Game on by Dylan Alcott with Fiona Regan. Illus. by Nahum Ziersch

12 year-old Dylan is about to start High School and change is hard. His friends from Primary School, Hannah, Gemma and Yusuf, are also navigating the big step up to life where new timetables, room changes, teachers and potential new friendships compete with comfort and uncertainty in this new environment. Dylan has the added factor to negotiate - he must do all things from the comfort of his wheelchair, an instrument of speed and agility, but also an occasional impediment to progress in a classroom environment (the science labs are not designed for wheelchairs). His disability does not stop him from participating in life - he loves gaming, creating digital music mixes and playing sports. But sometimes everyone else (except his old friends) seem to make life difficult or totally belittle him with their attitudes or comments. He knows that ‘life is not all about him’, but working out life and friendships can be hard. 

The change from Primary to Secondary school is a life change all kids will recognise, so this book will suit those about to, or who have just transitioned to Secondary schooling. And Dylan Alcott’s perspective on how this might be different for someone with a disability is an important one, normalising participation in the school environment and reminding readers that kids are kids, no matter what their abilities, and that friendship dramas are universal. The character Dylan is not the only one with struggles, and restoring friendships requires maturing understanding into his own failings or lack of insight. (The dilemma of ramp access, doors that do not open easily for wheelchair access, the inaccessibility of disabled toilets and the unthinking rudeness of people who are not in a wheelchair are all issues that are presented in the course of the story, insights that are important for young readers to consider.) This book has a youthful cover and some cartoon-style illustrations that perhaps make it seem for a younger audience than Year 5/6/7, but it is a life-change story that has some maturity as it reveals life from the perspective of someone that is wheelchair bound. This insight is not deliberately trying to invoke sympathy, rather it reveals the abilities and human issues with a sense of humour and normalcy that is refreshing. It is an easy-to-read transition story, and I imagine that there will be more to come as Dylan wheels his way through life.

Themes: Friendships, Disability, Starting High School, Gaming/coding.

Carolyn Hull