I loved Neridah McMullin’s latest book, Evie and Rhino so much that I was compelled to blog about it here. It’s the heartwarming story of a connection between a human and an animal, and the healing power of friendship.
Evie and Rhino is historical fiction for middle grade readers (and adults) inspired by an actual event.
Evie and Rhino features kind-hearted, animal loving Evie and a rhino who swam ashore after the shipwreck of the SS Bancoora in 1891.
The ship ran aground off Buckleys Beach, a beautiful and wild part of the Australia that the author clearly knows well, and has brought it to life in stunning detail as the backdrop for this story.
But it’s the characters, Evie and Rhino that really capture the reader’s heart. Evie is an orphan, being raised by her kind and slightly eccentric grandpa who has also experienced great loss.
After her parents perished in a shipwreck, Evie loses her zest for life and her ability to speak.
Rhino is dealing with his own loss and sadness. He has been torn from his home and everything he knows and packed onto a ship sailing to Australia where he will become an exhibit at the Royal Melbourne Zoo
When Evie finds Rhino in the dunes, it changes both their lives. Rhino gives Evie back her voice and Evie gives Rhino love and freedom.
But a representative from the Melbourne Zoo is on his way to collect Rhino, and Evie’s determined not to let her giant friend go. Innate empathy and understanding for each other make Evie and Rhino’s connection so strong.
Despite the trauma that both characters have suffered, this beautifully written story about an unlikely friendship is optimistically told.
This compelling story unfolds from the dual points of view of Evie and Rhino, and as they grow and so does their relationship, the reader is left with a feeling of warmth and hope for both of them.
Wonderful emotive illustrations by Astred Hicks are scattered throughout Evie and Rhino, and it’s published by Walker Books Australia.
A wonderfully told story that appealed to my dual loves of history and animals.
I’m passionate about history of any kind and love stepping back into past through a good book, so I couldn’t wait to delve into the world of Mary Bligh in That Bligh Girl. And I wasn’t disappointed in Sue Williams latest historical fiction. (Published by Allen & Unwin)
That Bligh Girl is the fascinating story of Governor Bligh’s independent and strong-willed daughter, Mary who is thought of as a troublemaker by her own father, and others for refusing to conform to society’s expectations of women in the 18th Century.
When Bligh is appointed Governor of the colony of New South Wales and must make the treacherous journey by boat to Australia, he brings his daughter, Mary with him as a travelling companion because of her strength and survival instincts, but these are the very things that put them at odds with each other.
The six-month voyage is horrendous and Mary’s maid, Meg Hill is her saviour, providing companionship and helping her with the seasickness for which her father has little sympathy.
After arriving in the new colony in Sydney, Mary creates a scandal with her pantaloons and her father immediately antagonises people because of his overbearing and divisive personality and his politics. Mary is so obsessed with her own affairs that she neglects to ensure that the longsuffering Meg has a place with her. Meg is sent to live with cruel Officer Henry Mackey and is fortunately rescued by Mary just in time.
Both Blighs find it hard to adapt to the rules and ways of the new colony, but Governor Bligh is determined to transform it according to his ideals. This constantly puts him in conflict and puts him and Mary in danger.
During the Rum Rebellion, when 300-armed soldiers storm Government House to depose Bligh, it’s Mary who fights them back with her parasol while her father is nowhere to be seen.
Life is hard for Mary in the colony. She doesn’t fit in and her penchant for the latest fashions is frowned upon.
While Mary is presented as a character with great strength … the author doesn’t spare us her weaknesses either, her vanity, an arrogance that comes with her privileged position, and her lack of empathy. But there’s also a softer side to her and she adores her husband, John Putland and his death from tuberculosis leaves her completely bereft.
The story is told from Mary’s point of view and that of her maid, Meg Hill and the two perspectives work well to create a multi-dimensional picture of what life was like in the colony for women. It compares the treatment of women of privilege like Mary, with Meg who has a lower social standing, sees little gratitude for her hard work and has little control over her life or what happens to her.
After the death of John Putland, Mary finds love again with Sir Maurice Connell who became Acting Governor of NSW.
Mary Bligh not only had to overcome the eccentricities and behaviours of her father, but society’s judgements, own personal shortcomings and personal tragedy.
From the food, to the setting, to the clothes and the other necessities of life, Sue Williams brings us a colonial landscape in meticulous detail that allows the reader to step into Mary and Meg’s worlds.
That Bligh Girl is a colourful story of power, family, loyalty and betrayal set amidst the backdrop of 18th Century colonial Australian life.
Awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award, Order of Australia, nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, you’ll find Susanne planting 3000 mangroves in Kiribati; in Istanbul speaking to 1000s of kids about NO bullying; in remote indigenous schools bringing literacy to kids from pre-schoolers to young adults.
Susanne Gervay’s loved books include her anti bullying I Am Jack books; YA books Butterflies (disability), Shadows of Olive Trees (feminism); picture books Elephants Have Wings (Harmony Day), The Boy in the Big Blue Glasses’ (Vision2020) and Heroes of the Secret Underground empowering kids to become warriors for justice. Her latest release, is the cutting edge YA novel The Edge of Limits. https://sgervay.com
The Edge of Limits is a stunning new YA novel from popular Australian author, S.J. Gervay.
ABOUT THE EDGE OF LIMITS
Sam is 17 and struggling to cope after losing his beloved grandpa. He’s finding it hard but going on a school survival camp is about to take his hurt to a whole new level. Sam spent a lot of time camping with his grandpa and being out in the wilderness without him just heightens his feelings of loss.
He faces some incredible physical challenges, but it’s the emotional ones that are the toughest. It’s not just his own loss he has to face. He keeps remembering a shocking incident he witnessed at a recent Rave and the perpetrator, Watts, is throwing his weight around on the survival camp. Sam is haunted by the fact that he didn’t say or do anything at the time of the incident.
But perhaps it’s not too late to speak out, to make Watts accountable for his actions.
On the survival camp, Sam learns the importance of mateship, acceptance and truth, that he’s braver than he realises and that he has skills he didn’t know he had.
This is an important story about sexual consent and the power that men have to bring other men to account for acts of violence and abuse.
Set against an evocative backdrop, S J Gervay takes us thoroughly into Sam’s world and the vividly described setting is truly another character in the story. It provides an ideal backdrop for the themes of toxic masculinity and the power of physical challenges to help emotional development.
We follow Sam’s journey from a lost and confused teen into a more confident young man with a greater understanding of himself and his place in the world.
The Edge of Limits is a perfect blend of action and emotion – physical and emotional conflict.
Highly recommended for young adult readers. A great book for discussing these important issues both in the classroom and the home.
ABOUT THE JOURNEY
In her acknowledgements, S J Gervay talks about the journey of this book. It will help the reader understand why it’s so authentic.
I thank the generosity of my son and daughter for giving me the authenticity and understandings to write The Edge of Limits .
The Edge of Limits is a brave journey into consent. One that I could not have done, without my son’s insights and honesty. I ‘sucked’ out his young adult brain and his stories of mateship, partying, parental expectations, betrayals, love and relationships with girls. I learnt to rock climb, badly. Put up a tent, not too badly. Climb to the top of a mountain and contemplate who we are. He sent me on a pathway that unlocked the great issues of courage, power, peer group pressure and love.We all want love, but how to get there? I am glad my son has found his true love now, but what a rugged ride.
I also could not have gone on this journey without my daughter, who shared her stories and observations with insights and honesty.The stories of girlfriends, family, dating, love, coercive control, assault, rejection and that devastating impact on self-esteem. Then there is consent.What is it?
Deborah Abela is the internationally published and awarded author of 28 books including her cranky climate change trilogy, Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm. Her family’s survival in WW2 and migration to Australia inspired Teresa A New Australian. The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee and The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery was inspired by her fantabulous grade 4 teacher, Ms Gray. She’s also written picture books, Wolfie, An Unlikely Hero and the 2021 CBCA Notable, Bear in Space.
The Book of Wondrous Possibilities is the latest book from award-winning author, Deborah Abela, and delivers everything that the title promises.
It’s a charming story set in a world where all books are special, but one in particular has the power to do wondrous things.
For those who love adventure, there’s plenty of that too, and in fact,The Book of Wondrous Possibilities moves along at a rollicking pace.
‘Arlo lives with his uncle in a run-down flat above their bookshop. His only friend is his pet mouse, Herbert.
But when a girl called Lisette bursts in and begs him to hide her from a murderer, Arlo’s life changes forever.’
Arlo’s life has already been changed by the loss of his mother, a year earlier in a suspicious accident, and Lisette is just the person he needs to help him face the world again.
Arlo’s adventure starts when Lisette delivers him a parcel and inside is a book, a present from his mother.
It’s no ordinary book and contains a story that Arlo’s mother has written about him in which he does seemingly impossible things. This remarkable book is called a grimoire and when you read it with special glasses, the illustrations come to life and incredible things happen.
Arlo can’t see himself as that brave, adventurous person depicted in his mother’s story, but when Lisette is kidnapped because of the book and he must save her from a murderer, he becomes someone he never knew that he could be.
I loved this charming story of magic and a little bit of mayhem.
Arlo is a likeable, unassuming character, and the feisty and fun Lisette brings out the best in him. I also loved Herbert, a tiny mouse with loads of personality.
Deborah Abela uses luscious language to draw the reader in, and I love the way she doesn’t shy away from words that readers might not know but will gather from the context or be inspired to look up the meaning. The Book of Wondrous Possibilities will not only extend vocabulary, but it will also inspire a love of reading and books.
Readers will be transported into this magical world and will realise that they too can be heroes.
One of the things I love most about Wendy Orr’s, Dragonfly Song, Swallows Dance and her latest Bronze Age novel,Cuckoo’s Flightis that they transport me to extraordinary places that I know very little about.
Wendy Orr is a master of setting. Her thorough research is reflected in the small details that allow the reader to step into the character’s world and feel like they are actually there.
Through the actions of the characters and their setting, Wendy reveals the beauty and brutality of this time in history and the inner workings of every day life in Crete during the Bronze Age.
Hand on her heart, Tail passes her a soft clay tablet, and she stamps it with her grandmother’s seal stone, hanging from a cord around her wrist.
From page 1, we are right there in the main character, Clio’s world and we are right there with her when her life is thrown into chaos by the sight of an approaching ship.
When a raiders’ ship appears off the coast, the goddess demands an unthinkable price to save the town – and Clio’s grandmother creates a sacred statue to save Clio’s life.
But Clio is torn between the demands of guarding the statue and caring for her beloved horses. Disabled in an accident, she must try to put aside her own grief at no longer being able to ride – and in the process, save a friend’s life and stop a war.
The characters in Cuckoo’s Flight are well drawn and each one has their own individual goals and traits that set them apart from the others and help the reader individually connect with them and their stories. Clio, the main character in particular, draws us to her with her courage and vulnerability.
Clio’s disability doesn’t define who she is, but it’s an integral part of the events of the story and is sensitively and powerfully woven into it.
As always, with Wendy Orr’s work, the characters are nuanced and relatable – all with their faults and weaknesses and even villains are given the chance to redeem themselves.
Cuckoo’s Flight is also a mixture of verse and prose and the two blend together seamlessly, giving the book an extra layer of language and meaning.
As well as family and friendship, Cuckoo’s Flight also explores themes of belief, trust and nature; providing a platform for robust discussion on these important topics.
I highly recommend Cuckoo’s Flight and it’s companion novels, Dragonfly Song and Swallow’s Dance for readers aged 9+. They are a great way to introduce students to historical fiction because they are riveting stories in their own right. These books stand out not just for their great writing and content, but for their stunning covers.
A STORY OF NURSING AND CONNECTION IN THE TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
REVIEW
I wasn’t sure if I was ready for a book about Covid-19 yet, not when I was still trying to put behind me the loss, the separation from loved ones and the isolation that have been the lives of all of us for the last twelve months or so.
But all through the year I had wondered what it would be like to be a frontline worker, at the coal face, caring for Covid-19 patients and risking your life every single day to save the lives of others.
The Care Factor takes us into the life of ICU nurse, Simone Sheridan who not only retrained so she could take care of Covid-19 patients in ICU, but also provided support and training in domestic violence which sky rocketed during the pandemic, and gender awareness in the workplace.
I was moved, compelled and exhausted by her deeply personal accounts as she worked across a number of hospitals, barely sleeping, trying to make life better, easier, kinder for other people – trying to help them survive.
But The Care Factor wasn’t just about Sim. It was about the patients she treated, the staff she worked with and the support network around her, including her partner Emily whose performance and teaching career was stopped short by the pandemic and who worked as a ward clerk in Emergency at one of Victoria’s major hospitals.
Author, Ailsa Wild also shares her Covid-19 experiences with her partner and pre-school aged son, in lockdown in a two bedroom flat trying to juggle working from home, the needs of a small active boy and the loss and isolation from family and friends – not even being able to take her son to the park.
Both Sim and Ailsa are generous in their sharing of their Covid-19 lives, but the enduring friendship and the love they have for each other are the threads that tie this amazing book together.
The Care Factor helped me understand the intricacies of Covid-19 and challenges I’d never even thought of that were faced by our medical professionals as they fought to save lives. Simple things like being frightened to see your loved ones when you got home from work because of your fear of infecting them.
The Care Factor is a deeply personal story of love and hope during a global pandemic, and how connection and care can make a difference.
If you read one book about the pandemic, The Care Factorshould be it. This book will restore your faith in humanity and the power of friendship.
Hardie Grant Books will donate $1 from each copy sold to Drummond Street Services which supports families in times of need.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY – by Ailsa Wild
In March last year, as the hospitals in Lombardy were overwhelmed with Covid cases and numbers were starting to rise in New York, my friend Simone told me she was going to retrain in ICU as a nurse. I offered to be her debrief person, an ear on the other end of the phone, someone to tell her daily stories to, whatever those stories ended up being. And I asked if I could record our conversations. I felt like we were living a particular moment in history and she was going to be close to the action. I had a hunch there would be a story to be written.
By early August, in the middle of Melbourne’s lockdowns, when we were only allowed out of the house a single hour a day, I had written three chapters – enough to pitch a book.
Ailsa (left) and Simone – this book also reflects their special friendship
My chapter outline was unfinished; it only went up to chapter six. At the bottom of the outline I wrote, ‘from chapter six to ten we still don’t know what will happen.’
I emailed a publisher and she responded that very night. She asked if I could get her a full manuscript in eleven weeks’ time.
I said yes.
And I did.
Ailsa Wild is also the bestselling author of books for children
My partner and I put together a fiercely regimented schedule of times when I could be in the study/bedroom alone. I had thought it would be impossible to tune out my four-year-old’s raucous joys and tears, but I managed it. And it turns out I work better to a deadline. I left my unfinished junior fiction goofball horror manuscript languishing. Dragging myself to that document felt impossible. But this deadline from Hardie Grant set me on fire.
What I understand is that I’ve written a page-tuner, something that people gobble up quite quickly, and I suspect that’s partly because of the urgency of the deadline. I think it’s also to do with my background in children’s fiction and in circus. I’m experienced in keeping people’s attention. I’m terrified my audience will get bored and wander off to the playground or start chatting in the back row. I worked to make the story as immediate and pacey as it could be, while keeping all the information and heart.
The Care Factor is an issues book. It’s about the strength of women’s friendship, the care economy, the hours and expertise and training caring takes, and how much we, as a society should value that care. But those issues are written about very intimately. They are close to the body and full of tears. I hope this means it will touch a broad readership.
I’m looking forward to the conversations it might start.
Thanks Ailsa, yours and Sim’s journey in writing this book is as extraordinary as the story itself, and we’re really grateful to you for sharing it with us.
You can find out more about Ailsa and her books by visiting her website.
Louie lives with her brothers, Bert and Teddy, in a hotel run by their grandparents. It is one of Sydney’s grand old buildings, rich in history … and in secrets.
When a rose-gold locket, once thought lost, is uncovered, it sends Louie and her brothers spinning back in time. Back to a world at war: Budapest in the winter of 1944, where their grandparents are hiding secrets of their own
Heroes of the Secret Underground was inspired by bestselling author Susanne Gervay’s family and their flight from Budapest, Hungary during the Holocaust.
When Louie and her brothers find themselves back in Budapest in 1944 we are given deep insights into what life was like for the Jews of Hungary at the hands of the Nazis, and how terrifying it must have been for the children torn from their homes and families and trying to survive on the streets in the best way they could.
Susanne Gervay takes us inside the world of the secret underground where children were heroes, risking their lives to save their families and others.
When we enter the streets of Budapest, this gripping time slip is impossible to put down, especially when Louie’s little brother, Teddy goes missing.
I loved the relatable characters and the authenticity of this story. It’s clear from the writing that this is deeply personal for the author as she brings us into Louie, Bert and Teddy’s minds and hearts.
We are taken deep into the world of their grandparents Zoltan and Varushka who were children back in 1944 doing their part to not only survive, but to save the lives of others.
The beautiful writing in this book helps the reader picture the setting and empathise with the fear that the Jews of Budapest must have felt.
Like venomous spiders, the soldiers with their crossed-arrow armbands attack. People are running. Hiding in alleyways. Jumping into underground drains.
In spite of the hardship depicted in Heroes of the Secret Underground, there is also hope.
Verushka whispers, ‘Shush, Mamma. They may take away the candelabra, but they can’t take the light. That is always ours.’
The authentic descriptions transport the reader back to the world of Budapest 1944.
Louie and Bert look down from the stairs at the rabbit warren of makeshift alcoves. Families have set up tiny houses with their shoes tucked into the corners and brown suitcases in the other. Kids have made nooks and crannies and small places to hide. Some young people are studying with their books on the floor.
Author, Susanne Gervay signing her new book
Susanne Gervay takes us deep into the lives of her characters so that we follow their journey every step of the way.
Arrows of sun push away the night. Louie opens her eyes in fright. Panic makes her urgently scan their hiding place.
Heroes of the Secret Undergroundis an important work of historical fiction told in a unique and compelling way with modern day characters taken back to 1944 to personally experience those harrowing times for themselves.
Culture, resilience, courage and the importance of family are strong themes in this book and provide great starting points for discussions in the family or classroom.
We’re so lucky to have the amazing Susanne Gervay visiting today. Susanne shares her secrets on how she wrote her new book.
How long ago did the idea for this story come to you?
Susanne’s parents were refugees from Hungary
This is a story I have been formulating forever. The first book I wrote was ‘Next Stop the Moon’ (HarperCollins) more than 20 years ago. It was about growing up with the complexities of the past impacting on the present, as the child of refugees in Australia. You can’t get it now, but this reviewer sums it up:-
‘I read this book years ago and it was one of those first books that recognised immigrants coming to Australia and making it their home. It was a really breakthrough and important book and totally loved Rosie who was 12 and set in the sixties with the first man on the moon.’
It was too early for our consciousness and identity. Hard to believe that, given the current climate of inclusiveness and diversity.
The story I wanted to write wasn’t there yet so I wrote a picture book published, ‘Ships in the Field’ (Ford Street Publishing). Again it was the story of war, escape, migration and finding home. That was published 2021. It received two Children’s Book Council Notable Awards:-
Ships in the Field by Susanne Gervay & Anna Pignataro Ford Street Publishing ISBN: 9781921665233
With issues of immigration featuring heavily in news headlines over the past year, the release of this title couldn’t be more timely. Ships in the Field concerns one family’s experience of migration as seen through the eyes of a child. Forced from their homeland by war, the unnamed child and her parents embrace a new life in Australia. Once a farmer, Papa now works in a factory, while Ma, a teacher, takes in sewing. Despite the horror of the past and the unknown future ahead, this family is a joyful one—though something is still missing for our child narrator ….
This is a book that needs to be read more than once. Many of the layers weren’t immediately evident on my first read-through. The shadow of war haunting the family is only mentioned in two lines of dialogue between the child and her toy, Brownie, yet its positioning after scenes of family frivolity is stark. This added to Ma’s crying behind closed doors and the narrator’s fear of night delivers an impact that more graphic depiction could not. It is obvious that author and illustrator have worked hard to get the balance between darkness and light just right. While at first glance this is a deceptively simple story, it soon becomes apparent this balancing act was no easy feat. Hope is very much the prominent theme, but it is only visible because of the darkness behind it. Too much darkness and the light would be snuffed out. Ships in the Field is a book that will never date. It’s a story that will be every bit as relevant fifty years from now as it was fifty years ago.
Reviewer: Jenny Mounfield ***** 5 stars
The experience of war and migration weaves into so much of my writing. My adult short stories published in literary journals and anthologies are filled with it. I am particularly proud of my story ‘Days of Thailand’ in the India Australian anthology ‘Fear Factor: Terror Incognito’ (Picador) that sits alongside stories by Tom Keneally, David Malouf, Rosie Scott, Sir Salman Rushdie.
Budapest Opera House
However my true driver has always been to write this story for young people, so they can meet challenges with resilience and know they can be heroes of justice. Finally it led to my four year journey to write ‘Heroes of the Secret Underground’.
So the answer to your question. Writing ‘Heroes of the Secret Underground’ took a lifetime.
What inspired Heroes of the Secret Underground?
Everything I write is influenced by what I see around me, feel, am passionate about. My new novel ‘Heroes of the Secret Underground’ is deeply personal. Part autobiography, history, philosophy and fantasy, when you read it, you know me. No secrets. Ursula Dubosarsky the Children’s Laureate wrote.
‘This is a personal story that has huge meaning to all of us, beginning in a beautiful safe world which turns suddenly to chaos and terror. A child discovers for herself that there is history that can’t be hidden – it cries out in the darkness of secrets. But it’s also a story of light and love and exceptional courage.’
This is your first foray into fantasy and time slip. What were the challenges? What did you enjoy the most?
Susanne’s daughter, Tory in a traditional outfit made by her grandmother.
I now have total admiration for writers in this genre. Time slip is so hard to get right. Creating and maintaining two worlds that interconnect is challenging. Everything has to be balanced. In ‘Heroes of the Secret Underground’, the bats from Centennial Park Sydney have their parallel in the bats on Margaret Island in the Danube, Budapest. The summer roses of Australia are paralleled by the winter roses of Hungary. The candelabra in Australia transported to World War 2 is worked and reworked so it is authentic in both times. There is nothing that is not thought about, assessed, connected, as time slip requires you to be true in both worlds.
Fantasy is another form I have never written. Like time slips, it is creatively challenging to intertwine fantasy and reality to make both believable and hold the themes of ‘Heroes of the Secret Underground’. For example the mermaids of the Danube River which are folklore have multiple roles in ‘Heroes of the Secret Underground’. They are part of the time-slip technique to travel from the past to the present. They contain the theme of their power to save and destroy, as what happened in The Danube in 1944. The mermaids are in the lyrics of ‘The Blue Danube’ by Johann Strauss that plays throughout the whole story reflecting culture, folklore and the power of music.
Did I enjoy it? I don’t know. It felt like a huge puzzle that challenged my mind and heart and gave me sleepless nights, as I tried to solve what at times seemed unsolvable storylines. In the end, I guess I was satisfied and that had to be enough.
How important do you think it is for writers to step outside of our comfort zones? Why?
As writers we have to continue to push boundaries, so we can create works that reach further into ideas. I often write before my time. When I wrote ‘I Am Jack’ school bullying was not on the agenda. When I wrote ‘Butterflies’ disability did not have the focus it has today. When I wrote ‘The Cave’ challenging sexual consent, Australia was not ready. However pushing the barriers, enables us to be thinkers and our readers to be thinkers too.
What’s next for you creatively?
I feel strongly that there is inadequate representation of people from the sub continent. They are part of my life and community here. As always I present kids with courage meeting the challenges of life. As always I present the importance of family and friendship. This new series is about the quirky and wonderful ways three young kids from different families as they relate and make a difference. I asked a sensitivity reader to check my very early draft for authenticity of the sub continent culture. She wrote:-
Dear Susanne,
I absolutely loved the story — the fun, the friendships and the issues that you tackle. I love how you’ve combined whimsy with topical and important issues, all done in a very sensitive and inclusive way.
The serious subject of racism, how we should all be accountable for our actions and the need to stand up for those who are marginalised and whose voices are often silent. I identified with Hari so much – when I lived in the US as a child, there were kids and the occasional adult who bullied me and said that a ”chocolate” kid who wasn’t a Christian didn’t belong in that school. Back in Sri Lanka, I was bullied and thrown against walls because I was too quiet. As an adult, I’ve been the butt of racist jokes and comments (like a guy in a suit once calling me ”ethnic garbage” and when it happened, I was often just too shocked to question or to stand up for myself. So…a child would be dumbfounded, especially when the mean words come from an adult. When Hari said, ‘You are the best friends ever,’ I actually shed a tear…
Life isn’t straightforward and can be overwhelming for 11 year-old Alex who has autism. Sometimes his confusion and frustration lead him into trouble. But we can’t help but connect with Alex who always means well and hates knowing that he has upset people.
Alex is desperate to win a trophy with his adorable cockapoo Kevin at the PAWS dog show because he believes that this will make people want to be his friend.
He and Kevin have been training for weeks for the tricks and obedience categories but when Alex tries to enter the events they are full and his plans are derailed.
Alex doesn’t cope well with change. He needs order and predictability in his life to help him feel like he’s in control so he’s devastated at first.
If he’s to have any hope of Kevin winning a trophy, it will have to be in a category that he hasn’t previously considered. It takes great courage to step outside his comfort zone, and try something new and in the process, Alex learns that you don’t need a trophy for people to want to be your friend.
Full disclosure, I love dogs and clearly the author of PAWS does too, but that wasn’t the only thing that drew me to this heartwarming story.
The character of Alex is so endearing and well drawn that it felt as though he were sitting beside me as I read his story. I love his authenticity and how he grows and changes.
Author, Kate Foster with PAWS
The writing is lyrical and beautiful and although PAWS is sensitively told, there is plenty of tension as the book moves towards the climax and we become more and more invested in Alex’s story and the outcome, which isn’t what you expect. The author uses gentle humour to add layers to Alex’s character and his story.
This is a heartwarming story of friendship and courage from Kate Foster and Walker Books Australia.
ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE BOOK
“The author based her story on real-life experience. After adopting a spoodle called Claude, he made an immediate bond with her youngest autistic son. He seemed to sense that her son needed someone to help him always feel safe and calm. Claude knew when he was sad or stressed or anxious and would become a barrier, sitting close by, even standing over him, and comforting him.
A story that demonstrates how autistic brains don’t always come with the templates of human interaction and emotion that neurotypical people usually have. And shows how many autistic people have to build these from scratch, learning through mirroring and masking and often hard emotional lessons and confusing rejection.”
Today, the wonderful and talented Claire Saxby is visiting DeeScribe Writing to talk about her first historical fiction, Haywire, published by Scholastic Australia and she’s sharing some secrets about her writing process.
Claire writes award-winning fiction, non-fiction and poetry for children. Her books include ‘Bird to Bird’ and ‘Dingo’, ‘Seadog’ and ‘There Was an Old Sailor’. Her books and poetry are published in Australia and internationally.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ HAYWIRE
In 1939, 14-year-old Tom lives in Hay where his family runs the local bakery. Max Gruber is nearly fourteen-years-old. He is sent to his Uncle Ferdy in London, but is then interred and shipped to Australia aboard the Dunera. He arrives in Hay and meets Tom. The two boys become friends and find their lives and their friendship influenced by a far-away conflict in Europe. (from the publisher – Scholastic Australia)
Born on opposite sides of the world, Tom and Max live very different lives that both long to escape. In this compelling tale of an unlikely friendship, the two boys have been brought together by war.
Max’s frightening voyage on the Dunera keeps us spell bound and even once he arrives in Australia, life doesn’t get much easier for him after he finds himself in the Hay internment camp, shunned by most of the outside world as an ‘enemy alien’.
In her novel, HAYWIRE, Claire Saxby documents a little known passage of the Australian WW11 experience.
Tom and Max are both well crafted and relatable characters and readers can connect with their vulnerabilities and the fear and uncertainty that war brings.
Tom’s family life is authentically Australian and rich in the detail and experiences of the time in which the story is set.
Although HAYWIRE is set in a time of great tragedy and fear, we are left with hope and a belief that life for both Tom and Max will turn out okay in spite of the situation and war that their countries have thrust them into.
This well researched work of historical fiction is for readers aged 9 to 12 and has been shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize. Congratulations Claire.
HAYWIRE – THE WRITING PROCESS
What inspired you to write this book?
I knew about the Dunera, the ship that brought so many internees to Australia in 1940, but I didn’t know much. I did know that a substantial number of the internees elected to stay in Australia rather than return to England once the British government acknowledged their wrongful internment. I did know that this was an extraordinary group of men, who contributed enormously to Australia. But I knew nothing about how they came to be in Hay and what the locals thought. And I wanted to.
Who/what inspired the characters of Tom and Max?
Max came first. I had this sense of a teenage boy picked up by a tidal wave and swept from his world to the world of war, where he is judged purely by his heritage, his accent. No one asked how he felt, what he wanted. And the size of the wave that carried him on allowed little time for him to even consider more than surviving. Until he reaches Hay. Tom’s life looks simple in comparison, but he too is caught up in the war at home and it tears at his life, his security too. He, like Max, has little time to really process what’s going on, and what he really wants. I wanted to show that the quiet ones are as ripped apart by war as those who shout loudly.
Can you talk us through the research process?
Research took a very long time and continued throughout writing and redrafting! There were two main reasons for this. The first is that it’s all fascinating and it’s so easy to disappear down paths that may well lead to more interesting information, but which don’t necessarily contribute directly to the novel. The second reason is because in order to represent both 1939/1940 Europe and Hay, NSW accurately I needed to know so much! I needed the timeline to WWII in Germany and England, in Australia in general, and Hay in particular. Then I needed to know what life was like in Hay at the time (and that involved spending a lot – A LOT – of time on Trove, reading the twice-weekly regional newspaper.
Each reading exposed holes in my knowledge and let to more research. I thought I’d done enough research and was somewhere in the middle of drafting (tenth draft?) when I had the chance to visit Hay (It’s on the way from Melbourne to Canberra, right?). Much of what I’d researched was right, but there were several fundamental errors on my part – and each of those meant that if I wanted the story to be as close to real as I could make it, I needed to rewrite a number of key scenes. Aggh! But ultimately it was worth it.
What Surprising Things Did you discover through the research process?
So many. There were so many things that I just hadn’t thought about, eg why did they chose Hay for the internment camps? (criteria included being far from the coast, having transport access, being built on sand to prevent escape attempts). Surprises were big and small and ranged from fathers being rounded up for internment in England, even when sons were employed by the army (and vice versa) to the camp having their own currency.
I met a man who had been a child at the time the internees arrived and he told me that there’d been Gatling guns set up inside the station, trained on the disembarking men. The same man told me about his father setting up on the chimney of their house, armed with several weapons and prepared to shoot if any of the men appeared on the street. Another surprise was that around 20 % of the internees were under 20 years-old.
Writing tips
Claire’s latest release, Kookaburra
I use an A4 workbook for my research, in addition to online research. I write notes in it, on only one side of the page, with reference notes (reference book details and page number or online reference details etc). Sometimes I print out pages too, glue them in and highlight relevant information.
Don’t have too many characters. After writing mostly picture books, I thought, here is my chance to have lots of characters, and it is, but beware of having so many that it becomes confusing. Tom had many more siblings, reflecting family sizes of the time, but not all of them had enough of a role to justify their existence. Some had to go.
Research broadly, from multiple sources. Trove was a … treasure trove! It allowed me access to several regional newspapers, each with their own focus. All were helpful. The internet is wonderful and so are books. Each provides some of the same information, which is useful for corroboration, but each also provides different information, which helps to flesh out the historical world I was entering.
As soon as I saw the premise of Lili Wilkinson’s The Erasure Initiative, I knew it was going to hook me in and keep me up late into the night reading, which it did!
Seven people wake up on a driverless bus with no memory of who they are, or knowledge of where they’re going or what they’re doing there.
The story is told by teen, Cecily, a compelling, intriguing and totally believable character, except for the fact that she’s not even sure that’s who she is. As some of her memories surface, we start to see the real Cecily appear.
Also on the bus with her are the well tattooed Riley, take charge Sandy, who might be the mother of hot teen Paxton, angry Nia, naïve young Edwin and harmless old Catherine. One of them is a surprise passenger, but everyone else on the bus has something serious in common … we just don’t know it yet.
Soon after they get on the bus, a series of tests begins, in which the passengers must each choose an outcome; majority wins. But as the testing progresses, deadly secrets are revealed and the stakes get higher and higher. Soon Cecily is no longer just fighting for her freedom, she’s fighting for her life.
The Erasure Initiative is a real roller coaster ride for both characters and the reader, and not everyone survives the journey.
It’s quite a simple concept, but Lili Wilkinson’s thrilling new YA novel is full of suspense and unexpected twists.
I loved the way each character was thoroughly explored and unique, and we grew to care about each of them in their own way.
The Erasure Initiative invites us to look below the surface to who people really are … and explore the questions of do we have potential for change and how can this affect our destiny?
The well-drawn characters, compelling scenario and fast pace of this novel keep us wanting more from each page – and we’re not disappointed.
The Erasure Initiative, written by Lili Wilkinson and published by Allen & Unwin is recommended for readers aged 14+
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