When I think back on the version of history that I learned from attending school and from reading I can't decide which I find more amazing; the conceit of Europeans to believe that they were doing things first or that supposedly rational and intelligent people accepted those "facts" without question. Even as they traversed the globe discovering new people and evidence of ancient civilizations in countless places European explorers, and subsequently historians, remained unshakeable in their belief that nobody before them could have possibly been capable of doing the things they did.
Even in the twentieth century when Thor Heyerdahl was able to prove, by successfully recreating their voyages, that earlier cultures had accomplished many of those feats long before Europeans, people were, and are, still reluctant to accept that we weren't the first. Unfortunately quite a bit of that reluctance is based on the attitude that before contact with us, everybody were just savages who couldn't possibly have been sophisticated enough to build boats sturdy enough for ocean travel, let alone navigate them across the ocean and back again.
It was during the height of Britain's colonial rule in the 19th century that the term "White Man's Burden" was coined. The great burden that the Empire shouldered in those days was the task of bringing the light of "civilization" to all those poor misguided dark skinned people around the world. Of course you couldn't expect miracles, but it was at least hoped they could be taught English and to put pants on every so often, especially in mixed company. 
In his most recent release, and his first for young audiences, Nation, published by Harper Collins, Terry Practchett has not only created a wonderful tale of self-discovery, he rebukes those histories of our childhood that had us believing nothing of importance happened before the white man appeared on the face of the earth. With a remote South Pacific archipelago as its location, and an alternate 19th century as the reality, Nation is the story of two young people from vastly different backgrounds thrown together by nature and what they experience together.
Article comments
1 - Clare
I liked your review - lovely balanced way of writing. I haven't read Nation yet, but I will do shortly.
However, you and other readers may like to know that this was not Terry's first book for younger readers. There are plenty more - try the Tiffany Aching series (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith), or the Johnny Maxwell series (Johnny and the Dead, etc) - this last series inspired an adaptation on British TV recently.
As you noted, the books may be written with a younger audience in mind, but are never dumbed down, and engage a readership of all ages.
Enjoy! I will read your other reviews and use their recommendations to inform my reading. Thank you.
2 - Richard Marcus
Clare
I wondered when I wrote that line, first book for young readers, but the that was the impression I received from the publisher's web site - I'm guessing that means they never published them. Whatever the reason thanks for pointing out my oversite and I'm glad you enjoyed my review in spite of that silly error.