Jaz is fourteen years old and lives on idyllic, remote Palm Island surrounded by loving family and friends. She is dismayed when her mum tells her that she will be leaving home after the summer holidays to attend Concordia boarding school on the mainland. She will have to adapt to many challenging changes in her life – from being separated from her family to dealing with a new school environment and meeting new people. As she becomes accustomed to school life, has fun with her new friends and has academic success, Jaz realises just how much she has gained and grown in the time she's been at school. She is no longer just one way strong like she was on Palm Island, she's now two ways strong.
Whilst this story would be of specific interest to children and teenagers who have an Australian Aboriginal background, there are also universal themes of change, challenges, and friendship that anyone could relate to. For non-Aboriginal young people, this book provides a valuable insight into some Aboriginal traditions, such as connection with ancestors, and examples of some common life experiences of young people from Aboriginal communities.
The book is a short, easy to read story of 48 pages. It was written by students from Concordia Lutheran College (their names, photos and a short biography can be found at the end of the story as well as a map showing the places they all come from), adds an authenticity to the dialogue.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
