Kids on the Run

Kids on the Run by Dianne Bates (Morris Publishing) PB

Reviewed by Sarah Tegerdine

Kids on the Run is a poignant, thoughtful and heart rendering new middle grade novel from acclaimed, award-winning Australian author Dianne Bates.

The setting is contemporary Australia, and it follows 14yr old Josh, a boy who has had to live rough on the streets with his drug addicted mother. Josh has been placed in the foster care system, and has transferred to new foster carers, The Massey’s. There he meets 11yr old Brodie and 3yr old Jaylee. His first night is fraught with panic when the house goes up in flames in the middle of the night. He escapes the blaze with Brodie and Jaylee in tow. 

A fearful Josh believes that somehow, he will get the blame and decides he wants to bail from the area and fast. He reluctantly gives Brodie and Jaylee a choice, to either stay with the Massey’s or go with him. They choose Josh. The children stay together and hang tight. Evading police and enquiring strangers, portraying as siblings together. However, a string of unexpected and dangerous events that no-one could have predicted, unfold at a rapid rate endangering their best formed plans.

Kids on the Run is a gripping and raw insight into parental loss, homelessness, foster care, poverty, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged, mental health, and domestic violence. But equally, other themes like loyalty, friendship, courage, tenacity, generosity shine bright.
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Dianne Bates has masterfully written an emotive and ‘essential’ story for our times. It is important that stories like Kids on the Run are voiced and heard to encourage empathetic conversations, evoke critical thinking and tolerance within our young people today.

Recommended for a middle grade audience, however I highly recommend Kids on the Run for children and adults alike. 

Cordelia’s Song

Cordelia’s Song by David Stanley (Morris Publishing) is written in the style of Watership Down by Richard Adams and offers a poignant story of a group of magpies who are fighting for survival, and the young bird, Cordelia who becomes their saviour. Have you ever wondered what the world might look like from the perspective of other creatures? Cordelia’s Song addresses this challenge by attempting to see the world through magpie eyes.

Cordelia is a magpie, (known as ‘mytre’ in this story) who is born with two brothers to a successful magpie pair, Corzell and Corselia. They live in a beautiful and resource rich valley where their clan has lived for many generations. Corzell has a premonition that something evil is coming to the valley. A warning about two dead magpies from his friend, a friendly Kookaburra confirms his fears. The five valley clans are still caught off-guard when Krat clan, led by captain Kratt invade the valley and start to banish other magpie clans and take over the clan lands.

Corzell and others plot a defense and rebellion, but their plans are discovered by the Krat clan spies, and a battle ensures where Corzell is killed, and his partner and surviving children only just escape with their lives. After receiving a head injury, Cordelia is whisked away in the back of a ute to a property hundreds of kilometers from the valley, and with no memory of her former life, she must re-discover who she is and where she is from, before finding her way back to the valley to seek revenge on Kratt. At the remote station, where she was taken, she meets Bruce, a Chihuahua and two Pied Currawong who help her heal and adjust to life away from her family.

Cordelia also befriends and helps an injured Wedge Tailed Eagle, called Gary, who teaches her to fight in preparation for her confrontation back in her home valley. Gradually Cordelia recalls her name, the valley, her family, and her former life, but has no way of knowing how to get home, until one day she sees a way back to the valley on a TV and she recognises where she must go. Her clue is a bush fire, and she leaves the station to find the fire that leads her back to the valley and a final dramatic confrontation with the now, Lord Krat.

The second book, Cordelia’s Heart is almost ready for production and follows on from where Cordelia Song left off.

Cordelia’s Song can be purchased online by searching for the book title, or by going directly to the publisher: Morris Publishing Australia - http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com (Paperback $31.99)

Kids on the Run

Kids on the Run by Dianne Bates (Morris Publishing) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 978064575981

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Fourteen-year-old Josh has been placed in Foster Care, as his addict mother cannot look after him.  On the first night, the house catches fire, and Josh, together with Brodie and three-year-old Jaylee, escape the flames. The children are on the run, believing that if they are caught, they would be blamed for starting the blaze.

Josh has grown with no opportunities in life or schooling but is streetwise after being dragged from place to place by his mum. He is used to being alone and is resentful at having two other children in tow.

Regardless of his illiteracy, Josh is very resourceful. Lies slip easily from his tongue and his brain is always switched to survival mode.
Brodie’s father has just passed away and his grief is a palpable thing.  Jaylee has lost her mum and her only living relatives are her Aunt Ruth and her cousins who live in an unknown place.

Josh decides that they should find out where Ruth lives and take Jaylee to her.
But the best laid plans… often go awry. There are lots of obstacles to overcome, and many challenges to face. Who can they trust when there is no one to turn to? The three watch out for each other, forming an unexpected, strong bond with one another.

The talented Dianne Bates, author of over 130 books, and recipient of the Lady Cutler Award for distinguished services to children’s literature, has boldly created a gripping story. Full of tension and fast-paced action it gives a convincing view of homeless children on the run. Their fears, desperate decisions, and struggles to survive, gleaned through the dialogue and strong backstories and settings.
These are juxtaposed with the feelings of protection, loyalty, and trust that they form with each other. 

Highly recommended.

Toby the Rainforest Warrior

Toby the Rainforest Warrior by Ron Day (Morris Publishing) ISBN 9780 648878254 RRP $17.99 (PB)

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

This junior fiction early reader is about two tree kangaroos called Toby and Charlie and their efforts to save the rainforest they live in from being cut down by humans. The text includes lots of descriptions of the trees, the fruits the kangaroos eat, and the other animals and birds which live in the forest. The reader follows the adventures of Toby and Charlie as they leap from tree to tree and put a plan into action. Pictures of the animals they meet, including a cassowary, a possum, a goanna, and an eagle are included at the ends of chapters.

Telling the story in third person from the point of view of Toby, much of the text is dialogue as Toby and Charlie tell each kind of animal or bird, they come across about the dangers facing their forest. There are action scenes when the tree kangaroos fall out of the tree, and almost into a raging river. Plus, there’s a nasty python and a dingo they have to escape from. There is even a happy ending for the animals when the Minister for Environment decides to stop the logging.

The author Ron Day is a published author of a series of textbooks and has taught for more than thirty years. His passion is teaching children about the importance of saving the environment. Toby the Rainforest Warrior is for early primary school readers from 7-10-years of age. 

The Bunyip in the Billabong

The Bunyip in the Billabong written by Elaine Ouston (Morris Publishing)

PB RRP $13.99

ISBN 9780994246301

Reviewed by Liz Ledden

The first in a new chapter book series called ‘Bush Tails’, The Bunyip in the Billabong tells the story of Matthew, an eleven year old boy who is enamoured of his grandfather’s tales about the elusive bush creature, the bunyip. His grandfather describes the bunyip as a large, walrus-like animal, with long black hair and a bloodcurdling howl that lives in a cave by a waterhole.

When some lambs go missing on their remote, rural property, Matthew is convinced it must be due to the bunyip. Matthew’s father mocks his belief in this supposedly mythical creature, yet his spritely grandfather supports Matthew, suggesting they camp by the billabong to be sure.

When Matthew hears strange sounds and sees ripples on the water’s surface, he’s more and more certain it must be a bunyip. On a subsequent trip with his older brother bearing scuba diving gear, Matthew discovers the truth.

The book’s traditional rural setting and characters are reminiscent of a bygone Australian era, with echoes of bush poetry along the lines of Waltzing Matilda evident. Matthew’s endless curiosity and determination would resonate with readers, and his grandfather and brother’s support is truly endearing. This is an entertaining story with enough mystery and rising tension to keep a primary school-aged reader hooked.

Nanna’s Boot Camp

Nanna’s Boot Camp by Vicki Griffin (Morris Publishing) 

PB RRP $15.00

ISBN 9780987543462

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

When one hears boot camp these days, we automatically think of sweat, tears and lycra. But Vicki Griffin’s Nanna’s Boot Camp brings a whole new meaning to bootcamp, a softer and subtler feeling that oozes the warmth only a grandmother could.  And when it comes to grandmothers, we know that there is wisdom they carry that no-one else does, like a secret society passed on through the generations.

All this is what makes Nanna’s Boot Camp a simple and lovely tale that celebrates this very essence. And it brings a whole new meaning to the teens that visit Nanna’s boot camp one holiday. Apprehensive at first, the teens are confronted by the storm brewing in the sky and the large tent set up with boots piled up outside its doors. But the smell of damper wafting through the air and the warmth of Nanna’s voice eases them into the experience.

Nanna guides the teens through an experience they won’t get anywhere else – catching prawns in the creek at dusk, guided by the light of an old kerosene lamp, and cooking by the angry flames of an outdoor fire pit. It  is here, by the fire, that they uncover the story of the boots and the particularly large single boot they are all mystified by, as Nanna passes on the tales of all the mobs that have come before them and lost their in the muddy banks of the creek. This presents a beautiful moment, as the traditions of oral storytelling seep through the pages. The teens meet owner – Uncle Joe – who ventures off for more fishing in the creek, only to re-emerge barefoot and proud to say that his boots will rest there until the dry season comes. The teens leave Nanna’s boot camp endowed with knowledge about the creek, fishing, boots and the seasons.

Nanna’s Boot Camp is written in simple language and is a simple story to follow. There were moments in the story where I wanted to know even more about the traditions of the land, but this is a great entry-level text to expose children to the wonders of living off the land and the traditions that go with it. Nanna is a strong character and her presence is felt, driving the book with an equally strong Indigenous storytelling element that is brought to life with Vicki Griffin’s colourful and dynamic illustrations.

Stephen Anastasi Blog Tour: Win a book

Buzz Words is excited to be part of Stephen Anastasi's blog tour for not one but two books. For the list of all the other fantastic book blogs participating in the tour, see below.  

Win a copy of The Runes of Ire or The Druids. Details at the end of the post. 

The Runes of Ire:Adventure One of The Mathemagicians of Yore by Stephen Anastasi (Morris Publishing Australia)

PB RRP $17.95

ISBN 9780987244420

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Garney lives a life ‘out of order’. He’s a dreamer and friendless, and is always late. He loses the bus, his belongings and has lost his father. He is a victim and Thatch the bully loves to remind him of that. But it’s his twelfth birthday and something wonderful awaits him.

 He delights in being with his cousin and best friend Eldeth, who has also just turned twelve. Arriving at the House of Two Rooms, ‘the shared inheritance of all the Barnicoats with Pepper as their multi-grandfather’, Garney is allocated the room with the dragons on the door and the inside walls. He is also given a camouflaging Barni-coat. The symbolic meaning of this room and how it will inform his life is slowly revealed.

Eldeth lives inside a deformed body. But his body does not define who he is. He grasps what he can of life to ensure that he fills what he believes is limited time, with everything he longs to do. Garney dreams of a magic potion that will straighten Eldeth’s crooked back and legs.

Aunt May is an optimistic and positive person. Her conversations about special powers, focus and concentration, and the history of the Barnicoats excite the boys’ imagination. She frequently reminds them ‘that things are rarely as they seem’. But they cannot imagine what is in store for them. Their life is about to move into another dimension in more ways than one. In this dimension, Garney fits; he belongs.

The boys go in search of the attic to discover treasures and secrets, but find none. Garney again proves to be smart and finds a secret passageway leading to the attic with a computer. He enters into a game that only the keeper of the Wild Magic can use which magically opens to Garney. The challenge proves that he is anything but the scatterbrain others see him as. He shows focus, concentration and problem-solving skills and wins not the expected pair of virtual reality headsets but two face masks. On wearing them, Graney and Eldeth enter a world of the fourth and a half dimension where things are not always as they appear.

They embark on a wondrous adventure that demands all their combined skill, focus, concentration, inner strength and integrity. This adventure morphs into a great quest. The computer game has become their reality and this reality is surreal and dangerous. But the boys are no longer the same as when they began. Their world is now consumed by challenges, dragons, searches and family history; physical and mental tests of intelligence and courage. Their participation in the warring of good and evil in different forms reshapes the two friends. 

There are so many levels, themes and philosophical meanings to explore in this marvellously intelligent book; a book that aptly reflects the mind of its creator. It is true that it will be read twice, for only in the second reading will the scope of the author’s imagination be acknowledged.

The Druid: Adventure One of the Trilogy – The Land of the Rainbow’d Sun by Stephen Anastasi (Morris Publishing Australia)

PB RRP $15.95

ISBN 9780987244437

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Titian is an orphan and wasted from work and lack of adequate food. She is a wisp of a girl cowered by life, but mostly by Cook’s cruelty. She appears weak because she’s downtrodden, but in fact has a strong mind and spirit, and is a deep-thinking and compassionate being.

Myriam, another servant under Cook’s inhumane rule, has taught Titian about herb lore and through the long days tending sheep, she has cultivated a deep bond with the natural world around her. She has also learnt about the healing fragrant moss that was once abundant but which has disappeared from sight long ago.

Myriam is Titian’s only source of love, learning and comfort, except for the occasional kindness from Samson, a mighty warrior of the Clan. Titian alone can see the Mystal dragons which she has come to love that flow though the mist when she sits with the sheep. These long days alone are filled with carving and shaping a staff fashioned from a fallen oak branch. The carver’s talent will lead to a shift in her life.

Titian is caught with the staff by Dariad, the son of the Druid Mater who believes the girl to be the One the Druids have been seeking. The Swarthymen, the people with a sole ambition to kill and conquer, believe she is a healer and she is taken. Escaping from her captors, Titian begins an astonishing quest bound to and by the staff and the dragon carved thereon.

This quest will see Titian lead her people through fighting, death and finally freedom, and see her challenged by change, adventures of discovery, and the greatest evolution of self. 

The Druid is very much a character driven fantasy novel. It is a perfectly paced, well written novel filled with shifts and changes, sub-stories and magical adventures. This is the first book in the Trilogy, The Land of the Rainbow’d Sun. The incredible cover created by Scott Anastasi is mysteriously joined to the author’s other series currently released: The Runes of Ire: Adventure One of the Mathemagicians of Yore. The two half faces of each book, one of each main character, join together to make one face. A highly inventive and eye-catching parallel.

Blog tour dates and hosts for Stephen Anastasi:

April 22^nd: http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/news-update-blog.

April 23^rd: http://carolwarner.wordpress.com - Interview

April 24^th: http://elaineoustonauthor.com - Interview

April 25^th: http://misshelenwrites.wordpress.com Helen Ross - Interview

April 26^th: http://bluedingo.ning.com - guest post interview.

April 27^th: http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com Jill Smith Review.

April 28^th: http://www.kids-bookreview.com Reviews.

May 1^st: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com Vicki Stanton - Review Anastasia Gonis.

May 8^th: http://bugreviews.wordpress.com reviews by Angela Hall.

Date to be advised: www.sherfordbear.co.uk Deb Cullen – Review.

The Runes of Ire and The Druid are available from your local bookshop. They may not be in stock, but the store can order it through distributor Dennis Jones and Associates. It is also available in many on-line stores as a paperback and as an eBook, and from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com.

You can win a signed copy of either book in a competition the publisher Morris Publishing Australia is running as a part of this promotional tour. One of each book is up for grabs. To go in the draw, simply go to the website by the link above and on the contact page form write: Stephen’s competition, your name, email address, and your book preference.

Gunnedah Hero

Gunnedah Hero by Clancy Tucker (morrispublishingaustralia.com)

PB $30.00 (plus postage and handling approx $5)

ISBN 78-0-646-55733-5

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Gunnedah Hero is a book that will be remembered long after its reading. It’s an Australian historical, fictional adventure presented in two parallel stories set in the past and present. It showcases the effects of drought on the lives of the farming communities and the landscape, as it profiles the drastic measures taken by desperate farmers to save their stock and land.

Fourteen-year-old Gunnie Danson is faced with a real challenge when he has a school assignment on the drought. He knows nothing about the subject. But a weekend at the cattle farm Wiralee Station that has been in the family since 1848, and a manuscript in a box left to him by Smokey, his great, great grandfather, will change his life forever.

As Gunnie begins to read the manuscript, little by little he uncovers Smokey’s life, including the greatest challenge he faced when he drove their remaining one hundred cattle during the harshest drought up the long paddock in1910, to save Wiralee Station.

The central story is told in lyrical prose in Smokey’s words. The language reflects the poetic style of the era used in poems and story-telling. This coming-of age-story about a boy with courage, resourcefulness and resilience plays out amidst other sub-stories of Australian pioneers seeped in their own grief, loss and a struggle for survival.

But it is not a dark tale. The story is filled with light and hope; with impressive characters that coloured the early landscape with their escapades and adventures. Some carried terrific stories along with news to the lonely drovers they encountered. Others brought danger and were a threat to the solitary traveller. A recurring point that flows through the book, is the relationship between the drovers/farmers and their animals – mainly dogs and horses, and the crucial, often life-saving role they played.

The poetry that the author has included gives another dimension to the prose with its relevance and humour. These poems are again singular sub-stories which portray other lives; where life becomes the focus, no matter whose life is portrayed.

This is a perfectly crafted, exceptionally well-written book which has been self-published. It comes highly recommended by the reviewer.

Writing Historical Fiction: Gunnedah Hero

Historical fiction is a personal favourite of mine and today Buzz Words Books has the privilege of participating in the Gunnedah Hero blog tour. Author Clancy Tucker gives us an insight into why and how he writes historical fiction:

G’day. Sadly, very little Aussie history is taught in our schools today, yet I can still rattle off dates and facts that I learnt in primary school. Before I wrote my Aussie historic adventure, Gunnedah Hero, I contacted a very senior person in the curriculum branch of the Victorian Education Department, wanting to know what Aussie history was taught in our schools. The answer I received was stunning, ‘Not much at all. Kids find it boring.’ That comment inspired me to write a story that contained hidden historical facts within a great yarn.


I believe we need to pay more attention to our extraordinary past. We have such a rich tapestry of events – discovery, early settlers, the Rum Rebellion, the Eureka Stockade, the Wave Hill Walk Off etc. We are only where we are because of those who have gone before us, and my book, Gunnedah Hero, pays homage to their efforts. I write historic Australian fiction because I have a fascination with, and appreciation of, Australian history. Hopefully, this book will inspire teens to read more about our past, and maybe realise how well off we are today.


This book contains two stories in one – 1910 (Smokey) and 2010 (Gunnie). Readers will find wonderful connections between the main protagonist, Gunnie, and his great-great-grandfather, Smokey ‘Gun’ Danson. Although they are 100 years apart in the story, they are both fourteen-years-of-age. Gunnie’s full name is Gunnedah Swenson Danson; named after Smokey who became known as the ‘Gunnedah Hero’ in 1911. Also, Gunnie’s middle name is the maiden name of his great-great-grandmother, Molly Jane Swenson. Gunnie wears both names with greater pride after he finishes reading an extraordinary manuscript left by Smokey in the attic at Wiralee Station – the story of his epic journey up the long paddock in 1910.


Throughout the story, there are wonderful moments where Gunnie admires the spirit of Smokey and appreciates how tough it was for our pioneers. Being the same age as Smokey was in 1910, Gunnie appreciates the resilience, dedication and integrity of his great-great-grandfather – alone with cattle in a drought, coping with all sorts of disasters along the way without modern technology or luxuries. Reading Smokey’s story at Wiralee Station makes Gunnie realise how much hard work has gone into making Wiralee the most drought-free station in Australia.

Gunnedah Hero is suitable for anyone from 8 to 80 years-of-age. Already, senior citizens have acclaimed it as having a realistic, honest, and detailed account of the life and times around 1910. The sequel, ‘A Drover’s Blanket’ is finished and I am currently working on book three, ‘Magic Billie’. Gunnedah Hero is Smokey’s story.  A Drover’s Blanket is Molly’s sad story. Magic Billie will be about Smokey’s closest mate, a wonderful Aboriginal drover he met on the ‘long paddock’ during one of Australia’s worst droughts in which Australia lost 19,000,000 sheep and 2,000,000 cattle.


Writing, or bossing words around, is an absolute pleasure for me. I climb into my character’s heads and provide the reader with a realistic view of each character. How? I choose real people I know to be my characters. That way, I know exactly how they will react to certain situations and can easily describe their anger, reactions, speech, laughter, humour or fears; even the scar on their face, a crooked tooth or a slight limp.


Reading books provides something unique that movies, DVDs and mobile phones do not – the use of your imagination. It is my job as an author to incite that imagination, keep my readers enthralled, conjure up a situation or a scene, and leave my readers wondering what will happen next.


At the bottom of my letterhead is a comment I truly believe, ‘Books are cool. They take you away to awesome places.’


Clancy Tucker

Gunnedah Hero is available as a paperback from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and http://clancytucker.com.au

EBook available from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114638

and Google ebooks: http://books.google.com.au/ebooks?id=30aI67LULpQC&dq=Gunnedah%20Hero&as_brr=5&source=webstore_bookcard.

GIVE-AWAY: As a part of this blog tour, Morris Publishing Australia and Clancy Tucker are giving three eBooks to readers of the blogs. Go to http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and use the form on the Contact Page. Fill in your first name, email address, and put Blog Competition and your preferred eBook format in the message. (Choose from ePub, PDF, Kindle) The winners will be drawn on January 31st, 2012. All winners will be notified by email and their eBook will be attached.

Paperback Price Slashed: From 14th to 31st January, the price of the Gunnedah Hero paperback will be slashed to $25. Go to the website http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and choose the Buy Now button under Discount copy text. The usual postage charge will apply. 

Clancy Tucker - Gunnedah Hero - Blog Tour and Give Away

Historical fiction is a great love of mine so Buzz Words Books is thrilled to be participating in the blog tour of a new historical fiction book for young adults set in 1910. 

Gunnedah Hero by Clancy Tucker is published by the new, independent and Australian publisher Morris Publishing Australia.  

The tour dates are:

January 14th http://www.kids-bookreview.com - Author Interview

January 15th http://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com - Book Review

January 16th: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com - Article - Writing Historical Fiction

January 17th: http://carolwarner.wordpress.com/ - Author Interview

January 18th: http://elaineoustonauthor.com/ - Review

January 19th: www.buzzwordsmagazine.blogspot.com - Review

January 20th: http://sherylgwyther.wordpress.com - Author Interview

January 22nd: https://www.facebook.com/aussiebookreviews - Review

January 23rd: http://www.morrispublishingaustralia.com/news-update-blog.html

January 24th: www.sherfordbear.co.uk - Review

January 25th: http://misshelenwrites.wordpress.com - Author Interview

January 25th: http://content.boomerangbooks.com.au/kids-book-capers-blog/ - Author interview

January 26th: Grand finale - http://www.blogbud.com/clancytucker - What's next for Clancy

Gunnedah Hero is available as a paperback from http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and http://clancytucker.com.au

eBook available from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114638

and Google eBooks: http://books.google.com.au/ebooks?id=30aI67LULpQC&dq=Gunnedah%20Hero&as_brr=5&source=webstore_bookcard.

GIVE-AWAY: As a part of this blog tour, Morris Publishing Australia and Clancy Tucker are giving three eBooks to readers of the blogs. Go to http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and use the form on the Contact Page. Fill in your first name, email address, and put Blog Competition and your preferred eBook format in the message. (Choose from ePub, PDF, Kindle) The winners will be drawn on January 31st, 2012. All winners will be notified by email and their eBook will be attached.

Paperback Price Slashed: From 14th to 31st January, the price of the Gunnedah Hero paperback will be slashed to $25. Go to the website http://morrispublishingaustralia.com and choose the Buy Now button under Discount copy text. The usual postage charge will apply.