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Wylah the Koorie Warrior #2
Custodians
Full of heart-stopping adventure, starring a hero for the ages and her mega-funny megafauna friends, this best selling series is a total delight.
Wylah has already accomplished the unbelievable feat of uniting the five Guardians, but her journey is far from over. Together with her megafauna friends, she must travel through the treacherous and forbidden Valley of the Spirits to face off against the Dragon Army.
Can Wylah defeat the perils that lay ahead and become the ultimate Koorie Warrior?
Embark on a heart-stopping journey filled with danger and excitement with book 2 in the bestselling Wylah the Koorie Warrior series. Inspired by First Nations history and grounded in culture, this is a must-read for adventure lovers of all ages!
Wylah has already accomplished the unbelievable feat of uniting the five Guardians, but her journey is far from over. Together with her megafauna friends, she must travel through the treacherous and forbidden Valley of the Spirits to face off against the Dragon Army.
Can Wylah defeat the perils that lay ahead and become the ultimate Koorie Warrior?
Embark on a heart-stopping journey filled with danger and excitement with book 2 in the bestselling Wylah the Koorie Warrior series. Inspired by First Nations history and grounded in culture, this is a must-read for adventure lovers of all ages!
Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2023
5 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Gould
5 books5 followersJordan Gould is a Peek Whurrong man from Warrnambool, Victoria. He performs Welcome to Country ceremonies at corporate and private gatherings. He is passionate about teaching and talking to groups about culture, language and reconciliation.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 25, 2023
This book annoyed me sooooo much. But only to do with one particular character. For the most part I really really enjoyed the story.
I do think that since there are soooo many characters in this that there should have been a character guide thing at the front, with pictures of all of them. I was a little confused trying to remember what all the characters looked like.
The cover quite literally spoils the book. So that was annoying. It is very quite obvious based on the cover and the many many many hints that this thing is going to happen. Like calm down with the hints or don't make all the characters bloody oblivious to the hints, makes em look super dumb, which they are not. It's dragged out for the whole bloody book! Then once the thing happens Wylah almost immediately just forgives everything in time for the book to end- which I do understand i guess, i mean it is a children's book, but still! After everything? No way!
I do think that since there are soooo many characters in this that there should have been a character guide thing at the front, with pictures of all of them. I was a little confused trying to remember what all the characters looked like.
The cover quite literally spoils the book. So that was annoying. It is very quite obvious based on the cover and the many many many hints that this thing is going to happen. Like calm down with the hints or don't make all the characters bloody oblivious to the hints, makes em look super dumb, which they are not. It's dragged out for the whole bloody book! Then once the thing happens Wylah almost immediately just forgives everything in time for the book to end- which I do understand i guess, i mean it is a children's book, but still! After everything? No way!
May 29, 2023
When we last saw Wylah and Po, they were on their way to the mountains to find Po’s sister, Merri, having received her message stick. Wylah has united the great tribal Guardians but the Dragon Army are still holding her tribe captive. In order to free them, they will need to go through the Valley of the Spirits, “a legendary place where terrible creatures dwell between our world and the Dreamtime.”
Wylah may not be great at climbing trees or balancing but she has determination, courage and resilience.
There’s plenty of action in this book. The megafauna are at the forefront a lot, much to my delight. Butt crashing his way into some of my favourite scenes was Tulna, an adorable mega wombat. That’s him saying ‘cheese!’ next to Wylah on the front cover. See? Adorable!
The release of this book during Reconciliation Week is perfect timing. It invites readers to learn more about Indigenous Australians and their history and culture.
I still love that Wylah doesn’t have a success only journey. She has to make tough decisions. She needs to choose when to fight and when to show kindness. You can easily imagine being her friend.
Unlike other heroes, she doesn’t magically have all of the skills she needs as the Koorie Warrior immediately. She has to train and learn from her mistakes. She’s still finding her feet as a warrior, gradually building her confidence and realising that it’s okay to ask for help. She’s a hero you want to get behind because she’s so authentic.
I love turning the page to in search of the next illustration. The humans and animals are expressive and the animals in particular are brilliant. My favourite illustration in this book features a happy Mama Yowie.
Consistent with the first book in the series, chapters where we follow Wylah are told in first person and have a boomerang picture above the chapter numbers. Those that focused on what is happening with the rest of the tribe are in third person, the pages are grey and the picture above the chapter numbers changes to an amulet.
Another feature I loved in the first book was replicated here, a glossary in table form at the end of the book that tells readers both the English and Peek Whurrong words for names, their meaning and how to pronounce them. For the animal characters, their species is also included.
A fun new addition in this book were two character profiles, Pippy and adorable Tulna.
While this is a kid’s book, it’s also an entertaining read for adults. I always enjoy finding gems in kid’s books that only adults will truly appreciate. Here, Alinta, who Wylah meets along the way, channels her inner Mick Dundee.
Title: Custodians: Wylah the Koorie Warrior 2
Authors: Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard
Publisher: Allen & Unwin. I love the book’s activity sheet on their website.
Published: May 2023.
RRP: AUD $15.99.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
Wylah may not be great at climbing trees or balancing but she has determination, courage and resilience.
There’s plenty of action in this book. The megafauna are at the forefront a lot, much to my delight. Butt crashing his way into some of my favourite scenes was Tulna, an adorable mega wombat. That’s him saying ‘cheese!’ next to Wylah on the front cover. See? Adorable!
The release of this book during Reconciliation Week is perfect timing. It invites readers to learn more about Indigenous Australians and their history and culture.
I still love that Wylah doesn’t have a success only journey. She has to make tough decisions. She needs to choose when to fight and when to show kindness. You can easily imagine being her friend.
Unlike other heroes, she doesn’t magically have all of the skills she needs as the Koorie Warrior immediately. She has to train and learn from her mistakes. She’s still finding her feet as a warrior, gradually building her confidence and realising that it’s okay to ask for help. She’s a hero you want to get behind because she’s so authentic.
I love turning the page to in search of the next illustration. The humans and animals are expressive and the animals in particular are brilliant. My favourite illustration in this book features a happy Mama Yowie.
Consistent with the first book in the series, chapters where we follow Wylah are told in first person and have a boomerang picture above the chapter numbers. Those that focused on what is happening with the rest of the tribe are in third person, the pages are grey and the picture above the chapter numbers changes to an amulet.
Another feature I loved in the first book was replicated here, a glossary in table form at the end of the book that tells readers both the English and Peek Whurrong words for names, their meaning and how to pronounce them. For the animal characters, their species is also included.
A fun new addition in this book were two character profiles, Pippy and adorable Tulna.
While this is a kid’s book, it’s also an entertaining read for adults. I always enjoy finding gems in kid’s books that only adults will truly appreciate. Here, Alinta, who Wylah meets along the way, channels her inner Mick Dundee.
‘That’s not a boomerang, this is a boomerang’Be on the lookout for one of Australia’s national treasures, drop bears!
‘Why are there so many creatures out here that want to eat us?!’Thank you so much to Albert Street Books, an imprint of Allen & Unwin, for the opportunity to read this book. I am really looking forward to the next one.
Title: Custodians: Wylah the Koorie Warrior 2
Authors: Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard
Publisher: Allen & Unwin. I love the book’s activity sheet on their website.
Published: May 2023.
RRP: AUD $15.99.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
July 21, 2023
This is the second MG adventure in the Wylah series, the first being Guardians: Wylah the Koorie Warrior 1. The co-authors and illustrator are a creative team. Jordan Gould is a Peek Whurrong man from Warrnambool, Victoria. Richard Pritchard is a New- Zealand born Samoan man. Together they have woven a fast-paced adventure, which focuses on the themes of hope, strength,unity and determination. They have drawn on the history of Aboriginal people and their culture, with a diverse collection of creatures who are the great tribal guardians. Young Wylah, the First Nations hero, has united these creatures (from the first book) and she travels through this adventure with other humans Merri, Po and Jayden.
Inspired by history, it features animals from legend and also fantasy, such as drop bears and dragons. Wylah and her guardians must fight and negotiate to save her tribe, including her parents, who have been captured by the Dragon Army, who are forcing the people to dig for gold in caves. Calling on her ancestors and grandmother to help, she bravely takes her team through the dreaded Valley of the Spirits to seek an answer to setting her tribe free. Along the way, there is treachery from within the ranks, and Wylah and the others must fight with all their strength to attempt the freedom required for the tribe. However, there is extreme danger, and even the mega-fauna friends find themselves under severe attack.
The ending leaves the story open for the next book to come in the series.
This will be enjoyed by readers 10+ years of age.
Inspired by history, it features animals from legend and also fantasy, such as drop bears and dragons. Wylah and her guardians must fight and negotiate to save her tribe, including her parents, who have been captured by the Dragon Army, who are forcing the people to dig for gold in caves. Calling on her ancestors and grandmother to help, she bravely takes her team through the dreaded Valley of the Spirits to seek an answer to setting her tribe free. Along the way, there is treachery from within the ranks, and Wylah and the others must fight with all their strength to attempt the freedom required for the tribe. However, there is extreme danger, and even the mega-fauna friends find themselves under severe attack.
The ending leaves the story open for the next book to come in the series.
This will be enjoyed by readers 10+ years of age.
July 16, 2023
Once again, Wylah finds herself facing an army of dragons intent on taking over the lands of her people. Only this time she has the Guardians with her and she is not about to go down without a fight!
This series is such a fantastic culmination of fantasy and Indigenous stories and culture. I really enjoyed Wylah's adventures and the mix of wild fun and seriousness. It is a must-have in school and class libraries in Australia and will become a quick favourite for fans of Pokemon, Wings of Fire, and Wolf Girl.
This series is such a fantastic culmination of fantasy and Indigenous stories and culture. I really enjoyed Wylah's adventures and the mix of wild fun and seriousness. It is a must-have in school and class libraries in Australia and will become a quick favourite for fans of Pokemon, Wings of Fire, and Wolf Girl.
December 8, 2024
The second installment in the Wylah the Koorie Warrior series, Custodians by Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard, is a thrilling, culturally rich adventure that continues Wylah's journey. This time, she must navigate the perilous Valley of the Spirits to rescue her tribe. Combining action, humor, and heart, the story beautifully integrates First Nations history and mythology. Wylah's resilience and growth, along with the expressive illustrations and glossary of Indigenous terms, make it both engaging and educational.
May 22, 2024
My 6yr old son and I really enjoyed reading the 2nd book in the Koorie Warrior series. We started reading the first one last year while he was in preschool after he came home super keen to learn more about Indigenous culture. This was a really fun way to learn about our first people's stories and culture. We can't wait for the third book!
March 1, 2024
I LOVE WYLAH!!
August 21, 2024
Gould's Fills #2
Wylah #2
Second yarn in the Waylah series sees the Koorie Warrior entertain many adventures, but despite the statements ion the blurb here, none of them will stop your heart.
Wylah #2
Second yarn in the Waylah series sees the Koorie Warrior entertain many adventures, but despite the statements ion the blurb here, none of them will stop your heart.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews