Finding Heroes in Books
Who is your hero?
I admit to reading biographies to get inside the lives of other people, especially feisty females. Motivations fascinate me.
At a recent literary event, most students named badly behaving footballers as their 'heroes', just because these 'celebs' photos were on front pages of the newspaper.
Notorious is not heroic!
Surely a hero does something for their community, solves a problem , invents , creates or comes up with a better way to change attitudes?
As an author I'm also intrigued by historical figures, even the modest ones. Asked to contribute to the Aussie Heroes series for 10 year old readers, I've enjoyed researching surgeons 'Weary' Dunlop and Fred Hollows and more recently Edith Cowan, (who is on the Australian $50 note) and was the first female elected into the Australian parliament.
So, at the same Australian regional literary festival of 200 teenagers, no-one knew who Edith Cowan was, one had heard of Dr Fred Hollows and one thought 'Weary' was a brand of tyre.
Maybe we need to share more inspirational personalities in formats young people will read? And recommend accessible books about 'real' people from history?
Sir Edward Weary DunlopProfessor Fred Hollows
I admit to reading biographies to get inside the lives of other people, especially feisty females. Motivations fascinate me.
At a recent literary event, most students named badly behaving footballers as their 'heroes', just because these 'celebs' photos were on front pages of the newspaper.
Notorious is not heroic!
Surely a hero does something for their community, solves a problem , invents , creates or comes up with a better way to change attitudes?
As an author I'm also intrigued by historical figures, even the modest ones. Asked to contribute to the Aussie Heroes series for 10 year old readers, I've enjoyed researching surgeons 'Weary' Dunlop and Fred Hollows and more recently Edith Cowan, (who is on the Australian $50 note) and was the first female elected into the Australian parliament.
So, at the same Australian regional literary festival of 200 teenagers, no-one knew who Edith Cowan was, one had heard of Dr Fred Hollows and one thought 'Weary' was a brand of tyre.
Maybe we need to share more inspirational personalities in formats young people will read? And recommend accessible books about 'real' people from history?
Sir Edward Weary DunlopProfessor Fred Hollows
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Carolyn
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May 25, 2013 05:11PM
Hazel Edwards' Heroes series are a great addition to every child's library. Easy to read with fascinating stories, they give a real understanding to todays children of some of our Australian heroes of the past. I highly recommend the series to anyone with a young family. I admit I enjoyed them too.
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Weary's Aussie Heroes story, expertly written for a young audience, shows the true meaning of service and honour. Quick to read yet full of vital facts and fascinating anecdotes about the great man, Hazel Edwards has again proven her own value as one of Australia's Literary Heroes.
