Butterflies

Description

Coping with severe burns, the hospital and doctors is not easy when all you want to do is be a teenage girl. Katherine was severely burnt in an accident when she was two years old. Now 17, she lives with her mother and 22 year-old sister. their father left the family when they were very young. Katherine still needs regular skin grafts. this is a moving and well-written tale of emotional and physical damage and Katherine's need to overcome her fears. It is a positive story of individual strength and family love. Whether a person is physically damaged or 'perfectly normal' life still has to be lived and the story of Katherine and her friends relates to all teenagers. Endorsed by Dr Hugh Martin, President of the ANZ Burn Association and Head of Burn Unit, the Children's Hospital, Westmead. * Highly Commended for the Older Readers in the Australian Family therapists' Award for Children's Literature 2002 Ages 12+

As a child of refugees, books were a safe and special place for Susanne Gervay to explore the world and ideas. She wants that for all young people. You'll find her planting mangroves in Kiribati; in Istanbul speaking to thousands of kids about no bullying; in remote indigenous schools bringing literacy to kids; touring with her I Am Jack play, adapted by Monkey Baa Theatre across Australia and the USA. Susanne's acclaimed books are widely endorsed by the Cancer Council NSW, Variety and The Children's Hospital Westmead. She is an ambassador for Room to Read, bringing education to the children of the developing world; a role model for Books in Homes, taking books to disadvantaged and indigenous children in Australia; and a literacy ambassador for many campaigns. Susanne is also Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), promoting the community of writers and illustrators in Australia and internationally. She has been awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award by the International Literacy Association, an Order of Australia, and was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. www.sgervay.com Author photo by Jessica Higgins