Author(s): Nadine Rabah

Children's Fiction

The Third Space series is a unique project designed in response to the Australian Curriculum's inclusion of the key elements of diversity competence: intercultural and ethical understanding, personal and social capability, and critical and creative thinking. Comprised of thirteen novellas, The Third Space aims to equip students with the requisite understandings, skills, attitudes and dispositions to deal with difference through reading stories focussed on young protagonists. This series takes students on an introductory journey out of their own world and into the intriguing world of human diversity. Students are given a unique opportunity to step out of their own space and into 'the third space' -- a space where people of different cultural, racial and belief systems are understood and respected. The novellas provide the conceptual tools and imaginative space to help students discover and participate in this 'third space' where multi-culture and multi-faith are key components of a society that is rich, harmonious and inclusive. Jaiyana is good at Aussie Rules: she can kick, handball, tackle and ruck with the best of them. But she's ... a she, and a Muslim. There are all sorts of people that seem to think she shouldn't play with the boys on a club team, a 'proper' team. There's her traditional-thinking father, there's a well-meaning but worried coach, and there's the boy who was last season's best and fairest. Somehow, she needs to win them over. And try to make the Grand Final. It's a lot of pressure, but like her mum says: 'Just do what you do, Jaiyana.' And for Jaiyana, it's not just being the best, but also the fairest...