Categories
books films Indigenous resources popular culture

Good books and shortlists

Some good new books out now:

Growing up Aboriginal in Australia

Compiled by Anita Heiss; to be released 16 April. The book includes diverse childhood stories of family, country and belonging.All of the contributors speak from the heart – sometimes calling for empathy, oftentimes challenging stereotypes, always demanding respect.’ Contributors include Adam Goodes, Miranda Tapsell, Deborah Cheetham…..For Years 9 to 12; teaching notes available.

https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/growing-aboriginal-australia

 

The shepherd’s hut

New novel by Tim Winton and it sounds amazing. A youth struggles with his life after a violent incident, fleeing his hometown to find the only person who understands him. But what he finds out challenges everything….. ‘Jaxie Clackton is destined to become one of the greatest characters in Australian literature’ (Geraldine Brooks).

https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-shepherds-hut-9780143786115

Review: ‘Austere, beautiful & compelling…an unblinking vision of hope’

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-shepherds-hut-review-tim-wintons-austere-beautiful-and-compelling-novel-20180228-h0wsl1.html

 

Ninja kid: from nerd to ninja

New book series from Anh Do. Nelson lives in a junkyard and finds out on his 10th birthday he has ninja powers. Now he must protect his town and beyond. Ages 6+.

https://www.readings.com.au/review/ninja-kid-from-nerd-to-ninja-by-anh-do-and-jeremy-ley

 

WeirDo TV series

Anh Do’s popular books are becoming an animated TV series.

https://tvtonight.com.au/2017/12/anh-do-developing-kids-tv-project.html

 

Read like a girl: books to celebrate women and girls

Includes:

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls 2 features 100 new bedtime stories about famous women from around the world, from Nefertiti to Beyonce, transforming each biography into an inspiring story. The women were chosen by global readers and the book also features 100 stunning portraits created by 70 leading female artists. For Ages 5+

Shout out to the girls: a celebration of awesome Australian women

Turia Pitt, Julia Gillard, biologists, rally car drivers, women in all fields…..

https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/read-like-a-girl?utm_campaign=2018-03-08+International+Women’s+Day&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ARB+Master+Subscription

 

Stella Prize Shortlist 2018

Celebrating Australian women’s writing since 2013. Includes:

Terra nullius by indigenous author Claire G. Coleman. ‘In the near future Australia is about to experience colonisation once more. What have we learned from our past?’

http://thestellaprize.com.au/

 

Indie Book Awards

Shortlist with winners 26 March. Includes: Force of nature by Jane Harper; Working class man by Jimmy Barnes; Wimmera by Mark Brandi; Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend; Pig the star by Aaron Blabey.

 

2018 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs)

Longlist with winners 3 May. Includes Unmasked by Turia Pitt;  Saga land by Richard Fidler; The book of dust by Philip Pullman; I’m Australian too by Mem Fox.

http://abiawards.com.au/general/2018-abia-longlist/

 

Books on Screen 2018

Film and TV – A wrinkle in time; Ready player one; The cuckoo’s calling (Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling); Little women; Throne of glass. Long list of books on screen.

https://www.bookdepository.com/books-and-movies

 

The Book Oscars

A bit of fun from Book Depository….Who will win for best female character in a book? Best male? Best author? Best debut novel? Best book adapted into a movie? Special effects?

https://www.bookdepository.com/book-oscars?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=OSCARS&utm_campaign=20180308_OSCARS

 

Australia’s Top 20

Book Depository’s top 20 books sold in Australia.

https://www.bookdepository.com/autop20?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=TOP20AU&utm_campaign=20180312_TOP20AU

Categories
films popular culture science fiction TV

Good films and TV

Lots of movie awards around recently with the Academy Awards on Monday 5 March. Some good films, not all suitable for school of course! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-24/2018-oscar-nominee-list/9355532

 

The shape of water (MA15+) has had great reviews. Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s labyrinth) and nominated Best Director. This fantasy film, a ‘fairy tale for grown-ups’, tells the story of the love between a woman who cannot speak and a creature imprisoned in a water tank at a government laboratory.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/stratton-reviews-del-toros-the-shape-of-water-spielbergs-the-post/news-story/ebf9965b4d27721421aa84fe1b183c70

 

Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (MA15+) is very powerful with strong themes and great performances, especially by Frances McDormand (nominated Best Actress). A lot of swearing though.

 

I, Tonya is an innovative and intriguing film and Margot Robbie is fabulous in it (nominated Best Actress). Allison Janney, playing her mother, is superb and will most likely win Best Supporting Actress. MA15+ with lots of swearing so not really suitable for schools.

 

Lady bird, directed by Greta Gerwig (nominated Best Director), stars Saoirse Ronin (nominated Best Actress), depicts the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Rated M so should be ok for senior high school.

 

Get out (MA15+) was certainly entertaining and original with an excellent twist, but may be considered too violent for school.

 

Dunkirk was an excellent war film and kids love Coco the animated Pixar film, where a young boy is accidentally transported to the land of the dead and his musical ancestor helps him return home. Ferdinand (based on the book) is also nominated – a gentle bull refuses to participate in bullfighting but is forced back into the arena.

http://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43133872

 

2018 films based on Young Adult books

http://www.betterreading.com.au/book_list/ya-film-adaptations/

An interesting list. Includes:

 

Ready player one

Based on the sci fi novel by Ernest Cline. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Stars Ben Mendelsohn and Simon Pegg. In a dystopian future, a young man and his friends must solve a series of deadly puzzles to beat an evil corporation that wants to take control of the popular virtual world known as Oasis. Opens March.

https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Ready-Player-One-Movie-What-We-Know-So-Far-120497.html

 

Every Day

Based on the groundbreaking book by David Levithan. Stars Angourie Rice. A shy teenage girl falls in love with a mysterious spirit who wakes each morning in a different body, living a different life each day. Fifteen actors, male, female and transgender, portray the spirit. Opens April.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/david-levithan-every-day_us_5a84bf94e4b0774f31d1cef8

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7026672/

 

Love, Simon

Based on the novel Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda by Becky Albertalli. Stars Nick Robinson and Josh Duhamel. A not-so-openly gay teenager tries to balance friends, family, an anonymous email penpal and a blackmailer who threatens to out him to the entire school. Opens March.

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/love-simon-trailer-nick-robinson-gay-hollywood-coming-of-age-film-1201901845/

The bright future of queer literature is the young adult novel: https://www.gq.com/story/the-bright-future-of-queer-literature-is-the-young-adult-novel

 

Mortal engines

Based on the fantasy book by Philip Reeves; screenplay by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. Stars Robert Sheehan and Hugo Weaving. In a post-apocalyptic steampunk world , entire cities have been mounted on wheels and motorised, preying on each other for resources. Opens Dec.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/mortal-engines-trailer-peter-jackson-fantasy-movie-christian-rivers-a8116921.html

http://www.philip-reeve.com/mortal-engines/

 

The darkest minds

Based on the series by Alexandra Bracken. In a dystopian future, children who survive a deadly disease develop strange abilities and are locked away in camps. Opens August.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Darkest_Minds_(film)

 

Queen of shadows

TV series based on the best-selling Throne of glass books by Sarah J. Maas. A female teenage assassin journeys through a corrupted kingdom with a tyrannical ruler. To be released early 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_Glass

http://sarahjmaas.com/throneofglass/

 

Chaos walking

Based on the first book in the series by Patrick Ness. Stars Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland. Set in a dystopian world where all living creatures can hear each other’s thoughts, in a stream of images and sounds known as Noise. To be released early 2019.

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/chaos-walking/260303/chaos-walking-first-look-at-tom-holland-and-daisy-ridley

 

Good shows on TV in 2018

Free-to-air, Foxtel and streaming. The handmaid’s tale season 2 (SBS April); Genius (Antonio Banderas as Pablo Picasso; Nat. Geographic); Hard sun (end-of-the-world, Ch.7); Runaways (based on the graphic novels; Fox); Troy: fall of a city (Netflix).

Australian productions: Picnic at Hanging Rock (Showcase in May); Interview with Andrew Denton (series; Ch.7); Olivia Newton-John: hopelessly devoted to you (Stars Delta Goodrem; Ch.7); Mystery Road (based on the film; ABC); Jimmy Barnes: working class boy (doco; Ch.7).

https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/tv/what-to-watch-in-2018-ng-b88731469z

 

New TV series sci fi & fantasy

 

Altered carbon

Based on the novel by Richard Morgan. Future humans do not die – their consciousness is transferred to a new synthetic body. Now on Netflix.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Carbon_(TV_series)

 

The first

Stars Sean Penn. A team of astronauts colonises Mars.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sean-penn-star-hulus-beau-willimon-space-drama-1041275

 

Philip K. Dick’s electric dreams

10 stories based on the works of Philip K. Dick. On Stan now.

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/tv-shows/philip-k-dicks-electric-dreams-is-mindbendingly-good/news-story/799b0a9167b3c42b33b6ccd419220fc0

https://www.stan.com.au/watch/electric-dreams

 

The umbrella academy

Based on the graphic novel by Gerard Way. Stars Ellen Page as the only member of a dysfunctional family who doesn’t have some kind of supernatural ability. Netflix 2018.

https://www.altpress.com/news/entry/gerard_way_netflix_umbrella_academy_day_one_first_look

 

Maniac

Stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. Two patients at a psychiatric hospital escape into a fantasy world. Netflix 2018.

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/913328/maniac-netflix-release-date-new-series-emma-stone-jonah-hill-trailer-cast-plot

 

More sci fi and fantasy TV: http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/18-new-tv-shows-we-cant-wait-to-watch-in-2018-superman-space-and-sandals