Trapped by Julia Lawrinson

Joe (Giuseppe) Varischetti has come with his father from Italy to a remote part of Western Australia to work at a gold mine. Joe cannot help at the mine because he is too young. His father wants him to learn English, so Joe is forced to go to school where he encounters bullying and racism. The year is 1907.  This story is presented in a diary format from 19th March to 28th March with a few flashbacks to life in Italy, the trip to Australia, and Joe's early days at school.

Torrential rain hits the area and the deep mine is flooded. Every man gets out safely except for Joe's papa Charlie (Modesto) Varischetti.

This gripping and powerful verse novel is based on the true story of an Italian migrant worker known as Charlie - who spent over 200 hours or ten days trapped under ground. Rescuers had to wear deep diving gear so at least they were able to give papa some food, clothes and a lamp but he was wet and cold and surrounded by terrified mice. I held my breath through so many scenes. It just seemed so impossible that he could be rescued. 

This is an amazing look at Australian life in the early 1900’s, the hardships, the racism and the need to persevere to make a better life for yourself. It is an intriguing and remarkable survival story, that shows how the whole state was fascinated by this event and invested in bringing Charlie back to safety. It will best suit readers who enjoy reading about historical factual events. It is an intriguing story, that is easy to read and suitable for those in upper primary and lower secondary. Lamont

I took this book on my train journey today and I read the whole book before I reached my destination. This true story is one that will completely absorb you. You can hear Julia Lawrinson talking about her book. Julia suggests ages 8-12 but I would think this book better suits a reader aged 10+. I also have a strong connection with this story because I once worked in a coal mining town and over my nine years of working in that community there were several terrible accidents - hearing sirens always put the people in the town on edge. Sadly, there was one terrible accident which took the lives of three miners. 

I am sure this book will feature in our 2026 CBCA Notable lists but will it be in Younger Readers or Older Readers or Eve Pownall? Here are the teachers notes from the publisher. 

Readings Melbourne list three reasons to read Trapped:

Three reasons to read it: 

1. All the miners escape except one, and it just so happens to be Joe’s dad. Can you imagine how scary and confusing that would be? Joe is stuck above ground, trying to figure out what happened. Why didn’t his dad come up with the others? Is he okay? And how on earth will they reach him in time? There’s a huge mystery to solve and a desperate rescue mission ahead, and you get to be part of it from the first page. You’ll be biting your nails (maybe literally!) and rooting for Joe and the rescuers every step of the way.

2. The story is inspired by something that really happened back in 1907 in a mining town called Bonnie Vale in Australia. That means the characters, the danger and the rescue are all based on real people who faced something incredibly scary. Lawrinson took this slice of Australian history and turned it into a gripping tale that makes the past feel totally alive. Reading this book isn’t just fun, it teaches you something amazing about bravery, survival and the strength of a small town during a big disaster.

3. Trapped moves fast. You can probably read it in a day or two, but the story and the feelings it gives you will stay with you long after you finish. It’s perfect for readers who like stories that grab you right away and never let go. And since it’s packed with vivid descriptions, cool historical details and an intense rescue mission, your imagination will be working overtime. When you turn the last page, you’ll be thinking about what happened long after you close the book, and maybe even looking up more about the real-life event.

Background reading:

• Western Australia Museum
• State Library of WA 4 minute video tribute
• Pearl Divers in the Goldfields
• Shire of Coolgardie
• Australasian Mine Safety Journal
• Wild - Stories from WA's past (scroll down through all the choices) - 17 minutes
• Goldfield Stories of Western Australia

On day nine, the divers gave the miner more food, shared cigarettes with him, tied a rope around his waist and started the arduous walk through waist-deep water and knee-deep sludge. At one stage, Varischetti’s mouth and nose only just cleared the water. He staggered to the surface on March 28, after 206 hours underground. He recovered to return to work underground but died of fibrosis at 57.

Tunneling to get him out or pumping out the water would have taken too long and Varischetti would have died before he could be reached. The mine inspector Joshua Crabbe had an inspired idea. He was familiar with pearl diving in the North West and made enquiries about getting divers to rescue the trapped man. Two divers (Curtis and Thomas Hearn) were found holidaying in Perth and as luck would have it they had their gear with them. A special train was organised to get them to the goldfields (taking 13 hours and 10 minutes to arrive) setting a new speed record which was to last for the next 50 years. By the time the divers had arrived Varischetti had been trapped for 3 days. The divers had no knowledge of the flooded mine and during the first attempt to reach Modesto, Curtis became entangled and was lucky to survive.

Here is an interview with Julia Lawrinson. 

Companion book:

Town by Sea (Scroll through this post)

I previously read these books by Julia Lawrinson:

Chess Nuts

City of Light

You might also have these books in your school library. I do wish the Aussie Bites, Aussie Nibbles and Aussie Chomps series books were still in print - I discovered so many book treasures in these three Australian series.

Here is another book (for a younger audience) that also tells a story from Australian history using the format of a verse novel:

The Riding Gallery

The Boy who Grew a Tree by Polly Ho-Yen illustrated by Sojung Kim-McCarthy

A little girl and her grandfather visit the library each week. They read books together and then the little girl asks her Babu to tell her a true story. A story about the tree. Now we flash back in time and meet a little boy named Timi. Timi's mum is having a new baby and so Timi is sent to after school care and then later to stay with an aunt and her family. Timi is a quiet boy who loves nature and the wonder of growing plants. He has a collection of plants on his windowsill - all grown from seeds. 

He is unsure how to interact with the group of children at the after-school centre but he does follow them to the old library building. One of the boys knows the code to get into the building which is due for demolition. They open the door and Timi, even though he is very frightened, elects to go inside first. At that moment some adults arrive, the kids all run away, and the door slams shut. I held my breath. Inside Timi discovers a very small plant pushing up through the floorboards. Timi knows all about plants - they need water and sunlight. Luckily there is a tap in the building and a small container. He is able to pull back the old curtains to let in the sunshine. He is not locked into the library but when he sees the kids the next day, he decides this discovery needs to be his secret. Whenever he can he heads back to the library to see the little plant only it is no longer little. Each day it grows bigger and bigger at a very surprising rate.

"He heard it almost as soon as he opened the door, as a breeze swept down the corridor and rustled the leaves. It was now no longer a seedling, no longer a plant, it was a tree."

Meanwhile his sister is born but now mum is even more distracted, and the baby is not very well and so Timi is sent away to another relative. It becomes harder to visit his tree but somehow, he is able to get there. Then one day the other kids discover his secret. 

Have you guessed the connection between this tree and the library where the story began? The cover might help you. 

This little book perfectly demonstrates the power of a story to touch your heart and it only has 117 illustrated pages. I am sure any reader aged 8+ will enjoy this story and the themes of perseverance, teamwork, and community. 

I am just so pleased to read a short novel of this quality and thoughtfulness aimed at the younger junior age-range. It's such a beautiful thing to see a writer and illustrator coming together to create a gift like this, treating their young readers with a respect and intelligence they very much deserve.  A Few to Read Blog

Knights Of are a publisher who never disappoint, and it is very especially satisfying to read something from them which is aimed at a younger readership. This is exactly the kind of high-quality book that should be on offer to children in the infant years. More please! Just Imagine

The Boy who Grew a Tree is a 2023 Empathy Lab title. In this three minute video Polly Ho-Yen reads an extract from her book. 

The publisher of this book is Knights of Media. Here is their set of junior novels:

The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q Rauf

Audrey lives with her mum (Mam) and twin younger siblings. Things are very tough for the family and Audrey knows it is her job, even though she is only nine years old, to keep everyone safe. To do this she has to keep her mum's illness secret. And she has to be sure the authorities (Them) don't find out about mam or the bills they can't pay or their shortage of food. Her days are a roller coaster of emotions as she assesses her Mam's pain levels, wrangles her brother and sister and tries to maintain a web of lies with her two best friends. There is one person, though, who brightens every day - Mo the postman. Audrey collects stamps and Mo brings her all sorts of interesting ones he also has a cheerful smile at her door each morning. I love the way everyone recognises his door knocking pattern. The doctor also does home visits and so he tries to help especially when the pain medications need increasing but things are coming to a head for Mam and Audrey.

Mam's bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom is downstairs. Mam finds it so hard on some days to go up and down. Audrey calls these nightmare days. The doctor tells Mam - in a conversation overheard by Audrey, that Mam needs a wheelchair, a stair lift and they need to add an ensuite bathroom upstairs. But how could they ever possibly afford even one of these things? There is government assistance, but this could take up to a year and Mam needs these things now. 

"After I made up my mind to get Mam everything she needed for the doctor's orders, I tried to think of what I could do to afford them ... I knew we needed thousands of pounds - electric wheelchairs and getting a whole bathroom and a stairlift would probably cost more than everything we owned all put together. So I made a list of all the things I might try ..."

Audrey thinks of winning the lottery - but she has no money for a ticket and she is too young to buy one anyway. Holding a bake sale - but she cannot cook and has no money for ingredients. Do a sponsored run - but who would sponsor her for thousands of pounds to run around their small town?

Adding to the pressure strange people have moved in across the road and Audrey is convinced it is THEM - the welfare authorities sent to spy on the family.

Audrey's dad left two years ago. Audrey is Welsh, so she calls her dad Tad. Just as a side note Onjali who has Bangladeshi heritage now lives in Swansea, Wales. I enjoyed the way she added Welsh words - just a few - into this story. Every Christmas the children receive every item on their Santa wish lists. Audrey is sure these expensive and generous gifts come from Tad. Audrey is a problem solver. Her Mam needs help. The family need money. Tad must be rich. She finds an old envelope with his address. Surely if Audrey writes to Tad and explains their dire circumstances, he will rush to help them. Mo helps with the posting. The letter is sent. But then just a few days later it is returned with red 'return to sender' stamps all over the envelope. 

This story is told in the form of a police confession. Audrey has done something quite desperate to try to reach her Tad. She recounts the events leading up to her wild postal journey and the desperate chase by the authorities as they try to catch her. By the end of the book I was sobbing! One of the reviewers below uses the word 'compelling' and that is SO true. I just kept turning page after to page desperate to find out what Audrey did that led to her interview at the police station and also desperate to reach, what I hoped would be, a happy ending. I think readers aged 10+ will really enjoy this personal recount of Audrey's journey to help her mother and her family. The writing style may be very different from other books but it is well worth persevering until the rhythm of the writing feels natural - this is what happened to me as I was reading. 

Through Amy’s vivid storytelling we get a beautiful sense of the characters and the warm local community around her and especially of Mo, the local postman who keeps secret his own hidden support for Audrey and her family. The author explains her own fascination with stamps and her admiration for these community champions and I can see this gem of a book inspiring a whole new generation of letter writers. Love Reading4Kids

The story is very compelling, and Audrey makes a brave, funny, kind protagonist. Despite the serious subject, it’s a fun, fast-paced easy read with a very hopeful ending.The book shines a light on the challenges faced by over a million young carers in the UK. Book Trust

Publisher blurb: Deep in the heart of Swansea, Wales, lives a small girl with some big secrets to keep. Secrets that make her one of the best actresses on the planet – because no-one would ever think that, away from school, Audrey is the sole carer for her increasingly sick mam and her two younger siblings … or a seasoned thief. With her worlds threatened by the arrival of a mysterious, invisible neighbour, behind whose closed curtains and shut front door may lie a spy, Audrey must take matters into her own hands to save her family. Inspired by her beloved collection of stamps, her friendly neighbourhood postman (and fellow stamp collector), and her two best friends, off Audrey must go: on an adventure that will lead her to places – and hearts – she never knew existed.

Just look at that cover of The Letter with the Golden Stamp - I knew I HAD to read this book and then I saw the author. I really, really enjoyed four of her previous books:

The Boy at the Back of the Class

Night Bus Hero

The Star outside my Window

The Lion above the Door

In a couple of days I will talk about a new Australian book - The Kindness Project by Deborah Abela - it would be a perfect companion book to read after The Letter with the Golden Stamp.

You might also look for these:

The Meaning of Maggie

The Honest Truth