Fair game by Dylan Alcott with Fiona Regan & Nahum Ziersch

The second book in the Dylan Alcott series does not disappoint. Dylan is driven to win; he loves to come first no matter what the competition.  And the school sports carnival is coming up, and he is sure he will nail it on the day. The problem is nothing is going his way, his parents are interfering, he keeps losing on and off the field and then there is the party of the Year that is a complete disaster. 

This is a story of a boy who is competitive and driven, who is pushing himself to win and in doing so is not being a good friend.  But it is also a story about Dylan’s childhood experiences of being in a wheelchair, with a lot of humour and energy in each story.  In Fair Game, Dylan must learn that sometimes winning isn’t the most important thing and sometimes being a good friend or working as a team can be more important.

I really enjoy these books as they give an insight into Dylan’s life with humour and honesty.  Fair Game showed the struggle for “fairness” against wanting to fit in.  There is also an aspect of being different and trying to show that you deserve your place in the team or on the field, but the story shows that there are different ways that this can happen.  Dylan leans that believing in yourself, even when things are not going the way you hoped can be the best way of winning.

I really like these books and think they will appeal to any reader who enjoys a good story. The series would make a great read aloud but I think most readers will be independent readers who will enjoy the fast, fun and challenging world of Dylan and his friends. The illustrations really enhance the story and help to embed the real-life feel to the story.

An excellent read and one that I highly recommend to teachers and students.

Themes: Friendship, Family, Disability, Competition, Winning, Sports.

Mhairi Alcorn