In anticipation of the country celebrations in January – here is my Australian poster – being an American school with relatively few Australian students, we don’t have a very robust collection of books from Australia. There are all sorts of complications in procuring books from Australia – and as my fellow-librarians who I asked from recommendations bemoaned – if they hit the overseas market they are often Americanised or Britified as if Australian English isn’t on an equal footing with other Englishes.

I got some amazing recommendations when I asked the librarian community and here is a list recommended by my peers:

• ‘Detention’ by Tristan Bancks (2019)
• Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System’ by Safdar Ahmed (2021)
• ‘The Boy From the Mish‘ by Gary Lonesborough (2021)
• ‘Big Magic’ by Sarah Armstrong (2022)
• ‘We Run Tomorrow’ by Nat Amoore (2022)
• ‘Tracks of the Missing’ by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler (2022)
• Completely Normal by Biffy James (2022)
• ‘The Chameleon Thief’ by Mat Larkin (2022)
• ‘Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon’ by Gabrielle Wang (2022)
• ‘Sugar’ by Carly Nugent (2022)
• ‘Scar Town’ by Tristan Bancks (2023)
• ‘If You Tell Anyone, You’re Next’ by Jack Heath (2023)
• ‘Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer’ by Amy Doak (2023)
• ‘Two Can Play That Game’ by Leanne Yong (2023)
• ‘Borderland’ by Graham Akhurst (2023)
• ‘Grace Notes’ by Karen Comer (2023)
• ‘Inkflower’ by Suzy Zail (2024)
• ‘Cora Seen and Heard’ by Zanni Louise (2024)
• ‘Look Me in the Eye’ by Jane Godwin (2024)
• ‘Hamlet is Not OK’ by R.A. Spratt (2024)

You can find some more recommendations in the GLLI blog under “Australian Literature“, and Goodreads has lists per year under #LoveOzYA (although you do need to check that they are in fact Australian authors / set in Australia – one of the things I do to try and find “own voices” for my posters – since most MARC records you receive these days are deplorable in nuance such as geographic author / subject headings is to check with list like this one on Wikipedia of Australian Authors.

Thanks to Julie Muir and Trish Buckley / CBCA for sharing their posters of reading recommendations. Check out more YA reviews at Reading Time

I must also admit to a certain fondness to Australian authors, I’m a pretty big crime reader and I love the quirkiness, grittiness and realness of the people depicted in Aussie books – none of that Manhattan perfect body / posture / house / life clothing for you. One of my favourite series I read this year was Candice Fox’s Crimson Lake.

Not featured on this list, but very recently read by me is “Tomorrow when the war began” by (recently deceased) John Marsden. Again a group of very resilient, self-sufficient quirky teen characters tackle a post-invasion world and give it their best shot. For a series written in the late 90’s it has aged remarkably well. After reading the first book of course I’ve spent many hours this vacation going through the whole series! The parent in me also really enjoyed the JOHN MARSDEN’S TIPS FOR PARENTS that has been doing the rounds.

• Teach them to be very wary of people who Absolutely Know the Absolute Truth about Absolutely Everything! The colour of truth is always grey. Extreme positions are for the ignorant. Every creature, every person and every situation is complex. The universe is a wonderful mystery.”
• Give children space. Back off. Let them roam. Let them be bored. Don’t over-plan their lives. Cut way back on the after-school activities programs.
• Keep away from all those ghastly, soulless, sterile playgrounds. Keep away from shopping malls. Look for real places. Wild places.
• Be an adult. Say no to your children at least once a day. If the role of Adult in your family is vacant, then one of your children will fill it. And it won’t be pretty.
• Don’t take up all the space. If you are dominating, loud, forceful, your children are highly likely to become passive, lacking spirit and personality … and/or sullen.
• Believe about 40 per cent of the dramatic stories your children tell you of the injustices, corruption and satanic practices happening at school.
• Teach them empathy. For example, after their jubilant victory celebrations when they win a sporting match, remind them that their jubilation was only possible because someone else – the losers – have been made to feel awful.
• Help them develop language skills. Don’t finish their sentences for them. Don’t correct them when they mispronounce a word – they’ll work it out sooner or later. Ask them open-ended questions, that need a detailed answer, not Yes/No questions.
• Make sure they have regular jobs/duties at home and that those jobs are done to a consistently high standard.
• Don’t whinge endlessly about the miseries of your adult life. A lot of children now are fearful about growing up because their parents paint such a grim picture of the awfulness ahead.

By Nadine Bailey – middle school teacher librarian, currently living and working in Dubai, formerly in Beijing China, Singapore and a bunch of other cities around the world. Passionate about our students seeing themselves and their worlds in literature and developing curiosity and a passion for reading and learning.

The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed in this blog post are solely my own and do not reflect the positions, policies, or opinions of any current or former employer. Any references or examples provided are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as endorsements or official statements from any organization I have been associated with.