Footprints on the Moon

by Lorraine Marwood
Published by UQP (University of Queensland Press)
ISBN 9780702262838

Set in 1969, Sharnie Burlie is starting high school and finding it difficult making new friends. It's also the year that people are waiting to see if humans will land on the moon. It's also the year that the war in Vietnam is raging ahead.

Lewis and her little cousin try making pretend moon boots. Conscription is in place as young men, very young men are called up to fight, they don't have a choice. Quite a few of these young men don't make it home again. It is a time when fighting for and serving your country is seen as the right thing to do, is an honour to do so.

Then Sharnie's older sister Cas meets a returned soldier and becomes involved in anti-war protests and this causes conflict within their family.

In this time of turmoil, Sharnie turns to the one person she can rely upon, her grandma, but she's noticed that recently her gran's been forgetting things, so how does she fare?

In this easy to read verse novel for 12 -15 year olds, Sharnie explores grief, family, love, war, bullying, space exploration.'

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