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Cover image courtesy of publisher.
y separately published work icon The True Story of Spit MacPhee single work   children's fiction   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 1986... 1986 The True Story of Spit MacPhee
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

"When young Spit MacPhee came to live with his grandfather, the people of the Australian country town of St Helen feared for his future. For Fyfe MacPhee was a crazy old man, and barefoot Spit had to fend for himself along the riverbank where they lived."

Adaptations

form y separately published work icon Spit McPhee Moya Wood , ( dir. Marcus Cole ) Australia : Revcom Television , 1988 Z1827812 1988 series - publisher film/TV children's historical fiction

Spit MacPhee comes to the riverside town of St Helen to live with his grandfather, Fyfe MacPhee. Because Fyfe, who has a steel plate in his head as a result of an old war injury, is subject to violent fits, the townspeople fear for Spit's future. When Fyfe dies in one of his fits, a fierce legal battle is initiated, as the Catholic Tree family and the Protestant Arbuckle family bicker over which of them will adopt Spit.

According to Moran in his Guide to Australian TV Series, the program is 'very aware of different social levels in the town and especially of some of the divisions brought about by religion.' Moran also notes that the series rated well in Australia and sold well overseas.

Teaching Resources

Teaching Resources

This work has teaching resources.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Viking , 1986 .
      Extent: 189p.
      ISBN: 0670811122
    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Puffin , 1987 .
      image of person or book cover 317680428227276791.jpg
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Extent: 188p.
      ISBN: 0140320733
    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Penguin , 1988 .
      image of person or book cover 8154284191671495914.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 188p.
      ISBN: 0140113533
    • Melbourne, Victoria,: Text Publishing , 2015 .
      image of person or book cover 8976990487333842054.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 352p.
      Note/s:
      ISBN: 9781922182074
      Series: y separately published work icon Text Classics Text Publishing (publisher), Melbourne : Text Publishing , 2012- Z1851461 2012 series - publisher novel 'Great books by great Australian storytellers.' (Text website.)
Alternative title: Die wahre Geschichte des Spit MacPhee
    • Stuttgart,
      c
      Germany,
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,      :       Hoch Verlag ,       1990 .
      image of person or book cover 9202368971116240020.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 224p.
      ISBN: 3777904570
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Related Works

The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 extract novel (The True Story of Spit MacPhee)
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Magazine , 29-30 March 1986; (p. 1-2) The people of St. Helen are concerned for young Spit MacPhee. Spit lives a hand to mouth existence with his eccentric grandfather, Fyle MacPhee, in an old shanty on the banks of the Murray River. When old Fyle dies the townspeople seize the opportunity to do something about the vagabond Spit. He finds himself the subject of a dramatic court case which polarises the religious and moral attitudes of a typical Australian country town in the 1930s. Yet, such is the strength of young Spit's character that, when the truth about his life with his grandfather is revealed, no one is left unchanged. (Source: Trove)
VIEW ALL RELATED WORKS (1)

Works about this Work

y separately published work icon Teaching Classic Australian Children's Fiction Anthony Shaw , St Lucia : AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource , 2016- 15827758 2016 website prose

This Exhibition is a collection of extensive teaching resources for classic Australian children's texts. The resources are aimed at upper primary school and lower high school teachers. The collection forms part of Anthony Shaw's Learning with Literature program.
Review : The True Story of Spit Macphee Carmel Ballinger , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 30 no. 1 2015; (p. 43)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
James Aldridge : 'Larrikins and the Price of Freedom' Maureen Nimon , 1997 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Adolescent Novel : Australian Perspectives 1997; (p. 93-103)
Spit MacPhee : Australia's Tom Sawyer Michael Stone , 1990 single work criticism
— Appears in: Orana , vol. 26 no. 4 1990; (p. 179-186)
Untitled Laurie Copping , 1988 single work review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , vol. 32 no. 1 1988; (p. 42)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
Untitled Carmel Ballinger , 1986 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , November vol. 1 no. 5 1986; (p. 25)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
Across the Generation Gap Katharine England , 1986 single work review
— Appears in: Advertiser Magazine , July 1986; (p. 20)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
From Concern to Whimsy, Aldridge's Touch is Sure Veronica Sen , 1986 single work review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 30 August 1986; (p. B2)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
Huck, Ginger and now Spit MacPhee George Turner , 1986 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 7 June 1986; (p. 11)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
No Flies, Only Warts, on Spit Walter McVitty , 1986 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian Magazine , 23-24 August 1986; (p. 15)
— Review of The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 single work children's fiction
Spit MacPhee : Australia's Tom Sawyer Michael Stone , 1990 single work criticism
— Appears in: Orana , vol. 26 no. 4 1990; (p. 179-186)
The Heroic Ordinary : The Novels of James Aldridge Evelyn Juers , 1987 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Age Monthly Review , February 1987; (p. 7-8)
James Aldridge : 'Larrikins and the Price of Freedom' Maureen Nimon , 1997 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Adolescent Novel : Australian Perspectives 1997; (p. 93-103)
The True Story of Spit MacPhee James Aldridge , 1986 extract novel (The True Story of Spit MacPhee)
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Magazine , 29-30 March 1986; (p. 1-2) The people of St. Helen are concerned for young Spit MacPhee. Spit lives a hand to mouth existence with his eccentric grandfather, Fyle MacPhee, in an old shanty on the banks of the Murray River. When old Fyle dies the townspeople seize the opportunity to do something about the vagabond Spit. He finds himself the subject of a dramatic court case which polarises the religious and moral attitudes of a typical Australian country town in the 1930s. Yet, such is the strength of young Spit's character that, when the truth about his life with his grandfather is revealed, no one is left unchanged. (Source: Trove)
y separately published work icon Teaching Classic Australian Children's Fiction Anthony Shaw , St Lucia : AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource , 2016- 15827758 2016 website prose

This Exhibition is a collection of extensive teaching resources for classic Australian children's texts. The resources are aimed at upper primary school and lower high school teachers. The collection forms part of Anthony Shaw's Learning with Literature program.
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (13)

Awards

1986 winner FAW ANA Literature Award
1986 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Ethel Turner Prize
1986 winner New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Children's Book Award
VIEW ALL AWARDS (3)
Last amended 11 Oct 2018 06:14:36
Subjects:
  • Country towns,
  • Victoria,
Settings:
  • 1929-1939
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