The Rainbow Necklace by Jacqueline Larsen

(Australian Girl Series 1). Wombat Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921633294.
In The Rainbow Necklace Matilda, Emily, Amy, Belle and Jasmine discover a rainbow necklace which transports them back in time to the outback where they discover an injured girl lying alone on a track. In their commitment to get help for her, they learn a lot about a time in history they knew nothing about and meet some of the significant women in our past. It's an adventure story that will appeal to girls who like a good yarn with a bit of substance to it.
This is the first in a series inspired by the Australian Girl dolls created by Helen Schofield. While the story stands alone, it is very closely aligned to the dolls and their personalities, established on the website. 'The stories and dolls aim to encourage imaginative Australian style play and help counter some of the negative impact of popular culture on young children by providing age appropriate dolls and stories and by reflecting back a positive body image and values. The characters belong to contemporary Australian society and like to do everything that real Australian girls like to do.'
Children these days expect their stories to be enriched by other media and this is a prime example of this, but this pairing allows them to be actively involved through writing and competitons as well as other club activities.
Barbara Braxton