Illustrated by Steven Wells. Scholastic 2011 ISBN 978 1 906427 03 0
(Ages 10+) Humour, Warmly recommended. Muncle, son of the Trogg
family, giants who live in top of Mount Grumble, is picked on
mercilessly because of his size. He's about to leave school, after
the compulsory five years, but is no bigger than a Smalling, the
creatures that live outside the mountain, the enemies of the giants.
His brother, Gritt, is normal size and is desperate to join the
Titan Gang at school, run by the school's nastiest bully, Titan.
On a school excursion to the Palace, Muncle meets the Wise Man, who
gives Muncle some Smalling clothes to try on. He shows the class one
of the treasures of their museum, a book, which contains magic from
the Smallings, but as no one can read and write in this kingdom, it
is useless. But the Wise Man has an idea after dressing Muncle, and
takes him away for lunch. So begins an extraordinary adventure for
Muncle. He goes in disguise to the Smalling land and there helps a
dragon return to Mount Grumble, learning to fly the creature on his
return. Everyone is impressed with the adventures of Muncle, so new
things await him at the Palace.
A fun book which will appeal to middle primary people looking for
something a little unusual.
Fran Knight
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Simon and Schuster, 2011. ISBN 9780857072689.
(Age 15+) Recommended as a light read. Amy Curry's life is a mess.
Her father has been killed in an accident and her brother is in
rehab. Her mother has decided to move from California to Connecticut
to make a fresh start and has left her behind in their old home.
When Amy's mother decides that she has to have her car, she
organises that Roger, the son of a friend, will join Amy on a road
trip to bring the car to her. Amy is not too happy about this
but as their epic journey progresses and she gets to know Roger, she
begins to feel alive again.
Told in the first person narrative by Amy, the reader is taken on a
fascinating tour of the US. I held my breath as she and Roger
journeyed along Highway 50, the loneliest highway in the US and
wondered if they would meet a twister in Colorado. I am now
determined to visit Yosemite National Park and eat a Hot Brown and
Derby pie at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. The
narrative is interspersed with scrapbook pages of maps, drawings,
postcards, playlists and receipts showing what they ate and spent on
hotels as well as snippets of information about each state, its
motto and size. It's sure to inspire girls to try a road trip for
themselves.
The journey that Amy takes to regain her life is just as engrossing
to read as the road trip. She starts off completely wrecked,
uninterested in anything, fearful and afraid to look anyone in the
eye. She hasn't grieved properly for her father, and she feels that
her mother and brother blame her for his death. As she and Roger get
to know each other and she meets others on her trip she gradually
begins to come to terms with everything. Roger, too, has his
problems and uses the road trip to work out his feelings about the
way that his girlfriend Hadley had dumped him. The people they meet
on the way are awesome: Bronwyn gives Amy a new set of clothes so
she can't camouflage herself anymore, Leonard makes her Princess Amy
in his video game, Walcott gets her to open up and Lucien makes her
a topiary owl.
I laughed and cried as I read this book. It's sad, uplifting but
ultimately lots of fun to travel across the US with Amy and Roger on
their epic detour.
Pat Pledger
The mysterious case of the missing honey by Claire Freedman and Holly Swain
Guillane Children's Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1862337862.
(Ages 6+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. When Inspector
Clueless picks up the phone call from Mr Bear,one busy Monday
morning, he can have no idea that this theft will keep he and his
trusty companion, Sniff-It-Out, busy for the rest of the week. The
crime, two jars of stolen honey seems an open and shut case, with
the sleuths on the crime scene looking for clues immediately. They
go through their files back at the station, and are on the trail of
two notorious thieves very quickly. But the next night two more jars
of honey are empty, and the pair is baffled. Both f the crooks they
had under watch were not the thieves, so the following night, they
stay on watch at the bear's house. A funny story incorporating lots
of words used in crime stories and television shows, the book is fun
to read and would be an ideal opener for a unit on law and order or
when talking about the police in the classroom.
The list of suspects will engender discussion around puns and use of
words to create images, as phrase such as Beak the Sneak, and
Stretch Giraffe are used as the names of some of the suspects.
Clueless and Sniff-It-Out will cause lots of laughter from the
readers as they follow their antics in trying to find the thief. The
illustrations are priceless with their little hidden motifs
capturing the readers' attention. I love Sniff-It-Out's uniform, the
carrot cake at the party, the house of Fingers the Frog. All
delightful and inviting.
Fran Knight
Trouble twisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742373980.
(Age 8-12) Recommended. Fantasy. Twins Jaide and Jack are sent to
stay with a strange grandmother they have never met after their
house has been destroyed in a weird explosion and their father
disappears. Grandma X takes them in but they begin to glimpse
strange things out of the corner of their eyes and animals seem to
have the ability to talk. Grandma X calls them the Troubletwisters
and they're about to find out why!
The combination of two outstanding authors such as Nix and Williams
ensures that this story will be an instant success with its young
readers. Written in a seamless style (I couldn't pick which author
was writing which bit!), both the characterisation and the action
are excellent. I loved the character of Jaide who can see things
that aren't there and who encourages Jack to take risks. The
friendship and bond between the twins is great.
An eerie atmosphere is built up gradually and the reader waits in
suspenseful anticipation of what could happen next. With cats that
can talk, intimidating insects, an army of rats and a tornado
tearing through their room, the twins are tested to their limits.
I can see this being made into a film or TV show as it has all the
ingredients to appeal to kids - attractive twins who will work
against evil, an eccentric grandmother, no parents on the scene and
plenty of action. It is the first in a series that is sure to be
popular.
Pat Pledger
The friendship matchmaker by Randa Abdel-Fatah
Omnibus, 2011. ISBN 978 1 862919204.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. Humour . Making friends at a new school can
be the most daunting of tasks, but not so when Lara Zany, Potts
Court Primary School's official Friendship Matchmaker is on the job.
This self appointed whizz at keeping people paired is a full time
task, so much so that she is even writing a manual about it,
containing all of her tried and true rules for making and keeping a
friend.
This very funny story about Lara and her exploits will have primary
kids laughing out loud as they recognise situations and characters
at their schools.
Lara is implacable, smoothly circumventing any situation in which
younger children are put at risk of being alone, or where girls may
be breaking one of the rules by wearing the wrong colour or saying
the wrong thing or, gasp, reading a book alone at play time. Lara
sees all and steps in, making sure that the students at her school
are befriended. She of course, needs no-one, as her role in life is
clearly laid out for her. But when a new girl, Emily Wong comes to
school, Lara is appalled. She does all the wrong things, wears nail
polish, eats leftovers for lunch, reads alone, doesn't follow the
behaviour of the other girls, and worst of all, makes friends
without Lara's being needed as an intermediary. The two must come to
blows sometime soon, and following the tale of these two will keep
the readers guessing about where the author is leading them. A
wholly satisfying story about friendship and being yourself, The friendship matchmaker will gain a huge following of
readers, while at the same time, making some apposite comments about
bullying, friendship and life at school.
Fran Knight
Traitor by Stephen Daisley
Text, 2010. ISBN 9781921758379.
Recommended. Stephen Daisley's first novel Traitor examines
the concept of loyalty and suggests that personal loyalties,
including friendships across cultural divides, are more powerful
influences than expected faithfulness to leader and country. David
Monroe is a New Zealand sergeant in World War 1. When he is wounded
at Gallipoli and befriends a Turk, one of the enemy, David deserts
to help his friend Mahmoud escape. This short time, when Mahmoud
introduces him to Sufism and a different concept of God, is perhaps
the happiest of David's life, and gives him the strength to live
when he loses Mahmoud. A clear picture emerges of the callousness
with which 'traitors' were treated when David is recaptured. After
the war he returns to New Zealand where he lives a solitary life as
a shepherd. A brief love affair, which itself involves other
betrayals, results in a daughter who he does not acknowledge out of
loyalty to her mother. Meanwhile Mahmoud is executed by the Turkish
leader Attaturk who demands loyalty to Turkey rather than to God.
The most memorable writing in the novel describes the routines of
David's life as a shepherd, and the care with which he watches his
flock in bleak and bitter conditions. Culminating with a description
of tricking a ewe to care for another's lamb, David's life has
become an example of the Sufist principle that the world is God, and
care of it is to understand God. The novel is simply and powerfully
written, and the characters are convincing. It could be compared
with other works about war and its effects. It is recommended for
senior students.
Jenny Hamilton
Why headless chickens run and other crazy things you need to know by Michael Cox
Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 9781741699791.
This book is great fun. I am sure it will appeal to those children
who are always asking why. It is full of useless facts, mainly of
the gross kind, and funny stories that usually appeal to mainly boys
in the Year 3-5 age group. The way it is set out encourages dipping
in at various parts.
It would be best enjoyed in a group and may even encourage the more
reluctant reader to have a go as the page layout is inviting and the
cartoon-like illustrations add to its appeal.
David Rayner
The road to Goonong by David Cox
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781 742375212.
(Ages 7+) Recommended. Historical picture book. David Cox remembers
his
childhood home with tenderness and warmth in this wholly engrossing
story of the cycle of life. His family's farm is depicted with
affection as he tells us of his early days when going to the local
town
was a major event, harnessing the old horse into the gig, made by
dad
from an old trailer no longer used as one since the car that pulled
it
had been sold. The depression makes inroads into their farm, but
they
carry on, until the drought of later years sees their animals die,
the
crops fail, necessitating the sale of their home. But between these
events, Cox details the life on his farm. We hear of horses around
their
farm, the blacksmith's shop, the swagman on the road and the
hilarious
tale picking up a neighbour. We see the children milking the cows,
working with dad, going to a local dance, all recalling the simple
fun
to be had by children in the past. All recreates the innocent
time for the children, but in the background hints are given about
the
cyclical nature of life on the land. The Aboriginal group, the
Bayali,
are moved on, the blacksmith shop closes down, animals begin to die
as
the drought sets in, war is declared and Darwin is bombed, until
finally all is sold and the family must go to the city to live,
while
dad works further out west to support them.
A beautiful book that deals with life in the past for many
Australian
families, showing their daily routines, hinting at darker forces,
but
always stressing the underlying warmth of the family. The
illustrations
by David Cox, in water colour and pen and ink, reveal much that the
text omits, and the two compliment each other. This will be a lovely
book to use in the classroom when discussing life in the past and
changes in Australia's lifestyles, and also of life within a loving
family.
Fran Knight
The Traitor's Gate by Sarah Silverwood
Book Two of the Nowhere Chronicles. Orion, 2011. ISBN:
978-0575095809.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. The second book in Sarah Silverwood's
brilliant series, 'The Nowhere Chronicles, The Traitors Gate
follows on perfectly from where The Double Edged Sword left
off. Set in two parallel worlds called 'The Somewhere' and 'The
Nowhere' The Chronicles follow the secret-ridden life of Finemere
Tingewick-Smith, his connections with the two worlds and their
mysterious protectors.
It's Christmas in the Somewhere. Who would have thought such a jolly
occasion could turn so sour? The Rage is approaching and there is no
stopping it taking over innocent minds. No one is immune. Not even
the Gypsy Traders can keep a cool head. The prophecy is coming into
being and it looks like there is nothing anyone can do to prevent
it.
A sickening power is being unleashed in The Nowhere's London and
unless Fin and his friends can thwart it all of London will be
overrun with The Mad. With grief and chaos everywhere can they
stifle the threat of The Mad? Even with the knights help it might
not be enough. Visions of red eyes and black tongues engulf the
story holder. The split stories long to be reunited. Can the
prophecy be held at bay? Even, could the four teenagers survive the
night in The Nowhere?
Both books offer new and exciting complications and offer the reader
insight into the emotional scenes. The Chronicles have a somewhat
complicated plot which makes for a superb storyline guaranteed to
keep the reader guessing up until the very end. It is packed with
action, emotion and that hint of magic that every book needs; I
would highly recommend this for any person over the age of thirteen
as some content may unsettle younger readers.
(Kayla Gaskell, Student, 15)
Nanny Piggins and the Rival Ringmaster by R.A. Spratt
Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN: 978-1864718157.
Suitable for ages 10+. This is the fifth book of the series. A
blurb by the author, in the first few opening pages, explain the
story
so far. These books are written in a way that there is no
story
sequence so the reader doesn't have to have the previous books to
get
up to speed with the storyline. Each book is a collection of
adventures that the main character, Nanny Piggins, has. In this
book,
the reader is immediately involved with the comings and goings of
Nanny
Piggins' life!She is nanny to three children: Derrick,
Samantha
and Michael. No mother is in the story but Mr. Green is their
father, who tries to stay out of Nanny Piggins' way (he doesn't like
her and thinks a pig is unsuitable to look after his children). As
you
read into the story, you are introduced to some characters that
Nanny
Piggins grew up with, like Boris, the 700kg dancing bear.
Nanny
Piggins' real name is Sarah and she grew up as a perfoming pig in a
circus. The Ringmaster turns out to be evil and the bane of
Nanny
Piggins' life. An invitation to Nanny Piggins from the
Ringmaster, is delivered by a brick through a window. The
Ringmaster is going to make a person disappear right before their
very
eyes on the steps of the town hall. The Ringmaster is accused
of
kidnapping Mr. Green and of tax evasion and so ends up in
jail.
Is this the end of the Ringmaster?
A chance meeting with Esmerelda the elephant from Nanny Piggins'
circus
days strolls into her life. All of the circus folk run away
from
their circus for a holiday in Nanny Piggins' backyard. They
miss
the Ringmaster and decide their life at the circus has become boring
without him. Do the performers return to their life in the
circus
after a holiday with Nanny Piggins? Will the Ringmaster get
out
of jail?
There are many more adventures of Nanny Piggins in this series that
young readers will enjoy.
Janet Cassidy
Pyramid Puzzle by Susannah McFarlane
EJ12 Girl Hero Book 10. Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 978 1 921684241.
(Age 7-10) Strongly recommended. Mystery and adventure usually make
for good reading and this short
novel certainly delivers.
In preparation for Elle's birthday Emma has been planning a special
surprise. Whilst sharing her plans with her other two best friends,
Hannah and Isi, another girl in her year Nema eavesdrops and
misunderstands the plans the friends are making. She proceeds to
feed
information to Elle in an attempt to drive a wedge through the young
girls' strong friendship. Emma is surprised by Elle's odd behaviour
towards her and is trying to find out what's gone wrong when she is
whisked away from school to help with a more important task.
Emma Jack is EJ12 a special agent for SHINE - a top secret
organisation
dedicated to keeping the world safe from people who would try to
harm
them. People like those in SHADOW another organisation dedicated to
making trouble and causing mayhem. Emma loves her work and is always
keen to take on a new task - this one will take her to exotic places
and test her secret agent skills. Isi her friend is also an agent
(IJ12) currently undergoing basic training - so Emma is pleased to
have
someone around who understands the organisation and its demands.
This is the tenth title in this delightful series aimed at the 7 -
12
age group and one I would strongly recommend.
Tracy Glover
Star League series by H.J. Harper
Random House Australia, 2011.
(Age: 9-12) Star League is an appealing action series filled with
humour due the six unlikely main characters, each of whom has a
quirky special ability. Jay the movie star has a special way of
helping people work together. He has his work cut out. Not only does
he work as an actor to keep up normal appearances, but he leads the
Star League team comprising a werewolf, a ninja, a zombie, a robot
and an animancer. Written in the first person, each book in the
series tells a good verses evil adventure involving one of the Star
League characters.
These books are filled with energetic twists and turns that surprise
the reader. These books will appeal to a variety of tastes among
middle and upper primary readers. Could be a useful quick read for
the slow or reluctant older reader.
Book 1. Lights, Camera, Action Hero by H.J. Harper ISBN
9781864718669.
Book 2. Curse of the Werewolf by H.J. Harper ISBN
9781864718676.
Book 3. Raising the Dead by H.J. Harper ISBN
9781864718683.
Book 4. The Ninja Cove by H.J. Harper ISBN 9781864718690.
Sue Whittaker
Always Jack by Susanne Gervay
Angus and Robertson, 2010. ISBN 9780732290207.
Jack's back! Hero of I am Jack and Super Jack and
his family, including Nanna (and her infamous purple underpants),
are back in another story, this time dealing with a crisis that so
many families face - breast cancer. Known for being the author who
tackles the big issues, Susanne has drawn on her experiences as a
breast cancer survivor to weave a story of how a family can receive
such shattering news and then pull together to emerge stronger than
ever.
The cover, by Cathy Wilcox, sets the scene perfectly. Jack is on his
surfboard paddling on calm waters unaware of the big wave that has
risen behind him and is about to come crashing down. His world, at
the moment, consists of his scientific experiment with his ponto,
his photography, his budding relationship with both Anna and
soon-to-be brother Leo, and THE wedding between his mum and stepdad
Rob. What happens when his mum receives the news after a routine
mammogram makes for an intriguing and intimate look at this family's
relationships and you soon understand that this disease is a family
problem, not just a mum problem.
Initially, in her innate bid to protect the children, Jack's mum
tells the children to keep it to themselves, not to worry and that
she will be all right. But this is not what Jack and Samantha need
to hear. They are worried, they need to tell their friends and they
can clearly see mum is not all right so feel she is lying to them.
They feel confused, powerless and shut out of this
Thing that is SO big that even the wedding is postponed. But Nanna
has some remarkable advice that brings the family together and helps
them endure the surgery and the subsequent radiation treatment so
that it becomes almost a positive in their lives.
'Story gives children a voice', Susanne says, 'particularly in these
sorts of circumstances. My job, as an educational psychologist and a
storyteller is to give them that voice so that those around them
know what they are thinking'
But this is not a sad , heavy book - Jack's zany jokes, his
life-changing project on Vietnam with his friend Christopher, and
his deep love for his sister despite the surface bickering, shine
through to provide a positive, uplifting tale that leaves a real
impact on the reader. It is not didactic but there is a powerful
message both between and beyond the lines.
Endorsed by the Cancer
Council NSW and the National
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre this book is an essential
addition to your collection. But it is also an essential addition to
the libraries of those organisations whose role is to support
families
Affected by cancer so perhaps, as Christmas draws near, you might
choose to donate a copy to them. My colleague and I gave one to our
local McGrath Foundation breast care nurse. A percentage of the
proceeds goes to the Cancer Council and the NBOCC so your purchase
will touch so many lives.
If you are affected by this disease, the helpline number is 131120
and details of the National Screening program is at http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/
Barbara Braxton
Susanne Gervay's JACKS and Books Make LIFE OK
Susanne Gervay is our guest blogger this week. Susanne has just won the 2011 Australian Family Therapists' Award for Children's Literature for her book Always Jack. She has also received the Order of Australia for her service to children's literature and to professional organisations.
Here is her article:
When my daughter plays her trumpet, my heart smiles at the beat. When my son sings making us all block our ears, I laugh. He sounds like a frog, but he doesn't care. I bring popcorn and drinks. The karaoke session is loud, funny.
There are good times, but also difficult times. Life is filled with challenges - illness; family breakup; parental expectations; natural disasters, war, economic pressures, aging grandparents and the fabric that is our lives.
Young people are part of family, community, journey, but they don't have the experience or voice to navigate it especially when it gets rocky. Story is a special guide. Through emotional engagement with characters and events in story, young people can find friendship, understanding, pathways to choices that give them a voice.
I'm a mother, daughter of post war refugees, teacher, specialist in child growth and development. Reading books and writing have always been my way to escape, dream, right the wrongs of the world. I never imagined I'd be a published author, but am privileged that I am.
In my books I tackle whatever slips into my life and heart - school bullying, daughter-father relationships, refugees finding home, cancer, burns. I write stories with characters that travel with readers if they want the company and friendship.
I write with emotion and humour, bitter-sweet at times, warm and funny at other times. The issues are deep. The writing is slight-of- hand as readers are drawn into story until the characters and journey become theirs.
I seek to write multi-layered stories that offer different journeys for children, teens, adults. They have multiple reach into trade, schools, counselling and special areas such as Burn Outreach and anti-school bullying programmes.
All my books are endorsed by significant organisations. I am proud that they are endorsed by The Children's Hospital Westmead, The Cancer Council, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, Life Education Australia, Room to Read and many others. My writing is deeply personal as I share experiences with my readers, hoping that my books travel with them as friends.
JACK books welcome you inside
Reading age:- 9 -12 years old, parents and teachers and community.
My son was bullied at school. I couldn't believe that I didn't know and wasn't there for him.
The father of Jack's friend rang me to say that Jack was in trouble. I confronted my son. It was painful as he broke down, as I broke down. He didn't want to go back to school again. My son was afraid at school and I didn't know. I felt such a failure.
Bullying is so insidious. It started with nothing. A joke that got out of control. There are all sorts of triggers that start bullying - when a kid comes back to school after being sick and new social groups have formed; jealousy, insecurity, fun, fear. There are all sorts of reasons that begin the process of bullying. It's about power and victimisation destroying the bullied, the bully and community.
My Jack is a 'normal' boy. He makes jokes, argues with his sister, kicks a ball, tries to get out of homework, loves to take photographs and make things. Yet he was bullied. It started with a joke. That's all. A joke.
Jack tried everything to win against bullying, but he couldn't do it alone. He won against bullying with the help of his family, Nanna, friends who came back, teacher, school and himself.
'When I asked my son if I could write I Am Jack, he said yes, for all those kids out there. I Am Jack is more than about the bullied. The bully, supporters of the bully, teacher, school, parents can find answers in I Am Jack and work towards a safer world.
I Am Jack has become a much loved, rite-of-passage anti-school bullying novel in Australia, adapted into a play by the award winning theatre company Monkey Baa, and currently being adapted with the other JACKS into a feature film.
Super Jack
Super Jack is a companion book to I Am Jack. It can be read as the second book in the trilogy or as a stand alone, like all the JACKS.
The wonderful characters in I Am Jack return with a few more entering Jack's life. These characters are inspired by my family and people in our lives. Nanna is a real person and when she coughs too hard her teeth fall out. She loves to buy bargains is a bit hard of hearing and loves her grandchildren. Rob is the step-da. Like Nanna, he's inspired by his real step-dad who loves making those dishes sparkle and is a surfer and is quirky like all of us. Rob's son Leo is jealous that Jack lives with his Dad. There're lots of emotions, jokes, dramas as families blend, Nanna's aging causes issues and tensions mount.
'The John Marsdens of the writing scene are very good at top-level abuse and the Paul Jennings are excellent in sheer fun but Susanne Gervay is rare in her ability to place common problems for children within the spectrum of normal family life. The result is that she makes it OK for the children to talk about them.' The Weekend Age, Review Section
Always Jack
As a writer, I write with a light touch, humour, bitter-sweet emotions, the every day elements of life of a boy's life. Jack inspired by my son, is an everyman, part of his family, school, community and like all kids, he's aware of unfolding challenges in his life - divorce, aging Nanna, sibling rivalry, friendships, cancer, his mate whose family is from Vietnam.
Always Jack came out of personal experience as a multiple breast cancer survivor. It was hard to explain to my children who were 6 and 9 the first time. I wanted to reach them and all kids so that it's safe to talk about cancer. Kids are part of the family and the journey.
Life is complex and Always Jack is about more than cancer. The very special story of Christopher and his family who were refugees from Vietnam are integral to Always Jack. The story came from my experience speaking at the World Burn Congress in New York. I heard Kim Phuc (the girl running naked from napalm in the 1972 Pulitzer Prize winning photo by Nick Ut) giving a moving account of growing up with burns, political pressures, family dislocation and her search for meaning. The Vietnamese experience is part of Australian experience, as it our Anzac tradition. They became entwined in Jack's story.
The Sun Herald Review by Aleesah Darlinson beautifully summarises Always Jack and the drivers in why I wrote it:-
Tackling the touch issues with a light touch in I Am Jack, Jack battled bullies at his school and won. In Super Jack, Jack faced the trails of a newly blended family. Now, in Always Jack, our hero faces a challenge bigger than he's ever faced before.
Nanna is older and wobblier than ever. Jack is experiencing strange emotions whenever he sees his best friend Anna. Then there's mum and Rob's impending wedding, which seems to be taking over the world.
But these entire woes pale into insignificance when mum delivers the news that she has breast cancer. As usual, Jack sums it up incredibly succinctly: 'I look up at him. It's hard to speak. 'But it's cancer Rob.' I can't live without mum. None of us can love without mum.'
But while mum's illness makes Jack re-evaluate aspects of his life, it doesn't dominate the narrative. This is the skill in Gervay's storytelling: to encapsulate the realism of a young boy's life, yet still deal with big issues such as Cancer. Death. Divorce, grandparents, sibling rivalry, friendships, refugees and the Vietnam War.
How does Gervay deal with so many issues in one relatively short children's book? The answer is that she treads lightly. Jack is Gervay's vehicle for spreading words of wisdom but at no time does she preach. Eternally, Jack and his story remain wholly believable. Readers will not only empathise with Jack but love his sensitive introspection and his wisecracks designed to alternately entertain and annoy his family.
At its heart, Always Jack is a powerful tool for providing comfort to children of cancer sufferers and for educating the uninitiated. More than that, it's a true Australian story that could happen to any of us. And as a multiple breast cancer sufferer and survivor herself, no one understands better than Gervay what it's like to battle - and overcome - the disease.
Part survival manual, part therapy, part autobiography, part fiction, Always Jack succeeds in distilling a complex medical conditions for young readers to digest.
'Mum is in her white sack when she waves us over. 'I've organised that you kids can have a quick look into the radiation treatment room.' It is super quick but it's interesting. Reminds me of a laboratory. There's a major X-ray machine like a big metal right angle hanging over a metal bed.'
As Gervay says, she wrote Always Jack, 'for families who go through cancer to share the journey; and to invite other kids and community to join in.'
The illustrations sprinkled through the book, by Sydney Morning Herald cartoonist Cathy Wilcox, are as delightful and entertaining' as Jack himself. Beautiful, sad, funny - Always Jack will make you laugh and make you cry. Guaranteed. Carrying the NSW Cancer Council's stamp of approval, Jack's story will stay with readers always.
I am Jack, the play
MonkeyBaa Theatre for Young People adapted I Am Jack into a funny, brilliant one man show.
Watching this play had me laughing, crying, caring. It was moving and wonderful.
This is JACK's 3rd season being performed. It did an Outback tour which reached indigenous kids. Loved that. It will be performed at the Ipswich Literature Festival 6-9th September and was the feature at the Somerset Celebration of Literature festival, Queensland.
2011 Performance Details:-
Downstairs Theatre Seymour Centre Sydney
October 26th - November 4th 10.30 am and 12.30 am shows
Cost $16 (teachers free)
Bookings: 02 9351 7938/ admin@monkeybaa.com.au
Other Books
Picture Book
Ships in the Field to be published 1st February 2012 Ford St Publishers
- reaching into the refugee experience.
YA Novels
That's Why I Wrote This Song by Susanne Gervay with music, lyrics and vocals by Tory Gervay
The Cave
Butterflies
Susanne Gervay's Contacts:-
http://www.sgervay.com
http://www.sgervay.com/blog
http://www.youtube.com/user/sgervay
Time Riders: the doomsday code by Alex Scarrow
Puffin, 2011.
Recommended. Time travel, adolescent. Time Lords, the Holy Grail,
Knights Templar, Richard the Lionheart and his brother Prince John
and of course, Robin Hood set against a backdrop of impending
environmental disaster, this story has it all. It might seem as if
Alex Scarrow has taken all the elements of popular fantasy, Science
Fiction and English mythology and put them through the blender. You
might, justifiably, dread the result. Scarrow, however, has achieved
a highly readable thriller, full of action, adventure, mystery and
humour, all set in a very believable historical context.
Three teenage protagonists, all drawn from different eras and places
in time, come together in a Time Team under the avuncular eye of an
absent controller. These very recognisably normal teenagers form the
most secret of secret societies destined to spend their lives
correcting 'historical contamination' and ensuring history remains
'correct'. Third book of a series, Liam, Maddi and Sal and their
indomitable 'meat robots'- superhuman beings with superfast
computers in their brains grown to order to protect and support the
Team, travel through time to protect us and stop time travel from
destroying the world.
In this story a desperate stow away from a future Earth, dying
from global warming and ecosystem collapse, steals a battle robot
and sets in play a turn of events which allows the French to take
control of England and thus changing everything about the world as
we know it.
It may sound far-fetched and extreme Science Fiction, but Scarrow
has clearly understood and vividly painted the politics and daily
life of early medieval Europe. While this is a highly entertaining
and thought-provoking story it can be a little uneven with some
clumsy language construction followed by some beautiful metaphors.
Alex Scarrow's 'other job' as a computer games designer has clearly
led into the development of the ideas as well as the digital
material which supports the series. The YouTube downloads, and an
online game and blogs will ensure this story will appeal to young
fantasy readers, but it does deserve a wide readership. The
portrayal of the Middle Ages in this could add significantly to
students understanding of this time period as they undertake the
Year 8 Australian History Curriculum. Teacher notes are provided on
the website for the first two books in the series and cover issues
such as 'Genetic Engineering' and 'What makes us Human'.
Diana Warwick
