It was an incredible idea - to found a colony of convicts eight months' sail away from Great Britain. In a land with no cities, no farms, no rich spices. Just slaves in huts. The Dutch, the French and the Portuguese had known about this place for two hundred years - and had turned their noses up at it. The Chinese had known about it for even longer and they weren't interested either.
No country had ever thought to send a colony so far away. Why on Earth would you bother?
Popular, award-winning children's author Jackie French joins Scholastic for the first of this series of eight books, which covers the full spectrum of Australian history - warts and all. The series incorporates humour, unsavoury facts, serious events, tragedies, controversial issues and opinions of the day - and covers a variety of different indigenous and migrant perspectives. With cartoon style illustrations, this series aims to educate younger readers as it entertains them - and leave them ready for more.