The Wrong Boy by Suzy Zail

Can there ever be too many books about the holocaust? This reader says 'no', not when they are so simply delivered and poignantly written.  Through this bleak chapter in history, Zail shares the stark, heart-stopping story about a 15 year old girl, a survivor who endures the horrors of Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. As we are all aware, there is no happy ending even for the survivors but there is a rich vein of hope which sustains the narrative and reminds us that all people have a responsibility to ensure that this mass slaughter and dehumanisation of people will never again happen in our lifetime or beyond.

Hanna's stubborn nature and natural prowess with playing classical piano form part of her survival testimony. A simple lie about her age in the opening pages ensures that she narrowly misses being sent to the gas chamber. From that point her luck continues as she manages to impress a German commander with her musical ability to 'secure' a place as his 'entertainer', a mere commodity to amuse his guests:

I'd always performed best in front of an audience. It was easier to play warmed by the smiles, buoyed by the audience's expectations, jolted by the extra electricity an audience provides. But not this time, not here. I wasn't on stage. There were no draped curtains, no chandeliers. I was wearing a dead girl's dress and no matter how well I played there'd be no applause. (p.97)

There is nothing pleasant in talking about the holocaust, but talk about it we must. Zail bases her story on what she learnt about it from her father who was 13 when he was captured and taken to Auschwitz. The Wrong Boy  should rightly take its place with the other classics in literature on this historical event including The Hiding Place,   The Diary of Anne Frank and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

'The Debt - Catch the Zolt' - Phillip Gwynne

Quality fiction for teenage boys is no longer a thing of the past. Three cheers for Mr Gwynne who, being a lad himself at one stage of his life, knows exactly what boys want to read. It's all here - seriously.

There's competition, sexy cars, money, power, punch-ups, shootings, intrigue and excitement. This might seem an unfair thing to say, but I don't think the girls will get this book. I persisted so I could rally the lads.

Oh, forgot to mention plane crashes:
     As if to emphasise his point we hit a patch of turbulence and the plane shuddered violently, the chairs we were sitting in moving all over the place. My guts, too, now seemed to have no fixed position.
   As the ground came up to meet us, Otto talked to himself.
   ...'Keep the nose level,'  he kept saying. 'Keep the nose level.'
   I remembered the photo on the net of one of the planes he'd crashed, its nose buried in the earth.
   How he had walked away from that mess unharmed I wasn't sure. (p.265)

The first in a series, The Debt will not disappoint. Cheers Phil :)

Miss ^__^

Deadly Unna

Another year rolls by and yet again I had the privilege of teaching this novel to a class of year niners - all boys this time round. I never tire of returning to The Port and engaging with the array of colourful and realistic characters.
I'm not going to give away the plot. Suffice to say, the book is set in a small beachy community where nothing ever happens - until now. The Port's footy team has stumbled into the grand final and their star player Blacky is not really a star at all, being there by default. If it wasn't for the efforts of the lads from the mission the story would be over before it began. They do have a star player called Dumby Red. It's not over til it's over...
Thank You Phillip Gwynne! My class was captivated - and the essays are trickling in.

Gripping Conclusion!

Oh my! This book did not go where I thought it was headed, which is good. I highly recommend it peoples. I think the boys in particular will enjoy the story.
As I wrote earlier, Marty did suffer a massive trauma in his childhood, the effects of which keep rearing their ugly heads. It is fascinating watching the impacts of this. It's a bit of a psychological thriller cos Marty, at times, can't tell what is real or what is a part of his living nightmare.
It is simply written, largish font, and only a couple of hundred pages. Perfect.
C'mon guys. Give it a shot and let's talk about it. Does Marty pull through? Has he a hope in hell of recovering from his past to live a successful future? What do you think????
Miss ^__^

Nightmares and Trees

Almost half way through now and I can't predict how the story is going to end - which is keeping me on the edge of my seat. In recent chapters Marty has been having flashbacks to something that happened in his childhood. From the few fragments written it seems that there may have been an accidental killing of (maybe) a sibling. Marty recalls a late night car trip to a sinkhole where his mum was crying hysterically as something was dragged and dropped into the hole...
On the other hand, Marty has a passion for trees. He is supporting an Iranian family by replanting the saplings that have been decimated by local racist teens. Of course, this brings him into closer contact with the lovely Nariah. Sigh.

Pig Hunting episode

I know a few of you guys go pig hunting so I'd be keen to know if the author has captured the excitement in a realistic way.
Marty releases his three hunting dogs and the chase is on...
     Only Gwab was right there as the pig picked himself up. Gwab rushed in trying to snap at the pig's throat. But the boar was too fast. He spun sideways and lunged forward, lodging his razor-sharp tusk just under Gwab's breastplate... In a split second Gwab was opened up from his chest down to his back legs. Gutted. (p.37)
You think that's bad? Wait 'til you read what Marty did to the pig! It's a gripping read - and the dog's not dead yet!!!

Marty's Shadow by John Heffernan

I picked this one from Taminmin Library as it has a 'short listed' Children's Book Council of Australia medal on the front cover. I'm only one chapter in and the author has given me plenty of reasons to delve into chapter 2. So far there's a couple of abandoned teenage boys, fending for themselves; mum walked out seven years ago and dad is only home on weekends. Next, there's a love interest - Marty is intrigued by the bubbly and energetic new girl Nariah. And finally there's enough foreshadowing to reveal the protagonist as being handy with a hunting knife. There could well be a 'kill' down the track. Watch this space.