Flip by Rebecca Fraser
The new kid protagonist is always a winner but it's a pattern for teenager Denim Davies since losing his stable home – sold to pay for his late mother's medical treatment. The issues of caring for someone palliative, grief and financial hardship is just the start of Denim and Dad’s problems – both strong characters.
It’s hard for Denim to anticipate a friendly reception at Driftwood Heights - another seaside caravan park where it’s easier for Dad to find labouring jobs. Our hero may not be able to surf or live in a stable home but he has a cool hobby. Denim flips secondhand goods online for a profit. His prime motivation is to help his father, now a casual laborer, afford house rent to start to rebuild their lives. Dad loves his woodwork and locates the nearest Men’s Shed but it’s hardest for Denim running into yet another school bully.
When Mina strikes up a friendship with Denim at school, he wonders if this town is the turning point. Both are grieving as Mina is concerned for the declining health of her beloved grandmother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Denim is so focused on his dream to settle down that when he spies a valuable collectable watch in a garage sale, he doesn’t hesitate to accept a confused old lady’s asking price of $5. He’s all set for the best Flip ever but is it too good to be true?
Hooking reluctant readers has never been so easy with this not-so purpose written novella by Rebecca Fraser. The dialogue is realistic and with themes like family loss, school and bullying there are shades of crazy-good literature except like all titles in the Rhiza Shorts series, Flip comes in under 120 pages. Regardless, Flip grips the reader and changes them. The bonus is the plenitude of nailing a whole book in a couple of reading sessions. The print version has cream paper and widely spaced lines. With an interest age of 13+ and a reading age of just 10 years, the Rhiza Shorts titles are perfect for the reluctant reader.
Books are available in all standard formats for all preferences. Teachers Notes are available. 128p.
Themes: Family loss, Grief, Alzheimer's, School life, Bullying, Easy read.
Deborah Robins