This is a collection of true Australian crime stories ranging from bushrangers such as Ned Kelly and Mad Dan Morgan through to serial killers, fraudsters and modern celebrity criminals. The book contains details of the crimes, biographical details, portraits by Louise Prout and interesting trivia in Did You Know boxes.
Sue Bursztynski grew up in the beachside suburbs of Melbourne, where she still lives. For many years, she wrote fiction and non-fiction for small-press science fiction magazines before she won the Mary Grant Bruce Award for childrens literature and realised that what she enjoyed most was writing for young people. She has written nine books, one of which, Potions to Pulsars: Women Doing Science, was a Notable Book in the Childrens Book Council Awards. Another, Starwalkers: Explorers of the Unknown, was nominated for the NSW Premiers History Award. When not writing, Sue works in a school in Melbournes western suburbs. She enjoys reading, music, handcraft and old science-fiction movies.
"Chocka-block with fascinating facts and true stories of Australias most infamous, Crime Time really does have something for everyone. Following an introduction by Kerry Greenwood, stories ranging from Jeronimus Corneliszs blood-thirsty mutiny in 1629 off the coast of Western Australia, to modern day thug, Carl Williams systematically chart four centuries of murderous mayhem that despite, or perhaps because of their subject matter, make for riveting reading. For example: Did you know that Australias youngest murderer was only seven years old? Or that our countrys first work of art was the Charlotte Medal? Commissioned by First Fleet Charlottes surgeon, the medal was fashioned from, of all things, a silver kidney dish. With an average story length of three pages, interspersed with black and white illustrations by Louise Prout and dozens of Did You Know? segments these terrible tales will entice even the most reluctant reader. The narrative consists of simple, easy to absorb sentences and is delivered in a conversational style that kids will relate to. And its hardly surprising: Sue Bursztynski has proven herself a skilled writer with nine titles to her credit, one of which earned her a CBC Notable Book Award. Finding a book for kids that will entertain as well as inform is a grand thing. Readers will be hard put to find a title that does this more thoroughly than Crime Time. Boys 10+ in particular will love this one." -- Jenny Mounfield
