Swords: An Artist’s Devotion By Ben Boos

Swords: An Artist’s Devotion

By Ben Boos - Illustrated Fiction: Pub. 2008

“Every nick, notch, decorative motif, and gleaming highlight is rendered in lovingly realistic detail ... Armchair warriors and budding graphic artists will be riveted.” – Kirkus Reviews Brave men and women have taken up the sword since ages of old and a fascination with this formidable weapon grips dedicated followers to this day. Here is a celebration of swords and swordsmen that spans time and place – from ancient warriors such as Beowulf, medieval knights, stealthy ninja and samurai to legendary maidens of war.

Wonderfully detailed.

Side note: this is a reprint of the original as the author passed away last year. What a great way to honour this true artist. Here is the information from his memoriam facebook page: 

Ben Boos (1971-2011)

It's with sad hearts that we announce that our beloved author/illustrator Ben Boos passed away June 22nd, 2011 in a tragic accident. He leaves behind a loving wife and 4 children. Ben Boos was the creator of Swords: An Artist's Devotion and Fantasy: An Artist's Realm as well as a designer for the Diablo video games. His artwork also appears in the upcoming Spring 2012 title What Color Is Your World? The world has lost a great talent.

The Wrong Boy By Suzy Zail

The Wrong Boy

By Suzy Zail: Pub. 2012

“Being kissed by Karl Jager was devastating. And beautiful. War makes you do dangerous things.” Hanna is a naïve 15-year-old but when she is chosen to play for the camp commander, she meets the commander’s son, Karl. Hanna hates him, but the longer Hanna goes to the house, the more she realises there are other things going on. Secret things. Karl may not be the person she thinks he is. Before she knows it she has fallen in love with the wrong boy. 

This is a lovely and well written book which delves into a unique insight into cultures that may otherwise be unwritten about so poignantly. 

For males and females 13 - 17 years old

* Australian Author

Do Not Forget Australia By Sally Murphy Illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar

Do Not Forget Australia

By Sally Murphy Illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar

Pub. 2012

A heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting tale of two towns: Melbourne, Australia and Villers- Bretonneux, France, during World War One. Henri lives in the French village of Villers- Bretonneux. Billy lives in Melbourne, Australia. These two little boys, who live thousands of miles away from each other, share one story that unites Villers-Bretonneux and Melbourne in history. A moving and inspiring story of World War One.

A lovely picture book, in which the story is preciously told for a 6+ age group. Great for one-to-ones and classroom readings.

*Australian Author/Illustrator

When Giants Come to Play - A Beaty, illu. K Hawkes

When Giants Come to Play (pub. 2006) Andrea Beaty; Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

A whimsical story of imagination and friendship, illustrated by one of the most respected illustrators of our time. In this beautifully written, lyrical text, a little girl named Anna enjoys a day with some unusual playmates, a pair of giants who visit only "when the sun shines just so and the wind blows like this and that on its way to somewhere else." The giants adapt familiar childhood games to suit their size, giving acclaimed illustrator Kevin Hawkes opportunities to play with scale, and the premise is the perfect platform for his quintessential, "larger-than-life" characters... Humorous and a little wistful, "When Giants Come to Play" is a celebration of the power of imagination and friendship that could become a classic.


I love the language and the musicality in which this book is written. With its' dream-like feel, it encourages a child-like play with imagination and lots of colourful pictures to go along with the brilliantly scripted text. The author certainly had aloud reading in mind which crafting the narrative. And the unique blend of pictures to not simply accompany, but also add layers to the text is superb. This isn't a 'borrow form the library' kind of book - well worth buying in to own.

Hansel and Gretel - M Morpurgo and E Chichester Clark

Hansel and Gretel - M Morpurgo and E Chichester Clark (pub. 2008)


A gripping retelling of a children's classic story for the new generation. No child ever forgets the story of the witch, the breadcrumb trail and the gingerbread house in the forest. Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo takes the Brothers Grimm classic to a new level, weaving from these themes a rich fairytale tapestry of hunger and hope, cruelty and courage. With breath-taking illustrations by the celebrated Emma Chichester Clark, this edition of Hansel and Gretel will grip the imagination of a whole new generation of children.

Loved it! A great read for Children 5 - 10yo. A long book, but a new take on the tale of Hansel and Gretel. Very enjyable. Loved the alliteration, and repetition, and way there was flow in the language. Illustrations very suitable and made a great blend with the text. Great to read to your child; great for your child to read it to themselves. Certainly not a classroom of group book; definitely a one-on-one or solo adventure to take.

Nick Sharrat

I am a MASSIVE Nick Sharrat fan. He is an author and illustrator, who brings a complete sense of fun to any text he touches with his colourful brush. I love the cheekiness with which he illustrates; the simplicity; and the care he takes with constructing a holistic low modality illustration. English, as most of the good 'ens are, he is prolific in what he illustrates, and is easy to spot a book he has illustrated in any book shop.
Here are some details of him taken from his website.

Personal faves at the moment: What's in the Witches Kitchen; Dear Mother Goose; Dear Fairy Godmother; Tiger Ways; Pants; Don't Put Your Finger in the Jelly - Oh who am I kidding... with over 30 of his books, I like them all!!!!

The Magic Faraway Tree - Enid Blyton

I have started to read The Faraway Tree series to my young son. So far it's been lots of fun as the children (Joe, Beth and Frannie) has explored the woods near their new house, and found it full of fun and adventure, with new worlds to explore and magical creatures with which to become friends. I love how the main protagonists are an older brother, and two younger sisters, and how Joe, the big brother, knows he's the one who needs to look out for his sisters whilst they are on these adventures. He is a good big brother - level headed, and true to his word.

It's a book that both girls and boys will like. There is no feminization in these texts. It's not about a brother and two sisters who are visiting a mystical world of rainbows, unicorns and barbies call Wanda-Tulip the third, who only do ballet, and talk about how to set people up ready to date. And it's certainly not a book that is too old for his understanding. There's an old saying that boys read boys book and girls read books... this series is the perfect combo where boys and girls have characters they can relate to and vicariously live through as the adventure unfolds.

(Some parents may not enjoy the old world-ness of letting your kids go off into the wood by themselves and play; having a story talk about young children sneaking out of the house at night by themselves, or even letting them go with a stranger - which the parents do in the book with Saucepan Man. I agree with the sentiment, but whilst reading I've encouraged my young audience to remember it's a story, and not be done in real life.)

Having never read an Enid Blyton book before, there is enjoyment in her turn of phrase, and her English quaintness. The chapters are about 4 - 7 [ages long - bites sized enough not to be laborous, but long enough to be a proper chapter book. Happily there are six books in the series - they may last us until the end of the year. (Hopefully.)