For the child fascinated by true stories of survival and the complexities of history, this book offers an unvarnished look at Australia's founding convicts. It explores challenging truths and human re
Reach for this book when your child starts asking tough questions about fairness and history, wondering if the past was always as neat as it seems in textbooks. "Grim Crims and Convicts" provides a raw and honest look at the founding of the Australian penal colony, focusing on the real human stories behind the historical facts. It explores themes of justice, incredible resilience, and survival against the odds. Best suited for older children (10-14) who can handle direct discussions of hardship and historical brutality, this book is an excellent choice for fostering critical thinking and empathy. It turns history from a list of dates into a compelling, and often heartbreaking, human drama.
Directly addresses the violent dispossession of Aboriginal Australians by European colonizers.
Sensitive Topics
The book's approach is direct, secular, and unflinchingly historical. It deals directly with death from starvation, disease, corporal punishment (floggings), and execution. It also directly addresses the violence, murder, and dispossession of Aboriginal Australians by the colonizers. There is no neat, hopeful resolution; the book presents historical reality, highlighting the resilience of individuals while acknowledging the immense and lasting trauma of the events.
Ideal Reader
A curious 10 to 14-year-old with a high tolerance for grim historical facts and a strong sense of justice. This child likely enjoys the "Horrible Histories" series but is ready for a less comical, more in-depth examination of a specific historical period. They are interested in survival, true stories, and how societies are built.
Parent Prep
Parents should absolutely preview this book, particularly the sections on punishments and the chapters discussing the impact on Aboriginal people. It cannot be read cold without context. A pre-reading conversation about colonialism, historical perspectives on justice, and the concept of primary sources would be highly beneficial. Be prepared to discuss graphic descriptions of violence and systemic injustice. A parent hears their child say something like, "My history project on the First Fleet is boring," or asks a probing question after a school lesson: "But why were the punishments so harsh?" or "What was it actually like for the kids who were convicts?"
Age Experience
A younger reader (10-11) will likely be captivated by the shocking details: the age of some convicts, the specific crimes, the descriptions of rations and floggings. An older reader (12-14) is better equipped to grasp the systemic themes: the critique of the British class system, the long-term consequences of colonization, and the moral complexities of survival.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many history books for this age, Jackie French excels at making history feel immediate and personal. It's not a list of facts and dates. Its primary differentiator is its narrative non-fiction style combined with its refusal to sanitize the brutality and injustice of the period for a young audience. It respects the reader's ability to handle complex and disturbing truths.
Read plot summary
This non-fiction book details the experiences of the convicts transported from Britain to Australia between 1788 and 1820. Author Jackie French uses a narrative style, weaving together individual stories with broader historical context. The book covers the often petty crimes that led to transportation, the horrors of the sea voyage, the struggle with starvation in the new colony, the rigid social hierarchy, brutal punishments, and the violent, often tragic, first contact with the continent's Indigenous peoples.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The book describes people being transported for crimes like stealing a handkerchief. Do you think the punishment fit the crime? How have our ideas about justice and fairness changed since the 18th century?
2
Jackie French describes the first encounters between the British settlers and the local Eora people. What misunderstandings do you think were most significant and why?
3
Think about the stories of individuals like Mary Wade or Solomon Wiseman. What personal qualities do you believe were most important for a convict to survive and even succeed in the new colony?
4
After reading about their lives, do you think 'criminals' is the right word to describe most of the people sent to Australia? What other words might better describe them?
