Jodie’s Rescue

Jodie’s Rescue by Diane Fagan (A&A Book Publishing) PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 9780994329479

Reviewed by Kel Butler

Jodie is a teenage girl struggling with the loss of her mum and the emotional loss of her father, whilst dealing with the isolating displacement of having to move house and start at a new school.

Feeling alone, helpless and misunderstood, Jodie finds solace in Sea Mist, her little sailing boat gifted to her by her grandfather. With Sea Mist, she revisits the places special to her mum and avoids the stark emptiness in her life.

When Jodie meets Sarah, the daughter of her dad’s client and a classmate at her new school, she starts to feel connected to the world again.

Like Jodie, Sarah struggles, dealing with the suffocation that comes from overprotective parents, who expect way too much, whilst having her very identity trashed on a daily basis through racist bullying. Through each other they discover acceptance and friendship, as they try to wade their way through life’s murky confusion.

What I liked most about Jodie’s Rescue by Diane Fagan, was the emotional journey it took me on. Each character has a deep personal struggle they are trying to understand and overcome and through those struggles the stories evolve and relationships are formed. An engaging read for primary school girls aged 8 years and up.

Phantom Wings over the North

Phantom Wings over the North by Desmond O’Connor (A&A Book Publishing/ Short Stop Press) PB RRP $ 19.99

ISBN 9780994329462

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Part of the Australian Adventure Series, this compact pocket book of 64 pages is a fast-paced and exciting adventure set in the outback Pilbara region.

Paddy is an experienced prospector. He is alert and observant. That is why he is suspicious about the mobile laboratory staffed by men from Eastern Europe, about which little is known. Who are these men, and what is their real reason for being in this part of the Pilbara?

Paddy is also uneasy about the sounds of aircraft flying at night, especially when there’s a full moon. He discusses his concerns with best mate Bluey as he hates enigmas. He is also dedicated to the protection of flora and fauna of the region.

These concerns coincide with an arranged visit from his twin niece and nephew. They are to spend a holiday with him, learning about and putting into practice gold prospecting under Paddy’s direction, with Bluey as second man for safety.

‘Move around purposefully’ is Paddy’s advice. And the twins do, discussing any abnormalities with each other. When things don’t add up, Paddy and the twins investigate. What they uncover is an unexpected and horrifying act against the wildlife of the area.

Here is a fantastic fiction adventure that gives the reader lots of information about prospecting and the Pilbara region; and the importance of its flora and fauna. It’s told in an instructive tone without being didactic.  As an added background story Bluey is badly hurt and is saved by the Flying Doctor Service. Attention is called to the threat on the area’s wildlife by well organised international illegal traffickers that stop at nothing for monetary gain. I look forward to reading more stories from this interesting series.

 

Phantom Wings Over the North

Phantom Wings Over the North by Desmond O Connor (A&A Book Publishing) PB RRP $19.99
ISBN: 9780994329462

Reviewed by Ellie Royce

At 60 pages this slim volume nevertheless contains a big story. Twin
teenagers Joan and Mark join their prospector uncle Paddy and his mate Bluey for a camping holiday in the outback. But the group discovers more than they expected when they come across a mobile laboratory supposedly scouting for mineral deposits and realise that there is something unusual about the mysterious midnight aircraft flying in and out of the Pilbara.

This story took me back to books like “Swallows and Amazons” where there is so much information to be absorbed while relishing an adventure. With maps and colour photographs adding to the text, I almost felt as if I had visited the Pilbara by the time I finished reading.

Desmond O Connor’s personal experience as a pilot and surveyor shines through, endowing the fiction with authenticity and making for an absorbing reading experience.

Recommended for readers 12 years and up.