Thursday's Child

Author: Sonya Hartnett

Published: Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2000

Annotation: Thursday's Child is a coming-of age story set during the time of the Great Depression and follows the perspective of Harper Flute, part of a rural family hit hard by the Depression. As the times get worse, Harper must watch her family decline further, as her parents emotionally withdraw, while her brother Tin, obsessed with digging tunnels beneath their house and living underground, becomes a wild thing. A "breathtakingly original" (goodreads) story, with well-developed characters and "a sense of magical realism" (also goodreads), read through the eyes of a child. Why not try it out?

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Becoming Kirrali Lewis

Author: Jane Harrison

Published: Magabla Books, 2015

Annotation: Like Sarjan, this novel tells a story across time, in both the 1960's and 1980's, and gives readers a look into Australian society at times of great cultural change, particularly in regards to indigenous people and their place in those societies. Kirrali Lewis, an aboriginal teenager adopted by white parents at birth, is prompted to search for her biological parents after life-changing experiences. Kirrali's birth mother Cherie, her relationship with radical black activist Charlie, and her subsequent rejection by her own society forms a large part of the story, with the rest focusing on Kirrali's own search for an identity.

A novel dealing with difficult subjects and packed with the culture, politics and history of the times, fans of more recent history and cultural struggles should have no reason to give this one a try.    

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The Secret River

Author: Kate Grenville

Published: New York, Canongate U.S., 2006

Annotation: No doubt many of you will already recognize this title. One of Australia's most well-known pieces of fiction, this captivating and intricately-plotted novel has been used in school curriculum and has spawned two sequels, a play and a limited TV series. Recalling her own family's history, Kate Grenville tells the story of William Thornhill, deported to New South Wales in 1806. In his attempts to begin a new life for his family he comes across a seemingly-uninhabited patch of land on the Hawkesbury River and claims it for himself. But appearances do not reflect reality and William soon finds himself in the middle of a collision between two worlds. A gut-wrenching, well-researched story that showcases human instinct at it's worst, winner of multiple "best book of the year" awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards: Literary Fiction Book of the Year, why not make today the day you give the Thornhill Family trilogy a try?

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Inner West catalogue

The Castaway Convict

Authors: Wendy MacDonald and Mark L. Wilson

Published: Perth: University of Western Australia, 2005

Annotation: From young-fiction writer Wendy MacDonald and award-winning illustrator Mark L. Wilson comes a mystery adventure tale starring Tom Parish, or at least that's what his fellow convicts call him. In truth, 12-year-old Josh cannot remember why they call him that, or how he came to be incarcerated at Point Puer's boy's prison, Port Arthur. But answers might be on the way, as Josh manages to escape and sets out on a journey with his new friend Sarah and her father to recover his identity. This younger-focused book takes readers across historical Tasmania, from Eaglehawk Neck to Hobart. Feel free to give it a try if you like historical adventure.

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Trove

Sarjan

Author: Jennifer Browne

Published: Sarjan, 2010

Annotation: Described as an "intelligent and impartial writer" by goodreads.com, Jennifer Browne takes readers on an illuminating and intricate journey with this courageous novel, centered around the Swan River Colony in Western Australia, established in 1829. From there, it follows three children, rescued by tribal Aboriginals after being orphaned. Against the backdrop of the next 25 years, the adventures of these three will see them experience both despair and triumph, witness hardship, conflict and the Pinjarra massacre and travel from Fremantle to the Victorian Goldfields to Cape Colony in South Africa.

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The Ratcatcher's Daughter

Author: Pamela Rushby

Published: HarperCollins, 2014

Annotation: 1900 and the Black Death has arrived in Brisbane. As a result, Izzy Mckelvie, already in a first job that she cant stand, becomes an unwilling rat-catcher. With the aid of four excitable rat-catching terriers, she must help rid the city of the scourge that is the plague. A look into a lesser-known part of Australian history, this adventurous, educational and insightful story will be a good pick for our younger followers.

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The Year It All Ended

Author: Kirsty Murray

Published: Murdoch Books, 2014

Annotation: From multi-award winning young adult author Kirsty Murray, "The Year It All Ended" takes readers back to Armistice Day 1918, seventeenth birthday of Tina Flynn. While the war has ended, her journey is only beginning. Over the next year, Tina will experience both tragedy and joy, witness weddings, seances, riots and balls, and travel from Adelaide to a near-ruined Europe. There's a lot to unpack in this novel, the focus being not on the war itself, but life afterwards. Former soldiers must return to civilian life, Germans living in Australia are held responsible for the horrors, and Tina's family must try to build a future for themselves, while also coming to terms with the past.

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Jasper Jones

Author: Craig Silvey

Published: Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin, 2009

Annotation: In the summer of 1965, 13-year-old Charlie Bucktin is visited by Jasper Jones, mixed-race outcast of the mining town of Corrigan. Fascinated by the mysterious Jasper, Charlie accompanies him into the night only to discover something that shocks him to the core. In the aftermath, while fear and suspicion turns his community against itself, Charlie must contend with his hot-tempered mother, his zealous best friend Jeffery and finding his first love. In the end, Charlie will learn why truth isn't always pleasant.

Another well-known title on this list, having been adapted into a play and a movie and winner of the Western Australian Premier's Book Award for fiction, Jasper Jones is a complex and anxiety-inducing story. While the plot describes a murder mystery, the subjects and themes extend further, dealing with prejudice, growing up, families, secrets, as well as a good amount of cricket. Feel free to pick this up if you want something substantial to lose yourself in.

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Razorhurst

Author: Justine Larbalestier 

Publisher: New York: Soho Teen, 2015 (originally published in Australia by Allen and Irwin, 2014)

Annotation: This title turns down historical accuracy in favor of historical fantasy. Set during 1932 against the backdrop of Sydney's Razor gang era, orphan Kelphie and beauty Dymphna, both able to see ghosts, attempt to use this supernatural advantage to survive and thrive in their brutal world. This novel has plenty for readers to sink their teeth into, having a large cast of complex characters, an intricate plot and even winning three separate awards, including Best Horror novel from Aurealis Awards and YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults for 2016.

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The Schoolmaster's Daughter

Author: Jackie French

Publisher: Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 2020

Annotation: This recently-published teen novel takes a look at 1901, and is based on the lives of the author's grandparents and great-grandparents. Exploring the prejudice of the times, the story follows Hannah and her Pacific Islander friend Jamie as they struggle for equality amidst the new Federal Government's decision to deport all Pacific Islanders, even those born in Australia. Written by Jackie French, Australian Children's Laureate for 2014-2015 and considered "one of Australia's most popular children's authors, and writers across all genres" (goodreads), this one is not to be missed.

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