Dianne Wolfer's "Mia" teachers' review

Brief description and distinctive features

Distinctive features of Mia:

• Mia is an example of the genre known as contemporary realistic fiction.
• There are features of nonfiction which adds to the appeal of realism:
• Maps of Western Australia and the setting of the narrative
• Timeline – an interesting place to start
• Websites to explore further
• The Author’s Note and Acknowledgments provide interesting insights to the setting and context
• Mia is told in the third person which focalises the perspective of Mia who is thirteen and lives with her mother on a remote property.
• Authentic adolescent characters enhance the narrative’s engagement.
• There is compelling and endearing detail about the animals, especially Mia’s beloved horse Bandit who is severely injured.
• The narrative informs the reader about a range of important topics cyclones, flooding, brumby culling, impact of climate change on turtles as well as the heart-wrenching plight of horses in fright.
• Dianne Wolfer is an award-winning author of 21 books, translated into several languages and writes across genres.
• There are Teaching Notes available for this text from the publisher.

Ways to use Mia in the classroom

1. This text could be part of a broader unit of work which explores a range of different texts in different textual forms which represent the natural world. The recent film – Blueback – based on Tim Winton’s classic novella of the same name could be a starting point to raise awareness of how texts represent discourse on our natural environment. Mia could be a focus text and students could be given choice to read others in the series. The latest - Alex (August 2023) involves a boy whose family’s farm, livelihood and father’s mental health are all under extreme stress due to the devastating drought of 2017-2020. This text gives fascinating insight to the wretchedness of drought and also the fascinating world of camel farming. Alex is a very likeable and admirable protagonist of the story and indeed, quite the hero. 

2. Initiate a class discussion of why we are attracted to real stories and how real stories are often the basis for novels, plays, television series and films. Consider a visual display of such texts or some slides of book covers and film posters.

Include in this discussion: 

• What is realistic fiction? 
• Have you read other books or watched film/television series of this genre? 

This idea of realistic fiction could be the focus of this unit of work and could explore a range of texts – film, ballads, nonfiction, fiction, short stories – which use real stories as the basis of their narrative.

Encourage students to walk through Mia to see the various features which are more common to nonfiction. You might find it more engaging to visit these sections after the story has been read.

3. While students may have had a great deal of exposure to wild weather events, it is important to ensure students have insights to specific aspects that provide the context and setting for Mia. Hook students with details and visual coverage – e.g Channel 9 News coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as1moovUrZY

4. Encourage students to keep a log on what they learn about the natural world through this story. At the end of their reading, student choose the three most interesting insights they gained from reading Mia.

5. In groups students to explore the characters who engage them most and what it is about the character which makes them so convincing and engaging. Has their character changed – if so, in what ways?

6. In groups students could choose an event, either a weather event or a significant incident or situation, and use this event as the time and place for their own short story. Pre-writing will need to involve research of the event so that authentic detail can be added to the narrative. The narrative needs to include a protagonist who is a similar age to your students and the protagonist will be challenged by the event and will face this adversity with courage and strength albeit at times, fear like Mia.

Relevant details in relation to the new English 7-10 syllabus

Text requirements: Novel (extended prose), Australian author, intercultural and diverse experiences (might include literature by authors with diverse backgrounds and experiences, including authors with disability), cultural, social and gender perspectives, including from popular and youth cultures.
Looking for more classroom texts for Stage 4 students? Browse our Year 7 texts and study guides and Year 8 texts and study guides at Five Senses Education.

Concepts: Point of View • Narrative • Characterisation • Perspective and context • Argument and authority

Connecting texts

Through My Eyes: Natural Disaster Zones

Through My Eyes: Australian Disaster Zones