Meet Marly

Gr 3–5—In the first of four books from the "Our Australian Girl" series, readers meet spirited Marly, whose family fled to Australia as refugees from Vietnam when she was two years old. Now a preteen in 1983, Marly has finally made Australian friends at her school and barely remembers her life in Vietnam. When her aunt, uncle, and two cousins from Vietnam move in with her family in a suburb of Melbourne, Marly's world is upended; she is forced to share her already small home and toys, and feels a spark of competition and jealousy as she gets to know her all-too-perfect cousin Tuyet. Things get even more complicated when Marly's cousins join her at school and become the targets of racist bullies who call them names and tease them for speaking Cantonese. Marly must choose between her family and her friends at school; satisfyingly, if predictably, Marly's loyalty to her family wins out. There's nothing remarkable in the plot or dialogue, and the story often takes on a didactic tone. The book does, however, provide an accessible introduction to the refugee experience, and young readers of any background can relate to the pressure Marly feels to fit in with her peers. Back matter includes historical notes as well as anecdotes from both author and illustrator about how they came to live in Australia, with the author's story resembling that of protagonist Marly.