sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

An End-of-School-Year Christmas Poem

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We all know Christmas is coming, but today I’m sparing a thought for all the kids across Australia (and their teachers!) who are plodding their way through the last week(s) of the school year. Having been there many times – as a child and as a teacher, I know it can be both exciting and exhausting in equal measure.

Anyway, here is a poem from my files to hopefully make you smile.

Christmas is Coming

Christmas is coming.

We’ve stopped learning stuff at school

except how to sing Jingle Bells

while standing straight and tall

so the folks can get good piccies

at speech night;

and how to get glitter to stick

to a polystyrene ball

to hang on the Chrissie tree.

And how to make a gazillion cards

one for Mum

one for Dad

and two for the grandmas.

And how to carry homeaAll those scrapbooks

And artworks

and dead textas.

And how to concentrate

on all this

even though it’s 40 degrees

and our classroom isn’t airconditioned

and all we really think about

is that Christmas is coming.

 

( Copyright Sally Murphy)

Books for Christmas

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Looking for a Christmas themed book for a child in your life?

Snowy’s Christmas is the story of a joey who doesn’t like being different – until he meets Santa and realises that only he can help with the sleigh. I have a stack of copies which can be posted anywhere in Australia for $18 (postage included). You can email me directly for details, or buy through this ebay link.

Copies will be signed to the recipient.

And, while it isn’t Christmas themed, you might also find a chapter book just the thing for a reader aged 6-10.  Doggy Duo was my first ever published children’s book and the only place you can now buy it is direct from me.  Super discounted, at just $5 (including postage, again posted anywhere in Australia.  Again available through ebay  or  you can email me for payment details.

If you’re reading this page, you probably don’t need convincing that books make excellent Christmas gifts, but I’m telling you anyway: not only are they great gifts, they are easy to wrap and fit into smallish parcels. Also, buying one of these books helps me to clear much needed storage space on my office! I don’t usually sell my books directly, so now is your chance.

Not interested in either of these books? That’s okay – I urge you to consider heading to your local bookstore and supporting any author (especially Australian ones) by buying a book, or three, this holiday season.

 

What I Read in November 2024

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Hard to believe it is December already, but my calendar says so, so I guess it’s true. And, as always, a new month means time to post what I read last month. A bit of an eclectic mix – eight books in all. Here’s what they were:

Books for Children

  1. TweetTweet, by Morris Gleitzman (Penguin, 2024). I was lucky enough to be on the same festival line up as Morris Gleitzman at the Scribblers Festival, and of course had to buy his latest book at the festival bookstore.  A fun story even while also dealing with big issues around  human impact on the environment, as well as grief and loss.
  2. Encyclopedia Brown Carries On, by Donald J. Sobol (Scholastic, 1980). One of the many books from my to-read cupboard which were rescued from a discard trolley years ago. I’m gradually getting through them. Can imagine young readers trying to solve the mysteries along with the main character.
  3. The Best Train Set Ever, by Pat Hutchins (Bodley Head, 1979). And another from the discard trolley. I loved Pat Hutchins’  Titch books but hadn’t come across this little offering which includes three sweet family stories.
  4. Too Many Babies, by Rose Impey & Shoo Rayner (Orchard Books, 1993). A third from the discard trolley (I do seem to read them in batches) featuring a family of tenrecs (Madagascan shrews), as their parents battle to raise their very large littler of babies.
  5. Blabber MouthBlabber Mouth, by Morris Gleitzman (Pan Macmillan, 1992). Also a book I rescued from somewhere a while back and had in my to-read pile, this caught my eye because I’d been reading Tweet (above) and thought it was time I read this older Gleitzman. He has a knack for mixing humour with difficult concepts.

Books for Young Adults

  1. My Family and Other SuspectsMy Family and Other Suspects, by Kate Emery (Allen & Unwin, 2024). A witty, entertaining murder mystery set in the WA’s Southwest.  Ruth, the narrator, is obsessed with murder mysteries, but she doesn’t expect to have one to solve at the family holiday house – but when her step Grandmother dies suddenly, the whole family becomes suspects.

Books for Adults

  1. It All Makes Sense Now: Embrace Your ADHD Brain to Live a Creative and Colorful LifeIt All Makes Sense Now: Embrace Your ADHD Brain to Live a Creative and Colorful Life, by Meredith Carder (Hay House, 2024). I came across this one in  a bookshop and am glad I did, because it’s one of the best books on ADHD I’ve read – very accessible, good examples and some helpful strategies.
  2. Selected Verse, by Colin Thiele (Rigby, 1970).  I didn’t actually read all of this in November – I have been reading a few poems at a time for several months. I know Thiele best as an author for young people, but this poetry is definitely for adults, dealing with a range of topics from the everyday to the truly confronting.

 

That brings my total for the year so far to 108. Hoping for a little extra reading time in December as my work year is winding down a little. Currently reading two books – fiction on audio and nonfiction in hard copy, so off to a good start.  I’m also hoping to get through more from my to-read cupboard, to free up some storage space.

What are you reading?

What I Read in October 2024

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It’s a new month which means I’m sharing what I read in the old month. In October I managed 10 books, with half being new purchases and the other half from my to-read pile which I had hoped to reduce significantly in 2024.  It is a wee bit smaller, but with two months to go, I know I won’t be getting that extra shelf back any time soon. So many books so little time! But what a lovely problem to have – too many books. Is that even a thing?

Anyway, here’s what I did manage to finish in October.

Books for Children

  1. Hester Hitchins and the Falling StarsHester Hitchins and the Falling Stars, by Catherine Norton (Angus & Robertson, 2024).  One look at the cover of this delightful hardcover offering and I knew I had to buy it. And I wasn’t disappointed – an adventurous story of girl-power set in England in 1866 and following the adventures of Hester Hitchins as she tries to take up a place at a Nautical navigation Academy usually only open to boys.
  2. Mouse and His Dog: A Dogtown BookMouse and His Dog: A Dogtown Book, by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Wallace West (Welbeck, 2024). I hadn’t read the previous Dogtown book, but this one sat alone pretty comfortably. Set in a dog shelter and told from the perspective of a mouse called Mouse who is determined to help the dogs who, it seems, may never find homes of their own.  Really cute.
  3. The Long WalkThe Long Walk, by Kerry Greenwood (Hachette, 2004). This one has been in my to-read pile for quite a while after I bought it from a library discard trolley. Set during the Great Depression, and against the backdrop of the building of the Great Ocean Road, it is the story of Isa Wyatt who, left alone with her three younger siblings, sets off  on a journey from Melbourne to Apollo Bay, looking for their father.
  4. Heroes of the Secret UndergroundHeroes of the Secret Underground, by Susanne Gervay (Angus & Robertson, 2021). More historical fiction – this one a time slip between Sydney in the year 2000 and Budapest in 1944, during the German occupation of Hungary. As such it deals with some really challenging times, but does so in a way with which young people can connect.
  5. Leo and Ralph Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas (UQP, 2024). It’s a Peter Carnavas book so I knew before I opened it that I would love it. About imaginary friends, real friends and being true to both.
  6. Hey, Kid, by Rita Golden Gelman, illustrated by Carol Nicklaus (Franklin Watts, 1977). Another from my to-read pile. This caught my eye on a library discard trolley ages ago, and has lived in my to-read pile ever since – even though it is a quick read.  It’s quirky – and, if Google is to be believed, a bit of a collectible, selling on Abe Books  for $32 US.  Maybe I should sell my copy?
  7. The King and the SeaThe King and the Sea, by Heinz Janisch & Wolf Erlbruch (Gecko Press, 2015). Another quirky offering from my to-read pile. 21 extremely short stories about a little king – some funny, some to leave you thinking. I loved it.

Books for Young Adults

  1. Happiness QuestThe Happiness Quest, by Richard Yaxley (Scholastic, 2018). Another from my to-read pile, and glad I finally got to it. As Tillie tries to understand why she is sad, her counsellor suggests she try to find out what happiness is – leading to a lot of realisations not just about herself, but also about her family and friends.

 

Books for Adults

  1. How to Not Work Forever: Start Investing and Build a Life You LoveHow to Not Work Forever: Start Investing and Build a Life You Love, by Natasha Etschmann & Ana Kresina (Wiley, 2024). Not my usual type of read, but that’s the point, I think. A really clear guide to the how and why of investment. Inspired me to make some changes to my finances.
  2. A Girls' Guide to Winning the War: The most heartwarming, uplifting novel of courage and friendship in WW2A Girls’ Guide to Winning the War, Annie Lyons (Honeysett Books, 2024). I’ve spent much of this year delving into the role of women in WW2, so I couldn’t not read this novel, set in London where librarian Peggy Sparks joins the wat workforce for the Ministry of Information. A pleasing blend of history, friendship and romance.

 

That brings my total for the year to a respectable 100 books read.  Happy with that. What have you been reading?

What I Read in September 2024

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September has come and gone, and I managed to read 9 books. I’m not reading at pace these days, but I am enjoying what I read, which is key.  Here’s what I read.

Books for Young Readers

    1. The War that Saved My LifeThe War that Saved My Life, by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley (Puffin, 2016). I listened to the audio version of this one and couldn’t stop listening when I got out of the car – which is always a sign that a book has drawn me right in. Set in WW2, the story follows Ada, a girl whose very difficult life in London is replaced by a life of hope and healing when she joins other London children sent to the country for safety.
    2. The War I Finally WonThe War I Finally Won, by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley (Text Publishing, 2017) And, since I had already fallen in love with young Ada, I had to read the sequel straight away. Really satisfying.
    3. The Sky in Silver LaceThe Sky in Silver Lace, by Robin Klein (Text Classics, 2017). This is the third book of a trilogy, the other two of which I read a year or so ago, with this one sitting in my to-read pile till now. I love robin Klein’s writing, and this is no exception – a poignant slice of life of the Melling sisters, struggling against poverty as they move to the city in the late 1940s.

 

Books for Young Adults

  1. One Night One Night, by Margaret Wild (Allen & Unwin, 2003). Being one of the first verse novels I ever read, I love to keep going back and rereading this one – the first time in a few years, and still really powerful.

 

Books for Adults

  1. The Ghosts of Roebuck Bay, by Ian W. Shaw (Pan Macmillan, 2014) . I have spent much of this year delving into WW2 history, and this was part of that exploration, telling the story of the bombing of Broome in 1942, a tragedy I knew only a little about.
  2. Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing LifeSometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life, by Terry Brooks (Ballantine Books, 2003). I picked this up second hand in London earlier this year, and finally got round to reading it.  An excellent blend of memoir and writing advice.
  3. Iris is More than Okay, by Natalie Cooper (Audible,2024). Every now and then a contemporary romance is what I need, and this one, recommended to me by Audible, fitted the bill.  I thought it was going to be predictable and, being a romance, there was some of that, but there was also a twist I didn’t see coming.
  4. How to Keep House While Drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organisingHow to Keep House While Drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organising, by KC Davis (Cornerstone Press, 2022). Not sure why it took me so long to read this – I bought it after hearing the author on a podcast – I can’t even remember which one – and falling in love with her attitude. Key takeaway, for me: having a messy house is not a moral failing.
  5. Best Wishes: The funny new book from the bestselling, much loved and eternally hopeful author of The Land Before Avocado and Flesh WoundsBest Wishes, by Richard Glover (ABC Books, 2023). I really enjoyed this one – witty in some places, serious in others, as Glover makes, and explains, a series of wishes to make the world a less annoying place – from banning pre-ripped jeans, to wanting the ‘debate’ over climate change to end.

 

That brings my total for the year to date to 90.  What have you been reading?

What I Read in August 2024

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Being Bookmonth, August is always a busy month, so I’m not surprised to report that I read only 7 books last  month. Still, they were an excellent mix of books, and seven is so much better than none.  Here’s what I got through.

Books for Children

  1. The Little Street Library, by Amy Adeney, illustrated by Erin Maclean (Affirm Press, 2024). I love little street libraries, and am delighted there is a picturebook celebrating them and the way they can build communities.
  2. Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody, by Patrick Ness  (Walker Books, 2024). I received an advance copy of this, which meant I read it ahead of its release, which is coming up in September. As quirky as one would expect from Patrick Ness, younger readers will love the animal characters.
  3. BrilliANT, by Rosi Ngwenya ,illustrated by Sandy Flett (RivetedPress,2024). Oh wow! I heard the author of this boo interviewed on Your Kids Next Read podcast and had to go out and buy the book straight away. Such a geniously simple concept – a whole story told using only 14 words, all ending in ANT – and, of course, about an ant. It makes me giggle, but also wonder at the cleverness.
  4. The Apprentice Witnesser, by Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin, 2024) . the most perfect dedication I ever read – ‘To all gentle hearts with deep hopes for a kinder world. Stay true.’ – leads into an equally perfect book, following the journey of Bastienne, apprentice Witnesser of Miracles, and her quest to find family and belonging in a post-apocalyptic world where women  are in the majority and must rebuild.
  5.  Sky Country, by Aunty Patsy Cameron & Lisa Kennedy(Magabala Books,2024). A stunning picture book set in Trouwerner (Tasmania) and showing a journey of  children with their grandmother as they visit a mountain and she shares the story of their Ancestral Beings.  The visual imagery is  beautiful, as is the accessible story showing the handing down of knowledge between generations.

Books for Young Adults

  1. Two Can Play That Game, by Leanne Yong (Allen & Unwin, 2023) . Easy to see why this was shortlisted in this year’s CBCA Book of the Year Awards – you don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy the tension between Sam Khoo, who wants nothing more than to be an Indie Game Maker, in spite of her parents’ hope she will go to university, and Jay Chua, who is standing in the way of her dreams.  The fact that their Asian families think their connection could be a courtship, there’s no way either teen is going there.  Or is there?

 

Books for Adults

  1. The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, by Mark Lawrence (Harper Collins, 2023) . I listened to the audio version of this which, at 22 hours play time, was a pretty long read. Fantasy, set in a world which has been severely impacted by war and time, and based in and around a magical, mysterious library which houses a copy of every book ever written. Two parallel narratives – of a girl who becomes a trainee librarian, and a young man who has bene trapped living in the library all of his life – make for lots of interesting twists and turns.

 

That brings my total to the year to 81. I’m thinking I  might manage to get to 100 for the year, considerable lower than last year’s total – but that was something I planned. I was keen this year to worry less about getting through a certain number and more about enjoying the reading journey – and that’s definitely happening.

 

sallymurphy.com.au