Chatty bubbles, pet flies, cranky umbrellas, crazy kitchens and more in these wonderfully witty stories from award-winning writer Elaine Forrestal.

• Release date: 2003
• Publisher: Fremantle Press
• Available for: $14.95
• ISBN: 9 781920 731670
• Format: Paperback

The stories are very short – less than 400 words each. Some are reminiscent of the magical stories from days gone by – the Wirra Wirra Bird that sets the kitchen utensils dancing, the Humptee Umbrella that bothers Quarkum the witch. Others are more contemporary – I can’t find any socks and Charlie Forever tell stories of everyday children.

Barbara Dobson – Reading Time

Rainbow Jackets is a lively collection of short stories, it is visually appealing and a great read for seven to 10 year olds.

The Sunday Times, Chill Out

‘I thought of all those times when we raced to the fence… if I beat him now, it would never be the same between us.’

Winning by Elaine Forrestal

Pearce is Yosef’s best friend and Pearce is perfect. He can run faster, climb higher and kick more goals than anyone else in the school.

But what would happen if Yosef started to come first instead? What would happen if Pearce knew something the others didn’t? There are strange events going on at school and things are beginning to change for Josef and the gang…

• Release date: 03/04/2002
• Publisher: Penguin Australia
• Available for:
• ISBN: 9780141313788
• Format: Paperback

Forrestal has created a believable interplay between Pearce and Yosef, close friends only while Pearce is the winner.

Judges report – CBCA Notable Books of 2003

Young readers will love the intrigue and feel very satisfied by the ending. Boy power vanquishes man power.

Debbie Mulligan – Magpies

Bryn and his family have just moved to a new house by the lake. The area is beautiful, teeming with wildlife. But soon there are scars on the landscape where the houses are being built — bulldozers tear at the earth, the sound of machinery rends the air. Once again the Min Min stirs … And this time, it has chosen Bryn.

• Release date: 2002
• Publisher: Fremantle Press
• Available for: $12.95
• ISBN: 9 781863 683609
• Format: Paperback

… themes that will communicate powerfully at different levels to all readers.

Jack Thomson – English in Australia

Elaine Forrestal’s prose has its own magical quality.

Janice Anderson – Reading Time

Elaine Forrestal has cleverly interwoven the disparate elements of folklore, a child’s developing sense of responsibility, the need to adapt to change and a menacing danger into a cohesive whole.

Margot Tyrrell – Magpies

Short listed for:
West Aus­tralian Premier’s Book Awards 1991

Listed in:
Aus­tralian Children’s Book Coun­cil Notable Books 1992

Infectious giggles, gigantic puddings, apple green pigs, clattering cupboards, and more, in these deliciously funny stories from award-winning writer Elaine Forrestal.

• Release date: 2002
• Publisher: Fremantle Press
• Available for: $12.95
• ISBN: 9 781863 683586
• Format: Paperback

Then Kip gets angry too. ‘You just don’t know what it’s like.’

‘What?’

Our eyes blaze at each other. He looks away. ‘I have to watch my back, that’s all,’ he says, more gently.

Leaving No Footprints by Elaine Forrestal

Henny can’t work Kip out. Where is his family? Where does he live? Why do waves of sadness and anger sometimes overtake him?

The answers to these questions only come when the two friends’ boat is trapped in a dark storm. In the urgent battle to survive, the limits of friendship and trust will be stretched to breaking point.

• Release date: 01/05/2001
• Publisher: Penguin Australia
• Available for:
• ISBN: 9780141311173
• Format: Paperback, eBook

The holiday setting, the sense of freedom that the two children enjoy … the adventures they have and the general feeling that they can work out their own solution to problems, all make this an appealing read.

Julie Long – Reading Time

You’ll have to read this exciting book for yourself and make up your own mind about what happens to Kip in the end.

The West Australian Ed Magazine

Another sensitive and compassionate story about children dealing with difficult issues in their daily lives … in no way does it glamourise drugs or drug use, preferring instead to show how far the hurt spreads.

Dani – Colvin The Sunday Tasmanian

The author is skilful at developing the different but complimentary characters of Kip and Henny … The smell and sounds of the sea, the sand, and a small boat fighting the waves are brought to life … as a background to the young people’s struggles of friendship, loneliness and trust.

Anne Hanzl – Magpies

‘Go home, you adolescent rabble! It must be past your bedtime!’

‘Aw shut up, you old bat!’ Hellz shouts.

‘Yeah, we’ll go home when we feel like it,’ Tan yells.

Graffiti on the Fence by Elaine Forrestal

Hellz, Tan and Eddie are the local skateboarding trio. Every night after school they hang out together, terrorising ‘the Witch’. That’s what they call elderly Lallie. They make their own rules, and give cheek to anyone who gets in their way.

But Lallie gives as good as she gets, and when Hellz unexpectedly finds himself in her garden one day, he soon learns there’s more to Lallie than he thought…

• Release date: 01/09/1999
• Publisher: Penguin Australia
• Available for:
• ISBN: 9780141305196
• Format: Paperback

Short listed for:
Children’s Book Coun­cil of Aus­tralia Book of the Year Awards (Younger Read­ers), 2000

When Karri delves into her family’s past she finds a lot more than she bargained for — a treacherous reef, missing treasure, eerie storms and a ghostly namesake. Adventure, danger and excitement!

• Release date: 1999
• Publisher: Fremantle Press
• Available for: $13.95
• ISBN: 9 781863 682541
• Format: Paperback

Elaine Forrestal combines the stories of Karri in the 1990s and her ancestor, Carrie in the 1840s in an effective, captivating manner.

Kylie Williams – Teacher-Librarian React 99

The recount of events in the 1840s is engrossing and evocative …

Pam Macintyre – Australian Book Review

Young readers will easily identify with the imaginative situation and should enjoy the excitement and mystery of this well written tale.

Laurie Copping – Reading Time

Short listed for:
WA Premier’s Book Awards, 1999

At first it looks like it’s going to be the same as every other year for Thomas Alexander St John Kennedy. At school he gets in trouble for fighting, and at home he likes to muck around with his dog. Life is pretty normal for Tas.

Until Enya moves into the farm next door. Enya, with the cool, calm voice and the mysterious family, brings with her more than Tas has bargained for. The violence of the world she thought she had left behind catches up with her, and changes Tas’s life for ever.

• Release date: 03/01/1997
• Publisher: Penguin Australia
• Available for: $16.95
• ISBN: 9780140380927
• Format: Paperback

The gun lobby has made us all recognise some disturbing changes in Australian society and young readers will want to discuss this novel in that context with their parents and teachers.

Mark Macleod – Australian Good Taste

The surprise ending … left me wanting to re-read the book to see how I had missed the clues.

Pat Tighe – The West Australian

… an amazing story with an enchanting ending.

Belinda Traynor – Sunshine Coast Daily

I have just finished reading “Someone Like Me” to my Year 5 boys class at Eglinton Public School. It is the fifth time I have read this book to a class and still enjoy it so much. The boys loved it and as usual were encouraged to reread for themselves and see all the little hints about Tas that are there once they know of his blindness. (14th February 2007)

Jenny Smyth (a “long time teacher of upper primary kids”)

Cho­sen by AATE/ALEA as one of five focus books for the National Day of Read­ing project in Sep­tem­ber 2007.

Winner: Aus­tralian Children’s Book Coun­cil Book of the Year Award (Younger Read­ers) 1998

Winner: West Aus­tralian Young Read­ers Book Award (Younger Read­ers) Hoff­man Award 1998

Highly Com­mended in:
National Asso­ci­a­tion for Spe­cial Edu­ca­tion Needs Book Awards 1997 (UK)

Short listed for:
Young Aus­tralians Best Book Award 1999