Reilly, Carmel, and Craig Longmuir. The Far Side of the World. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education, 2005. Print.

“The Far Side of the World” is appropriate for the ages of about 10 to 12. It's set in the early 1800s, with the beginning of the novel taking place in London, England. However most of the rest of the story is set in New South Wales, Australia. “The Far Side of the World” is about a teenager named Joe, whom at the beginning of the story is caught helping his brother pick pocket from a rich man. As a result of this, Joe is sentenced for 7 years and sent to the colony of New South Wales, Sydney. The remainder of the novel describes Joe's life in Australia. “The Far Side of the World” is well written and I believe is consistent with what occurred in history during the era in which it's set. I think social issues in the novel are portrayed honestly overall, as there's a part in which a man named Arthur Billings tries to shot a group of aborigines that appear on the farm where he works. This was known to be a common occurrence during those times. Hence Carmel Rielly's storyline is definitely credible.

I think the characters also accurately reflect the values of the late 1700s, in “The Far Side of the World”. For example life was a lot more harsh back then, and therefore it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for people to steal in London, so they could get food and/or warm clothing. People did what they had to do in order to survive. As well as this I believe Rielly has generally remained true to the times, as far as the language of the characters is concerned. For example the term “peeler” is used to describe a policeman (Reilly 12). Thus according to Dictionary.com this is a colloquial British term, which originated sometime between 1810 and 1820.

I believe “The Far Side of the World” would keep readers interested, as I found the whole plot with Joe being sent as a convict to Australia quite fascinating. Hence it really made me want to continue reading the story, in order to find out how Joe ends up. I also feel that most readers will be able to relate to its themes of survival, family, friendship and hope.

I must admit that I'm not very fond of Craig Longmuir's simple, black and white illustrations in “The Far Side of the World”, as I would have preferred more detail. However generally their consistent concerning the era in which the story is set. Therefore I think readers would get a bit more of an idea of how places, people, etcetera looked during the early 1800s, in London and New South Wales. ( )