Yarning Strong Under the Train Tracks

Warning to First Nations Peoples: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that the contents in Yarning Strong may include names and images of people now deceased.

Susie’s cousins, Gary and Bryce, will not let her best friend, Isaac, join them at The Fort—the hideaway they found—because Isaac is not Aboriginal. Then Susie and Isaac fall out because they break promises to each other. When Susie goes to a land rights meeting with her grandmother, Nana Dolly, she hears people argue about who owns the land. She discovers how Isaac might have felt when local children refuse to let her play on swings outside the meeting hall. Susie sits with Uncle Radio, who reminds her that people belong to the land; Nana Dolly explains that looking after the land is a shared responsibility. After the meeting, Susie apologises to Isaac. All the children who played at The Fort agree to share a new secret place where everyone can feel included.

Under the Train Tracks is part of the Yarning Strong series, a vibrant and purposeful series of novels and anthologies by First Nations authors, created to inspire Years 3–6 students while supporting meaningful classroom learning. Rich in story, voice and perspective, each text offers teachers and students authentic opportunities to explore First Nations cultures and experiences through high‑quality literature.

Themes: Everybody has a responsibility to care for the land • Rules should not exclude people from the group • Land rights