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Mary Chris Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 27 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: May 27 2005 at 3:28pm | IP Logged
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G'day!
Ds 7 would like to study Down Under. We have been busily printing off pages from enchantedlearning. I know we will make a flag, map, and he loves animals and the Great Barrier Reef.
I am looking for some good read alouds or readers that take place in Australia. We have the Magic Treehouse book and I am waiting for The Pumpkin Runner.
Appreciate your help, or I'll be waltzing (wandering like a tramp) the internet forever!
Hooroo! (see you later!)
__________________ Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Robin Forum Pro
Joined: March 06 2005 Location: Louisiana
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Posted: May 27 2005 at 4:40pm | IP Logged
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Bethlehem Books has a book called The Switherby Pilgrims: A tale of the Australian Bush in the 1920's. It says ages 10 and up.
__________________ Robin Dupre
"If we become what God intended for us to become, we will set the world on fire." ~ St. Catherine of Siena
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Leonie Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
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Posted: May 27 2005 at 8:07pm | IP Logged
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Mary Chris,
We have enjoyed books by these authors - I do not know if they are available in the US, though.
Fr James Tierney ( the Bush Boys series - about homeschoolers. We especially liked Bush Boys and Bushrangers)
Eleanor Spence
Mary Grant Bruce ( the Billabong series)
Colin Thiele ( esp Sun on the Stubble and Storm Boy)
Leonie in Sydney
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Kelly Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 21 2005
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Posted: May 28 2005 at 1:30am | IP Logged
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Leonie,
By coincidence, I just posted on the literature thread a question about an Australian author, Ivan Southall. Have you read any of his books? If so, any comments? They are pretty highly recommended in the book "Read for your life" (about books for teens), but I've never heard of him. Supposedly he writes very vividly about life in Australia.
Kelly in FL
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Leonie Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
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Posted: May 28 2005 at 1:35am | IP Logged
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Ivan Southall is another author we have liked - but he writes in a poignant fashion so some of the books may not be good for younger readers.
We have liked Let The Balloon Go and Ash Road by Southall.
Oh, and the Switherbys book above is by Eleanor Spence. Her autobiography, Another October Child, tells of her conversion to Catholicism. She also wrote a kids fiction book on Blessed Mary Makillop - Mary and Frances is the title.
Leonie in Sydney
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Erin Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Australia
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Posted: June 07 2005 at 7:05am | IP Logged
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'Switherby Pilgrims' has a sequel called the "Jamboree Road' I don't know if it is in print any more.
My children particularly love any books by Leslie Rees. They are not in print anymore however. She writes fantastic living books of Australian animals.
If you go to http://wonder.riverwillow.com.au/home_education/book_talk/au stralian_books.htm
you''l find many Australian books listed.
Also leatherwoodbooks.com.au will give you a list of many Australian books still in print. Then you could search you libraries over there.
Australian books are a passion of mine. I have collected many over the years. Is there any particular area that you are wanting to cover?
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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ami* Forum Pro
Joined: March 29 2005 Location: Indiana
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Posted: June 07 2005 at 10:31am | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
Australian books are a passion of mine. I have collected many over the years. Is there any particular area that you are wanting to cover? |
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Erin,
What are your favorite Austrailian picture books? Thanks :)
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Mary Chris Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 27 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: June 07 2005 at 10:42am | IP Logged
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It seems ds7 is mainly interested in Australian animals. We checked out a book about Australia and on on Sidney. Yesterday he colored a flag and read part of the book on Australia.
I love most of the Mem Fox books. We will also read The Pumpkin runner.
__________________ Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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Erin Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Australia
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Posted: June 07 2005 at 11:00pm | IP Logged
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What are your favorite Austrailian picture books? :)
We really enjoy anything by Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey. eg. Turramulli and the Giant Quinkin. and many others. These are Aboriginal stories set in Pre-white settlement.
Percy Trezise has also written an excellent series of an adventure taken in the Gulf Country pre-European settlement, following a few children who are blown away from their home on a raft during a storm and have to make their way home 'The Land of the Snake People' etc.
The Possum Creek books by Dan Vallely are lovley Aussie hunour and exaggeration involving a whole crew of animals, cockatoos, possums etc "Proffessor Cockatoo's Amazing Weather Dust, The Great Possum Creek Drought" and others.
Snugglepot and cuddlepie stories by May Gibbs. Are a nice read
The Australian Golden bookseries portray a lot of information on Aust. animals. 'Bobuck the mountain Possum by Jill Morris' for one.
And we have just picked up a couple of 'Golden Picture Stories' 'Yellow Dog Dingo by Barbara Ker Wilson' we read yesterday.
Colin Thiele also has a couple of picture books.
Hope this is of some help. What is your library like? Does it stock any Australian books, is it hard to get Australian books in America?
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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alicegunther Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: June 07 2005 at 11:08pm | IP Logged
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I own a book of poetry called "Around the Boree Log" by John O'Brien (whose real name was Monsignor Patrick Hartigan). It is out of print, but well worth finding used, and tells of life in the Australian Irish Catholic Community around the turn of the 20th Century. It is hilariously funny, beautifully reverent, and enormously touching all that the same time.
__________________ Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Erin Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Australia
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Posted: June 07 2005 at 11:17pm | IP Logged
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"Around the Boree Log" by John O'Brien
Oh Alice, I was 'raised'on John O'Brien. My VERY favourite poet. 'The parting Rosary' always makes me cry. (Children roll eyes)
All the poems are so very Irish-Australian.
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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alicegunther Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: June 08 2005 at 8:02am | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
Oh Alice, I was 'raised'on John O'Brien. My VERY favourite poet. 'The parting Rosary' always makes me cry. (Children roll eyes)
All the poems are so very Irish-Australian. |
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"The Parting Rosary" is completely beautiful--and heartbreaking. My other favorites are "The Trimmin's on the Rosary," "Vale, Father Pat," "Six Brown Boxer Hats," "Josephine," . . . the list goes on. I think the reason these poems speak to me is that I grew up in a Catholic, Irish-American community in New York City, and so many of his insights and humorous comments could have applied to us. The characters in his poems all seem like people I've known or could have known. (Even his occasional use of the term "yerra" makes me laugh.) His other volume, "The Parish of St. Mel's," is another very good work, although I like "Around the Boree Log" even more because of all the poems about childhood.
By the way, my grandmother's name was Mary Casey, so I especially appreciate the poems about "Laughing Mary" and "Caseys After Mass."
Thank you, Erin.
__________________ Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Erin Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 23 2005 Location: Australia
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Posted: June 09 2005 at 6:16am | IP Logged
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The Trimmin's on the Rosary,"
Oh Alice I love this one. Growing up we had 'trimmin's' but in our 'direspectful youth' we called them 'zipper-de-doh-dah's'. Oh boy the seemed nearly as 'long as the rosary itself'
Fancy your grandmother being Mary Casey.
I also love the 'Ten Little Steps and Stairs' and "Tangmalangaloo' and of course 'We'll all be rooned said Hanrahan'
The characters in his poems all seem like people I've known or could have known
Irish culture is so distinctive.
Do you know Fr Hartigan is reputed to have given the last rites to "The Man from Snowy River!"
__________________ Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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alicegunther Forum All-Star
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Posted: June 09 2005 at 8:45am | IP Logged
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Erin wrote:
[Do you know Fr Hartigan is reputed to have given the last rites to "The Man from Snowy River!" |
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I did not know that, but it is extremely interesting. I did some internet research on Father Hartigan a while back. His nephew, also a Catholic priest, is still alive and does a lot of public speaking on the life and works of his famous uncle.
__________________ Love, Alice
mother of seven!
Cottage Blessings
Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Leonie Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
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Posted: June 09 2005 at 4:54pm | IP Logged
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Just butting in on the literary discussion.
Here are a few Australaian unit studies, which you may be interested in following up. Several have book suggestions, too.
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