Author: Kate Constable
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Children
Format: Book - library
From Goodreads: Sadie isn't thrilled when her mother drags her from the city to live in the country town of Boort. But soon she starts making connections—with the country, with the past, with two boys, Lachie and Walter, and, most surprisingly, with the ever-present crows. When Sadie is tumbled back in time to view a terrible crime, she is pulled into a strange mystery. Can Sadie, Walter, and Lachie figure out a way to right old wrongs, or will they be condemned to repeat them? A fantasy ground in mythology, this novel has the backing of a full consultative process on the use of indigenous lore.
What I thought: This is the first book from the The Children's Book Council of Australia Younger Reader's Short list.
What is really interesting is it's on the teenage shelves at the library I work at, so I was very interested to see what I though - younger reader or young adult. And the thing is, there are themes for both. It would be a great book to read to younger readers while working on a theme centred around the Aboriginal Dreamtime - why it was important and it's ongoing relevance to today's Aboriginals. It would also be a great way to look at the changes in Australia, attitudes to our indigenous population and ownership of land.
On the young adult side, there is a lot to be harvested from this book - reconciliation, mateship, friendship groups and ownership of land just to name a few.
In the end, I think Crow Country can fit comfortably in either category. If I was still working as a primary school teacher librarian, I would definitely have purchased and recommended it for year 3 and up.
Challenges: Library Challenge