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Courtesy of HarperCollins
y separately published work icon The Road to Gundagai single work   children's fiction   historical fiction   children's  
Is part of The Matilda Saga Jackie French , 2010 series - author novel (number 3 in series)
Issue Details: First known date: 2013... 2013 The Road to Gundagai
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Blue Laurence has escaped the prison of her aunt's mansion to join The Magnifico Family Circus, a travelling troupe that brings glamour and laughter to country towns gripped by the Depression. Blue hides her crippled legs and scars behind the sparkle of a mermaid's costume; but she's not the only member of the circus hiding a dark secret. The unquenchable Madame Zlosky creates as well as foresees futures. The bearded lady is a young man with laughing eyes. A headless skeleton dangles in the House of Horrors. And somewhere a murderer is waiting ... to strike again. This third book in the Waltz for Matilda saga is set in 1932, at the height of the Depression. Miss Matilda is still running Drinkwater Station, but has put aside her own tragedy to help those suffering in tough economic times and Joey, from The Girl from Snowy River, uses his new medical skills to solve a mystery.'

— Publisher's blurb

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Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Sydney South, South Sydney area, Sydney Southern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: HarperCollins Australia , 2013 .
      image of person or book cover 6370163074813315357.jpg
      Courtesy of HarperCollins
      Extent: 304p.
      Note/s:
      • Publication date: 12/1/2013
      ISBN: 9781743099834
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Works about this Work

History, The Holocaust and Children’s Historical Fiction Hsu-Ming Teo , 2015 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , April no. 28 2015; 'In 2013, the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize was won by Australian novelist Jackie French’s historical novel Pennies for Hitler. French’s young adult novel, Dingo: The dog who conquered a continent, was also one of the three works shortlisted for the prize. No history/literary wars broke out over these historical novels. This article considers why children’s historical fiction is considered ‘good’ (or ‘good enough’) history when so many adult historical novels are not. Beginning with a brief overview of the competing claims about the ‘fictiveness’ of history, this article then uses French’s Pennies for Hitler as well as her novel Hitler’s daughter (1999) as case studies to test what Australian children – French’s main readership – would actually learn about Nazi Germany, the Holocaust and the Second World War from historical fiction. It concludes with a reflection about why the pleasures of childhood reading are denied adults, who are perhaps encouraged to treat history like work instead.' (Publication summary)
The Road to Gundagai by Jackie French Bill Wootton , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 22 no. 1 2014; (p. 16)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
Review : The Road to Gundagai Wendy Noble , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Good Reading , March 2014; (p. 65)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
[Review] The Road to Gundagai Lyn Linning , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 29 no. 1 2014; (p. 36)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
[Review] The Road to Gundagai Katharine England , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 18 January 2014; (p. 22)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
[Review] The Road to Gundagai Katharine England , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 18 January 2014; (p. 22)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
[Review] The Road to Gundagai Lyn Linning , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 29 no. 1 2014; (p. 36)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
Review : The Road to Gundagai Wendy Noble , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Good Reading , March 2014; (p. 65)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
The Road to Gundagai by Jackie French Bill Wootton , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 22 no. 1 2014; (p. 16)
— Review of The Road to Gundagai Jackie French , 2013 single work children's fiction
History, The Holocaust and Children’s Historical Fiction Hsu-Ming Teo , 2015 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , April no. 28 2015; 'In 2013, the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize was won by Australian novelist Jackie French’s historical novel Pennies for Hitler. French’s young adult novel, Dingo: The dog who conquered a continent, was also one of the three works shortlisted for the prize. No history/literary wars broke out over these historical novels. This article considers why children’s historical fiction is considered ‘good’ (or ‘good enough’) history when so many adult historical novels are not. Beginning with a brief overview of the competing claims about the ‘fictiveness’ of history, this article then uses French’s Pennies for Hitler as well as her novel Hitler’s daughter (1999) as case studies to test what Australian children – French’s main readership – would actually learn about Nazi Germany, the Holocaust and the Second World War from historical fiction. It concludes with a reflection about why the pleasures of childhood reading are denied adults, who are perhaps encouraged to treat history like work instead.' (Publication summary)
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Last amended 5 Oct 2023 10:13:44
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