بچه‌های دهکده

by Ivan Southall, حسین ابراهیمی (Translator)

آن روز صبح که خانم ایلین گادون،‌معلم مدرسه، از خواب بیدار شد، هوا خوب و گرم و آسمان شفاف بود و هیچ نشانه ای از محکومیت دهکده هیلزاند به نابودی دیده نمی شد. آن روز برای این دهکده هیجان انگیزترین روز سال بود و همه خود را آماده می کردند تا برای گردش سالیانه به بیرون دهکده بروند. دعوای بین دو تن از بچه ها باعث شد که اهالی دهکده چند نفر از آنها را با خود به گردش نبرند....

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Australia, Classics

278 pages

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Ivan Southall was an award-winning Australian writer of young-adult fiction and non-fiction. He was the first and still the only Australian to win the Carnegie Medal for children's literature. His books include Hills End, Ash Road, Josh, and Let the Balloon Go. Also notable is Fly West, a book of true stories based on his experiences flying in Short Sunderland flying boats during the Second World War.

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (2003).

Reviews

[Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

از معدود کتاب هایی که تو بچگی خوندم و چقدر لذت برم ازش. عاشق این کتاب بودم، اینقدر که انگیزه میداد بهم.
توصیه میشه جدا برای نوجوون ها.
اگه به کتاب 5 ستاره دادم، به خاطر اینه که اون موقع خیلی دوستش داشتم. همین

[Ingrid Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Någon gång under andra halvan av 90-talet läste min mamma högt ur denna för oss. Vi befann oss strax norr om Barcelona och det var världens regn- och åskväder, vilket måste ha känts extra i och med högläsningen ur När orkanen kom. Jag har inga minnen av handlingen men jag kommer däremot ihåg det svenska bokomslaget. Nu sisådär 25 år senare har jag läst den och vilken kanonbok! Många karaktärer som utmärker sig men också en riktigt go story om ett gäng barn som står inför utmaningar.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was ten, exactly the right age for it. Seared into my brain, it was. If you want really gritty "kids surviving on their own in a disaster story" (a flooded and terribly remote logging town) do try it! There is death, and loss, and filth and horror. And then one kid pulls his mind together and finds he has executive abilities and things look up. I found it utterly gripping then, and utterly gripping every time I re-read it (once every 15 years or so). Except that every re-read I'm increasingly annoyed by the gender essentialism, which, though of its time, grates. This time around I was also annoyed by the lack of any comment on the fact that though aboriginal art plays a role as a plot driver, no one says "where are the aboriginal people now?" Possibly next time I will be annoyed by disability rep. issues (one boy has an intellectual disability, though he is a brave and likeable character). Anyway, I'm sure I'll enjoy it again in 15 years or so.

[giso0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابی بسیار مناسب برای تقویت اعتماد به نفس، امید، حس همکاری و فعالیت گروهی در گروه سنی مخاطبش، هر چند که داستانش در واقعیت غیرممکن باشه.

[Malin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5
En ljuvlig återläsning av en bok jag minns från mina tonår, även då lästes den om sommaren så det kändes extra passande att göra det även vid omläsningen.

Historien är lika spännande nu som då, men nu ser jag också att berättelsen bär spår av de otrevliga sakerna från 1960-talet. Som användningen av n-ordet, att alla kvinnliga karaktärer är bäst på omhändertagande och alla manliga karaktärer är bäst på att vara starka samt att historien handlar om grottmålningar utan att aboriginerna ens nämns. Berättelsen är så klart ett barn av sin tid, och det märks, men det får jag också ha ett visst överseende med när jag väljer att läsa den. Jag tröstar mig också med att vi verkar ha kommit en bit vägen om jag jämför nu med då.

Förra sommaren läst jag Utflykt till Hanging Rock och det är något med hur naturen beskrivs i den här boken som får mig att tänka på den förra. Kanske är jag bara svag för beskrivningar av australiensisk natur och vildmark?

[Andria Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Righto, as Paul likes to say in this book, let's discuss how brave and resilient the children were but also how appallingly annoying the boys, Paul and Adrian were. It starts with Adrian telling a massive lie and they all go up to the caves to prove him wrong. Mostly, Paul calls him out on being a liar though he has no proof of his being a liar, he's just being a smug boy that thinks he knows everything.

Low and behold there's actually cave paintings and animal bones. A hell of a find!

Then a massive storm hit and nobody was prepared for it except one man that strained closing houses and rescuing the milk cows by himself.

This children's book is quite dark. Bleak. And grim.

You'll be happy there's no harsh swearing, but righto, there's plenty of danger and distress for the children.

For some reason Harvey is always picked on, Butch is called "fat" and is picked on, the boys struggle with doing things.

Many points this seemed a bit sexist, but not in a cruel way so I excused that. Righto.

A few on page deaths occur, though none of the children die. It's vaguely mentioned a pet fish and some pet dogs are dead. Some injuries abound.

The ending, however. Adrian saves the group, finds the parents that survived, and they get together and the parents immediately go "let us pray". I suppose, sure. That's fine.

But when they get back to town, one of the men has a hissy fit because the boys showed him up, didn't pay him respect, yelled at the children for ruining the town further and demanded an apology? Paul apologized and the school teacher says that it's alright, the man was just scared?

Are you serious? *face of disbelief*

After all the kids had gone through, and they finally have their parents and all back, this is the ending?

I've never been more outraged at a children's book in my life.

What precisely was the point of the book, if they ending is harsh chiding and verbal abuse? As well as emotional abuse?

The book itself was an excellent adventure story, even if you had to suspend belief for a lot of it.

But I never wanted to so badly reach through the book and strangle the living shit out of a human being before in my life.

Ugh.

What a rotten ending to an otherwise excellent child's adventure story.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

[Steve Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this classic in primary school. A group of children living in a small country town are separated from their parents when an extremely destructive storm destroys their town. While waiting for a rescue party to find them, these children are forced to fend for themselves, finding food and water and even fending a very scared bull.

A wonderful story showcasing the grit and determination of the Australian spirit, even though they are so young.

[Jess Tait · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great yarn, and I'm always a fan of a story where the kids are left to fend for themselves. However, Felix and I were unimpressed with the end. In his words, 'that was a crappy ending!' ;)

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This should've been a good adventure/survival story about a group of boys and girls forced to cope alone with the aftermath of a huge flood but the ham-handed writing was annoying (every time a character was about to do something he would be written up as thinking something like, "BUT I'M JUST A BOY. NOT YET A MAN. I FEEL UNABLE TO TAKE ON THESE TASKS"). Also some revolting patriarchalism, like forcing children to apologize to another father who was a bully and a jerk because they didn't show him enough respect.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think of these stories, like many others I grew up with, as "come along, now, children" kinds of armageddon tales. The children, despite their personal problems with parents or life, must take charge and find strengths within themselves in the midst of adversity. It's a timeless form. The children are all individuals and the girls give as good as they get, including wise Miss Godwin. Saturated with the air of a remote town in Australia, with its many perils. Wish I knew who did the illustrations; I love them.

[Laurie Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6th-grade self gave it a 5.

Whoa.

Whenever I smell meat that's gone "off" I still think of the kid in this book who couldn't smell.

For some reason, this book and Picnic at Hanging Rock sit in the same mental bookshelf, creepy-factor-wise.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much darker than I expected - NOT AT ALL like The Children Who Lived In A Barn, which is what it was sold me as. Had to pause frequently because the cliffhangers were too exciting/worrying. Glad I read it though

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

C+. children's fiction, grade 6, Australia, adventure, Mom's stash, discard

[Helia Shahmiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

بهترین کتاب بچگیم...

[Reenah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Nice little middle grade book.

[Vireya · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read when I was at primary school. Now, some aspects of language and societal attitudes are dated, but I still enjoyed re-reading it.

[Mori · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best book I have ever read... now that I'm writing this review I want to re-read it. truly learned a lot from all those kids.

[Denise Elwyn McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apart from the money value in pounds, this book could have been written this morning.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this with my 3 children (8, 12 and 14). Full of old fashioned adventure and fun.

[Tracy Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made a big impression on my 6th grade self. A little dated now, re gender roles and lack diversity, but still a great adventure. Lots of lessons on leadership and problem solving.

[Rebecca R · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic children's adventure story.

[Heather Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was a kid and remember really enjoying it and was far from disappointed when I returned again. What a nail-biting, exciting and gruelling tale about a bunch of kids battling a natural disaster in the form of a flood. The first chapter was a little dated as characters were blatantly introduced - obviously the show don't tell rule wasn't hammered so much in Southall's day. However, once we got into the main action of the story I found this book pretty unputdownable. I felt the characters were well-drawn; particularly Adrian who we grow to understand a little more by the horribleness of his father in the closing pages. I liked that we got a bit of an insight into the teacher Ms Godwin's character - slightly unusual in a kid's book to get an adult perspective and such a vulnerable one at that!

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

آن روز صبح که خانم ایلین گادون،‌معلم مدرسه، از خواب بیدار شد، هوا خوب و گرم و آسمان شفاف بود و هیچ نشانه ای از محکومیت دهکده هیلزاند به نابودی دیده نمی شد. آن روز برای این دهکده هیجان انگیزترین روز سال بود و همه خود را آماده می کردند تا برای گردش سالیانه به بیرون دهکده بروند. دعوای بین دو تن از بچه ها باعث شد که اهالی دهکده چند نفر از آنها را با خود به گردش نبرند. این تعداد از بچه ها به همراه خانم گادون به یک برنامه صعود از کوه و کشف تصاویر رنگی بر دیواره غارهای بالای کوه کشیده شدند. ابرهای سیاه و توفان سخت آنها را غافلگیر کرد. زمانی که به دهکده برگشتند،‌ رودخانه طغیان کرده و دهکده تا نیمه در آب فرو رفته بود. خروش و گسترش سیل و طغیان رودخانه خیلی از اهالی را دلسرد و ناامید کرده بود اما نتوانست در عزم و اراده بچه های شجاع دهکده برای نجات آن خللی ایجاد کند و سرانجام… .

[Sherry]

A book I would have enjoyed more as a preteen, but even then would only have given it 3/5. The topic of how children would survive without an adult has been treated far better in other books such as Tomorrow When The War Began. Not enough character development for me - I didn't have any emotional involvement to their plight and that was part of the disappointment.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of its time. Quite a good adventure story but definetly belongs to Australia of the 1960s. Girls couldn't be leaders but can do all the cooking for king and country as good little Britons. Would not recommend for pre teens unless they are accomplished readers, who have read alot and would like to do a comparison between books of different eras.

[James Sablinskis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my most favourite and memorable books from when I was 11. A fantastic adventure book that was a very warming read.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tale of survival under desperate circumstances and the bravery of 7 children as they learn to work together. Read on openlibrary.org