Rafferty Rides a Winner

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.

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."