Things a Map Won't Show You: Stories from Australia and Beyond

by Susan La Marca, Pam Macintyre

An unforgettable collection of short fiction, poetry and comic art from Australia and beyond . . . 

A boy who tries to fly, a cricket game in a refugee centre, a government guide to kissing, the perils of hunting goannas, an arranged marriage, an awkward blind date, a girl who stands on her head, an imprisoned king and a cursed Maori stone . . . 

Sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, always compelling, this collection featuring both established writers and emerging talent will broaden your horizons and excite your imagination.

Including: James Roy * Tanveer Ahmed * Michael Pryor * Ursula Dubosarsky * Sonya Hartnett * Doug MacLeod * Oliver Phommavanh * Brenton McKenna * Tara June Winch * Sudha Murty * Oodgeroo

Genres: Short Stories, School, Fiction, Teaching, Young Adult

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Things A Map Won’t Show You’ is a collection of short stories from Australia and beyond. Edited by Pam McIntyre and Susan La Marca, the collection features new and established writers who were given “free range to choose genre, location or form”, in writing for Year 7-8 readers.

I love, love, loved this book! Pam McIntyre and Susan La Marca have done a phenomenal job of gathering diverse voices across a range of genres and all appealing to young adult readers. Here is a collection that revels in the short story, and will entice young readers to love them too. I really can’t fault this collection, and I’d actually quite like to occupy a rooftop one sunny Sunday and shout my praise from said rooftop.

First off, the look of this book is absolutely stunning. The artwork within is just lovely, and that visual aspect carried over to three short stories. Brenton McKenna’s ‘The Art of Hunting’ is an exhilarating graphic short story. In ‘Starks’s Statues’, Tohby Riddle offers remnants of an 1860s photo journal, which makes for a fascinatingly quirky short. Chris Wheat’s ‘A Guide to Better Kissing for Australian Teens’ is ingeniously set out like a Government pamphlet.

I also loved the diversity of this collection. Obed Raggett is one of the Aboriginal writers to contribute. His biography explains that he tells stories “he learnt as a boy from his mother; others he heard around the camp fireplace” and in ‘The Two Little Round Stones’ he’s retelling one such story, which is as haunting as it is beautiful.

And I appreciated that verse stories are also included, and one of my absolute favourites was from the reflective ‘Poetry’ by Horiguchi Daigaku


Poetry

I want to seek my poetry in pain and hardship.
I want to write a poem irrevocable once written.

A house without beams or pillars
But that stays firmly upright,

Each line supporting the other, each word
Echoing through its neighbour.

I want a poem that never comes to an end at its end.
I want to find my poetry in pain and hardship.

—Horiguchi Daigaku


So, what brings all these short stories together? There’s a definite love of the land expressed in just about all of the stories. And what I found really beautiful in some, was a child-like wonder – whether it be of the home we've always known, or a new discovery of our surroundings. Like in James Roy’s second-person narrative, ‘Out of the Yellow’, in which you and your family are driving eight hours to get your first glimpse of the ocean.


You walk right down to the damp sand, your feet sinking into it. So this is it. This is where Australia ends and the rest of the world begins. This is what the black wiggly line means – this very spot is somewhere on it. One more step and you’re off the edge of the map, out of the yellow and into the pale blue.Another wave comes in, a bigger one. The frothy stuff washes up over your shoes, but you don’t even care. You’re on the very edge of the country. At this moment, no one is more On The Edge than you are.

— James Roy, ‘Out of the Yellow’


One of my absolute favourite short stories was an excerpt from Tara June Winch’s novel ‘Swallow the Air’, which has the most lovely opening of two children “cloud busting” and revelling in their surroundings;


We go cloud busting, Billy and me, down at the beach, belly up to the big sky. We make rainbows that pour out from our heads, squinting our eyes into the gathering. Fairy flossed pincushion clouds explode. We hold each other’s hand; squeeze really hard to build up the biggest brightest rainbow and Bang! Shoot it up to the sky, bursting cloud suds that scatter, escaping into the air alive.

—Tara June Winch, ‘Cloud Busting’


There’s also a theme in these short stories of children and young adults navigating life, and all its complications. Sonya Hartnett in ‘The Second-Last Baby Tooth’ is telling a horrible story, “the kind that makes you want to hide your head in a bucket whenever someone mentions it.” Oliver Phommavanh is one Aussie middle-grade author that I just love, and in his short ‘Introducing Wendy’ he’s bringing out more of that teen boy angst over girl catastrophes that I so love and snort over in his novels. And in Ursula Dubosarsky’s ‘Australia Day’, a little girl confronts thoughts of mortality and dying when she comes down with food poisoning.

But perhaps my favourite short story was Ruth Starke’s ‘Only a Game’, in which the NIPS XI (North Illaba Primary School) cricket team travel to a Detention Centre (also known as an APOD: Alternative Place of Detention) to play a friendly game against some of the asylum seeker kids. The game and all that’s at stake for both teams causes the NIPS to think on what they have to lose versus good sportsmanship, and is a really thought-provoking and heart-warming tale.

Here is a rather special book. Truly, this collection bowled me ever for its beauty in the brevity and for showing such a stunningly well-rounded collection of Australia and overseas voices, all offering a little something for young adult readers. This is a collection which does not discriminate across genre, and there will be something here for all young readers; poetry, contemporary, historical, fantasy, a how-to and a graphic short story. This is a collection for young readers to sink their teeth into!

[Pengin · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS TRASH DON't recommend at all the sound is confusing and same as the prince of the sword like, tf

[aimee ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really great stories, it's targeted towards teenagers but I think it should be more targeted towards preteens.

[olyvia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Feel free to throw me off a cliff. Will be burning my copy of this. Thanks.

[Marjaan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so stupid, I don't understand the reason why it was even written and PUBLISHED.

[Soup_box · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book with very few stories that kept me entertained, most stories have no clear moral or explanation and just leave you confused. 100% would not recommend, would rather be eaten by sharks

[camryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. The stories were too short, the stories were definately not my genre and I just didn't enjoy it.

I was given this book to read for school, so I knew this book was not something I was gonna like, especially by it's cover. But I read it, not front to back, and finished it, for no one other than my classroom teacher!

The only stories that I did enjoy was the one with Abigail and Ikaw, because it has 1 simple kiss, and the photography one on statues, even though it was super creepy. I do not recommend reading it at night.

Overall, this book was a 1 star for me.

[Zitong Ren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although some of the stories were, meh, quiet a large majority were poor and were hard to read through. Some were written by high schoolers, which while was the audience it was trying to get to, it would have been better if they could have gotten more short stories from more established writers from Australia. 2.5/10

[Ginny Heinze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book included a compilation of extremely interesting short stories that definitely enticed whomever was reading through, yet I believe these stories are not my favorite and could improve in some areas.

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! A range of writing forms from fantastically diverse authors 👍👍 Paul Jennings’ story surprised me, as I thought the main character was a boy- stupid unconscious bias 🤦‍♀️ But I’m really grateful to this author for allowing me to realise this 🙏

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy the book at all but I had to read it for a school project that I am running. Just not my type of thing but I think the year 8 students will enjoy it

[shari · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is shocking. Do not read! I was so bored reading it I skipped most of the stories in it because I was literally falling asleep as I was reading…

[Eman Kelaby · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was so boring, I don't like the genre, I had to read it because it was a text book for school.

[Heheheheh · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is one of the worst books i have ever come across not to mention how hard it is to keep up with what your reading the only reason i read the book was because of a school project the book each chapter was constantly jumping to the plot and makes no sense half of the time like what they thinking writing a book like this i i have never been so bored reading a book i don't know why i even bothered to give it a chance hoping that there would be a change or that something different or better would pop up hate to break it to the author but writing is not everyone things. What were you thinking writing this. Also hate to be mean but it was very hard to enjoy when i didn't know what the chapters were talking about most of the time.

[Ben KR · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little collection of short stories for 'Year 7 and 8 readers'. I love the variety in form and style.

My favourite stories were, in no particular order: Out of the Yellow by James Roy, The Two Little Round Stones by Obed Raggett, The Exotic Rissole by Tanveer Ahmed, Snow Falls on the Subway by Yoon Zelim, both 'Smarty' and 'Smiley' by Doug MacLeod and A Dozen Bloomin' Roses by Paul Jennings

[Shia TIAN · Rating 3 out of 5]

so i had to read this for school and it was ok ish.Some of the stories were really boring and some didnt really have a message.I liked a better guide to kissing and cloud busting but when i read the second last baby tooth i hated it because the kids basically destroyed the house and didnt get into trouble at all . well anyways its very average idk if id read it again tbh

[Timotei · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a handful of decent stories, but the majority are quite poor. One of the good thing it does is demonstrate a variety of short literature to young students, but there are many better options to do so I think.

[Frankie Fyffe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the title and the concept of the book. Short stories and poetry from Australia and beyond. Though the stories were meant for a children/teenager audience. I skipped a story here or there. Good easy read though.

[Kai Dimattina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its not a bad book but it annoying that the story are so short

[Khyati Rajesth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good.

[Angelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book had many funny, very detailed and descriptive stories inside!

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid and diverse range of stories and poems. Great for the early secondary readers.

[Audrey Moody · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only read this book because my son is studying it for school. Not many of the stories interested me but there was a small handful that were mildly entertaining.

[Milan Shaibichan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, Really nice, I think you should read it.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

more like things that I didn't want to read

[Lucas O'Malley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great compilation of short stories and is quite entertaining. It is very easy to read and should be moreso directed towards preteen students, maybe year 5 or 6 than teenagers. The book incorporates a number of extremely interesting short stories that definitely enticed whoever was reading through; but also contains a number of stories that could use improvement in some areas. The novel compiles a number of texts from a number of different authors which makes the book feel choppy or uneven at times. Some stories can be as long as 10 to 15 pages whereas others can be as short as 3, making the book's pacing feel uneven and jumpy. One example of this is in the short story "Icecream Headache" on page 65. I found that this short story by Tim Sinclair was missing descriptions in many areas. "I am an Aspirin, you say to the man behind the counter." There was not much context at the beginning of the story in my opinion and could use some more explanation about the development of the story. On the other hand; I found the short poem "Chewing Gum" by Anonymous very easy and simplistic to read. It had clear descriptions of what was going on, and although it was not very deep or analytical, was more entertaining in my eyes. As a whole, I enjoy how the book gathers a range of diverse voices across a range of genres incorporating different views on the world.

[Shmalen · Rating 1 out of 5]

tbh, the book is absolutely inappropriate for early teens. there is lots of mentions of drugs and attempted murder, which is completely irrelevant to underage personnel. as shown in "the sound," abi was choked by her father. this book is a horrible excuse for a book. do not read, or risk becoming stupid. beware readers and early teens. 🔪

[Ashlee (Bookswithaj_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this text and I’m not just saying this because I’m teaching it next year to my Year 7s….

This is a brilliant collection of short stories where each author has covered different themes, text types, and ‘voices’ to engage the reader. Each author adds their voice into their piece and uses tone to connect to the audience in a creative artistic style. This makes each story feel like a warm conversation over a cup of tea & biscuits.

Truly an iconic and unforgettable collection of a range of different text types (short fiction, poetry and comic art) & diverse Australian perspectives which will melt your heart and then make you laugh out loud.

[Miffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From poems to short stories, fantasy to families, Things A Map Won't Show You is an eclectic mix of old and new works from some of Australia's premier authors. Some old, some new, some funny, some blue - there is something for everyone. My favorite funny - Chris Wheat's Guide to Kissing for Recently Arrived Young People. Make sure that you seek out this collection of short writings for young people and read it!