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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Review - A Bear Called Paddington

Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington, a most endearing bear from Darkest Peruon a railway platform in London. A sign hanging around his neck said, "Please look after this bear. Thank you" So that is just what they did.

From the very first night when he attempted his first bath and ended up nearly flooding the house, Paddington was seldom far from imminent disaster. Jonathan and Judy were delighted with this havoc and even Mr. and Mrs. Brown had to admit that life seemed to be more filled with adventure when there was a bear in the house.

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. And I mean WOW.



This is a children’s book, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone now, but it is a good book I can’t say I would recommend it to anyone now, but for children it is a fun, exciting read. I was in love with Paddington; I wished my parents would find a bear like that at the train station.

        Mr Brown coughed loudly. “It doesn’t seem a very exciting story,” he said, impatiently.
              He reached across and poked Paddington with his pipe. “Well I never,” he said, “I do believe he’s fallen asleep!”

That is one of the many reasons why I loved this book (as much as 8 year old me could love something).