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For a more detailed discussion of the word see our Word of the Month article from December Nothing stands between you and a continent made entirely of icebergs except the Southern Ocean. That, and a thin pair of Speedos so figure-hugging you can see every goosebump - flimsy togs that are known not-all-that-affectionately by us Brown boys as budgie smugglers! A kind of fine powdery dirt or dust, often found in inland Australia.
Roads or tracks covered with bulldust may be a hazard for livestock and vehicles, which can become bogged in it. It is probably called bulldust because it resembles the soil trampled by cattle in stockyards. The word can also be used as a polite way of saying bullshit. Both senses of the word are first recorded in the s. Motoring across Lake Eyre This 'bull' dust might be about two feet deep, and cakes on the surface, so that it is hard to penetrate.
Cleary Climate of Courage: When a stretch of loose bulldust appeared too daunting, Joe would gun the engine down and go at a speed that didn't give us time to bog down. He knew that the horse, trainer and rider were O. I told him that nothing would get within a 'bull's roar' of Agricolo to interfere with him, and such was the case. Again, through no fault of the sometimes-too-helpful McGuire, no recent contestant has come within a bull's roar of winning a serious amount of cash.
The term is often found in this phrasal form where it now has several meanings: These figurative senses of bung emerged in the late 19th century. He was importuned to desist, as his musical talent had 'gone bung' probably from over-indulgence in confectionery.
Sydney boy Scott Reed was the name on every recruiter's list, but he has been taken to hospital with a bung ankle. An amphibious monster supposed to inhabit inland waterways. Descriptions of it vary greatly. Some give it a frightful human head and an animal body. Many descriptions emphasise its threat to humans and its loud booming at night.
It inhabits inland rivers, swamps, and billabongs. The word comes from the Aboriginal Wathaurong language of Victoria. Bunyip is first recorded in the s. For a more detailed discussion of this word see the article 'There's a Bunyip Close behind us and he's Treading on my Tail' in our Ozwords newsletter.
On the bone being shown to an intelligent black, he at once recognised it as belonging to the 'Bunyip', which he declared he had seen. Everyone knows bunyips live in the Wingecarribee Swamp, problem is, there are quite a few different theories about this elusive animal and it all seems to turn on how much grog visitors to the swamp have had before they hear the distinctive roar. Venture an attempt; give something a try. This is an Australian alteration of the standard English phrase give it a whirl.
Give it a burl is first recorded in the early years of the 20th century. Should be some fish out there I say. We'll give it a burl, eh? I've never been on a boat cruise. We wanted to give it a burl and see how it went. We'd do it again. What do you think this is, bush week? These senses of bush week go back to the early 20th century.
The phrase originally implied the notion that people from the country are easily fooled by the more sophisticated city slickers. The speaker resents being mistaken for a country bumpkin. I get smart alecks like you trying to put one over on me every minute of the day. What do you think this is? They had already been warned about the breastfeeding business Beat it, you two!
The act or process of criticising the Australian Government and its bureaucracy. Canberra , the capital of Australia, has been used allusively to refer to the Australian Government and its bureaucracy since the s. The term Canberra bashing emerged in the s, and is also applied in criticisms of the city itself. For a more detailed discussion of the term see our Word of the Month article from February Even Federal Liberal MPs from Tasmania feel that their electoral standing is increased by regular outbursts of 'Canberra bashing'.
While Canberra bashing has always been a national sport, it is fair to say it has rarely, if ever, been played so artfully and with such dedication as in the past two to three years. Politicians on both sides have shown a willingness to put the boot into a national capital. In a political context a decision made by a party leader etc. This term also takes the form captain's call. Captain's pick is derived from sporting contexts in which a team captain has the discretion to choose members of the team.
The political sense emerged in Australian English in For a more detailed discussion of this term see our Word of the Month article from January Ms Peris, who as of yesterday was yet to join the Labor party, is set to become the first indigenous ALP representative in federal parliament with an assured top place on the NT Senate ticket in what Ms Gillard described as a 'captain's pick'. What Abbott's stubbornness missed, however, was that it was the public and his own MPs more than the media or Labor who were disgusted by his intransigence in refusing to remove his captain's pick Speaker.
To die; to break down; to fail. Also spelt kark , and often taking the form cark it. The word is probably a figurative use of an earlier Australian sense of cark meaning 'the caw of a crow', which is imitative. Nelson Petrol, Bait, Ammo and Ice: The offside rule has carked it, and good on the refs. The resulting play is five stories from the morgue, monologues by people who have recently carked it and have 'woken up' in the morgue.
A derogatory term for a person who espouses left-wing views but enjoys an affluent lifestyle. It is modelled on the originally British term, champagne socialist , which has a similar meaning. The term chardonnay socialist appeared in the s, not long after the grape variety Chardonnay became very popular with Australian wine drinkers. I'm going to keep charting their perturbations.. Maybe if these rorts are dispensed with, instead of getting failed businessmen, unionists who couldn't get work elsewhere and lawyers who are nothing more than chardonnay socialists and see life as an MP a cosy way to feather their nests, we'll see people in Parliament who have a genuine wish to do something for this country.
A checkout operator at a supermarket. This term usually refers to female checkout operators hence chick , an informal word for a young woman , but with changes in the gender makeup of the supermarket workforce the term is occasionlly applied to males. Checkout chick is first recorded in the s.
For a more detailed discussion of the term see our Word of the Month article from May The checkout chick is too busy taking money to tell you how to operate your cut-price, multi-purpose, plastic encased kitchen magician. This gormless dude started arguing with the checkout chick and held up a line of about 30 people. A domestic fowl; a chicken.
Chook is the common term for the live bird, although chook raffles , held in Australian clubs and pubs, have ready-to-cook chooks as prizes. The term has also been transferred to refer to other birds, and often in the form old chook it can refer to a woman. See our Word of the Month articles 'chook run' and 'chook lit' for further uses of chook. A man was found in the cow-shed of Government House Was he looking after the housemaid or the little chookies? We have chooks at our farm in Bena, an hour and a half out of town.
This expression recalls an earlier time when many Australians kept chooks domestic chickens in the backyard and the dunny was a separate outhouse. Maybe when Mr Keating has finished educating the judiciary, he might have a go at the politicians and bureaucrats, starting with arithmetic. Although I must say this is a very cunning, contrived piece of legislation, if that is what they set out to do. May their chooks turn into emus and kick their dunnies down. Chunder possibly comes from a once-popular cartoon character, 'Chunder Loo of Akim Foo', drawn by Norman Lindsay for a series of boot polish advertisements in the early s.
It is possible that 'Chunder Loo' became rhyming slang for spew. Chunder , however, is the only form to be recorded. The earliest evidence is associated with Australian troops in action to the north of Australia during the Second World War. Shute A Town like Alice: The way these bloody Nips go on. Back at least 20 years - to a land where women glow and men chunder. Something that is largely illusory or exists in name only; a poor substitute or imitation.
For a more detailed discussion of the word see our blog 'The evolution of a word - the case of Clayton's'. So who's the press secretary working out of the NSW Parliament whose press-gallery nickname is Clayton.. Pung Growing up Asian in Australia: My bikini top is crammed so full of rubbery 'chicken fillets' I'd probably bounce if you threw me. These Clayton's breasts jiggle realistically when I jump up and down on the spot.
In the pastoral industry an animal that has not been branded with a mark identifying the owner can easily be stolen or lost. The word is first recorded in the s. There are several transferred and figurative senses of cleanskin that evolved from the orgininal sense. In the first decade of the 20th century cleanskin began to be used to describe 'an Aboriginal person who has not passed through an initiation rite'. From the s cleanskin was also used of 'a bottle of wine without a label that identifies the maker, sold at a price cheaper than comparable labelled bottles; the wine in such a bottle'.
These are branded by the owners of such herds, who know all the while that they do not belong to them, on the assumption that they have the best right to these 'clean skins', and that, after all, they are more likely to be their property than that of anyone else. Keenan The Horses too are Gone: In the rangelands an unbranded calf becomes a cleanskin and cleanskins belong to the first person capable of planting a brand on the rump.
A friend, a companion. It is likely that these terms, as well as cobber , found their way into London slang especially from the Jewish population living in the East End , and from there, via British migrants, into Australian English. Cobber , now somewhat dated, is rarely used by young Australians. Our service was restored at about A small-scale farmer; in later use often applied to a substantial landowner or to the rural interest generally.
Cocky arose in the s and is an abbreviation of cockatoo farmer. This was then a disparaging term for small-scale farmers, probably because of their habit of using a small area of land for a short time and then moving on, in the perceived manner of cockatoos feeding. Removing the stereotypical image of farmers being whinging cockies is also important.
A person sentenced in the British Isles to a term of penal servitude in an Australian Colony. The foundations of European settlement in Australia are based on the transportation of tens of thousands of prisoners from the British Isles. While in America convict is still used to refer to a prisoner, in Australia it is now largely historical. For a further discussion of this word see our blog 'A long lost convict: The convicts on both sides are distributed in huts. Angas Description of the Barossa Range: No convicts are transported to this place, for South Australia is not a penal colony.
Originally a call used by an Aboriginal person to communicate with someone at a distance; later adopted by settlers and now widely used as a signal, especially in the bush; a name given to the call. The iconic call of the Australian bush comes from the Aboriginal Sydney language word gawi or guwi meaning 'come here'. Cooee is recorded from the early years of European settlement in Sydney. It is often found in the phrase within cooee meaning 'within earshot; within reach, near'.
In calling to each other at a distance, the natives make use of the word Coo-ee , as we do the word Hollo , prolonging the sound of the coo , and closing that of the ee with a shrill jerk. If I ever see you within coo-ee of my boat again, I'll drown you. These Games are no longer some village competition with a hometown audience that you can please with a cooee and a wobbleboard. The word is a borrowing from Yuwaaliyaay and neighbouring languages , an Aboriginal language of northern New South Wales.
In the earlier period it was was spelt in various ways, including coolabah , coolobar , and coolybah. It is term for any of several eucalypts, especially the blue-leaved Eucalyptus microtheca found across central and northern Australia, a fibrous-barked tree yielding a durable timber and occurring in seasonally flooded areas. Coolibah is first recorded in the s. The country consists of open plains, with myall and coolabah. With its dead coolibah trees, sun-bleached cattle bones and screeching galahs, Howard Blackburn's back paddock could be anywhere in Australia's drought-ravaged grazing lands.
Bad, unpleasant or unsatisfactory: Things were crook on the land in the seventies. Crook means bad in a general sense, and also in more specific senses too: All senses are recorded from the s. Clune Roaming Round the Darling: My cobber, here, used to sing in opera. He's a pretty crook singer, but he'll sing for you. I was feeling crook at the Ipswich races and over the weekend. Used to indicate the need for a rest in order to settle down, solve a problem, etc. The phrase now often with some variations was originally the title of a a revue at the Phillip Street Theatre in Sydney Catholic Church officials once thought child-sex abuse victims just needed a 'cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down' to get over crimes committed against them by paedophile clergy.
These terms are now obsolete. These were called currency. Let the currency lads and lasses turn Arcadian shepherds and shepherdesses if they choose. The answer of the simple Currency Lass will suit our purpose, who, when asked if she would like to visit England, said, no! An unfashionable person; a person lacking style or character; a socially awkward adolescent, a 'nerd'. These senses of dag derive from an earlier Australian sense of dag meaning 'a "character", someone eccentric but entertainingly so'.
Ultimately all these senses of dag are probably derived from the British dialect especially in children's speech sense of dag meaning a 'feat of skill', 'a daring feat among boys', and the phrase to have a dag at meaning 'to have a shot at'. Dag referring to an unfashionable person etc. Has it helped them feel more relaxed with the boys in their PD group. Christian, while your budget may appear to be reasonable.. Never ever wear a striped suit, a striped shirt and a striped tie together - just dreadful You look like a real dag. Hurry up, get a move on.
When a daggy sheep runs, the dried dags knock together to make a rattling sound. The word dag originally daglock was a British dialect word that was borrowed into mainstream Australian English in the s. C'mon Mum, rattle yer dags - the old girls are hungry! Rattle yer dags, woolclassers, time's running out to re-register yourselves with the Australian Wool Exchange. To pull down or remove the trousers from a person as a joke or punishment. Dak derives from another Australian term daks meaning 'a pair of trousers'. The term is first recorded from the early s but is probably much older than that.
For a more detailed discussion of dak see our Word of the Month article from July We played footy together, but his recognition was going on to play for Footscray; I was the little fella so mine was getting dakked every pie night. His family didn't know about it until he was dacked during a game this year. A simple kind of bread, traditionally unleavened and baked in the ashes of an outdoor fire. Because it was the most common form of bread for bush workers in the nineteenth century, to earn your damper means to be worth your pay.
There is at this moment many a poor settler up the country, buried in the bush.. We made damper out of flour and water, squeezed it around green sticks to cook over the coals. A commemorative ceremony held at dawn on Anzac Day. Anzac Day, April 25, is a national public holiday in Australia commemorating all those who have served and died in war. While commemorative services have been held on April 25 since , the term dawn service is not recorded until the s. Ahead of us, already drunk in preparation for an Anzac Sunday, three old mates, Les, Norm and Billy, a rolled flag between them, zigzag toward the Dawn Service.
Cruise Express's Legends of the Mediterranean package will cruise the waters off the Turkish coast at dawn on April 25 and the official dawn service ashore will be broadcast on the ship. The didgeridoo is a wind instrument that was originally found only in Arnhem Land in northern Australia. It is a long, wooden, tubular instrument that produces a low-pitched, resonant sound with complex, rhythmic patterns but little tonal variation. In popular understanding many Australians probably believe that this is an Aboriginal word.
Subsequent research has cast doubt on this etymology, and in the following statement was made in Australian Aboriginal Words in English: The name probably evolved from white people's ad hoc imitation of the sound of the instrument'. This argument is supported by two of the earliest pieces of evidence for the term:. It produces but one sound - 'didjerry, didjerry, didjerry -' and so on ad infinitum. First recorded in this sense Australian Soldiers' Magazine February: About the origin of this word 'Digger' It came to France when the sandgropers gave up digging on the goldfields of W.
They include a major who planned an 'unprecedented operation' to capture a rogue Afghan sergeant who murdered three Australian diggers. Reliable; genuine; honest; true. This word is a shortening of fair dinkum which comes from British dialect. The adjective is first recorded in Australia from the s.
For a more detailed discussion of dinkum see the article 'The Story of Dinkum' on our blog. I'll tell you, sir, what happened, and I tell the dinkum truth. The electorate is better educated than ever before, people are more financially successful and they see through the paradox that governments promise more and more but can achieve less. The starting point is to make the debate more dinkum. The phrase was first recorded in This may give a clue to the source of the phrase.
If you are done like a dinner , you are completely and efficiently demolished. Bride Letters from Victorian Pioneers: The horse swam for a quarter of a mile down the river with the cart after him.. Keep going the way they are and they will be done like a dinner for many elections to come. To inform upon someone ; to incriminate someone. The word is probably related to British dialect dob meaning 'to put down an article heavily or clumsily; to throw down', and 'to throw stones etc. Dob is first recorded in the s. For a more detailed discussion of this term see the article 'The Story of Dob' on our blog.
He came to me and dobbed in one of the carpenters for talking. He used to sell single cigarettes to kids, and although it was common knowledge, he had never been busted and no one ever dobbed on him. This example illustrates the way the origins of words and phrases can be lost with changes in technology. The expression has several variants including fed up to dolly's wax , and its meaning does not always denote being 'full' with food.
First recorded in the early 20th century.
There are books on this and books on that about past, present, and future international relations all deadly dull And I am fed up to dolly's wax with them. Tiffany Mateship with Birds: In a preferential system of voting a vote recorded by allocating preferences according to the order in which candidates' names appear on the ballot paper; such votes viewed collectively. First recorded in the early midth century. In previous Senate elections about 2 per cent.
In South Australia this vote - the 'donkey vote' - will go to the Anti-Communists. Although happy to top the ballot in Warringah, Greens candidate Keelah Lam said the only donkey votes in Warringah would come from people with no interest in politics. A parliamentary question asked of a Minister by a member of the party in government to give the Minister the opportunity to deliver a prepared reply.
It comes from Dorothy Dix , the pen-name of Elizabeth Gilmer , an American journalist who wrote a famous personal advice column which was syndicated in Australia. Her column came to seem a little too contrived, as if she was writing the questions as well as the answers. For a discussion about the use of Dorothy Dixer in rhyming slang see the article 'Dorothies and Michelles' in our Ozwords newsletter.
There were many questions on trade and finance matters. One of those came from Mr Hutchin, and there were cries of 'Dorothy Dix' when he asked it When a Minister is anxious to make some information available, or to answer some outside criticism, he will often get a private member to ask a question on the subject. And it was not her husky voice or hair or makeup that stopped traffic, but the rows and rows of pearls.. In traditional Aboriginal belief a collection of events beyond living memory that shaped the physical, spiritual, and moral world; the era in which these occurred; an Aboriginal person's consciousness of the enduring nature of the era.
The term also takes the form dreaming. Dreamtime is a translation of alcheringa - a word from the Arrernte Aboriginal language of the Alice Springs region in central Australia. Attenborough Quest Under Capricorn: Although the Dreamtime was in the past, it is also co-existent with the present, and a man, by performing the rituals, can become one with his 'dreaming' and experience eternity. It is to seek this mystical union that the men enact the ceremonies. Australia, old as the dreamtime, From your sun-warmed dust I grew, The molecules that make me, All have been part of you.
A fool, a simpleton, an idiot. There is also a bird called a drongo. The spangled drongo is found in northern and eastern Australia, as well as in the islands to the north of Australia, and further north to India and China. It is called a drongo because that is the name of a bird from the same family in northern Madagascar. The spangled drongo is not a stupid bird. It is not a galah. One book describes it thus: There is one odd story about the drongo, however: Some have suggested that this is the origin of the association of 'stupidity' with the term drongo.
But this seems most unlikely. So what is the true story? There was an Australian racehorse called Drongo during the early s. It seems likely that he was named after the bird called the 'drongo'. He wasn't a an absolute no-hoper of a racehorse: He often came very close to winning major races, but in 37 starts he never won a race. In a writer in the Melbourne Argus comments: He is improving with every run'. But he never did win. Soon after the horse's retirement it seems that racegoers started to apply the term to horses that were having similarly unlucky careers. In the s it was applied to recruits in the Royal Australian Air Force.
It has become part of general Australian slang. Buzz Kennedy, writing in The Australian newspaper in , defines a drongo thus:. A drongo is a simpleton but a complicated one: In an emergency he runs heroically in the wrong direction. If he were Superman he would get locked in the telephone box. So he is a drongo. The origin of the term was revived at Flemington in when a Drongo Handicap was held. Only apprentice jockeys were allowed to ride. The horses entered were not allowed to have won a race in the previous twelve months.
Goode Through the Farm Gate: I can't believe my drongo of a father is asking such ridiculous questions. A jocular name for an imaginary animal similar in appearance to a koala, with very sharp jaws and teeth, that is said to devour tourists etc. The term is often associated with the fooling of gullible international tourists, and has accordingly been used this way in television advertisements.
There are suggestions that the term drop bear emerged in the Second World War period see quotation below but the first record is from the s. Keesing Lily on a Dustbin: The 'drop bears' are creatures of a tall story - they were invented during World War II for the benefit of gullible American servicemen. It is alleged that 'drop bears' are a dangerous kind of koala and that they drop out of trees on the heads and shoulders of bush walkers and hug them to death.
Participants are advised to choose their start time carefully to ensure they are finished before it gets dark and the drop bears come out at 6. The other Harry has got a head like a drover's dog and always wears a hat. We'd heard Nancy say he'd come back like a drover's dog all prick and ribs. Look out - female approaching! A warning cry from a male as a signal to other men that a woman is approaching a traditionally all-male environment. It is a reminder that the men should modify their language and behaviour to avoid giving offence. It was first used in shearing sheds, but is now heard in other places, especially in a pub.
While the first written evidence comes from the early s the phrase probably goes back several decades earlier. I remember well enough years ago hearing them yell 'Ducks on the Pond! The pathetic and increasingly unwatched Footy Show on Channel Nine whipped up another 'ducks on the pond' furore over the proposal to include the outspoken Rebecca Wilson on their panel. Fatty Vautin and Peter Sterling reportedly held angry meetings with their producer declaring they would not speak to Wilson if she was hired. The dunny was originally any outside toilet. In cities and towns the pan-type dunny was emptied by the dunny man , who came round regularly with his dunny cart.
Dunny can now be used for any toilet. First recorded in the s but dunnekin is attested in Australian sources from the s. The scourge of the summer festival-goer has to be the crusty dunnies. To subject a person to a torrent of words; to talk at great length to; to harangue. While not a physical beating of the ears, most people can sympathise with a person who has sustained a long taking to an ear-bashing by a boring or obnoxious windbag an earbasher.
The verb is first recorded from the s, and possibly comes from Australian military slang of the Second World War period. Most Australians are surprised to discover that this is an Australian term. First recorded from the s. The second strand of Labor thinking on agricultural policy can be described as economic rationalism. The ALP contains many influential spokesmen who advocate disengagement of governments from existing agricultural assistance measures..
The ideals of higher education are being compromised by economic rationalism. The act or process of picking up litter; a group of people doing this; the act or process of searching an area of ground for something. This term developed out of an earlier verbal form recorded in the s , emu-bob , meaning 'to pick up pieces of timber, roots, etc.
By the s the verb had developed a more specific sense: By the s the verbal form had developed into the noun. What a vision splendid is Mr Sim's - a nation-wide 'emu bob' of dole-bludgers, singing no doubt as they retrieve the excreta of civilisation. Maybe the Government could give the prisoners something useful to do and do emu bobs.
A portable insulated container in which food and drink are kept cool. A common sight at barbecues, beaches, parks, and camping grounds in the summer months. Take your 'refrigerator' to the picnic or tour. The Esky Auto Box keeps drinks and food cold and fresh wherever you go. Will fit in the boot of any car. They have a folding table and esky out here on the sand beside the fire.
A prison for the confinement of female convicts. Also known as a female factory. The first such factory was established in at Parramatta in New South Wales. It was a place of punishment, a labour and marriage agency for the colony, and a profit-making textiles factory where women made convict clothing and blankets.
There were eight other factories in the Australian convict settlements. The lass I adore, the lass for me, Is a lass in the Female Factory. A reasonable chance, a fair deal: Australia often sees itself as an egalitarian society, the land of the fair go , where all citizens have a right to fair treatment. It is often used as an exclamation: Sometimes it expresses disbelief: For further discussion of this term see the article 'Australia - the land of the fair go' on our blog. The reason the shearers disappeared is that a large number of warrants have been issued for their arrest Both men turned pale, but struggled, calling out, 'Read the warrants to us first'.
Inspector Ahern said, 'You can hear them later', and the police seized the prisoners. Both appealed to Mr. Ranking, crying out, 'Do you call this a fair go, Mr. Voting for same-sex marriage is a vote for equality, and a vote for a fair go for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Australians. The children will start their party with fairy bread and butter and 's and 1,'s, and cakes, tarts, and home-made cakes. The morning of the party, Becky and her mother were in the kitchen making fairy bread.
Her baby brother sat on the floor eating the bits that fell off the table. Steady on, be reasonable. In Australian opposition leader Kevin Rudd famously used a variant of the phrase: Fair suck of the sauce bottle is first recorded in the s. For a further discussion of the origin of the phrase see the article 'Folk Etymology in Australian English' in our Ozwords newsletter.
Flowing text, Original pages.
The Adventure's of Dolly the Dollar Bill “Dolly Meets Matilda”, is the first in a series of children's books written by Leslie-Ann Messina. Dolly is a US dollar bill who. The Adventures of Dolly the Dollar Bill: Dolly Meets Matilda - Kindle edition by Leslie-Ann Messina, Joshua Allen. Download it once and read it on your Kindle.
Web, Tablet, Phone, eReader. Itasawazishwa kiotomatiki kwenye akaunti yako na kukuruhusu usome vitabu mtandaoni au nje ya mtandao popote ulipo. Unaweza kusoma vitabu vilivyonunuliwa kwenye Google Play kwa kutumia kivinjari wavuti cha kompyuta yako. Tafadhali fuata maagizo ya kina katika Kituo cha usaidizi ili uweze kuhamishia faili kwenye Visomaji pepe vinavyotumika. Vitabu Pepe vinavyofanana na hiki.
Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order.
It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best. This wonderful picture book turns the poem into a story of a dog and his pup on a journey to find the magpie. Find out how sperm whales and elephant seals can stay underwater for up to 50 minutes and lots more interesting and unusual facts. Ariki and the giant shark Ariki is not like the other children on Turtle Island. She belongs heart and soul to the sea, where she plays all day with the dolphins and turtles.
One day, a giant shark appears and the fishermen are too afraid to go out. Without fish the people will starve - and only Ariki can save the day! What's eating you Every animal has a habitat, a place where it belongs, finds food and shelter, and raises its babies. You are a habitat for many small, almost invisible creatures. Find out about parasites like fleas and lice, tapeworms and pinworms, and the animals, human and non-human, on and in which they live.
Red pencil, The Twelve year old Amira's dream is to go to school. But, life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when the terrifying Janjaweed militia arrives. They burn her village and unleash unspeakable horrors. Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey, on foot, to a refugee camp. Life is tough at the camp until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind and all kinds of possibilities.
Verse novel about real events. Honey spot Through the friendship between a black boy and a white girl, race relations and conservation are dealt with in this play. Big dry, The With each year of drought the heat became worse. The lawns and crops withered and died. Buildings began to crumble and collapse, and more people left the city. George and his little brother, Beeper, become worried when their father fails to return from a trip to town for food and fuel. Fear for the safety of their dad quickly becomes a fight for their own survival in the hot and brutal conditions.
You must be skidding: Featuring the lemons of the car world. Chewing-gum kid, The Simon Bright has a feeling that this week is going to be different and he's right. After the discovery of the Super-Gum, his life changes. Smarty-cat Barry is more than just clever.
He's a talking cat, a TV star and a quiz show champion. Barry is a cat in a million, a real smarty-cat. Magic of reality, The Throughout history, people all over the world have invented stories to answer profound questions. These fantastical myths are fun but they don't really answer the questions. With its scientific method explanations of space, time, evolution and more, this book presents the real story of the world, and shows that its awe-inspiring beauty and thrilling magic far exceed those of the ancient myths.
Tolkien bestiary An exciting resource for fans seeking the inspirational source of Tolkien's beasts, flora and fauna. Refugees Find out about Australia's responses to people arriving as refugees, from colonial times up until the present. Read about the contributions refugees have made to Australia and the challenges they have faced.
Usborne creative writer's handbook, The All the help you need to write better stories, blogs, scripts and poetry. Features lists of inspiring words and tips on editing and grammar. See how well-known writers put techniques into practice and try jotting out your own ideas on the blank pages at the back.
See inside your body Peel away the layers of your body to find out what is going on beneath! This book investigates all of the crucial processes the body undergoes every day, looking at all the important internal organs involved. Find out what happens to an apple once you eat it, how breathing works and why we need to do it, and just how your amazing brain does what it does. Every page is filled with flaps - lift them to reveal the fascinating facts underneath! Don Quixote The mad Don Quixote wanders 16th century Spain looking for chivalrous deeds to do and wrongs to right. Lots of adventures with interesting characters, a barber, monks, shepherds, inn keepers, all of whom involve humour and misunderstandings.
Toby alone Toby Lolness may be only one and a half millimetres tall but he is involved in a huge and harrowing fight for his life and the safety of his family. A thrilling tale of state control, betrayal, cruelty, heroism, friendship and survival in a violent, miniature world that is not for the faint-hearted. Toby and the secrets of the tree Toby's world is under greater threat than ever before. A giant crater has been dug right into the centre of the Tree, moss and lichen invade the branches, and one tyrant controls it all. Leo Blue, once Toby's best friend, now his worst enemy, is holding Elisha prisoner and mercilessly hunting the Grass People.
But returning after several years among the Grass People, Toby will fight back. And this time, he's not alone. Vango is no ordinary boy with an ordinary life - he has had all kinds of adventures since he was found washed ashore as a toddler on a tiny island off Sicily. Now on the run across Europe, will Vango discover the secrets of his mysterious past in time to figure out who is trying to have him killed - and why.
His journey will take him to the furthest reaches of distant lands, and even into the sky where he will find refuge on board the Graf Zeppelin. But the threat of war is getting closer, and Vango must uncover the secrets of his past before everything is lost. Find out how fast your blood flows, and what happens inside your head.
Unbelievable stories and images, mixed with core information, are presented to answer such questions as how animals solve problems and which animals are extreme survivors. Name at the end of the ladder, The Everyone has to wait until their twelfth birthday for the Name Bank to decide each person's name. Usually, safe botanical names are chosen.
September wants a special, unique name and is enticed by spooky Madame Alcina to be able to choose her own name by playing a board game. What she is not told is that, so far, no one has managed to win and some players have not reappeared. Every dice roll leads to danger. Little prince, The The whimsical story of an airman's discovery of a very appealing small boy from another planet in the desert.
A thought-provoking allegory of the human condition that has become a classic. No and me Lou Bertignac's father cries in secret in the bathroom and her mother hasn't been out of the house properly for years. But, Lou is about to change her life and that of her parents for good, all because of a school project she decides to do about the homeless.
Lou meets No, a teenage girl living on the streets, who has disruptive as well as positive effects on the whole family. Usually read by students in years 9, 10 or above. Drawing her last breath, she gives a final decree that, upon her death, there will be a contest to decide the one truly worthy to rule in her place. The rich, the strong, the wise and the powerful put forward their names in the hope of being chosen. When the night comes, only fifty souls are summoned. Fifty souls bound to the same fate. But, this is no ordinary trial. And, so begins the first task. Shimmer Accompanied by a talking possum and a tracker gnome, Colin and Grieve set out on a mad-cap and thrilling adventure to rescue the Shimmer.
It is part of the stone of creation and has been stolen by power-mad, completely evil fairies.
Bomber balloon, The When a Zeppelin aircraft crashes over a British town, the German soldiers meet those they have been bombing, including one very angry girl. Last flight, The Alfred is an air observer, flying above the war, taking photos of the enemy lines. But the Germans are also in the sky. Pigeon spy, The Can one heroic homing pigeon make it through enemy territory to save two hundred American soldiers trapped behind enemy lines. War game, The They said the war would be over by Christmas, but it isn't. The German and English trenches face each other, with No Man's land inbetween.
But on Christmas Eve the shooting stops and on Christmas day, guns are put down. World War I tales series Any two books from this series may be read as Challenge books and up to five more can be read as personal choice books. France Discover all the foul facts about France, including which king thought he was made of glass, why French bread was once made from broken tiles and bricks, and how to play hopscotch like a French highwayman.
Angry Aztecs, The Discover all the foul facts about the Angry Aztecs, including why the Aztecs liked to eat scum, when the world is going to end and their horrible habit of drinking live toads in wine. Filled with foul facts, terrible timelines and a grisly quiz. Cut-throat Celts Discover the wild warriors who fought the Roman army with swords and spears while collecting human heads.
If this bloodthirsty book isn't nasty enough for you, you must be a cut-throat Celt yourself. Deadly days in history The most horrible book yet. Take a whirlwind tour through the most dreadful, disastrous and deadly days in the whole of horrible history, from the grim Great Fire of Rome to the vile St Valentine's Day Massacre, leaving the gory bits in and the boring bits out.
Frightful first World War and the woeful Second World War, The Find out how a pair of old socks gave away top secrets, how sniffing your own wee could save your life in the First World War, why wearing white knickers could get you killed in the Second World War. The First World War was meant to last four months but ground on for four grim years.
The Second World War gives you the dire details about the snow-bound cities under siege and fly-infested jungle trenches.
Gorgeous Georgians, The From poor hygiene and terrible food to a country overrun with body snatchers and thief-takers, the poor old Georgians didn't stand much of a chance in a country run by unsuitable politicians and less than stable monarchs. Groovy Greeks, The The hip and fabulous Greeks hung out over two thousand years ago. Meet horrible heroes, suffering slaves and foolish philosophers. Find out about the world's first flushing toilet and why dedicated doctors tasted their patients' ear wax.
Ireland Discover all the foul facts about Ireland. Find out why wax models were captured and made Prisoners of War, which warriors went to battle naked, and how to make yourself invisible. Knights Terry Deary reveals the horrible history of knights - all the gore and more. Readers should forget the fairy tales from days of old when knights were supposed to be bold and damsels were always in distress, and brace themselves for the terrible truth about the cold-blooded killers.
From Arthur and his mythical knights to warrior kings and cruel crusades there are foul facts on a whole host of nasty knights plus dire details of the weapons they used and the rotten rules of knight fights. Loathsome London Go underground to discover London's putrid past. Take a trip to the terrifying Tower and then dip into the River Thames, London's largest toilet. Find out the ten worst ways to make a living in the city and the most disgusting way to die.
History has never been so horrible. Measly Middle Ages Travel back into the measly Middle Ages, where the world was full of wild women, mad monks, naughty knights and crazy kings and queens. Discover a genuine jester's joke, why chickens had their bottoms shaved and what ten year old treacle was used for. History with the nasty bits left in. Pirates Reveals the terrible truth behind the lousy pirate legends and lies, so forget the brave heroes swinging from masts and the handsome young men sailing the seven seas for this is history as it's most horrible.
Readers can decide who was the baddest of the bunch in the top ten of putrid pirates, discover why the women pirates were just as wicked as the men and learn to talk the patter of a Pirate. Plus there are foul facts on the ships they sailed, the punishments they suffered and the rules they lived by. Plague and peril It's and the shadow of the Black Death is descending over England.
Geoffrey Copton returns from the war in France, only to find himself caught up in a plot to rob and kill an innocent man. Will Geoffrey and his friend Meg manage to save the day, or will the dastardly plotters get away with the gold Rotten Romans, The Life in ancient Rome from Nero to Boudicca includes gory games, rotten recipes and lots of frightening facts.
Rotten rulers Readers can discover all the foul facts about Rotten Rulers, including who gave the job of high priest to a donkey, who choked to heath while eating a crow and who celebrated victory by eating his enemy's head. Ruthless Romans Readers can discover all the foul facts about the Ruthless Romans, including which emperor enjoyed eating camel's heels, who were the terrible twins who founded Rome and which evil emperors made murder a sport. Savage Stone Age, The Discover all the facts about the Savage Stone Age including what they used instead of toilet paper, why a hole in the skull is good for headaches, and how to make a Stone Age mummy.
Find out why some slimy Stuarts ate toads, snails and fleas; why people wore fish on their feet, and which king picked his nose and never washed his hands. Also find out the gruesome truth about ghastly Guy Fawkes, the tragic tales of women accused of witchcraft and the ever-present threat of the perilous plague. Smashing Saxons, The Find out the terrible truth about the pillaging people who bashed the Brits but got nobbled by the Normans, including who got cow pats as Christmas presents or why wearing a pig on your head was lucky.
Read on for foul facts on disgusting diseases and ghastly graves. Stormin' Normans Discover all the foul facts about the stormin' Normans, including why Norman knights slept with a dolly, which pirate hung up his eye-patch and became a saint, and why Crusader ships were defended with barrels of wee.
Terrible Tudors, The History has never been so horrible. Foul facts about the cruellest kings and meanest queens ever to rule England. Find out about the terrible tale of an awful axeman, why Henry VIII thought he'd married a horse and brush up your knowledge of Tudor torture. USA, The Discover all the foul facts about the USA, including which president was so scared of electric switches that he slept with his light on, why cowboys declared war on sheep and how to have a civil battle.
Vicious Vikings, The Packed with frightening facts about the vile invaders from the North and their savage enemies, including such legendary warriors as Fat-thighs, Oaf, and Stinking. Vile Victorians, The They may have looked all prim and proper but the Victorians were a jolly naughty bunch, who could be vicious and violent and villainous. Discover the murderers who wouldn't hang, when the first public loo was flushed and about stag hunting in Paddington Station.
Villianous Victorians Readers can discover all the foul facts about the villainous Victorians, including why burglars were scared of bogies, which poet said he ate an ape and how a snick fadger might kiddy-nap your spangle. England Discover all the foul facts about England, including which monk tried to pinch the devil's nose with a pair of tongs, why some people in the Middle Ages ate dove droppings, and which English king was accused of being a werewolf.
Incredible Incas The incredible Incas may have built South America's greatest civilisation but they could be very icky indeed. The poor prisoners who pulled up their huge pyramids were likely to experience a very painful death. But, things weren't much better for your average Inca. Find out how a bucket of stewed pee could make you beautiful, why servants ate the emperor's hair and what chilling fate awaited their child sacrifices.
Blitzed Brits Find out if you could have survived in the Blitz when all of London and many other English cities were bombed heavily and constantly. You might be the sort of person who would remember to always have a gas mask with you or who actually liked the meals that can be made with rationed food. You might even want to escape mum and dad for a bit but maybe not for six years. A sad time in history still had its funny moments. Awesome Egyptians, The This book is packed with quizzes, facts and ghastly details of the lives, habits and customs of the ancient Egyptians. Bloody Scotland Tells the story of the Scots, from the desperate Dark Ages to the terrible 20th century.
It provides facts on cool kings, cruel kings, mean queens and wise women. Find out about William Wallace, Braveheart and gory Scottish ghost stories. Dark knights and dingy castles Discover all the foul facts about dark knights and dingy castles, including why one nutty knight chopped off his own finger, the revolting truth about a gong-farmer's job and what went on in gruesome castle garderobes.
Rowdy revolutions Discover all the foul facts about rowdy revolutions, including which Chinese emperor was overthrown by his mum, why one revolution made ugly people very scared indeed and what Count Dracula was really like. Wicked words Discover how to be very rude without anybody knowing, some murky Medieval jokes and what to say if someone calls you mundungus, hackum or Jabbernowl. Ella mental and the good sense guide Ella is very good at providing advice to her friends.
But, when her group begins to fall apart, Ella discovers that perhaps she is not as 'together' as she thought. Contains minor references to smoking and alcohol. Going batty Bats have always been linked with scary things but they may not be as scary as you think. Take a close look at the world of bats and you'll see that there's a lot more to these fascinating creatures. Animals talk back Animals have their own form of language. Full of fascinating facts and stories from around the world about animals, this book will change the way you look at animals.
In your dreams For some period every day, we sleep. Find out why we need to sleep and why it's not a waste of time. Lucy Zeezou's glamour game Not all is froth and bubble in Lucy's celebrity world. Her parents are on the verge of breaking up over some earth-shattering rumours and Lucy must come to terms with their fallibility and her own.
Lucy juggles the cat walk, the soccer pitch, the high life and the good life as she learns the value of relationships. Lucy Zeezou's goal Lucy appears to have everything, looks, brains, her parents are an international sports star and owners of a successful fashion label. All they want is for her to be a top fashion model, even more successful than her mother. But Lucy has the soccer gene and all she wants is to be as successful as her father who plays for Milan. Socks, sandbags and leeches: Letters to my Anzac dad Ivy and her mother live in Australia, far away from where the Great War is raging.
Ivy writes to her father, who is fighting overseas, all about life at home. About the socks and sandbags she and her friends make and the leeches they catch to sell to the hospital. The war keeps dragging on and she keeps on writing, hoping her dad returns safe. Robinson Crusoe The classic story of an English sailor marooned on a desert island for nearly thirty years. Rage of the fallen A dangerous few months lie ahead--ones which some of us will be hard-pressed to survive. Thomas Ward has served as the Spook's apprentice for three years. He has battled boggarts, witches, demons, and even the devil himself.
The Fiend stalks him, waiting for a moment of weakness. The terrifying Morrigan, goddess of witches, warned him never to step foot on her homeland, Ireland. But now war has consumed their own country, and Tom, his friend Alice, and the Spook must flee to Ireland. The dark rages strongly there. No one can be trusted. Can Tom defeat the creatures that hunt him most fiercely? Spook's apprentice, The For years, the local Spook has been keeping the County safe from evil.
Now his time is coming to an end and many apprentices have tried to take over. Some floundered, some fled and some failed to stay alive. Thirteen year old Thomas Ward is the last hope. He is the seventh son of a seventh son which means he has special gifts to fight evil. He must defeat Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the County.
Spook's battle, The In Pendle, the witches are rising and the three most powerful clans are rumoured to be uniting in order to conjure up an unimaginable evil. Tom Ward and the Spook need to avert the unthinkable. But, before they go, the Spook tells Tom to journey home to collect the trunks Mam left behind for him. But, dark family secrets are contained in the trunks which may place Tom's family in even greater danger. But, deep in the catacombs below Priestown lurks the Bane, a creature the Spook has never been able to defeat. As they prepare to battle it, yet another deadly enemy emerges to threaten Tom and his master.
Spook's mistake, The As danger increases, Tom is sent north by his master to be trained by Bill Arkwright, another Spook who lives in a haunted mill on the edge of a treacherous marsh. His training methods are harsh and cruel as he prepares Tom for grave dangers. When the Fiend sends his own daughter, the powerful water witch Morwena, to destroy Tom, Arkwright makes an error of judgement and leaves Tom to face his enemies alone. But, Mam needs his help in Greece, her homeland. One of the old gods, the Ordeen, is about to return, bringing slaughter and devastation.
Mam has summoned a powerful group to her side, including Tom's old enemy, the Pendle witches. Tom must find out what secret Mam is keeping from him and decide whether to go against everything the Spook has taught him. Spook's secret, The As the nights draw in, the Spook decides to travel to his winter house. His apprentice, Tom, hates the desolate place. There are feral witches in the cellar, menacing creatures stirring on the nearby moors and a sinister stranger threatening Tom's master. Many dangers will face Tom if his master's past and secrets are revealed.
Wardstone chronicles series A fantasy series about the seventh son of a seventh son who has special powers to fight evil. Any two titles read from this series can be included as official Challenge books; up to five more titles can be included as your personal choice books. Or, you can search for a series name or the individual titles by using the Search function on the top left hand corner of the screen.. Elisabeth, the princess bride, Austria-Hungary Although not the most influential European royals, Elisabeth is still fascinating. As she begins her diary, the fifteen year old reveals her true passions, the outdoors, her family's home called Possenhofen, poetry, her pets, her father and horseback riding.
Bush Christmas, A It's Christmas in the bush and the sun burns hotly through the gums. Down the road old Rogan comes for a bite of tucker and a beer. Mum's in the kitchen cooking up a turkey and plum pudding. A famous Australian poem revisited. M is for mates: This intriguing book presents information about food, equipment, battle environments, war propaganda, uniforms, symbols and transport. Filled with authentic photos, wartime anecdotes and strange but true facts. Hope in a ballet shoe Michaela DePrince grew up in war-torn Sierra Leone, witnessing shocking atrocities.
When her father is killed and her mother dies of famine, Michaela is sent to an orphanage. She is adopted by an American couple but life isn't without difficulties. When Michaela begins ballet lessons, she faces racism and prejudice, and has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite to become an international ballet star. Village by the sea, The This story is set in a fishing village near Bombay, India, and tells of the two oldest children and their struggle to keep the family together. Reflections of a solitary hamster Meet Hamster, completely self-obsessed and passionate about waffles.
Join him and his friends, kindly Mole, diffident Hedgehog, selflessly generous Snail and super-confident Rabbit as they prepare for a celebration, set to change everybody's lives. A deceptively simple book includes philosophical musings on life. Travels of an extraordinary hamster Hamster lives in the clearing among his friends Mole, Snail, Hedgehog and Rabbit.
They are very accepting of Hamster, who is unapologetically selfish but, somehow, endearing. Hamster is determined to visit his cousins on the moon. He knows they must be eager to meet him. But, his friends decide to go to the North Pole instead. Bend it like Beckham A novelisation of the film screen play in which a young Indian girl's talent for soccer is discovered.
The issues, of cultural expectations of girls and the problems of living between two cultures, are raised. Elephant man Joseph doesn't look like other people. His skin is thick and lumpy, his limbs are oddly shaped, and his head has a big, bony lump. People call him Elephant Man and scream in terror when they see him.
But, inside, Joseph longs for a friend to understand him. Based on the famous, true story of Joseph Merrick. Magician's elephant, The The boy, the lost sister, the retired officer, the childless couple, the displaced elephant, the patient nun, the compassionate policeman, the remorseful magician, the bent and broken stonemason and the socialite crippled when the conjured elephant fell through the theatre roof and landed on her legs, all come together in the snow in this meaningful, simply but poetically told story.
Raymie Nightingale When her father abandons the family, young Raymie Clarke hatches a plan. To gain her dad's approval and immediate return, she'll enter and win the Little Miss Central Florida Tyre competition. Raymie must do good deeds and learn to twirl a baton. She must also contend with the frequently fainting Louisiana and the fiery Beverley. As the competition approaches, loneliness, loss and unanswerable questions draw them into an unlikely friendship, and challenge each girl to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.
Tale of Despereaux, The Despereaux is a very small mouse who longs to be near the beautiful Princess Pea. Mouse law forbids any contact between mice and humans. When Despereaux lands in the castle dungeon, he must show enormous courage and ingenuity to escape. Ulysses, the squirrel, never saw the vacuum cleaner coming. Ulysses now has powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry. Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a spacious heart.
Miraculous journey of Edward Tulane, The Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him. He travels across the country, acquiring new owners and learning some valuable lessons. Christmas carol, A It is the 24th of December and mean, old Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his freezing office, refusing to acknowledge that it's Christmas.