June 2009 – Page 3 – Aussie Reviews

Silas and the Winterbottoms, by Stephen M. Giles

Dear Adele,
This letter may come as something of a surprise as we have never met. Time, however, is not on my side, so allow me to get straight to the point. I am dying and it is my wish that I might get the chance to know you, at least a little, before death takes me…I have enclosed a cheque for $10 000 to cover the necessary travel arrangements and additional expenses…
Your uncle,
Silas Winterbottom.

Adele Winterbottom did not expect a letter from her uncle. Neither did her cousins Milo and Isabella. None of them have ever met Uncle Silas. After all, he has not been in contact with his family for decades, except occasionally to insult them or refuse their requests for money. Now, though, Silas is dying, and the children believe he will choose one of them to be his heir. All three children come from families with money problems, and inheriting Silas’ money could make dreams come true. One of the children, however, doesn’t want a bar of the money and the other two are in competition to win Silas’ favour.

Holidaying in the luxurious surrounds of Sommerset proves to be no picnic. Not only do they need to outwit each other, but the cousins also find themselves caught up in mystery and intrigue they could have never imagined – including a fight for their lives.

Silas and the Winterbottoms is a gothic tale of intrigue, adventure and humour, complete with evil relatives, orphans, crocodiles, secret schemes and great escapes. Young fans of series such as Lemony Snicket will enjoy this one, the first in a series.

Silas and the Winterbottoms, by Stephen M. Giles
Pan Macmillan, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Winds of Heaven, by Judith Clarke

Oh, how different from home all this was! How different from thirty-three Willow Street! You could even smell the difference: a mixture of sun and dust, wild honey and the smoky tang from the old kerosene fridge on the back verandah. And you could smell feelings, too – Clementine was sure of it: you could smell anger and hatred and disappointment and jagged little fears. The anger smelled like iron and the disappointment smelled like mud.

When Clementine meets her cousin Fan, she thinks Fan is strong and beautiful. Fan doesn’t care what other people think, and she is sure her life will be different from her mother’s. She calls Clementine her sister. But they live far apart and as the girls grow towards adulthood their lives become increasingly different. Whilst Clementine finishes school and heads for university, Fan leaves school as soon as she can and looks for love, in a search that seems destined for failure. Can their bond, and Fan’s determination to be different, be enough to make that difference in Fan’s life?

The Winds of Heaven is a beautiful, moving novel set primarily in 1950s Australia. The lives of the girls are in many ways contrasted – one from a stable, city family, the other from a broken, rural, home – and, as they grow, the contrast become more marked as Clementine enters the world of university, working towards the future her parents have long dreamt of her having, whilst Fan struggles with an unhappy teen marriage and motherhood, unable to escape a life which echoes her mother’s. Yet the two share a special bond, and also a need to find their true identity.

This is a moving story, with Fan’s life moving in a seemingly inevitable chain of events foreshadowed by the older Clementine looking back on events of her childhood. Clarke is an insightful writer, with the characters’ complex lives and personalities making them come alive to the reader.

The Winds of Heaven, by Judith Clarke
Allen & Unwin, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Mascot Madness, by Andy Griffiths

Reviewed by Calum Murphy (aged 13)

Northwest Southeast Central School have never won an interschool athlectis competiton. Apparently, they are gutless. They will never win against Northwest West Academy.

Or so they think, until one day…

Coming through the door was a banana. A big, yellow, dancing banana.

Mr Brainfright came to help them win the interschool athletics competition, like their knight in shining yellow armour.

A hilarious book for school aged children who like a good laugh (and fruit).

Mascot Madness, by Andy Griffiths
Pan Macmillan, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.