New Edition
Original Edition |
The normally
peaceful village of Milltown is in the grips of
a bushranger epidemic, and no business is safe.
Hordes of masked bandits roam the streets on
horseback, menacing the public with their
weapons. Luckily the bushrangers are students,
the horses are pushies, and the weapons are
water pistols. And, since it's just another of
Ms Bracker's mad history projects, there'll be
no harm done - or so she reckons...
But when the
McGoogly Gang, with the aid of some ancient
technology, go after the ultimate bushranger
icon for their project, the whole game is turned
on its head, the cry of 'Bail Up!' is punctuated
with real gunfire, and bushranger month becomes
deadly serious...
Saddle your steeds -
the game is afoot.
Interview
Read Sharon Hollingsworth's
interview with Paul Stafford.
Reviews
Ned Kelly's Helmet
review by Sharon Hollingsworth
Though seemingly
geared towards prepubescent boys, Ned Kelly's
Helmet will delight readers of any gender or
age. Author Paul Stafford has combined lively
dialogue and quick humour to make this
imaginative little book into a real what's-gonna-happen-next
page turner! It begins in modern times as a
school needs to raise funds for a basketball
court and they stage a Roman style slave auction
after a suggestion by the history teacher. Young
Robbie McGoogly is “sold” to a local elderly
eccentric, Mrs. Fezzle. after a day of weeding,
Robbie is invited in for tea and sees all the
museum quality souvenirs gathered by Mrs. Fezzle
and her late plumber husband in their “travels”.
One of the things catching his eye is a crystal
ball found by Mr. Fezzle while renovating an old
house. With the accompanying parchment scroll,
the couple had unlocked the key to the past via
time tunneling! Young Robbie hears the story and
remembers it when the next month's history theme
is bushrangers. The teacher has them form gangs
to “rob” prearranged businesses of “donations”.
But the biggest prize is the Bash Brothers
Billycart for the best show and tell. So Robbie,
his brother Andrew and a girl, Frances Hare, go
back in time (with Mrs. Fezzle's help) to June
27, 1880 to bring back Ned Kelly's helmet to
show off to win the competition. But,
unfortunately, in the process, a mean ol'
bushranger, Lovely Riley, is brought forward in
time to wreak havoc on the town!
The kids witness history and wind up altering
it, and after the 19th century bushranger busts
up the crystal ball we wonder do the kids make
it back to the 20th Century? Or are they and he
stuck in the wrong time? You will have to read
to find out! A great twist at the end and I give
it 4 out of 5 Neds, despite spotting a few
historical errors. All in all, worth your time! |
