Archives

I Love Me & My Country

Mar9
I Love Me

I Love Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Love Me

Sally Morgan & Ambelin Kwaymullina

Fremantle Press, 2026

12pp., board book, RRP $A17.99

 9781760996659

I love my eyes, I love my nose

I love the way my curly hair grows…

Through rhyming text that bounces along just like a young child and vibrant illustrations that portray the love, this is a joyous affirmation of self from a young child who could be any child, so universal is the message.

Whether it’s Thump, thump, thump, I love the way my legs jump or If I was tall as a tree with worms for hair, and clouds for arms and grass for feet, I’d still love me,  the little people in this book celebrate who they are and what they can do in that unique, unself-conscious way that little ones do as they move and make noise just because they can.  And being a small board book the perfect size for little hands, it is one that the youngest reader will return to again and again for themselves as they mimic the actions of the characters and then make up their own, because there is no one else just like them.  I love the way my heart knows best, I am me.  Who else would I be?

A little book with huge potential for exploring the unique you, the fun of words and the power of print that endures long after the screenshot has moved on.

My Country

My Country

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Country

Ezekiel Kwaymullina & Sally Morgan

Fremantle Press, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

 9781760996260

In my country I play with the morning star, sing the earth’s song, fly with red desert dust, ride the whispering wind…

Once again, Ezekiel Kwaymullina  and his mother Sally Morgan use their gifts for selecting words and interpreting them in pictures, and then putting them together in a way that reaches the soul and demands we take time to breathe, relax and reflect on the world around us and our connection to it.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

In an ode to not just noticing but knowing your place, this is a celebration of First Nations’ connection to Country that has to inspire non-Indigenous children to start connecting with the natural elements that surround them.  Who hasn’t shrieked for joy while being buffeted by the wind? Or been in awe of the beauty of a rainbow?  Or watched in fascination from the safety of indoors as lightning flashes and thunder cracks? Even though we might not be able to portray Nature’s wonders in such lyrical, eye-catching ways as the creators of this book for little people, nevertheless this could be the inspiration and impetus to try.  At the very least it should spark a greater awareness of the unique, ever-changing entertainment that Mother Nature is providing and being at one with it and in it. 

Ezekiel Kwaymullina says, ‘The book was inspired by my Nana and Gran, who passed on their love of country to me.’  What if we, as the adults in our children’s lives, could also pass on this gift so that they see their environment as a diverse, ever-evolving playground that offers so much in itself as they journey through the day?  If they too felt cocooned in the cloud blanket that has at last brought moisture to a cracked, desiccated landscape or could be entranced by the raindrop slowly gathering the courage to drop off the leaf and fall to the hard ground below?

With many little ones hearing an Acknowledgement of Country daily in their preschools and big schools but not really understanding that special connection that First Nations peoples celebrate, this is the ideal start to help them understand it better. and perhaps start to build something special in them too. 

Two brilliant books that will open eyes and hearts in a unique way that will endure long after the final page is read. 

 

 

The Drover’s Son

Mar5
The Drover's Son

The Drover’s Son

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Drover’s Son

Leah Purcell

Dub Leffner

Puffin, 2026

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761341977

In 1892, renowned Australian storyteller Henry Lawson published his short story, The Drover’s Wife in which, through the life of Molly Johnson, he shone a spotlight on the courage and resilience of the pioneer women who followed their husbands to the rural and remote regions of Australia – in this case, the alpine country of New South Wales – and held the fort against the landscape, the isolation, and the dangers of the country while their husbands were away for months at a time trying to earn a living.   

The original story has inspired artworks, retellings, and other interpretations including a play written by Leah Purcell, itself becoming a film, a book and an opera.   Central to Molly Johnson’s story are her love for and protection of her children, and now, emerging from such auspicious beginnings, is this new picture book that focuses on her oldest son Danny, who believes he will have no choice but to leave home and go droving with his father. But then he meets Yadaka, an indigenous man, who despite the attitudes towards First Nations people at the time, takes Danny under his wing and shows him there can be  another path – one in which a man can be wise and gentle, and a warrior too. “It’s not what you wear on your feet, Danny. How you carry yourself is what makes a decent man.”

Set in 1893, with the Ngarigo landscape and intriguing characters perfectly portrayed in Leffler’s exquisite illustrations, Purcell, herself, says, “This is a yarn about fathers and sons, a mother’s love, fierce and true, and about family in whatever form that takes. A tale of cautious meetings, bonding and the sharing of stories.  Of lessons learnt and of cultural understanding and genuine respect. This is a story about a time in our history we shouldn’t forget.”

Although the primary story is Danny’s, Molly’s also remains central as she awaits the birth of yet another child, isolated and without modern medical assistance – giving today’s girls plenty of food for thought. How would they cope with being almost constantly pregnant, the likelihood of losing the baby anyway, while all the while having to take full responsibility for the other children 24/7?

Whether it is read and shared through the lens of the power and endurance of the women of the time; the attitudes towards and treatment of First Nations peoples; Yadaka’s connection to Country and heritage and the importance of that; the difference in childhood between then and now; the relationship between Yadaka and Danny and the importance of role models; the visual literacy of Leffler’s interpretation of a landscape and history that I see daily out my window; the reimagining of a story from long ago into so many versions so that it is as powerful today as it was then; or any other perspective this is a must-have addition to the collection that will open up so much of this nation’s early European history for older, independent readers.  

Muttonfish Magic

Feb25
Muttonfish Magic

Muttonfish Magic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muttonfish Magic

Aunty Ruth Simmons & Lucy Robertson

Jasmine Seymour

Magabala Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922864130

It is one of those days that in itself, is unremarkable, but which leaves an imprint on the mind that lingers decades later as childhood memories are revisited and warm, fuzzy feelings are evoked.

Mummy has loaded up the old cane pram with its wobbly wooden wheels with supplies and Ruth and her brothers set off on the long walk from their home in La Perouse to the cliffs and rock pools of Cruwee Cove on a mission to gather muttonfish. for their evening meal.  It’s lunchtime by the time they get there and so Mummy shows them how to twist a fish hook and sinker onto a ropy line of fish intestines, and it’s not long before there is a speckled spiny muckendy flapping at their feet, ready to be the basis of a delicious soup.

But it is the muttonfish that are their prize, notoriously tricky to prise from the rocks of the rock pools while all the time watching for the razor-sharp teeth of the eels who also enjoy them.  But with success, just enough muttonfish for the evening meal and a tummy full of the delicious soup, it’s time to make the long walk home again.

Born in 1941 on The Reserve in La Perouse, Aunty Ruth Simms is now a Bidjigal Elder working as an Aboriginal Education Officer and this is her story of her lived experience as a child at a time when being self-sufficient was a way of life. even if it did take a whole day just to gather the evening meal. For apart from gathering their food, there was much else to be learned about traditional foods, medicines, stories and practices as her mother shared her knowledge with her and her siblings – knowledge that she remains passionate about sharing with today’s children. 

Like Going for Pippies, this became a trip back in time and nostalgia for me as I read and recalled a similar childhood – although I was at the very south of the South Island of New Zealand, the walk to the beach was just across the road, and the muttonfish (which Australians call abalone) were ‘paua’ to Kiwis. 

Between them, Aunty Ruth, Lucy Robertson and Jasmine Seymour have created a book that not only celebrates a slower, simpler way of life but shows how sometimes the basic and necessary chores such as feeding the family can form critical connections between generations, and pass on “invisible” knowledge and understandings that just become part of who they are. Creating the magic of memories.

While the Geography strand of the Australian HASS Curriculum for the early years focuses specifically on that special connection that First Nations Australians have to Country, as with Going for Pippies, this book not only addresses that but also offers the chance for young readers to share their experiences of the particular things that their families do that have always been done, foods that are always eaten at special times, stories always told and so on. Unlike me, few will relate directly to Aunty Ruth’s stories – unless they are lucky enough to live where they too, can explore the rockpools at tide-turn – but they will have their own stories to relate, and perhaps one day share with their little ones. 

 

Mystery of the Missing Turtles

Feb10
Mystery of the Missing Turtles

Mystery of the Missing Turtles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mystery of the Missing Turtles

Deborah S. Bower, Ricky-John Spencer, Michael B. Thompson, James U. Van Dyke, Elizabeth Hale

James O’Hanlon

CSIRO Publishing, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781486320288 

At the bottom of Brooke’s farm runs a creek, its waters and banks alive with wildlife that she loves to watch and write about in her notebook,   Her favourites were the freshwater turtles with their long necks, and yellow and black shells, the with flat heads and broad shells , and the Murray River turtles with a pale stripe along their face,  But she was puzzled – all the turtles she saw were big and old.  Where were the young turtles and the babies?  Time to investigate.

And what she discovered is a story that could happen along almost any riverbank, and what she did could also be done by any child (and their parent) who cares.

Written by the turtle biologists who created the 1 Million Turtles Citizen Science Project to encourage participation in turtle conservation in Australia, this is an engaging story that highlights the plight of yet another of our critical creatures and offers our children an opportunity to be leaders in their family and community in protecting them.  Australia has about 30 species of turtles, including the punk turtle of the Mary River, but they can be found all over the continent wherever there is water and wetlands. But like so many species, their habitat is threatened by human development and the spread of feral creatures like foxes and so Brooke’s story is one to inspire young readers to not only investigate what might be in their local rivers but understand what they can do to help.  

As well as the brief informative notes about turtles in the back matter, including the statement that “all tortoises are turtles but not all turtles are tortoises” (and an explanation why), there are also teachers’ notes to explore the turtles’ plight further – foxes aren’t the only threat – as well as the opportunity to become involved in a citizen science project to further their knowledge and understanding.

As with all CSIRO Publishing books for this age group, our younger students are introduced to something out of the everyday that could send them on a whole new path of discovery, awareness and action. 

A Light on the Rocks

Feb4
A Light on the Rocks

A Light on the Rocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Light on the Rocks

Helen Edwards

Riveted Press, 2026

274pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

 9781764007191

In August 1859 in Adelaide, 14 year old Daisy boards the  SS Admella with her mother, father and younger sister Marigold and over 100 others on what should have been a three-day trip around Australia’s southern coastline to Melbourne.  Daisy has dreams of becoming a botanist, eventually travelling the country to draw and document the continent’s native flora, but if that is to happen, she has to overcome her uneasiness about this trip.  If she is to be an adventurer, then she must make the most of this adventure. On board she meets her father’s business partners, a long-time friend Jimmy who loves his new life at sea, and Henry, a young stable hand charged with looking after the six racehorses also making the journey to compete in  some of Melbourne’s rich horse races.

One hundred years later, in December 1959, Max and his older sister Rosemary begin their annual school holiday stay with their father on the Cape Jaffa lighthouse, as he begins his two-week shift tending the light which guarded the Margaret Brock Reef off the coast of Kingston, S. E.  Bullied at school because he can’t yet read and write as well as his peers. Max loves his time on the reef as he has dreams of being a great naturalist like his hero Gerald Durrell , making observations of the wildlife he discovers which Rosemary writes for him and he illustrates.

What connects the two families is an intriguing, captivating read for independent readers that draws on the true events of the voyage of the SS Admella which met its end after striking a submerged reef southwest of Mt Gambier and, with the loss of 89 lives, became  one of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history as well as the later construction of the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse manned by lighthouse keepers and their families until it was decommissioned a century later.  Staying true to the facts of both, Edwards has woven a narrative that, like On Gallant Wings, has been thoroughly researched while adding her own characters, the ghost of one of the horses that was on board, strange flickering lights and a pygmy blue whale named Moriarty whose song is threaded through the tale,  building  a story that switches between Daisy and Max that has the traits of hope and resilience at the forefront but doesn’t shy away from the original tragedy so readers need to be able to cope with the deaths of some of the characters.  (Author’s notes and readily-available research show the real figures, including that in reality, no children were saved and only one woman.) Interwoven with the courage of the characters is the wonder of a restless, incessant, unforgiving ocean that is not always the calm, gentle waves lapping on the shore that students might be used to, as well as the story of its inhabitants like Moriarty and the need to protect all its creatures.  And, if it is used as an engaging read-aloud in the classroom, it could also be teamed with a study of Robert Southey’s Inchcape Rock   as students start to develop an appreciation for the perilous journeys their ancestors took, the dangers they encountered and the courage they needed to begin what they saw as a new and better life -how bad must the old one have been to undertake such a mission? 

Once again, Edwards has crafted a masterful story that entertains and educates, introducing today’s students to the lives of children who have gone before in a way that will fill them with wonder., perhaps even have them seeking out other historical fiction. 

SS Admella, by Shaw, James (1815 - 1881), 1858 - oil on canvas; Courtesy of the Art Gallery of South Australia

SS Admella, by Shaw, James (1815 – 1881), 1858 – oil on canvas; Courtesy of the Art Gallery of South Australia

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse

Cape Jaffa Lighthouse

Saving Shark Pup

Feb1
Saving Shark Pup

Saving Shark Pup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saving Shark Pup

Sharon Dalgleish

Amandine Thomas

A & U Children’s, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761182013

Sometime, somewhere in the depths of the ocean, a great white shark gives birth to a baby. Unlike some species that lay leathery eggs, this baby is fully formed and independent from the moment it is born, and mother and baby swim off in opposite directions.  Instinctively, the baby shark knows how to swim and explore the ocean to feed itself – until the day it is caught by the surf and is powerless against the pounding waves…

This is the true story of that baby shark that was found on Manly Beach, near Sydney, in September 2017 and the repeated attempts to rescue it and keep it alive so it could be returned to the ocean.  At first, the rescuers tried to drag Fluffy out to deeper water, but the incessant surf returns him to the beach and so more thinking and expert advice is required…

One of the divers who stayed with Fluffy in the pool overnight at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary

One of the divers who stayed with Fluffy in the pool overnight at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary

Telling the story in the present tense almost as an observer of the events as they happened, Dalgleish has captured the events of those two days so that the young reader is enthralled and needs to know if Fluffy makes it safely back to his ocean home, accompanying the story with snippets of information such as sharks going into a trance-like state and becomes disoriented if they are turned upside-down which may explain why this one kept returning to the beach.  

Given the recent spate of shark attacks along Sydney’s beaches this summer, including one at Manly, this is a topical and timely release that could be an integral part of a focus on beach and shark safety as we try to educate young swimmers about shark behaviour and when it is best to stay out of the water. How do we keep ourselves safe when we swim at the beach? Why would people go to such lengths to rescue a shark pup?  Should species, like the great white shark, be protected in Australian waters? What does “protected” mean? 

But as well as investigating the facts about sharks, their habits and habitats, it is also an opportunity to explore the human aspect as once again, emotions surface as there are calls for culling of sharks, the installation of shark nets and research into how both sharks and humans can inhabit the same space together.  Students could investigate if shark nets effective or if there are better ways to detect the presence and potential danger using technology, setting the groundwork for a formal debate with all the literacy learning that that entails.

Because the marine experts decided not to cause Fluffy any further trauma by tagging him, the reader cannot follow the rest of his adventures once he is eventually released, and so it would seem his known story ends with the final pages of the book. However, older students might like to investigate how what starts as a fleeting human interest story becomes the kernel for building something as engaging as this.  How has the author taken an incident that was fleeting and localised news at the time and built such an appealing story?  Working backwards, what questions might she have asked? What research might she have done?  How has she blended fact and fiction? What is the difference between writing a news article and a story for young readers? And those who prefer to illustrate than write could ask the same questions about Amandine Thomas’s illustrations.  What did she need to know and do to bring Fluffy to life in a way that he is no longer an anonymous shark, particularly as illustrators usually get the manuscript after the words are written? What techniques, colours and media did she use to make the story so realistic?  Such speculations deepen students’ understandings about story-crafting so they improve their own and this is the perfect example of how connections are made.

For me, the best storybooks are those that lead readers (and reviewers) down rabbit-holes by being entertaining as well as educational – and this is certainly one of those.

 

Dingo’s Dream

Jan6
Dingo’s Dream

Dingo’s Dream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dingo’s Dream

Helen Milroy

Magabala Books, 2025

64pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

9781922142733

Each night, Dingo keeps dreaming there is someone in distress, calling for help from the depths of a deep hole. But who is it? He checks on everyone in his community but they’re all fine and so he ventures further and further, still having the dream but the voice is getting weaker, until Dingo reaches his homeland that stirs many memories but which he hasn’t visited for many years.  It is now an empty landscape  – or so it seems until some field mice lead him to the source of the dream and the cries.

Will he and his friends be able to work together to devise a plan that will enable them to rescue the strange creature trapped in the bottom of the ravine? 

This is the sixth  story in the Tales from the Bush Mob  series of books about the Bush Mob, a group of animals which includes Dingo, Willy-willy Wagtail, Eagle, Platypus, Koala, Wombat, Kookaburra, Echidna and Kangaroo, who work together to solve problems including  while emphasising the value of respect for First Nations culture and country.  They stress the importance of co-operation, valuing individual strengths, ingenuity, courage, perseverance and wisdom to overcome obstacles and continue to connect communities through both time and space.  

Suitable as a read-aloud or a read-alone for those who are emerging as independent readers, the story will help students better understand the First Nations connection to country, as Dingo returns to Country and once more sings to the sky at dusk, his voice carried on the winds to others who have also been long gone.  At last he knows who he is and where he has come from – perhaps a lesson for more than just Dingo. 

 

Australia’s Endangered Bush Creatures

Nov23
Australia's Endangered Bush Creatures

Australia’s Endangered Bush Creatures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australia’s Endangered Bush Creatures

Myke Mollard

Woodslane Press, 2022

64pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781925868876

“We share this earth with many creatures great and small.  They have evolved over hundreds of thousands to millions of years to live in balance with and help sustain their environments – the same environments that define and enable our very existence… Whether because of mankind’s destructive footprint or natural disasters, some of these creatures are being pushed to the brink of extinction. Their survival is a measure of the likelihood of our survival, for we are all earthlings and share this planet with these precious creatures,  We are part of this land, just passing through this timeless, sunburnt country…”

This profound statement serves as the introduction to this book from Myke Mollard, another in his series that brings to life both Australia’s and the world’s natural history, and while he acknowledges that :mother Earth” provides him with “the grandeur, beauty m diversity and wonderment” to illustrate his books, she also provides a consistent reminder of the importance of protecting as much of the Earth’s diversity as possible.

Awareness of the impact of humans on the fragility of the landscape is critical to the protection and preservation of its inhabitants, and this book, which introduces 134 of Australia’s most endangered animals from the handfish of Hobart to the land snails of the rainforests, through accessible text and Mollard’s distinctive, detailed  illustrations is an important beginning.  Readers are taken into the worlds of the featured creatures and learn not only about their habitats and interdependence but also the threats they face, particularly those caused by people. 

While not all students can engage with the critically endangered mountain pygmy possum in a way that our local students have, nevertheless they wouldn’t have to go far before they encounter a similarly endangered species in their own region which could become an impetus for a similar conservation project. 

Mountain pygmy possum population bounces back in NSW alps

Students from local schools in NSW Snowy Mountains, including at Berridale, Jindabyne, Cooma and Adaminaby make and bake “bogong biscuits”

 

Students from the Snowy Monaro Academy of STEM Excellence and Berridale Public School became junior scientists and researchers on an important STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) project they have been learning about for the year, creating innovative designs and structures to solve a climate change problem encountered by the Bogong Moth and Pygmy Possum.

Students from the Snowy Monaro Academy of STEM Excellence and Berridale Public School became junior scientists and researchers on an important STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) project they have been learning about for the year, creating innovative designs and structures to solve a climate change problem encountered by the Bogong Moth and Pygmy Possum.

This is one of many publications by Myke Mollard who is driven by his passion to educate kids about the natural world and like the others, he achieves his goal yet again. 

 

 

Tilly’s New Adventure

Nov20
Tilly's New Adventure

Tilly’s New Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tilly’s New Adventure

Rhonda N.  Garward

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

978-1-923306-33-2

On a still, moonlit night over 10 years ago, a mother turtle laid her eggs in the sand of a Queensland beach and eight weeks later, Tilly emerged and managed to avoid all the onshore and offshore hazards of being a baby green turtle making its way to the sea and growing up. During her time out in the open ocean she ate jellyfish and small fish, but now she is a teenager it’s time for her to return to the reef to seek out seagrass that she needs so she can become bigger and stronger, so that when she is about 30 years old she can return to that beach where she hatched to lay her own eggs, perhaps even living to be 100!

It’s a long journey back to the seagrass fields and there are many ocean friends to guide her on her way, but even though she is so much bigger and more mature than that little baby that waddled down to the water, there are still hazards and dangers to avoid, like abandoned fishing nets.  And when she gets tangled in one, cannot swim and is washed ashore, it looks like getting to the seagrass is not going to happen, let alone being mature enough to lay her eggs or live to 100!  Until…

Like its predecessor, this new release is beautifully illustrated with all the creatures and colours of the reef faithfully portrayed, made even better by each page having a flap that lifts out to show even more!  A final double page spread identifies those featured in the book so budding marine biologists can investigate further, while there are thumbnail sketches of those that Tilly specifically encountered on her return to the reef.  There is also information about green turtles, the Great Barrier Reef, seagrass as well as what the reader can do to help minimise the dangers to the turtles. 

 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Even if young readers haven’t met Tilly as a baby, this will still fascinate them and perhaps even encourage them to want to learn more about what lives beneath the waves, and what we as humans can do (or not do) to protect them.  

 

Turbo Turtle

Nov17
Turbo Turtle

Turbo Turtle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turbo Turtle

Gregg Dreise

Magabala Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922864109

During the Dreamtime, a time on the planet that was even before Once-upon-a-time time, a little lizard hatched from his egg and wandered off from the shelter of the shadowy bushes to search for his parents.  But instead of finding them, he is swooped up by his tail by an eagle and carried far away from his home. The little lizard squiggled and squirmed and his tail broke off, and as the eagle soared on thinking it still held its prey, the lizard fell to Mother Earth, terrified.

Luckily for him, Biamme heard his cries and made a soft landing for him, and looked after him until he found his family, naming him Warrabah after the Warrah season.  Despite Biamme’s care though, Warrabah missed his family and he and Biamme set out to find them, hoping to hear the same language that Warrabah remembered hearing inside the egg.  To help, Biamme gave Warrabah the magic that would make him turbo-charged but also told him that he needed to ask the Elders permission to travel their lands.  

But Warrabah is impatient and forgets to show respect to Country and the Elders. And, for that there are consequences that change him forever…

This is the fourth book in the Scales and Tales series – the others are Lethal Lizards, Fast Fish and Super Snake – by this  proud descendant of the Goomelroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales whose many stories have shone a light on First Nations beliefs and heritage for our young readers.  But they are more than just a story about the origins of our native creatures for each has an underlying message that relates to human behaviour – in this case, it’s about actions and consequences, and how those consequences can change our pathway forward, even our lives, so that we find where we belong – and how that reinforces the connection to Country that guides today’s First Nations generations.  Dreise expands on the origins of this story and its implications on the final page, offering an opportunity for astute teachers to encourage students to consider why an author wrote a particular story and what message they are trying to pass on.  Although not all stories have such an intrinsic message, nevertheless this is a chance to get students to start thinking more critically about what they are reading.  Was it fair/right that Warrabah had to face the Boreen? Was it a reasonable consequence for his behaviour? What did he learn from it? How did it change him?  Was that a change for the better? What can they learn from both Warrabah and the story? Although they might not face the spears that Warrabah did, what sorts of consequences do they face for lack of respect, poor decisions and choices?  Should they face them? What “shields” do they have that can protect them if they find themselves having to face the consequences of their own actions?