Caro Was Here
Age 10+
General Fiction
Whose idea of an adventure is this?
One match, one chance, she thinks. Make it count. Skipping school to lead a group of friends – and enemies – on an adult-free excursion to an island in Sydney Harbour is Caro’s idea of a twelfth birthday outing. Marooned overnight? She can handle that too. But the challenges multiply. They’re not alone on the island, and Caro must save her friends from life-threatening danger …
Creators
Elizabeth Farrelly is a Sydney-based columnist, author and academic. She has written three books of non-fiction and has been short-listed for the prestigious Walkley Award for excellence in journalism. Caro Was Here is Elizabeth’s first book for children.
Reviews
Farrelly is a masterful storyteller and Caro Was Here is the sort of book that brings up many issues young people grapple with in their quest for identity.It’s not only a good book to give a young person, but a good one to share and discuss with them.
Sisters in Crime
Good healthy adventure with an emphasis on survival under pressure. A strong quality is the dialogue between the characters.
Bobs Books Blog
Think 80s cult movie The Breakfast Club crossed with 80s TV stalwart MacGyver, played by a group of middle-class kids in Sydney… Caro Was Here offers young readers an escape from reality with plenty of action thrown in
Books+Publishing
A cool, contemporary mystery adventure. It’s an addictive, pacey read and is today’s equivalent of Enid Blyton’s Famous Fivebut better written and with more depth of characterisation
Boomerang Books Blog
Caro and her friends are readily identifiable and will engage the reader instantly. The intrigue of an escaped prisoner, the men on the island with their drug lab and the boat with a hidden stash of cash, adds tension to this well written story of a group needing each other more than they think, and along the way reveals some of their fears and half hidden truths about their lives, endearing them even more to the reader.
Read Plus
A fabulous read which combines history with family issues, dark tunnels, truancy and prison escapes all set against the sparkling background of one of the world’s most beautiful harbours.
The Source
Caro Was Here has an old-fashioned, adventure feel.
Viewpoint
Underlying the adventure story is a deeper story about how these young people abandon their prejudices about each other only to discover a deeper and more mature appreciation of just how decent they all are.
Education (NSW DET Magazine)
