11 Ruby Road: 1900
Dorothy and her family have moved to the city, and life is very different to the rural one she has known. Ruby Road is bustling – full of families and children, horse-drawn carts and even a mysterious dog. Best of all her new home has a secret writing room that only she knows about.
There are many reasons for her family’s move, but Dorothy has her own plans. She has to settle into a new school, make new friends and find an ingenious way to help the suffragists in their fight for women's right to vote! Perhaps her secret writing room holds the answer.
Join Dorothy and the inhabitants of 11 Ruby Road in 1900, as Federation is dawning and a new century begins.
Resources
Creators
Charlotte Barkla is a Brisbane-based author and teacher. Her books include the 11 Ruby Road historical fiction series, Let's Try Again Another Day, Robo-teacher, All Bodies Are Good Bodies, the Edie’s Experiments series and From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes.
Charlotte’s books have been translated into multiple languages and short-listed for awards, including the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards and the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature. In 2023, All Bodies Are Good Bodies was adapted into a song by the children's band The Quokkas.
As well as writing for children, Charlotte is a creative writing tutor for the Australian Writers' Centre, and has written feature articles for publications including AEU News, Create Digital, Beanz Magazine and Double Helix. She regularly visits schools, libraries and festivals for creative writing workshops, sharing her passion for creativity and stories with children of all ages.
Reviews
This is a terrific read for ages 9–12.
Readings
This story gives us a wonderful insight into life in Australia in 1900. It highlights how different life really was—when children played and made their own fun; when there were no ’mod-cons’; when they learnt basic life skills— but also how different life was for women and migrants, during a time of immense inequality. With historical facts at the back of the book, this is a fantastic read for all those in middle primary and up, and will be particularly adored by fans of historical fiction.
Lamont Books
This is the kind of book that would have appealed to me as a child, and still does as an adult reader.
The Book Muse
This is a delightful step into history at a time that is so removed from 2024. Highly recommended.
ReadPlus
Perfect historical fiction for middle grade readers.
Magpies
