An easy flow book written for 8 - 10 year old's in terms of its content and how deep it delves. Older readers will find it a good introduction to the early convict colonisation history of Australia and will or should be left asking a lot of questions that this book hints at.
This is the story of Barney Bean, the ten-year-old orphaned son of a convict woman who was pick pocket and jailed in Newgate Prison, England. As a convict she and her son were shipped to the penal colony of Austalia in the early 1700’s. Bean has survived Newgate, the voyage to Australia and his mother's eventual death from blood poisoning. Bean befriends and hides a younger orphan Elsie (a mute) from the predominantly male convict colony, only venturing out to get the daily rations, slipping through and hiding among the colony of mud huts to try to get the food to Elsie before it is stolen. Birrung, an aborigine girl who has been adopted by the Reverend Mr Johnson and his wife takes the reverend to where Bean and Elsie are hiding. Birrung soon becomes Bean's friend and protector and with the introduction to the Johnson’s and their abundant vegetable garden, he and Elsie never go hungry. As the colony sinks into despair, terror and hunger, Birrung helps Bean and Elsie survive and eventually to understand enough indigenous language and lore. Birrung eventually returns to her native community and eventually Bean along with Elsie goes on to become a prosperous farmer, having being led to good land where the aborigines will predict the floods and droughts to help him succeed. But as the Johnson’s gently explain to Bean, his friendship with a 'native' girl - and all he owes her - must stay a secret all his life. ( )