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[CCBC-Net] Magpies
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From: Linnea Hendrickson <lhendr>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:45:31 -0600
I am so sorry I was traveling the whole month of July and thus missed out on the discussion of Australian children's literature. I want to second Barbara Tobin's endorsement of Magpies. You've almost convinced me to subscribe again, Barbara. I spent 13 months (198889) in Australia, reading children's books nonstop, and then kept up for at least 6-7 years afterwards by subscribing to Magpies, before finally deciding I just couldn't continue to keep up. So many of the wonderful writers that are still writing were well-known then, including Mem Fox, Margaret Wild, Bob Graham, Jeannie Baker, John Marsden, Christobel Mattingley, and Gillian Rubinstein, as well as those who had already been writing for a long time then, such as Eleanor Spence, Patricia Wrightson, Ivan Southall -- and so many more.
In addition to Magpies there are several other journals devoted to children's literature, including the scholarly Papers, which focuses on literary criticism.
And if anyone is able to visit Australia, I recommend a visit to the Dromkeen children's literature center (there is a book on it) -- maybe this has already been mentioned?
I found the public libraries in Melbourne to be a wonderful source for children's books from the U.S., the UK, and New Zealand, as well as for Australian books. There would often be both the British edition and the American edition of award-winning books such as Katherine Paterson's. But, perhaps with the increase in Australian children's publishing, and the decline of the Australian dollar, there are no longer so many imports.
I also found the "translation" went both ways. My eight-year-old son, reading a Hardy Boys mystery shortly after we had arrived, asked me whether the Hardy Boys were American or Australian. "American," I replied. "Why?"
"Well," he said, "They eat biscuits and have tea."
He had picked up the difference in language very quickly. In fact, both of the children soon spoke "Australian" rather than "American," and sometimes we had to ask them to translate expressions we heard.
So, I am sorry to see even the short list of translated words that Cynthia Platt lists for Bob Graham's Max. I dont' think these would present obstacles for young children, but maybe they do for the adults in their lives?
UK/Australia US cot
crib budgie
parakeet lampshade ceiling lamp finger marks fingerprints
Oh, I'm getting homesick for Australia and had better stop!
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:45:31 -0600
I am so sorry I was traveling the whole month of July and thus missed out on the discussion of Australian children's literature. I want to second Barbara Tobin's endorsement of Magpies. You've almost convinced me to subscribe again, Barbara. I spent 13 months (198889) in Australia, reading children's books nonstop, and then kept up for at least 6-7 years afterwards by subscribing to Magpies, before finally deciding I just couldn't continue to keep up. So many of the wonderful writers that are still writing were well-known then, including Mem Fox, Margaret Wild, Bob Graham, Jeannie Baker, John Marsden, Christobel Mattingley, and Gillian Rubinstein, as well as those who had already been writing for a long time then, such as Eleanor Spence, Patricia Wrightson, Ivan Southall -- and so many more.
In addition to Magpies there are several other journals devoted to children's literature, including the scholarly Papers, which focuses on literary criticism.
And if anyone is able to visit Australia, I recommend a visit to the Dromkeen children's literature center (there is a book on it) -- maybe this has already been mentioned?
I found the public libraries in Melbourne to be a wonderful source for children's books from the U.S., the UK, and New Zealand, as well as for Australian books. There would often be both the British edition and the American edition of award-winning books such as Katherine Paterson's. But, perhaps with the increase in Australian children's publishing, and the decline of the Australian dollar, there are no longer so many imports.
I also found the "translation" went both ways. My eight-year-old son, reading a Hardy Boys mystery shortly after we had arrived, asked me whether the Hardy Boys were American or Australian. "American," I replied. "Why?"
"Well," he said, "They eat biscuits and have tea."
He had picked up the difference in language very quickly. In fact, both of the children soon spoke "Australian" rather than "American," and sometimes we had to ask them to translate expressions we heard.
So, I am sorry to see even the short list of translated words that Cynthia Platt lists for Bob Graham's Max. I dont' think these would present obstacles for young children, but maybe they do for the adults in their lives?
UK/Australia US cot
crib budgie
parakeet lampshade ceiling lamp finger marks fingerprints
Oh, I'm getting homesick for Australia and had better stop!
-- Linnea Linnea Hendrickson Albuquerque, NM Lhendr at unm.edu http://www.unm.edu/~lhendrReceived on Tue 30 Jul 2002 11:45:31 PM CDT
