Becoming Billy Dare


Book Description

Paddy secretly boards a ship bound for Australia, only to be shipwrecked at the end of the voyage. Once rescued, he faces the big question: how is he to make his way in this strange new land? On the road with a travelling circus, on the run with a wild child, sleeping rough on the mean streets of Melbourne, Paddy finds help and friendship with Bridie, and learns to live by his wits. Each adventure brings him closer to discovering his true gift. Character, choice and destiny intertwine in this richly detailed historical novel. Meticulous research . . . Becoming Billy Dare is, above all, an entertaining book that invites readers and provides inspiration. Jill Swann, Teacher-Librarian. Starting in the 1840s and ending in present-day Australia, the Children of the Wind quartet tells the stories of four courageous young people, Bridie, Billy, Colm and Maeve, born fifty years apart. The central character from each book becomes a mentor to the child in the next. ending in present-day Australia, the Children of the Wild quartet tells the stories of four courageous young people, Bridie, Billy, Colm and Maeve, born fifty years apart. The central character from each book becomes a mentor to the child in the next.




Internationalism in Children's Series


Book Description

Internationalism in Children's Series brings together international children's literature scholars who interpret 'internationalism' through various cultural, historical and theoretical lenses. From imperialism to transnationalism, from Tom Swift to Harry Potter, this book addresses the unique ability of series to introduce children to the world.




Re-visioning Historical Fiction for Young Readers


Book Description

This study is concerned with how readers are positioned to interpret the past in historical fiction for children and young adults. Looking at literature published within the last thirty to forty years, Wilson identifies and explores a prevalent trend for re-visioning and rewriting the past according to modern social and political ideological assumptions. Fiction within this genre, while concerned with the past at the level of content, is additionally concerned with present views of that historical past because of the future to which it is moving. Specific areas of discussion include the identification of a new sub-genre: Living history fiction, stories of Joan of Arc, historical fiction featuring agentic females, the very popular Scholastic Press historical journal series, fictions of war, and historical fiction featuring multicultural discourses. Wilson observes specific traits in historical fiction written for children — most notably how the notion of positive progress into the future is nuanced differently in this literature in which the concept of progress from the past is inextricably linked to the protagonist’s potential for agency and the realization of subjectivity. The genre consistently manifests a concern with identity construction that in turn informs and influences how a metanarrative of positive progress is played out. This book engages in a discussion of the functionality of the past within the genre and offers an interpretative frame for the sifting out of the present from the past in historical fiction for young readers.




The Simple Gift


Book Description

Weary of life with his alcoholic, abusive father, sixteen-year-old Billy packs a few belongings and hits the road, hoping for something better than what he left behind.




Becoming Billy Dare


Book Description

The second of four compelling, true-to-life adventures, 'Becoming Billy Dare' follows the life of a feisty Irish boy who runs away to Australia and finds his vocation as an actor in the colourful theatres of Melbourne, around the time of Federation.




Bridie's Fire


Book Description

Bridie's world is torn apart when her parents and baby brother die in the Great Hunger. She leaves Ireland, and strikes out alone to claim a life for herself in Australia, on the other side of the ocean. Bridie's Fire is heart-warming story of courage and resilience. It affirms Kirsty Murray's keen understanding of the human spirit. Starting in the 1840s and ending in present-day Australia. The Children of the Wind quartet tells the stories of four courageous young people, Bridie, Billy, Colm and Maeve, born fifty years apart. The central character from each book becomes a mentor to the child in the next. A well crafted and finely tuned historical novel...a rollicking adventure. - Children's Book Council, Notable Books 2004 I loved it! Really, I couldn't put it down. It's such an inspiration . . . my favourite book in the world. - Georgia, Year 8




Vulture's Gate


Book Description

One girl - could she be the last girl alive? One boy, pursued by reckless men who have kidnapped him from his fathers. Bo and Callum go in search of a safe haven, a place to call home. But where can they turn and who can they trust? When every stranger is a threat, does their only hope lie in reaching Vulture's Gate? Following a journey that takes them across barren deserts and lost valleys, Bo and Callum must discover how to survive alongside runaway boys and crazed religious terrorists, in a world with an uncertain future. And what is the disturbing secret at the ruined city's core?




Battle For Barrenwest


Book Description

In the merciless deserts of Barrenwest, a realm where the wild west meets the whimsy of high fantasy, we follow Tommy White, a reluctant drifter thrown into a world he had only dared to explore in books. For years, Tommy was confined to the northern town of Fruming, oblivious to the thrills and terrors beyond his sheltered life. But when circumstances propel him into the heart of Barrenwest, Tommy is thrust into a maelstrom of fate that could determine the destiny of the entire continent. In his journey, Tommy stumbles upon a diamond, an artifact of untold power that mysteriously resonates with him. Unbeknownst to Tommy, this gem is far more than a shiny trinket; it's the key to the looming war and harbinger of potential calamity. As he ventures deeper into the unforgiving desert, he uncovers the inexplicable allure of the diamond and its true nature. In his extraordinary journey, Tommy confronts cowboys armed with magical bullets, battles ghastly vampires, abnormal critters, and an array of mystical creatures unique to Barrenwest. Some of these beings are formidable foes, while others prove to be unexpected allies, aiding him in surviving the ruthless desert and facing his deepest fears. "Battle For Barrenwest – The Black Sun" offers a unique blend of classic Western and Fantasy genres. Its narrative delves into epic battles, explores profound perspectives on the dichotomy of good and evil, and blurs the lines between heroism and villainy. Behind the human conflicts and amidst the tangible terrors, a deeper, more sinister evil lurks in the shadows, threatening to pounce from the unknown.




The Civilian


Book Description




Being Billy


Book Description

Fifteen-year-old Billy's spent eight years in a care home and it's made him angry: with the system, with the social workers and the mother who gave him away. All he has to keep him going are his little brother and sister, but will they be enough? First person recount. Suggested level: secondary.