Featherbys

by Mary Steele

'As plain Jess Huggins I could never think of much to write about, although Mr Scrooby said you only have to look around you to find all sorts of brilliant ideas to get you going. I didn't believe him. Nothing suitable for a story ever seemed to turn up in our street or our family.'

Jess looks set for another long, dull holiday in her unbearably neat suburb, watching the Pyles next door endlessly moving their three cars in and out of their driveway, listening to the boys playing one day cricket in the backyard, running the house whilst her Mum is at work and having to play minder to her younger brother and sister.

But just when she thinks the most exciting thing she's going to do all holidays is find out how Sophie's new washing machine works, she and the others discover a place that will change their lives and their suburb forever - Featherbys.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens

178 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

Mary Steele is one of Australia's most successful and best-loved writers for children. She is also the author of Featherbys, Arkwright (winner of Australia's Children's Book Council Book of the Year for 1986), Mallroots Pub at Misery Ponds, Citizen Arkwright, and A Bit of a Hitch. Steele has lived in Australia all of her life and has worked as a children's book reviewer, librarian, and freelance writer.

Reviews

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Australian children's book from the 90s. It is about an intergenerational friendship that is struck up between Jess and her best friend Sophie and Miss Violet Featherby. Sophie and Violet in particular have a lot in common but Jess is a lively and insightful narrator. The gender roles are a bit stereotypical and everyone in the book seems white, although there is a hint of criticism about colonisation a couple of times- only a hint though.

Even though it's a children's book and therefore has short chapters, I was quite engaged. More so than the Enid Blyton which for some reason is considered a "classic".

[Kiri Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was read this book in primary school - probably the last year that my teacher read aloud to the whole class. I can't remember if we got through the whole book because when I read it this year, I was surprised by the ending. An Australian book that is set in Australia during the school holidays in the 1990s, this felt like reliving one of my own school holidays. Jess thinks her holidays are going to be boring until she explores the mysterious "Featherbys" - a house in the neighbourhood occupied by elderly and reclusive sisters. Jess and her friends come to realise that being different isn't necessarily a bad thing and that first impressions are not always correct. The book also deals with death and grief quite gently but openly.

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viki was my favorite character because she was always stubborn, but in my point of view, she was hope to the squad and the adults. my favorite part of the book is when the garden is donated for the public to enjoy.i loved every page as i read it, and I could not let it down. it is in my top 5 of favorite books, and i would highly recommend it to people who love sad stories, but love happy endings.