The 12th Dog

The 12^th Dog by Charlotte Calder, illustrated by Tom Jellett (Hachette Australia) HB RRP $24.99  ISBN 9780734416919

Reviewed by Brook Tayla

The delightful memories that this book brought up make me smile.

The 12th Dog is the classic Aussie kids’ street or backyard cricket match story – simple but fun.  Charlotte’s words take us on a sweet journey of the annoying ball thief who is finally recognised for his great cricket playing skills. Tom Jellett’s illustrations are adorable – especially the expressive, realistic faces the dog pulls throughout the book.

When I was growing up there were many games of cricket played in the street and dogs made really good fielders – but occasionally one would take off with the ball and there would be a stream of kids chasing the dog down the road to get the ball back.  From memory the dogs always outsmarted and outran all of us, which ended the game unless another ball could be found!  

At one stage we had a ball crazy dog named Snoopy that the neighbours used to borrow for their backyard cricket games.  They put him to the test one day in a match that lasted five hours – he didn’t let them down!

This is a really great book that both children and adults will enjoy and hopefully it will get lots of you playing cricket with your dog – they make the best players…..and the best memories!

Brook Tayla writes a blog called telltalestome@wordpress.com and would love you to drop by, read some reviews, leave a comment and follow by email so you get to receive all the latest reviews.

The Ghost at the Point

The Ghost at the Point by Charlotte Calder (Walker Books)
PB RRP $ 16.95
ISBN 9781921977732
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

It is the time of the Great Depression. Twelve year old Dorrie lives with her grandfather, Gah, who has left his solicitor’s practice and now fishes and supplies the inhabitants surrounding Ned’s Point with a food source. Gah’s sister, Dorrie’s late great aunt Gertrude, had related tales of a ghost roaming the cliffs above the point.

But someone or something is there on the point. When Gah falls off the ladder while clearing the spouting and is taken to hospital, Dorrie refuses to go to horrible Aunt Janet’s place in town. She remains determined to stay alone at home by any means possible. Aunt Janet owns dogs and would never allow Dorrie to bring her cat Poppy with her. Furthermore, her Aunt sees Dorrie not as the free spirit she is, but as bad mannered and uncultured wild thing.

Dorrie hides and evades, runs away and lies to stay at home. Her lone survival is aided by Jacky, an adult with a child’s mind, the result of a blow to the head at a young age. Jacky and his father are loners, but it was to them that Dorrie turned for help when Gah was injured.

Aunt Janet is not the only threat to the Dorrie’s independent life. Two strangers have appeared claiming a friendship to the late Gertrude. They have a treasure map, spades and sinister intentions, and are determined to dig up Dorrie’s house in their quest for world travel. Fighting off these threats is a challenge to Dorrie’s courageous and independent spirit.

A great adventure unfolds and the mystery of the ghost at the point is unravelled. Jacky also sees the shadowy figure and shares in the discovery which is accompanied by amazing revelations.

All the characters play a significant role within the book. They serve as a conduit to the lifestyle, lack, and strength needed to survive during those hard years of the Depression. The surroundings: waters, cliffs and Stringybarks, clearly bring to view the Australian landscape and the harsh but challenging environment.