Uncle XBox by Jared Thomas

Dusty is young sporty tween boy living with his Mum, his sister Mary and Mum’s partner Marcus. When Marcus leaves unexpectedly, Dusty is bereft. He has lost the person he played sport and had fun with, and even more telling, the person who owned the Xbox. Dusty pesters his Mum about buying a new one and she suggests Dusty earns some pocket money to save up for it. With his mum’s help he meets Diego, a former soccer player, who offers him paid odd jobs around the house. After the relationship break up, Mum’s brother Uncle Rick stays for a weekend and introduces Dusty to surfing. Dusty takes to it straight away, and it begins to overtake his need for an Xbox.

Throughout this enjoyable and refreshing read, Dusty is dealing with his ever-changing complex emotions. Jubilant at times when good things happen, like being in the surf and kicking goals at soccer, but angry and saddened when changes occur such as both Uncle Richard and Marcus leaving. He also deals with racism and bullying but is able to rise above it with support from his friend Wal and wisdom from his uncle who also shares stories about culture and Country.

This book, written in twelve short chapters, is about a family struggling with poverty and a young boy trying to find his place. With a strong, smart, and likeable character in Dusty and an entertaining storyline set in South Australia, this book will appeal to upper middle grade readers. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes: First Nations People, Culture, Country, Surfing, Sport, Family, School, Friends, Bullying.

Kathryn Beilby