Bushfire by Sally Murphy
My Australian Story. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742994307.
(Age: 9-12) Themes: Bushfires, Climate Change. The My Australian
Story series focuses on different historical events that have
impacted and shaped our nation. Sally Murphy's fictional account of
the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires commemorates the 10th anniversary
of this disaster. She draws from real-life accounts, creating an
important message about the effect natural disasters can have on
communities. Between the chapter's summaries of bushfire and other
catastrophic events are included to open the readers' eyes to
importance of planning and the way people rally to support after
these tragic events.
In Bushfire we encounter school girl Amy, her older brother
Aaron who's leaving home for a gap year, her mother who is a climate
change scientist and park ranger and volunteer fire fighter father.
They live in the Victorian town of Healesville. Her Grandma who lost
her home in the Canberra bushfires now lives nearby in Marysville.
Discussions with her family often turn to being bushfire ready and
the science of climate change. Over the summer holidays, Amy visits
her grandma and forms a friendship with a local lad Jackson and they
enjoy swimming at the local pool and lunches from the bakery. Amy
loves collecting information about natural disasters, plane crashes
and rescues. When the bushfire sweeps through the town both
youngsters play a vital role in saving grandma.
Sally Murphy's carefully crafted novel presents an authentic picture
about the reality, the unpredictability and the devastation of
bushfires. Even though the community and family are prepared,
nothing can stop the powerful and overwhelming catastrophe. Central
to Murphy's emotional story is the resilience of the community, the
support of the state and the nation in rallying together to help in
the aftermath. Bushfire is a useful resource for Year 5-6
classrooms, exploring the themes of climate change and practical
preparation in the Australian bushfire.
Rhyllis Bignell