Gary Crew
Author of Memorial
About the Author
Gary Crew was born on September 23, 1947 in Brisbane, Australia. He left school at age 16 to become a cadet Civil Engineering Draftsman. He graduated from the Queensland Institute of Technology and worked in a drawing office for ten years as a design draftsman. He became bored and decided to try show more teaching. He received a master's degree in literature at Queensland University and became a teacher in 1974. He taught English at various high schools in Brisbane. Crew began writing fiction in 1985. Because of his teaching background and his own teenage children, he decided to write for children and young adults. He won the Children's Book Council Book of the Year four times - twice for his young adult novels, Strange Objects in 1991 and Angel's Gate in 1993, and twice for his illustrated books, First Light in 1993 and The Watertower in 1994. His other works include The Viewer, Mama's Babies, and The Lost Diamonds of Killiecrankie. He also writes crime and science-fiction short stories for both young adult and adult audiences. His other awards include the National Children's Book Award, the NSW and Victorian Premiers' Awards, and the Ned Kelly Award for crime fiction. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: University of the Sunshine Coast
Series
Works by Gary Crew
Face to Stony Face 1 copy
The Story of Eva Carmichael 1 copy
Beneath the Surface 1 copy
In my father's room 1 copy
The well #3 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Crew, Gary
- Birthdate
- 1947-09-23
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Queensland University
- Occupations
- academic (University of the Sunshine Coast)
young adult writer - Organizations
- Queensland Writers Centre
- Awards and honors
- Ned Kelly Prize for Crime Fiction (1996)
- Short biography
- Crew was born in Brisbane, Queensland.
He lives with his wife Christine in the mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Crew began writing young adult fictionin 1985. He also writes Crime and Science Fiction short stories for both youth and adult audiences. He is the series Editor of Lothian's After Dark series of Macabre Tales. His books are published internationally - from Greenland to New York.
He is a Senior lecturer in Creative Writing, Children's and Adult Literature at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He is a member of the Queensland Writers Centre. - Nationality
- Australia
- Birthplace
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Places of residence
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Associated Place (for map)
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Members
Discussions
YA, scrapbook style, set in Australia/NZ in Name that Book (May 2012)
Reviews
This book was a wonderful surprise! I initially thought it was simply a book of poems, which it is, but it's form and structure is what makes it stand out most. The book is formatted as if a student is being given a series of poetry assignments that include a wide range of different forms of poetry. Following the instructed assignment given by the teacher, we then see the result of the students finished assignment. This book does an amazing job of educating readers on the different forms and show more styles of poetry, while also providing wonderful examples written from the whimsical perspective of a child. Apart from the poems being delightful, the illustrations and art work also reflect the creativity and expression of the student writing the poems. This book is wonderful for promoting creativity and the endless possibilities of one's own imagination. This suggestion cannot be said enough to young, growing minds. My favorite poem was the acrostic one in which the author writes a poem using all the letters in his name. show less
"By the time I was nine years old I had begun to doubt that Mama Pratchett, the woman with whom I had lived for as long as I could remember, was in fact my mother..."
So begins Gary Crew's chilling fictionalized account of a "baby farmer" who, for profit, takes in unwanted children that later mysteriously disappear. Based on the facts revealed at the criminal trials of three women during the 1890s, Crew presents the story of young Sarah and her horrific realization.
Young Sarah discovers the show more woman she has been told is her mother has a dark secret, and so Sarah and her friend Will set off on a dangerous mission to find out the truth.
In a simple and telling introduction, Gary Crew describes the social background of the late-nineteenth century that led unwed mothers to give up their babies to unscrupulous strangers.
Tragically, Crew's story is derived from real events: in the 1890s, Amelia Dyer in England, Minnie Dean in New Zealand, and Frances Knorr in Australia were sentenced to death for murder, following the testimony of teenage girls. show less
So begins Gary Crew's chilling fictionalized account of a "baby farmer" who, for profit, takes in unwanted children that later mysteriously disappear. Based on the facts revealed at the criminal trials of three women during the 1890s, Crew presents the story of young Sarah and her horrific realization.
Young Sarah discovers the show more woman she has been told is her mother has a dark secret, and so Sarah and her friend Will set off on a dangerous mission to find out the truth.
In a simple and telling introduction, Gary Crew describes the social background of the late-nineteenth century that led unwed mothers to give up their babies to unscrupulous strangers.
Tragically, Crew's story is derived from real events: in the 1890s, Amelia Dyer in England, Minnie Dean in New Zealand, and Frances Knorr in Australia were sentenced to death for murder, following the testimony of teenage girls. show less
This book has a lame cover which will mean that students won't pick it up to read. That is unfortunate, as the story is beautifully written by Crew and is really a very moving one about growing up and discovering who you can be. Ben has a deformed foot from an accident caused by his drug addicted mother's boyfriend. He lives with his father now and doesn't see his mother or little sister. In Year 8, he is teased by the "Six" at school, a group of athletic boys from the Rugby team who are in show more Year 10. He doesn't have any friends and eats his lunch under a giant fig in the playground. A Year 9 girl also eats her lunch there and they start chatting. Ben then discovers a cave on the way home from school and in his "secret place" he builds up the courage to stand up to his bullies (One of which he discovers also has a scar and has insecurities like himself) and face the challenges his family and school life bring.
Well written book that evokes the Queensland rural school setting. show less
Well written book that evokes the Queensland rural school setting. show less
This mystery/horror story is so deeply rooted in the western Australian landscape that you can almost feel your mouth dry up as you read it. I enjoyed the story and the style, but most of all I enjoyed the landscape.
The story is a collection of letters, journal entries and newspaper clippings, giving different views on events in the modern times, and in the wake of a 1629 shipwreck.
At the very beginning, we're told that sixteen-year-old Steve Messenger was involved in finding relics from a show more notorious shipwreck, and that he has been missing for two years. The story picks its way between the past and the present, interlacing translations of historical diaries with evidence from Aboriginal rock art to show us what may have happened to the people who come under the power of a terrifying golden ring.
This is also a delightful mingling of fact and fiction - the story of the Batavia is real, and two sailors were left behind as punishment for mutiny and murder - what happened to them is still a mystery.
I'd give this to someone interested in history, suspenseful stories, or who likes a slightly creepy atmosphere. show less
The story is a collection of letters, journal entries and newspaper clippings, giving different views on events in the modern times, and in the wake of a 1629 shipwreck.
At the very beginning, we're told that sixteen-year-old Steve Messenger was involved in finding relics from a show more notorious shipwreck, and that he has been missing for two years. The story picks its way between the past and the present, interlacing translations of historical diaries with evidence from Aboriginal rock art to show us what may have happened to the people who come under the power of a terrifying golden ring.
This is also a delightful mingling of fact and fiction - the story of the Batavia is real, and two sailors were left behind as punishment for mutiny and murder - what happened to them is still a mystery.
I'd give this to someone interested in history, suspenseful stories, or who likes a slightly creepy atmosphere. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 96
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 1,618
- Popularity
- #15,920
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 62
- ISBNs
- 234
- Languages
- 6
- Favorited
- 2