The Song Walker

Perfect for year 4 upwards. A real life survival story set in the outback. Friendship between two girls with a twist. Great description of the hot, dusty outback.

a magical book
lots of learning about australia

I wonder if the girl in the dessert that saved the other girl will escape the dessert and live with her (sorry if that didn't make sense)

A different girl went with a different girl and enjoyed life together. Recommended.

A really clever story about privilege and self discovery

I loved how the girls memories came back in bits and pieces and how she didn’t even know her own name

I think this book is soo brilliant that I read it twice.I love it when she wakes up.

I would rate this book 5 stars. It is a great adventure that grips you from the very beginning. Now I've read it once I am halfway through it again, to pick up the nuances that I missed the first time round!

This book is amazing! Loved the story and the twist at the end was awe inspiring. My favourite book this year!

this book is a good one but I don't like how Tarni keeps Sienna's life a secret from her

I liked Tarni the best as she was very BOLD. What interested me was the factual information on how to survive in the wilderness. I would recommend this book to people who are brave and like adventures.

I love this book it's so easy for me to read and I love the adventure you go on with the book

This book was about a girl who woke up in the middle of an Australian desert. I thought that this book was quite mysterious, as it talked about spirits and ghosts. Sadly I couldn't understand the ending .

I loved it. It was very similar to Zillah Bethell’s
Shark Caller which was equally as amazing.

Just like Shark Caller, this book is extraordinary. I was transported entirely to the Outback setting and the author's lyrical, beautiful style brought every sight, sound and smell to life. Emotional and profound, this story will stay with me for a long time.

A young girl wakes in the middle of nowhere; she has no memory of who she is, where she is or how she even got there. Wearing a silky black dress, one shoe and carrying a locked case she is desperately unprepared to face what turns out to be the Australian outback. Then waking from a cold nights sleep to the merciless heat of the morning sun, she meets Tarni, a First Country Australian. As the girls begin to travel across the outback together a bond of friendship slowly begins to emerge.
The story of The Song Walker is filled with twists and turns, danger, struggles, hope and courage, the character development was excellent especially how the girls gradually come to like and trust one another, their arguments making them feel even more real. I found myself rooting for them both to find what they needed. I loved how the story gave me insight into the people of the First Country; their culture, traditions, the dreamtime, the struggles they have faced and the stolen generation, which saw thousands of Aboriginal children removed from their family homes by the government so their lives could be ‘improved.’ Tarni, is strong, determined and independent with an amazing knowledge of the land and what it has to offer, navigating her way across the desert using the songs of her ancestors is beautiful. For the other character I found her total loss of identity and memory of where she is and how she got there to be terrifying but it was dealt with carefully and cleverly. As the story comes together and heads towards the end, although beautifully written, I was left with more questions than answers and I’m still not entirely sure what to make of this book. Maybe it’s one that I need to come back to and reread in the future.

It is a remarkable story about two friends walking across the desert. Every page is full of exciting new challenges that make the two friends grow closer every time.
I love the character Tarni, as she is very bold and strong. She knows how to solve every problem and knows how to hunt and find your way around the desert. I would recommend this book to children 9-11 who likes adventure.