1.   Crew, Gary. The Watertower. (Illustrated by Stephen Woolman), Flinders Park, Adelaide: Era Publications, 1994.
2.   Rubinstein, Gillian. Galax-Arena. Ringwood, Victoria: Puffin Books, 1994. (pp. 138)
3.   Park, Ruth. Playing Beatie Bow. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books, 1983. (pp. 196)
4.   Pike, Christopher. The Immortal. New York: Pocket Books, 1993. (pp. 213)
5.   Marsden, John. So Much to Tell YouÖ Glebe, New South Wales: Walter McVitty Books, 1991. (pp. 109)
6.   Walkuski, P. No Bed of Roses: Memoirs of a madam. (with David Harris) Kent Town, Adelaide: Wakefield Press,
      1993. (pp. 334)
7.   Blacklock, Dyan. Call it Love. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 1996. (pp. 126)
8.   Viewpoint: on books for young adults. ISSN: 1039 - 2858
9.   French, Fiona. Snow White in New York. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. (pp. 30 approx.)
10. Macdonald, Caroline. Speaking to Miranda. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking, Penguin Books Ltd., 1990. (pp. 185)
11. Base, Graeme.The Eleventh Hour: a curious mystery. Ringwood, Victoria:Viking Kestrel, Penguin Books,1988.(pp. 32)
12. Lodge, David. Nice Work. London: Secker & Warburg, 1988. (pp. 277)
13. Carmody, Isobelle. Obernewtyn. Ringwood, Victoria: Puffin Books, 1988. (pp. 248)

Crew, Gary. The Watertower. (Illustrated by Stephen Woolman), Flinders Park, Adelaide: Era Publications, 1994.

The Watertower is a picture book belonging, principally, to the science fiction genre. Set in an Australian outback community, the drama focuses on the mysterious watertower, at Shooters Hill, and what happens when Bubba D'Angelo and his friend, Spike Trotter, go there for a swim.

No-one in Preston can "remember when the watertower was built, or who had built itÖ" but everybody's gaze is drawn to it. This is cleverly depicted throughout the illustrations by reflecting the watertower in windows, or eye glasses, so that its location, and its relation to the action, is evident.

In The Watertower, Bubba D'Angelo is forced into a situation where he must face up to, and learn to deal with, his fears. The layout of illustrations makes it necessary to turn the book 180 degrees anti-clockwise, during reading. The turning coincides with the climax of Bubba's fear, and signifies its (apparent) over-turning.

I recommend this book for the 8 - 11-year-old reader although, with parental guidance (in some cases), it may be suitable for 5 - 7 year-olds .

Rubinstein, Gillian. Galax-Arena. Ringwood, Victoria: Puffin Books, 1994. (pp. 138)

Galax-Arena is a science fiction novel set in Australia, and on the 'planet' Vexak. Told by 13-year-old Joella, who is determined to tell the truth, the narrative begins after the events it describes.

Joella, her brother, Peter, and adopted sister, Liane, are kidnapped from a railway station and taken to Vexak, where they are trained to perform (like circus animals) in the Galax-Arena. The novel considers relationships of power - who has power over whom, and what makes some fall under the power of others. It also forces the reader to consider ways in which animals are treated, and deals with complex emotions arising from grief, fear, loneliness, and suffering.

Galax-Arena is not a cosy 'feel-good' book. Sometimes it turns to violence and shows the world as an unfriendly, dangerous place. I would not recommend it for hyper-sensitive or immature readers. In my opinion, its 'ideal' audience is the twelve to fifteen-year-old reader, who understands something of the complexities of human emotion, power, and violence. Nevertheless, it is brilliantly constructed and would also be suitable for analysis at undergraduate level.

Park, Ruth. Playing Beatie Bow. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books, 1983. (pp. 196)

Playing Beatie Bow, a romance novel, is, essentially, a story about love, and growing up. However, it also contains elements of mystery, and borders on science fiction, as time travel is central to its plot. A young Victorian girl, Beatie Bow, is summoned from the past by the chants of a children's game, in contemporary Sydney, and 14-year-old Abigail Kirk, unwittingly, follows her back to her own time - 1873, in the colony of New South Wales.

The Bow Family believes that Abigail is the mysterious 'Stranger' who, traditionally, arrives to save 'The Gift' for future generations of Bows. Abigail is forced to remain in this past world until she has done what she was 'sent' to do, although she has no idea what this is. While there, she falls in love for the first time and this new understanding of the power of love provides a more mature perspective on her parent's damaged, yet enduring, relationship.

The book was adapted for film, which follows the original plot fairly closely despite the addition of scenes designed to intensify suspense with conflict. Playing Beatie Bow, the book, has the potential to deeply involve the reader, especially where s/he is able to identify with the main character. I recommend it for a readership of 12 - 16-year-olds.

Pike, Christopher. The Immortal. New York: Pocket Books, 1993. (pp. 213)

The Immortal, is an interesting mix of dream, vision, myth, and nightmare, which contains a parallel science fiction film plot, as well as a parallel myth. Josie, her father and his girlfriend, Silk, along with Josie's friend, Helen, spend their vacation in Greece, and visit the sacred Island of Delos.

Josie's father is a writer who relies heavily on inspiration from his daughter, and the film plot they devise together progresses throughout the narrative.

Although there are clues along the way, it is not immediately obvious that this is a horror story and there seems to be a sudden twist about a third of the way through the novel. Helen and Josie, like their mythic counterparts, Phthia and Sryope, come into conflict because of their attraction to the same man. The novel contains references to sex and nudity but these are fairly low level. Although the novel was very easy to read, it relies on the reader being quite astute in picking up the parallels. It would probably be best suited to an audience of fourteen to twenty-year-olds.

Marsden, John. So Much to Tell YouÖ Glebe, New South Wales: Walter McVitty Books, 1991. (pp. 109)

So Much to Tell YouÖis an adventure story, told through the journal of a 14-year-old girl who has (temporarily) lost the power of speech. Marina, whose name we do not discover until the end of the story, has suffered a traumatic experience in her family life. Consequently, she is sent to an institution - first, a psychiatric hospital, and then a girls' boarding school - where it is hoped she will recover her speech. The novel begins, on the third day of boarding school, when Marina and her classmates are asked, by their English teacher, to start keeping journals.

Marina's experience and her loss of speech have made her more observant and reflective, and the journal becomes a vehicle for expressing and untangling her confused feelings, particularly those concerned with her father. Marina's journal entries constitute a journey of self-discovery / recovery, which is sensitively handled by Marsden.

I recommend this novel for ages 11 onwards but, although it is considered a 'young adult' novel, I am hesitant to suggest a 'limit' since it provides a wonderful insight into the feelings of a teenage girl and may, therefore, prove valuable to the adult reader.

Walkuski, P. No Bed of Roses: Memoirs of a madam. (with David Harris) Kent Town, Adelaide: Wakefield Press, 1993. (pp. 334)

No Bed of RosesÖ is Adult, Non-Fiction / (Auto) Biography, and an excellent example of literary realism - shocking as it may be. Written in the first person (the voice of Patti Walkuski), as told to David Harris, the writing style blurs the distinctions between biography / autobiography as the life story of Adelaide's infamous Madam unfolds.

The text provides an extremely visual reading experience - it would make a great (shockingly, sad) movie. Young Patti, with her child's keen observation and yearning for love, is a likeable 'character' capable of eliciting an empathic response from the reader. However, later, she evokes a sense of frustration through failing to rescue herself from violent / obsessive relationships, which she forces the reader to 'watch'.

Set in and around Adelaide, and Elizabeth, the book is full of familiar scenes and landmarks, for the local reader, adding yet another dimension. I would recommend it to mature readers.

Blacklock, Dyan. Call it Love. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 1996. (pp. 126)

Call it Love is a collection of short stories, united by the theme of 'love'. Dyan Blacklock examines 'love' from various angles and perspectives, through the eyes of sixteen teenaged protagonists. The stories deal with growing up, relationships, and emerging sexuality. They are not affected by excesses of romance; on the contrary, the expression of, often, confused feelings is quite realistic.

My main criticism is that the stories are so short they do not allow their characters to develop depth. The stories tend to contain unexpected twists, for example, in 'River Dreams', the romantic climax is cut abruptly by the discovery of a dead boy.

Call it Love could almost be called anti-romance, and is probably best described as belonging to realism genre. These stories are easy to read and are best suited to an audience of high school age readers.

* SELECTION JOURNAL *

Viewpoint: on books for young adults. ISSN: 1039 - 2858

• Vol. 6: No. 1, Autumn, 1998.

• Vol. 7: No. 1, Autumn, 1999.

• Vol. 7: No. 2, Winter, 1999.

teachers and librarians. On analysing the above three issues, I found them to contain, collectively, 118 reviews of young adult fiction titles. The reviews were of various lengths, and some were actually written by young readers.

Viewpoint also contains reviews of the professional literatures, as well as articles on the writing process, meaning and interpretation, multiculturalism, characterisation, and writing / literature course outlines. In one of the above issues, there was an article on assessing high school creative writing, and another which contained information on book selection, and a guide to internet resources, written by a librarian. In addition, there were interviews with writers (including one self-interview), a publisher profile, articles by writers on other writers, and articles by writers discussing their own books.

I find Viewpoint to be an extremely useful resource for keeping up to date with young adult fiction.

French, Fiona. Snow White in New York. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. (pp. 30 approx.)

In this picture book, French transforms a classic tale by giving it a contemporary setting. However, the story retains its archetypal dimensions - Snow White's mother is dead; her father marries the Queen of the Underworld; the jealous step-mother plots to have Snow White killed; the step-mother's henchman is unable to carry out the murder, and she attempts to carry it out herself. The mirror on the wall becomes the 'New York Mirror' - a newspaper- and the seven dwarfs of the classic story became seven jazzmen. The story still has its classic 'happy' ending but Snow White marries a newspaper reporter, instead of a prince.

The pictures make clever use of lines and silhouettes to emphasize and contrast light and shadow, rain and reflections. The story can be read without knowledge of the classic Snow White tale, however, the classic version has wider appeal because it is not anchored in time and place. Nevertheless, Snow White in New York has obviously proved popular, since it has been reprinted several times. I recommend it for ages 7 - 10.

Macdonald, Caroline. Speaking to Miranda. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking, Penguin Books Ltd., 1990. (pp. 185)

Caroline Macdonald's Speaking to Miranda is a fine example of the mystery genre, as well as being a quest for identity. Eighteen-year-old Ruby Summerton lost her mother, in a drowning accident, when she was two-years old. She is adopted and raised by a man, who lived with Ruby's mother for only a year, when an extensive search for family connections yields no results. Ruby's desperate search for answers to the mystery of her mother's true identity, and for some connection with her 'roots', leads her to New Zealand on a quest of self-discovery.

The story also provides a very interesting account of the procedures that can be taken to uncover information. For example, searches of electoral rolls, old newspapers, registries, and even a close examination of items of jewelry.

Speaking to Miranda provides a satisfying reading experience, although it does not finish neatly with all its threads gathered together in tidy resolution. I recommend this novel for ages 12 - adult.

Base, Graeme. The Eleventh Hour: a curious mystery. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking Kestrel, Penguin Books, 1988. (pp. 32)

Graeme Base's picture book, The Eleventh Hour, presents an ingenious children's version of the detective / crime genre. Horace has prepared a feast for his eleventh birthday party and the puzzle to be solved is : who stole the feast? The use of interesting animal characters enhances, both, the book's appeal to younger readers, and its plot; another dimension is added by depicting the animals in fancy dress, including Cleopatra, an Admiral, an astronaut, a princess, a musketeer, and a judge.

The closer one looks, the more dimensions this book reveals, and the reader is encouraged, from the outset, to "sharpen your eyes and your wits" - observation and deduction are the keys to discovery. The entire text is written in rhyme, and an "extra riddle" is written in Morse code - it is devices such as this one, which lead me to describe The Eleventh Hour as an interactive text.

There are many clues as to who did not commit the crime - if you know how to read them - and, once you discover who the villain(s) is(are), there is another page of coded text to decipher which, if you haven't already discovered something else hidden in the pictures, sends you flicking back through the pages for more "Happy Hunting". I recommend this book for all ages. If a child is, perhaps, too young to pick up the hidden clues, s/he will enjoy the pictures and rhymes. A wonderful book!

Lodge, David. Nice Work. London: Secker & Warburg, 1988. (pp. 277)

In Nice Work, a middle-aged managing director meets a young female lecturer, in (feminist) literary theory, through an Industry Year 'shadow' scheme. This book is extremely well-written and it is easy to see why it was short listed for the Booker Prize, in 1988. Belonging, principally, to the humour genre, it is full of funny situations arising from the accidental conjunction of two people from totally different 'worlds', and their lack of understanding of the other. Robyn Penrose may be an expert on the Industrial Novel but she has never set foot in a factory, until she visits Pringles as the 'shadow' of Vic Wilcox.

Although parts of it are very funny, much of the humour seems to depend on an acquaintance with literary theory - particularly of the theorists Saussure and Lacan. The characters and settings are drawn with acute observation and realistic detail. An entertaining and thought-provoking adult novel.

Carmody, Isobelle. Obernewtyn. Ringwood, Victoria: Puffin Books, 1988. (pp. 248)

Obernewtyn is a fantasy novel set in a constructed post-nuclear holocaust world, where 'Misfits' - those with holocaust induced special mental abilities - face death or exile because they are considered by the ruling, righteous, Herders to be harbouring demons. Elspeth Gordie, the main character, has such powers, although she does not yet realize their intensity. She comes to the attention of the 'Council' after a visit by Madam Vega, the present mistress of Obernewtyn - an institution, ostensibly, for the 'recovery' of Misfits but, actually, the setting for an evil plan to uncover the remnants of 'Beforetime' nuclear weapons, and take control of the 'new' world.

Elspeth is able to communicate telepathically with animals, who guide her toward her 'destiny'. She is also able to unlock doors mentally, and probe / read the minds of others. The novel ends in such a way that it is possible to imagine another episode, although there is a visible attempt, in the last few pages, to tie up as many loose ends as possible. I recommend this novel for ages 11 - 16.