Australian Children's Books: 1989-2000

📖 The Scoop

Australian Children's Books: A Bibliography--volume one by Marcie Muir and volume two by Kerry White--has provided an essential and authoritative reference for all those who appreciate the extraordinary richness of Australian writing for children. This much anticipated third volume brings the series up to the year 2000.

The three volumes of the Bibliography list all Australian children's books published since 1774, from the earliest editions of the great discoverers' voyages (published for young British readers), to the most up-to-date works in many languages and formats by contemporary Australian authors. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author, with each author's books listed chronologically following date of publication of first edition with a physical description, publishing details, illustrations, awards received and, where necessary, remarks on content.

In this volume, researchers, librarians, book collectors, specialist and antiquarian booksellers can follow the continuing careers of such authors as Mem Fox, Bob Graham, Robin Klein, Paul Jennings, Colin Thiele and Patricia Wrightson and track the remarkable diversity of Australian and overseas editions. They can trace changes in the popularity of specifically Australian themes and settings, and identify publishing trends including variations in the physical appearance of books. Globalisation, commercialism, the rise of the middle class in Asia, desktop publishing, outcomes-based school curricula and the modern obsession with 'celebrities'-all these varied cultural aspects of present-day life, and many others besides, are reflected in the type and quantity of books produced by Australian writers and publishers. There is a wealth of material included here that will extend researchers' understanding of the range of Australian children's books.

Genre: Literary Criticism / General (fancy, right?)