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Kerry Greenwood A Scholastic Press Book, 2001 174p pbk $15.95 ISBN: 1-86504-383-4
| Charlotte McKenzie is a girl living in a time when women were just realising that they have rights, at the end of World War 1. When an influenza pandemic strikes, she works as an assistant to Dr. Barnes, a local GP helping to lead the fight against the deadly disease. She sees the horrors of this pandemic until it strikes at her own home, and claims one of those dearest to her This is a first person prose, written in diary format. The book also features a section of historical notes about the period, at the end. It is a realistic/historical book. I would recommend this book for ages 11 and up, because of some parts dealing with disease, and the horrors of war, that some younger readers may find disturbing, and get nightmares from. It has a very good story line, and is a bit complex, which makes it interesting. It is a read-alone, and perhaps a read-aloud sort of book, because of the way in is written. It has a medium-large typeface, with wide spacing, so it is easy to read. Once written down it is a different sort of real Bryan, aged 14, Canberra, ACT |
| Charlotte McKenzie is a kind young girl who lives with her mum, dad, uncle, two younger sisters and her younger brother. The terrible war is happening and the deadly Spanish flu is spreading throughout the world. Charlotte is a nurse-in-training and treats patients with the horrible flu. While seeing people suffer and losing people she knows Charlotte lets all her sadness and fears out by writing a diary. The book tells about Charlottes life and how she struggled through such a hard time in her life. This is an excellent story which will have you hooked right until the end. A Different Sort of Real is written extremely well and gives you an idea about war and the deadly Spanish flu which spread around the world killing thousands of people and making millions sick. When I read A Different Sort of Real I felt like I was in the story with Charlotte. You felt like I knew the characters really well and were part of their lives. If you read the book I think youll feel the same way because its written really well and tells you about everything thats happening to Charlotte and her family. The book is set out in a diary format and the text is spread out and fairly easy to read and understand. A Different Sort of Real is a great book and I would recommend it to children around the age of 11 and up because it tells about the horrors of war and some parts deal with disease that children under eleven may find it disturbing. I would also recommend it to people who like sad war type stories and historical stories. | |
| Charlotte is a nurse and works with the local GP who lives next door. She and Doctor Barns have to travel on the road a lot. As Charlotte is seeing and also helping these poor people with the Spanish flu the dreaded thoughts of whether her family will get it are going through her head and she can only hope that she will never have to see her family go though it. But will they escape it A Different Sort of Real is written in diary form. I would recommend it for children above the age of 11 because of the language and some of the book deals with the war and diseases and it might give children under the age of 11 bad dreams or bad thoughts. It has a very good story line and I felt like I was one of the characters. When I first got the book I couldn't put it down. If you read this book you will feel the same way. Kelly, aged 11, urban South Australia | |
| A Different Sort of Real is about a young girl named Charlotte and her family the McKenzies. This book in the style of a diary written by Charlotte Mckenzie, takes you through the hard time they had. The First World War has nearly ended but Charlotte's father has already been sent home. Charlotte's dad was full of terrible memories from his time as a soldier but nothing would have prepared his family and him for the danger which followed - an influenza pandemic. People all around are getting sick from the Spanish flu and Charlotte was working as a doctor's assistant. She was immune to the flu as she caught a weaker version of it before the pandemic but many others were affected and she and the doctor found it hard to keep up with the growing number of patients. Charlotte finds it harder to cope as her family gets the flu and she only has her traumatised father to assist her in nursing them all. This is a moving story and I felt sorry and sad for the many people who died as a result of the pandemic. I also admired the soldiers who, after returning home, helped others who were ill. I felt sorry for Charlotte for having to cope with so much but felt sorry for her father more, who still was suffering trauma from the war. This book was great and it was very well written; it was a very good story line but a bit complex. It felt like all the characters were really real. You just start the book and get so hooked that you don't want to put it down. The author is very good at writing and has described everything very well. I recommend this book to people who are about 11 and over and people who like history but even people that are not in to history stories will like this book. This book is really well written and this book is sad but very interesting. Emma, aged 12, South Australia |
