Maisy Hayes is Not for Sale

Maisy Hayes is Not for Sale by Allayne L Webster (Text) PB RRP ISBN 9781923058545

Here is a novel for readers aged 11 to 14 years about a Maisy who’s facing so many life challenges including her relationships with poverty-stricken Mum, absent father, siblings -- including Luka who needs a pacemaker -- and friends. She deals with other teenage issues such as her sexuality, school and parental expectations, and her future.

In this well-written, easy to read novel Webster explores teenage angst with authenticity. Happily, the last sentence in the book, written from Maisy’s point of view states, ‘I’m the richest girl alive.’

Webster has a special gift for portraying characters in dialogue that’s authentic, witty, smart and spontaneous.

Maisy Hayes is Not for Sale is a heart-felt coming-of-age story about hardship, coping with anger and frustration, and finding the power to be true to yourself.

Selfie

Selfie By Allayne L Webster (Text Publishing) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN: 978922790194

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

I loved everything about this book and read it in two sittings. It was so easy to read, and I loved all the characters Webster created. Tully has a lot going on with an absent dad, an even more absent mum, a trying-hard stepmum, and an annoying but caring brother. The teenage girl friendship drama was totally relatable. Having a teenage daughter AND working in a high school, I can tell you that Webster nailed the "frenemy" interactions! High school is such a dynamic and complex environment, and while Tully tries to navigate it, she soon starts to jeopardise the real friendship in place of the questionable one.

Webster writes with a direct style that both entertains the reader and allows the story to flow smoothly. Her gift in Selfie is the authenticity within her writing to represent the target audience of this novel. It doesn’t matter the age of the reader; teens and adults alike will be able to relate to the storyline in some way, either directly or indirectly.

What I enjoyed most was the slow evolution of both Tully and Dene and their realisation that being popular and "liked" should not be the goal. Real friendships are hard to come by and should be valued and appreciated when they do. Also, that self-worth should not be judged by the number of online hearts received.

Thank you for writing such a relevant and topical book, Allayne. It's so good! Selfie has quick and easy-to-read chapters and is suitable for a 10+ year readership.

Sam’s Surfboard Showdown

Sam’s Surfboard Showdown by Allayne L. Webster (text), Amanda S. Clarke (illus.), Scholastic Australia PP RRP $12.99

ISBN 9781742991894

Reviewed by Heather Gallagher

This easy-to-read chapter book focuses on a sporting competition; a relatable topic for middle primary students. Protagonist Sam Sumner is the best at most things at Robe Primary School – he’s the best cricketer, the best Nippers kid, the best mathematician and (according to his own assessment) one of the best-looking boys. But when new kid Finn Hester comes to town, Sam finds himself challenged on all these fronts. When a Nippers competition is announced with the winner receiving a surfboard signed by the legendary Mick Fanning, Sam becomes obsessed with beating Finn and winning.

The book is co-written by step-sisters Webster and Clarke and is part of Scholastic’s program of diversity in literature, featuring Indigenous creators and characters in contemporary Australian stories. Clarke, an Aboriginal artist, has created an attractive beach-themed dot painting cover complemented by decorative chapter headings and dinkuses throughout the book.

Aboriginal culture is backgrounded in the story with Sam’s Dad employed by the local council, working to protect the land and honour the original landowners, the Boandik people. I particularly liked all the aunts and uncles who appeared to cheer Sam on in the big race. The sub-plot about Sam and Finn’s mothers indulging in a little competitive baking was a lot of fun too – would’ve liked to have been one of the kid tasters!

I was curious to see how this tale would resolve given Sam’s desperation to win takes up most of the story. Without giving away the plot, the ending is both surprising and satisfying. Having had sporty children in the target age group, I know this idea of winning and losing in competitive sport can be a huge issue. (It’s not easy to forget the heartbreak that followed the third consecutive grand final loss for my daughters under 11s basketball team!) It’s great to see a story that shows you can grow and change and that winning isn’t everything.

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A Cardboard Palace

A Cardboard Palace written by Allayne L Webster, (Midnight Sun Publishing) PB RRP $17.99 ISBN 978-1-92-522725-3

Reviewed by Elizabeth Vercoe

The back cover blurb claims this novel to be a humbling story about one boy’s desperation to escape a life of crippling poverty. And yes, the book is definitely this. But it is also so much more. A Cardboard Palace is a deeply engaging, thoughtful and ultimately life-affirming book that captures the reader from the very opening lines where action and characters are instantly present on the page. We meet eleven-year-old Jorge as he’s being clipped over the ear by his nasty boss Bill, while preparing to rob an old man with smiling eyes and a walking stick.

Jorge lives on the outskirts of Paris in a cardboard house, along with an army of child thieves. Stolen from their faraway homelands with the promise of making money for their struggling families, Jorge and the other children from this shanty town are under the control of Bill. Bill lives in an apartment with running water and a soft bed, while the children are forced to spend their waking hours stealing money and wallets from the millions of people who pour through the city centre.

The Paris of Jorge’s childhood is markedly different to the Eiffel Tower tea-towels and glossy travel brochures. The children’s Paris is harsh, dynamic and tinged with danger.

I love that we travel alongside Jorge; feeling the challenge and conflict of hunger, of criminal activity and of being unsafe. We laugh at his wonderful capacity for humour (especially sarcastic one-liners) and broader observations, and marvel at the dreams he manages to hold. We are drawn into this harsh yet remarkably human community where we’re not asked to feel sorry for Jorge, but rather to appreciate the world from his point of view. We see the obstacles in his way and hope that he’ll overcome them.

This is a captivating story that will transport both girls and boys into the action-packed and often seedy underbelly of Paris, a city that holds great sway in the collective imagination. This book is highly recommended.