Run

Run by Sarah Armstrong (Hardie Grant) PB RRP: $18.99 ISBN 9781761214561

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

Sarah Armstrong, author of CBCA's Notable book Big Magic, presents a fast-paced adventure for middle-grade readers and teens.

Cas is on the run. On the way to visit his Dad, he finds out that the adults in his life have decided for him that he should try living with his father -- a father he doesn't remember ever being there for him. Now he feels he doesn't belong anywhere - not with Dad, nor with the people who want to be rid of him. So, he runs.

Out in the Australian bush, he starts to think that his impulsive decision wasn't such a great one. The bush is filled with scary creatures and he's not sure what might be poisonous or not.

This is a fast-paced read, and Cas's strong emotions about his family, his loneliness, and his need to belong carry the story. We feel Cas's desperation and pain.

I might actually die out here, he thinks, every centimetre of his skin prickling with the truth of this. Tears fill his eyes. I don't want to die. I'm only twelve. I can't die yet. But maybe this disbelief is exactly what people feel before their death. Maybe no one ever expects to die.

Then, he meets a family who help him navigate the ways of the wild. Two girls and their father. They refer to their way of life as 'rewilding' - living off the land. But as Cas spends more time with them, he realises there is much more to their story than that. The girls run for cover when a helicopter is in the area and he overhears mysterious snippets of conversation: they're hiding a secret. All the while, Cas is aching to get back to his aunt and to the way things used to be -- before this whole idea of visiting his Dad entered the picture.  

The adventure involves a tight cast with relatable and memorable voices. The descriptions of the Australian bush evoke beautifully strong images.

The story first opens up a discussion of family and belonging. As it moves along, though, it becomes a more interesting ethical discussion. There are repeated themes of "sometimes it's right to do wrong", whether someone is worthy of your trust and belief, and the importance of family. The story's characters have some concept of flexible morality. This is a story that allows children to ponder their own thoughts about what right and wrong really mean in different contexts.

An original read with strong images and emotions that will stay with the reader well afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Odds: Run, Odds, Run

The Odds: Run, Odds, Run by Matt Stanton (ABC Books) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN: 9780733340642

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

In this sequel to the bestselling graphic novel The Odds, Kip is in real trouble. The ten strange characters that escaped from her imagination have drawn the attention of the Woman in the Suit, and now Kip, her dad and the Odds are on the run. Can Kip keep the Odds together, when she is falling apart? And why does the Woman in the Suit think that Kip is ‘the one with the power’?

Matt Stanton’s quirky take on dealing with anxiety and accepting every part of ourselves – no matter how odd – will appeal to all kids aged seven and older who feel as though they don’t fit in. Each entertaining episode in the book balances humour with heart, and the brevity of the text is a godsend for those youngsters who dislike wading through wads of words.

Matt’s black-and-white illustrations feature clean lines and engaging characterisations. Their simplicity ensures that the visual story is easy to follow for small eyes. Despite the prevalence of enclosed comic-strip cells, there is plenty of movement on the pages to drive the story forward in an exciting way.

Fans of the Funny Kid series and other Matt Stanton books will adore The Odds: Run, Odds, Run. It’s an imaginative journey along a path of self-discovery that encourages each young reader to celebrate every facet of their unique personality.

Run, Pip, Run

Run, Pip, Run by JC Jones (Allen & Unwin)

PB RRP $12.99

ISBN 9781743319222

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Did Pip’s troubles begin at her birth when her mother abandoned her? Or on her tenth birthday when her carer Sully toppled over into her birthday cake as the result of a stroke? Sully is all Pip Sullivan’s got in life so when he’s admitted to hospital and Constable Molly Dunlop makes suggestions about fostering, Pip takes to the streets.

She might only be ten, but Pip is a survivor. Much of this adventure novel for readers aged 8 to 11 years centres on Pip’s escapades, trying to avoid capture and finding shelter and sustenance. This she does – sleeping in a home for sale, making money betting on horses and firming up a friendship with a school mate, Matilda -- until when she is ‘arrested’ and taken to a police station and from there to a paid carer. It’s then that the wily adventurer once again escapes and is on the run.

This is a fast-paced story which is sure to have child-reader appeal. Pip is a resourceful, brave child in a big city, whose loyalty to Sully is unquestionable. When he dies, however, her life is once again transformed, though for this reader the author signalled the ending mid-way through the book.

This is not a prize-winning novel (how does Pip manage, for example, to travel without funds to and from three different race-courses?) but it is easy to read and is likely to engage readers who are looking for an escapist story.