Superstar

Carly Mills Pioneer Girl #3

by Jane Smith, Pat Kan (Illustrations)

When Carly Mills goes to Melbourne with the school choir, she gets more than she bargained for: a trip back in time and a chance meeting with a mischievous little girl who might just grow up to be the world famous opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. If Carly is to help the little girl achieve her dream, she will have to endure Nellie’s practical jokes, an angry headmaster, and her father’s belief that opera is not a fit career for a lady. Not to mention Simone’s bad moods and Dora’s terrible singing.

86 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2021

About the author

I’m an author, librarian/archivist and freelance book editor. ​I love bringing history to life through fiction and non-fiction for all ages. Four of my books have been short- or long-listed for literary awards.

Reviews

[Margy Heuschele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Smith does a fantastic job of weaving historical fact with the adventure of time travel in her Carly Mills and Tommy Bell series. Reading "Superstar" I learnt so much myself about Dame Nellie Melba, an important Australian historical female figure. Jane Smith makes history accessible to people of all ages but especially for primary school students. What I really love is how Jane takes background information and real events in the lives of historical figures and turns it into an entertaining story for children to read. Not only do children learn about important historical figures but they have fun while they are doing it. Highly recommended.

[Emma Mactaggart · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I opened the first page and read the first line, I was completely hooked! Author Jane Smith brings history to life by allowing us glimpses into the past as she weaves facts into a rollicking narrative. This is the third in the Carly Mills series, and Smith continues to delivery, with pace and humour, the fabulous characters who support the 'real' person, ensuring that young readers can travel right beside Carly and her friends. History is no longer dull - it truly comes to life with Smith's deft touch.

[Sarah Pye · Rating 5 out of 5]

The literary idea of traveling through time and experiencing historic events is not new, but I love the way that Jane Smith, In Superstar, uses time travel to give children an insight into the challenging childhood of Nellie Melba before she became famous. Not only does this engaging story highlight the differences of being female in the 1860s, but it shows what can be achieved with goals and commitment. What an awesome connection at the end through the Peach Melba, and $100 note!
- Sarah Pye, author of the Wildlife Wong series of books for 8-12 year olds.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, with time travel used as a fun and effective device to discover the past!