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Mia: Through My Eyes - Australian Disaster Zones
A powerful story of one girl's experience of 2019's Cyclone Veronica in Western Australia.
Mia is used to cyclone build-ups, but the noise and energy of the wild rain squalls keep her awake half the night. What if the cyclone hits before Mum gets back? As wild winds batter the coast, Mia knows she must keep calm. The animals need her.
Thirteen-year-old Mia lives on a bush block in the Pilbara, where she assists her mother's work as a vet and equine therapist. Although she is used to the seasonal cyclones that threaten the West Australian coast, nothing can prepare her for the ferocity of Cyclone Veronica when she finds herself home alone and needing to protect their property and the animals she loves.
When her friend Nick arrives, pleading for help, and her favourite horse is injured, will Mia be able to withstand the greatest challenge of her life? As the storm intensifies, can she save her beloved animals?
Mia is used to cyclone build-ups, but the noise and energy of the wild rain squalls keep her awake half the night. What if the cyclone hits before Mum gets back? As wild winds batter the coast, Mia knows she must keep calm. The animals need her.
Thirteen-year-old Mia lives on a bush block in the Pilbara, where she assists her mother's work as a vet and equine therapist. Although she is used to the seasonal cyclones that threaten the West Australian coast, nothing can prepare her for the ferocity of Cyclone Veronica when she finds herself home alone and needing to protect their property and the animals she loves.
When her friend Nick arrives, pleading for help, and her favourite horse is injured, will Mia be able to withstand the greatest challenge of her life? As the storm intensifies, can she save her beloved animals?
256 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2023
4 people want to read
About the author
Dianne Wolfer
40 books35 followersDianne lives on the south coast of Western Australia. She is author of 27 books with more titles on the way. Dianne's latest books are 'Soaring with the Sugarbird Lady - the Robin Miller story', 'Cattle Muster' (ill. Frane' Lessac), and 'The Colt from Old Regret' (ill. Erica Wagner).
Her earlier award-winning novel 'Scout and the Rescue Dogs' celebrates truckies and rescue dogs, and links to the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires. It won WA Premier's Award and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council Awards and the WA Young Readers' Awards.
Other recent titles include: 'The Last Light Horse', a CBCA Notable Book now adapted for CineStage by Theatre 180; 'Mia' (Allen and Unwin's award-winning Through my Eyes series); and an Aussie STEM Stars title about Skye Blackburn-Lang, Australia's first farmer of edible insects.
Dianne's doctoral research into anthropomorphism and animal characters in children's literature was selected as a Board of the Graduate Research School Dean's List Winner in 2017, and led to two books, 'The Dog with Seven Names' (winner of the 2019 Speech Pathology Awards, CBCA Notable, shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Literary Awards and published in China) and 'The Shark Caller' (CBCA Notable and optioned for film). In addition to her general website, Dianne posts about animal characters at www.animalswhotalk.
'The Dog with Seven Names' is written anthropomorphically and explores Australian WW2 history from the perspective of a small dog in north-west WA. Another title with unusual animal perspectives, 'The Shark Caller' is set in Papua New Guinea. This underwater fantasy novel links to both the ancient practise of calling sharks as well as modern-day environmental concerns.
Dianne's picture book, 'Nanna's Button Tin' is published in the US by Candlewick. Other stories in the multi-adapted WW1 'Light' series are the award-winning 'Lighthouse Girl' and 'Light Horse Boy'.
Dianne's book, 'Light Horse Boy' won the WA Premier's Award as well as CBCA Honour book. Partner title, 'Lighthouse Girl' was inspiration for Royal de Luxe Theatre's spectacular Perth street performance, The Giants, won the children’s choice, West Australian Young Readers Book Awards and is a recommended reading text for the National History Curriculum. Lighthouse Girl has also being adapted for Black Swan Theatre by playwright Hellie Turner. The story was based is based on the true tale of Fay Howe, daughter of the Breaksea Island lighthouse keeper, who relayed messages for the departing ANZAC troops in 1914. Light Horse Boy follows the journey of a young soldier who waves to Fay before sailing with the 1st AIF. The book follows Jim’s journey to Egypt, Gallipoli and through iconic battles of WW1’s Desert Campaign. Dianne enjoys combining her love of history with writing fiction. Her picture book, 'Photographs in the Mud' (also a recommended History Curriculum text) was inspired by a research trip along the Kokoda Track. It was published in Japanese and is used as a reference for international workshops promoting peaceful ‘discourse analysis’. Dianne is an active member of writing groups, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and served for six years as their WA Advisor. Dianne loves travelling and has spent much of her life overseas.
Awards
2023 CBCA Notable Book, The Last Light Horse
Short listed, CBCA Book Awards for Light Horse Boy and also for Granny Grommet and Me, 2014
Winner, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2010
Short listed, NSW Premier’s History Awards, 2009
Short listed, West Australian Premier’s Awards, 2009
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2007
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2006
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2002
Short listed, Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2001
Short listed, Wilderness Society’s Environment Award, 1999
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awar
Her earlier award-winning novel 'Scout and the Rescue Dogs' celebrates truckies and rescue dogs, and links to the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires. It won WA Premier's Award and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council Awards and the WA Young Readers' Awards.
Other recent titles include: 'The Last Light Horse', a CBCA Notable Book now adapted for CineStage by Theatre 180; 'Mia' (Allen and Unwin's award-winning Through my Eyes series); and an Aussie STEM Stars title about Skye Blackburn-Lang, Australia's first farmer of edible insects.
Dianne's doctoral research into anthropomorphism and animal characters in children's literature was selected as a Board of the Graduate Research School Dean's List Winner in 2017, and led to two books, 'The Dog with Seven Names' (winner of the 2019 Speech Pathology Awards, CBCA Notable, shortlisted for the NSW Premiers Literary Awards and published in China) and 'The Shark Caller' (CBCA Notable and optioned for film). In addition to her general website, Dianne posts about animal characters at www.animalswhotalk.
'The Dog with Seven Names' is written anthropomorphically and explores Australian WW2 history from the perspective of a small dog in north-west WA. Another title with unusual animal perspectives, 'The Shark Caller' is set in Papua New Guinea. This underwater fantasy novel links to both the ancient practise of calling sharks as well as modern-day environmental concerns.
Dianne's picture book, 'Nanna's Button Tin' is published in the US by Candlewick. Other stories in the multi-adapted WW1 'Light' series are the award-winning 'Lighthouse Girl' and 'Light Horse Boy'.
Dianne's book, 'Light Horse Boy' won the WA Premier's Award as well as CBCA Honour book. Partner title, 'Lighthouse Girl' was inspiration for Royal de Luxe Theatre's spectacular Perth street performance, The Giants, won the children’s choice, West Australian Young Readers Book Awards and is a recommended reading text for the National History Curriculum. Lighthouse Girl has also being adapted for Black Swan Theatre by playwright Hellie Turner. The story was based is based on the true tale of Fay Howe, daughter of the Breaksea Island lighthouse keeper, who relayed messages for the departing ANZAC troops in 1914. Light Horse Boy follows the journey of a young soldier who waves to Fay before sailing with the 1st AIF. The book follows Jim’s journey to Egypt, Gallipoli and through iconic battles of WW1’s Desert Campaign. Dianne enjoys combining her love of history with writing fiction. Her picture book, 'Photographs in the Mud' (also a recommended History Curriculum text) was inspired by a research trip along the Kokoda Track. It was published in Japanese and is used as a reference for international workshops promoting peaceful ‘discourse analysis’. Dianne is an active member of writing groups, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and served for six years as their WA Advisor. Dianne loves travelling and has spent much of her life overseas.
Awards
2023 CBCA Notable Book, The Last Light Horse
Short listed, CBCA Book Awards for Light Horse Boy and also for Granny Grommet and Me, 2014
Winner, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2010
Short listed, NSW Premier’s History Awards, 2009
Short listed, West Australian Premier’s Awards, 2009
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2007
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2006
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Award, 2002
Short listed, Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2001
Short listed, Wilderness Society’s Environment Award, 1999
Short listed, West Australian Young Readers’ Book Awar
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 18, 2023
Thank you to the Australian Children's Book Council for the opportunity to review this book. My review was originally published on Readingtime.com.au.
Thirteen year old Mia lives with her mother on an isolated bush block in the Pilbara. She dreams of becoming a vet like her mum and assists her whenever possible. They share their home with a menagerie of pets and recovering animals, and the three horses they use in their equine therapy sessions.
Her parents divorced a number of years ago, and her dad now lives in Perth with his new wife and their twins. Mia spends holidays with them and often Face-times. Her parents have an amicable relationship, and it’s refreshing to see a civilised divorce portrayed rather than the usual toxic and damaging divorces so often seen in books. Mia ‘feels grateful that her parents still get on okay’.
Seasonal cyclones are not unusual in the Pilbara, so when Mia’s mother is called out to help a mare with a complicated labour, they think she’ll only be gone a day at the most. However, Cyclone Veronica has other ideas! Mia finds herself alone as the cyclone intensifies and bears down on their property.
We learn that Mia suffers from anxiety, specifically climate anxiety, and has been seeing a counsellor who has taught her ‘ways to manage symptoms before they take hold’. She calls on these skills as she faces not only a cyclone, but a badly injured horse and rising flood-water, alone!
Mia may be facing a natural disaster, but she is also dealing with the usual concerns of a thirteen year old: do her friends still like her or are they falling under the spell of the new, fashionable girl at school? Will she be able to give her presentation to her English class without having an anxiety attack?
Readers will find Mia a relatable character, who is not fearless, but rather draws on her inner strength to overcome her fears so she can stay safe and save her beloved animals.
The book contains a detailed timeline of Cyclone Veronica’s impact on Australia, together with a list of resources if readers would like to explore more about the many issues raised by the story.
Teaching resources are available from the publisher and is recommended for ages 11 – 14.
The Through My Eyes series is a great way to introduce young readers to characters whose lives are impacted by conflict and natural disasters. More information about the series is here.
Thirteen year old Mia lives with her mother on an isolated bush block in the Pilbara. She dreams of becoming a vet like her mum and assists her whenever possible. They share their home with a menagerie of pets and recovering animals, and the three horses they use in their equine therapy sessions.
Her parents divorced a number of years ago, and her dad now lives in Perth with his new wife and their twins. Mia spends holidays with them and often Face-times. Her parents have an amicable relationship, and it’s refreshing to see a civilised divorce portrayed rather than the usual toxic and damaging divorces so often seen in books. Mia ‘feels grateful that her parents still get on okay’.
Seasonal cyclones are not unusual in the Pilbara, so when Mia’s mother is called out to help a mare with a complicated labour, they think she’ll only be gone a day at the most. However, Cyclone Veronica has other ideas! Mia finds herself alone as the cyclone intensifies and bears down on their property.
We learn that Mia suffers from anxiety, specifically climate anxiety, and has been seeing a counsellor who has taught her ‘ways to manage symptoms before they take hold’. She calls on these skills as she faces not only a cyclone, but a badly injured horse and rising flood-water, alone!
Mia may be facing a natural disaster, but she is also dealing with the usual concerns of a thirteen year old: do her friends still like her or are they falling under the spell of the new, fashionable girl at school? Will she be able to give her presentation to her English class without having an anxiety attack?
Readers will find Mia a relatable character, who is not fearless, but rather draws on her inner strength to overcome her fears so she can stay safe and save her beloved animals.
The book contains a detailed timeline of Cyclone Veronica’s impact on Australia, together with a list of resources if readers would like to explore more about the many issues raised by the story.
Teaching resources are available from the publisher and is recommended for ages 11 – 14.
The Through My Eyes series is a great way to introduce young readers to characters whose lives are impacted by conflict and natural disasters. More information about the series is here.
January 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews