Penny Matthews

Based on true events, this book is set at the turn of the twentieth century in a small, country town in South Australia. Sixteen year old Emmie wants to be a writer and is inspired by her favourite author, Emily Bronte. From a well-to-do family, Emmie is frustrated by the limitations placed on her until Bertha, a young, world-wise German girl, comes to work for Emmie's mother. Gradually, despite their vast differences, Emmie and Bertha become friends until a terrible tragedy occurs leaving show more the little township of Towitt reeling.

While the book is a bit slow in parts, it was still an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the literary quotes at the start of each chapter, especially those from 'What a Young Woman Ought to Know' by Mary Wood Allen. While there are some dark issues underlining this book including sexual abuse, mental illness and murder, the book is also tinged with humour. Emmie is a delightful character who, through Bertha, learns what it means to be a true friend. show less

Not bad but I feel like I have read this book before as there is only so much you can write about a 20 minute battle on the Ballarat goldfields.
Henry has to work his father's claim with his sister, after his mother and baby brother have died. He befriends an Irish boy called Frank who leads him to meet a strange character known as Happy Jack, much to the annoyance of his father who thinks his new friends are a bad influence.
It is a time of great unrest on the goldfields with corrupt police, show more a murder, riots and the burning of the Eureka hotel. The miners are angry with the exorbitant prices of mining licences that they see as a form of taxation with no representation of their rights. Despite his father's warnings to stay clear Henry soon finds himself with a gun and sleeping in the newly constructed Eureka Stockade, and then, in the dead of night, he hears gunshots...
Written for younger readers with maps, glossary and fact files. show less

Un hibou bien Chouette was very cute and child like which i like but overall i wasn't really caught on it.The book was really predictable after the boy found the magical owl and brought it back to home and try to take care of it.But I also liked when the boy learned that the owl needed to be free and flying through the forest. It made me happy that the boy understood.Overall i didnt like the book alot but it was somewhat nice.

Twelve-year-old Nellie O'Neill lost her entire family - mother, father, and three younger siblings - to the famine in Ireland. After that, she had to live in a horrible workhouse, but now she has the chance for a new life. Nellie has arrived in Australia with a group of other Irish orphan girls, who are to work as maidservants.

At first, Nellie is worried that she will not be chosen to work as a servant, or that if she is, her employer will be cruel to her. However, Nellie is lucky, because show more she is chosen to work for a kind woman who runs a boardinghouse. For the first time in her life Nellie has her own room, and unlike in Ireland, there is plenty of food. But can her good fortune last?

I enjoyed the books I read in the Our Australian Girl series last year so I was happy when I found out there would be two new sets of books released this year. This series is a lot like the American Girls series, but set in Australia. Each character lives during a different time and place in Australian history and her story is told in a four book series. Although this book was not my favorite from the series (my favorite books so far were the stories about Grace, a young convict girl in 1808), I enjoyed reading Nellie's story and look forward to reading the other three books about her, which will be published later this year. show less