WELCOME TO AUSTRALIAN USED HOMESCHOOL BOOKS!
AUSTRALIANA FICTION - BANJO, LAWSON & OTHER AUSSIE CLASSICS
Picture Books
Australian Verse For The Young (Bindi-Bindi) $6 HB EC (RRP $27.95) A totally Australian book with delightful collection of stories written in verse form for children ages 5 and up. It contains ten stories such a tennis match between a kangaroo and a wallaby with a cockatoo as umpire, a bush band from Kakadu, a discussion regarding a bush gymnasium and a crocodile and a snake taking a swim, and more. Lovely illustrations! http://www.lynnewilson.com.au/ChildrensBooks/VerseYoung/VerseYoung.htm
The Book Of Australian Nursery Ryhme (Bindi-Bindi) $5 HB GC (Minor edge bumping to spine) This gorgeous hard cover book is a must for every child. Featuring 38 wonderful original nursery rhymes by Bindi-Bindi and 58 beautifully illustrated pages by Heather Blackstock. The nursery rhymes are all about Australian animals and include titles such as: Koala in the Tree, Two Black Crows, Hoppy the Kangaroo, Willy Wagtail, Mr Emu, Little Gecko, Mrs Possum and Nellie Numbat. http://giftsaustralia.com.au/?action=view&id=900858
In the Old Gum Tree: Nursery Rhymes and Verse for Little Kids (Cathy Wilcox) $4 HB EC Very attractively designed and illustrated book of simple Australian verse and nursery rhymes from the city and bush. Topics include: bushrangers, drovers, Aussie animals and much more. 4-8 YO
Nonsense Places: An Absurd Australian Alphabet (Michael Dugan, illustrated Walter Stackpool) $4 PB EC, $5 HBDJ VGC A collection of more than 60 nonsense verses written by Australian authors. Charming full colour illustrations using alphabet of Australian place names - Mooroolbark, Kangaloon, Canowindra etc. Recommended! 4-8 YO
The Australian Mother Goose (Colin Thiele) $3 PB VGC A wonderful collection of nursery rhymes that have been adapted to Australian landscapes, culture and wildlife. The bright, colourful pictures a highlight of this hard to find Thiele title. 3-7 YO http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Mother-Goose-Colin-Thiele/dp/1863021841
Australian ABC (Gwenda Turner) $3 PB VGC F is for fish swimming deep in the sea, O is for owl who sits in a tree, L is for lizard, P is for plane, E is for emu and T is for train! This beautifully illustrated alphabet book will delight both parents and children alike. 3-6 YO http://www.wheelers.co.nz/books/9780140545067-australian-abc/
Father Koala’s Fables (Kel Richards) $2 PB GC 'So, young koalas, gather about, Eat an apple or pear or peach, And listen to all of the tales I tell, And learn the lessons they teach.' Contains short stories including: The Emu and the Wombat; The Kangaroo and the Possum; The Cane Toad and the Bullock; In the Chook Yard plus more. Wonderful paintings! 4-9 YO http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/kel-richards/father-koalas-fables.htm
The Banjo’s Bush Ballads (Banjo Paterson) $3 HBDJ VGC 6-11 YO Banjo Paterson is considered by many to be Australia's greatest balladeer and folk poet. His work captures the spirit of the Australian bush and this volume, specifically about horses, includes: The Man from Snowy River, Father Riley's Horse and Story of Mongrel Grey. Lovely artwork on each page. 5-11 YO
Banjo’s Tall Tales (Banjo Paterson) $3 PB VGC, $4 HB EC A collection of irrepressible bush characters captured by the lively pen of A.B. "Banjo" Paterson and delightfully illustrated in colour on every page by Cheryl Westenberg. 5-9 YO
Illalong Children – The Story Of Banjo Paterson’s Childhood (A.B.Paterson) $7 HB EC Banjo’s childhood reminiscences of growing up in the Australian bush were written in his old age for his granddaughters. They describe his boyhood spent on sheep and cattle stations in NSW, and include descriptions of the wildlife, the countryside, early schooldays and some unforgettable bush characters. Beautiful paintings on each double page by Robert Lovatt. 8+ http://www.bookshops.com.au/view_image.php?url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~mayger/books/003540.jpg
A Bush Christening (Banjo Paterson, illustrations Quentin Hole) $3 PB EC A beautifully illustrated copy of Banjo’s humorous poem. Set in the early pioneering days, this gorgeous picture book gives a real insight into life back then. 4-8 YO http://www.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/7/9780207170997.jpg
Waltzing Matilda (A.B. Paterson, illustrator Desmond Digby) $2 PB VGC Lovely paintings of the Australian bush accompany the poem which, sung to the tune of an old English marching song, has become practically an Australian national anthem. Any age. http://www.amazon.com/Waltzing-Matilda-B-Paterson/dp/0207170983
The Man From Snowy River (AB Paterson) $3 PB VGC Delicate colour paintings by Annette Macarthur-Onslow accompany this classic Aussie poem about the runaway colt and the subsequent chase in the Snowy Mountains. A great introduction to classic Aussie literature for young children. 6-10 YO http://www.qbd.com.au/product/9780207157080-The_Man_From_Snowy_River_by_A_B_Paterson.htm
The Man From Ironbark (AB Paterson, illustrated by Quentin Hole) $4 HB VGC (Ex lib, tape residue), $3 PB GC Although it was written almost 80 years ago, this ballad holds a special place in the hearts of Australians young and old. It is as fresh and funny as ever. Quentin Hole’s witty and detailed paintings capture perfectly the spirit of Paterson’s poem so that the reader becomes totally involved in this rumbustious story of early Sydney. 5-12 YO http://www.booksgalore.com.au/images/detailed_images/DSCF7256.jpg
Clancy Of The Overflow (Banjo Paterson, illustrated by Robert Ingpen) $5 PB EC This classic Australian poem, more than a hundred years old, comes alive with fresh illustrations of the outback that Paterson loved so well. Beautifully illustrated by Robert Ingpen, this classic bush ballad is about Clancy, the legendary bushman. He is, to every Australian, a very real, larger-than-life figure, a free and independent spirit galloping through the wide open spaces: vigorous, hearty and self reliant. Any age.
Constantine The Great (Banjo Paterson) $4 HB VGC (A few age spots) A nice horse story by Banjo written for children and beautifully illustrated by Robert Lovett. This reminds me of a Marguerite Henry story. 6-12 YO
The Best Of Henry Lawson For Young Australians (Illus Arthur Mc Neil) $5 HB EC Lovely pictures illustrate these best-loved poems including The Old Bark School, The Teams, The Loaded Dog, Ballad Of The Drover, The Drover’s Wife, The Cattle Dog’s Death and Days When We Went Swimming. 6-10 YO
The Teams (Henry Lawson, illustrated by John Anthony King) $6 HB VGC A gorgeous picture book showing the life of a bullocky – coping with dust, getting bogged in mud, the heat and the loneliness. Also shows pioneer home life when the bullocky returns to his home for some precious rest with his family. Henry Lawson became a literary legend in his own lifetime and was loved by the Australian public. Lawson wrote short stories and poems with sympathy and humour. He depicted Australian men and women and Australian rural life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Wonderful illustrations by the illustrator of ‘An Uncommonly Fine Day.’ Recommended! 5-9 YO
Stories Of Henry Lawson (Angus & Robertson, illustrated by Louis Silvestro) $6 HB EC Contains 27 illustrated stories by our Aussie bush poet. Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period, and is often called Australia's "greatest short story writer." Like the majority of Australians, Lawson lived in a city, but had had plenty of experience of outback life; in fact, many of his stories reflect his experiences in real life. All these stories, whilst not 100% true, are based on true characters and events. A classic to have on hand. Any age. http://www.ukimagehost.com/uploads/46a58b3ec6.jpg
The Roaring Days (Henry Lawson, illustrator Peter Lawson) $4 HBDJ EC Here the poem forms the inspiration for a series of paintings by the author's grand-nephew, Peter Lawson. The paintings capture the scenes of the bush and the gold diggings evoked by the verse and convey the same sense of longing for past times. Any age. http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/FrameBase?content=/en/imagegallery/imagegallery.shtml?images=http://pictures.abebooks.com/NOTONA/3109564691.jpg
Mary Called Him ‘Mister’ (Henry Lawson, illustrated by John Anthony King, illustrator of ‘An Uncommonly Fine Day’) $4 HB EC A selection of beautifully illustrated poems illuminating an often neglected side of the Bush Ballad era: the life of women in the bush – their strengths, their dreams, their hopes and their disappointments. 7-11 YO Recommended!
How The Sailor Rode The Brumby (Illustrated by Max Caesar) $4 HB GC (Ex lib, tape residue on endpapers) Set in the early Moreton Bay district in the 1800s, this humorous poem tells of a sailor who wants to work on a cattle run as a stockman. Gorgeous pictures giving many insights into early Australian life. 6-10 YO
Seven Little Australians – Illustrated Edition (Ethel Turner) $4 HB GC Lovely pictures bring this endearing story alive. 8+ http://www.nannysweb.com.au/ima/book_covers_jpg/8199.jpg
The Complete Adventures Of Snugglepot And Cuddlepie (Written & illustrated by May Gibbs) $4 HBDJ GC This is undoubtedly Australia′s best-loved children′s book. Generation after generation of Australian children have been fascinated by the fantasy world of May Gibbs. It is a world filled with fears and excitement and adventures both extraordinary and everyday, a world peopled with small creatures, the real mixed tantalisingly with the imaginary. Best of all, it is a world so unmistakably Australian that all who read it know that magic exists in the land, as close as the bush is to their back yard. Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie was combined with its two sequels, Little Ragged Blossom and Little Obelia in 1940 and since then has never been out of print. 7-12 YO http://covers.booktopia.com.au/978020/716/9780207167300.jpg
The Story Of Little Obelia (May Gibbs) $3 PB GC (Pictures coloured in) The third in the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Series. The evil Big Bad Banksia Men are at it again, trying to capture the poor little Gumnuts and their friends. Little Obelia has become a wise old Queen of the sea, and does all she can to save her friend Ragged Blossom from the bottom of the ocean and the hands of the Banksia Men. 7-11 YO http://m2d.com.au/images/Little-Obelia_000.jpg
Dot And The Kangaroo (Ethel Pedley) $5 HB GC Lost and afraid in the darkening bush, Dot is befriended by a kind kangaroo. She eats the berries of understanding and is then able to communicate with all the bush creatures, who eventually guide her home. An Aussie favourite since it was first published in 1899. Lovely original pictures in a gorgeous quality publication. 8+ http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DOT-AND-KANGAROO-HC91-Ethel-Pedley-Good-used-/220652941408?pt=AU_Books_Childrens_New
The Infamous Adventures Of Ginger Meggs (James Kemsley) $5 HBDJ GC (Top edge of jacket a little crumpled) Has a ribbon page marker. The irrepressible Ginger Meggs began life as a comic strip hero in the early 1920s. He is a larrikin whose exploits entertain and appeal to Aussie children. This special edition brings together two stories ‘Ginger Meggs At Large’ and ‘It’s Sunday, Ginger Meggs.’ Here we meet Ginger’s mates Bennie, Minnie and Chubb, and his enemies, Coogan and Tiger Kelly – and when those two are around that spells trouble! But, as usual, Ginger uses his special weapon – brain power – to come up trumps and delight a new generation of readers. Great line drawings abound throughout the book as well as eight colour plates. Recommended! Any age. http://www.louellakerrbooks.com.au/pix/33134.jpg
The Magic Pudding: The Adventures Of Bunyip Bluegum (Written & illustrated by Norman Lindsay) $5 HB VGC The adventures of those splendid fellows Bunyip Bluegum, Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff, the penguin bold, and, of course, their amazing, everlasting and very cantankerous Puddin’. A very unusual pudding it is indeed! Whistle three times, turn it round and it’s steak-and-kidney, if that’s what you want, or hot jam roll, or delicious apple dumpling. It’s manners are appalling, but it tastes so good! Great pictures – a must read for Aussie kids! 9+ http://www.alibris.co.uk/booksearch.detail?invid=9875792965&browse=1&isbn=9780207943928&qsort=p&page=1
A Slice Of Magic Pudding (Norman Lindsay) $2 HB VGC A wonderful ‘must read’ of Australian literature for children. The Magic Pudding is a pie, except when it's something else, like a steak, or a jam donut, or an apple dumpling. But it's also alive. It walks, it talks, and it's got a personality like no other. A meaner, sulkier, snarlinger Pudding you've never met. So discovers koala Bunyip Bluegum when he joins a sailor and a penguin as members of Noble Society of Pudding Owners, whose "members are required to wander along the roads, indulgin' in conversation, song and story, and eatin' at regular intervals.’ This is an illustrated version of the Aussie classic for younger. 4-9 YO http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Slice-Magic-Pudding-Norman-Lindsay-/220561949704?pt=AU_Books_Childrens_New
The Magic Pudding: Second Slice (Norman Lindsay) $2 HB VGC Sam Sawnoff, Bunyip Bluegum and Bill Barnacle all try to make a meal of the unusual, vocal magic pudding. But a secret like a magic pudding is hard to keep. The envious eyes of the professional pudding thieves are on the trio and their prize. This is an illustrated version of the Aussie classic for younger children. 4-9 YO http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/d6/cb/a43692c008a02ce78f9b3010.L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
The Magic Pudding: Third Slice (Norman Lindsay) $2 HB VGC Sam Sawnoff, Bunyip Bluegum and Bill Barnacle all try to make a meal of the unusual, vocal magic pudding. But a secret like a magic pudding is hard to keep. The envious eyes of the professional pudding thieves are on the trio and their prize. This is an illustrated version of the Aussie classic for younger children. 4-9 YO http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAGIC-PUDDING-THIRD-SLICE-NORMAN-LINDSAY-HC-/270609842752
The Magic Pudding: Fourth Slice (Norman Lindsay) $2 HB VGC The story of the band of mates, their extremely bad-tempered magic pudding and the incompetent pudding thieves is non-stop hilarious. It's great to read aloud to young kids, excellent reading for pre-teens and a good laugh for gloomy teens - it's unvarnished, knockabout anarchism is sure to appeal. 4-9 YO http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAGIC-PUDDING-THIRD-SLICE-NORMAN-LINDSAY-HC-/270609842752 (Similar cover)
Chapter Books & Novels
Emu Stew: An Illustrated Collection Of Stories And Poems For Children (Edited by Patricia Wrightson) $6 HB VGC Includes a wonderful sampling of Aboriginal legends, stories by Diana Petersen, Noreen Shelley, Dennis Hall, Ray Harris and others as well as poems by Clive Sansom, Lydia Pender, Nancy Bruce, A B Paterson, Will Lawson and others. Wonderful illustrations by Pam Brewster, Liz Honey, Elizabeth Lord and others. Recommended! http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/patricia-wrightson/emu-stew.htm
Cockatoo Soup (Jean Chapman) $5 PB GC (Light cover creases and one page has writing on it) The stories, songs, rhymes and activities in this book have been collected from previous generations and reflect the changes and enrichment of Australian society and culture - from Aboriginal times to the present day. This is a great mix of history and language arts and is full of wonderful illustrations. Any age. Highly recommended! http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Jean-Chapman---Cockatoo-Soup---1st-Ed-HC-DJ_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQimsfpZTL090608197001r3207QQimsxZ20090608QQitemZ270404644438QQsalenotsupported
The Land Of Rainbow Gold (Mildred M. Fowler) $4 HB VGC (Inscription) A lovely collection of Australian poems nicely illustrated both with ink sketches and paintings. Over 50 poems about Aborigines, the pioneers and settlers, the wild life and the land. Recommended! 6-11 YO http://www.leurabooks.com.au/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=13236&CLSN_2841=1270539202284118519ad03a1b3b18af
The Man From Snowy River and Other Verses (Banjo Paterson) $4 PB VGC First published in 1895, this book took the country by storm and has remained one of Australia's bestselling and most popular books ever since. The classic title poem by the Bard of the Bush, A B "Banjo" Paterson, continues to inspire the spirit of our nation in readers today. This edition recreates the atmosphere of the times, faithfully reproducing the original 1895 edition of forty-six ballads selected by Paterson together with his publisher, George Robertson. http://www.bookshops.com.au/view_image.php?url=http://www.leurabooks.com.au/shop_image/product/011364.jpg (Cover different)
Dot And The Kangaroo (Edith Pedley) $3 PB GC An adaptation for younger children of the Aussie classic. Based on the classic children's book written by Edith C. Pedley in 1899, a young girl wanders away from her home in the Australian outback and becomes hopelessly lost. She meets many fantastic animals on her journey and is eventually befriended by an amazing kangaroo that helps Dot find her way home.7-10 YO
Australian Children’s Classics “Blinky Bill” (Dorothy Wall) $2 HB VGC Blinky Bill, the mischievous little koala, is one of the best-known and best-loved characters in Australian children's fiction. The scrapes and adventures in which naughty Blinky takes such enthusiastic pleasure (to the despair of his mother, Mrs Koala) and the bush creatures he meets along the way, have made these stories firm favourites with young Australians for many years. 7-12 YO http://www.desertship-books.com.au/australian-classics/blinky-bill/prod_275.html
The Muddle-Headed Wombat (Ruth Park) $4 PB EC Wombat and his inseparable friends - the motherly and practical Mouse, and Tabby Cat whose pride, along with his tabby coat, is always being ruffled - began their careers in a daily children′s serial on ABC radio. Since then their delightful adventures in the popular series of Muddleheaded Wombat books have entertained thousands of children in many parts of the world. This paperback edition brings together four stories - The Muddleheaded Wombat, The Muddleheaded Wombat at School, The Muddleheaded Wombat on Holiday and The Muddleheaded Wombat in the Treetops all presented with Noela Young′s lively illustrations. 7-11 YO http://www.amazon.com/Muddle-headed-Wombat-Ruth-Park/dp/0207167338
Snugglepot And Cuddlepie (May Gibbs) $2 PB VGC, $3 HB VGC Undoubtedly Australia’s best-loved children’s book, May Gibbs’ enchanting bush world, peopled with gumnut heroes and heroines, solid friends like Mr. Lizard and Mrs. Bear, and, of course, the villainous Banksia men, has played an important part in the imaginations of Australian children. Lovely pictures. 9+ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xBOLk7DkCAQ/R55mj1Pf9TI/AAAAAAAAAJY/2Sj96GImr7A/s200/Snugglepot+and+Cuddlepie.jpg
The Magic Pudding (Norman Lindsay) $2 PB GC, $3 HB VGC The adventures of those splendid fellows Bunyip Bluegum, Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff, the penguin bold, and, of course, their amazing, everlasting and very cantankerous Puddin’. A very unusual pudding it is indeed! Whistle three times, turn it round and it’s steak-and-kidney, if that’s what you want, or hot jam roll, or delicious apple dumpling. It’s manners are appalling, but it tastes so good! Great pictures – a must read for Aussie kids! 9+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/norman-lindsay/magic-pudding.htm
Kings In Grass Castles (Mary Durack) $5 PB VGC (RRP $18.95) When Patrick Durack left Western Ireland for Australia in 1853, he was to found a pioneering dynasty and build a cattle empire across the great stretches of Australia. With a profound sense of family history, his grand-daughter, Mary Durack reconstructed the Durack saga - a story of intrepid men and ground-breaking adventure. This sweeping tale of Australia and Australians remains a classic nearly fifty years on. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kings-Grass-Castles-Mary-Durack/dp/0733801560
The Getting Of Wisdom (Henry Handel Richardson) $5 HB VGC (Small scribble mark on endpaper) Tells the story of Laura Rambotham, a 12-year-old girl who is just starting at her boarding school. This is based on Henry Handel Richardson’s experiences of her own school: the Presbyterian Ladies College in central Melbourne. The story follows her friends and enemies and all the life of a boarding school in early 20th century Australia, and all the subjects and learning too. Laura learns a lot, but her education does not satisfy her, and her social life is thrown upon her as very different from her peers.13+ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Wisdom-Henry-Handel-Richardson/dp/0435120514
Seven Little Australians (Ethel Turner) $4 PB GC, $2 PB FC (Older edition) (Minor reading wear and light tanning) Without a doubt, Judy was the worst of the seven, probably because she was the cleverest. Her father, Captain Woolcot, found his vivacious, cheeky daughter impossible – but seven children were really too much for him and most of the time they ran wild at their rambling riverside home, Misrule. An Aussie child’s classic! 9+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/t/ethel-turner/seven-little-australians.htm
The Family At Misrule (Ethel Turner) $5 PB EC Five years on, the children of Misrule are growing up and when Capt and Mrs Woolcott leave for India with the children to look after themselves and the house, lots of fun and trouble ahead 9+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/t/ethel-turner/family-at-misrule.htm
We Of The Never-Never (Mrs. Aeneas Gunn) $5 HBDJ EC (Name on inturn) (Complete and unabridged), $4 PB GC A well-loved turn-of-the-century classic by a Mrs Aeneas Gunn who, as a genteel Melbourne bride, was expected to add a woman's touch to her husband's isolated cattle station. She battles constantly to be seen as an equal amongst the menfolk on the station on which she lives with her husband. The fight seems a losing battle, however, as the views held by the men regarding both women and indigenous people are hard to overcome. An accurate portrayal of the early relations between Australian Aborigines and white Australians. A beautiful copy. 12+ http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/1404338853/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all (Cover different)
We Of The Never-Never & The Little Black Princess (Mrs. Aeneas Gunn) $3 PB EC Two books in one specially condensed volume. 11+ http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Aeneas-Gunn-WE-NEVER-NEVER-LITTLE-BLACK-PRINCES-/380253781110
The Man From Snowy River (Elyne Mitchell) $2 PB GC From Banjo Paterson's immortal ballad comes the novel: Elyne Mitchell's stirring tale of the boy who became the man from Snowy River. Jim Craig is eighteen years old, and cannot return to his mountain home until he has proven himself a man. Jessica Harrison is the beautiful, impetuous daughter of the wealthy cattleman whose pounds 1000 colt runs off to join the brumby mob. And then there is the stallion, leader of the brumbies for almost twenty years, ranging free and proud in the mountains, whose very existence is like a dark thread running through the lives of so many people. 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/elyne-mitchell/man-from-snowy-river.htm
The Man From Snowy River II (Tony Johnston) $2 PB EC Jim Craig has been away on the plains droving and gathering a large mob of horses to breed in his high country. Now he is returning to claim his heritage. The Man From Snowy River II continues the legend and brings to life again a man whose simple strengths will endure. 10+ http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Elyne-Mitchell-X2-MAN-SNOWY-RIVER-SEQUEL-/380257341809
Ginger Meggs (James Kemsley) $2 PB VGC The irrepressible Ginger Meggs began life as a comic strip hero in the early 1920s. He is a larrikin whose exploits entertain and appeal to Aussie children. Ginger uses his special weapon – brain power – to come up trumps and delight a new generation of readers. Great line drawings abound throughout the book. 9+ http://www.librarything.com/work/1308269
Golden Fiddles (Mary Grant Bruce) $4 PB GC (A little cover wear) The Balfours are a very poor family, living on a hill in Gippsland, Victoria. The family is very happy in spite of their extreme poverty and dream of what they would do were they ever to become rich. When Mrs Balfour is actually left 80 000 pounds by an uncle, they can hardly believe their good fortune! But will their windfall make them happy? 10+ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/mary-grant-bruce/golden-fiddles.htm
(Last update January, 2012)
