marianne musgrove – Aussie Reviews

Frieda: A New Australian by Marianne Musgrove

31 December 1913, Silvester (New Year’s Eve)

Heidleberg, Germany

‘Don’t fall,’ whispered Oma, standing at the bottom of the ladder. She glanced over her shoulder then back up at Frieda. ‘Make haste, Liebschen, my dear. If your mother catches us, there’ll be trouble.’ …

…

Moments later, a very dusty girl emerged from the attic, an old blue box with gold trim tucked under her arm.

31 December 1913, Silvester (New Year’s Eve)

Heidleberg, Germany

‘Don’t fall,’ whispered Oma, standing at the bottom of the ladder. She glanced over her shoulder then back up at Frieda. ‘Make haste, Liebschen, my dear. If your mother catches us, there’ll be trouble.’ …

…

Moments later, a very dusty girl emerged from the attic, an old blue box with gold trim tucked under her arm.

Frieda and her parents leave Germany in 1913 for Adelaide, Australia. Her father is keen for adventure, her mother will hopefully be more well. Frieda is in two minds, sad to be leaving her grandmother behind, nervous and excited about the unknowns of moving to a new country. But the world is changing and their initial welcome turns to suspicion. Frieda doesn’t understand all the nuances, but she’s aware of the growing tension. Germans are not as welcome as once they might have been. Her mother’s illness both restricts Frieda and allows her an unexpected freedom as she navigates this new and constantly changing world.

‘Frieda’is part of a Scholastic series about new Australians. Previous titles have explored early Irish migration, and more recent Maltese arrivals. Each focuses on a different culture/reason for coming to Australia. Frieda’s story offers insights behind the decisions made by a German family just before the advent of WWI. It’s also a portrait of a young girl heading into adolescence and trying to walk the path between childhood and adolescence in an uncertain time. Recommended for upper-primary readers and anyone interested in history told from the perspective of young people.

Frieda: A New Australian, Marianne Musgrove

Omnibus Books 2016 ISBN: 9781742991146

Review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Beginner's Guide to Revenge, by Marianne Musgrove

I’m still not entirely sure what happened. One minute I was telling my friends how nervous I was about reading a poem on ANZAC Day, how they were expecting twenty or thirty thousand people to show up to the Dawn Service, how it was going to be broadcast on national TV. The Next minute Riley announces she doesn’t believe in glorifying war and she’s not attending on principle.

Romola should be used to changing schools – this is the fifth time she’s done it. But it isn’t easy, and this time she’s determined not to mess it up. She is going to make friends, and keep them whatever it takes. All she has to do is keep her mouth shut and not do anything outlandish. But Riley, one of the ‘in’ girls and supposedly Romola’s new friend, doesn’t make it easy. Whenever Romola likes something, it seems Riley doesn’t.

Sebastian has problems, too. His mum has hooked up with a new guy, and now they’re talking about getting married. If that happens, Sebastian’s mum and dad can never get back together.

Sebastian and Romola don’t know each other, but fate throws them together, and soon the pair are friends, helping each other through some tough times, and exchanging tips for getting through. Both are out for revenge – but as they get to know each other, and themselves, a bit better, they realise that revenge isn’t always sweet.

The Beginner’s Guide to Revenge is a fabulous dual perspective tale of friendship and family – and revenge. Told with humour, it is nonetheless a book which addresses serious issues, including family dynamics, the impact of war, peer pressure and belonging.

Suitable for readers aged ten and over.
The Beginner’s Guide to Revenge, by Marianne Musgrove
Woolshed Press, 2012
ISBN 978174275086

Available from good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Lucy the Lie-Detector, by Marianne Musgrove

‘How about that one?’ said Lucy, pointing at a car parked in their street.
She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
Her best friend, Harriet, took out a ruler and held it up against the tyre. ‘Just as I thought. More than thirty centimetres away from the kerb.’ She shook her head disapprovingly. ‘Some people have no respect for the law.’

Lucy and her best friend, Harriet, are playing outside the house when disaster strikes. She scratches Dad’s new car with her bike. Lucy decides to fix the car herself and thereby avoid any trouble. Harriet is not convinced this will work, but Lucy is sure. But when Dad sees the scratch, not only does he notice it, he’s furious. On a whim, Lucy blames her brother, and that’s where the trouble really begins. Every time she opens her mouth, Lucy digs herself a deeper hole, a hole of lies and half-truths that ties her up in knots. Black and white illustrations are scattered throughout, and help break up the text for younger readers.

Lucy is a forthright, adventurous girl, who surges forward into everything, full of confidence and enthusiasm. Unfortunately that wonderful energy sometimes lands her in places she’d rather not be. Her friend Harriet acts a bit like a moral compass, one that Lucy doesn’t always read well. Along the way, Lucy learns about honesty and lies. She also learns a little more about discretion and diplomacy. Lucy is bright and funny and very real. She’s trying hard to do the right thing, but there seems to be a whole pile of unwritten rules about telling the truth that no one has told her about. Funny and real. Recommended for independent readers to mid-primary.

Lucy the Lie Detector, Marianne Musgrove
Random House 2010
ISBN: 9781741664553