| Author | Joan Woodberry |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Publisher | Parrish, London |
Publication date | 1961 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 187pp |
| Preceded by | Floodtide for Rafferty |
| Followed by | Come Back Peter |
Rafferty Rides a Winner (1961) is a novel for children by Australian author Joan Woodberry, illustrated by the author. It was joint winner of the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 1962.[1]
Plot outline
Rafferty, an English boy attempting to learn how to become Australian, and his friends attempt to scrape together 60 pounds via a series of various means in order to purchase a boat.
Critical reception
While covering a selection of recent books for children in The Canberra Times in 1962, a reviewer was not at all impressed with the book: "Its plot and characters, similar to the previous two books by Miss Woodberry, follow the cheap "formula" pattern of the comic book, in which a group of slick youngsters, chattering a lot of slick slang, embark on a series of slick adventures. It offers only escape entertainment of the most mediocre kind."[2]