The Official Ursula Dubosarsky Website



	Australian Writer - Ursula Dubosarsky.

	Home Biography Curriculm Vitae/ Booklist Books Awards Classroom Ideas/ Background to Books Reviews Talking Books Articles etc. Interview FAQ Fan Mail Related Links Contact	Books (Illustrated Books, Novels and Anthologies) Novels:
			The Red Shoe (2006) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Available in Allen and Unwin. Funny, tough-minded and tender, this is the story of Matilda and her two sisters growing up in Sydney in the 1950s at the time of the Cold War Russian spy crisis known as the Petrov Affair. Punctuated by the headlines of the time, it shows with unsettling clarity how the large events of the world can impinge on ordinary lives. Read REVIEWS.

			The Game of the Goose (2007) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Available in Puffin. Fred, Rowley and Rabbit hardly knew each other before the game. The game took each of them on an adventure - a terrifying, wonderful adventure of hoping and saving and living and dying. It was a journey that they would remember for ever. Read REVIEWS.

			Theodora's Gift (2005) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Available in Viking. Almost a decade ago, Ursula Dubosarsky won great acclaim for The First Book of Samuel. Now the story continues, Samuel and Theodora's grandfather Elias is dying, and Theodora begins to see a black cat that could not possibly be real. Read REVIEWS.

			The First Book of Samuel (1995) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Available in Puffin. On his twelfth birthday, Samuel Cass disappeared. The circumstances of his birth, the holiday when he was a baby, the mysterious past of his beloved grandfather, and even his own name lead to a quiet vanishing, a dramatic rescue and a perfect discovery. Read REVIEWS.

			How To Be A Great Detective (2004) see CLASSROOM IDEAS Available in Puffin. Claudie's back and she's hunting down a murderer, with the help of William Shakespeare. A comic sequel to "My Father Is Not A Comedian". Read REVIEWS.

			My Father is Not a Comedian! (1999) Available in Puffin. "I wrote this book. It's about me. And my father, of course. Anyway, it wasn't even my fault - the comedian thing. It was just something I said to a reporter from a newspaper. But then someone started to follow my father. Someone I didn't trust." Read REVIEWS.

			Abyssinia (2003) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Available in Viking. Also available in Italian by Salani. Grace is plunged into a dark and mesmerising world, full of bells, of odd little children, strange events and frighteningly bizarre grown-ups. A psychological thriller, a desperately moving and ultimately uplifting tale of childhood innocence. Read REVIEWS.

			Black Sails, White Sails (1997) First published in Viking. Available in Penguin. "So many things Olivia did were for her own secret purposes..." A young woman tracks the dissolution of trust. Is there a reason for everything? A fascinating novel about deception, damage, and they tyranny of childhood. Read REVIEWS.

			Bruno and the Crumhorn (1996) First published in Viking. Available in Puffin. "If only he'd had the strength to say no! I won't! I don't want to learn the crumhorn! Can't I just be? Just be Bruno?" Still, if it weren't for the stubborn instrument, he would never have met the exotic Early Musicians and Sybil. Read REVIEWS.

			The White Guinea-Pig (1994) First published in Viking. Available in Puffin. "Geraldine hadn't wanted the white guinea-pig at all. But then a single, sudden act of sympathy exploded into something difficult and dangerous, like a kiss given to the wrong person." A small creature, a cold winter, a season of change... Read REVIEWS.

			The Last Week in December (1993) Available in Puffin. "They were coming back! Did they suspect? The must. Just by looking at her, anyone would know she had something to hide..." Bella has a terrible guilty secret. But families work in strange ways, and unexpected things do happen... Read REVIEWS.

			Zizzy Zing (1991) First published in CollinsAngus&Robertson. Available in Puffin. That summer, Phyllis discovered a shocking secret from the past... When Phyllis stays at an old convent school in the Blue Mountains, a mysterious letter arrives. It leads her on a funny and frightening journey back in time to the Australia Day celebrations of 1938. Read REVIEWS.

			High Hopes (1990) Published by Puffin. Currently out of print. "She shook herself. She was being ridiculous again. No one could suspect her...Children don't do that..." Julia needs to get rid of Anabel, her father's new girlfriend. And fast. Read REVIEWS.
		Illustrated Books: Infants/Lower Primary
			The Puppet Show (2006) Illustrated by Mitch Vane Available in Puffin "Aussie Nibbles". Becky can't wait to put on her puppet show. She's even thought of a surprise ending!

			Rex (2005) see CLASSROOM IDEAS.
			Illustrated by David Mackintosh Available in Penguin. Meet Rex. He is the class pet. Every day someone gets to take Rex home. What would you do if Rex came to visit you? Read REVIEWS.

			Honey and Bear (1999) see CLASSROOM IDEAS.
			Illustrated by Ron Brooks First published in Viking. Available in Penguin. Honey and Bear are good friends. They do lots of things together. Sometimes they fell bored or cross, but they look after each other, always. Read REVIEWS.

			Special Days with Honey and Bear (2002) see CLASSROOM IDEAS.
			Illustrated by Ron Brooks Available in Puffin. Honey is a bird and Bear is a bear. Together, they have special days. There's a birthday, a new year, a surprise and an adventure in this new collection about old friends. Read REVIEWS.

			The Two Gorillas (2000) see CLASSROOM IDEAS.
			Illustrated by Mitch Vane Available in Puffin "Aussie Nibbles". Becky's two gorillas were very scary. Until they had their bath. Read REVIEWS.

			Fairy Bread (2001) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Illustrated by Mitch Vane Available in Puffin "Aussie Nibbles". Becky only wants fairy bread at her party. But there's so much left over, and she won't throw it out. Read REVIEWS.

			The Magic Wand (2002) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Illustrated by Mitch Vane Available in Puffin "Aussie Nibbles". Has Becky's wand made her little brother disappear? Read REVIEWS.

			Maisie and the Pinny Gig (1989) Illustrated by Roberta Landers This is the story of Maisie's adventures with her dashing Pinny Gig, whom she meets in her dreams. When Maisie tells her parents and friends about her adventures with the Pinny Gig they are disbelieving. They are not sure what a Pinny Gig is! Do you know? Read REVIEWS.

		Mid Primary

			The Strange Adventures of Isador Brown (1998) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Illustrated by Paty Marshall-Stace Available in Puffin "Aussie Bites" and in Italian by Salani. Isador, who is almost an orphan, sets out on an adventure. He carries six things in his satchel, one of which is a secret until nearly the end of the story. Read REVIEWS.

			The Even Stranger Adventures of Isador Brown (2000) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Illustrated by Paty Marshall-Stace Available in Puffin "Aussie Bites". Isador and his friend Lulu have set out on a journey. They find a melting iceberg, a giant bird and some stampeding giraffes. And that's just the start of another very strange adventure! Read REVIEWS.

			Isador Brown's Strangest Adventures of All (2003) see CLASSROOM IDEAS. Illustrated by Mitch Vane Available in Puffin "Aussie Bites". If you think Isador Brown's adventures have been strange, finding Lulu's missing parents turns out to be the strangest adventure ever. Read REVIEWS.


		Anthologies:

			Kid's Night In! (2003) Edited by Jessica Adams, Juliet Partridge and Nick Earls. Published by Puffin. All proceeds to War Child. Bedtime stories, rainy-day jokes, holiday reads, funny cartoons, cool art, recipes and tips from celebrities and sports stars... Ursula Dubosarsky contributes Beware of the Guinea Pig. Read it now!

			The Road to Camelot (2002) Edited by Sophie Masson. Published by Random House. The characters of Arthurian legend have never ceased to fascinate us. But what were they really like, as kids, before they knew their destiny? Ursula Dubosarsky contributes Percival.

			The Endless Playground: Celebrating Australian Childhood (2000) Compiled and Edited by Paul Cliff. Published by the National Library of Australia. Ursula Dubosarsky contributes the feature 'Small things with no words': Writing Children's Books.

Mother Love 2 (1997) Edited by Debra Adelaide. Published by Random House. From the tricky process of conceiving a child, to the frustrating role of teaching a young child to read, here is writing that is honest and lively, passionate and moving. Ursula Dubosarsky contributes Alone Like a Stone.

Hair-Raising (1992) Compiled by Penny Matthews. Published by Omnibus. Currently out of print. Ten horror stories by some of Australia's best writers for teenagers - running the whole gamut of horror: twisted, black, challenging, different. Ursula Dubosarsky contributes The Golden Gate.

Novels: