Devil's Hill (novel) facts for kids

Devil's Hill is an exciting adventure novel written for young people by the Australian author Nan Chauncy. Published in 1958, this book tells a story about family, nature, and learning to understand different ways of life. It was so well-loved that it won the prestigious Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 1959, sharing the prize with another great book. The story is brought to life with illustrations by Geraldine Spence.

An Adventure in the Tasmanian Wilderness

This novel continues the story of the Lorenny family, who live deep within the wild rainforests of south-western Tasmania, Australia. If you've read Nan Chauncy's earlier book, Tiger in the Bush, you'll already know this unique family. Devil's Hill is the second book that focuses on their adventures.

City Kids Meet Country Life

The story begins when the Lorenny family welcomes some special visitors: their cousins, Sam and his two younger sisters, who have come all the way from the city. Life in the city is very different from the Lorenny's remote home. The city cousins are used to busy streets and modern conveniences. The Lorenny children, however, are experts at living off the land. They know the bush like the back of their hand.

A Lost Cow and a Big Search

One day, a valuable cow belonging to the Lorenny family goes missing. The children decide to set off into the vast, dense bush to find it. This journey becomes the main adventure of the book. As they search, the differences between the city children and the country children become very clear.

Learning and Growing Together

The novel explores the challenges and conflicts that arise between the cousins. Sam and his sisters find the wilderness tough and unfamiliar. They struggle with the quietness, the wild animals, and the lack of city comforts. The Lorenny children, on the other hand, are completely at home. They are skilled at tracking, finding food, and navigating the difficult terrain.

As the search for the cow continues, the city children slowly begin to change. They start to appreciate the beauty and challenges of the bush. They learn important survival skills from their country cousins. This journey helps them to understand and respect a way of life that is very different from their own. It's a story about adapting, growing, and finding common ground, even when you come from different worlds.