Mention author, Ethel Turner, to primary children nowadays and you are likely to get a lot of blank looks. I remember when Mr Taylor, my teaching partner, at Blackmans Bay read chapter one to our two classes and then showed them the television series over a few weeks. Most students became enthralled by it, appreciating the humorous and sad moments as well as the complexities of characters such as Esther, Judy, Meg, Pip, Nell, Bunty, Martha and of course the ever-austere Captain Woolcot. This book is a offers a great social commentary of the times. From chubby Baby right through to sixteen year old Judy the novel takes an authentic step back into the history of the late nineteenth century and today's students will be mesmerized by the lifestyle the family lived, the strictness of the rules and the manner in which each of the children respond to the boundaries their father puts in place. Their concept of discipline will certainly take on a whole new meaning. To watch the first episode of the popular televison series of 1973, click on the link below:
We are currently watching the series over two weeks in Bay Unit and it seems to have the students enthralled. There are ten episodes in all.
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