'Who Am I? : The Diary of Mary Talence' by Anita Heiss was an inspiring and innovative story about a ten-year old Aboriginal 'half-caste' girl called Mary Talence, though her real name was Amy Charles. She is a truly courageous character and an excellent representation of the racism and discrimination Aboriginal children of the Stolen Generation have experienced.
It was really touching and the audience receives a great recount on the suffering and taunting Mary deals with at a white school. What Mary had originally thought to be a perfect world, turned out to be a world where Aboriginal people faced many hardships living in a white society where they were not white Australians. Mary goes through many changes as the story progresses and as her innocence slowly disappears as she herself experiences what others have been for many years. This is a greatly recommended book talking about the Stolen Generations' thousands of victims with a touch a childlike innocence.

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

It's written by an indigenous Australian and deals with the problems of the Stolen Generation, where Indigenous children were taken from their parents and if their skin was 'light' enough, taken to white families.

Although essentially light, it was a great book. We have a small group set, so I'm looking forward to teaching with it later in the year.

Mary has lived in an orphanage for the last 5 years of her life. (She is 10 now). When she is fostered out to a family, she starts keeping a diary but the way her new family treat her start her questioning who is really is – an aboriginal girl or a white one? ( )