Do five children’s novels, from 1979 to 1984, count for nothing? Weren’t they novels? Pamphlets per­haps; money-spinners, Greeneian ‘entertainments’, not real books? Unhappy children to be so fobbed off. Does winning the Children’s Book Council Award in 1983 with Master of the Grove, and repeated shortlisting for this award in other years count for nothing? Someone should tell the Australian Children’s Book Council. Or should someone speak sternly to Sorensen, and Kelleher? They ought to know better. And Peek can find nothing to say of Kelleher’s children’s books except that Beast of Heaven is reminiscent of some of them. ‘Reminiscent’! The continuity hits you in the eye, unless it is a blind one. A (good) book is a (good) book whether for children or adult. Stamp out adultist arrogance!

Dr John Gough, Deakin University

Dear Editor,

Thank you for reviewing Peter Goldsworthy’s new novel (Honk If You Are Jesus, ABR Nov, reviewed by Jeremy Keens).

The creation of the book was not simply ‘thick is good’ (which it isn’t) but with an eye to its future development into the smaller A format. We look forward to people reading it in both formats, and both versions will be priced to sell efficiently, not to remove trees.

For those of us who are weight­conscious, there is a very successful ‘this’ book by Peter Goldsworthy, Maestro (Imprint, $12.95), which has reprinted three times this year.

Tom Thompson, Publisher, Literature – A&R

Last month, in the review of Australian Readers Remember, one of the editors’ names was repeatedly spelt incorrectly. The error was made in typesetting. The editors of that publication are Lucy Taksa and Martin Lyons. We apologise for the mistake.