AustLit

In this essay Heiss discusses Indigenous-authored works that are targeted for upper-primary and young adult readers, that address issues of identity, self esteem, relationships and peer-group pressure that are available for both educators and students. Heiss recommends that these works discussed in this essay, will not only engage young Indigenous students, but also non-Indigenous students and other readers with a sense of sameness in terms of coming of age, facing friendships, and the growing pains that all teenagers face.

Collins-Gearing examines how representations of Indigenality, Indigenous people and life in Australian children's literature have been constructed by non-indigenous authors to accommodate a white sense of place and community, often to the exclusion of indigenous child readers.