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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Mahtab and her family are forced to leave their home in Herat and journey secretly through the rocky mountains to Pakistan and from there to faraway Australia. Months go by, months of waiting, months of dread. Will they ever be reunited with their father, will they ever find a home?
This compelling novel by one of Australia's best-loved children's authors is based on the true story of one girl's voyage to Australia with her family.' (Publisher's blurb)
Reading Australia
This work has Reading Australia teaching resources.
Unit Suitable For
AC: Year 7 (NSW Stage 4)
Themes
asylum seekers, bravery, family, hope, journey, refugees, resilience
General Capabilities
Critical and creative thinking, Ethical understanding, Information and communication technology, Literacy, Personal and social
Cross-curriculum Priorities
Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia
Teaching Resources
This work has teaching resources.
Teachers notes from publisher’s website
Affiliation Notes
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This work is affiliated with the AustLit subset Asian-Australian Children's Literature and Publishing because it has Asian settings.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
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[Essay] : Mahtab’s Story
2013
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Reading Australia 2013-;'‘We must stop the boats.’ It’s a phrase every Australian has heard, ad nauseam. It’s been the theme of election campaigns and political advertising. It’s a statement so often uttered on the nightly news that a time when politicians showed empathy to asylum seekers and refugees seems like a fading dream. For over a decade, but particularly for the last five years, this simple saying has sent a blunt message: ‘We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come.’' (Introduction)
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Using Literature Circles to Inquire into the Big Themes : Explorig the Refugee Experience
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 47 no. 3 2012; (p. 25-28) -
Why Literature Matters
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Teenagers and Reading : Literary Heritages, Cultural Contexts and Contemporary Reading Practices 2012; (p. 5-11) Gleeson's article includes a letter, reproduced in full, from a Year 7 student, commenting on her response to Mahtab's Story and the involvement of her class in Refugee Week. -
From Herat to Port Hedland
2009
single work
column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Spring vol. 17 no. 3 2009; (p. 9) Discussion of the background to Libby Gleeson's book Mahtab's Story. -
[Review] : Mahtab's Story
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Buzz Words , 15 May no. 60 2009; (p. 42-43)
— Review of Mahtab's Story 2008 single work children's fiction
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[Review] Mahtab's Story
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , March vol. 87 no. 7 2008; (p. 42)
— Review of Mahtab's Story 2008 single work children's fiction -
Under Age
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sunday Age , 8 June 2008; (p. 27)
— Review of Mahtab's Story 2008 single work children's fiction ; Hey Cat 2008 single work picture book -
Battle for Hearts and Minds
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 21-22 June 2008; (p. 36)
— Review of Mahtab's Story 2008 single work children's fiction ; Then 2008 single work children's fiction -
[Review] Mahtab's Story
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , May vol. 23 no. 2 2008; (p. 34-35)
— Review of Mahtab's Story 2008 single work children's fiction -
A New, Successful Didactism?
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 43 no. 2 2008; (p. 86)
— Review of Mahtab's Story 2008 single work children's fiction -
Getting it Right : Culturally and Historically Writing Mahtab's Story
2008
single work
essay
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , September vol. 23 no. 4 2008; (p. 16-18) Libby Gleeson discusses how she developed and then researched her novel Mahtab's Story. Gleeson originally planned that the story would involve a refugee student telling a young Australian school girl about her journey from her homeland to Australia. However, Gleeson soon realised that she needed to do additional research to construct the refugee Muslim teenager character. She describes how she met with refugee students from a Sydney high school to create an 'informed fiction' based on processes of storytelling and story-sharing. -
From Herat to Port Hedland
2009
single work
column
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Spring vol. 17 no. 3 2009; (p. 9) Discussion of the background to Libby Gleeson's book Mahtab's Story. -
Why Literature Matters
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Teenagers and Reading : Literary Heritages, Cultural Contexts and Contemporary Reading Practices 2012; (p. 5-11) Gleeson's article includes a letter, reproduced in full, from a Year 7 student, commenting on her response to Mahtab's Story and the involvement of her class in Refugee Week. -
Using Literature Circles to Inquire into the Big Themes : Explorig the Refugee Experience
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 47 no. 3 2012; (p. 25-28) -
Child Protagonists in Adult Settings
2008
single work
column
— Appears in: English in Australia , vol. 43 no. 2 2008; (p. 85-86)
Awards
Last amended 17 Jun 2020 09:42:41
Settings:
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cAfghanistan,cSouth Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
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cPakistan,cSouth Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
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cIndonesia,cSoutheast Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
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cAustralia,c
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