The Riding Gallery

by Sally Murphy, Martina Heiduczek (illustrator)

Exploring the true story of the St Kilda merry go round during World War 1, by Australia's most revered verse novelist

In Melbourne's St Kilda, as World War 1 begins, Anton, a German immigrant fulfils his dream of creating the most beautiful steam-driven “riding gallery” - a merry go round – in the world. Evelyn, who has just moved to the city befriends local boy Rory, but the war, and anti-German sentiment, soon takes its toll on the children, Anton, their families, and the riding gallery itself.

Based on true events, this is a cleverly structured, multiple point-of-view story, including poems created from contemporaneous newspaper headlines, and Sally Murphy at her finest form.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical, Childrens

Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2024

About the author

Sally Murphy is an Australian author of over 30 children's books. She's also the slightly crazy mother of six beautiful kids. You'll find bits of her buried somewhere in every one of her books. She loves reading, writing, and speaking about reading and writing.

PEARL VERSES THE WORLD won the 2010 Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature as well as the 2010 Australian Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award for Best Book for Language Development. It was also an Honour Book in the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Awards.

TOPPLING won the children's book category of both the Queensland and Western Australian Premier's Book Awards, and was short-listed in the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Awards.

Reviews

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in St Kilda, during WW1, based around a merry go round in town. Deals with racism towards the German owner.

Read by Suzie

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a beautiful book. gorgeous illustrations and poetic writing which would be suited to many ages. very thought provoking