Black Snake
Original edition
Ned Kelly was a thief, a bank robber and a murderer. He was in trouble with the law from the age of 12. He stole hundreds of horses and cattle. He robbed two banks. He killed three men.
Yet, when Ned was sentenced to death, thousands of people rallied to save his life. He stood up to the authorities and fought for what he believed in. He defended the rights of people who had no power.
Was he a villain? Or a hero?
What do you think?
Black Snake tells the story of the short but amazing life of Ned Kelly, Australia's most famous bushranger. Although this book is non-fiction, each chapter begins with a short piece of fiction. These fictional pieces look at Ned from the point of view of different people: some who loved him, some who hated him; some who admired him, some who thought he was a monster.
Reviews
"Carole Wilkinson takes the reader beyond the surface of the Ned
Kelly legend... She brings the story alive through the everyday life
and struggles of this unkilely hero... Wilkinson leads readers to ponder
how Ned became an Australian icon in an accessible text which consummately
uses fact and fictional reconstructions to achieve its purposes."
CBC Book of the Year Judges' Report 2003
"With Black Snake, Carole Wilkinson turns her hand from
historical fiction to factual reportage, retelling the familiar story
of the Ned Kelly legend. Factually, simple and without bias, Black
Snake presents the circumstances behind the events as well as the
conflicts between the personalities. It can be used as a biography,
or read as an adventure.
Through her consummate research and a deep empathy with the characters
which she has resurrected, Carole Wilkinson has that rare ability to
bring the past to life, in all of its authentic, 'warts-and-all' realism.
Recommended."
Magpies November 2002
"...a must-have if you are a Kelly Gang fanatic."
Joe Online (click
here for the full review)
"One does not have to be a prior Kelly enthusiast to enjoy this
book. It will appeal to not only the juvenile reader, but also to anyone
wishing to gain a quick basic understanding of the story without having
to wade through piles of books."
Bailup (click
here for the full review)
"Author Carole Wilkinson aimed Black Snake squarely at
the late primary/early secondary level and succeeded where others had
failed."
Ned Kelly: Ironoutlaw (click
here for the full review)
Check out another web review at Aussie Reviews.