‘We’ll always be sorry, Simon. Not so that we feel sad or guilty, but to always remember the bad things that happened and make sure that they never happen again. That way, the future will be as bright as you can imagine it.
When Simon’s uncle sends him a beautifully painted boomerang, Simon is delighted. But it is a newspaper article, wrapped around the boomerang, that Simon learns from. The article is about the Prime Minister’s apology to the Stolen Generations. Simon and his friends start to learn what the word ‘sorry’ means, and why the word has such meaning for all Australians. The adults in Simon’s life help him to understand what happened to the Stolen Generations, and why we should remember, but it is when he meets Aunty Betty, herself a member of the Stolen Generation, that he gains new understanding.
Stories for Simon is a moving, important story about the National Apology, why it was necessary and why we must continue to be sorry for what happened to the Stolen Generation. Told as a story with mystical elements, it provides an accessible tool for children to understand reconciliation and discuss these important issues at school and at home.
created by two non-indigenous Australian mothers, with the mentorship of Indigenous Elder Vic Simms and endorsed by Adam Goodes and his cousin Michael O’Loughlin from the Goodes O’Loughlin Foundation, Stories for Simon is a story of hope and understanding.
Stories for Simon, by Lisa Miranda Sarzin & Lauren Briggs
Random House Australia, 2015
ISBN 9780857987440
Available from good bookstores and online.