David Metzenthen

It is hard to really describe this book. You need to read it/experience it. This is a beautifully presented picture book that takes an unusual path to look at WWI's Gallipoli campaign. It begins in a 21st century classroom with students depicted, in b&w drawings, as fairly unengaged. The minute's silence for remembering those who died in WWI (at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month) is about to begin.
The text then repeats, page after page, the words "in one minute's silence...." show more as it depicts, in b&w illustrations, and describes, in emotionally moving text, what happened at Gallipoli, from both perspectives. Using simple language, the reader is asked to think and imagine what the men at Gallipoli felt/thought/went through. The stories of courage and fear of the young men on both sides of the battle is seamlessly merged offering balance to the campaign that is very well-known in Australia.
The extract from Mustafa Ataturk's moving speech is a fitting end to the book.
A great deal of careful thought has made the text and images deceptively simple as fit they together to give the reader a powerful experience. David Metzenthen' and Michael Camilleri have created an amazing book for all ages.
There are teacher's notes for the book on the publisher's website: http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781743316245 show less

Beautifully written novel set during the First World War. Farren's father is a fisherman who has gone missing at sea and Farren wants his brother Danny to come home from Gallipoli to take care of him. But when Danny does return, he is not the same Danny that went away and it seems that Farren is the one looking after him. Then one night, a ship is wrecked on the nearby headland, and the only survivor is a child called Souki who Danny rescues and who comes to live with them and change their show more lives. Brilliant touching and unique novel that is unpredictable but not disquietening in it's sudden plot changes. F-word throughout unfortunately. {Chapter 4 The night of the wreck] show less

Very funny story about 2 boys Pete "Pod" and Morris "Shiny" who decide to paddle a canoe from their Melbourne suburb all the way down the Yarra River to Williamstown to impress two girls they fancy. Shiny's strange, yet amusing storues and their joie de vivre keep the humour and pace of the story racing along as poor Pod gets taken for the ride of his life. It's when the boys start to cross the bay to Williamstown that things start to go horribly wrong as they almost crash into a huge show more container ship. Funny, quirky, easy-to-read story about friendship and what we do for our first love. show less

Reviewed for VPRC. I got that this was a take on how the Vietnam vets settled into life back in Australia but Johnny Shoebridge's story stumped me for a couple of reasons - the memory/flashback/supposition of Johnny towards the generic fighter Khan ( his enemy) was strange, and his "I have PSTD " but then "I don't" in the real world was hard to grasp and accept.
Johnny has come back from Vietnam and sets off on a road trip to help clear his head before he confronts his girlfriend Jilly and show more the families of his two best mates who died in Vietnam. On the way he "imagines " the life of his opposing Viet Cong soldier called Khan who also loses two friends and hunts for the girlfriend he lost after the war.
On his travels, Johnny spends time in a sleepy NSW coastal town where he learns the bush is not his enemy. He eventually gets up the nerve to visit the families of his two mates and then finally travel to Carlton to catch up with Jilly.
I found it really hard to accept his musings on Khan. He creates a whole world for this soldier - friends, life in the tunnel, a commanding officer and then life after with non-communist friends and a search for his lost love. I don't think any Vietnam Vet would have felt this way, nor would they have created such an elaborate worls for their enemy in their head . Yes, maybe 20 years down the track , it might have happened but not fresh off the plane!
The book is well written but this stuck with me - it is not plausible. show less