Freedom Ride (Sue Lawson, Black Dog Books)

It’s the summer of 1965 in the small town of Walgaree, and Robbie Bower is preparing himself for six long weeks of school holidays in the company of his sour grandmother and indifferent father. When he gets a job at the local caravan park, his quiet existence takes an interesting new turn: the park’s owner, Barry, opens Robbie’s eyes to the racist treatment of the town’s Indigenous residents, and Robbie finds himself questioning everything he’s been taught to believe. But will he be brave enough to take a stand? It’s great to see a book for younger readers addressing Indigenous issues, and Australian writer Sue Lawson handles the subject with pathos, honesty and humour. There’s no preaching or moralising here, but a heart-warming story based on the true events of the 1965 Freedom Ride—a pivotal moment for Indigenous civil rights—and full of lively characters. Robbie is a droll but spirited narrator, and his sharp observations of Walgaree and its residents give the novel a wonderfully vivid sense of time and place. Freedom Ride is an important and entertaining slice of Australian history (2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Ride) that will appeal to readers aged 12 and up.

Carody Culver is a freelance writer and editor and part-time bookseller at Brisbane’s Avid Reader bookshop