A thoughtful study of the history of Australian children's fiction. Of course inevitably dated 35 years after publication, both in terms of the content that is missing and in some cases the content that is found within.

This is not a complete overview of children's fiction; more famous titles such as Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and The Magic Pudding are not the focus. This is an examination of how authors wrote for children, especially in the 1800s and pre-War years of the 20th century, especially in light of the strange circumstances of being a colonial outpost. Niall finds many dozens of examples of now forgotten novels written for young people, tying a long thread between them to explore how Australians saw themselves, and how adults attempted to convey their understanding of the nation to Australian children. Unsurprisingly, many of the books deal with the conflict between city and country, the preservation of British identity, and gender norms. Perhaps equally unsurprisingly, Niall finds that the best books are those that shirk these expectations.

There are a few genuine surprises here, a few books I will want to seek out. But for the most part, these are popular works of their time, and I'm glad that Niall read them so I don't have to! A fascinating window into our history. ( )