Blood doesn't define evotypical families: Eleanor Spence's stories of informal and formal foster care in Australia

Abstract

Close family bonds among individuals who are not blood-related are explored here in three works of Australian award-winning children’s author Eleanor Spence. Although written in 1967, 1969, and 1982, Spence created narratives with authentic Australian contexts around what is currently acknowledged as evotypical families. These books support the education of Australian young people in developing progressive views of family formation and realizing the significance of family bonds that go beyond blood relatives.