Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Own a copy -get your own copy from The Book Depository OR a free electronic version from Project Gutenberg
I think I would have enjoyed this story a lot more if I read this at a much younger age. This is, of course, one of those classic books that everyone (or at least most Aussies) would have read in school that I have missed out on, being an immigrant. But I am catching up!
It was an easy story to read and enjoy on a fine weekend. In between, we went to a birthday picnic where children were indulged in sugar-y goodness and lots of play in the sun. So, I had the same sort of image in my head when I was reading this book. But… I have to say that those children were pretty tame in comparison to what these “Seven Little Australians” get up to!
The book was evenly spread out between all children; what they are like, why they are so, their own brand of mischiefs but all imbued with their own innate goodness. There were some shocking things that they do but as a reader, you can’t help but laugh –although, if my child did any of those things, I would’ve been so… angry and disappointed. The ending was really unexpected but I would love to continue and follow their stories.
Not one of the seven is really good, for the very excellent reason that Australian children never are…. But in Australia a model child is – I say it not without thankfulness – an unknown quantity. It may be that the miasmas of naughtiness develop best in the sunny brilliancy of our atmosphere. It may be that the land and the people are young-hearted together,… There is a lurking sparkle of joyousness and rebellion and mischief in the nature here, and therefore in children.
If you enjoyed children classics such as What Katy Did / What Katy Did at School or even Little Women, I believe you may enjoy this tale too.
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Tien's Blurb 
Seven Little Australian’s is such a beautiful classic story – I enjoyed your review 🙂
Thanks 🙂
It was an easy to swallow type of classic so it really was enjoyable.
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I read this a few years ago and really enjoyed it, until the shock of the ending. But we named one of my mom’s chickens Judy–she’s an Australorp–so that makes it better, right? 🙂
I did read this as a child and adored it (there was also a wonderful TV series in the 70’s).
We seem to have covered a lot of the same ground with our Aussie classics 🙂