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... Children’s authors have strived to combat the problem by writing about everyday problems, in a language that children and adolescents can comprehend. The main problem of Australian society is, and has always been ‘the family unit’. ...
Children in today’s informational glut are faced with more problems than ever before. Television, ‘the internet’, computer games all strive to take away time that was once considered ‘quality family time’. As a consequence, it is refreshing to note that children’s books tackle relevant issues that most children and adolescents face in today’s busy lifestyle.
Reviewed texts that revolve around such significant contemporary themes, include:
: - Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
: - Two hands together by Dianna Kidd
: - Soldier boy by Anthony Hill
These books, whilst not only incorporating important factors of ‘family struggle’, present for the average reader interesting and easy to understand fiction. ... This novel’s main theme involves the bigotry against “black man” syndrome, a common fault numerous Australians possess. ... This book more than any other, compacts several of today’s prevalent issues in one concise volume, and has had great impact on the adolescents in our contemporary society. ... In this book it is colour or racial bigotry, for example the father figure of the family betrays the aboriginals as uncivilized and trouble makers. ... He constantly displays a prejudice and discriminative attitude towards the Aboriginal family residing next door. It also introduces various issues dealing with the children and family as a whole. This remains the situation until a near family tragedy brings them together. ... In a nutshell this book deals with Australians in the 1914 era, the intense patriotism that ‘Ocker’ Australians are so noted for, a family’s love for its treasured members and the shame they experience when the father is refused acceptance into the army.
Thus, in today’s society several prevalent issues surround the ‘family’ tag that these books combat. ...
In today’s multicultural society a large amount of racism and bigotry still exists. Although the situation has greatly improved over time it still a concrete issue, especially for minority races or more bluntly; any race that doesn’t have white skin or wasn’t born in Australia, (war of the clans). ... However, two of the books dealt with this topic and evident problem. Both “Looking for Alibrandi” and “Two hands together” acknowledged these issues, and the compounded effect on the family unit as a whole. For example in both books, the family dinners and meals are a shared and emphasised point.
Approximate Word count = 2017
Approximate Pages = 8.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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