Review- The Burnt Stick

When John Jagamarra was five, he was taken away from his mother and his home in an Australian aboriginal camp. John was half-white, and the law said he had to be educated in a mission school. But John never forgot his real home -- or his mother, who darkened his skin with a burnt stick. A poignant tale of painful separation, abiding love, and enduring memory. "An exceptional and very emotional novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished it."--Horn Book



The Burnt Stick by Anthony Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's actually been a while since I read this but I still remember the plot and what I thought of it. I was in year 5 when my teacher read this to the class, it was the day that Kevin Rudd said sorry to the stolen generation. That was a huge day and over the course of the following week we learned so many things about Aborigines and the stolen generation. One of the things we did was read this book.



This book is about a boy who is going to be taken away from his Aborigine family because his father was white. His mother comes up with a plan that when the people come to take him away, she will rub a burnt stick on his body when they come to check. 



The story does not end well, but it is very, very beautiful and it is hard not to like it. The writing, the characters and the plot all come together amazingly in this story. 



I recommend this to primary school children, not so much older people because it is a quick, short read and is probably better suited for younger people. I'm not saying that older people won't enjoy it, except younger people will probably enjoy it more.


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