Goldfields Girl

Goldfields Girl by Elaine Forrestal (Fremantle Press) RRP PB $16.99
ISBN 9781925816495

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Goldfields Girl is a middle grade historical fiction novel set in the early 1890s,  based on the true story of Clara Saunders.

Clara grew up in a large family who moved all over Australia, chasing the dream of finding their fortune in gold. From a young age she was taught to be reliable, hard-working and independent. This type of childhood gave Clara the confidence to move away from her family at age fourteen, to make her own way in the world. The story follows Clara’s move to Coolgardie, a new remote gold mining town in Western Australia, where she is one of only two females. We soon discover that Clara will experience a range of adventures, triumphs and tragedy in the isolated town.

Goldfields Girl is an engaging novel written in the first person by the strong female protagonist, Clara. It is divided into short chapters, each titled with the month and year. It is recommended for children aged 12+ years, especially those who enjoy learning about Australian history.

Wink

      Wink by Rob Harrell, (Angus & Robertson), 2020, RRP $19.99 pb

      ISBN: 9781460758878 (paperback)

      ISBN: 97814607`2610 (ebook)

      Reviewed by Pauline Hosking

      Based on Rob Harrell’s real-life experience, this is the story of Ross Maloy, a seventh grader diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer. In most respects Ross is an ordinary teenager living in the U.S., with a crush on a cute girl and an understandable fear of the class bully. He’d like to blend in, but his cancer makes him visible. Ross can’t help remembering how his mother died from cancer when he was four.

After receiving a horrific first diagnosis, Ross’s dad finds an amazing doctor with a more hopeful approach. The doctor believes Ross can eventually be cancer free, though he will have impaired vision. The treatment, painstakingly recorded, causes Ross to lose his hair. The skin around his eye dries up and he has to use a particularly icky ointment.         

One of Ross’s best friends drops him, unable to handle the difficult situation. Luckily there’s still his other best friend, Abby - until she announces that her family is leaving town.

Ross’s life is made even more difficult when someone starts sending hurtful memes to his class-mates’ phones. Memes are pictures or photos that have been altered in some way and text added. The nastiest shows the Grim Reaper holding up a sign with the word ‘Ross’.

In the midst of this darkness, the radiation technician from the hospital agrees to teach Ross to play the guitar. Music becomes a real positive. It gives Ross fun, hope, and an unlikely friend.

Rob Harrell is the author-illustrator of several graphic novels. Alongside the harrowing descriptions of Ross’s life are really funny cartoons paralleling what he’s going through. There are also lots of amusing extra illustrations throughout the text.

The characters, and their reactions, are sympathetically drawn. I particularly liked Linda, Ross’s stepmom, who doesn’t really know how to make things better but tries hard.

Wink is poignant, heartbreaking and hilarious by turns. It’s an uplifting story of survival and finding the comfort of music and laughter. Recommended for middle grade readers.

The Quest Diaries of Max Crack

The Quest Diaries of Max Crack written and illustrated by Jules Faber (Pan Macmillan) PB RRP $12.99 ISBN 9781760783907

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

This is a visually appealing novel for readers aged 9+ years insofar as it is presented as an exercise book with lined pages. As well, the entire book is not the conventionally presented book with pages of printed chapters. Instead, the words look hand-printed and there are illustrations, with cartoon characters, on every page. Faber makes use of lists, speech balloons and much more so the book looks immensely interesting and appealing.

The story is told from the point of view of the protagonist Max Crack who lives with his family in Piddown. In introducing himself, he lists four embarrassing things he’s done, such as ‘farted on the cat’ and ‘drank Dad’s aftershave and thought I was a ghost’.

The quests to which Max refers are his goals which include making a ‘super’ best friend. This happens on 1 July (events are often dated) when Max almost drowns after being hit on the head by a supermarket trolley, but is saved by a boy, Frankie, who is one of ten children (all featured and named in illustrated break-out boxes).

There’s lots to read in this amusing and quirky book, including visual asides (such as how to dogpile and what a dinosaur glow man looks like). Max and Frankie undertake many adventures including selling comics at a school fete, searching for buried treasure and solving mysteries. Using a list at the start of the year, Max manages to solve all his quests and makes a best friend along the way. Highly recommended.

Maddie in the Middle

Maddie in the Middle by Julia Lawrinson, (Fremantle Press), 2019. Pb. 226pp.  RRP $16.99 Also available as an eMobi, ePdf, ePub.

Reviewed by Pauline Hosking

Maddie Lee is beginning her last year at primary school. Her oldest and best friend Katy has been voted school captain (called a head counsellor in Queensland) and Maddie is feeling left behind. When the new girl Samara appears, Maddie works hard to become her friend. She discovers that Samara’s family have secrets and very little money. Although she knows stealing is wrong, Maddie joins Samara in shoplifting. 

The girls steal luxury items which are sold to raise cash. If the girls are caught, Maddie agrees to say she was acting alone. Samara fears that if she gets into trouble, and her family situation is discovered, she and her siblings will end up in care.

The girls are caught. Bravely (or foolishly) Maddie stays true to her friend and does not mention Samara’s name. Maddie is charged with theft and appears in the Children’s Court. Samara and Katy arrive during Maddie’s second court appearance. Samara explains her role in the thefts and says Maddie was ‘doing a bad thing for a good reason.’ The magistrate is sympathetic. Maddie in the Middle ends with the three girls becoming best friends.

I found this a difficult book to review. The publicity mentions the genre is middle readers ages 10-14. I think this where my problem lies. 10-14 is top of middle grade overlapping the bottom of YA. It’s a pity the novel wasn’t more firmly positioned in one camp. At present it’s an uncomfortable mix of serious subjects and happily-ever-after fantasy - like the frankly unbelievable way Samara and Katy are allowed to behave in court. The title, too, is very junior fiction.

Young readers may find the main characters difficult to relate to. Their behaviour and motivation are often confusing. At first Samara is presented as a Machiavellian type who manipulates Maddie. In the blink of an eye she becomes nice and responsible.

Many of the minor characters are more successful, especially Maddie’s father and Samara’s younger brother and sister. The short pieces Maddie writes for school are imaginative and deeply emotional. I think they would work even better in a grittier YA version of this story.