Ill. by Cathy Wilcox. Harper Collins, 2014. ISBN 9780732296148
Highly recommended for readers from 10-12 years and as a class
novel. Family Life. School Life. Friendships. Bullying.
Susanne Gervay's Being Jack is the fourth and final book in
the popular series that follows the not-so-ordinary life of Jack,
his slightly crazy family, his school friends and his first crush.
His life is filled with early morning paper rounds, surfing,
photography and hanging out with his friends. Jack is still grieving
the loss of his Grandad and also trying to sort through the reasons
his father abandoned their family when Jack was five.
There is a relatable richness to the cast of characters that live
with Jack, his slightly mad Nanna who loves buying discount
underwear for presents and has a decidedly sweet tooth, his Mum with
her unique fashion sense who has recovered from cancer and has found
happiness with her new husband surfer Rob. Along with the pets, his
sister Samantha and his step brother Leon, this house is full of fun
and laughter.
Things are going much better at school, now he's not being bullied
any more. He has a great group of friends and enjoys photographing
school events. When he captures pictures of violent behaviour at the
big football game, Jack has to make some tough decisions about
hiding or sharing the photos with his teacher. When the same rough
football players physically and verbally harass his best friend
Christopher Tran and his family, Jack steps in to help.
Cathy Wilcox's sketches show slices of Jack's life. Susanne Gervay's novel is a
rewarding and humorous one that deals with life and death,
overcoming grief, growing up and coping with life on the cusp of
becoming a teenager.
Rhyllis Bignell
How I AM JACK began
By Susanne Gervay
I've had an extraordinary journey with my four I AM JACK books. I
had no idea I was writing a series. If I did I would have baulked at
taking 14 years to complete the 4 books. It has to be one of the
longest series written.
I had no idea that the name JACK would become the most popular boy
name and the title of endless new book series today. If I did I
would have baulked at naming my books I AM JACK.
I had no idea that the emotionally painful journey of my son whose
real name is James, would translate into a rite-of-passage anti
school bullying series published and translated into many languages.
I had no idea that I AM JACK would be adapted into a play by the
acclaimed Monkey Baa Theatre and performed in Sydney, across
Australia, at literature festivals and the USA nearly every year
since 2008. In 2015 it will be performing in all Australian states
and in the USA again.
I had no idea that so many organizations would embrace the I AM JACK
books using them in their literacy, anti bullying and ethics
programs - organizations like Room to Read, Life Education
Australia, the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, The Cancer Council,
Courage to Care, schools and educational institutions. BEING JACK
advocates for 'Room to Read' as one way to promote literacy in the
developing world. I am very proud of that.
I had no idea that I would sign an option for a TV series with the
producer of the classic TV series 'Around the twist' and 'Animalia.'
However I would have given up all the amazing success of my I AM
JACK books, for my son not to be bullied. But then, the I AM JACK
books would not have reached the many 100,000s of young people and
families. After my son won against bullying with the support of his
family, schools, friends and his own courage, I asked him if I could
write I AM JACK. It had been such a hard journey and I would have
accepted his decision for this to remain private. However my
beautiful son said - 'Yes mum. Write it for other kids. For kids who
get bullied, the kids who bully, teachers, parents, everyone. So
it's better.'
The I AM JACK books are 'fiction' but they are informed by my
chaotic and at times hilarious and challenging life with my
mix-master family and community. While I am a mother first, an
author second, my background is in education as a consultant
specializing in child growth and development. It underpins the I AM
JACK books.
Through the I AM JACK books, I welcome readers into my home and
life. Each I AM JACK book came out of the challenges my son faced
within our family - bullying, refugees, divorce, blending families,
cancer, aging grandparents, abandonment by a father. However there's
also that great sense of curiosity, joy, growth. There's friendship,
siblings, good times, courage, love and even Nanna's purple
underpants. Wish she hadn't bought them for everyone.
I have spoken across Australia and the world, from India, Kiribati,
Singapore, China, Hong Kong to USA about the I AM JACK books, the
characters and journeys. I receive so many emails that touch me: -
Hello Susanne Gervay.
I am writing about a current book I have bought and read, I AM JACK.
I get bullied at school almost every day and it makes me sick. I
just didn't feel like going to school. I pretended to be sick and
stay home for the day. I've talked to the School Councillor, I've
tried to tell my mum, I've thought of getting back at the bullies,
but all these things don't seem to work. But I AM JACK inspired me
to tell everyone that I am bullied. It makes me feel great and today
I treated my mother with respect (I wasn't doing that lately because
I was fed up with everyone) and I think she knows there is something
fishy going on. I just want to thank you for what you have done and
I think you are a great writer. I will enjoy reading all your other
books.
Yours sincerely,
Lowana
P.S. Please write back to . . .
From a Teacher
The cemetery scene really resonated with Maisam as both his parents
died in Afghanistan. I think he is comforted by the thought that
they are watching over him and that he can talk to them at anytime,
just like you do with your dad (Grandad in the I AM JACK books)
Once again, I thank you and 5P thanks you too.
Jack's a kid - an everyman. You just know him and cheer for him even
when he's discovering fungus in one of his experiments or taking
photos of waddly Nanna without her teeth or telling one of his
jokes. He's a great comedian. He plays soccer, but he's into footy
too, surfing and sport. Einstein's his hero.
But underlying the jokes and all things JACK, is that deep heart
kids have. He'd put his life down for his family and his mates and
the girl-next-door Anna. He's the man of the house, but wants to
know who his father is. He's the kid who was bullied like many kids,
survived with the support of family and friends and became the Jack
who stands beside others. He stands beside his Mum when she faces
breast cancer. He stands beside his mate Christopher when he's
attacked for being Asian. He even stands beside his sister Samantha,
when she's irritating him with yet another dog project.
Like all my I AM JACK books, they stand alone, but are also
connected with Jack's sense of the world as he grows up from 11 to
13. The final I AM JACK book, called BEING JACK ties up all those
loose ends and answers the questions so many kids have asked me over
the years. What happens between Jack and Anna? Will Jack become
friends with George Hamel the boy who bullied him? Does he play
football after all? Does he accept his step brother Leo in the
family?
However BEING JACK is driven by three powerful themes - the love of
family and friends; the search for Jack's father; and standing up
against bullying.
My son has grown up now, married a girl like 'Anna' and has his own
baby boy. He was changed by being bullied. He worked through it with
all our support and today he's his own person with values that
advocate for a safer world. I am very proud of him.
Susanne Gervay
I am Jack: the beginning - book 1
Super Jack - book 2
Always Jack - book 3
Being Jack: the conclusion - book 4
A history of the book in 100 books by Roderick Cave
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743317143.
(Age: Secondary - Professional) Since reliable and affordable access
to the internet became readily available to most, we have heard
cries that 'The book is dead!'; 'It's all online so you don't need
books!'; and 'Empty your library's shelves of books and replace them
with devices.' Despite the growing body of evidence that children
need to develop traditional literacy skills using print, teacher
librarians are constantly having to defend their decision to keep
the traditional format on the shelves.
But here in the richly illustrated tome is the evidence that such
calls for change are not new. Over the history of mankind changing
technologies have changed the format of books, from ancient cave
paintings to inscriptions on tombs of the ancient Egyptians and all
stops in between through to the printing of books for the masses and
now the accessibility of ebooks, the book as a device has evolved.
While the advent of the ebook may be seen as a revolution by some,
and the printed-paper book that we are so familiar with may go the
way of the tablets of Babylon - although the notion of the
'paperless office' is yet to come to fruition - this book is an
attempt to celebrate the endurance of the concept through the very
careful selection of just 100 books which illustrate the huge range
of formats and styles from all continents, except Antarctica. Many
of those selected are not the most obvious choices, in fact choices
have been made to deliberately stimulate the reader's interest to
explore further.
Arranged into eleven chapters that suggest a broad chronological
approach, each entry has been meticulously researched yet written in
a very readable way. There is an extensive, illustrated glossary
explaining terms from 'abugida' to 'graphic novel' to 'zaum' as well
as a comprehensive bibliography to lead the reader further afield.
This is not a text whose purpose is to show that the book as we know
it is doomed - indeed, the authors declare that it is not - but
rather to show that despite its evolution in format, its importance
and purpose to educate and entertain has essentially remained
unchanged. Throughout civilisation, humans have had a need to record
and share events, thoughts, discoveries and dreams whether that be
on bone, bamboo, bark, paper, clay or computer screen.
Whether this is a personal purchase or one bought to support the
curriculum, it is an important addition to understanding our
continuing passion for and love affair with books.
Barbara Braxton
The princess and the presents by Caryl Hart
Ill. by Sarah Warburton. Nosy Crow, 2014. ISBN 9780857632609.
(Age: Preschool - Yr 3). It's Princess Ruby's birthday soon and
according to her father the King, nothing is too much for his
spoilt, pampered daughter who is an entitled, obnoxious brat. 'My
special day must be the BEST. Or else!' she said. She demands a
giant tree house, and a parrot that talks; a pair of fancy shoes
that light up when she walks; a new tiara for each day at school,
and a pony, some roller skates, and loads and loads of jewels.
Apparently besotted by his daughter, unable to say no to her
whining, or perhaps fearful of her ability to throw tantrums where
she screams so loudly you can see her tonsils, her father dashes out
with a great big case of cash. But even his best efforts are not
enough for this 'greedy little tyke' who is looking for a mobile
phone, three puppies and a bike. The more she demands, the more he
gives her until there are presents piled high in every room in the
palace.
And then disaster strikes. And a lesson is learned.
In this cautionary tale about being careful about what you wish for,
Princess Ruby's character is so unlikeable that not even the most
precious of princesses in the class could empathise with her and
wish to take her place. But then there is some salvation after the
disaster which makes the whole story work in a way that's not
apparent from the start. It provides lots of opportunities for
discussion, not only about the characters but also values.
Written in rhyming text and accompanied by boldly coloured
illustrations that are full of humour and detail that they lift the
text so it doesn't become too moralistic, it remains entertaining to
the end. Even the boys will enjoy it!
Barbara Braxton
Deadly D and Justice Jones: Rising star by David Hartley and Scott Prince
Magabala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922142504.
(Age: Middle Primary) Deadly D and his friend Justice Jones are back
again in another deadly adventure - this time not only with the
footy flavour but an alien angle as well. David Hartley and Scott
Prince have teamed up once more to provide Middle to Upper primary
students, particularly boys but also all NRL lovers, another
terrifically engaging read.
Deadly D has a curse, secret to everyone except his mum and his best
bro, Justice. When he gets angry he turns into a huge hulking man
with great physical strength and skills. That's how he came to be
playing for the Broncos alongside his heroes like Jonathan Thurston
and Ben Barba. Ordinarily just eleven year old Dylan, recently
relocated to Brisbane with his mum, going to school and mucking
around with his mate, on weekends Dylan becomes Deadly D, a
fast-rising top league player attracting much attention from fans
and media. One particularly unsavoury newspaper reporter however
seems to know more than others, and is continually harassing Deadly.
Fortunately, he meets with a very satisfying end after some
threatening moments.
Meanwhile, Deadly and Justice are less than enthused when their
rather eccentric and footy mad teacher, Mr B, sets a group task of
making a billy cart and puts the two boys with new girl Taylor
Niela. Both boys find her pretty but standoff-ish and snooty, though
remarkably knowledgeable about physics and the scientific way to
design the fastest billy cart ever.
They temporarily forget their chagrin over this however, and the
whole class is ecstatic when they win the school attendance prize -
a day trip to Dreamworld with the Queensland State of Origin team.
The day starts off with a greeting at the Indigenous centre,
followed by some huge fun in the waterpark - with the two authors
making the most of opportunities to poke some gentle fun at some of
the Origin heroes. Who would have thought that big Sam Thaiday would
be afraid of heights and almost chicken out of going down the Wedgie
waterslide, whimpering for his mum? Sam's resulting comical wedgie
of his canary yellow speedos will give many readers a good chuckle.
In the midst of all the excitement, Deadly and Justice see stuck-up
Taylor sneaking into the dingo enclosure to disappear underground
mysteriously. When they follow her, they find out why she seems so
different, how it connects with Deadly and his curse and how Deadly
can help others in a really significant way, albeit at a cost to
himself.
As with the first book, this is an easy to read and fun book which
will engage many reluctant readers from around 9 years upwards.
Hartley and Prince are onto a winning formula here and hopefully, we
can expect to see more from them.
Sue Warren
Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743319437.
(Age: 14-18) I quickly put my hand up to review this as this dark
period in Sydney's history fascinated in a ghoulish way as a child
growing up in the Harbour City, and since (the only series of
'Underbelly' I watched was the 'Razor' one).
Imagine my surprise when I realised this version of events had a
paranormal edge: a fact which made it all the more intriguing.
Kelpie, is a wild child, growing up an orphan in the dangerous
neighbourhoods of 1930s Sydney. She is a small survivor,
undernourished, underdeveloped but very intelligent and certainly
streetwise. She is careful to keep herself safe and - she sees
ghosts. The spectres of so many who have died, either violently in
this mayhem of gang rivalry or just those who have passed on, appear
to Kelpie usually at the point of their demise. One such ghost, Miss
Lee, laboured to teach Kelpie to read and kept her as safe as a
ghost possibly could.
Misled by a mean spirit, Kelpie enters a tatty old boarding house
seeking apples, and is confronted by the bloody corpse of Jimmy
Palmer, right hand thug of the notorious Glory Nelson. At the same
time, Jimmy's latest girlfriend, Dymphna arrives at the scene.
Dymphna is Glory's best 'girl' (yes, prostitute) and in lightning
speed, Kelpie and Dymphna are thrown together to evade police and
tread the delicate and potentially disastrous line between rival mob
bosses, Glory and Mr Davidson.
The most extraordinary aspect of this uneasy alliance is that
Dymphna also sees ghosts - and despite their outward differences in
physical appearances with Kelpie as small as an 11 year old and
Dymphna as glamourous and grown up as 20 year old - they realise
with a shock that they are both sixteen. Both girls have a history
which makes one empathise with each in their precarious situations.
Razorhurst is vibrant, bloody, gripping and at times shocking. It is
an extraordinary take on well known factual history of Sydney's
bloodiest episode in history.
Although the recommended reading age is 14 up, I would suggest for a
school library that you might choose to confine this one to your
Senior Students. It is a great read, but at times graphic and raw.
The author's website
and teaching
notes are available online.
Sue Warren
Malini by Robert Hillman
Through my eyes series. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743312551
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Sri Lanka. War. Heroism. Religion.
Surivival. When Malini is told by her father to run into the forest
with her younger sister and hide, she does as she is told. All the
villagers have been rounded up and herded to the coast where they
will be used as a human shield, to slow the advance of the Sinhalese
Army. Few will survive. It is 2009 and the civil war which has
devastated much of north eastern Sri Lanka after the withdrawal of
the British in 1948 is coming to a close.
Malini and her sister, Banni, must survive as best they can, refugees
in their own land, eating what they can find, travelling carefully,
hoping to find their grandfather's village many miles away before
the soldiers of either side find them. Along the way they come
across a group of three children also displaced by the war, and
Malini cares for them too, all the while feeling beyond her age of
fourteen. Their journey across Sri Lanka, exposes the atrocities on
both sides, the impact of war on the ordinary people, the reasons
behind the war. Above all we see the effect of such conflict on the
children. Malini and her family are Tamil, from the north, and have
been taught Sinhalese and English alongside their own language,
being encouraged to accept all faiths. The children they meet are
Sinhalese as is the girl who saves them from the soldiers, giving
the reader an insight into the feelings of both communities.
Another in the excellent series Through my eyes, Malini will
encourage students to view the unrest in other parts of the world
through the eyes of a person their own age. With the civil war
in Sri Lanka now at an end, readers will gain insights into the
effect of war on the ordinary household, village or community. There
is a timeline of the events in Sri Lanka since 1948, as well as a
glossary and web addresses to find out more information, while
others in this series are displayed at the end of the book. Highly
recommended for classes where discussion of other countries is under
way, or perhaps a literature circle is being undertaken using all
the books in the series, or a book is being read aloud, the easy
flowing text and appeal of the courageous main characters will
ensure kids are hooked from the start. Insights into the Buddhist
and Hindu beliefs of Sri Lanka sit alongside the themes of war,
courage and refugees.
Fran Knight
Celia and Nonna by Victoria Lane and Kayleen West
Ford St Publishing, 2014. ISBN 978925000603 (hardback). ISBN
978192000601 (paperback).
(Ages: 4+) Highly recommended. Some very apt books have come my way
in the last week or so and this is one of them. This gentle and
loving story of a little girl and her much-loved Nonna, and the
changes that occur when Nonna's memory starts to fail is so very
pertinent to our family at the present time.
It is difficult for little ones to understand that aging family
members cannot always remember things, or indeed that they may
change where they live. On Friday we celebrated my mother's 88th
birthday and at times it is tricky for the two youngest
great-grandchildren to understand why Nanny now lives in the place
she does, or why she doesn't remember everything. Celia loves
sleeping over at her Nonna's place. She always has a fuss made of
her and she and Nonna cook together and play special games, but when
Nonna starts to forget things, locks herself out of the house and so
on, Nonna moves to a special place where people can help to keep her
safe. There is no room for Celia to sleep over any more and nowhere
to cook but there is room to put lots of drawings up on walls of the
fun things that are special memories. In just the same way, Miss
Just-Turned-Five spends much time creating beautiful artwork for her
great-grandmother, just to make sure Nanny knows how much she is
loved.
It was difficult for me to read this without emotion because of the
intensely personal circumstances but this is a superb book to share
with little people who are facing changes in their family due to
aging, dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
The text and illustrations are simple, gentle and suitably engaging
for a young audience and the endpapers are truly gorgeous (many of
my friends and students know about my rapture over endpapers!).
Highly recommended for home and library shelves for sharing with
small people from around 4 and up.
Sue Warren
Phyllis Wong and the return of the conjuror by Geoffrey McSkimming
Phyllis Wong Mysteries. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743318379
(Age: 9+) Recommended as a fun fictional fantasy for young readers.
Mystery. Adventure. Time Travel. Magic. Illusion. This is a
magical gem! The central character Phyllis Wong is a well-practised
conjuror/prestidigitator that, despite her youth, uses her
fast-fingered skills with sleight of hand tricks to entertain. Her
staged actions to overcome a class bully lead to school suspension
and ultimately a strange meeting in time with her Great-grandfather
who was himself a renowned performer of illusion tricks. Time travel
follows and almost coincidentally she becomes involved in a major
police investigation into a potential crime involving the first
folios of Shakespeare's play. Her ability to travel back in time
enables her to meet the Bard and prevent a major injustice.
One of the delights of this book is her connections to some quirky
adults and an extremely eccentric school friend.
This book is a highly entertaining narrative, with mystery,
adventure, time travel and Shakespearean history united with a
highly competent and independent female lead character who displays
amazing intellectual skills and organisation. Her friend, Clement,
is the ultimate bizarre sidekick, who adds a considerable comic
element to her adventures in time.
Carolyn Hull
One minute's silence by David Metzenthen
Illustrated by Michael Camilleri. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN
9781743316245.
Highly recommended for both Primary and Lower/Middle Secondary. As
we approach the end of the year and Remembrance Day, as well as the
ongoing centenary commemoration of World War 1 and the ANZACs' role,
this powerful and deeply moving picture book will be a must-have for
your collection.
We are all aware of David Metzenthen's skill as a writer and now
combined with dramatic and poignant illustrations by Michael
Camilleri, this is a book that begs to be shared across many year
levels.
Beautifully told from both the Australian and Turkish perspectives,
Camilleri chose to depict the combatants, using Year 12 students
from the Sophia Mundi Steiner School as models, in contemporary
dress and using both genders. This has the effect of visually
demonstrating that ordinary young people were caught up in a bloody
conflict of extraordinary proportions.
The traditional 'one minute's silence' is used as the recurring
motif throughout the text as moments of huge impact are recounted
solemnly and with elegant simplicity. The repetition of
circular shapes and cogs connect to the passing of time in each
minute's duration. Among the many visually stunning illustrations
the double page spread showing the many small contorted bodies under
the dark ground, as the ANZACs depart is heart-stopping. It reduced
my normally boisterous Year 10s to complete stunned silence, such is
its profundity.
Camilleri's illustrations are finely detailed, and by rendering
them in monotones evoke the period of time - as does the choice of
the sepia tones such as those on the cover. This also conveys the
bleakness and despair of the Gallipoli campaign (or indeed any
conflict) and the intense emotions. The reader can easily empathise
with both sides in this desperate situation.
My boys were intrigued (naturally!) by the diagrammatic style
illustrations of the shrapnel bomb and the rifle. Though
clearly illustrated in the film/comic strip style action, the
shooting of a young soldier is subdued, though obvious, and hence
reduces the horror for younger readers.
In one minute of silence you can imagine sprinting up the beach in
Gallipoli in 1915 with the fierce fighting Diggers, but can you
imagine standing beside the brave battling Turks as they defended
their homeland from the cliffs above...
Truly a reflective and evocative picture book, One minute's silence
is, I predict, potentially an award-winning book for next year's
lists.
Sue Warren
Bubble trouble by Tom Percival
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408838778.
(Age: Early childhood) Bubble trouble is a very apt name for
this book. Rueben and Felix had always lived next door to each other
and they were best friends. They were exactly the same age, same
height (except for their ears), they were both left-handed and they
LOVED to blow bubbles. Really, REALLY BIG bubbles! It was a perfect
activity to do together until one day Rueben said, 'I bet I could
blow a bigger bubble than you'. And so the contest is on - with each
trying to blow the biggest bubble, building the most amazing
bubble-blowing contraptions. But as the machines become more and
more complex, the fun gets less and less. Even rules and judges and
spectators didn't help. All they could think about was winning!
Until one day.
Illustrated very gently in a lift-the-flap format and quite
different from his Skulduggery Pleasant work, (there's an interview
with him about his creations) this is a book that has many layers to
it. Each time I read it I thought of a new way that it could be used
in the classroom setting. Firstly, there is the maths aspect of
comparing sizes accompanied by the languages aspect of the use of
comparative and superlative language. Then there is the aspect of
how bubbles are made, why they are usually round, and investigating
whether the shape and power of the 'blower' affect the shape of the
bubble. There's the design aspect of creating a bubble-blowing
machine or something that will help them solve the issue at the end;
and throughout all, the concept of what friendship means. My review
copy was destined for a pre-schooler I know but I've decided to tuck
it into my teaching tool-kit instead. Stories which can provide a whole
day's cross-curriculum teaching are rare!
Barbara Braxton
Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick
Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9781780622156.
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. War, Fanaticism, Refugees, Taliban,
Islam, Women, Education. Subtitled, The girl who stood up for
education and changed the world no reader can pass by this
book without recognising the young woman staring out from the cover.
Her face and the events surrounding her medical evacuation to
England were on every media report for months, and millions followed
her plight. Shot in the face by a fanatic in the Swat Valley in
northern Pakistan, while on her way home from school, she needed
emergency attention. Her book concentrates initially on the family
and her religion, her day to day life, her school and the increasing
imposition of extremist views in Pakistan. These views that women
should not be educated, that women were not allowed to leave home
without a male relative with them, and only when wearing a full
cover, came to the fore after the devastating earthquake of 2007,
after which some preached that it was a warning from Allah. The ones
who helped those affected by the earthquake were the followers of
the extremist Fazlullah, and they were able to promote their views.
As they grew stronger, fear bubbled through the community, TV sets
were destroyed, polio vaccines rejected, and radio used to attract
followers until many of their ideas became common usage in northern
Pakistan, with opposing people being beaten and killed by the
fanatics. But some spoke out against them, Malala's father, the
school principal amongst others, and Malala too became outspoken
from an early age, talking on the radio, and freely giving her views
on girls' education.
Calls to Pakistan's army fell on deaf ears, and it wasn't until the
Taliban started to be a murderous influence in Islamabad, that the
army moved to act. But it was too late for Malala.
This is a riveting read, not only because it tells younger readers
about this brave young woman and her fight against the tyranny of
fanatics, but also because it speaks to us all about taking a stand
against fanaticism, and coincidentally showing how easily fanaticism
can take a hold on a community. I was constantly reminded of the
rise of Nazism, and echoes of the rise to power of the IS in Iraq
today.
Education is the key to overcoming fanatics like this. We take so
much for granted in the west and this singular book reveals to our
sometimes overprotected students, what lengths people will go to be
educated, and what lengths some will go to prevent it happening.
This could be an adjunct to study alongside the many wonderful
novels set in the Middle East, the novels of Deborah Ellis and
Rosanne Hawke spring to mind. At the end of the book is a glossary,
a timeline of events in Pakistan since partition, a series of book
club questions and information about her current work. A map at the
start of the book sets the story in its place in the world.
Fran Knight
An interview with a stranger: Terry Whitebeach
by Fran Knight
Dubbing herself a 'stranger in a strange land', the current May
Gibb's Fellowship recipient, Tasmanian author, Terry Whitebeach, has
found that her recipe for writing in the quietness and solitude of
the apartment in Norwood has included visits to the Art Gallery and
Botanic Gardens, as well as the odd lunch. Today we met at Cafe Ivy
on Norwood Parade to discuss her body of work and its motivating
forces.
Terry's body of work includes two poetry collections, Bird Dream,
and All the Shamans Work in Safeway, an indigenous life
history, The Versatile Man, radio plays for ABC's Airplay,
as well as reviews and essays published in journals. With two young
adult novels also behind her (Watersky(1998) and Bantam
(2002) as well as two bilingual picture books, When I was a Boy
in Sudan and When I was a Girl in Sudan (2014)), Terry
is currently working on a novel for younger readers, a niche market
which is undernourished.
In this multicultural country, Terry has met and taught many
refugees in adult literacy classes. These people surely must be the
epitome of a 'stranger in a strange land', having to cope with a
different culture, language and ethos, often after many difficult
years spent in refugee camps.
Whilst working in adult literacy, she met her Sudanese colleague
Sarafino Enadio, and has worked with him to create four books. The
first to be published were a pair of bilingual picture books for
Sudanese as well as English speaking readers, with the aim of
Sudanese and Australian children developing a better understanding
of each other. These picture books depict the traditional life of
children in Sudan.
Sarafino's ten years in a refugee camp were the catalyst for a young
adult novel, Obulejo, Trouble Tomorrow, on which Terry and
Sarafino also collaborated, after visiting South Sudan together in
2012. In 2014 they published an account of Sarafino's life, A
Little Peace, a South Sudanese Refugee Story.
But Paper Chains is what she is working on while in
Adelaide. A novel for younger readers, it is the story of the
adventures of six sisters. As with all her novels, it began with an
imaginary conversation. This time between a set of sisters. When
Terry first 'overheard' the sisters talking to each other she felt
compelled to begin to write down their conversations. At first it
felt a little like eavesdropping, but Terry nevertheless continued
to listen in.
I asked Terry if she had any difficulties writing from a female
perspective, as her young adult books all have had male leads. None,
she explained; she was brought up in a family of six girls, so has a
rich resource from which to draw her ideas.
Although Terry was not forthcoming with many details of this new
book, while in Adelaide she will further flesh out the story she
feels she must write, of six sisters and their hair-raising
adventures, and the way they face and overcome difficulties together
and win through. The title of her new book, Paper Chains
came to her as an image of a string female figures joined yet
individual: its significance will become more apparent as the
narrative develops.
As an author concerned with marginalised and silenced or excluded
groups and individuals, speculation about the threads of her new
novel have tantalised me and I look forward to reading it.
Oliver and George by Peter Carnavas
New Frontier, 2014. ISBN 9781925059083. (Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Rivalry, Cooperation, Friendship. The
appeal of any book by Peter Carnavas is immediately apparent from
the front cover. His unadorned pictorial style grabs the attention
of the reader as his illustrations focus on the hub of the story to
be found overleaf. Oliver and George are on the front page, one, a
bear, engrossed in his book, while the other, a child with skates on
his feet, is demanding attention. Just who is Oliver and who George,
the cover demands.
Opening we find the boy, Oliver, ready to play, but George is still
busy reading his book. Oliver does a number of things to distract
George from his reading, throwing a paper plane and kicking his
chair, and George gets mad, but then the crossness subsides and he
continues reading his book. Oliver tries other things to distract
George, but all to no avail, until he reaches out and takes the
book. Then George erupts. Consequently a funny twist occurs which
makes everything right again.
This is lovely tale of friendship, of recognising each other's needs
and their private time, of cooperation and working together, and of
resolution. Parents and teachers alike will be able to draw the
readers into discussing a range of things about cooperating with
their friends, of not being annoying to get their own way, of
allowing other people some private space. Children will enjoy the
story on one level, but be equally accomplished at realising there
are lessons to be learnt. And Carnavas' delightful illustrations are
given an airing on the endpapers, adding another level of interest
to this wonderful book.
And George's total concentration on his book is a powerful image to
have handy when discussing reading.
Fran Knight
Whale in the bath by Kylie Westaway
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743318584.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Picture book, Bath time, Whales, Humour. Sent
upstairs to have a bath, Bruno finds a whale has taken it over,
using his bubble bath and Dad's back scrubber. He loves the warm
bath water and all he needs to make things perfect is some krill.
But when Bruno goes to tell his sister and mother about why he
cannot have a bath, they do not believe him.
He goes back upstairs to tackle the animal, but each time he is
defeated by his logic and cunning. Eventually Bruno has a shower,
and readers will laugh out loud at the turn of events, as the house
does not have a shower in it. All the while, Jellett's hilarious
illustrations underscore the story, adding another level of humour
to a funny tale. His illustrations can also be seen in recent
publications, Santa's secret, and The gobbledydook is
eating a book.
Discussion about lying, about avoidance, of being believed can be
drawn from this engaging tale, as Bruno struggles to tell people
about his problem. Each of his family dismisses his tale as yet
another avoidance technique, until dad comes home. Bruno is relieved
that he seems to believe him, but even Dad lets him down. Many
readers will have experienced similar events and will eagerly
recognise Bruno's dilemma.
Very funny on many levels, this book could be used to encourage
discussion about avoidance techniques, bath time and telling stories
or lies. The whale in the bath could create great discussion
about the mathematical improbability of such a thing happening, of
size and shape, of volume, and of the whales in our environment. The
possibilities are endless.
Fran Knight
