Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl
Meet Carly Mills, time-traveller, whose adventures bring her face to face with some of the strongest women of our past.
Carly Mills has a site of her own! Visit her here
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"This does more than acknowledge our female trailblazers. It teaches our daughters about them in a delightful and entertaining away. Gold!"
- Madonna King, author and journalist |
Book 1: A New World
It’s not easy coming to the city all alone when you’re a young country girl. It’s even harder when a strange discovery sends you right back in time to 1841! Carly Mills is about to learn how dangerous Sydney can be for a lonely colonial girl … and how hard it is to move in a corset. Mrs Chisholm tells her that kindness and friendship can make the world a better place. Could she be right? Original edition: ISBN 9781922265074 NEW edition: ISBN 9781922765208 |
Book 3: Superstar
When Carly Mills goes to Melbourne with the school choir, she gets more than she bargained for: a trip back in time and a chance meeting with a mischievous little girl who might just grow up to be the world famous opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. If Carly is to help the little girl achieve her dream, she will have to endure Nellie’s practical jokes, an angry headmaster, and her father’s belief that opera is not a fit career for a lady. Not to mention Simone’s bad moods and Dora’s terrible singing. ISBN 9781922387646 |
Book 4: The lady with the lamp - OUT NOW
London! When Simone invites Carly and Dora to stay with her parents in England on holiday, they're looking forward to an adventure - but they're not expecting to go back to the past, let alone face discrimination, disease and danger! Thrust back into London of over a hundred years ago, when women were not allowed to have real careers, they meet one woman who is about to change it all: Florence Nightingale. Through war and peace, Carly and her friends learn that courage sometimes means owning up to your mistakes. ISBN 9781922488220 |
Reviews for Carly Mills
'Brilliant and super readable' - Sarah Rasmussen, Ragamuffin Books
We read the first few chapters, and the kids were obsesssssssed!'
- Sally Hannah, primary school teacher, Cloncurry |
This book is a must for school and public libraries, sharing a time from our colonial history.
- Liz Derouet, lecturer in teacher-librarianship (click for full review) |
I am the teacher librarian in a girls' school, and I am always on the lookout for books about strong female role models. Carly Mills, Pioneer Girl will connect our girls to outstanding women from Australia's past. What I love most is the way the fictional format helps us to get to know each famous woman personally, and brings to life their contributions to their communities. I highly recommend the series as enjoyable reads and as supporting texts for the Australian Curriculum.
- Marie Miegel, teacher-librarian
- Marie Miegel, teacher-librarian
Carly Mills: A New World is an informative fast paced fun read that is super enjoyable and will make you (and the kidlets) appreciate your hot shower and trackie dacks.
- Sarah Rasmussen, Ragamuffin Books (click for full review) |
An exhilarating caper wrapped in fact and fiction – inspiring, refreshing, and highly recommended. Can’t wait for the next one!
- Romi Sharp, Just Kids Lit (Click here for the full review) |
WOW! ... A glorious EXPLOSION of excitement, action and Aussie history, as country girl, CARLY, launches into an extraordinary adventure, in ye olde Sydney-town, hurled back in time, where she learns the super-values of kindness, friendship and wonder, from our very own CAROLINE CHISHOLM! A superb blend of fiction and history for young readers; a superb blend of fiction and women's history for all readers!! Congratulations to acclaimed Queensland author, JANE SMITH! This series, I believe, will make educational and literary history! "A New World" is the first of Jane's series - Readers will be busting to read more.....
- Jennifer Ann Davies, National Council of Women, QLD / International Council of Women
- Jennifer Ann Davies, National Council of Women, QLD / International Council of Women
As a school librarian, this book makes me excited! It is the right balance of adventure, relationships and meticulously researched history. It could sit quite comfortably as a classroom text and be very popular as a book for reading for leisure.
But as a mother of a young girl, this book makes me very excited! What a wonderful way to introduce strong, smart female characters. Heidi Edwards, teacher-librarian |
Australian history contains wonderful characters and stories, but it is an uphill battle to convince students of that. Thank goodness, therefore, for author Jane Smith whose Australian historical fiction is so engaging and relatable for a young audience. Seen through the eyes of Carly Mills and her new friend Dora, Caroline Chisholm becomes a flesh and blood heroine, tackling rats and rogues with equal aplomb. Better still, without being heavy-handed about it, her story neatly lets historical example provide a path forward for contemporary problems. Highly recommended for readers in years 3-7.
Diana Carrigan, teacher |
The literary idea of traveling through time and experiencing historic events is not new, but I love the way that Jane Smith, in Superstar, uses time travel to give children an insight into the challenging childhood of Nellie Melba before she became famous. Not only does this engaging story highlight the differences of being female in the 1860s, but it shows what can be achieved with goals and commitment. What an awesome connection at the end through the Peach Melba, and $100 note!
- Sarah Pye, author of the Wildlife Wong series for 8-12 year olds
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Ever since I was a child myself, I have loved the idea of time travel and the story of Florence Nightingale. So, imagine my excitement when Jane Smith combined both in the Carly Mills book, The Lady with the Lamp. This story is both engaging and educational. It highlights the challenges of being female in the 1860s, which gives kids appreciation of the time they live in, but it also shows the importance of committing to your goals and making a difference.
- Sarah Pye, author of the Wildlife Wong series for 8-12 year olds
- Sarah Pye, author of the Wildlife Wong series for 8-12 year olds
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Ever since I was a child myself, I have loved the idea of time travel and the story of Florence Nightingale. So, imagine my excitement when Jane Smith combined both in the Carly Mills book, The Lady with the Lamp. This story is both engaging and educational. It highlights the challenges of being female in the 1860s, which gives kids appreciation of the time they live in, but it also shows the importance of committing to your goals and making a difference.
- Sarah Pye, author of the Wildlife Wong series for 8-12 year olds