Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd
Puffin, 2010. ISBN: 9780143504450. 34pp., board book.
Remember this ? "Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy
Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy." And by the time you got to the end
of the book he had been joined by his mates Hercules Morse (as big
as a horse); Bottomley Potts (covered in spots); Muffin McLay (like
a bundle of hay); Bitzer Maloney (all skinny and bony); and
Schnitzel von Krumm (with a very low tum). How proud and posh they
were until they met .
Almost every child born in New Zealand or Australia in the last 30
years knows what happens next! Who could bring down such a bold band
of brothers? Children love the sound of the rhythmic and rhyming
language and the repetition of the characters on each page which
make it a perfect read-aloud as your listeners will be joining in
and eagerly anticipating who will join this canine crew., as well as
enjoying the pictures which work with the text perfectly, as they
should. The board book format makes it perfect for little hands,
ensuring that this will be much-loved by this generation as those
before.
And it is fitting that on the 5th anniversary of forgoing a trip to
Hobbiton in favour of finding the sculpture to this remarkable dog
and his mates on Tauranga in the pouring rain, that it is time to
remind our new parents of this classic series so another generation
can be as enchanted with him as all those of the last 30 years.
Barbara Braxton
Skydragon: Take to the skies by Anh Do
Skydragon Book 1. Illus. by James Hart. Allen & Unwin,
2020. ISBN: 9781760876364.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. This is the first book in the author's
latest series for middle grade readers. Nine year old Amber and her
older brother Reggie survive an assumed meteor strike on their home
but sadly both their parents pass away. Reggie is unconscious and in
a coma while Amber, who suffers a severe burn on her right cheek, is
kindly taken in by her older neighbour. There is mystery surrounding
the meteor as it appears firstly as a glowing purple ball which
leaves purple goop dripping all over the house. The National Service
cordons off the house and no one is allowed in. Fast forward five
years and Amber is fourteen years old and attending Woodville High
School. She is a loner and bullied by the mean girl Trish and her
cronies. Reggie is still in a coma and Amber struggles to fit in.
While on a field trip she finds the beginnings of friendship with
Justin, a popular geek. Both have an interest in insects,
particularly dragonflies, and it is on the trip that Amber realises
she has super powers around insects. She begins practising using
different commands and is able to speak to the insects and control
what they do. This leads to interesting revenge on her bullies over
time.
Amber finds an old derelict cabin in the woods and begins to prepare
it for her escape from others. Over time her friendship with Justin
evolves but comes to a crashing end in Amber's mind when on the
night of the school dance she is informed that her brother has
passed away. However all is not what it seems and Amber has escaped
to the cabin and lives there quietly on her own foraging for food
and using the insects to help her. She slowly becomes notorious and
is known as the Skydragon. Meanwhile the National Service has
created a new secret agent known as the Firefighter who has special
powers to track and arrest supposed criminals and will eventually
have an exciting showdown with Amber.
This story is by no means over and Book 2 is coming soon. Themes:
Fire, Tragedy, Insects, Fantasy, Conflict, Bullying, Friendship.
Kathryn Beilby
Indigo owl by Charlie Archbold
Wakefield Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781743057322.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Imagine the world has ended and the last of
the human population has escaped to other planets. They are building
a new world but don't want to make the mistakes of the past.
Population on Galbraith has to be controlled with quotas, only one
child per family. That means controlling fertility; the solution on
Galbraith is an anti-pregnancy vaccination. But what if there is
something seriously wrong with the vaccine? Scarlet's mother is a
scientist involved in genetic tests, but now she has disappeared,
despised as a drug addict, and presumed dead. Just as Scarlet is
leaving her home for induction into the elitist Arcadia Institute
her father whispers words of warning, to keep safe from her mother's
enemies.
Thus the reader is drawn into another world where lives are ruled by
a corporation that does not allowing any questioning of its methods.
For different reasons, three young people become drawn together as
they begin to uncover the ruthlessness of the Galbraith Executives.
Scarlet and Dylan are Solitaires with unusual psychic abilities, and
the spirited Rumi is a master of technology. Each is on a quest to
uncover the truth; they have to trust each other, but constant
surveillance puts their lives at risk, and they don't know who else
can be trusted.
Readers of dystopian fiction will enjoy this story that moves
rapidly with interleaving chapters from each of the three main
characters. Archbold has created a futuristic world of holotabs,
catseyes, robots and space pods without lengthy explanations; we
learn how things work as the action draws us along. Similarly we
learn about the different classes of people, the elite Cardinal
group holding the power, the threats to the psychically sensitive
Solitaires, the Malachite scientists and the Willows faithfully
following orders. A central question is the balancing of the needs
of society with the rights of the individual. What if society is
doing something wrong, and a few people find out? When is it
important to obey and when should one speak out?
All the threads of the story come together in a satisfying
conclusion but one can't help but think there is still opportunity
for a sequel and the three friends could be challenged again. I'm
sure there would be a ready audience waiting to read more.
Themes: Science fiction, Dystopia, Population control, Surveillance,
Freedom.
Helen Eddy
Tiny white lies by Fiona Palmer
Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780733641626.
Adult contemporary fiction. Fiona Palmer's Tiny white lies
falls into the human relationships genre due to its revolving around
two families that have been friends for years, with both families
experiencing relationship issues. It is told from the view points of
the two women who have the friendship, and is about their troubles,
their families and their lies. Ashley, mother to Emily, recently
lost her husband. Nikki, mother to Chloe and Josh, wife to Chris, is
best friends with Ashley. After Ashley discovers Emily is being
bullied online, she realises they've grown apart since her husband's
death, partly because of Ashley keeping things from Emily. Nikki
can't get her kids off social media and gaming platforms, and has
noticed an increase in messages husband, Chris, is receiving.
Together the friends decide to go on a holiday to a remote farm in
WA, where there is no phone reception, and time away from everything
online - and maybe their problems.
Descriptively written, this Australian contemporary novel details
the scenes throughout the story as well as the characters. Swapping
from Ashley's view point to Nikki's in alternate chapters, readers
become acquainted with members of the two families, including those
no longer present. The depiction of online bullying from a parent's
point of view is lightly touched on, with not much done to expand
it. Character choices are occasionally hard to understand, but the
characters are relatable. I would describe this book as a 'light
read', something to read when you are in between heavy/serious
books, as there is minimal excitement, but it has a nice feel (and
maybe somewhat predictable storyline).
Themes: Relationships, Bullying, Betrayal, Self-image, Secrets.
Melanie Phillips
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760877309.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Another page turner from Ellie Marney
will thrill readers, adolescent and adult alike. This time she
tackles the story of a serial killer, with two teenagers, serial
killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell,
recruited by the FBI to help them delve into the minds of young
murderers and look at cold cases. It is 1982, and the FBI is trying
new ways to find serial killers. Emma and Travis find themselves
involved in an active case where teenagers are hunted and murdered.
They seek help from Simon Gutmunsson, a terrifying teenager who is
imprisoned for murder. He is intelligent and insightful, seeking to
manipulate Emma for his own ends. As the case progresses so does the
suspense. Is Simon Gutmunsson influencing the serial killer from
inside his cage? How will Emma and Travis manage to escape his
influence and save other victims?
Emma, too, is a character that readers will immediately identify
with, as she struggles to control the memories of her own escape
from a serial killer. She runs to keep her anger at bay and focus
her thoughts. Simon Gutmunsson must be one of the scariest villains
I have encountered in thrillers for a while. He is so clever, so
cultured, so handsome and so good at reading and manipulating
people. The suspense is breathtaking when the two talk, and their
relationship kept me glued to the page.
This would make an ideal introduction to the thriller genre for
teens. There are extensive teaching
notes available, written by Ellie Marney and Caro Walsh,
making it ideal for the classroom or for a literature circle
discussion. It does not have the gory details that many adult
thrillers use, but it has all the suspense and interesting police
procedures that are the mark of a good thriller. The themes of good
and evil, survival and sanity are ones to delve into. Unlike
Marney's other novels there is no romance, which may disappoint some
readers, but there is certainly scope for future cases with Emma and
Travis, such wonderful characters.
Pat Pledger
The Survivors by Jane Harper
Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781760783945.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. It is rare that
moments or themes in a book linger in the mind for a long time, but
that is true of The
lost man by Jane Harper and her latest book The
Survivors. Kiernan returns to Evelyn Bay, a small seaside town
in Tasmania, a place which flings up bad memories once again. He is
haunted by guilt about an incident when he was a very young man and
does not find ease in his family home, where his mother is
struggling with his father's dementia, and the absence of his
brother Finn. Then the body of a young woman is found on the beach
and secrets held close for a long time start to surface.
The story is told from the point of view of Kieran and the reader
gradually learns about the accident that happened in the past as the
police start investigating the murder in the present. Can they be
connected?
The small coastal town with its problems and people who all know
each other is so well described that the reader will feel as if they
have been there. The sunken wreck ideal for diving, that Sean and
his nephew hope to make a living from and the Three Sisters the
rocks that loom out of the ocean as well as the caves where the tide
can fill all provide a background to the murder and the angst that
Kiernan feels at being home.
All the supporting characters are well fleshed out and credible. The
descriptions of teenage boys and the peer pressure that they are
under to perform, with underage drinking and wild parties, are vivid
and leave a lasting impression as Kiernan remembers his youth. His
relationship with Mia and his little daughter Audrey is a saving
factor for him and beautifully described.
Jane Harper is a wonderful author who manages to combine an exciting
mystery for those who are addicted to the genre, while at the same
time exploring the themes of guilt, forgiveness and redemption in a
vivid Australian country setting.
Pat Pledger
The paper bark tree mystery by Ovidia Yu
Crown Colony, book 3. Constable, 2019. ISBN: 9781472125248.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Highly recommended. Shortlisted for
the CWA
historical dagger 2020, Ovidia Yu has come up with another
fascinating mystery set in Singapore in the 1930's. SuLin has been a
valued member of the Detective Shack until Bald Bernie, an
unlikeable administrator, decides that a local girl can't be trusted
and instead employs Dolly, an attractive white woman. When he is
found murdered, she has little sympathy, but when Dr Shankar the
local pharmacist and her best friend's father is put in jail she
decides to investigate.
I knew little about the history of Singapore between the wars, so
found it fascinating to gain what felt like an in-depth
understanding of what it was like to live in Singapore at that time.
Yu very deftly includes this as a background to the murders, which
still took centre place in the story. The independence movement in
India is described as a leading figure in it, Bose, is rumoured to
have travelled to Singapore, while relations with Japan and its
wider move to take over territories comes out as SuLin teaches
English to the wife of the Japanese ambassador. The way many of the
British colonials treat the Singaporeans, believing themselves
superior, is also a background theme to the story.
As SuLin investigates she gets to know Mrs Lexington, Rose and
Dolly, all who have arrived in Singapore from India. Colonel
Mosley-Partington has also arrived from India and is causing chaos
with his racist views. Rumours of diamonds being stolen, a policeman
attacked and left for dead and anonymous poetry being left for
Dolly, a paper bark tree and dead birds, all keep the reading in
suspense. These twists and turns and some heart stopping moments and
great characters make this an outstanding story especially for
readers who like a mystery dashed with a taste of history.
Although part of a series, The Paper Bark Tree Mystery can
be read as a stand-alone. However, I enjoyed it so much that I now
have to go back and read the previous novels featuring this clever
young woman who uses her intelligence and observation skills to
ferret out the truth, while suffering from the effects of polio as a
child.
Pat Pledger
A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin
Detective Inspector John Rebus series. Orion, 2020.
ISBN: 9781409176985.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Another top read
from a wonderful author finds John Rebus moving to a new apartment
because he cannot climb the stairs anymore. But that does not stop
him rushing to his daughter Samantha after she rings and tells him
that her partner Keith has gone missing. Rebus must face the fact
that he has not been the best of fathers, not bothering to get to
know Keith and always putting his job first. As he investigates
Keith's disappearance, he discovers that he was obsessed with a
World War 2 prison camp, which he wanted to make into a tourist
attraction. Does his disappearance have anything to do with this or
the elderly people who were once witnesses to a murder in the camp?
What is Samantha's involvement with the alternative community that
lives nearby and who rode the motorcycle late at night? In the
meantime Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox have joined forces to
investigate the death of a rich young man, Salman bin Mahmoud,
and it appears that the two cases could overlap as the man who owns
the land the camp was on, was in a land deal with the murdered man.
The book is divided into seven parts, one for each day of the week,
and alternates with the case that Rebus is investigating and the one
that Clarke and Fox are involved in. As is the case with all of
Rankin's books, there are many twists and turns, with red herrings
scattered throughout to keep the reader guessing about the identity
of the murderers and crime boss Cafferty's interference is an
enjoyable ploy to hold the reader's interest.
Another focus in A song for the dark times is Rebus'
relationship with his daughter and granddaughter. The reader will
empathise with Samantha who feels that her father has always put his
job before his family, while feeling sympathy for Rebus as he tries
to mend his relationship with her, albeit while working intensively
on Keith's case.
It is always a joy to read one of Rankin's novels. He is an
author who has helped me through some hard times. His police
procedurals are not too gory, and his narrative demands to be read
in one or two sittings.
Pat Pledger
When she was good by Michael Robotham
Cyrus Haven Bk 2. Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780733644849.
(Age: Senior secondary/adult) Cyrus and Evie narrate this disturbing
story. They are very different characters, but both have suffered
tragedies and each has different ways of keeping their memories from
coming to the surface.
Cyrus Haven is a forensic psychologist who is trying to get to the
truth of a girl called Evie Cormac, although that is not her true
name. Evie is in a secure home protected by the court which
prohibits anyone from revealing her identity, location or image.
Evie is damaged goods, feisty, intelligent; a survivor. She
definitely does not want the truth to be told because she doesn't
believe the truth will set you free, but may well kill you.
Cyrus and Evie have history. Cyrus was her foster carer but that was
doomed to failure. A detective who secured the conviction of a
paedophile has been delving into the case and its wider
implications, but the questions he has been asking have led to his
death, a rather nastily staged suicide. This has also stirred the
interest in finding Evie. Cyrus wants to prevent this and believes
if he finds the truth he will protect her.
Evie tells her story bit by bit, never revealing the whole truth,
but chills the reader with her history, knowing it didn't happen to
her alone. She is rescued by Terry the one person who is a friend,
but who has been involved in her abuse. He hides her away, protects,
shields and is true to her despite the most horrific torture. Weeks
after Terry's death his body is found and eventually so is Evie who
has remained in her hidden space.
Robotham weaves a tale that drags the reader along willingly no
matter the sordid and disturbing nature of Evie's treatment. Both
Cyrus and Evie are very flawed characters, but both are sympathetic.
Cyrus has insights into the minds of others but is naive as to how
the real world works, he still has trust in the 'system', he
believes in justice. Evie on the other hand is naive about social
niceties and nuances of conversation, but she is well aware that
there is no such thing as justice. Evie can tell when people are
lying, but to her there is no difference between good and bad lies.
Lying about whether you enjoyed a meal and if you committed a murder
are no different.
Michael Robotham tells a story where the rich and powerful are able
to do what they like, where money and knowledge buys them immunity
from prosecution and the anonymity to commit the foulest of crimes.
He is also able to tell his story in a way which captures his
readers and pulls them into each suspenseful page eager to read on.
Theme: Murder, Abuse, Crime, Power.
Mark Knight
The Goody by Lauren Child
Orchard, 2020. ISBN: 9781408347584.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. A new book by Lauren Child always
creates interest as the expectation of a challenging read is ever
present. She draws the reader into a false sense of security, lulls
them into thinking this is a story of sibling rivalry, but she
challenges us to see more than this, as it becomes an expose of
expectations, of labelling, of not seeing difference. And as with
many of her books, we are impelled to consider the wider issue where
children behave as they are expected to, labelled and boxed in by
that expectation.
Siblings, Chirton and Myrtle behave in the way they are expected to
behave. Chirton is good, reliable, dependable while Myrtle is
forgetful, naughty and a refuser.
Chirton eats up his broccoli, Myrtle isn't even given any as she
won't eat it, Chirton cleans the rabbit hutch every week because
Myrtle forgets, and Myrtle stays up late at night because she
doesn't want to sleep. All of the things Myrtle does, Chirton would
like to do, but he is seen as the goody in the family and so
expected to behave well without exception.
One night Chirton gets up to have a glass of water and finds his
sister eating choco puffs and watching TV. He would love to do this
too, and wonders why he is not allowed. The next day he decides that
he is a goody no longer and changes his behaviour, so much so that
he is not allowed to go to a birthday party. When Myrtle goes
instead, the birthday girl does not know of Myrtle's reputation and
treats her like anyone else, and Myrtle decides she likes being
treated thus. So the two come to see the advantages and
disadvantages of being labelled, deciding that there is a middle
road, and their parents are encouraged to see them as different
people with their own traits.
Child's illustrations are always a treat and these with their blocks
of patterns make a wonderful talking point for readers already most
amused by the story.
Themes: Siblings, Humour, Difference, Expectations, Image,
Behaviour, Family.
Fran Knight
Brain Freeze by Oliver Phommavanh
Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781760897147.
(Age: 10-14 years)Highly Recommended. Brain Freeze contains
twelve entertaining stories written by the comedian and well know
author Oliver Phommavanh. Each story holds the reader's interest
with a clever use of humour, drama and a realistic solution. All of
the stories feature an aspect of tween to teen family or school life
that may be a source of angst for those students in that particular
age bracket. These include acceptance of family values, parents
supporting children and vice versa, friendship, cultural
differences, school events, competition, embarrassing moments; just
to name a few. In Quaranteen the author focuses on the
pandemic and the momentous first lockdown Australia endured. This
time at home created a new world of online learning and bloopers
especially if you leave your microphone on during virtual class time
or you have your embarrassing mother taking photos all day - just
ask Vee.
It was an ingenious idea for the author to include characters out of
his well-known novels to create a thoughtful connection for the
reader. Sweet and Sour reintroduces Lengy from Thai-riffic!
and he features in Super-Essential Thai-riffic! another
story which looks at the implications of the pandemic on families. First
Dog on Mars tells the story of Rover who inadvertently ends up
being in a capsule on his way to Mars. He is terrified but discovers
two fleas, Antoine and Zappo, have hitched a ride and support him
with his anxieties about visiting Mars. Brain Freeze is a perfect read aloud for a classroom teacher
at the end of a long school day as the stories are reasonably short,
the humour is appealing and students will be able to identify with
familiar situations. Themes: Humour, Imagination.
Kathryn Beilby
Guinness World records 2021
Guinness World Records Limited, 2020. ISBN: 9781913484071.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Readers will not need an introduction
to the fabulous Guinness World Records books and will find much to
amaze and interest in the latest edition for 2021. The book is one
that can be flicked through, with lots of great photos and
captivating captions to grab attention, but it is also one that has
a good Contents page that will direct the reader off to the right
section. It features the following: Solar system, Natural world,
Animals, Humans against the clock, Recordmania, Culture &
society, Adventurers, Technology, Gaming, Pop Culture and Sports.
All contain sub contents and page numbers and each one features one
person in the hall of fame, for example Greta Thunberg in Culture
and Society and Jane Goodall in Animals. There is also an Index and
acknowledgments at the back of the book.
Beginning with the enticing cover, which features lots of small
figures and intricate details, similar to Where's Wally?,
the reader will be grabbed by the great photos and easy to read
information. And they will find when they get to the end of the
book, information on the illustrator Rod Hunt and instructions to
find the 20 record holders that feature in his front and back
covers. A humorous photo on the title page of the fastest electric
ice-cream van (exuberant inventor Edd China, UK, reached 118.964
kmph in it) will grab attention and from then on the reader is sure
to be fascinated by the interesting, well laid out records. In Pop
Culture, one can find out who has the most followers on Instagram,
by using the contents page, with the section on Social Media pg. 204
(Ariana Grande has 182, 260, 250 followers). Another flick through
will show young achievers, with Jackson Oswalt became the youngest
person to achieve nuclear fusion before his 13th birthday.
The Guinness World Records was founded in 1955 and has proved to be
popular ever since. Visit https://guinnessworldrecords.com/
for more information about how to become part of the record-breaking
community and an answer to the original question (What's the fastest
game bird in Europe?) that sparked its origin.
Pat Pledger
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
The Blood of Stars duology. Random House, 2020. ISBN:
9780525647027.
(Young Adult). Recommended. Much has changed for Maia Tamarin since
the conclusion of the first novel in The Blood of Stars
duology. In Spin the Dawn, we watched Maia, a young woman
living in a patriarchal Chinese society, impersonate her brother in
order to enter a competition to become imperial tailor. Talented but
overlooked because of her gender, Maia manages to fulfil the
seemingly impossible task of weaving three magical dresses from the
sun, moon and stars. In Unravel the Dusk Maia returns from
her perilous journey to make the garments to find her kingdom
readying for war and that Edan, the boy that she loves, has
disappeared. If this is not enough for one character to deal with,
Maia is also forced to pretend to be the emperor's future bride in
an effort to stave off the coming conflict and also wrestle with the
demon Bandur, who is determined to take over her body.
Unsurprisingly, there are many plot lines, characters and
conflicting motivations woven into this book. Set at a much more
urgent pace than the first novel, Unravel the Dusk charts
Maia's rapid growth as both a woman and a protagonist. As in the
first novel, she is an enjoyable and worthy main character and is
supported by a well-fleshed out cast. Unravel the Dusk is darker in tone than its predecessor but
it provides a strong and entertaining end to the series. Readers
also interested in fiction influenced Ancient Chinese culture will
enjoy this book. Themes: Identity, Love, War, Magic, Demons,
Royalty.
Rose Tabeni
Migrants by Issa Watanabe
Gecko Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781776573134.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. With predecessors from Japan,
Switzerland and Spain, Peruvian born Watanabe is well placed to know
what it means to be an immigrant. And living in Mallorca in the
early 2000's, she became accustomed to the sight of refugees coming
across the Mediterranean looking for a better life, while having a
migrant living in her house gave her insight into his journey.
Thus the wordless picture book, Migrants was developed. With
a stream of animals in various guises making for the next page,
readers will follow their journey through the book, along with the
figure of death, always behind them, as they battle uncertainty,
privation, hope and despair.
Many are covered with an array of blankets given them along the way,
some have bags they hang on to, only to be abandoned, some are
accompanied by families, including children, but few are left at the
end of their trials.
The lack of words underlines the fact that these people do not need
words to tell us of their plight, it is obvious and our compassion
should be bubbling over with support.
Readers will empathise with the plight of these migrants, wanting to
leave their forest for whatever reason, coming to another place to
start anew. But the journey is horrific, arduous and taxing, death
is ever present, nibbling at their heals.
The illustrations are stunning, portraying a group of people as
animals, finding their way in the dark, unsignposted, sheltering
where they can in the trees and on the beach. The black colour is
continued throughout the book, giving an ominous, portentous and
foreboding overlay to the outcome of these migrants. Readers cannot
help but reflect on the images they have seen on the nightly news,
seeing parallels in Watanabe's images, so powerfully portrayed.
This is not an easy book to read, throwing up images of people like
you and me finding themselves in situations where they must flee. We
follow their journey with wet eyes.
To find out more about Issa Watanabe and how she came to write this
book, read this interview
with the author. Teacher's
notes are available.
Fran Knight
Metal fish, falling snow by Cath Moore
Text Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781922330079.
(Age: YA) Recommended. Dylan's French Mum is dead and now they will
never go to Paris together, instead she is left with Pat O'Brien,
her Mum's boyfriend who has his own issues. The outback Australian
town of Beyen is far from the sea where Dylan could find a ship to
take her Mum back to France, instead she is buried in the cemetery
and Dylan wonders "How can I be real without Mum?" p21. 14 year old
Dylan doesn't fit in, both for her brown skin and fuzzy hair and the
way she sees the world so acutely, she has been called "dumb as a
stump, or smart as a stick" or "a teabag: takes a while for things
to filter through" p7; we would put her on the autism spectrum but
she has the ability to see inside some people's lives. Pat and Dylan
set out on a road trip away from the town heading towards her
father's family she has never met. They travel from pub to pub, Pat
distributing promotional material for a brewery and gambling away
his money on the pokies. Dylan takes with her a tiny metal fish she
found while running away from one of her Dad's angry outbursts
before he left them forever, and a snow dome containing the Eiffel
Tower her Mum gave her, along with a photo of Dylan and her Mum in
happier times. Dylan blames herself for her Mum's death, and she is
travelling towards the Guyanan family associated with her violent
father but she courageously tries to make sense of her shifting
world and create a new story for herself. "Your heart can't grow
when it's hurting like that. I keep thinking of Mum, where the boat
is, who I can be without her" p86.
Told in the first person, from Dylan's very idiosyncratic
perspective, it took a while to adjust and let the story swirl
through the text. A second reading would be very rewarding because
the voice is consistent with an authentic edge suggesting the
author's own Irish/Afro-Caribbean heritage has informed the writing.
Viewed through her unique perspective Dylan struggles with grief,
identity and the prejudices she encounters growing up with a
coloured skin in Australia. In losing the mother she needed, Dylan
lost the only family she knew; in reconnecting with lost relatives
she finds someone who needs her. A sometimes funny, often profound
story that will reward the effort of reading Dylan's own voice
narrative, seeing the world through different eyes. "No point
running from yourself 'cause wherever you go, there you are" p244.
Recommended for young adult readers with Australian curriculum
detailed teaching
notes available from the publisher. Themes: Grief, Identity,
Mixed race heritage, Family.
Sue Speck
