LoveReading4Kids Says
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Award-winning Ursula Dubosarsky’s enigmatic story is elegantly and briefly told. Gripping as the story unfolds it will also leave readers wondering, What really happened? Eleven impressionable girls in a small class at a select school are led by their teacher into the local park. They know little of the world beyond their own lives but the day is significant, so their teacher tells them, because, a man is to be hanged. With their sensibilities heightened by this information, the girls follow their teacher first into the local park where she meets a mysterious young man and then into the caves on the shore. The girls return but the teacher and the young man are never seen again. Sworn to keep the day a secret by their teacher, no one breathes a word of what has happened. And who knows what did? Reflecting on the nature of information and what is true will engage all readers after they have finished this story. ~ Julia Eccleshare
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Ursula Dubosarsky Press Reviews
In a stunning feat of perspective, Dubosarsky inhabits all 11 girls at once, snaking through a thousand small joys and triumphs and fears and petty grudges as they absorb life's bleakest truths as well as their own complicity in them... This is a masterful look at children's numb surprise to the most unsavoury of adult developments. * Booklist (starred review) *
Laced with humor amid a steady feeling of dread, the atmospheric narrative chillingly evokes lurking forces capable of tarnishing even the most golden and innocent of days. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
Chilling, elegant, atmospheric... Ms Dubosarsky deftly conveys the confusion of childhood, the strangeness of things half-glimpsed and only partly understood. With quiet brilliance she evokes the distinct personalities of the classmates... The Golden Day is the sort of book that churns comething up deep inside the reader; it will be as hard for an adult to forget as the young people ages 12 and older for whom it is intended. * The Wall Street Journal *
Through precise, vivid descriptions, the third-person narrative evokes the contrast between the girls ... Read this slender mystery for the meticulous prose and characterization... * Kirkus Reviews * Part atmospheric thriller, part poignant coming-of-age novel, this was one that kept me up late. -- Fiona Noble * Bookseller Children's Guide *
Rich in imagery, . . . bridging the gap between children's and YA fiction . . . would be enjoyed by anyone who likes to read quirky books with more than a hint of psychological thriller about them. * Books for Keeps *
This succinct novel combines a love of poetry, an intriguing mystery, an exquisite study of group mentality and the dynamics of friendship. * The Scotsman *
Atmospheric, chilling and haunting. * The Irish Times *
An atmospheric tale about eleven school girls and their teacher Miss Renshaw. With echoes of the classic Picnic t Hanging Rock, the group's excursion to the botanical gardens throws up shock and scandal... Beautifully written by one of Australia's most talented authors, this is a story to be savoured and one to discuss. * WRD magazine *
A gripping, beautifully written psychological tale * The School Librarian *
A beautifully crafted book with enigmatic imagery, deft characterisation and a writing style evocative of another era, the mystery at its heart making for compelling reading. The ambiguous ending does not disappoint in this quaint story. * Children's Books Ireland Recommended Read *
About Ursula Dubosarsky
Ursula Dubosarsky is an award-winning author of numerous books for children and young adults. About The Golden Day, her first book for Walker, she says, The little girls watch, wonder, respond, change and grow -and then they're gone, for ever. This element of the story, I suppose, is at least partly autobiographical. But, as I say - all of our teachers come home safe and sound in the end. Ursula lives in Australia.
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