Meet Rose

Our Australian Girl - Rose #1

by Sherryl Clark, Lucia Masciullo (Illustrator)

It's 1900 . . .
and Rose lives with her family in a big house in Melbourne. She wants to play cricket, climb trees and be an adventurer! But Rose's mother has other ideas. Then Rose's favourite young aunt comes to town, and everything changes. Will Rose's mother let Aunt Alice stay? And will Rose ever get to do the things she loves?

Meet Rose and join her adventure in the first of four stories about a Federation girl who's determined to do things her way!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical

98 pages, Paperback

First published January 27, 2011

About the author

Some of my first short stories were crime fiction, and although in the last 20 years I have focused a lot more on writing children's and YA books, I've kept going with my crime writing. The first two novels are now stowed somewhere in the back of my filing cabinet!
But "Trust Me, I'm Dead", first draft written in 2009, was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger and then published by Verve Books in the UK. What a journey with that novel. I love the character, a grumpy woman (secretly modelled on a young Judi Dench), and couldn't let go of the story. Nine drafts later ...
There are two more Judi novels ("Dead and Gone" and "Mad, Bad and Dead") - but my brand new character is PI Lou Alcott, with "Woman, Missing" published in 2024 by HQ/Harlequin.
More about my crime writing and books at www.sherrylclarkcrimewriter.com

I have been writing poems and stories for over twenty-five years, and have two collections of poetry published. Perseverance really does count, I think, for all kinds of writing.

In 1996 I wrote my first children’s book, "The Too-Tight Tutu", which was published in 1997 by Penguin Australia. I have since written over 60 children's and YA books, which are published around the world.
My verse novel "Farm Kid" won the 2005 NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Children’s Books. "Sixth Grade Style Queen (Not!)" was a 2008 CBCA Honour Book. My YA novel "Dying to Tell Me", published in the USA by KaneMiller, has also been published in Australia by me.

My author website for children's books is at www.sherrylclark.com. I also work as a freelance editor, manuscript development editor and mentor - information on these at www.sherrylclarkwritingcoach.com.

Reviews

[Fadhilatul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Reviewed by IG: buku.dibaca.in

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Title: Meet Rose #1 |

Series of: Our Australian Girl |

Author: Sherryl Clark

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Rose loves adventures. She really is adventurous. She loves history, geography, and is eager to learn those in school. Otherwise her mother wants she take different path. The mother reckons girls and women have tiny brain, might they not put such serious things in it. They should focus on embroidery things and learn how to be a nice lady so that they can be a good wife to rich suitors.

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One day Aunt Alice stays with Rose’s family. She has different opinions. She is the woman Rose wanna be someday. She is clever and is fighting for women chance to have the same rights as men do.

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I know it’s hard for Rose to live as herself in that year, 1900, when women only have to put themselves at home, busy with their corsets. I hope Rose can fight for herself to get good chances in the future.

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[Anna Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story about growing up as a girl who loves cricket and learning in 1900 when society had different expectations for women. A great read for learning about Australian history through literature.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing an Australian history unit study with my youngest son with these wonderful series of books. Though the books feature a girl as the main character, all of my boys have enjoyed and loved these books.

[LauraW · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable.

[Aliya · Rating 2 out of 5]

re-read this for the childhood nostalgia but will not condone any anti-corset propaganda.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL MY SQUEES! I randomly saw this in City Library the other day, and thought it looked cute - AND Australian, and I've been abroad for two years and am now craving everything Australian ever! So I decided to give it a go. And now I want to read the rest of the series, and then the other three "Our Australian Girl" series as well! The story was so cute and fun and interesting, and so wonderfully Australian. :D

Rose is a pampered little Toorak girl at the turn of the (last) century... though maybe "restricted" is a better word than "pampered". She wants nothing more than to read books, to learn more than just sewing and French, to go to school - and maybe even university - to play cricket, to go into Cole's Arcade in the city, to wear pants, to climb trees, to ride on a tram. But her mother's plans for Rose do not include any of these things. They include a stuffy old governess, fancy frocks and a new corset, and chauffeured drives to town because trams are for common people.

Then Rose's Aunt Alice - her father's younger sister - comes to town... and really clashes with Rose's mother! Alice was a teacher in New Zealand, first a governess and then she opened her own school - but she was run out of town by a couple of equally stuffy mothers who didn't agree with what Alice was teaching their daughters. Alice is a cheerful, adventurous, trouser-wearing suffragette and she is awesome! She lets Rose read her books, and even one day takes her to the city - on a tram! - and they have Chinese food for lunch (in a licensed restaurant!) and then go to the Cole's Arcade. Of course Rose is caught and the sparks all fly... but luckily, her father is on her side, not her mother's, and sees that Rose is not going to just grow up into a pretty house-wife like her older sister.

It's a lovely little story and I'm really looking forward to reading more about Rose, and her wonderful Aunt Alice! The historical detail is just lovely as well, and as a girl who grew up on Cole's Funny Picture Books, I squeed when I recognised the Cole's Rainbow at the entrance to the Arcade. :D

[Melina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Rose is a pampered, but overly restricted girl living in Melbourne in 1900. Her mother insists on governesses, corsets and becoming a ‘proper lady’. Rose is not allowed to play cricket with her brother, not allowed to read exciting books or learn about geography or history and certainly not allowed to catch a tram or explore the more exciting stores of Melbourne.

That is, until her exciting Aunt Alice – a teacher – comes to stay. Alice had exciting ideas such as women being allowed to vote, being more involved in society and being able to use their brains. She takes Rose out on an adventure to a restaurant her mother (a member of the Temperance League) would never approve of, and a magical visit to Coles Arcade – to the disapproval of her mother. But will she ever be able to break free from the restrains that her mother places on her?

I adore this time period, so this book was always going to appeal. There were such big things going on in Australia at this time, with Federation looming and women beginning to gain power across the country (and in New Zealand). Rose is trying her best to break free of her mother’s restrictions, but with Alice’s arrival it really looks like there might be possibility of a change. I am really looking forward to reading more of this one and finding out what happens next!


This review originally appeared at Adventures of a Subversive Reader

[Sia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it teaches you perspective of pastence's people. Even though it is historical fiction, it tells you in the pastence, people thought it is boyish think to play sports if you were girl or women. This story is about a boyish girl Rose who likes playing cricket. The problem is that her parents doesn't let her to play they didn't wanted to her to be boyish but suddenly, her Aunt came to her house and change the feeling so finally, she could play cricket.
I recommend this book to every on especially Girls!!

[Niamh Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderfully written book draws the reader into the past. I was almost able to taste the dust of a hot Australian day. Set it early 1900s it accurately describe the world of the upper class in Melbourne, highlighting the difference in society at the time. Rose is a loveable character, whose rouge behaviour is admirable. Full of colourful description and interesting characters. The author has done a wonderful job of making the reader like and dislike the main characters.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think that a story about a rich girl in Melbourne could compare with the more obviously exciting books in this series, but this holds it own. The writing, characterisation and period detail combine to create a compelling portrait of 1900's life, with a multitude of different historical references including the Boer War, federation and, of course, suffragettes.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 7yo is loving this series so I thought I'd read it myself. A beautiful honest book about time gone past. She is enjoying learning about the olden days and connecting with the characters.

[Rose_5SOS]

My name is Rose, LOL

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great female characters of Rose, Aunt Alice, mother. All different versions of being female in Melbourne 1900. Great start to this series of Rose trying to find independence.