Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly

by Carole Wilkinson

black dog books' award-winning history series The Drum uses first-person accounts and non-fiction to bring history roaring to life.

"Everyone looks on me like a black snake."
Letter to Sergeant Babington, July 1870

Ned Kelly was a thief, a bank robber and a murderer. He was in trouble with the law from the age of 12. He stole hundreds of horses and cattle. He robbed two banks. He killed three men. Yet, when Ned was sentenced to death, thousands of people rallied to save his life. He stood up to the authorities and fought for what he believed in. He defended the rights of people who had no power.

Was he a villain? Or a hero? What do you think?

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Reviews

Authoritative information accompanies the colorful narrative.

— Western Australia Department of Education

Carole Wilkinson takes the reader beyond the surface of the Ned Kelly legend... She brings the story alive through the everyday life and struggles of this unkilely hero... Wilkinson leads readers to ponder how Ned became an Australian icon in an accessible text which consummately uses fact and fictional reconstructions to achieve its purposes.

— Children’s Book of the Year Judges’ Report

An entertaining and enlightening read for kids who might not otherwise learn much about their past...

— Jane Sullivan, The Age

Through her consummate research and a deep, abiding empathy with the characters which she has resurrected, Carole Wilkinson has that rare ability to bring the past to live, in all of its authentic, ‘warts-and-all’ realism. Recommended.

— Magpies

One does not have to be a prior Kelly enthusiast to enjoy this book. It will appeal to not only the juvenile reader, but also to anyone wishing to gain a quick basic understanding of the story without having to wade through piles of books.

— Bailup

A terrific book... easy to read and very enjoyable...

— Paul (Young Australian Readers’ Awards)