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Different
A Different Land
Christopher is 12,000 miles from home. The pub has a dirt floor and the owner is as rough as guts. The forest hides snakes, feral pigs and a dark secret. Mysterious, bold, and strange. Expect the unexpected. And watch your step. Enter this place and you will be different for ever. A twisting tale from Australia's master storyteller.
128 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2020
27 people want to read
About the author
Paul Jennings
280 books363 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Paul Jennings was born in Heston near London, and at the age of 6 emigrated to Melbourne, Australia on a boat. He was on the boat for 5 weeks with his family. He attended Bentleigh West Primary School and Caulfield Grammar School.
After graduating from school, he went to Frankston Teachers College (now part of Monash University) and became a teacher. He taught students at Frankston State School, Kangaroo Flat State School, the Turana Youth Training Centre, and the Royal Children's Hospital State School in Mount Eliza. He later went on to study at the Lincoln Institute of Health Science (now part of LaTrobe University) and became a speech pathologist, then worked as a Lecturer in Special Education at Burwood State College (now part of Deakin University). In 1979 he became Senior Lecturer in Language and Literature at Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education (now part of Deakin University).
In 1985, Jennings' first book of short stories, Unreal! was published, during which he worked as a lecturer and wrote part-time; in 1989, he made the decision to devote his full time to writing. Many of his short stories, published between 1985 and 1991, were also adapted into the first and second series of the popular Australian television show Round the Twist.
Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (2000).
Paul Jennings was born in Heston near London, and at the age of 6 emigrated to Melbourne, Australia on a boat. He was on the boat for 5 weeks with his family. He attended Bentleigh West Primary School and Caulfield Grammar School.
After graduating from school, he went to Frankston Teachers College (now part of Monash University) and became a teacher. He taught students at Frankston State School, Kangaroo Flat State School, the Turana Youth Training Centre, and the Royal Children's Hospital State School in Mount Eliza. He later went on to study at the Lincoln Institute of Health Science (now part of LaTrobe University) and became a speech pathologist, then worked as a Lecturer in Special Education at Burwood State College (now part of Deakin University). In 1979 he became Senior Lecturer in Language and Literature at Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education (now part of Deakin University).
In 1985, Jennings' first book of short stories, Unreal! was published, during which he worked as a lecturer and wrote part-time; in 1989, he made the decision to devote his full time to writing. Many of his short stories, published between 1985 and 1991, were also adapted into the first and second series of the popular Australian television show Round the Twist.
Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (2000).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 26, 2020
Sequel to 'A Different Boy', fitting end to the story.
I haven't read 'A Different Dog' but from what I can tell, this follows directly on from 'A Different Boy' and is possibly not connected to 'Dog' (please correct me if I'm mistaken there). It could work by itself, but the story from 'Boy' gives some background to the three characters and their lives to this point.
A mother and her two sons (one of whom is a boy she has taken under her wing) have left their homeland (post World War II), taking a chance on travelling to Australia for a new and better life. Anton is an orphan, Christopher has a genetic condition leaving him bald. Their mother is a widow ready to work to pay their way, though the man waiting for them at the backwater station is expecting 'Pat' to be a man, and not one with children in tow.
The three must wait for the next train to take them away again, if Pat is not wanted to work. But in the meantime, they have to live in the shabby pub/general store, and it appears that Crayfish (their host) has skeletons in his closet. Christopher doesn't trust him, especially around his mother.
Another very short story from Jennings but one that conveys a lot of story, emotion and feel for the setting. It could be a Barrington Stoke title, where it is complete but could also easily be expanded to make a full-length novel. A lot happens (some feeling quite rushed). Some of it funny (the rustic toilets reminded me of Roald Dahl's wartime (in)conveniences from Going Solo), some emotive and likely to stimulate questions about the period and what families went through.
With lots of black and white illustrations throughout, the Australian setting feels quite vivid, with Christopher taking more of the front seat now, and Crayfish his adversary/secondary lead character.
Readers of around 9-12 will find this absorbing tale, and it would fit in well to school topics on WWII and migration/refugees.
I haven't read 'A Different Dog' but from what I can tell, this follows directly on from 'A Different Boy' and is possibly not connected to 'Dog' (please correct me if I'm mistaken there). It could work by itself, but the story from 'Boy' gives some background to the three characters and their lives to this point.
A mother and her two sons (one of whom is a boy she has taken under her wing) have left their homeland (post World War II), taking a chance on travelling to Australia for a new and better life. Anton is an orphan, Christopher has a genetic condition leaving him bald. Their mother is a widow ready to work to pay their way, though the man waiting for them at the backwater station is expecting 'Pat' to be a man, and not one with children in tow.
The three must wait for the next train to take them away again, if Pat is not wanted to work. But in the meantime, they have to live in the shabby pub/general store, and it appears that Crayfish (their host) has skeletons in his closet. Christopher doesn't trust him, especially around his mother.
Another very short story from Jennings but one that conveys a lot of story, emotion and feel for the setting. It could be a Barrington Stoke title, where it is complete but could also easily be expanded to make a full-length novel. A lot happens (some feeling quite rushed). Some of it funny (the rustic toilets reminded me of Roald Dahl's wartime (in)conveniences from Going Solo), some emotive and likely to stimulate questions about the period and what families went through.
With lots of black and white illustrations throughout, the Australian setting feels quite vivid, with Christopher taking more of the front seat now, and Crayfish his adversary/secondary lead character.
Readers of around 9-12 will find this absorbing tale, and it would fit in well to school topics on WWII and migration/refugees.
March 7, 2020
A great short novel set in steamy northern Australia. Pat and her sons (including adopted Anton from An Different Boy’) lands a job in a remote outpost and is plunged into Australian rough and ready life working in a run down shanty pub and store. But Christopher is suspicious of the motives of the owner, Crayfish.
Jennings is masterful at packing many themes into a short, engaging and at times gripping story, with humour bubbling underneath. Themes include displacement, love, loss, grief and the challenges of integrating into a new community. The pencil sketches by Geoff Kelly, capture the steamy rainforest setting perfectly.
Great read for primary students, reluctant male readers will be keen and the strong portrayal of Pat provides an excellent female role model.
Jennings is masterful at packing many themes into a short, engaging and at times gripping story, with humour bubbling underneath. Themes include displacement, love, loss, grief and the challenges of integrating into a new community. The pencil sketches by Geoff Kelly, capture the steamy rainforest setting perfectly.
Great read for primary students, reluctant male readers will be keen and the strong portrayal of Pat provides an excellent female role model.
April 28, 2020
Easy to read adventure/historical novel. Suitable for 10yr onwards.
Set in tropical Australia after the Second World War. Pat, her son Christopher, and orphan, Anton have travelled from England to start a new life.
Pat answers an ad for employment in a remote hotel. The hotel is very basic, four walls and a dirt floor but the clientele are friendly and come from far and wide. And, as it turns out the hotel fronts onto a magnificent coastline. Pat and the boys settle in until the day of a massive tropical storm.
Christopher and the owner of the hotel are caught in a raging river, and it will take a lot of skill, smarts and bravery for the two to survive.
Set in tropical Australia after the Second World War. Pat, her son Christopher, and orphan, Anton have travelled from England to start a new life.
Pat answers an ad for employment in a remote hotel. The hotel is very basic, four walls and a dirt floor but the clientele are friendly and come from far and wide. And, as it turns out the hotel fronts onto a magnificent coastline. Pat and the boys settle in until the day of a massive tropical storm.
Christopher and the owner of the hotel are caught in a raging river, and it will take a lot of skill, smarts and bravery for the two to survive.
January 28, 2022
I hadn’t read the two other books in this series but was curious to see what was behind the scary cover (I loath snakes). It read perfectly fine as a stand alone novella but I’m sure there is lots to be gained by reading A Different Dog and A Different Boy first to get a decent sense of the backstory of Pat, Christopher and Anton before they arrive in Northern Australia. I read this book in less than an hour and was hooked from first to last page. Suitable for children aged 10+ this is a great little mystery/action/adventure story.
February 27, 2020
Loved it! ... like a camp fire story that immerses you so much that the heat from the flames almost burn your face off whilst you hang off every word. Jennings is just so clever at drawing his reader into the scene, evoking all your senses through every word ..... maybe not a good thing when you are reading a scene with a bunch of blokes sitting on a shared long drop out door dunny 😬lol
I know this is terrible but I haven’t read a Paul Jennings book for ages (kind of take it as a given that the new books will be just as good as the old ones that I couldn’t put down as a child) but this has me craving more Jennings ... like I want to read all the old ones again and catch up with the new ones that I have missed in my terribly overwhelming to-be-read pile of books.
Great quick read with connections to loss, community and displacement.
I know this is terrible but I haven’t read a Paul Jennings book for ages (kind of take it as a given that the new books will be just as good as the old ones that I couldn’t put down as a child) but this has me craving more Jennings ... like I want to read all the old ones again and catch up with the new ones that I have missed in my terribly overwhelming to-be-read pile of books.
Great quick read with connections to loss, community and displacement.
July 16, 2023
The final part of Paul's Different trilogy, I think I enjoyed this one the most. Maybe because it included some more Aussie humour? I'm not sure. I was surprised to find that this instalment continued the story of Pat, Christopher and Anton from A Different Boy. A Different Dog seemed to be completely unconnected to Boy, so I assumed this would also be a different cast of characters.
Another quick, entertaining read. Not as challenging or thought provoking as Dog, more consistent than Boy.
Another quick, entertaining read. Not as challenging or thought provoking as Dog, more consistent than Boy.
March 10, 2020
Paul Jennings hasn't lost his touch. He has an amazing gift for storytelling with a twist. The third book in the 'different' collection - I say collection rather than series because they're all very different from each other - is a really engaging twist on what it's like to start again as a migrant. I loved it.
December 23, 2020
I liked how this picked up with the same three characters featured in A Different Boy and followed them as they settled into their new life in Australia. Very evocative tropical setting, with loving details of old world Australia. There were some real adult themes for a children's story though!
April 13, 2020
I have read all three of the Different books. Only 2 and 3 recommended to be read in order. As I also am an arrival to Australia, I found the story interesting from that point of view. Paul Jennings is good at telling stories that make you want to turn the page to find out what happens next.
July 26, 2020
Sequel to A Different Boy. Well written book!
August 7, 2025
The first half was great. The second half was a jumbled mess.
September 22, 2019
Christopher, his mum and brother Anton have arrived at the end of nowhere, 12,000 miles from home. This is their last stop, all hopes for a new life pinned on a job offer.
But the new boss was expecting someone else, and things nearly fall apart before they start. After a long, rough drive they reach their new home. A tin shed with a dirt floor. A disgusting long drop, giant lizards and hoards of mosquitoes.
Christopher can't relax, his mistrust of their new landlord and boss growing daily. He believes he has finally discovered the man's secret and despite dense forest, wild animals and deadly snakes, he is determined to prove it. But he soon is up against something far more dangerous in the Australian bush, and there are lives on the line, including his own.
Another great quick read in this series from Paul Jennings. A fast plot, likeable characters, and an action-packed ending will capture reluctant readers.
But the new boss was expecting someone else, and things nearly fall apart before they start. After a long, rough drive they reach their new home. A tin shed with a dirt floor. A disgusting long drop, giant lizards and hoards of mosquitoes.
Christopher can't relax, his mistrust of their new landlord and boss growing daily. He believes he has finally discovered the man's secret and despite dense forest, wild animals and deadly snakes, he is determined to prove it. But he soon is up against something far more dangerous in the Australian bush, and there are lives on the line, including his own.
Another great quick read in this series from Paul Jennings. A fast plot, likeable characters, and an action-packed ending will capture reluctant readers.
December 2, 2019
Following on with the characters we met in A Different Boy Patricia, Christopher and Anton leave the migrant hostel for a new job in the middle of no where. There are some tense moments and lots of laughs as these 'family' try to make it in the Aussie outback - if they can only survive the long drop.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews