Alex: Through My Eyes – Australian Disaster Zones by Rosanne Hawke, series editor Lyn White

Title: Alex: Through My Eyes – Australian Disaster Zones

Author: Rosanne Hawke, series editor Lyn White

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 29^th August 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages: 240

Price: $18.99

Synopsis: A captivating and heartfelt story of one boy’s resilience in the face of devastating drought.

Alex sighs at the dusty brown landscape. Drought is second nature to him – but how much longer can his family keep hoping for rain and better days?
Thirteen-year-old Alex lives on a drought-affected property in South Australia with his mum, his dad, his kelpie dog Tangi and colt Jago. For years it hasn’t rained enough for them to put a crop in. And while all the farmers in the area are suffering, Alex’s dad is struggling more than most. As the drought stretches on, Alex helps his mum with the farm work while longing for the father he once knew.

When Bonnie moves in on the neighbouring property with her camel-training family, even feral dogs and a missing classmate cannot stop the newfound friends’ passion to make a difference to the environment and their community. Will Alex’s dad recover – and will the rains ever return?


This inspiring Australian Disaster Zones series is a powerful and contemporary reminder of the effects of natural disasters and the ever-increasing threat of climate change to our vast and volatile continent.

~*~

Alex is living in South Australia in the middle of as well as the ramifications of the Black Summer fires that ravaged much of Australia at the end of 2019, and now, he’s coping with the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic as well. And ever since a fire at his farm, followed by his father’s illness, Alex has had to take on more work than others as his mother works at the town’s pub to keep money coming in for the family. Alex and his mum wish Dad was the person he used to be, to help in the farm – and when Bonnie and her family move in next door with their camels, Alex becomes friends with her, and they develop a passion to save the environment and help their town. Even when Alex’s sheep are being attacked by feral dogs and a classmate who spreads rumours about Bonnie goes missing. This is the next in the Australian Disaster Zones series, and this time, drought is being tackled. The kids – Alex, Harry, and Bonnie drive the narrative as they encourage people to think about what they can do to save the environment and raise money during the drought, save the local sheep, and show everyone that their preconceptions about Bonnie are false. As the kids work towards their gaols, what they’re doing might just start to help Alex’s father recover and bring the town some good luck.

This series focuses on disaster zones in Australia as part of a larger Through My Eyes series that has characters from across the world, showing a diverse range of experiences to create awareness and empathy for what other people are going through. I loved the way the three friends came together to support each other and accept each other. They show that it’s okay to feel like they need time to process emotions, or that they’ve got no control over things. It is reassuring to let kids know that their feelings are valid, and this is one of those books that gives children who are going through something tough a voice and can help create empathy and understanding for those who might not be in a situation like Alex is. The diverse characters show that outback Australia is more than what might be portrayed in popular culture – like anywhere in Australia it is not a monolith nor a stereotype, as there are all sorts of people who live on the land with a wide array of lives, backgrounds, and understandings, which you will see play out in Alex’s small school.

Rosanne’s novel shows how harshly the drought affects rural Australia and the lengths people go to so they can make ends meet, the changes they make to fight climate change, and the mental health toll it takes on multiple generations and cultures who are trying to make their world better. I liked that the kids were all trying to work together and understand each other’s perspectives for the most part throughout the novel. I felt this showed a willingness to combine their knowledge to create the changes that they needed to see and wanted to see. It is a novel that can inform and inspire, whilst teaching readers empathy and understanding for other people. Another great addition to this series.