FICTION NOTES

Authors' surnames beginning with

A-C

D-F

G-J

K-N

O-S

T-Z

Anderson, Rachel : The Doll's house

Three people are linked by a fascination with the miniature world of the doll's house, Becks, a rebellious child from an impoverished council flat, Patrick, struck down with a virulent illness and Miss Winters, the first owner of the house. This is an interesting exploration of the way individual's lives interact and the possibilities for making a difference.

Avi : Nothing but the truth

Philip Malloy is mad at the world and his school and teacher in particular so when he gets into trouble for singing along with the national anthem he grumbles at home and his cause is taken up in a way he has not bargained for. Funny and thought provoking.

Byatt, A.S. : Angels and insects

Two novellas exploring the secret passions and pursuits of the Victorians. In the first book, the hidden lives of the insects are exposed as are the parallel lives of a large household, while the second explores the possibilities of spiritualism. The language is rich and clever and the plots interesting and imaginative.

Caswell, Brian : Deucalion

This is a science fiction story of life on another planet. The colonists from Earth have treated the Elokoi, who are the original inhabitants, as lower class citizens, and many of the earlier settlers have also been exploited by the mining interests from Earth. The hint of mal practice surrounding the first election on Deucalion provides a focus for an attempt to expose the corruption.

Chopra,Deepak : The return of Merlin

A complex and engrossing story of good and evil unleashed on the modern world from the world of the wizard Merlin. This fantasy novel is exciting and believable and challenges the reader to view our world in a new way.

Coelho, Paulo : The alchemist

"A fable about following your dream" is the sub-title of this simple story. Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd boy who journeys into the Egyptian desert in search of treasure. On the way he learns and listens to the voice of his heart.

Cornwell, Bernard : Crackdown

Nick Breakspear is the Captain of a charter yacht. He would much rather not be involved in the Senator's unusual scheme for rehabilitating his drug addict children, but he is persuaded by his crew who need the money. An exciting book with plenty of action..

D-F

Davis, Jenny : Checking on the moon

Cab Jones is upset and unhappy when she goes to spend the summer with her grandmother in a dirty, run-down suburb instead of with her friends in the country town she is familiar with. Slowly she comes to feel at home, to make friends and even identify with the people of the town when crime becomes prevalent.

Davis, Thulani : 1959

Set in a small town in Virginia, USA, the story is told by Willie Katherine, a young Negro. The book explores the feelings of black Americans in the South who were deprived of their civil rights and considered to be second class citizens by virtue of their race. The writing is powerful, yet understated, emotional but controlled. Year 10 to adult.

De Bernieres, Louis : Captain Corelli's mandolin

This story of Italy and Greece during the Second world war is a deeply human portrayal of the destructiveness of war on the lives of ordinary people. Sad and humorous, full of warm, plain, fallible humanity the novel is rich in meaning and wise in its depth of understanding..

Dickinson, Peter : Tulku

Theodore crosses China into Tibet on a difficult journey with two unlikely companions, a middle aged musical hall star and a young Chinese poet and scholar. The trip is filled with danger and discovery. Set in the time of the Boxer Rebellion the story is rich and exciting.

Doherty, Berlie : The snake-stone

James is a talented and dedicated diver but his training is interrupted when suddenly it seems to him to be of over-whelming importance to find his natural mother. A sensitively told story of growth and the search for identity.

Dubosarsky, Ursula : The first book of Samuel

This book has been short-listed for the 1996 CBC awards for older readers. It is a sensitively written account of a family of disparate individuals who care deeply for each other but without always understanding each other's needs. The climax comes when a distant uncle starts a rumour that leads to disruptive reactions by Elkanah, the temperamental father of the family..

G-J

Herrick,Amy : At the sign of the naked waiter

Parts of this story are almost surreal in their unexpectedness. Sarah's progression from childhood through life is punctuated by odd, absurd, even fantastical happenings, events and characters. An absorbing, sometimes disconcerting novel.

Jinks, Catherine : Pagan's vows

The third book about Pagan is a mature and exciting adventure. Pagan's cheerful good humour is often severely tested in the monastery where he goes with Roland, the knight he has travelled with since the Crusades. Pagan is clever and street wise and despite his lowly status manages to uncover corruption in high places. The novel has been short-listed for the 1996 CBC awards..

K-N

Kelleher, Victor : Earthsong

In a future time Anna and Joe are sent from the planet Titan (where humanity retreated once Earth was too despoiled to inhabit) back to Earth to attempt to recolonise. But despite all the information available on Titan, the new Earth holds some surprises. Environment and the interconnectedness of all living things are two of the themes of this interesting novel..

Lawrence, Louise : Ben-Harran's castle

Christopher, Mahri and Kysha are brought together by Ben-Harran as witnesses to his management of the galaxy which includes Earth. Together they discover the real meaning of free will as they compare his oversight with the benevolent control of the other galactic controllers.

Lock, Samuel : As luck would have it

An unexpected and interestingly written novel about personal growth and relationships. Richard, the central character, is a young man just beginning to establish an identity for himself. He lives with Chuck and meets George at the pub and works out his life in his inter-actions with them and in his narration of the novel itself.

MacDonald, Caroline : Spider Mansion

A really creepy story about a take-over by a family of weekend guests who will not leave. The Todds seem alright, even congenial at first, but they stay and stay gradually infiltrating every aspect of the Day's life.

Marsden, John : Checkers.

She is writing about herself and she is in hospital. Gradually the story unfolds and the reader begins the piece together the story behind the story. The insidious, scarcely perceived acceleration of lies and tensions become corruption and explode into violence..

McCarthy, Maureen : Cross my heart

Mick, just out of jail, Michelle, pregnant and running away from home, roar into the future on Mick's motor bike looking for work and for some sort of meaning in their lives. An exciting story full of life and movement.

Mears, Gillian : The Grass sister

This fine book by an award winning Australian author explores the nature of family and particular the relationship between two sisters growing up together in the country. The older sister looks back on her childhood with Ann-Clare and attempts to discover the reason for her disappearance in Africa..

Moloney, James : Gracey

The sequel to Dougy, Gracey is an equally thought provoking story about the difficulties of aboriginal people, the discrimination that has pursued them through white Australian history and their struggles to establish their own identity.

Nelson, Penelope : Beyond Berlin

Australian Libby goes to Berlin in the seventies not just to improve her German. She becomes involved in the life of a left wing student commune protesting against American involvement in Vietnam among other things. But for some of her friends peaceful protest seems impossible and events escalate quickly. A very readable and thoughtfully written novel.

O-S

Parry, Glyn : LA postcards

Jamie Trent has been chucked out of a couple of schools already, not the kind of boy to interest Maggie, but he won't give up. His interest makes life pretty uncomfortable and leads to a conduct sheet for Maggie and suspension for Jamie. Short scenes and clever dialogue tell the story.

Paulsen, Gary : The fourteenth summer

John, aged 14, is unexpectedly asked to spend the summer months alone in the mountains with 6000 sheep, 2 horses and 4 dogs. It is a daunting task, especially when faced with the threat of coyotes, a grizzly bear and a flash flood. He manages some how to cope with each new emergency and learn and grow in the process.

Paulson, Gary : The monument

Rocky is a familiar sight to the people of the little town and she takes them all for granted too until the artist arrives to create a monument for them and teaches her and the townspeople a new way of seeing. An thoughtful story, fairly simply told but with some interesting ideas.

Pausacker, Jenny : Getting somewhere

Dinah and Stacy are identical twins, but it has always seemed to Dinah that Stacy was ahead of her in every way and it is not until Dinah is left at secondary school with out Stacy that she begins to understand her own strengths. Short listed for the 1996 CBC awards, this is a well written, sometimes humorous and always thought provoking book..

Perez-Reverte, Arturo : The Flanders panel

A fascinating mystery based on a work of art, an ancient message and a game of chess. The various characters play a game of life or death as they try to unravel the moves in a chess game of the past and keep ahead in the modern game.

Rubinstein, Gillian : Shinkei

This is the third book in the series that began with Space Demons. The characters have matured and their insights into the danger of this world of virtual reality build the tension as the story develops into an exciting battle between the representatives of greed and those characters with a concern for humanity..

Scobie, Pamela : Children of the wheel

A bleak depiction of a loveless and battered world where it is everyman for himself. The Throwaway kids fight for their own survival in any way they can and some loyalties develop which lead the way back to the possibility of caring..

Sussex, Lucy : Deersnake

An experiment with drugs draws Martin into Otherworld. For almost everyone he is wiped from their memory as if they never knew him, but Kate saw him go and is determined to rescue him. A tense and imaginative fantasy.

T-Z

Waddell,Martin : Tango's baby

Tango, Brian Tangello is a big, soft, well-meaning fellow. Anyone can put one over him, and Crystal is 15 years old and crying. The combination is love and trouble especially when Crystal becomes pregnant and the welfare is just too complicated for poor old Brian.

Westall, Robert : Falling into glory

Robbie in young, tough, clever and obsessively in love with Emma, a teacher twice his age. Robbie has one persona at school where he is a popular figure, good at sport as well as street wise and smart enough to deal with teachers and another when he is alone with Emma.

Wrightson, Patricia : Shadows of time

Sarah Jane and the boy meet and begin their wanderings in 1798 when each becomes outcast from their own people. They journey through time and place in this gentle and haunting story.

Winch, Ben Liadhen

This first novel by a young writer explores the sense of frustration the disillusionment that Jason feels when he finishes school. After a fight with his brother he runs away to the small country town of Liadhen where he takes time out to look for experience, to think and to drift..

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