Six Tudor Queens. Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781472227737.
(Age: Adult - Adolescent) This compelling work vividly recreates the
rule of the iconic King Henry VIII. Anna is forced by her brother,
Wilhelm, ruler of the duchy of Kleve, to marry the English King
Henry, in order to align their countries. Henry had liked her
portrait and finds that he likes her, but cannot make love to her to
produce the important extra heir to the English throne. In this new
historical novel, part of her series Six Tudor Queens,
Alison Weir has vividly recreated Anna's story from the surviving
historical documents. This was a time when alliances were being made
by those who supported the growing Protestant movement, a time of
great upheaval in Europe where Catholicism had been dominant for so
many years.
Weir's narrative is richly detailed and deeply thought-provoking.
She raises the issue of planned alliances, with the 'right' marriage
considered as useful in healing rifts and cementing support among
the many countries of that world. Yet we are aware of the fear of
those who are involved in withholding truth and of those who do not
do what Henry wants, that they may be jailed, beheaded or hanged for
their perceived crime. Anna's secrets make her fear for her life.
While Henry cannot understand his inability to love Anna as he had
planned, her intelligence gives her an advantage that is outside the
realm of her questionable sexual attraction. When Henry decides that
she is a good friend to him as a dear 'sister', her fear begins to
lessen, although the secret that she keeps from him is never far
from her mind, as is her fear that the truths that she conceals will
be her undoing.
This is a compelling story, one that is indeed hard to put down.
Written for those who love history, particularly when the writer
recreates the world of the text so brilliantly, this novel is
powerful, its characters and issues staying in the mind long after
the book is finished. It is appropriate for adolescent and adult
reading, particularly for readers who enjoy the vivid recreation of
the life and times of such an iconic king as Henry Tudor.
Elizabeth Bondar
Nits! by Stephanie Blake
Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572243.
(Age: 3-7) Highly recommended. Themes: Nits, Friendship, Kindness.
Another book featuring Simon, the cheeky rabbit from I
can't sleep, Poo Bum, Super Rabbit and
others, sees Simon falling in love. He loves Lou but Lou loves
Mamadou and he is very jealous and doesn't know what he can do about
it. But then Lou gets nits and even Mamadou teases her. Simon is
steadfast in his love for her, and the reader can guess what will
happen when she kisses him for being so kind.
The bold colours, bright pinks, blues and yellows of the
illustrations are just gorgeous. Each individual rabbits has a
unique personality while Simon stands out from the rest of the
group, because he is a wearing a blue mask. The little hearts that
hover above the head Lou of the rabbits are really cute and make her
stand out as well.
The text is printed in a bold black and its sparseness makes for a
great read aloud, but it is also a book that newly independent
readers might like to tackle for themselves.
The story is a lot of fun to read and children will have plenty to
think about as they watch the growing relationship between Simon and
Lou. Nits are a common problem in schools and Blake will calm
readers' fears about catching them when she has Simon reassure Lou
that her mother will fix it. The humorous illustration of Lou
kissing Simon will also demonstrate just how easy it is to get nits,
regardless of how clean one's hair is. The kindness of Simon,
staying true to Lou and not joining in teasing or isolating Lou, is
a message that comes across strongly in the book.
Pat Pledger
Where Dani goes, happy follows by Rose Lagercrantz
Illus. by Eva Eriksson. My happy life series. Gecko Press,
2019. ISBN: 9781776572267.
This book by Gecko Press publishing house that promises 'curiously
good books' from around the world, will have readers enthralled at
Dani's journey, willing her to find her friend but not a little
concerned for her safety along the way. The book touches on themes
not usually shown in children's books. Her father is depressed over
his wife's death, his parents not a little unhappy at being called
in to help, and the irrepressible Dani is travelling alone to
Northbrook. She runs into trouble on the way which she must contend
with.
Dani is a strong young girl and this the sixth in the series will
delight younger readers who love her character, but also those new
to her stories.
Dani has been left again with her grandparents while Dad goes to
Italy to stay with friends. Dani is not impressed and when she
realises that tomorrow is Ella's birthday resolves to be her present
and be with her old friend on the day. But no one can spare the time
to take her so she is allowed to go by herself on the train. Armed
with a mobile phone and knowing that Ella's family will be there to
welcome her when she arrives, Dani sets off. But hurdles beset her:
there is no one at the station, it is cold and snowing, the
stationmaster leaves her in the waiting room where she is accosted
by two youths and a dog, who take her phone, and someone walks in
when she is hiding under the bench so does not see her.
Each incident will have readers thinking about what they would do in
that situation and admire Dani's handling of her misfortunes. It is
a strength of this wonderful read that Dani although a child is
having to face more mature problems. In simply wanting to surprise
her friend, she takes steps which go awry, but there are people
there to help.
The illustrations show clearly the sort of young girl Dani is:
resourceful, playful and generous, wanting to see Ella again, but
also realising that there are other people to consider. She learns
more about her father even though he is in Rome, as well as his old
girlfriend, Sadie and her new friend, Cushion, and in going on this
journey to see her old friend, Ella, realises that things change and
accepts Cushion as her friend.
Fran Knight
Amazing Transport: Journey through the history of transport by Tom Jackson
Illus. by Chris Mould. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408889770.
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended Subjects: Transport-history, Aircraft
- History, Trains, Ships, Cars. Travel back in time to the beginning
of transportation. The first boats were built over seven thousand
years ago and have transitioned through man power, wind power to
steam engines up to the mighty ocean liners. Every type of transport
is wonderfully presented. In Amazing Transport, author Tom
Jackson presents detailed descriptions, exciting discoveries and
engaging facts from across the globe and through history.
In Overground and Underground read about the Corinthian ships hauled
overland on the Dioklos trackway, the 1515 Austrian funicular built
to cross above the mountains. Where would we be without the wheel?
From carts to Central Asian chariots, a steam-powered Hippo-mobile
to Henry Ford's Model T, the age of cars has revolutionised travel.
Balloons lifts our eyes skyward, from Montgolfiers' wood-fired
balloon flight to the 1999 Breitling Orbiter that flew around the
world for twenty days without stopping to land. Human power
showcases bicycles through the ages, from models without brakes,
push pedals, bone-shakers, BMX sports bikes to the Olympic
superbikes and streamlined helmets.
Chris Mould's outstanding illustrations soar, dive, dig and sail
across the spreads, and black and white detailed images provide a
visual panorama. Add humourous characters, inventors stepping over
clouds, Apollo 11 astronauts walking on the moon, racing cars and an
array of ships swirling in a whirlpool: there's so much to view and
explore. A timeline border presents key dates and facts that can be
matched with a caricature and type of transport. Amazing
Transport is a fabulous resource for History and STEM units in
both the Primary and Secondary school. Families will enjoy sharing
both the engaging information and delving into the wonderful
depictions of transport through time.
Rhyllis Bignell
You're crushing it: Positivity for living your real life by Lex Croucher
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892473.
(Age: Teens) Recommended. 'The trick is to work out how to help
somebody in the way they need most'. You're crushing it is an honest and hilarious journey through
the realities of life in a social media powered world. It is
thoughtful and relatable, and anyone who reads it should brace
themselves for the read of a lifetime.
Social media sensation Lex Croucher is a vlogger who covers topics
from beauty and books to feminism and animal rights. Her YouTube
videos have been viewed by 15 million people, and she has hundreds
of thousands of social media followers over multiple accounts. Lex
utilises her fame to attempt to achieve positive change in our
world. She is particularly invested in female rights and
empowerment, feminism and protecting women from sexism and abuse. You're Crushing It covers family and friends, body
confidence, technology and social media, relationships, mental
health, success and more. It can be described as almost a 'survival
guide' for those struggling to deal with crazy, topsy-turvy,
whirlwind roller coaster ride we call life in modern society. It is
packed to the brim with hilarious anecdotes, which are successful in
making the book more relatable and establishes a sense of belonging
within the reader. You're crushing it gives advice which is not aspirational,
like much of the things that are seen on sites such as Pinterest,
but rather, realistic and inspirational advice, which will actually
help teenagers struggling with real life issues. Lex Croucher writes
with wit, and uses a tone which assists the reader to feel valued
and special, even if they are only one of thousands who read this
book.
As a teenager who has previously struggled with body confidence and
the pressure of social media on a young person's life, I urge any
teenagers struggling with any of these issues to read this book, and
then reread it again and again. It is that amazing and I promise
that it will help you face any of the prominent issues in our
society today.
Isabella C. (Student)
The visitor by Antje Damm
Trans. by Sally-Anne Spencer. Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN:
9781776571895.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Loneliness, Friendship. First
published in Germany in 2015, this is another 'curiously good book'
to be published by New Zealand house, Gecko Press. Their books
promise 'good heart and strong character' and in this book, we see
just that. Elise lives alone in her dark, gloomy house. She is
frightened of everything: spiders, people and even tress, and never
goes outside, preferring to clean her house every morning until it
is spotless. She sometimes opens a window to let in some fresh air,
and one morning, a piece of paper flies in. She is nonplussed, and
scoops the paper plane into the fire. But she has bad dreams that
night about the piece of paper taking over her house. The next
morning she is startled by a knock at the door and opening it finds
a young boy looking for his paper plane. He searches the house,
asking questions of Elise and for the first time in a long time she
sits and reads to him. They do all sorts of things together until he
must return home, but that night, Elise makes a paper plane, a
remembrance of the day and hope of things to come.
This delightful story of friendship, reflected in the sorrowful life
of Elise, revitalised by the simple paper plane will resonate with
younger children as they read of the growing friendship between
Elise and the boy. The wonderful illustrations reflect the
developing friendship, colour coming into her world as the boy goes
upstairs, turning the stairway red, they read and the room becomes
radiant, a stark contrast to the greys of her house before the boy
entered. I love the cut out effect, black and white images placed
against the greys and browns of the house, the boy bringing in
colour, the pink coming into her cheeks just like the picture of her
as a young girl on the stairwell. The endpapers show what can be
achieved through friendship, and will trigger responses from the
readers. This book, a New York Time best illustrated book, will lead
to many discussions about older people living alone, grandparents
who may not see their grandchildren very often, the relationship
between youth and age, and would be a natty addition to
Grandparents' Day, an annual celebration in Australia during
October.
Fran Knight
How it feels to float by Helena Fox
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760783303.
(Age: 13-17) Recommended. Seventeen-year-old Biz lives with her mum
and her younger twin siblings in Wollongong. She has a circle of
friends at school but is particularly close to Grace, until she
kisses her and then worries she has ruined the friendship. She also
worries that she has unwittingly offended Jasper, the new boy at
school. Biz is particularly close to her dad, who sits on the end of
her bed and tells her stories about his life. She can't tell anyone
this though, as her dad died when she was seven, and she blames
herself for his sadness and his death. Biz has learnt to float
through her day-to-day life, appearing to be an ordinary teenage
girl. But then an incident at the beach sets off a series of events
which leave her spiraling further into mental illness. She drops out
of school and experiences more hallucinations and panic attacks,
often finding herself unable to remember events as they really
happened. Through a photography class she befriends an
eighty-year-old lady who turns out to be Jasper's grandmother. Biz
and Jasper go on a road trip which she hopes will reconnect her with
her father, but she might find out more than she ever wanted to
know.
The first-person narration in this book describe Biz's mental state
in uncompromising detail. Helena Fox reports in her acknowledgements
that she herself has lived with mental illness her whole life, and
this is so evident in the way we experience Biz's thoughts and
feelings. While not an enjoyable read due to the rawness of emotion,
it is incredibly well-written, and will speak especially to
teenagers who might find themselves experiencing similar feelings.
Donella Reed
Dead at first sight by Peter James
Roy Grace book 15. Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781509816408.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Crime, Fraud, Online romance,
Internet. The apparent suicide of Susy Driver, a supposedly happy
late middle aged Brighton woman, leads DS Roy Grace into a very
murky world. It also adds friction to the already abrasive
relationship between Roy and his line manager ACC Cassian Pewe, who
would rather have a neat tidy suicide than a murder, which would
make his statistics very untidy.
Susy has been using an online dating service, but had warning signs
when she was asked for money by her online 'lover'. She began to
check, and finds to her surprise, that her man of the moment is Toby
Stewart a motivational speaker and Master Chef contestant, who also
happens to be gay and happily married. She also discovers his image
has been used multiple times. Unfortunately her delving has rather
nasty consequences, and not just for her.
Susy isn't the only victim of 'romance fraud'. Others in the UK,
Germany and the USA had been scammed, and some sought to get back at
the scammers and seek their revenge without the aid of the seemingly
powerless police forces.
Roy Grace has few clues, but a couple of chaps of African appearance
one of whom wears distinctive bright red shoes seem to be involved.
The situation also becomes more curious with the entry of Tooth, a
very accomplished assassin. What on Earth can he have to do with all
this?
Peter James has used an actual event on which to base his Toby
Stewart character. This has in turn put him in contact with the
disturbing data surrounding 'romance fraud'. Victims seem to be
older well educated men and women who have often been in long term
relationships and have looked for companionship and romance online.
They often find that they are only too eager to respond with ever
increasing amounts of money when requests come through to help out
with sick relatives, or provide short term loans in battles with ex
partners. Many of the victims are too embarrassed to admit they have
given away their life savings to a non existent 'lover'. The
agencies in question are often based in Ghana, Nigeria and Eastern
Europe where there is little hope of any justice for the victims.
This is the 15th Roy Grace novel, and those who have enjoyed the
others will be sure to embrace this new wrestle with these more
faceless criminals and those who wish to stop them.
Mark Knight
Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman
Illus. by Divya Srinivasan. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408879221.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: India, Tigers, Fable,
Friendship, Difference. The beautiful princess who lives in a
country far away is blind with pearls for eyes. But what concerns
her parents, the Rajah and Rani is the fact that she cannot speak.
They offer a room in their palace, the deeds to a stunted grove of
mango trees, a picture of an old aunt who always has a lot to say
and a parrot to anyone who can make their child speak. But nobody
succeeds. Eventually a tiger comes along offering to help Cinnamon
speak. After some disquiet the family and the staff leave the palace
to the girl and the tiger.
He uses feelings to encourage her to speak, succeeding where all
others have failed. She runs her hands through his soft fur, feels
pain when he scratches her, fear when he roars and love when he
licks her hand and face. Moved, she speaks. Her parents are very
happy and want to know why she has not spoken before but she can
only say that she had nothing to talk about, and then surprises them
all by saying what she is going to do next.
A wonderful fable, concentrating on relationships within a family,
where the child Cinnamon cannot speak. The parents offer a flawed
reward to anyone who can help, but the prize claimed by the tiger
takes their child from them.
Wonderfully apt illustrations by Texan artist, Srinivasan,
complement Gaiman's lively text, full of allusions to tigers and
their behaviours. Brimming with wit and humour, the story will be
read and reread by those who love to laugh out loud, while their
eyes will be drawn to the detail in the background of each page,
showing life in an Indian palace, as well as the flora and fauna
outside.
The aunt's negative comments are most amusing as is her end, while
the parents with their half-hearted attempts at helping Cinnamon
speak do not deserve any pity when left in their sumptuous palace
without their daughter. The themes of possessions over a child, of
an inability to help their disabled daughter, of finding love in the
most unusual of places will sing to the book's readers, and Gaiman
again gives a story that is not quite what is expected, a story at
odds with the usual, a story that sings with difference.
Fran Knight
The girl who came out of the woods by Emily Barr
Penguin. 2019. ISBN: 9780241345221. pbk. 391 p.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dystopian. Arty was born in a
small commune hidden in the forests of southern India. Her only
knowledge of the outside world has come from the handful of adults
and from old books. On the twentieth anniversary of the commune,
Arty leaves the only home she's ever known. She doesn't want to. She
intends to come back. A younger child Zeus, is the only person well
enough to accompany her on a mercy dash beyond the woods, through
the locked gate and past the foreboding 'Danger Radiation' sign. The
noisy world, the bustle of modern day India, the toxic environment
and rampant consumerism overwhelm her. Can she save the others, or
will she be too late? Her contingency plan lies in her mother's
instructions to find Persephone or Uncle Matthew in England. But the
tragedy and Arty's unique upbringing make her a social media and
mass media sensation - opening her eyes and ours to insatiable human
appetites.
The story begins darkly as Arty grapples with exploitation and new
friendships, celebrity and family secrets - but things turn darker
as the narrator reconstructs the events that led her brave mother,
Venus (Vicky), to reject civilization and to establish a better one
in the Clearing.
Emily Barr has written her coming of age novel as a metaphor where a
cloistered child confronts a complex modern world. Her protagonist
is only able to navigate a cataclysmic tragedy, because of the
perspective of her clan, particularly Venus, their matriarch. We see
the greed and decay of the planet through fresh eyes and we are
ashamed of our acceptance of a multitude of insane and inane
behaviours. The author doesn't abandon us, because Arty can adapt,
educate herself and carve out a life. Perhaps she can honour her
mother's grand vision by adding her lived experience to the
inevitable cinematic rendering planned by Bollywood - a fate likely
to be shared by this novel, which has brought Arty to life.
Deborah Robins
Secret in stone by Kamilla Benko
The Unicorn Quest bk. 2. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN:
9781408898512.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Unicorns; Magic; Bravery.
This is the second book in The Unicorn Quest series, and I
wish I had read the first, The
unicorn quest. Two young sisters Claire and Sophie have
found themselves in the fantasy kingdom of Arden, and although in
this book we know that Claire has been revealed as a wielder of
magic, and a Princess of the realm with power to call back the
Unicorn from extinction, it seems that there is more to do to rescue
Arden from the power of those who seem to be working against the
kingdom's harmony and who perhaps have deliberately set their mind
and magic to destructive ends. Claire's gentle and apprehensive
spirit must work hard to rescue her sister, and perhaps even rescue
the unicorn. In a fantasy world not unlike Narnia, there is magic of
different qualities and properties linked to different groups within
the kingdom. These distinctions and the intriguing way that magical
skills are expressed is a delight and the author has created a
wonderful fantasy world and adventure. Claire is a wonderful young
heroine - flawed and reticent, but her insights reveal a wonderful
strength and quality. Her friends, all with different magical
skills, are also intriguing.
This book can be recommended to those who love magical fantasy
stories, but it appears the series will continue and so it is
recommended that readers begin with the first book in the series.
Recommended for lovers of magical fantasy adventure, aged 10 +
Carolyn Hull
The missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos
Text, 2019. 511 pages, paperback. ISBN: 9781925773668.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: YA, Fantasy, Mystery.I have always
been of the opinion that sequels never live up to, nor surpass,
their predecessors. This novel proved me exceptionally wrong, as it
arguably surpasses the first novel in the series. The Missing of
Clairdelune continues from where Dabos left off in A
Winter's Promise; Ophelia far away from the ark of Anima in
Citaceleste, where enemies are frequently made, and the torrential
undercurrent of politics threatens to sweep all away. Thorn, her
fiancee, remains cold and unreachable, even as tensions rise and his
family is torn apart. Ophelia finds herself vice-storyteller to the
ancestral spirit of Pole, Farouk; her powers known to all, she finds
herself amidst the nefarious plots that encapsulate Pole, and
eventually trying to expose the truth behind the mysterious
disappearances of influential courtiers.
Ophelia is the same engaging protagonist whose trials and moments of
learning move the story along. The strength of her characterisation
increased throughout the novel as she truly grows into her own and
understands her identity in relation to the people around her.
Dabos' spellbinding use of imagery continues to astound, invoking a
range of vivid emotions from joy to overwhelming fear.
While the story contains many subplots and at times feels cluttered
or confused, Dabos carefully explores each plot thoroughly while
never detracting from the main storyline. I enjoyed the continued
political discussion and the newly introduced themes of freedom and
autonomy, which were wonderfully explored through the characters
Thorn and Farouk. The inclusion of Farouk in such an intrinsic way
added a whole other dimension to the story, subtly compiling layer
upon layer to create a masterpiece. The reduced need to continue
worldbuilding made the pacing much steadier and the use of fragments
to break up the larger story was extremely effective. The
revelations from these fragments and the wonderfully unexpected plot
twists created such a compelling tale that I had to keep reading
until I finished the novel. The Missing of Clairdelune is an incredibly told story of
drama and magic which builds strongly upon the first book and sets
the stage for the next novel in the series.
Stephanie Lam
The daughter's tale by Armando Lucas Correa
Translated by Nick Caistor. Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN:
9781760851248.
Recommended for lovers of historical fiction and students studying
WW2. Themes: Holocaust, WW2, families, resilience. The story opens
in 2015 when Elise Duval who has been living in New York since the
end of the war, is given some letters written by her mother. One of
the letters is from 1939, written on the pages of a book of
botanical illustrations addressed to 'my little Viera'. The story
then shifts further back to Berlin 1933-1939, to a small bookshop
owned by Amanda Sternberg, at a time she had been told to get rid of
books that were 'not sufficiently German'. Her husband, cardiologist
Julius Sternberg is reluctant to leave his patents in Berlin in
spite of increasing anti-Jewish sentiment and they endure the
burning of the bookshop from which Amanda saves just one book, a
French album of hand coloured botanical prints. Meanwhile their two
girls are born, Viera in 1934 and Lina in 1935. As conditions for
Jews deteriorate they miss their opportunity to escape and when
Julius is taken away and dies in 1938 Amanda finds he has put in
place an escape plan and money for her and the children. However,
the plan involves getting tickets on a ship and she is only able to
buy two tickets. At the last moment, instead of sending both
children Amanda decides to just send the older daughter, Viera on
the infamous refugee ship St Louis bound for Cuba where a relative
lives. She flees to France with Lina, finding her way to a family
friend, Claire and her daughter Danielle who take them in. Here
Amanda changes Lina's name to Elise and teaches her to call Claire
'Maman' but they are betrayed and taken to a concentration camp.
Selfless to the last, Amanda manages to smuggle her daughter out of
the camp, back to Claire but they are then caught up in one of the
worst atrocities of WW2, the massacre of Oradour-Sur-Glane in 1944.
That Elise survives yet again is amazing, that she has lived her
life shutting out her wartime experiences is understandable. As the
generation who experienced the horrors of WW2 are no longer able to
bear witness it is important to remember the human cost through the
telling of their stories. The Daughter's Tale is an unremittingly tragic story of one
mother's resilience and hope for her daughters in the face of
harrowing events. I did find it difficult to keep track of the
characters and there were many threads left dangling. The
descriptive style was not very engaging but that may be due to the
translation.
Sue Speck
A boy and his dog at the end of the world by C. A. Fletcher
Orbit, 2019. ISBN: 9780356510927.
Recommended. Told from the point of view of a young person after an
apocalyptic event which has wiped out much of the human race and
rendered a proportion of the female population (human and canine)
infertile, much of the book is about the new experiences of Griz as
he leaves home for the first time. Unfortunately for a reader
already familiar with many of these experiences, the novel is slow
to get into.
The arrival of Brand, a stranger, to Griz's island home, sets in
motion a series of events even Griz with his wild imagination could
not have foreseen. Dealing with dishonesty for the first time and
lulled into a false sense of security, Griz and his family are duped
out of a beloved dog, a dog that Griz will stop at nothing to
reclaim. After a second run in with Brand leaves Griz stranded on
the mainland for the first time in his life, Griz becomes only more
determined to reunite with his dog Jess, no matter the cost.
With a mixture of second and third person, the book alternates
between showing Griz's story and having Griz speak directly to the
audience which can be a little disconcerting at times. Like many
post-apocalyptic novels, this one addresses issues of survival,
isolation, and repopulation, going so far as to provide commentary
on all we left behind (aka plastics and technology which has become
obsolete). For the environmentally aware individual interested in
post-apocalyptic tales, I would recommend A boy, and his dog at
the end of the world.
Kayla Gaskell
Louis undercover by Fanny Britt
Illus. by Isabelle Arsenault. Walker Studio, 2019. ISBN:
9781406378429.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes; Family breakup, alcohol abuse,
adolescence, siblings, friendship, first love. Louis and his little
brother Truffle live with their mum in a 3rd floor apartment in
Montreal and they visit their dad in the country at weekends. Both
parents are sad, his mother is anxious and Louis tries not to worry
her but Louis' dad is an alcoholic and when drinking Louis watches
him cry for hours. He knows his dad is sad for the life they had
together when they were a happy family; 'I know because I am too'
p.23. Dissipating images of the happy memories fly past the windows
of the bus as the boys travel back to their mother in the city.
Truffle, who is too young to fully understand the situation, sings
and asks Louis repetitive childish questions. Complicating matters
for Louis is that he has a crush on Billie, a brave girl in his
class who stands up to bullies. He spies on her, gathering
information, but lacks the ability to speak to her, worrying that,
like his Dad, he will fail the ones he loves. Encouraged by his
stalwart friend Boris, Louis buys her a gift but fails to pluck up
enough courage to give it to her before the long school break. As
she leaves, the wonderfully supportive, Boris suggests they get some
fries while the black, scribbled out image of Billie riding her bike
away, expresses Louis' feelings of failure eloquently. When Louis
finds an injured raccoon and nurses him back to health he is able to
find purpose and success through his own initiative. Things seem to
be better with an unexpected reconciliation between his parents and
although his dad relapses things do seem to have moved forward with
more clarity about their problems and when school goes back 'As
Boris watches my progress, full of hope for us all, I understand
what I'm doing - putting one foot in front of the other, putting one
word in front of the other' p.151 and he speaks to Billie.
Arsenault's subtle illustrations powerfully evoke the internalised
agonies of adolescence complicated by feelings of impotence in a
fractured family. Using a restricted palate of greys and blues with
splashes of yellow for the happy moments in Louis' life, the sketchy
illustrations have a journal like quality with a number of full or
double page spreads where powerful emotions are expressed. A book
suitable not only for those eight to twelve year old students
struggling with family breakup but also for their friends who could
pick up some tips on how to be supportive.
A layered story subtly told with empathy which will reward repeated
reading. Teacher's
notes are available.
Sue Speck
