Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781444957198. pbk., 316pp.
After a year like no other, when things that have been taken for
granted for decades have suddenly become novelties, Christmas is
coming again - almost the one certainty - and people are returning
to the old classic rituals and routines in a way unseen for many
years. It is as though the security of the past is bringing comfort
in this uncertain present and so it seems logical that we should
also turn to the stories that have endured and given such joy in
previous times.
If any writer of previous generations has survived that test of time
it is Enid Blyton and in this collection of 30 Christmas tales taken
from her series and short story collections of yesteryear, young
readers will be taken back to a time when there was just the written
word, the imagination and the magic. Even those who are not as
old as me and who don't recall Blyton being an integral part of
their reading history will revel in the sheer innocence and joy of
these simple stories. From a dog who discovers the joy of Christmas
to Santa Claus who gets himself out of a muddle with a little help
from his friends, these stories celebrate shared times, festivities
and wonder. Even if there is no opportunity to organise a full-blown
Christmas Countdown, sharing just one story a day as a family
or a class will bring back that sense of calm and normality in a
world that seems to have gone mad.
This is a collection that holds so many memories for me that I'm
passing it on to Miss 14 and Miss 9, knowing they will enjoy
them regardless of their ages and that they are likely to hang on to
it for that distant day of their own families. Thanks Hachette for
adding to the nostalgia.
Barbara Braxton
The fifth season by Philip Salom
Transit Lounge, 2020. ISBN: 9781925760644.
(Age: Adult) Jack is a writer, and an ill man. He is intrigued by
the discoveries of unidentified dead people such as the Somerton Man
or the Gippsland Man, still mysteries today, and he is writing a
book about them whilst sojourning at Blue Bay. There he meets Sarah,
owner of the house he is staying in, a young woman obsessed with the
disappearance of her sister Alice. Sarah has become a member of the
Missing Persons Advocacy Network and as an artist paints large
murals of the face of her sister and other missing people around the
country in the hope that somebody will see them and provide a clue
as to their whereabouts. The Somerton Man or the Gippsland Man must
also be known and missing by somebody, surely, so their interests
have some overlap and draw them together.
The story becomes complicated by the fact that the previous lodger
at Sarah's house was also a writer and artist, now missing, and he
has written a book about the local townspeople including Sarah, and
possibly Alice, but how much is based on life or is fiction becomes
very confusing. This intertwining of the known and the unknown, the
real and the imagined, become threads of thoughts and ideas about
life, death, art and writing. There are pages readers will want to
go back over to grapple with the suggestions and possibilities.
It is a book for intellectuals, but at the same time has some really
grassroot renderings of iconic Aussie conversations in the local
bar, and the veggie shop, a vein of humour that lightens the tone a
little.
What is the fifth season? Maybe it's another dimension, maybe it's
time, maybe it's the unknown. That should give you the clue that
this is not your usual mystery story. It is a challenging read, but
it is full of interesting ideas, and I'm sure the book will find its
readers.
Themes: Missing persons, Unidentified dead, Loss, Mortality,
Obsession, Writing, Art.
Helen Eddy
The strays of Paris by Jane Smiley
Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781529052985.
(Age: Middle school/secondary/adult) Highly recommended. A group of
animals lives on scraps and their wits around the Eiffel Tower in
Paris. The horse, Paras is left in her stall after a race, and when
no one comes to take her home, nudges open her gate and walks out.
Following her nose she comes to a broad expanse of wonderful sweet
grass, close by a very tall tower. Here, a dog called Frida
befriends her, and a raven, Raoul, tags along, followed by two
ducks, Syd and Nancy. The gardener chooses to ignore them, as animal
issues are not his concern, people at the markets give the dog
scraps and are amazed when she gives them money in return. The raven
pontificates about the essence of freedom, the ducks squabble about
responsibility, the rat is worried about finding a mate, and the
horse just loves the fresh juicy grass and a place to roll around.
They are watched by an eight year old boy, Etienne, who lives with
his 97 year old blind great grandmother, and one day he takes the
horse home.
A beautifully written story of friendship, the tale enfolds all
readers with its humour and charm, allowing us to believe that this
could really happen.
Etienne keeps the stabling of the horse in their house a secret,
although several shop keepers nearby become aware that something is
not quite as it should be. The baker is sure she is hallucinating to
see a horse in the city streets, and gives her oats and bran, the
butcher provides scraps of meat for the dog, while the greengrocer
is good for carrots, apples and greens, and the gardener happy to
collect the horse poo for the garden. Each separately provides for
the animals as well as Etienne who shops each day for his great
grandmother, but each does not think beyond themselves, only coming
together after the old woman dies, to discuss what happened.
This beguiling story of love and friendship, tugs at the idea of
responsibility. But all comes to a wonderful denouement, more than
any reader could have hoped for, as each delicate strand is woven
together to make a satisfying conclusion. The Parisian background is
an absolute delight, and the characters, both human and animal whose
lives we follow are astonishing in their grasp of their place in the
world.
Themes: Animals, Paris, Humour, Homeless, Love, Loneliness, Freedom,
Friendship.
Fran Knight
Olga by Bernhard Schlink, translated by Charlotte Collins
Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2020. ISBN: 9781474611145.
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. Schlink's novel begins in early
20th century Prussia, with the story of Olga, the strange girl who
liked to observe; and then Herbert, the boy who tripped forward in
his eagerness to go somewhere else. We read of how they are drawn to
each other, the impoverished orphan and the privileged aristocrat,
of how she thirsts for knowledge and he thirsts for adventure, but
perhaps different forms of the same thing. Part 1 is the outline of
their relationship; part 2 is Olga's later life as seamstress in the
family of the young boy Ferdinand; and then part 3 is the discovery
of Olga's long lost letters to her love, finally filling out the
picture with all the secrets previously unknown.
Schlink grapples with questions of how could someone love a person
involved in colonial African massacre, how could someone love a Nazi
SS officer in charge of torture, how could it happen? Any of our
preconceived stereotypes give way to the stories of real people
struggling to understand and care for one another, sharing ideas and
aspirations, lovers overcoming separation, and the complexities of
parent relationships with child.
Olga's life is one of coming to grips with loss, lost love, lost
relationships. But in the end, she determines to make her own
statement, one we only discover in a surprising twist in the last
pages. Schlink the master storyteller brings it all together neatly
at the end, but I challenge any reader to let it rest there; I had
to go back and read the story all over again and just marvel at the
subtlety with which the author gradually reveals more and more of
the story.
Some aspects of the book reminded me of The
Dutch house by Ann Patchett (2019), a completely
different story in a different setting, but what the two novels
share is their portrayal of how children perpetuate the
characteristics of their parents, even those aspects that most
alienate them. And both novels explore themes of love, loss and
obsession.
Olga is an unusually constructed novel, it gives one version of the
story and then like a paintbrush over a painting, we are given
another layer and then yet another. Each layer enriches our
understanding. It is an intellectually rewarding novel to savour and
think about long afterwards.
Themes: Love, Loss, Imperialism, Politics, Parent child
relationship.
Helen Eddy
Little lion by Saroo Brierley
Illus. by Bruce Whatley. Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780143795094.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. The incredible true story of Saroo
Brierley's life is presented in this edition for younger readers,
stunningly illustrated by Bruce Whatley. With 80,000 children going
missing in India each year, five year old Saroo was one of many who
arrived at Kolkata railway station, not knowing where he was.
Falling asleep on a train the night before, he woke to find himself
locked in, travelling on the train until it reached Kolkata where he
was able to escape. Luckily another child took him to the police
station, and from there he went to an orphanage and thence to
Australia with his adoptive parents.
All the while Saroo dreamed of his home town, his mother and
siblings, his house and his streets where he lived. When at
university in Canberra he befriended Indian students and they
encouraged him in his search using Google Maps. Over a number of
years, his search continued until one night following yet another
train line, he saw the water tank near his house, the bridge where
he played and recognised the village where he lived.
From there he went to India to find his family, and after a small
hiccup, was reunited with his mother and several of his siblings.
His brother whom he loved to distraction had gone missing the same
night as Saroo, an incredible double blow for his family.
Children will love reading of Saroo and his search for his family,
strengthening the ties that bind us all. Brierley's tale is
laudatory in its strong theme of family, as he finds that they never
forgot him and welcomed his return, just as he never forgot them.
Whatley uses a range of techniques to present the story, including
pastel and pencil, creating pages filled with colour, accompanied by
smaller pencil illustrations underneath the text. The darker colours
used to create the background of life in India, particularly when he
is lost on the train, contrast with the Australian light and the
colour filled pages when he finds his family. The struggle of people
fitting onto the train at Kolkata station must have been
overwhelming for a five year old boy from a tiny village, and this
image like others n the book will create talking points for children
reading of Saroo.
Subtitled, A long way home, readers will be in awe of the
journeys Saroo took: locked on a train, the struggle to survive in
Kolkata, living in an orphanage, the voyage to a new life in
Australia, and the search for his family, followed by another
journey back to India, each journey plucking at the readers'
heartstrings.
Theme: India, Adoption, Homeless, Children. Loss, Village life,
Google maps.
Fran Knight
Consolation by Garry Disher
Paul Hirschhausen book 3. Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9781922330260.
(Age: Adult - Senior Secondary) Highly recommended. Disher visits
the small South Australian town of Tiverton once again as Constable
Paul Hirschhausen begins to investigate a series of crimes that is
plaguing the region. Someone is stealing older women's underwear
from their clothes lines. He has received a call about a child who
might be at risk and one about a farmer who is angry about the
treatment his child has received at the hands of the principal of
the local school. At the same time winter is closing in and
frustrations are growing.
Disher is a master at creating a setting: the dry, cold loneliness
of outback of South Australia comes alive in his descriptions as
Hirsch makes his routine visits to outlying farms and properties,
checking that all is well with these isolated people. He knows the
disparate inhabitants of the small community of Redruth, which is
his patch, and the inner workings of the police in a small town and
their relationship with the city police, are exposed as he traces
the movements of the armed farmer and his son, so angry about
everything, that they have gone on the run.
Hirsch is a likeable character who is easy to relate to. The reader
can sympathise with him as he struggles to work out what to do about
the young woman who appears to be stalking him, and delight in his
relationship with Wendy and her daughter Katie. The wry repartee
between Hirsch and many of the well-fleshed out characters in the
book gives some lighter moments throughout the book.
The pace is fast and Disher juggles several sub-plots with ease
drawing them all together by the conclusion of the book, giving a
vivid insight into the life of a small-town police officer.
I am a fan of all of Garry Disher's books, and have really enjoyed
reading about Hirsch in Consolation as well as Bitterwash
Road and Peace.
Fans of Jane Harper (The
lost man and The
dry) and Sarah Thornton's Lapse
are sure to enjoy this series.
Pat Pledger
A tale of witchcraft by Chris Colfer
Hodder & Stoughton 2020. ISBN: 9781510202191.
(Age: Young Adult). Highly recommended. Brystal Evergreen and her
band of magical friends are back to entertain in A tale of
witchcraft, sequel to 2019's A
tale of magic. The Fairy Council have defeated the evil
Snow Queen and negotiated for the emancipation of women and the
lawful use of magic throughout the four kingdoms. Brystal is now in
charge of the magical academy founded by her mentor, Madame
Weatherberry, and has welcomed magical beings from across the land
to the school. However, from the novel's opening page we know that
something is once again amiss. Legal tolerance of magic does not
automatically equal social acceptance and the ascendance of magic
users has given rise to a movement of magic-haters called the
Righteous Brotherhood, who are determined to stamp out fairies and
their ilk once and for all. If this isn't concerning enough, a
mysterious witch with dark intentions arrives at the academy to
recruit students for her rival school. Brystal knows it is only a
matter of time before the mankind vs magic conflict begins again . .
.
While Chris Colfer's books may be set in fantastical lands with
little similarities to our own, there are always parallels to be
drawn between his plots and our own society. As once marginalised
and oppressed minority groups become more accepted and vocal in the
community, so to do reactionary movements intent on returning things
to the status quo. A tale of witchcraft is in part an
allegory for our times. It is also an entertaining and fitting
sequel for A tale of magic and readers will be thrilled to
follow Brystal and her friends as they once again battle to save
themselves, their community and all of humanity.
Themes: Magic, Magical creatures, Witches, Friendship, Cults,
Adventure, Schools.
Rose Tabeni
Whitney and Britney: Chicken detectives by Lucinda Gifford
Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781743836057.
Highly recommended. Whitney and Britney are back and determined to
help their beloved friend Dora. The fabulous chooks are performing
with Dora, having lots of fun but poor Dora is feeling glum. She is
missing Gloria. The chooks are determined to help their beloved
friend find Gloria and get together and hatch a plan to find her.
They talk to lots of people; they even try disguises but still come
up with nothing.
In the end they meet up with someone who knows what happened to her
and Dora and Gloria are finally reunited. Dora is happy and
they all play Jazz together.
The illustrations in this book enhance the story and help to draw
the reader into the book.
I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to see what these
chickens get up to next.
Karen Colliver
When this bell rings by Allison Rushby
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651947.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. When eleven year old Tamsin, daughter
of the housekeeper, finds herself part of the investigation into the
disappearance of her next door neighbour, she is at a loss as
to who to trust. Her neighbour, Edie St Clair is a well known
children's novelist and is a working on the concluding chapters of
her graphic novel, the last in a series of ten books called London
of the Bells, so successful that journalists are camped near her
front verandah, eager for an interview. Tamsin is asked inside after
showing her an illustration of the min character, and once there she
is drawn into the mystery, becoming part of the illustrations which
cover the walls of Edie's house.
Tamsin finds herself in the world created by Edie, and here the
significance of the bells of the London churches and the children's
rhyme, Oranges and Lemons, takes on a sinister meaning as the ravens
from the Tower of London have taken over the city, using the bells
to summon the populace to do their bidding. It is a creepy world,
spectacularly reflecting known aspects of London, but equally taking
this knowledge and using it with an unsettling malevolence.
Cleverly entwining the story of Edie St Clair with the novel she is
writing, her characters are given life as the text moves from the
present to the fictional world she has created. But some of the
characters seem to know why Tamsin is in their world, and even seem
to understand that they are a creation of a novelist's imagination,
and seem to be directing Tamsin, but she has no idea where she is
going or why. Eventually Tamsin realises that they are all worried
about what will happen to them when number ten is finished, and they
toss her out of their world, telling her to write an ending which
will please everyone, but a twist brings her much closer to their
world than she expects.
Just like Tamsin, readers are mystified as to what is going on, and
like her, develop a strong idea of place and time as we begin to
piece the jigsaw together, enthralled at its multi layered
complexity.
I loved Rushby's previous novels, The
mulberry tree, The
turnkey and The
seven keys, and their complexity foreshadows the
involving read offered in When this bell rings, a wholly engrossing
and captivating story. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Fantasy, Graphic novel, Writing, Authors, Time travel,
Characterisation.
Fran Knight
365 Real-Life Superheroes written by Valentina Camerini
Translated by Moreno Giovannoni. Piccolo Nero, 2020. ISBN:
9781760642471.
(Age: 9 - 12). Recommended. 365 Real-Life Superheroes would
be a worthwhile addition to the children's section in a public
library, a primary school library or classroom. This illustrated
paperback is filled with short uncomplicated snapshots showcasing
365 superheroes both past and present. These include sportspeople,
scientists, journalists, explorers, doctors, astronauts, musicians,
artists and activists. Each person profiled has a symbol imprinted
on the page to show the value or talent they have displayed. These
include generosity, determination, courage, intelligence,
creativity, justice and curiosity. Many of the superheroes will be
unknown to both adults and students but all have contributed in some
way to the betterment of the world and time they lived in or who
were able to initiate change. Some of the lesser known profiles
include Bill Haast who let snakes bite him and ended up donating his
blood for scientific research and fifteen year old African American
Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her seat on a bus for a
white person and was arrested. There are more famous profiles
including the band Queen who played to Soviet citizens in a time
when there was animosity between the Soviet Union and the western
world and Malala Yousafzai who defended everyone's right to study
especially in her home country of Pakistan. Two well-known
Australians profiled in the book are Lowitja O'Donoghue who was the
first Aboriginal woman to study at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and
Eddie Mabo who fought for the right to his land.
While this book does not contain an introduction or contents page
and would benefit from both, it does have an index of those
discussed. Students in the middle grades often have a fascination
with the lives of people who have made changes both in recent and
historical times and sharing this book with students may encourage
and inspire further research. Themes: People Who Changed the World,
Role Models, Non-fiction.
Kathryn Beilby
Peter and the Tree Children written by Peter Wohlleben
Illus. by Cale Atkinson. Piccolo Nero, 2020. ISBN: 9781760642518.
(Age: 5+) The author of The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter
Wohlleben, has written a children's picture book, Peter and the
Tree Children, which explains the connection between adult and
young trees. In the story he writes about the way trees communicate
between each other, how they feel and what is necessary for growth.
In particular he looks at the majestic beech tree. The story begins
with Piet, a little squirrel, who feels sad and alone because he
does not have a family. Peter the Forester takes pity on Piet and
they begin a journey through the forest. Along the way Peter shares
his knowledge of trees with his focus on searching for tree children
to show Piet. They find a tree-felling machine on their journey and
with great sadness Peter tells Piet how the tree machine compacts
the soil so young trees cannot grow. They discover a clearing where
the young trees are not growing well as the soil is poor and they
have no shade protection from the adult trees. Finally they find a
grove of young beech saplings which have grown from beechnuts hidden
by Piet last fall but which he had forgotten where he had buried
them. Peter is excited by the discovery of these new tree children
in the beautiful beech forest and they happily return home to the
forest lodge. However Piet is still upset about not having a family
and Peter offers an important solution.
The illustrations by Cale Atkinson are colourful and reflect the
text well. The author provides a note for the reader in the
beginning as well as facts at the end about trees and their
families. Themes: Science, Nature, Environment, Trees.
Kathryn Beilby
The devil and the dark water by Stuart Turton
Raven Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781408889657.
(Age: Senior secondary/adult) Recommended. In the mid 1600s the
Dutch East India Company had cornered the spice trade and were
powerful, extremely rich and ruthless where trade was concerned.
Turton has set his extraordinary tale aboard the Saardam sailing
from Batavia to Amsterdam. Any voyage from the East Indies to Europe
was dangerous, but this one had some extra dangers to contend with.
Jan Haan the Governor General of Batavia was returning home with his
wife, daughter, mistress and a very valuable cargo of spices. Also
on board as a prisoner is Samuel Pipps a celebrated detective on his
way for trial in Amsterdam, which may lead to his execution,
and his protector Arent Hayes. Just as the company is boarding the
ship a disconcerting and eerie incident takes place at the docks. A
figure dressed in rags like a leper foretells disaster for the
voyage before bursting into flames.
Unease among an already superstitious crew, and fear among
passengers that there may be a demon among them multiplies as
peculiar events take place. Strange marks appear over the ship,
animals are slaughtered, the dead leper stalks the ship and a fierce
storm almost sinks them.
The endpapers of this edition provides a map of the ship which shows
the layout of the cabins in which many of the main characters
reside. And as the book is 550 pages long, a guide is most welcome.
Stuart Turton weaves a complex mystery with its origins in the past
which connects many of those on board. Greed, lust for power and
revenge are the elements he uses while the Saardam itself is
an oppressive force which links all the characters. There are many
twists and turns in Turton's narrative which make it nigh impossible
for the reader to solve the crimes committed on the ship. He creates
a genuine atmosphere of fear which keeps the pages turning and the
interest piqued.
Inspired by the true story of the Batavia shipwreck, one of
Australia's most thrilling maritime stories, this novel is the
second written by Turton, whose first novel, The seven deaths of
Evelyn Hardcastle was acknowledged as Best First Novel of
2018.
Themes: Power, Dutch East India Company, Java, Batavia, Dutch East
indies, Ships, Murder mystery, Historical novel.
Mark Knight
The traitor by Anh Do
Wolf Girl book 4. Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN:
9781760877866.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. In number four in the series, Wolf
Girl, Anh Do and illustrator, Lachlan Creagh add to the
adventures of Wolf Girl as she battles giant snakes and Komodo
dragons.
Avoiding the forests which were full of soldiers, Gwen and Rupert
struggle through the grasslands until they find a place to rest.
Gwen has given Sunrise her mother's shawl to sniff and seek out the
woman, but he seems disinterested. Both children are concerned that
they have not found their parents, but vow to keep searching. When
Sunrise disappears over night taking the shawl, Gwen is mystified.
Feeling their way through dense scrub they find they are fighting an
anaconda, and further on realise that they have stumbled into a
derelict Reptile World. Excitement rules as they fight off the
anaconda bent on eating Tiny, but escaping over the roller coaster
they come across a bunch of Komoda Dragons, ready to take them all
on. Eagle is able to help from the air, but the ferocity of the
fight between the two children and the three dogs is intense.
A tough dystopian future is the background for this thrilling
adventure series, aimed at mid to upper primary students, but also
encouraging middle primary readers with the exciting and vivid
illustrations, giving a darker wash to the tale.
Themes: Dystopia, Future, Adventure.
Fran Knight
Fish by Brendan Kearney
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780241439470.
(Ages: 4-8) As with the recent publication Mama
Ocean this book addresses the significant problem of
ocean pollution, however, Fish takes a much more didactic
approach, explaining to the reader exactly what we can do to resolve
and reverse the problem. The problem and solution is encased within
the story of elderly fisherman Finn and his quest to catch a fish
for dinner. We get early clues to what is coming, with rubbish
floating in the water and some unhappy seals grappling with plastic
bags under the water. Finn, with his dog Skip for company, is having
absolutely no luck. There are no fish biting in their favourite
fishing spot. 'Suddenly, Skip spotted something bobbing in the waves
. . . and with a huge SPLASH he jumped in to investigate'. A
double-page spread shows the reader the enormity of the situation;
there is rubbish of every kind hiding just under the surface. Finn
works to scoop out as much of the rubbish as he can and before long
the small boat is inundated. Hungry and tired they head to shore and
are met by a group of young children who offer their help. 'We're
beach cleaners' the girl explained. 'We pick up litter that has been
washed ashore by the tide, so that it doesn't get swept back into
the sea'. What follows is the children explaining to Finn why
rubbish, especially plastic, is so destructive to the ocean and what
we can do on a simple level to help (recycling, repairing and
reusing, avoiding single-use plastics and spreading these messages).
The book hints at the other significant ocean problem of
unsustainable fishing with the juxtaposition of the huge fishing
boats in the marina next to Finn's tiny wooden boat, but this is not
directly addressed. It could be a conversation starter though. There
is a nice message here for children about their ability to influence
attitudes and make a difference in the world. It also reflects the
current climate where young people are taking a stand for the
environment, educating older people and becoming harbingers of
change. Unfortunately, the didactic portion of the book feels a
little tacked on to the actual story and the seemingly instant
revival of the ocean a little too optimistic. Themes: Ocean
pollution, Rubbish and recycling.
Nicole Nelson
Aster's good, right things by Kate Gordon
Riveted Press, 2020. 189pp. ISBN: 9780648492573.
(Ages 11+) Highly recommended. Aster is an 11-year-old girl who
attends an alternative style school in Tasmania. We soon learn,
through her first-person journal, that she is troubled and on the
outer and more importantly we know what she is thinking in contrast
to how she is acting. She also has an interest and passion for
flowers and their symbolism. Aster is convinced that the only way
she can survive is by doing good, right things for others but she
rarely feels accomplishment or joy for herself. She volunteers most
of her school breaks in the library but one day she finds refuge in
the school yard and meets Xavier and his rabbit Hollyhock. Their
friendship grows through their openness about their mental health
and Xavier's quirky dress and behaviour. Another important character
at the school is Indigo who thwarts her need of love and rescuing
behind aggressive behaviour. On the home front Aster's mother has
left her and Aster's loving father. This has a huge impact on them
both and Aster blames herself. Fortunately, her Aunt Noni supports
them and then Indigo as well. Gradually Aster develops a group of
like-minded friends around her and we have hope for their futures.
Ultimately intelligent communication and love heals all their lives.
There are certainly other stories with characters experiencing
anxiety and depression, family breakup and friendship issues.
However, this story is deeply perceptive and true. It is right to
acknowledge that all mothers don't love their children and that
adults can be selfish and unwise. Kate Gordon captures the
physicality of anxiety and the need to hide away. Gordon really gets
into the mind of an 11-year-old and short unflowery sentences convey
Aster's astute thoughts well. Sometimes these strings of thoughts
are quite poetic.
Stories like these are so important for developing
empathy for others. It suits a middle years audience well because it
is not too graphic and shocking. Although it is a serious book it
does have a whimsical quality which matches Aster's personality. Teacher's
notes are available.
Jo Marshall
