AustLit

'There is renewed interest in The December Boys and other books by Michael Noonan in large part because the former was made into a film.Richard Becker who made the film called The December Boys a compelling and charming story.It suggests that film and indeed book audiences frequently try to reconnect with an idealised childhood,looking to the past as a way of critiquing the present.This paper will explore the way The December Boys explores notions of childhood,of a child's need to belong,of Australia's past and its fascination with its landscape.The interest in the book suggests that there is still a readership for works about a 'childhood past' which resonates for a 'childhood present' and for those who still hanker over their own lost childhood.'