Day Book

22nd April 2015

23rd  APRIL: BOOK  DAY

What is World Book Day?

World Book Day is a celebration! It’s a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.

 As we are working on the project about Australia, here are 4 famous Australian characters, three of them are writers and one is  a very famous sportsman.


MEM FOX

Mem Fox is an Australian writer of children´s books. She wrote Australia´s best ever selling picture book, titled “Possum Magic”. Mem has sold over 5 million copies of Possum Magic in Australia. She was born in 1946 and studied drama in London and children´s literature in Australia. She has written over 40 children´s books and 5 books for adults.

“Possum Magic” is the story of two possums: Grandma Poss and Hush. Hush has been made invisible by her Grandma to protect her from the dangers of the Australian bush. Hush wants to become visible again, so Hush and Grandma Poss must travel across Australia to find the magic food that will make Hush visible once more.

PATRICK WHITE

Patrick White was born in 1912 and was an Australian writer who published 12 novels, three short-story collections and eight plays. He died in 1990. White was the first Australian to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

White grew up in Sydney and then went to school in England before returning to Australia to work on a farm. He studied at Cambridge University in England before moving back to Sydney. In 1973 he received the Nobel Prize in Literature as well as receiving the Australian of the Year award. 

BANJO PATERSON

Banjo Patterson was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He was born in 1864 and died in 1941. He wrote many poems and ballads about Australian life which focused on the outback area and way of life in the Australian bush.

His most famous poems were ”Waltzing Matilda”, “The Man from Snowy River” and “Clancy of the Overflow”. Many Australians love “Waltzing Matilda” so much that they think it should be the national anthem of the country. Banjo Paterson´s face is on the Australian $10 bill.

“Waltzing Matilda”:

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda

You´ll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled

“You´ll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me”.

  

SIR DONALD BRADMAN

Sir Donald Bradman was an Australian cricketer and the greatest sportsman in the world. He was born in 1908 and died in 2001. As a boy, Bradman practiced cricket in his backyard before becoming an Australian idol at the age of 22.

Bradman´s batting average is 99.94, which means he hit 99.94 balls out of 100 that were bowled to him in a game. This is the greatest achievement by any sportsman in history. He played cricket for Australia for 20 years between 1928 – 1948.