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Children’s books
I’ve written over 200 books for children, and have been published in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Malaysia. Some of these are:
Our Brother Andy, Nelson Cengage, 2015
Pooling Resources, Pearson 2014
Water from the Deep, Pearson 2014
The Mud Army, Pearson, 2014
My Uncle, Captain Starlight, Pearson, 2014
The Goat Problem and Lost on the Goldfields, Nelson Cengage, 2014
Two plays, to be read aloud in the classroom
Dancing Pants, Heinemann, 1991 Picture book, from the television script I wrote for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s Lift Off! Series. Short listed for the Australian Multicultural Children’s Literary Awards, 1991
Walking in the Fields of the Blessed, Rigby, 1995
My Babysitter, the Creature of the Night, Rigby, 1995
The Frog Family, Rigby, 2001 Short listed, Children’s Peace Literature Award 2001
Pests and Plagues, Rigby, 2001
Gallipoli, Barrie, 2003
Dinosaur Detectives, National Geographic, 2004
First Journeys, Pearson, 2004
Steve Irwin: Crocodile Hunter, Rigby, Pearson Education, Port Melbourne, 2007
Shuttle To The Moon, Rigby, Port Melbourne, 2007
We Went To Gallipoli, Rigby, Pearson Education, Port Melbourne, 2008
Stone By Stone: saving the temples of Abu Simbel, Educators Publishing Service, Cambridge & Toronto, 2008
From Little Things…, Rigby, Pearson Education, Port Melbourne, 2008
Impact: Environment, Rigby, Pearson Education, Port Melbourne, 2008
A Song for Fred, Pearson Blue Prints, 2008
Splat!, Pearson, 2010
The People of Pompeii, Pearson, 2010
Swimming With Elephants, Pearson, 2010
Play It Again, Sam, Pearson, 2010
A Hero of Malawi, Macmillan, 2010
Alain Robert: to climb or not to climb, Macmillan, 2010
Everything Egypt, Hinkler Books, 2010
and lots more …
Young adult novels
Lizzie and Margaret Rose, Omnibus Books, 2016
Princess Parsley, Omnibus Books, 2016
Sing a Rebel Song, Omnibus Books, 2015
The Ratcatcher’s Daughter, HarperCollins, March, 2014
Flora’s War, Ford Street Publishing, 2013
The Horses Didn’t Come Home, HarperCollins, March 2012
When The Hipchicks Went To War, Hachette Australia, Sydney, 2009
Millions of Mummies, John Wiley & Sons, 2006
Circles of Stone, HarperCollins, 2003
and I’m working on others.
Television, Video and Audio Scripts
My latest production is a series of five DVDs on Australian children’s authors and illustrators for Book Links: Kerry Argent, Michael Gerard Bauer, James Moloney, Narelle Oliver, Gregory Rogers, Jackie French.
I worked as a producer and writer for the Queensland Department of Education’s production unit for many years, so I’ve written lots of educational video and audio scripts.
Subjects ranged from crossing the road safely for pre-schoolers to ancient history and Australian ecosystems. My proudest achievement was producing 16 30-minute television programs for primary students studying Japanese. It was entirely in the Japanese language – and I don’t speak a word of Japanese!
I’ve also freelanced as a scriptwriter for clients such as the Queensland Department of Health, Sail Training Association of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and The University of Queensland.
Children’s television
I wrote scripts for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s Lift Off! Series. One of my scripts, Dancing Pants, was turned into a picture book.
Documentary
Dinosaurs Outback, one-hour program on Queensland dinosaurs, screened Channel 7’s World Around Us 1995
The Living Landscape, series of ten 15-minute programs on Australian ecosystems, screened ABC TV 1995-99
Bilby Brothers: the men who killed the Easter bunny 48-minute doco on two men working to save the endangered bilby, screened ABC TV 2003, ZDF Network Germany 2003, National Geographic Channel USA 2003. Multi international award winner
The Mystery of the Disorderly Warriors 55-minute doco on the discovery and excavation of an ancient Chinese tomb, screened ZDF Network Germany 2004, Discovery Channel USA 2004
The Crown of Thorns Starfish: the monster from the shallows 55-minute doco on the effect of the Crown of Thorns Starfish on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, screened ZDF Network Germany 2004, Discovery Channel USA 2004. Multi international award winner
Television and radio commercials
Short stories and freelance journalism
I’ve had feature articles (mainly travel stories) published in many newspapers and magazines both in Australia and overseas.
I also interview and write for in-house newspapers like the Education Department’s Education Views.
Short stories have been published in magazines like The Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, Dolly and magazines in Britain.
I’ve also twice been a winner in the One Book Many Brisbanes short story competition.
Multimedia
As a producer for the Queensland Department of Education, I wrote and produced multimedia. I now do this on a freelance basis. Some examples:
Wanpa-rda Matilda An interactive information package on the central west of Queensland: its history, environment and people. CD-ROM and website.
Queensland Heritage Trails Network Interactive touchscreen multimedia installation and CD-ROM. Queensland’s local history, for the general public.
Bluey and Curley Interactive touchscreen multimedia installation to support an art exhibition on the cartoon characters Bluey and Curley and their times. For Global Arts Link, Ipswich.
Hot Links CD-ROM (co-writer) Writer of interactive CD-ROM sections Nature’s Plagues and The Things People Do. High-interest educational program designed for reluctant readers. Winner, Primary Technology Section, Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing 2002
Eco-Online Nova Scotia Writer and audio producer for website in partnership with the Queensland Government and the Smithsonian Institution.
Smart State, Smart Stories interviewer/writer for website for Premier’s Department
Quality Teacher Program interviewer/writer for website for Education Queensland
Studies of Australia 2 multimedia writer of interactive learning objects for the Learning Federation, Curriculum Council