All of Us Together

All of Us Together by Bill Condon (About Kids Books) PB RRP $14.99

IBSN 978-0-9945428-0-6

Reviewed by Kate Simpson

Set in Australia in the Great Depression, All of Us Together is a touching coming of age story by multi CBCA short-listed author Bill Condon. Times are tough in small town Australia during the 1930s. Like many fathers, Daniel’s dad is forced to leave his family and seek work wherever he can find it. Before he leaves, he seeks a promise from his son:

‘I’m dependin on you to keep our family in one piece. You and Addie. I’ve no doubt she’s up to it, but are you?’

         ‘I think I am.’

         ‘You only think?’

         ‘No. I know Dad. I promise I won’t let you down.’

It’s one thing to make a promise, but quite another to keep it, and Daniel is only 12 years old. How can he keep his word when the family’s situation is going from bad to worse and his best friend seems to only want to drag him deeper into trouble?

Although it is set in the Great Depression, All of Us Together has a sense of timelessness that separates it from more traditional historical fiction books. It is an emotive, character-driven tale that is more interested in Daniel’s responses to his troubles than to the troubles themselves. Above all, it is a story that will feel completely relevant to Condon’s 8 – 12 year old readership, whether or not they have ever experienced poverty or the absence of a parent.

All of Us Together is a story about growing up, washing off the naïveté of childhood and seeing the world as it really is. It is a story about learning to make the right choices, instead of the easy ones.

A great choice for primary aged children, who may, like me, be hoping for a sequel.

Violet Mackerel’s Formal Occasion

Violet Mackerel’s Formal Occasion by Anna Branford, illustrated by Sarah Davis (Walker Books)

HC RRP $ 19.95

ISBN 9781925081091

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

My favourite girl character Violet Mackerel is back again. I adore the delightful interpretation of Anna Branford’s work by Sarah Davis. She is so familiar with every aspect of each character’s personality that there’s not an emotion that she can’t portray perfectly. I know these character’s intimately, the illustrations boast.

Best friends Violet and Rose are at the park twig-digging. Rose finds something and brushes the dirt away like archaeologists do. It’s a locket. Nicola, Violet’s sister, experienced at jewellery making, gives her expert opinion on how to clean it. The girls decide to share the locket, but are preoccupied with the original owner and their loss.

Rose’s grandparents are visiting from overseas and plan to take the girls out for morning tea somewhere special. It is a formal occasion so they must dress up in their best clothes and comb their hair in a special braid to look elegant.

Violet still worries about the owner of the locket and their feelings of loss. Rose’s grandparents relate a story about a ring they lost years ago while young. They all discuss theories on things lost and found. They imagine who could have found the ring. Perhaps it had been someone who couldn’t afford one and needed it for their loved one? Possibilities are suggested. The girls decide to prepare a letter and bury it where the locket was found in case someone returns to search for it.

When mum’s basket of knitted things gets lost after she rests it on a seat for a moment, the theory of losing small things comes into play again. Violet and Rose find lots of ways to cheer mum up with their thoughtful and creative gifts, stories and theories on who may have found the knitted things, and what they could have been used for. They prepare a delightful formal occasion for mum as well, which proves to be the icing on the cake.

This perfectly crafted story has thought-provoking themes. Apart from the priceless value of family and friends, it has amazing alternate and almost profound ways of looking at things that get lost by reversing them to think about the finders of lost things. Ideal for the 5+ age group but also enjoyed by many adult fans as well.

I love the way new and unusual words are highlighted in bold and varying text to accentuate their individuality and newness. This encourages young readers to use their dictionaries or question the meaning of the words.

One Rule for Jack

One Rule for Jack by Sally Morgan & Ezekiel Kwaymullina, illustrated by Craig Smith (Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $9.99

ISBN 978-1-74299-033-0

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

If there is one thing Jack hates more than showers, it’s the jobs Mum gives him on Saturday mornings. They always need to be finished before he is allowed to go hang out with his mate Thommo. Jack knows how to get out of chores. It’s just that somehow all his efforts seem to be backfiring.

And then Dad gives him the worst job of all. Surely his plan cannot fail here.

Australian indigenous culture is quietly but firmly present in this story.  Yet the book transcends race.  This is a story every young boy, or girl, will easily relate to. Who wants to be sweeping the patio or washing the dog when their mate is waiting on a sunny Saturday morning?

One Rule for Jack is a gentle, funny, tale. There is a lovely family atmosphere - with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Joe living next door. And the lesson Jack learns comes across naturally without being preachy or moralising.

Jack is an engaging narrator, giving tips to the reader throughout. 'Okay - here's a pro tip. Inside jobs are the hardest. One parent is usually hanging around. If you're not careful they can catch you out.'

The cheeky sense of fun is carried in the illustrations as well. The look on Jack's face as he manoeuvres a plunger into the toilet is priceless. And the way his mother and grandmother gather around to help him solve his problems reinforces the closeness of the family.

Smith's soft black and white pictures illustrate each page of the book and help to create an easy and enjoyable story for beginner readers. The short chapters, large font and straight-forward words and sentences make this an accessible story for young primary aged children, while the humour and storyline speaks to every child.