustrations. In this new addition to her already outstanding portfolio, I particularly love the colour palette Tania has chosen throughout, which subtly echoes the colours of the Australian landscape, along with embellishments of flora and fauna….. and also the cunning way she has inserted anachronistic icons into backgrounds to ensure that, despite Dorrie’s story being in a different time period, the location of the setting is unmistakable. (The insertion of the Blinky Bill commemorative stamp is also a gorgeous addition!) And how utterly fitting for the final full page illustration to be that of Blinky’s story proudly displayed at Angus & Robertson’s Sydney bookstore (when I was growing up in Sydney A&R was synonymous with books and most of my birthday and Christmas books were purchased there!), given that it was that well-known publishing house who first brought Blinky to his reading audience.

Those among you who fell in love with Mamie will equally embrace with joy this new addition to Tania’s catalogue of exquisite picture books.As always, I cannot recommend this highly enough – Tania’s work has my heart always. I am looking forward to a relief day with small peeps next week to share this, and also to seeing how many ‘Dorrie’s appear in 2023 Book Week Parades *grin*. Rush out and buy your copy now!

I put together a few simple activities with curriculum links to accompany Dorrie, for Tania. You can check them out here, and they are also linked on her blog here.

RIP Dorothy Wall
Oct16

House Arrest: Pandemic Diaries – Alan Bennett

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Profile Books

July 2022

ISBN: 9781800811928
ISBN-10: 1800811926

RRP: $14.99

It’s a perfect little gem of a book – a mere fifty pages – but they are just packed with Bennett’s trademark ascerbic wit, pithy obervations on social circumstances made all the more absurd at times by the whole Covid complication.

Now in his 80s, in fact almost 90, Bennett is physically impaired with his arthritis (I’m beginning to know exactly how he feels, poor bugger) but together with his partner, Rupert, maintained a routine of gentle exercise when possible as well as working. At the time of writing the filming of the BBC’s new version of his Talking Heads monologues was about to happen, involving much to-and-fro social distanced collaboration.

Mixed in with the commentary on contemporary incidents are reminiscences from his childhood and other stand out events which are both fascinating and fun.

Definitely worth picking up and spending half an hour of your time – read this great article from The Guardian who are of the same opinion. What a splendid literary treasure he is – read more about his marvellous canon of work here.

Oct12

Agatha Christie: a Very Elusive Woman – Lucy Worsley

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Hachette Australia

September 2022

ISBN: 9781529303889 | RRP $34.99

If, as I am, you are are a fan of historian Lucy Worsley, either in her role as Chief Curator of Royal Historical Palaces and her numerous TV appearances, or in her other guise as a skilled writer of best-selling history books AND you are also an Agatha Christie devotee, you will be one of the many readers who will eagerly take up this newest of Lucy’s books.

I have read quite a bit about Dame Agatha over the years, though admittedly not for some time, but it seemed to me that this volume was in many ways a complete revelation as it peeled the quite complex layers of the woman and celebrity author.

There are clearly many well-known facts about Christie’s life: her mystery disappearance in 1926, her highly publicised marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan, her own experience working in a dispensary during the Great war which informed her writing of her first successful mystery novel and her record-breaking book sales and stage plays. However, there is so much more to discover about this truly remarkable woman and with her access to many personal letters and papers, Lucy Worsley has provided us with this depth of detail. In many ways an enigma, there is also an element of understanding to be had as one unravels the significant episodes in her life from her quite privileged childhood which subsequently disintegrated into near poverty, to her embrace of the modern world in the early 20th century including fast cars, surfing, and pyschology. Throughout her increasingly successful and high profile career, Agatha protested that she was simply a very ordinary ‘housewife’ – nothing could be further from the truth. Long before the celebrity mania modern society seems to indiscriminately bestow on people notorious for five minutes (and the plethora social media exposure etc) this was a woman whose face and work was not only known but highly respected. Despite her Victorian/Edwardian start to life, she became a beacon for women who aspired to a working career in the contemporary setting.

I read this at night over about two weeks, and was so completely entranced with it that I didn’t even ‘book cheat’ during that time *grin*!

I can highly recommend it to you, especially those of you with an interest in well-researched biographies and literary history. Definitely a 10/10 for this one!

Mar17

Some Writer! The story of E. B. White  – Melissa White

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HMH Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

2019

HMH Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

RRP: $29.99

Every now and again a book comes along in a completely serendipitous manner, taking you by surprise in its fabulous-ness. This is one of those books. I stumbled upon it browsing for new engaging biographies for our library collection, loved its cover art and of course, its subject matter – particularly as in 2022 our college play is to be Charlotte’s Web.

It was a delightful binge read last Sunday, relaxing at the beach, and everything about it filled me with delight. Sweet has researched thoroughly, spoken to Andy White’s remaining family, and compiled this exquisitely crafted montage of ephemera, photos, letters, and anecdotes along with her information. Every single spread is pure joy and offers the reader a visual feast that invites scrutiny and provides much pleasure.

Charlotte’s Web is one of those children’s books that is universally loved and often named by adults as their favourite. E. B. White’s other children’s books are also well-loved, yet how many of his legion fans know of his life-long career with The New Yorker, his collegial relationship with James Thurber and his marriage to a woman editor – a rarity in her time?  Certainly, his early life, the formative years of his childhood with summers spent at a lakeside cabin in Maine and his marital home there, which provided the inspiration for Wilbur’s barn were all unknown to me.

Melissa White is a Caldecott Medal winner herself and this book garnered a swag of significant accolades:

  • A New York Times Bestseller
  • Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award
  • A People Magazine Best Children’s Book
  • A Washington Post Best Book
  • A Publishers Weekly Best Book
  • Boston Globe–Horn Book Nonfiction Award Honor recipient

I love this book so much that I intend to buy myself a copy and there is no higher recommendation than that! It really is some book!

Feb18

Being Britney: Pieces of a Modern Icon – Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

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Allen & Unwin

November 2021

ISBN: 9781788705240

Publisher: Bonnier

Imprint: Nine Eight Book

RRP: $29.99

To be perfectly frank, I cannot say I’ve ever been a super fan of Britney, either as a person or an entertainer. I don’t mean I disliked her or dismissed her but she was just never high in my consciousness really, but as the turmoil and trauma of her life escalated, who could help but take note of this icon of modern pop culture and the bloody battle she has had. Anyone with this much gumption, determination and sheer guts gets my vote and so I requested to review this.

Like everyone else on the planet I had seen the shock headlines, the paparazzi photos and more but what really has been the story behind what is, essentially, an extraordinary modern life? I love this line from publishers A&U…

Part biography, part social history, Being Britney pieces together a collage of vignettes, stories, interviews, legends and fan experiences to construct a definitive portrait of the artist and her complex, far-reaching orbit..

..because it sums up exactly what this is. Dr Bickerdike has worked hard to provide readers with a comprehensive and balanced insight into the life of this pop princess who first started her career aged 11 in the All New Mickey Mouse Club and has clawed and fought her way through battle after battle, shockingly much of her struggle against her father ( do NOT get me started on that oxygen thief!). The culmination of the angst, the ups and downs, the conversatorship controversy that created shockwaves around the world and the successful outcome, with kudos incidentally to the massive @FreeBritney groundswell from loyal and devoted fans is the stuff of soap opera really.

This intrigued me so much (and made me so angry along the way – seriously I want to punch that father) that I read it snappily over a couple of nights. I don’t think this is an account simply for those who are interested in pop stars or music, I think this is a book that anyone who is into feminism, personal voice, mental health issues and resilience will relish and treasure.

I would have no hesitation in recommending this for my older secondary students – from around Year 9 upwards – although its intended audience is, I think, predominantly adult. I don’t think you would be disappointed – pick it up, give it a try and give Britney a virtual high-five for refusing to bow down to tyranny.

Dec30

Born to Run (picture book edition) – Cathy Freeman. Illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis.

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Penguin Australia

  • November 2021
  • ISBN: 9781761043802
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $24.99

There are some moments in Australia’s sporting history that are just complete standouts: Bradman’s first international century or, indeed, his final ‘duck’, Australia II crossing the finish line in the America’s Cup, Adam Scott’s US Masters playoff win or Cadel Evans’ triumph in the Tour de France, and Cathy Freeman’s Olympic glory is right up there alongside all of these. Those of us who were fortunate to witness her success still remember it very clearly. In fact, I was in Cairns having taken my late mother on a holiday and we happened to be in the casino at the time – the whole place came to a standstill as we watched Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman OAM blaze a trail for her mob, her country and her own personal victory.

Cathy’s memoir was a hugely successful book and now, younger readers, can follow her life story and her determination to succeed in this beautifully realised picture book. The facts of Cathy’s life and sporting career are easy to come by but the inspiration she can provide to young people, whether Australian or otherwise, is what sets this book apart.

Cathy’s words are, in and of themselves, a great recollection of her story but for young people, the illustrations from Charmaine Ledden-Lewis will not only truly bring this to life but to the forefront of their personal ambitions. I particularly love that Cathy concludes with her own Top 10 tips for kids to keep in mind as they pursue their own dreams.


This is a superb addition to your collection both as a fine example of First Nations literature and as a wonderful encouragement for your students, of all abilities. I highly recommend it to you for readers from around Year 2 upwards. I will certainly be suggesting it to our Year 3 cohort as they focus quite heavily on cross-cultural perspectives.