OUR AUSTRALIAN GIRL

The second set of 16 books in the series: Nellie, Alice, Ruby and Lina

by various well-known Australian authors

For more information about this series, click here

New softcover books. Published 2012 & 2013, 132 pages in each book. Delightful illustrations by Lucia Masciullo. Reading age: 8 - 11 years.

*The Nellie books, 1849 by Penny Matthews

It's 1849 . . .
and Nellie O'Neill is arriving in South Australia on a ship bringing orphan girls from Irish workhouses. Nellie and her best friend, Mary, have left the famine in Ireland far behind, and crossed the world in search of a better life. They are full of hopes and dreams for the future. Nellie longs to learn to read, to be part of a family once more, and never to be hungry again. But with no job and no one to turn to, how will Nellie make her wishes come true?

Nellie's story is an example of the way Australia could mean a new beginning and is told in four exciting instalments -

1. Meet Nellie
2. Nellie and the Letter
3. Nellie's Quest
4. Nellie's Greatest Wish

* The Alice books, 1918 by Davina Bell

It's 1918 . . .
and Alice lives with her family by the Swan River in Perth, while on the other side of the world the Great War rages. Alice's deepest wish is to become a ballerina, and when she auditions for a famous dance teacher from London, it seems as if her dreams might come true. But then there's a terrible accident, and Alice must ask herself whether there are more important things than dancing.

Meet Alice and follow her adventures in four stories about a gifted girl in a time of war

1. Meet Alice
2. Alice at the Apple Blossom Fair
3. Alice of Peppermint Grove
4. Peacetime for Alice

* The Ruby books, 1930 by Penny Matthews

It's 1930 . . .
and Ruby lives a privileged life in a big home in Adelaide. But when her father’s business goes bankrupt, Ruby’s world changes dramatically and she and her mother are forced to go and stay with relations in the country. Ruby has to leave behind her beautiful house, her friends and even her dad, who is staying in Adelaide to look for work. At least she can take Baxter, her beloved fox terrier. But life in the country is hard! For Ruby it means a new school and a very different lifestyle. In the meantime, back in Adelaide Ruby’s dad has disappeared, and nobody knows where he is.

1. Meet Ruby
2. Ruby and the Country Cousins
3. School Days for Ruby
4. Ruby of Kettle Farm

* The Lina books, 1956 by Sally Rippin

It's 1956 . . .
and Lina lives in Carlton with her family. She dreams of being a writer, but her strict Italian parents have other ideas. Lina has been awarded a scholarship to a private girls school and she struggles to fit in with the other students there - to Lina it sometimes feels as if she comes from a different world! When Lina and some of the other students start a school newspaper, it leads to events Lina would never have imagined.

1. Meet Lina
2. Lina's Many Lives
3. Lina at the Games
4. A Lesson for Lina

More about the Our Australian Girl series:

Our Australian Girl is a new series of historical novels for girls published by Puffin Books Australia. Each story in the series is set in a particular era of Australian history - the convict era, colonisation, the effects of the Irish famine, the goldrush, Federation, the Depression and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. All written by highly acclaimed Australian authors, they feature strong plots, colourful and varied characters and genuine, likeable heroines.

The covers of the Our Australian Girl books are designed to appeal to pre-teen girls, with a logo of a locket and charm bracelet, enduring symbols of girlhood. Inside, an array of emotional experiences awaits readers with engaging descriptions of life as it once was and suspenseful plots about things such as family, friendship, betrayal, loneliness, standing up for what's right and surviving in a dangerous world. Our Australian Girl focuses on the fortunes of eleven likeable young girls: Grace, Letty, Poppy, Rose, Nellie, Alice, Ruby, Lina, Pearlie, Daisy and Marley. Each of their stories begins in a different era and each character has their own series of four books with a distinct voice and personality. It's their stories, their dramas, hopes and dreams that illuminate Australia's past, its rich diversity and the independent spirit that was fundamental to the building of a nation.

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Our Australian Girl Series: Nellie, Alice, Ruby, Lina - full set of 16 new softcover books