Meet Daisy by Michelle Hamer

Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl. Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143307631.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. This is a very heart warming book, about the courage and strength of a young girl, Daisy, during the 1930's. I would recommend it for ages 8 and above.
It starts off in a delightful Australian rural setting, and you can almost feel the wind through your own hair, as we join Daisy on her farm, riding her beloved horse Jimmy.
It is heart wrenching, when her secure childhood is brought to an abrupt end, and she finds herself being sent to Melbourne with her little sister, to live with her resentful Aunt, while her widowed Father sets off to look for work.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in what life was like for those living in Australia in the 1930s, especially during the Great Depression. It is also just a great story, and worth a read in it's own right.
The book is filled with wonderful characters, and the narrative is colourful and engaging. I read the book from cover to cover in one sitting, because I was so taken with the story. There are also some interesting historical facts and a great snap shot of what life was like during the depression, at the end of the book. You even get a preview of the next book, to whet your appetite.
What I like about Daisy, is her courage and determination to make the best of any situation. Daisy is a great role model for children today, as she shows great resilience in very difficult circumstances. When you reach the end of the book, you really are left wondering if and how Daisy will manage when she is kicked out by her cruel Aunt. I certainly wanted to read the next book in the series, to find out how this dear girl survives, hungry and homeless. And I really wanted to know what happened to her Father! He obviously loved his daughters very much, so why hadn't he made contact with them and sent the Aunt money, as promised?!
Tiffany Boyer