tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post5632743912959655213..comments2023-06-10T22:42:19.087+10:00Comments on Australasian Christian Writers: Reminiscing about books from my past.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-42372780900397615542014-02-27T14:18:36.908+11:002014-02-27T14:18:36.908+11:00I just read your comment, Jenny, after posting abo...I just read your comment, Jenny, after posting about the Billabong characters in reply to Rel's comment. One of the things Mary Grant Bruce did after Wally and Norah were married was to remember her readership would be younger readers. I think that must be why she introduced a new character, the young city boy from a difficult family background who joined the now older main characters with their many different adventures after gold was discovered. Guess you can tell how much I love those books? LOL.Mary Hawkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-80081381222779254332014-02-27T14:12:05.764+11:002014-02-27T14:12:05.764+11:00I loved Wally, but for some reason it was Jim who ...I loved Wally, but for some reason it was Jim who was my favourite hero. My sister and I both loved these books so much that if we still mention Wally, Jim or Norah, the other immediately knows we are talking about our favourite fictional characters. We actually talked about this not so long go, wondering just why those books had become so "real" to us. We loved the family dynamics, the rural settings, the adventures and suspense, and of course especially those touches of romance between Wally and Norah, and later Jim and that English emigrant. However, as my sister reminded me, " we grew up with them all." Not sure how old we were when the last book, Billabong Riders was published but we were certainly older teenagers. So, as a writer what does that teach me about gaining loyal readers, creating great characters and stories that make a wonderful series? Mary Hawkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-68993360207708768832014-02-27T10:05:57.152+11:002014-02-27T10:05:57.152+11:00Ah, Wally...my childhood hero! The drama of his ou...Ah, Wally...my childhood hero! The drama of his outback "adventure" was so heart wrenching!Relhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857426893482706263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-26031993622279548782014-02-26T14:45:14.253+11:002014-02-26T14:45:14.253+11:00HI Paula,
I think alot of the books back then wer...HI Paula, <br />I think alot of the books back then were so different from today. I think some had older characters in them. Cherry Ames was a student nurse, Sally Baxter was a new reporter, Donna Parker was a junior camp councilor. Even Nancy drew was an older teen as was Anne in the latter books. In the Billibong books it goes way past Norah getting married. Pollyanna and Heidi start young but the next books they are grown and getting married. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-74148830159152123202014-02-26T14:41:12.350+11:002014-02-26T14:41:12.350+11:00I loved the secret seven til I read the famous fiv...I loved the secret seven til I read the famous five and then the secret seven seemed childish. I guess Enid Blyton knew how to write for the different ages of childhood. There was another was it Adventerous Four? <br />Thanks Joanne for the birthday wishes. Its been good so far.Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-72143712770655729702014-02-26T14:39:21.073+11:002014-02-26T14:39:21.073+11:00Thanks Rita, Its been memorable so far. Oh I shoul...Thanks Rita, Its been memorable so far. Oh I should have gone riding after morning tea not before to work it off!<br />My memory from Pollyanna was the prisms I forget his name the man who was never happy. He had prisms and I always wanted one to hang up to catch the light. Infact would still love one. I use to get 20 cents pocket money and would by the little golden books with it. Oh wow about the banksia men.Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-10896412202539477492014-02-26T14:37:05.546+11:002014-02-26T14:37:05.546+11:00Thanks Marion, I have heard of the Tanglewood Secr...Thanks Marion, I have heard of the Tanglewood Secret, I even read a few of her books. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-1681295887299229482014-02-26T14:35:35.693+11:002014-02-26T14:35:35.693+11:00Thanks Dale, I have heard of the Katy did books bu...Thanks Dale, I have heard of the Katy did books but never read them. I did read Little Women and Jo's boys I think it is. Another I loved was Seven Little Australians. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-65386592113297582152014-02-26T14:34:24.367+11:002014-02-26T14:34:24.367+11:00Thanks Jeanette, I loved the Narnia series also. I...Thanks Jeanette, I loved the Narnia series also. I remember I had one book and friends had others in the series and we shared to read them all. I eventually bought them all. Remember cyber food is always food you can eat with no issue. (I could even eat nuts with cyber food but still am not willing to do it) I did see some gluten free cup cakes in the corner.Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-58112337427179201672014-02-26T14:31:58.569+11:002014-02-26T14:31:58.569+11:00Thanks Hazel having a great day. I had never heard...Thanks Hazel having a great day. I had never heard the Snow Queen before and read it over and over. often only reading that story there was something special about that one. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-27388541456267667542014-02-26T14:30:43.830+11:002014-02-26T14:30:43.830+11:00Thanks Mary, The Little Bush Maid was a well writt...Thanks Mary, The Little Bush Maid was a well written book. I cried in parts of Captain Jim also. What they went through in the war was not good. Its interesting those older books still hold memories and have past the test of time. My mum read them over 80 years ago and loved them. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-72397857668534562212014-02-26T14:01:27.476+11:002014-02-26T14:01:27.476+11:00Hi Jenny,
During my childhood, I'm sure I read...Hi Jenny,<br />During my childhood, I'm sure I read and enjoyed every book mentioned by you and everyone who has commented. I was one of those kids who always had a book in my hand. It proves how special well-written children's books are, as we remember them nostalgically for all time. <br />To add to the list, I loved all the Milly Molly Mandy stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley. She had such charming illustrations to go with these simple village stories about a cheerful little girl and her friends. Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-55744385881211170982014-02-26T13:56:00.709+11:002014-02-26T13:56:00.709+11:00What memories! I adored the Famous Five and Littl...What memories! I adored the Famous Five and Little House on the Prairie books. And like you, over here in NZ we had the book service and I've still got some of those scholastic stories. Even my kids did when they were at school. Happy 50th - that was me last year. All good!!Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02792443414478682811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-78717120970796881892014-02-26T12:16:36.243+11:002014-02-26T12:16:36.243+11:00Calorie free virtual ice cream sounds wonderful. O...Calorie free virtual ice cream sounds wonderful. Otherwise, I'll undo all the good work I put in at the gym this morning :) Narellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07665380446283721576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-44598305196265479092014-02-26T11:50:42.189+11:002014-02-26T11:50:42.189+11:00Wow, you really touched a chord in us, Jenny. And ...Wow, you really touched a chord in us, Jenny. And a Big Happy, Happy Birthday and we hope it will be truly memorable!<br />I loved the Anne books, Pollyanna, but she made me feel guilty as I thought I could never be as good as she was. Best of all as a younger child, I LOVED a book I saved up and bought with . twenty-two shillings and sixpence. Cuddlepot & Snugglepie by Mae Gibbs. We lived in the bush and I was always nervous of those bad Banksia Men when I walked by.Rita Galiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14586506137798711397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-88696761275615871312014-02-26T11:13:33.351+11:002014-02-26T11:13:33.351+11:00Happy Birthday, Jenny. My parents gave me "Th...Happy Birthday, Jenny. My parents gave me "The Tanglewood Secret" by Patricia M. St John when I was seven and recovering from pneumonia. From then on I was an avid, if not obsessive reader, reading all my mother's old prize books while confined at home, along with all the classics from the school and public libraries when I was well. I still love going back to those old Victorian and Edwardian stories, especially Amy Le Feuvre and ALOE's old brown books.Marion Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07262162523351221733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-31262072921138177062014-02-26T10:59:24.767+11:002014-02-26T10:59:24.767+11:00Happy Birthday Jenny. Some of my favourites were: ...Happy Birthday Jenny. Some of my favourites were: What Kay Did, What Katy Did Next, Little Women and the rest of those books, Black Beauty ( the only horse book I ever read and Heidi plus lots of Norse, Roman and Greek myths. Don't think I ever had an Australian written book back thenDalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14217918666756258037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-88153396617389342732014-02-26T10:37:22.435+11:002014-02-26T10:37:22.435+11:00Happy birthday Jenny - what a lovely idea to celeb...Happy birthday Jenny - what a lovely idea to celebrate it :) It is always hard to pick out favourites but I would have to say the Narnia series had the most impact on my imaginative life and lead me into a lifetime love for all C S Lewis works, fiction and nonfiction. If there are some gluten free cup cakes - I have one or two (having spent yesterday evening at an event eyeing off some delicious morsels with pretty, swirling icing but knowing even a crumb would make me sick) and a coffee for me. Jeanette O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-44529378725907458522014-02-26T10:32:03.020+11:002014-02-26T10:32:03.020+11:00Here's wishing you a very happy birthday, Jenn...Here's wishing you a very happy birthday, Jenny. I, too, loved all the books mentioned so far. I also enjoyed reading Grimm's and Anderson's fairy tales. Mum used to read them to me when I was very little, but by the time I was four I was given all their illustrated fairy tales. <br /> Hazel's bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15130890759088634619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-80441188892286719872014-02-26T10:21:40.547+11:002014-02-26T10:21:40.547+11:00Happy birthday, Jenny, did enjoy your post. Each m...Happy birthday, Jenny, did enjoy your post. Each milestone in life is a good time to look back before facing that next year. I too was given A Little Bush Maid by my grandmother and the whole Billabong series still has pride of place on my bookshelves. We obviously have similar reading tastes, Rel! I can still read Captain Jim and get all teary at one special part. I read it now as a writer. How did Mary Grant Bruce write so I still love her stories and have that "emotional experience"? Mary Hawkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12603850711168486457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-50693553762184278782014-02-26T09:40:14.312+11:002014-02-26T09:40:14.312+11:00Thanks Rel, I didn't read all the books but I ...Thanks Rel, I didn't read all the books but I read quite a few. A friends mum had some which she lent me then I was able to get the series which later got donated to the library.Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-64564252925767387402014-02-26T09:00:18.968+11:002014-02-26T09:00:18.968+11:00Happy Birthday, Jenny! Hope your day is delightful...Happy Birthday, Jenny! Hope your day is delightful :) I adored Mary Grant Bruce, too - have all her Billabong books, including a couple that were my mum's copies as a child - love that!Relhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857426893482706263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-55394294623264238932014-02-26T08:50:30.044+11:002014-02-26T08:50:30.044+11:00Thanks Ian, been a good day so far, (had a ride an...Thanks Ian, been a good day so far, (had a ride and walk). <br /><br />I watched Wind in the Willows but never got to read it. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-48312355090503795262014-02-26T08:49:41.897+11:002014-02-26T08:49:41.897+11:00Dotti in cyberspace there is not worries with alle...Dotti in cyberspace there is not worries with allergies. <br /><br />Helen Keller's Teacher was special wasn't it. I think I still have my copy too. I read it so many times. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-515660504291275491.post-13287532773857931692014-02-26T08:48:28.134+11:002014-02-26T08:48:28.134+11:00Thanks Jo-Beth, The album has turned out really go...Thanks Jo-Beth, The album has turned out really good and I still have notes coming in. <br /><br />Mum gave me the first of the Anne books but I was too young. My reading level was below my age so struggled with them. Ausjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07644698706787568679noreply@blogger.com