A Promised Land – Alan Collins (UQP)The Boys from Bondi, Going Home and Joshua are nowavailable in a single volume.We follow Jewish-AustralianJacob Kaiser and his family as they move fromDepression-era Australia to Israel.We also witnessJacob’s growing understanding of the Holocaust and hisfamily’s history, his involvement in the conflicts aroundthe Vietnam War, a love affair, and his struggle to makesense of the ongoing enmity between Jews and Arabs.

AK – Peter Dickinson (Pan Macmillan)Paul Kagomi is a boy soldier trained for war in the Africanbush, and his most precious possession is an AK rifle. Hecan’t remember his parents; he thinks of other youngsoldiers as his family.When peace comes, Paul buries hisgun and goes to school, but soon soldiers burn the schooland kill children – and Paul must find his gun again.A welcome reissue of this terrifyingly realistic book.

Parvana – Deborah Ellis (Allen & Unwin)Imagine living in a society where females are not allowed towork or leave the house without a man, where male doctorsare forbidden to attend women, and female doctors can’tpractice.This is Parvana’s life in Afghanistan under the Taliban.When her father is dragged off to prison, Parvana dresses asa boy so she can go out and make a living. A powerful, timelybook from a talented Candian writer.

TRYING ON THE WORLDYou might have enjoyed the book and movie Looking for Alibrandi, with its

brilliant glimpses into how it feels to be caught between two cultures.The following books explore the lives and experiences of young people

from many cultures and countries.Try them on for size!

Zlata’s Diary – Zlata Filipovic (Penguin)In April 1992, Zlata’s comfortable life was turned upside-down when the war over the break-up of Yugoslaviaspread to Sarajevo. During that time she kept a clear,moving diary that was later published and translatedinto many languages. It also contributed enormously toan understanding of the effects of war on the lives ofordinary people, especially children.

Refuge – Libby Gleeson (Penguin)With hundreds of East Timorese desperately seekingasylum in Australia, university student Anna and heryounger brother Andrew decide to hide Rose in theirrambling house. Deep tensions and conflicts eruptamong family members.Why can’t Anna’s mother, who ata similar age protested against the Vietnam War, be moresympathetic? One of the few Australian books for youngreaders to explore contemporary political issues.

Red Scarf Girl – Ji-li Jiang (HarperCollins)In 1966, when Mao Ze-dong launches the CulturalRevolution, Ji-li Jiang is an outstanding and respected 12-year-old student with a bright future in China’sCommunist Party. Suddenly, due to her father’sbackground, she and her family are rejected andhumiliated for representing the ‘Four Olds’: old ideas,old culture, old customs, and old habits. Ji-li has to digdeep to find the courage to survive.

Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life – Maureen McCarthy (Penguin)Made into an equally popular four-part mini series,McCarthy’s sprawling novel tracks the adventures ofthree first-year uni students from very differentbackgrounds who share a house. Jude is also trying topiece together her father’s past during the terrifyingyears of political struggle in Chile. Could his torturer berunning a Melbourne restaurant?

Chinese Cinderella – Adeline Yen Mah (Penguin)The bestselling story of the childhood of an unwanteddaughter. Despite the tragedy of having to fight foracceptance in her own family, this is an uplifting book.The love of her Aunt Baba and Adeline’s own efforts andsuccess in getting the education she craved lead to herultimate triumph.

Angela – James Moloney (UQP)Dougy and Gracey were the first titles in this powerfultrilogy. Angela and Gracey assume they will continue asbest friends now they have made it to the sameuniversity. Gracey, however, becomes involved in blackpolitics and they drift apart. Then Angela discovers ahidden heritage.Will this strengthen or destroy thefriendship?

A Step from Heaven – An Na (Allen & Unwin)When Young Ju’s family leave Korea for the US theyexpect a wonderful new life. However, as they strugglewith a new language, strange food, foreign customs, longwork hours and isolation, the dream turns sour. Fathertakes to drink, younger brother takes to the streets andfamily life falls apart.A dazzlingly written, heartbreakingstory of a girl who defies tradition to reclaim her life.

The Other Side of Truth – Beverley Naidoo (Penguin)Life is shattered one morning for Sade and her littlebrother, Femi, when their mother is gunned down andthe children are smuggled out of Nigeria to London fortheir protection.Were the shots meant for theiroutspoken journalist father? Will they ever be reunitedwith him? Winner of the 2000 Carnegie Medal, the novelis another important contribution to the worldwidedebate about refugees and asylum seekers, and thehuman costs and experiences involved.

Rabbit-Proof Fence – Doris Pilkington/Nugi Garimara (UQP)Doris Pilkington/Nugi Garimara tells the story of hermother Molly, who, along with her younger sister andcousin, was taken from her Aboriginal family in WesternAustralia in the 1930s. Fourteen-year-old Molly leads theyounger girls on an extraordinary 1600-kilometre walkhome. Despite being tracked by native police and searchplanes, the girls survive by using their bush knowledgeand following the rabbit-proof fence from south tonorth. Now a major feature film.

Falling – Anne Provoost, trans. John Nieuwenhuizen(Allen & Unwin)It’s a hot summer. Lucas, bored and confused about life,becomes easy prey for those trying to stir up racistviolence and offering simplistic answers to complexquestions about refugees and unemployment.The bookstarts with a horrific accident that requires Lucas tomake a terrible decision and forces him to confrontboth the past and the present.

Maybe Tomorrow – Boori Pryor andMeme McDonald (Penguin)Boori Pryor is widely known, loved and respected as astoryteller and performer. In Maybe Tomorrow, written inassociation with writer and photographer MemeMcDonald, he shares his story, pain and hopes. GatjilDjerrkura, Chairman of ATSIC said: ‘This book... is areflection of the barriers that Boori Pryor has overcometo deliver his message of reconciliation, respect andtolerance.’

The Baboon King – Anton Quintana, trans. JohnNieuwenhuizen (Allen & Unwin)Morengaru is a champion hunter who has killed lionsand leopards. Despite his skills, his situation is dangerousbecause he is half-Kikuyu and half-Masai.When he makesa terrible mistake he is ruthlessly cast out of the village.Should he stay with the baboons that adopt him in thewilderness? Full of bush lore and challenges, The BaboonKing offers an unusual look at what it means to behuman.

Willow Tree and Olive – Irini Savvides (Hodder Headline)Olive is in her final year of school. She enjoys Greekweddings, christenings, music, energy, friendship andfamily. But she still feels like a pressure cooker about toblow. Memories of painful, frightening events begin tosurface.As part of her journey to recovery, Olive goeson a trip to Greece and the landscape becomes a vividcharacter in the novel. Beautifully told in several voicesand through Olive’s own prose and poems.

No-name Bird – Josef Vondra (Penguin)Set in East Timor in 1975, the year of the Indonesianinvasion. Jose is fourteen and close to his uncle Adolpho,who buys a small fighting bird for the local cockfights.The bird shows courage as a fighter despite its size andbecomes Jose’s symbol of hope and courage.

Refugee Boy – Benjamin Zephaniah (Bloomsbury)Alem’s father is Ethiopian and his mother is Eritrean, sowhen the two countries go to war life becomesdangerous. His father takes Alem to London and leaveshim. Detailed accounts of procedures, barriers, courtappearances and foster care follow as Alem’s situationbecomes worse.Then we see what some youth andpeople-power can achieve.The plight of refugees hasinspired some powerful books in the United Kingdom.Where are the Australian equivalents?

Compiled by the Australian Centre forYouth Literature, State Library of Victoria

• Read widely.The best authors and books can make you

understand how others live, think and feel.

• If you don’t know what to read next, ask your librarian for

‘another book like...’ or ‘another book by...’ or ‘a book about...’

• If you can’t find the book you want in your library, ask your

librarian to reserve or order it.

• Recommend books you’ve enjoyed to your friends. Matching

books and readers can make reading more enjoyable.

• Talk about the books you’ve loved or hated with family or friends.

• Remember, books make great presents.You can buy book vouchers

at most bookshops if you’re not sure what book to choose.

• Offer to help your librarian choose books and magazines for the

library, or to do displays of new books – on authors, themes

(such as sport, war or SF) or interesting subjects (such as

refugees or new technologies).

• Offer to write short book reviews for your library and help to

display them.

• Join a book club or discussion group at your library, or set one

up and help to run it.

• Organise regular reading nights with family or friends where you

share a meal and talk about books.

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