Jillaroo

Jillaroo, written by Rachael Treasure is the story of a young girl name Rebecca who loves working on the land. After an argument with her father over their family property "Waters Meeting," Rebecca takes off in her ute and heads north, not wanting to return until her father understands her passion for farming. After working as a Jillaroo for several months she decided it was time to pursue her love of farming and studied agriculture at college. Over the months she met a boy, fell in love and wondered if she would ever be able to face her father again. When tragedy shatters her world, Rebecca finds a strength she never knew she had......
This novel is jam packed full of adventure, determination and emotion and is a fantastic read.

Treasure has created very 'believable' characters and plot which allows the reader to really connect with the novel, especially those who have grown up in the country and understand the pressure of farming and the strain that it can have on your family.

Treasure has included plenty of laughs, tears and emotion throughout this novel which I believe is important to keep the reader captivated in the novel. This also allows the reader to get caught up in the drama and adventures of the characters which I believe is another important connection to have between the reader and the characters.

I believe this novel would be a brilliant read for secondary english students. The novel is quite long however it has several different fantastic themes that would be great to write about for the older students. I think it would be important to ensure that the students can relate to the novel otherwise they may not understand and connect with the novel as much as others. Therefore I would point this novel towards rural/country students as I feel that they could really connect and draw upon and appreciate the themes and characters that Treasure writes about.