Book set in modern Australia?

[kirstenhill]

I'm making a reading list for this year to read aloud with my 4th and 7th grade boys.  I want to read one or more fiction books for each continent that are set in the "present day" -- let's say at least within the past 30 years.  I've made quite a list generally with quite a few ideas for most continents, but Australia is proving more challenging.  We've already read Bob by Wendy Mass, and Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai just isn't quite the right thing.  With all the cartoons I don't think it makes as good of a read aloud, and the focus of the story is more on the immigrant experience in a new city/school, and the little bit I read didn't give much of a feel for it being set in Australia specifically.  And that's it for what our library has in terms of middle grade books set in present day Australia (maybe not counting a couple books that seemed to have exclusively animal characters). 

I've read a few past threads here as well as looking through the list in "Give Your Child the World", but most of the suggestions seem to be books set 50-100+ years ago.   I might go for a book set longer ago in the past if I can't find anything more recent, but at the moment I'm still on the hunt for something to add to our list. 

[bensonduck]

It may be a little younger than you want, but my kids enjoyed The Mystery on the Great Barrier Reef by Carole Marsh a few years ago. 

[Haanz]

Music for Tigers is set in Tasmania.

[kiwik]

My son just had to read The Road to Winter but that is dystopian modern Australia so probably not what you want.

[LMD]

Hmm, with those ages, maybe Storm Boy? 

There's some suggestions at the end of this post:

https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2016/05/10/56348/unstuck-in-the-middle-middle-grade-fiction-in-australia/

[Melissa in Australia]

probably not modern enough but 

 I can Jump Puddles 

A Fortunate Life 

[Rosie_0801]

'Future Girl' by Asphyxia may not be quite what you are looking for, but the author is a sweetie so I promote it when I can.

Melissa Lucashenko is an Indigenous author, though not necessarily cheerful.

'Walking the Boundaries,' by Jackie French is what I'd recommend if you were to only pick one.

[vonfirmath]

I believe the Girl of the Year with American Girl this year is Austraalian. American Girl’s 2021 Girl of the Year makes her debut | NBC4 WCMH-TV (nbc4i.com)

 

[bookbard]

Yeah, while Storm Boy, I Can Jump Puddles, and A Fortunate Life are great reads, they're not modern at all. 

The First Book of Samuel (by Ursula Dubosarky) is a frequently read book for your boys' age group, with a boy main character - it is about 20 years old now I guess. It isn't exactly action packed though.

Hitler's Daughter by Jackie French is a mix between modern Australia and flashbacks to Nazi Germany (but kid level). I have the script of the play, and I thought it was very good. 

 

Edited August 27, 2021 by bookbard
spelling