Mary Grant Bruce (1878–1958)

A key text in Aussie children's literature, published when my great-grandparents were still young, this book was read and re-read by children for 60 years, although I don't think many people my age would be familiar with it. Another fantastic female heroine, and gripping use of the landscape. By this point, colonialist Australia had developed its own personality, and that ever-changing relationship with the land is at the heart of this work.

Is it outdated? Absolutely. It might be a show more questionable choice for one's children because of its racial stereotypes and language. A product of its time but, on balance, an invigorating historical novel. Just maybe leave it until people are old enough to question the parts that should be questioned. show less

Christmas in Australia is so very different from the traditions in the USA. I can appreciate that since Christmas in south and central Texas rarely feels like the traditional Christmas. At Christmas-time, Australia is blazes hot with risk of fire, snakes, and the odd kangaroo ever present. So much work this time of year at the stations. Stories are set mostly in the early 20th century. Some are sad, poignant, and funny. Many involve someone in distress and true love is found when someone show more saves them, such as a former WWII POW unable to recover from his experiences. One story ends in tragedy so read before sharing with young ones. Only one involves Christmas magic. Most feel like Little House on the Prairie type stories with the Australian Christmas background. I enjoyed it for something very different this year. show less

I'd never heard of Mary Grant Bruce or the Billabong series until one day my grandmother started talking about the books she read as a child, some 70 years ago now. For all I knew she was making it all up because I had never heard or seen of it anywhere...until I stumbled across the first book A Little Bush Maid in a secondhand bookstore. I bought it immediately, and sat down to see what the fuss was about.

Of course, I loved it. How could I not? It's Australia, it's the bush, it's history show more (though fiction I believe this portrays an accurate picture of rural Australia at the time), it's a plucky little heroine who you can't help but love and a whole other cast of characters. I can see why my grandmother loved this as a child and I only wish I, too, had discovered them at a younger age (being now about 10 years above the target age).

Many who read these books today may be shocked by some of the terms and behaviour used by even the children toward the Aboriginal stable boy. I think it is important to realise, while we should in no way encourage this behaviour, we also shouldn't try to cover up that part of history. That was the way life was in the 1900s and is clearly very different to life in 2010s. Just to put my two cents in, I see no reason to politically correct any novels, including the Billabong series and also Enid Blyton books, which I believe have been 'edited'. I think that adults shouldn't be so shocked that those attitudes did once exist, and I also think that children who read the books should have an understanding of how life used to be different and why it's not like that anymore.

But I digress! This book is wonderful and I look forward to scrounging around a few more secondhand bookstores to get my paws on the rest! show less

ohhhhh my GOODNESS i wouldve loved this to pieces when i was 10 this wouldve easily eclipsed literally every other dime novel i read at the time. a GIRL! riding wild by herself!! with boys who unabashedly adore her and don't actively look down on her! this wouldve been a DREAM to horse-obsessed little me who was utterly disgusted by the Lack of Girls in dime novels (not counting the actual girls series). but as it is i am 18 now (and i RIDE horses. what) and this was actually. pretty good i show more mean - i like this author. as dime novel-y as this is, it has a nice/fun tone i enjoyed and i like Norah and Jim and the friends and of course the normal dime novel things happened - adventure! mysterious person! mystery! mixups! a sudden plot twist that slots everything in PERFECTLY! redemption! reunion!!! it was not nearly as cheesy as every other american dime novel ive read soemhow even though it was like Woagh ok WHAT! well then i guess that's a thing. cool.
australian racism is Fascinating. hm. i wiiillll not say that much because i am unqualified to at all i know zilch about australian history but hoo boy. well!... awkward.
mildly intruiged by the circus scene what was ms bruce getting at i feel like im missing half of it. she's definitely more on the Leave Animals Alone side but what,

anyway i am going to go read as much of this series as i can locate online. good luck to me. also an australian told me this is Classic Australian Kid Lit cool i guess i am being educated in the ways of australia now. i have much more productive things to be doing. billabong is such a funny name show less